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![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/pIw63.jpg)
Vector
by OxyGenesis
150x150 | Published on EU & NA
![[image loading]](http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/7654/vector60.png)
+ Show Spoiler [Overview (high res)] +
I spent way too long on this one. This will probably be my last map in a little while due to IRL stuff. I came up with the layout a while ago but as I made it it became more and more experimental, it got to the point where I went 'fuck it, lets go full retard' and this is the result.
The main and nat are fairly standard, the main is quite large but is easily defended against reapers and blink stalkers, drops could be tricky though. The nat choke is 9 wide and there are a few different ways of walling off. The 3rd is just a stones throw from the nat but is quite open, the LoS blockers between the 2 should promote smart play, I especially see zerg players using them to help get surrounds. Controlling the area between the 3rds is very important, especially in close positions. The XNTs provide vision of the main attack path and the route to avoid them is very long so controlling them is especially important. The 4th is essentially a 6m1hg expansion as 2 of the mineral patches only contain 42 mins, this makes defending the base a bit easier (you units can get through to the other side of the minerals without having to go right around). It also means that you can take the high yield gas on the other side, but it will take a lot of workers to saturate (gives you some interesting min/gas decisions in late game). Overall I tried to keep the attack paths quite wide as I was worried that the restrictive XNTs and relatively short rush distances could be hard for zerg. I also tried to give each base a distinct feel and phase to the game. Hopefully I have designed some unique features that smart players will be able to use to their advantage, I know that it is unlikely to be perfectly balanced but as I said, fuck it.
Aesthetics
1990 Doodads
HotS textures with wrl's Odin cliffs.
+ Show Spoiler [Aesthetics] +
High Level Replays
http://drop.sc/269506
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This is pretty awesome. Those expos are really similar to what I did in my map jam map, I guess wise minds.. :-P
Aesthetics are obviously great. Normally I would hate you for pink, but it kind of works.
Looks like fun, I don't see any balance probs with it at first glance, other than resources get a bit scarcer when you get 4+ bases. But that may be more of a good thing than bad.
edit: the other interesting thing to note - you can be an aggressive "come at me!" asshole and expand towards your opponent at the 4th inbetween your spawns (assuming not cross-spawn), especially if terran w/ a planetary + tanks. Or you can expand away from them. And if you are cross-spawn, the game can play out differently if you both expand left or right, vs if you expand in different directions.
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Loving the aesthetics, it is gorgeous
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The layout's pretty cool, reminds me of Johanaz's old map Green Harvest, in a sort of the-geysers-on-this-map-work-weirdly kinda way. The thing I like most about it though is its uniqueness, which is hard to do with a rotational map. This still has the same pseudo-reflectional balance that Whirlwind and co. have, but it's designed differently and thus feels fresh. I like it.
I'm also impressed with the aesthetics, you can put out some really awesome stuff when you work at it :D
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not sure how well people will receive such an open third, but in general i like it. hopefully you can get in on NA
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I think a 3rd in that position can be more open than the norm, because that is exactly where you will have your army sitting. You can defend your nat and 3rd from that position. Whereas on something like daybreak (and most maps), the third choke is in a different spot completely from the nat choke.
The only thing about that type of mineral line (which is fine, I think) is that players have to be on top of their worker rally point. If you keep the rally on one side of the minerals or the other, the workers will all stack on that side and won't auto-distribute to the other side.
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That's truly some of the best texturing I have seen so far,
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I really like it. I wonder how balanced it is though, considering you can be sieged by air at your 3rd while being attacked from both sides. I love how the 90/180/270/360 minerals are positioned as well, would like to see some feedback on the map balance wise.
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Send me map so i can upload on NA :D
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What I like about the 3rd is that it's not impossible to take a quick 3rd there, but can be denied by smart 2base play without it being all-in for either player. Then there's the option of the "away" small 3rd base with the unique mineral wall vulnerability, which gives players yet another option for strategizing.
Basically this map looks sick as fuck. Get it on NA asap plz.
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These aesthetics are drop-dead amazing, and are certainly inspirational. However, I can't say I like the layout so much. The fourths are awesome, and I really think more mappers need to mess with mineral layouts such as that. It's the third that I really....really don't like.
Stick your army in one spot, and you don't have to worry about a thing. Sure the third is super open, but that does not change the fact that deathball-turtling-3 base play is encouraged on this map, and I really don't like that. If you're going to have the natural lead right into the third like this, there really should be other ways to put pressure on your opponent. As of now, things like blink or elevator play is not possible with the main. Drops in the nat are nearly pointless since the main army should be right there at the third. Drops in the main are possible but only from one direction, which is not only easy to predict but also spawn dependent.
Thus, I feel this map is going to provide some slow turtling macro games. Of course, there isn't anything really wrong with that as far as balance goes. I personally just prefer maps that allow for more aggression to be possible.
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If it's too turtley you could
- make a backdoor to the nat via the 4th (the 4th that's on the natural side, obviously) blocked by debris. You'd have to shift the nat mineral line position a bit (and probably move the main ramp slightly) but that's np
- increase the blink surface area on the main a bit (e.g. if you were looking at the bottom right spawn, turn some of the lava on the north side of the main into land so that blink/reapers can get in from there w/out running into an army parked at the 3rd.)
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I strongly dislike that third location. It is much to easy to defend 3 bases with it being where it is.
4th is interesting, it is like a half base, but eventually you will get another gas. Not sure if I like it, need to play on it first.
Other then that, map looks awesome, but the pink is killing my eyes.
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Really eclectic, gonna try it out asap
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Very very good looking.
No idea about the balance, I'd like to play it on NA =)
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I just played a game on it, if you go for a old-school gate-core wall at your ramp that looks like there's a zealot-gap left it actually closes of the whole ramp. Spawned bottom right, will check if the other ramps have the same problem. Probably has to do with the lamp-post doodad at the ramp.
Edit: both bottom bases have this problem, the top bases are good. Otherwise the map looks and feels good 
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51706 Posts
LOVE the design of the 4th bases, it harks back to Outsider/Outlier from BW.
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On October 30 2012 21:24 GTR wrote:
LOVE the design of the 4th bases, it harks back to Outsider/Outlier from BW.
Looked that map up as I had never seen it before but I love the concept of that shared mineral line. I am imagining terran muling the hell out of it, and creating another attack path, really interesting design.
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On October 30 2012 21:16 Shkudde wrote:I just played a game on it, if you go for a old-school gate-core wall at your ramp that looks like there's a zealot-gap left it actually closes of the whole ramp. Spawned bottom right, will check if the other ramps have the same problem. Probably has to do with the lamp-post doodad at the ramp. Edit: both bottom bases have this problem, the top bases are good. Otherwise the map looks and feels good
Bah, I always forget to turn off some doodad footprints. Thank you very much for the heads up, will fix this soon! How was the fps on your machine? This is my main worry atm.
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