The community vote for Team Liquid Map Contest #22 has concluded, and now it's time to announce the winners and future ladder maps!
As with our most recent contests, the top three vote-receiving maps from TLMC are directly selected to be a part of the next ladder map rotation. The six other maps will be decided through a player and organizer vote, with the full nine-map rotation to be announced in the coming days.
We'd like to give a final thanks to Monster Energy and Shopify Rebellion for sponsoring TLMC #22, and we look forward to partnering with them again for TLMC #23. Also, we thank the map-making community, the TLMC staff, Wardi, and Blizzard for their crucial contributions to the TLMC process.
Okay, onto the winners!
This is a 4-level macro oriented map design that emphasizes layering expansions and opportunities to expand on the enemy's side through the gold expansion. Due to the specificity of the concept and symmetry, it was necessary to increase the size of the map from usual and make it look bigger. But at the same time, the upper right and left bottom corners of the map were heavily cutted. For this reason, the map looks elongated but it is not wide at all.
Some notes:
1. The linear third expansion is more dangerous, but more rewarding. It allows you to take a gold expansion with 2 fully operating gases. And gives you the opportunity to expand on the enemy's side. However, the design assumes that after the linear third base, there will be a layering fourth base, which poses the greatest danger. This is done intentionally. You can use long range units here. And this will create a counterbalance. It is not giving you easy but still more macro intentional.
2. The triangle third base has a rich Vespene base continuation and this is a major choice (or path) to play macro oriented and stagnated games.
3. I deliberately messed up with the main base and its dimensions. I wanted to change something. But in a way that would be acceptable. It seems to me that in recent years the size of the main base has become so small that it precludes the possibility to hide something and have a blind spot. Which is bad, because we don’t have some of the strategies in the menus anymore. But on the other hand, making the main expansion large is also not profitable. So I decided to make it more narrow and longer. We still have a small main, but there is a spot to hide a pylon or factory (proxy) behind LOS blockers. We also have a spot and a place to drop. We also have some possible rearrangements for siege tanks, blink stalkers and cannons. I think you get it.
4. Acceleration zones are needed to optimize movement speed in between high ground and low ground levels.
Changelog
+ Show Spoiler +
The water pathway down the middle provides a fun twist on cliff level variation.The water pathway down the middle is not buildable or burrowable. Large rocks in the middle open up important new rotation paths when destroyed. Be careful, water and electricity don't mix!
Behold the city built by Fear and Faith. Initial scouting on this 4 player map is quicker and easier than normal with Worker-Only-Paths greatly shortening travel time between potential base locations.
While it is much easier for enemy workers to break in, it is also easier to wall off the main base ramp in order to keep enemy army units out. In later stages, wise players will utilize the WOPs to make expanding to otherwise hard-to-reach quadrants less risky.
Features:
- 4 player map
- 8 Worker-Only-Tubes
- 4 Worker-Only Paths
Changelog
+ Show Spoiler +
Welcome to Paradise! Washout is a standard map with a unique twist on the later bases. After your first 3 bases, you have the option to take special hybrid expansions which contain 6 regular nodes and 3 rich nodes (1 extra node overall). At each hybrid base is a collapsible cooling tower; when knocked down each will permanently destroy 3 of the regular nodes at the hybrid base.
Features:
- Conjoined Debris (center debris share an hp pool)
- Hybrid mineral bases
- Destructible minerals (via collapsible towers)
Changelog
+ Show Spoiler +
This all-lowground battleground is full of twists and turns under the watchful eyes of bloodthirsty Orcs, but be careful, you do not have as much vision as you may think! The trees are line-of-sight blockers, so pay extra heed to your air units as you will need them to see through the dense pines. Be additionally cautious of the sparse untended grass and rock towers that make these lanes feel more claustrophobic than they really are. Perhaps the abandoned wood outlooks may be of use for your forces..?
Changelog
+ Show Spoiler +
As with our most recent contests, the top three vote-receiving maps from TLMC are directly selected to be a part of the next ladder map rotation. The six other maps will be decided through a player and organizer vote, with the full nine-map rotation to be announced in the coming days.
We'd like to give a final thanks to Monster Energy and Shopify Rebellion for sponsoring TLMC #22, and we look forward to partnering with them again for TLMC #23. Also, we thank the map-making community, the TLMC staff, Wardi, and Blizzard for their crucial contributions to the TLMC process.
Okay, onto the winners!
Team Liquid Map Contest #22: Results and Winners
Runners-up (16th to 6th place)- #16: Defender's Lab
- #15: Voidstorm
- #14: Lockdown
- #13: Sanctuary III
- #12: Rorschach
- #11: Verdant Temple
- #10: Old Sun Temple
- #9: Wavebreaker
- #8: Rainfall
- #7: Lumen
- #6: Exarch
5th place
"At Eternity's Edge" by [3D!clan]depressed1
Some notes:
1. The linear third expansion is more dangerous, but more rewarding. It allows you to take a gold expansion with 2 fully operating gases. And gives you the opportunity to expand on the enemy's side. However, the design assumes that after the linear third base, there will be a layering fourth base, which poses the greatest danger. This is done intentionally. You can use long range units here. And this will create a counterbalance. It is not giving you easy but still more macro intentional.
