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Yo.
About Me (feel free to skip this part): I'm a mid++ level diamond Random/Zerg player. I haven't played much in the past 2 months (Went 10-2 last set of games I played two weeks ago and went from 1000 to 1200 in a snap), but I was fairly hardcore in the beta and hit diamond within 25 games on release. When the top diamond player was 1600, I was 1000 (as random). I say I haven't played much, but that has a lot to do with how much time I've spent studying SC2. I've watched/studied hundreds of hours of high level streams/replays/etc. (Why the fuck would I do this? Because I'm a mapmaker, which is also the reason I'm making this map). My best race by far is zerg, and I am good at terran simply because they are very intuitive to me. But my protoss play is absolutely terrible. That is why I need your help.
Why I need your help: No, I don't need your help to become a better player. What I need is you to help me understand what makes a map protoss favored. Two reasons: First, it simply helps me as a mapmaker to make more balanced maps; second, because I am trying to make a map that is utterly protoss favored. I have already made the layout for an utterly zerg favored map, something that took me far too long to do (I am not finishing the zerg favored map yet because they don't need it, but they did when I started working on it). BTW, I am making imbalanced maps on purpose simply as an exercise, because I feel it helps me become a better mapmaker. But I also think there's at least a handful of you who would totally enjoy having a map that can help you defeat one of your friends who you normally couldn't, especially since protoss has seen better days.
What I already understand about protoss-favored maps: Protoss likes:
Ok maybe I know more than I give myself credit for... I already drew a map layout that incorporates all of these features, but I still need your help with more map features that help protoss more than they help the other races.
Ideas?
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Why not Kulas Ravine as a template ?
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Topic mismatch, better for: "Maps and Custom Games"
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hard to defend thirds are terrible for protoss, protoss needs to stay as compact as possible because they have terrible mobility, and on maps like that protoss has a much harder time attacking (like scrap station, you attack the gold and you're just going to get countered and die)
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On November 17 2010 00:36 Tropics wrote: hard to defend thirds are terrible for protoss, protoss needs to stay as compact as possible because they have terrible mobility, and on maps like that protoss has a much harder time attacking (like scrap station, you attack the gold and you're just going to get countered and die)
wouldnt that mean the 3rd is easy to defend? scrap station is not a map that has a hard to defend third....maybe the third itself is hard to defend I guess, but logically thinking no one is going to sac their main to kill a third, making scrap station an easy to defend third.
I think he means maps like jungle basin....I'm a 1750 zerg and I can't seem to win on jungle basin against any competent macro-styled t/p on jungle basin 2 base zerg just isnt as potent as 2 base p/t in my opinion and thus with a wide open third you will need some great scouting/countering ability to hold a third for long
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On November 17 2010 00:36 Tropics wrote: hard to defend thirds are terrible for protoss, protoss needs to stay as compact as possible because they have terrible mobility, and on maps like that protoss has a much harder time attacking (like scrap station, you attack the gold and you're just going to get countered and die) Why do protoss have terrible mobility?
They can re-enforce around the map, have the best drops et cetera.
I'd say that protoss and zerg have the best mobility. Terran absolutely has the worst mobility, their units are very slow and they can't really control where they are spawned. Dropships are also pretty slow, and their flyers are also really slow. They have maybe two mobile units, hellions and reapers.
But I'd say that a protoss favoured map is a map with a lot of cliffs, protoss units tend to make the most out of cliffs with stalkers, colossi and carriers, also, maps like Delta and Jungle Basin where they can easily place a proxy pylon and come from the back.
I mean, if you do a drop on protoss they can just warp in some units at that point, Terran is the one that has to turn their entire army around to deal with it, and have those slow units added to that.
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Why not Kulas Ravine as a template ? I didn't know that was protoss favored, but I see what you're saying.
Topic mismatch, better for: "Maps and Custom Games" Yeah I thought so but I wasn't sure... I figured I'd get better responses here.
hard to defend thirds are terrible for protoss, protoss needs to stay as compact as possible because they have terrible mobility, and on maps like that protoss has a much harder time attacking (like scrap station, you attack the gold and you're just going to get countered and die) I said that mostly because of what I've heard about PvZ in Jungle Basin. In scrap station, taking the gold base opens up a huge counterattack path for zerg to take advantage of. Being tight helps the other races quite a bit too... creep tumors and siege tanks come to mind first. Of course being tight helps protoss, but does it help them more than it helps the other races? I really think the warpgate mechanic helps protoss overcome distances quite well.
But I'd say that a protoss favoured map is a map with a lot of cliffs, protoss units tend to make the most out of cliffs with stalkers, colossi and carriers. I have no idea why I didn't put that in my OP because it was like the #1 thing I was thinking about lol brainfart.
edit: oh shit I'm one post away from 1000... I think I'm just gonna reply to everything in this post or the OP and save this one... hell maybe I should just make a new account lol.
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Remember that mid-to-late game Protoss armies really love flat, open spaces. Protoss, being a hit-and-run force, does indeed favor things like elevation changes and narrow gaps. But once the army size reaches a certain mass, there is nothing better than a wide open space to allow huge Stalker/Immortal arcs, free Colossus lancing, Chargelot surrounds, and Force Fields breaking up the army. Consider having an open central area with narrow gaps, ledges, and ramps leading to the bases.
Also consider than Protoss generally hate large air spaces behind bases that permit things like Muta harass to run around freely. They do however love massive home bases where one can hide a probe behind a Doodad or deploy an Warp Prism without being seen. Think of the main bases on Shakuras Plateau for an example, or even Lost Temple.
