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Alligatorby Fatam version 1.1 - [NA] [EU] [KR] [SEA]![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/mtwNmzE.jpg) Playable Bounds: 132x128 Rush Distance (nat to nat): 95 squares Bases: 12 8m2g FFE (updated): + Show Spoiler +![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/pRbrwvt.jpg) Possible FFE with the normal amount of buildings + 1 extra cannon. Has been tested for holes. : + Show Spoiler +Concept: + Show Spoiler +The goal with this map was optional expansion paths which have several very different pros and cons. You have to consider your matchup, your build/army comp, your opponent's possible comp, and which way you scout him expanding (or which way you think he will, if you expand first). Conflict is heavy between the 4ths if you expand towards each other, as they are fairly near in proximity with a harassing lowground between them. + Show Spoiler +(Although it is possible to switch your expansion direction before then and expand to the other third as your fourth. This is risky as it's tough to defend both, but if you succeed you give yourself an easier fifth.) If the game goes long enough you will eventually have to switch your expanding direction. There is no way to expand 5 times linearly here. I have a couple (slightly) more standard maps coming w/ a team if experimental isn't your taste. However I wanted to go ahead and get this one out independently because I hadn't released anything in a while and I had the itch. Hope you like it - comments welcome.
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I really love the aesthetics in this map, as well as the layout. Do the healing shrines actually heal units? I don't know too much about them. The base to the right of the natural (relative to the top) is really awesome, along with the high ground below it. I really like the rock tower in the main... however, it's quite large and takes up some space. I'm not sure how you would fix this, but I'm sure you're creative.
This map looks really clean and nice. I could imagine this map in tournaments.
Good luck, have fun!
Edit: I saw that the healing shrines to heal. Is this something you would see in a ladder map? What I mean is it something standard?
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I became a bit sad after watching these FFE pics, but you learn best from mistakes! דם here are the wrongs: first, you can't have an exposed cannon like that since it will easily die to lings, and second, the edge of the nexus can be walked over, meaning you need to cover 2 hexes near the edge of the nexus in order to create a wall. I have tried and you actually can't have a proper wall without 2 cannons, although it is OK because gate expand seems to be very easy to defend here because of the way the natural is designed. Of course if the player still wants to FFE he can still do it, but the build will be a bit weaker,.
Anyways besides that part the map is REALLY cool, I mean the rush distance is pretty short, and the natural is pretty open, both of these almost guarantee for action in the early game, but that is not even the most interesting thing on this map, while on 1st look I thought this map was horrible since you have 5 bases so close to each other, but in-game it shows how each base has its own strength and weakness, one is close by but open, the next is close by but has a cliff over it so its very appealing to harass there, and the last is just further away than the 1st too, although it covers over the main. Each base gives you something and takes something, so overall very interesting concept.
Some other things I really like are the rocks near the watch towers, the rock towers and the healing shrines which are in a really far place, these are little things that can change a game around if a smart player uses them right.
Overall the map has great looks and a strong theme, sadly because of all the weird stuff I assume that it won't get competitive use, but I sure hope it will because after taking a good long look on it you see potential for great games!
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On April 07 2013 11:21 moskonia wrote:
I became a bit sad after watching these FFE pics, but you learn best from mistakes! דם here are the wrongs: first, you can't have an exposed cannon like that since it will easily die to lings, and second, the edge of the nexus can be walked over, meaning you need to cover 2 hexes near the edge of the nexus in order to create a wall. I have tried and you actually can't have a proper wall without 2 cannons, although it is OK because gate expand seems to be very easy to defend here because of the way the natural is designed. Of course if the player still wants to FFE he can still do it, but the build will be a bit weaker,.
Anyways besides that part the map is REALLY cool, I mean the rush distance is pretty short, and the natural is pretty open, both of these almost guarantee for action in the early game, but that is not even the most interesting thing on this map, while on 1st look I thought this map was horrible since you have 5 bases so close to each other, but in-game it shows how each base has its own strength and weakness, one is close by but open, the next is close by but has a cliff over it so its very appealing to harass there, and the last is just further away than the 1st too, although it covers over the main. Each base gives you something and takes something, so overall very interesting concept.
Some other things I really like are the rocks near the watch towers, the rock towers and the healing shrines which are in a really far place, these are little things that can change a game around if a smart player uses them right.
Overall the map has great looks and a strong theme, sadly because of all the weird stuff I assume that it won't get competitive use, but I sure hope it will because after taking a good long look on it you see potential for great games!
Thanks! I had no idea about the corner of the nexus thing. A little adjustment and you could still FFE w/out too many problems I think. I agree that 2 cannons are definitely preferable here, although you could probably roll the dice and get away with it w/ 1 a lot of the time. I'll remove that section for now from the OP and then add it later when I have more accurate pics.
@ the other comments thanks.  I hope the newer weird maps in proleague will help make the scene more receptive to experimental maps.
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I can see you're improving in every department - aesthetics, layout and such!
It's nice to see that you're playing around with terrain and rocks.
I really like how you have 3 choices for a third too.
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Updated the FFE section with a more accurate/realistic pic.
Edit: I saw that the healing shrines to heal. Is this something you would see in a ladder map? What I mean is it something standard?
It's a thing Blizz added with HOTS. Heals units standing on it for 10 health per second. I think it can become a "standard" or accepted map object if it's placed properly. I wouldn't be shocked to see it in a proleague map in the future. You just have to make sure it's not too easy to abuse in the early game (aka you should probably place it far away from early bases), where that 10 healing per second would be much stronger. Late game, 10 hps is no big deal since you have so much damage output to overcome it.
Probably the only early game use it would see on a map like this is an injured banshee/oracle/phoenix flying over to it to mend up.
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Very nice map indeed. I've never heard of the healing shrine before either. It might be a little stronger for Protoss than for Zerg and Terran, seeing as how Protoss have no inherent ability to heal their units (while terran medivacs and zerg queens and zerg auto-regeneration does). Imagine being able to heal your Collosus back to full health, that'd be worth it for Protoss to consider changing the direction of their expands.
I'm not too sure about this healing shrine when I think about that - it may be the reason we don't see them in Blizzard maps. However, I'm totally for experimentation Great map layout, but the texture color is a tiny bit dull to me (dirt is too prevalent).
Perhaps you should edit in some Zerus green at all that dirt, it's gonna be tricky to make it look right with the overall dark theme of your map though.
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This makes me so happy. Not only are there different expansion paths with noticeable advantages and disadvantages, but this is also the perfect form of circle syndrome, where two players have intersecting expansion paths, potentially forcing one of them to expand in a different direction.
The map is pretty solidly split because of just that one big path in the middle. It might provide an advantage to a late game player with a large army, since it's easier to threaten two fronts by moving through the middle than it is to defend them. Perhaps this is a good thing, though? I'm excited to see/play some games on it.
Some of the terrain has a little bit of awkwardness to it, like the harassable third's high ground and the corner most bases. I don't have the talent/skill to recommend fixes, but it might be worth spending some time playing around with them.
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The choice of thirds on this map is great. Overall I like the look and feel
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EPT![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/lOJpn2x.jpg)
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