2. The triangle third base has a rich Vespene base continuation and this is a major choice (or path) to play macro oriented and stagnated games.
3. I deliberately messed up with the main base and its dimensions. I wanted to change something. But in a way that would be acceptable. It seems to me that in recent years the size of the main base has become so small that it precludes the possibility to hide something and have a blind spot. Which is bad, because we don’t have some of the strategies in the menus anymore. But on the other hand, making the main expansion large is also not profitable. So I decided to make it more narrow and longer. We still have a small main, but there is a spot to hide a pylon or factory (proxy) behind LOS blockers. We also have a spot and a place to drop. We also have some possible rearrangements for siege tanks, blink stalkers and cannons. I think you get it.
4. Acceleration zones are needed to optimize movement speed in between high ground and low ground levels.
Changelog
+ Show Spoiler +
- Small changes behind triangle third
- Small adjustments behind linear third
- Cosmetic adjustments
- Small adjustments behind linear third
- Cosmetic adjustments
4th place
"Storm Surge" by themusic246
The water pathway down the middle provides a fun twist on cliff level variation.The water pathway down the middle is not buildable or burrowable. Large rocks in the middle open up important new rotation paths when destroyed. Be careful, water and electricity don't mix!3rd place
"Fear and Faith" by OmniSkeptic
While it is much easier for enemy workers to break in, it is also easier to wall off the main base ramp in order to keep enemy army units out. In later stages, wise players will utilize the WOPs to make expanding to otherwise hard-to-reach quadrants less risky.
Features:
- 4 player map
- 8 Worker-Only-Tubes
- 4 Worker-Only Paths
Changelog
+ Show Spoiler +
Reaper jump spot added to the natural base (only existing location was too close to the natural walloff)
Worker-Only-Tubes between third base locations have been adjusted and are now more naturally path-found for mineral-transferring workers
Fixed various pathing issues/ siege spots around the back of third base mineral lines
Removed 2 pylon cannon rush spot near the natural base geyser
High ground centre platform is no longer creep-spreadable (intended primarily to restore balance to cross-spawn TvZ matches)
Added a few more assymetrical sponsor signs
Restored main base wall pathing layout allowing for easier walling with compromises to prevent pylon rushing
Made the bottom of the main ramp require 3 structures to wall and pushed back some of the unpathable area near the main base ramps to make sure that the main base wall was more intuitive.
Worker-Only-Tubes between third base locations have been adjusted and are now more naturally path-found for mineral-transferring workers
Fixed various pathing issues/ siege spots around the back of third base mineral lines
Removed 2 pylon cannon rush spot near the natural base geyser
High ground centre platform is no longer creep-spreadable (intended primarily to restore balance to cross-spawn TvZ matches)
Added a few more assymetrical sponsor signs
Restored main base wall pathing layout allowing for easier walling with compromises to prevent pylon rushing
Made the bottom of the main ramp require 3 structures to wall and pushed back some of the unpathable area near the main base ramps to make sure that the main base wall was more intuitive.
2nd place
"Washout" by Patches
Features:
- Conjoined Debris (center debris share an hp pool)
- Hybrid mineral bases
- Destructible minerals (via collapsible towers)
Changelog
+ Show Spoiler +
Only made a single bug fix to the invisible platforms above the grate in the main base
to fix a single spot where a 2x2 would appear below the map
to fix a single spot where a 2x2 would appear below the map
1st place:
"Blackrock" by Avex
Changelog
+ Show Spoiler +
All wooden "tank spot" ledges now have a rock tower that allows for them to be closed off and re-opened later. All of these ledges have an adjacent bright red Orc tower to help identify their location, all over decorative towers were de-saturated. A "tutorial" for these tank ledges was added to the main.
Many LOS thickets were adjusted to benefit the defending player, most importantly the ones near the natural and triangular third.
The map has many rock setups adjusted, with some additionally added to create new chokepoints and help the viability of later base locations.
All trees now have more consistent LOS, all tree models accept splats and physics, and should display the flyer-helper properly.
Reaper cliffs fixed, new textures and some lighting adjustments, pylon indicator added for natural wall-off. Sounds and ambience were added to round out the map aesthetic.
Many LOS thickets were adjusted to benefit the defending player, most importantly the ones near the natural and triangular third.
The map has many rock setups adjusted, with some additionally added to create new chokepoints and help the viability of later base locations.
All trees now have more consistent LOS, all tree models accept splats and physics, and should display the flyer-helper properly.
Reaper cliffs fixed, new textures and some lighting adjustments, pylon indicator added for natural wall-off. Sounds and ambience were added to round out the map aesthetic.
