I have been slowly coming back into mapmaking, and now I'm making maps with TPW! Recent weeks provided more free time for me and making maps is still enjoyable. I won't be following the scene 100%, or making maps as frequently as I used to, but I will be around. So here are two new TPW maps for HotS!
Blunderbuss is a two-player map that uses two half-expansions and two gas-only expansions. It also has highground around the map that can be used offensively or defensively. Pathing, except in the center of the map, is highly limited, and requires precise army movement for correct engagements. Aesthetically, the map was inspired by one of my older maps Greenery.
Koprulu is a four-player rotational map, with unusual third base locations. Instead of the standard layout, this map has outer pathways that are blocked by a double-sided expansion. Counterclockwise players have an inbase third but it is easy for the opponent to harass by ground. Clockwise players must cover one more choke point to defend their third, but it is harder for the opponent to harass. Central half-expansions offer an easier fourth base for Terran and Protoss than expanding across the map.
Both maps should be published on NA under the TPW tag. Enjoy, and feedback is welcome!
maps have aggressive potential but will allow longer matches as well once player will learn to use them. especially blunderbuss's territory asks quite some multitasking instead of deathballing - i like!
I always want to see maps with the BW style mineral-rich/gas-rich expansions, nice to see them play out, but I think the gas-only expo is a bit too extreme.
They have that extremelly nice BW style i really like them, they aren't thestandard kind of maps we see, but they aren't so ground breaking either. just the necesary to make them stand, i really want to play on them when HotS arrives, they seem very very interesting.
I'm worried about air play and drops on the 2p map. With mutas being stronger, medivacs being faster and oracles being strong, the ability to ping pong between the forward 3rd, nat & main could be too much. If you take the full base 3rd it's all the way across the map which would spread you out even more.
I'd also like (call me crazy!) d-rocks blocking the small path on those 3rd full bases. Then it'll seem a lot safer because the only way to get into that 3rd would be going down the single wide ramp. That is, until you break rocks down to open up another path.
dunno if the 2p map has anything to do with the song Blunderbuss by Jack White (which Im listening to). Definitely 2 refreshing, BW-ish map which I'd love to see in SPL
On March 11 2013 18:10 Arceus wrote: dunno if the 2p map has anything to do with the song Blunderbuss by Jack White (which Im listening to). Definitely 2 refreshing, BW-ish map which I'd love to see in SPL
It is inspired by the Jack White album! It, along with the folk/bluegrass revival (Mumford, Lumineers, etc.) have restored some of my faith in modern music! [edit]
On March 12 2013 02:02 SiskosGoatee wrote: I don't know if a backyard minral wall natural is balanced but it's brilliant nontheless.
I feel the natural should be more open to compensate though, 3 full bases are too easy to defend this way.
Also, you can warp/blink in over the minerals without a need to acquire vision.
The natural has to be 3 gates to allow forge FEs (yes I still support forge FEs). I suppose I could consider widening it and adding rocks, but I don't see it as a big issue. I'm going to leave it like it is for now.
As for the second part of your comment, that's what the LoS blockers are for!
TPW!? I've missed some things, apparently... as soon as I get a new computer I'll be able to get back into the grove. Mine currently cannot run SCII D: but I'll be getting a better one soon... hopefully.
Blunderbuss is very similar to Sin Chupung Ryeong from Brood War in my opinion, except the natural's vulnerability lies in the orientation of the mineral line and not having two entrances. I like the idea of the gas only expansions. We've seen them before, but now is the chance to really try to get unusual things into HotS maps, and I think your map executes the idea better than the other ones that I've seen.
Koprulu is like a 4P Outsider and looks amazing. The central expansion is something that hasn't been done in a while and the double-sided expansions are usually pretty rare. The map has high risk and high reward all over and I really like it! It's nice to see a purple map - there aren't many purple looking maps around (or am I having a colorblind moment?)
EDIT: Outsider is actually a bit different with regards to the double expansions, so my comparison is inaccurate, but here's a link to the map.
As Siskos points out, perhaps the points at which the forge wall and nexus are placed in a FFE are too intuitively placed outside the natural. The natural does not have to be a 3gate wall, as it is as much a natural as it is a third. However...
-Aesthetically these are gorgeous.
-The nodes on Blunderbuss located at the 2-3 and 8-9 locations (the node beside the halfnodes) don't appear to be take able by either team really. Too close to the have node be for the opponent, to awkwardly placed rampwise for me to take. While a base that late in the game should be counter-attackable there is no reason for the ramps to be that favourable for the opponent. Looking at approximately 120 food army supply for each side, the defender would be out of place and unable to defend this location against anything larger than 6 hellions or 24 lings. Say i take that node as my 4th (the half node being the third (which also is unfavourable because a lot of builds take a 3rd for its gas income moreso than mineral income), at that point in the game, assuming even aggressiveness from both sides all game, that would be the first time in the match where 100+ food armies are beginning to be utilized, in order to cover my new 4th and my natural/main my army would need to be perhaps on my 3rd(a little more towards the main/nat, TBH). Even with ample warning that my opponent is headed for my 4th any ground army I'm hoping to defend it with would be slaughtered trying to fit up the 2 FF ramp to probably where my opponent is waiting at. This circumstance only gets worse if you try and take this as your 5th base.
EPT![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/P8VyM.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/li8zssb.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/Jq4GsSv.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/UMmUgte.jpg)
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/LXontZs.jpg)
Some interesting ideas here.
