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Fascinating design. Not like anything I've seen before, really. Quite cool. The proportions could use some work, but the ideas are pretty interesting.
I think you'll have visual issues if all those cliffs are double-high. It will be too hard to see over them.
I'd be a bit concerned about Terrans lifting off and going to the semi-island, as well. And in general, some of the bases feel a bit too easy to defend.
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I feel you on the double high thing, I'll definitely change that. It will also help clarify which ones you can drop on top of. I was also going to do some aesthetic work for the distinction. Currently you can't drop on anything that is part of the outer most ring (including the walls that wrap around the main and natural)
The smiley base that is tucked into the main is definitely awkward, but I'm not all that opposed to having no space behind the mineral lines (other people might be though, and I could probably find a way to change this).
I've noticed that since I started playing protoss exclusively I've made bases that are easier to defend. I'm going to have to find a way to break that. I guess I really do want you to be able to take half the map though, but what could I do to make bases more exposed?
Once you take half the map you have to move a farther distance as a defender between your bases than as an attacker, so that makes all 7 or 5 bases hard to hold, but 1-4 are pretty easy.
About the semi-island, do you think that this is a deal-breaker? If I took out the 2nd set of rocks at that 4th, it would expose the 3rd a little bit more and get rid of the semi-island base. Perhaps that is a good solution.
The original thought was that there were walls everywhere for overlords and protoss is going to be scouting with an observer/phoenix/hallucination anyway, so that would theoretically make up for it. Perhaps it's too safe of a natural though, I hadn't thought of terran's taking it as their 2nd base...
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Cloud Kingdom's third has no space behind the mineral line and it works out fine.
I think 4 bases is too many to be pretty easy. 4 bases is all you need in a 20 or 25 minute game. You need to encourage some conflict with getting the fourth base, I think.
I do like the idea of removing those rocks. That brings up another point, though. Those further corner bases (next to the semi-islands) are pretty linear. Pretty easy to take once you take the semi-island. They don't require you to cover more chokes and or much further distances.
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Yeah, definitely. The choke is only marginally wider. I used to have xel'naga towers that covered that base, but they weren't useful enough in the early game so I replaced them with one in the center.
What if I raised that 4th one cliff level? and had a ramp going down into the outer base. It's still harder to defend than having rocks there while maintaining the not-linear aspect.
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idk about gameplay, but I love the layout
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Russian Federation4295 Posts
Reminds me about some of Perimeter's (great RTS) singleplayer maps
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lol this is awesome! I have to think about it some more, we have to turn this into a competitive map
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I'm going to just list a lot of small stuff so this can become more viable in a competitive scene!
-Natural is too far away from the main
-"Simley face" expansion is awkward and too choked
-Too many expansions clustered on the left/right sides; total expos should be 12 and no higher
-Not enough open space in general, but especially outside the expansions
Also my preference is to have as much of the map flat as possible if you're using this concept. Leave the mains like they are, but the middle highground can go IMO. Not really a big deal but I think its cool to only use the highground where you absolutely need it. And for some inspiration:
![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/tlpd/images/maps/390_Fortress.jpg)
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I've made some updates, taking out a base (the smiley one) and moving the third over in order to create open spaces. I've also re-arranged the 2 bases on the left and right.
This has tightened up the middle but left some space out front of each base.
However I'm not sure that I like my solution for making the natural and main closer. Suggestions?
I left the high ground in for now, I like that it's a clear place in the middle to hold and would also break up a spine crawler or planetary fortress wall in the very late game, but I could probably be convinced 
I've also reduced the height of the inner walls to only 1 high.
I'll also definitely be doing some 4 spawn maps with the same template. I had never seen that map before, very cool. I really like how far they took broodwar maps from just the built-in editor.
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The update is definitely an improvement, but the map still has some problems. It would be pretty playable right now if it didn't have 4 bases that were really easy to siege over the wall they hug. The 3rd especially is a problem in ZvT because tanks can hit it from the middle. By retaining the structure around the tower in the middle, you make it very easy to push through the relatively narrow space and set up a strong position that is also a game ending offensive threat.
Have you considered reorienting the map so the main is in the corner? This would give you a lot more space for a conventional main-natural shape, and also provide more space throughout the map so the bases don't have to be crammed into awkward positions. I think the concept of outward facing mineral lines against the walls can work, and work very well, but you'll have to make the siege positions (from across the wall) much harder to reach than a direct short path from the middle.
In the meantime, you might try reducing (but not removing) the structure in the middle. Two pods instead of arcs with flat ground would still break up the space and provide a tactical right and left for maneuvering while providing a bit more space for big engagements and spreading out. And the tower itself would still be a fortified position with some LosB and chokiness.
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I like your idea for changes to the middle as a simpler solution for now. I'm a little hesitant to move the bases to the corners because of the visual circle, but if people I can get to play on it feel that would make it more playable, then I'd do it.
I have made a couple minor changes, making the high ground unpathable and putting a neutral supply depot at the base of each ramp to prevent a 2 building wall off/pylon blocking/etc
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Looks interesting, but can you drop on top of the walls, that seems a bit scary :S
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I know this would be a pretty big change and of course you dont have to listen to me if you dont want to, but i would consider opening paths to the far left and right bases to make them the natural thirds while turning the current third into an outward facing positional half-base as on daybreak. It would retain and perhaps even enhance its circular style, open a new attack path and solve the problem of backside sieges on the third. It would also end up looking more similar to other maps in terms of base layout which is perhaps not what you want. Idk just my idea! :D
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EPT![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/g7vK5.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/Xx6qG.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/dvrAH.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/jKXNv.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/AEkn7.jpg)
any feedback would be great, particularly suggestions on how to cut it down in size while still maintaining aesthetics.![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/p4fhT.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/bhqZT.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/j5dlp.jpg)
