We are extremely pleased to announce that the Team Liquid Map Contest has returned for its fifth iteration to once again give community mapmakers an opportunity to contribute to the competitive map pool. The contest has a proud history of getting some incredible maps onto the ladder, such as Ohana, Frost, Habitation Station, and the most popular map of all time, (according to #Dreampool votes) Cloud Kingdom.
Blizzard have committed to including at least two of the finalists in the Season 2 ladder pool. This speaks to the quality of maps that the community is capable of producing. This is the first season where we have been guaranteed places in the ladder pool and this shows just how far the community has come since the first iteration of the contest.
This season, we will not be considering team maps for the contest. That means we are only looking for maps designed for 1v1 play. We've made this decision so that mappers spend their time focusing on delivering high quality and polished maps for competitive use to give Blizzard as many options as possible for next season. We still strongly encourage people to post their team maps (and FFA maps) on the forums. Getting visibility for your team map is the first step towards getting it considered!
How to Enter
Please PM your map file(s) to TL Map Contest with the following format before Thursday, Feb 12 4:59am GMT (GMT+00:00).
Map Name:
A picture of your map
Main to Main distance: (in-game seconds using a worker from town hall to town hall)
Natural to Natural distance: (in-game seconds using a worker from town hall to town hall)
Any relevant analyzer images (optional)
A download link to your map
Entries not in this format may be excluded from consideration. Please do not send questions to the 'TL Map Contest' account; contact one of the TLMC organizers Plexa or The_Templar instead.
In the ten months that have elapsed since the last TLMC, both experienced and new mapmakers have created some of the most interesting, innovative and impressive maps in the game's history. This means that there is presently a huge back log of high quality maps that demand attention. We don't want to force mappers to choose between more unconventional maps and more standard maps when submitting their entries, so we will be accepting three 1v1 entries per mapmaker. We want to see everyone's best works, and this will hopefully encourage mappers to present more diverse maps.
We recommend that maps follow the following design restrictions:
Normal bases are always 8 normal mineral patches and 2 normal geysers
High yield bases are always 6 high yield patches and 2 normal geysers
Don’t change values on Neutral units. For example:
Don’t change Xel’Naga watch tower or destructible rock graphics
Don’t change values on mineral patches, geysers, or rock health/armor values
Don’t resize mineral patches or rocks
Map sizes should be sensible; use the current map pool as a guide.
Additionally, the following map art guidelines should be followed to ensure a smooth QA process if the map is in contention for WCS/ladder use:
- Avoid excessive use of water
- Avoid weather effects like falling snow, snow drift doodads, etc.
- If using the Ice tileset, avoid using the CliffGlacier* doodad series
- Avoid excessive stacking/overlapping of doodads in concentrated spaces
- Excessive use of decals, custom decals
- Excessive use of doodads that produce dynamic shadows
- Doodads under the terrain
- Clusters of large/complex doodads
Maps with locked start positions are okay. This means "two in one" four player maps are acceptable entries.
Maps which follow the above restrictions and encourage the meta-game to develop in interesting ways will most likely score well. A fantastic example of this is the TLMC3 map Habitation Station whose innovative use of gold mineral patches created a unique dynamic on the map.
Entries are not limited to non-Koreans, Korean mapmakers are welcome to submit entries.
Maps which have already been used in premier competition are not eligible for submission. If you are unsure, check with Plexa or The_Templar.
Don't steal other peoples work and try to claim it as your own, although this should go without saying!
Any maps which are selected/considered for the final shortlist may undergo changes which the judges request for balance purposes. Any maps selected for use in WCS/ladder will undergo an extensive QA process by Blizzard. If the QA guidelines above are not followed it is possible that your map may not be considered for use!
Update 01/27: Psione dropped by to give some insight on how they test for performance issues. Please keep this advice in mind when designing your maps!
On January 27 2015 09:20 Psione wrote:
One of the biggest issues we run into with community maps is getting performance to a reasonable level. I think it’s no secret that many map makers spend a lot of time making sure their maps look amazing. And while the maps usually look great, the increased focus on complex map art can cause performance issues. I’d like to offer some insight into how our performance testing works, as well as offer some tips to help keep performance at reasonable levels.