Another thing: Protoss HATE island bases. This is because Protoss air strength is really only good in the late late game, which gives opposing players plenty of time to set up a well-defended island that simply CAN'T be busted without a huge air force or Mothership bust.
Final note: GAS, LOTS OF IT
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They're are a few factors in maps that I think help protoss out
1) Close and easy to defend expos- protoss has a tough time securing expos early, and their army moves pretty slow 2) Narrow ramps and chokes- forcefields 3) Generally close starting positions- easy to attack for usually immobile protoss ball 4) A lot of cliffs- abusive collosus and blink stalker play
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Problem is that much of what favors p in pvz also favors t in pvt.
But here's some: Ramps exactly 1 forcefield wide. A natural expo that's far away from ramp, and thus hard defend with spine crawlers, but easily defended by cannons (like scrap station). Xel'Naga towers for spotting drops/mutas. Layout that favors blink stalkers/colossus, ie lots of hills and cliffs you can retreat to. Mains accessible by warp-in from an outside pylon.
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It really depends on who they're facing and their style, the map seems a lot harder to do than for zerg. Against terran an easy natural is huge, as is a long rush distance IMO (easier to survive while you tech to whatever you want).
I'm not sure most zergs would consider a short rush distance a good thing against protoss though, as very early pressure is quite common.
One thing you could look into is allowing some serious blink stalker abuse.
Just my humble opinion as a random.
Edit: Also, choke points instead of ramps a la Kulas Ravine can make it impossible to wall in for a terran (they seem to never wall in against protoss these days though...).
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On November 17 2010 00:36 Tropics wrote: hard to defend thirds are terrible for protoss, protoss needs to stay as compact as possible because they have terrible mobility, and on maps like that protoss has a much harder time attacking (like scrap station, you attack the gold and you're just going to get countered and die)
wouldnt that mean the 3rd is easy to defend? scrap station is not a map that has a hard to defend third....maybe the third itself is hard to defend I guess, but logically thinking no one is going to sac their main to kill a third, making scrap station an easy to defend third.
I think he means maps like jungle basin....I'm a 1750 zerg and I can't seem to win on jungle basin against any competent macro-styled t/p on jungle basin 2 base zerg just isnt as potent as 2 base p/t in my opinion and thus with a wide open third you will need some great scouting/countering ability to hold a third for long
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Great places to place proxy pylons: Behind the plants on Kulas That place in Delta Quadrant where a pylon at your front natural reaches to your backdoor natural The places on Tarsonis Assault where a pylon on the cliffs outside your base still reaches in
Also, and base with a 3rd gas
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- blink opportunities supported by tower vision.
- towers overseeing whole bases to supply recon.
- a lot of big cliffs, e. g. in the center or surroung naturals, so the player can store their colossi there.
Because of Terrans, a lot of cliffs and narrow spaces are a double-edged sword.
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On November 17 2010 00:32 Barrin wrote:Yo. About Me (feel free to skip this part): I'm a mid++ level diamond Random/Zerg player. I haven't played much in the past 2 months (Went 10-2 last set of games I played two weeks ago and went from 1000 to 1200 in a snap), but I was fairly hardcore in the beta and hit diamond within 25 games on release. When the top diamond player was 1600, I was 1000 (as random). I say I haven't played much, but that has a lot to do with how much time I've spent studying SC2. I've watched/studied hundreds of hours of high level streams/replays/etc. (Why the fuck would I do this? Because I'm a mapmaker, which is also the reason I'm making this map). My best race by far is zerg, and I am good at terran simply because they are very intuitive to me. But my protoss play is absolutely terrible. That is why I need your help. Why I need your help: No, I don't need your help to become a better player. What I need is you to help me understand what makes a map protoss favored. Two reasons: First, it simply helps me as a mapmaker to make more balanced maps; second, because I am trying to make a map that is utterly protoss favored. I have already made the layout for an utterly zerg favored map, something that took me far too long to do (I am not finishing the zerg favored map yet because they don't need it, but they did when I started working on it). BTW, I am making imbalanced maps on purpose simply as an exercise, because I feel it helps me become a better mapmaker. But I also think there's at least a handful of you who would totally enjoy having a map that can help you defeat one of your friends who you normally couldn't, especially since protoss has seen better days. What I already understand about protoss-favored maps: Protoss likes: Ok maybe I know more than I give myself credit for... I already drew a map layout that incorporates all of these features, but I still need your help with more map features that help protoss more than they help the other races. Ideas?
The only time protoss is favored at the start of a match is in PvP
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Choke points and an easy natural are by far the biggest thing. An easily defensible 3rd helps too but a lot of games won't get that far anyways. I think Jungle Basin, for example, is a really good toss map even though getting a 3rd is near impossible without getting the lead early on. You can expand quickly on it and have a perfect size ramp to eliminate any early aggression you might be vulnerable to. The backdoor is the only weakness but the rocks provide a perfect buffer to get whatever defense you need in time if you see it coming.
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I'd say long ground distances, solely because Warp Gates and proxy Pylons will give Protoss the extra edge in attacking versus Terran and Zerg having to run reinforcements forever across the map.
But then, it could also hurt Protoss if there's a runby or drop, or something.
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I would say Xel'Naga Caverns is a very good map for Protoss because of how many chokes there are and entrances to basis. Sentries can push very well through nearly any path on the map due to all the chokes, and in the mid game colossi really shine on that map, again from the chokes.
If you are looking for inspiration for a Protoss-favored map, I would say start there.
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backdoors and places where a pylon could be hiden and then teleport units into main
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