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![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/0YnSh.png)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/ag7va.png)
ESV Afterglow by monitor
Afterglow is really the first map I've seriously worked on and gotten close to finishing since Korhal Compound. I tried to focus on highground control, and how it plays a role in different areas of the map. As you look around you'll notice different ways map control play into expanding.
(4/20/12) - Version 1.3 ![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/x30hN.jpg)
(4/5/12) - Version 1.1 Aesthetics by Timetwister
+ Show Spoiler +
Features
-Lowground third that encourages controlling part of the central highground.
-Highground center that can be used for positioning and map control
-Middle expansions for aggressive players and lategame expanding
-Small access expansions at the bottom of the map, out of the "war zone"
Information
Size: 144x116
Tileset: BelShir, Agria, Tarsonis, Xil
Players: 2
Main to Main: 50s
Natural to Natural: 44s
Brief explanations
No towers: This map is all about map control. For that reason, I chose to emphasize highground and lowground differences. A tower(s) was not necessary for any area; on highground, a tower would make contains to powerful; on lowground, a tower defeats the purpose of controlling highground.
No rocks: Everybody tends to hate rocks. Luckily there aren't any of those demons either. In the original version there were rocks places on the choke outside the natural to allow Protoss to hold the third expansion easier, but I decided they were unnecessary. If testing shows that it is imbalanced, rocks may be added.
Inspiration: I based this map's layout off of a brood war map, Acrid. I enhanced the concept to fit Starcraft 2 as best I could. The aesthetics for version 1.0 were based off of prodiG's remake of God's Garden from brood war. After I failed to make the aesthetics decent, I handed the map off to Timetwister to make version 1.1. He did a truly incredible job with them. In version 1.2 though, I decided to change the maps layout entirely and had to redo the aesthetics as a result.
+ Show Spoiler [Change Log] +
-Added XelNaga tower in middle
-Center expansions rotated 180 degrees
-Added rocks to third choke
-Ramp to third now 1x instead of 2x
-Added LoS blockers at the fourth, various texture improvements in center
-Map layout and aesthetics revamped
-Aesthetics revamped by Timetwister
-6 o'clock base removed
-Ramps adjusted at the fourth expansion and near the XelNaga Tower
-Highground barriers near the 1gas expansions extended
-Rocks added to the highground defending the third
Version 1.1 uploaded to NA and EU
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your Country52797 Posts
It seems to me like you really have to have the highground above your natural or else you die.
Maybe that's just me :/
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Canada1169 Posts
Yea it seems really difficult holding your natural when you have to hold attacks coming from above. Not sure how this will work out with say mid game when terran does a push that allows them to siege up in the high ground (after forcing zerg back) and all units zerg produces gets sieged
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I don't think the natural is going to be a big issue. ZvP isn't an issue. In TvZ, the area above the natural is actually really open. Tanks on the highground can't hit anything in the natural either- I doubt pushes will be any stronger than on other maps (say for example Korhal Comp or Cloud Kingdom with tight areas outside the natural. I actually think PvT could be the biggest issue, with colossi breaking down bunkers at the natural. It could be really difficult for Terran to expand greedily like they usually do.
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This looks pretty cool  I like how the upper path works, with the tower and the 1x ramps and all.
Obviously the highground in front of natural is quite experimental but I can see it work out well.
Only 4 and a half bases that you can realistically take isn't quite optimal but probably sufficient for most games to be good.
For the longest time I thought prodiG's aesthetics on God's Garden were the sexiest thing ever, so it's cool you used that
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Upon first sight it had me, in many ways, thinking of Shakuras close air spawns but of course this is far more interesting. Like how you accounted for blink stalker plays into the main, putting LOS blockers up there.
The highground outside of natural is rather experimental, especially with no Towers giving direct sight of the rush path. Meaning that in TvZ a clever Terran could do a drop in the main and then quickly sprint to the nat to set up a midgame contain. But it seems pretty circumstantial and, possibly, entirely legitimate.
Intelligent use of the towers and rocks especially, and the small bases outside the naturals is a stroke of genius that I think (and hope) will become a common feature in good maps.
I really like it - it does feel more like a BW map and I think it will play out like one. I'm a fan of that.
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On April 01 2012 21:35 Ragoo wrote:This looks pretty cool I like how the upper path works, with the tower and the 1x ramps and all. Obviously the highground in front of natural is quite experimental but I can see it work out well. Only 4 and a half bases that you can realistically take isn't quite optimal but probably sufficient for most games to be good. For the longest time I thought prodiG's aesthetics on God's Garden were the sexiest thing ever, so it's cool you used that
The lack of five bases (max is really 4.5 per player) is my biggest concern too. I am trying to figure out how to fix it- one of my ideas is to make the 6 oclock base an island expansion. It would really only be taken by zerg, but maybe that's a good thing.