In both Blizzard and community maps, we start the performance passes once we receive a map that has received final art. This testing involves an automated process where we ensure that a map reaches a minimum FPS value (40) across various systems and graphic settings. Beyond testing on high-end machines, we make sure to test on medium and lower-end machines that are currently supported. This is a major point to remember. Offline tournaments can control the hardware being used at the event (usually very high-end), but the ladder must support a wide variety of hardware from the entire player base.
During this automated process, a FPS heat map is also created. While we look for the total average FPS to meet acceptable levels, we also ensure that no single section of the map has significant issues. For example, the map may have an acceptable average FPS but have performance issues in the middle of the map where a large cluster of doodads reside. Using the heat map, we can pinpoint a problem area like this and make adjustments to alleviate the issue.
However, despite our ability to pinpoint problem areas, getting performance to appropriate levels can be difficult at times. Part of this is due to our desire to alter community maps as little as possible. So usually it’s a balance of trying to make big performance gains while also trying to keep the look of the map intact. While it would be easy to improve performance by gutting the art on the map, we respect the time put into the look of the map and try to stay true to the original vision.
Each time changes are made, the map tests are run again. This is where you find how much was gained from the changes. Making map adjustments and re-testing can take a good deal of time if the issues aren’t improving through small tweaks. If performance issues persist, at some point we’re forced to make more drastic changes to ensure it meets minimum requirements.
A few points to help keep performance reasonable. Try to avoid the following:
Hidden effects or doodads
Stuff like doodads or water under the terrain can cause issues.
Excessive splat usage
Splats used to create a snow covered effect on doodads can be difficult to optimize
A series of small splats used to create a “signature” can also be very difficult to optimize
Excessive doodad usage
We’ve seen extreme doodad stacking in the past where several doodads are used to create something “new”. This is fine in most cases, but it can also lead to excessive use of doodads on the map, which definitely impacts performance.
Excessive weather effects
Adding a lot of wind or snow can lower the performance quite a bit.
Excessive use of water
Used sparingly or on a map with few doodads is usually fine. When used excessively it can cause performance issues.
Excessive use of “expensive” or large doodads with terrain materials
More commonly used “expensive” doodads would be the Ice Cliff series. Additionally, cluster of doodads that cast transparent shadows, similar to the minerals or the crystal on the top of the Nexus.
More commonly used large doodads with terrain materials would be Xel’Naga Torn Plates
There isn’t a magical formula that makes performance great. We know it can be difficult at times, especially if you’re trying to push the look of your map to the limit. But if you keep these things in mind, hopefully it will help you make choices that can keep the look right while also keeping reasonable performance.
Judging
Once the maps have been submitted they will be checked for quality and the remaining maps will be passed to representatives from the Team Liquid Strategy team for judging. As the staff members who spend the most time thinking about strategies and the metagame, we feel that the strategy team is the perfect group to decide the best maps. They will also suggest tweaks for the finalists to correct any minor balance issues. We will announce the finalists as soon as possible.
Once the finalists are announced the public will have the opportunity to vote on which map they like the most. Progamer input will have an influence over the final placement of maps. The precise details regarding scoring will be communicated closer to the polling period. Everyone will have at least one week to cast their vote for the contest.
Prizes
Prizes for the winner(s) will be announced in the near future, so stay tuned!
FAQ
Q: Do I need to send my map file, or will an image or a link to my map on Battle.net be enough? We want the map file for this contest, so a link to Battle.net is not sufficient. There will be a huge number of maps to choose from, so we will need to open many of them up in order to check for details that we can't find otherwise. To send your maps, upload them to a file hosting service such as Mediafire or Dropbox and include the link in your entry.
Q: I want to enter a team map/FFA map into the contest. The Team Liquid Map Contest has traditionally allowed team play maps to be entered and evaluated separately from 1v1 maps, and some of these submissions did eventually reach the ladder map pool. Unfortunately, this season we will not be considering team play maps submitted to the contest. If you're really passionate about making high quality team play maps then we strongly encourage you to post your work in our Maps and Custom Games forum.
