- Both bottom left/right base clusters ONLY have 6 mineral patches and 1 gas for each base. Additional ramp added to left/rightmost base on the bottom left/right base clusters. Removed ramp from natural. Added symmetrical expansions in the middle of the map. More doodads Greatly reduced fog in rocky areas that are traversable Fixed a bug where a rock would spawn on the right-most player's thrid expo, and not on the leftmost one (rock was removed)
"The Dominion seems to have a knack for discovering new things. Now they stumbled on a jackpot. A giant installation was created on this meteorite as it idly sits on the cushion of space with other nearby meteorites. However, it seems as if the meteorite is alive. Rock spires attempt to engulf any foreign body, energy crystals sprout up from the rocks, mist forms over rocky surfaces and it has a very powerful gravitational pull downwards. Now different alliances are fighting for it. I don't think conquering it is a very smart idea however."
Note that the eye candy pictures are from version 1.3 Current version is 1.4
Notes: The map contains a fast air rush distance and good airspace, making air openers powerful. Because of the multiple path layout of the map, brood lords, colossus or other long range cliff-ignoring units are very potent.
Main To Main: 216 On Air Main To Main: ~168 Playable bound: 204 By 95 (not as wide as you think) Watchtowers: 4 Rocks: 7
With the rocks at the natural broken, its a lot smaller of a distance main to main, but it makes yo vulnerable at your 4th and 5th. I was afraid this is how my map would turn out.
first off, the map looks very very nice, and the option to take a third towards or away from your opponent is a good one.
The one issue which stands out at me immediately is how close together the two clusters of three bases are at the bottom left and right of the map. One problem which many mapmakers encounter when trying to make a mirrored map is that it frequently seems that the later expansions are actually harder for the opponent to assault. Also making 2/3 of those expansions single entrance expansions does not help the matter. I think you need to get rid of one expansion on each side of the map.
I also feel there is a lot of room to squeeze teh entire map together. There is a large amount of open space in the center with no expos and really the rush distance could use shortening. Right now this map reminds me of metropolis, two sets of protected bases on opposite sides of a massive map. Frankly, I am not much of a fan of that model.
I tried fitting in expos in the middle somewhere, but they all ended up being too clumped and easy to defend. I may may some at the middle generator or something. I always feel like my map layout is bad, but my doodading is pretty disgustingly good.
This looks like a beautiful map and I would probably very much enjoy playing on it, in terms of both, the layout and the aesthetics. Keep up the good work! I am however never in favour of stacking advantages, such as putting xel naga tower on high ground, like the one i saw on its own sort of 'ramp pedestal'. The xel naga tower is an advantage enough, and id much rather see possession of it constantly swap back and forth as opposed to be dominated by one player. On maps such as daybreak or entombed, the way the towers are also given the smoke to shroud any units holding it makes an already strong feature stronger.
This feels like a map that utilizes excessive map dimensions to overcome poor terrain layout. There's nothing going on here except a straight line between you and your opponent. Acquiring more bases doesn't change this either. Naturally, the length of the map has to be extended as a result, otherwise you run the risk of having a rush distance that's too short. You avoided the issue, but overcompensated and extended it too much; even the air rush distance is an excessive 168 units.
p.s. That much fog makes lower-end PCs cry tears of blood. T_T
OK: NEXT update I will work on: Finding an expansion to move to the middle. Making a FRB to replace ONE of the bottom bases (Fewer Resource Base, 6 minerals 1 gas) Elongating the middle rocky passage, maybe even removing the ramp aT the Natural altogether. Kill the fog that
On January 11 2013 16:35 iamcaustic wrote: makes lower-end PCs cry Tears of Blood. T_T
Add LOS blockers around the watchtowers to give an advantage to the team that holds it already.
If there are any other suggestions, tell me and I will think about it.6:35 iamcaustic wrote:[/B] makes lower-end PCs Cry Tears of Blood. T_T[/QUOTE] Add LOS blockers around the watchtowers to give an advantage to the team that holds it already.
If there are any other suggestions, tell me and I will think about it.