On April 01 2012 22:11 SeinGalton wrote:
Upon first sight it had me, in many ways, thinking of Shakuras close air spawns but of course this is far more interesting. Like how you accounted for blink stalker plays into the main, putting LOS blockers up there.
The highground outside of natural is rather experimental, especially with no Towers giving direct sight of the rush path. Meaning that in TvZ a clever Terran could do a drop in the main and then quickly sprint to the nat to set up a midgame contain. But it seems pretty circumstantial and, possibly, entirely legitimate.
Intelligent use of the towers and rocks especially, and the small bases outside the naturals is a stroke of genius that I think (and hope) will become a common feature in good maps.
I really like it - it does feel more like a BW map and I think it will play out like one. I'm a fan of that.
Thank you!
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Big OP update. Timetwister graciously gave his time and aesthetics skills to redo the aesthetics! A number of other changes, including:
-6 o'clock base removed
-Ramps adjusted at the fourth expansion and near the XelNaga Tower
-Highground barriers near the 1gas expansions extended
-Rocks added to the highground defending the third
I am still concerned that there may be too few bases. I'm looking for solutions.
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i think there should be at least one neutral base, either at the top or the bottom
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1-2 more bases are really needed here imo
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On April 06 2012 13:07 monitor wrote:
I am still concerned that there may be too few bases. I'm looking for solutions.
What about a 12 o'clock base then?
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I believe you could have bases at the 6 or 12 o'clock positions. I like the map overall though
I'm curious. @ the fourth base waterpool, can siege tanks cover the lowground from the highground?
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Love the map. Just throwing ideas around, but what do you think of adding an elevation element to the center of the map? Like this:
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/CYOdW.jpg)
This change may not leave enough room for big engagements, but it does give a larger reward for holding the center of the map if the center is changed to a high ground. If the center becomes lower ground, your grasp of the center become more precarious. This might be desirable as countrol of the zel-naga tower may not allow for many unscouted flanking opportunities for the zerg once a strong center map presence is established. (I guess the top and bottom-most lanes are still available).
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On April 06 2012 13:07 monitor wrote:
I am still concerned that there may be too few bases. I'm looking for solutions.
Just looking at it, I think you could fit a 6th base just south of the 5th in the middle.
If you converted the southern low-ground into a high-ground and blocked the ramps with rocks then that could open opportunities for attack via high-ground or siege tanks.
I'm assuming that the area between the main and 5th is unpathable. Leave it that way and you have a really cool effect where bases 2-4 are oriented north, but then your 5th and 6th are back to the other side of the map, and closer to your opponent.
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On April 07 2012 02:29 slane04 wrote:Love the map. Just throwing ideas around, but what do you think of adding an elevation element to the center of the map? Like this: This change may not leave enough room for big engagements, but it does give a larger reward for holding the center of the map if the center is changed to a high ground. If the center becomes lower ground, your grasp of the center become more precarious. This might be desirable as countrol of the zel-naga tower may not allow for many unscouted flanking opportunities for the zerg once a strong center map presence is established. (I guess the top and bottom-most lanes are still available).
I think a highground center could really well, thanks for the suggestion. It'd encourage more highground control.
On April 07 2012 02:52 SpecFire wrote:
uh.. looks exactly like daybreak...
?? The only similarity I see that ties Afterglow to daybreak is the 1gas; you're right in that regard. But Afterglow is reflection symmetry, requires lots of highground map control to expand, has one tower seeing the attack paths, has a wide open middle, etc.
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On April 07 2012 02:52 SpecFire wrote:
uh.. looks exactly like daybreak...
"exactly like"?
Not only is the map structurally dissimilar to Daybreak, but even on a purely superficial level of aesthetics, this map looks nothing like Daybreak. Perhaps I can jive with "sort of like" Daybreak in some respects. But even then, you don't list those specifics. What is the point of your post?
I like the layout as it seems to encourage expanding up the side of the map. This is pretty novel in terms of the current Blizz and tournament map pool.
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On April 07 2012 02:52 SpecFire wrote:
uh.. looks exactly like daybreak...
Uhm no? Sorry, but your not really right about that. Center control is ALOT more impotent in this map, than Daybreak.
Really nice map Moniter, i just think i would like to see something else then these textures. Something like Ohana! Using different textures from all the other maps, would make your maps even more popular.
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EPT![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/FBBKk.jpg)