Q: Will the winning map automatically be included in WCS? No. A list of the top maps will be submitted to Blizzard for consideration for use in WCS/ladder. At least two of the shortlisted maps will be selected for use on the ladder. It's possible that the winning map just isn't what Blizzard is looking for next season, and may decide to choose another map.
Q: I'm also submitting a map to Mapximum Season 2, can I submit the same map? Absolutely! We at Team Liquid are really grateful for the work put in by the Korean mapping scene and the fact they are reaching out to our community with Mapximum. Indeed, if you're preparing a map for TLMC we encourage you to also submit your map to Mapximum. We look forward to seeing the similarities and differences between the maps selected by our respective competitions!
Q: How crazy can my maps be? Maps need to be ladder appropriate. This means that features requiring specialist knowledge (rising lava, geysers used to block ramps, etc.) will not be accepted. If your map passes that test and complies with the guidelines above then your map is acceptable! Of course, if you are concerned that your map may not be suitable for ladder then please PM Plexa or The_Templar and they will tell you whether or not it is appropriate.
Q: I’m interested in the contest, but I’m horrible at map making. What can I do to support the mappers? Post in their map threads and give them support, encouragement and replays on their maps! Giving your favorite mapper support will be much appreciated by the mapper. Replays are especially valuable as it helps the mapper align their design goals with the map with the reality of how people play their map.
Q: What are the prizes for this contest? At the moment prizes beyond being considered for WCS/ladder use have not been confirmed. Once we receive updates on this we will communicate this information.
If you have any unanswered questions please do not hesitate to ask them below or PM Plexa or The_Templar who will be happy to answer them. Best of luck in the competition.
So many maps that I hope are entered this season! It's going to be the most difficult season yet to decide what maps make the final cut. I do not envy the strategy team having to make those decisions!
I can't claim to be an expert on strategy, but I do have very strong opinions and I like judging books by their covers so I volunteer to be the aesthetics judge. Your map should play good and look good.
So this will be that time of the year where i do maps 24/24. This might aswell be 10 times better than the other contests considering the quality of the recent maps posted here. A big good luck to everyone hoping for the best map to win !
This contest has been one of the most important contributions to SC2. It's previous contestants have been top notch and delivered greatness. All that being said, Don't Drop the Ball!... also glhf!!!
On January 23 2015 04:35 IeZaeL wrote: So this will be that time of the year where i do maps 24/24. This might aswell be 10 times better than the other contests considering the quality of the recent maps posted here. A big good luck to everyone hoping for the best map to win !
Don't sleep my boy. I really wanna play on one of yours map.
On January 23 2015 04:35 IeZaeL wrote: So this will be that time of the year where i do maps 24/24. This might aswell be 10 times better than the other contests considering the quality of the recent maps posted here. A big good luck to everyone hoping for the best map to win !
Don't sleep my boy. I really wanna play on one of yours map.
On January 23 2015 04:53 [PkF] Wire wrote: Please good winners. No Biome. Ladder is already horrendous, give us good and solid maps.
I dislike the voting system as it will always favour the most different map regardless of whether the map is good. If there is one map that stands out from the others, no matter how bad it is, it will always garner some popularity. Meanwhile the other maps will have their votes split resulting in a substandard map winning. What we really need is a system allowing us to rank the maps. It would result in a more annoying voting system both for determining winners and for the voters to use, however a map like Biome would receive a lot of 7th and 8th places that would offset the votes for it.
Of course Blizzard knows the flaws of this voting system, which is why they ultimately decide (thank god for no Biome), so it might not be worth the trouble.
Hey guys! I am not a map maker but looking at this seasons maps there is a theme of easily definable naturals and hard to defend thirds with many expansions so if you want your map to be ladder worthy please consider this. In other words its what Blizzard wants for LotV spread out bases.
On January 23 2015 04:35 IeZaeL wrote: So this will be that time of the year where i do maps 24/24. This might aswell be 10 times better than the other contests considering the quality of the recent maps posted here. A big good luck to everyone hoping for the best map to win !
Seriously, TLMC 5 will be the best TLMC there has ever been, all the mapmakers know so freaking much and they all have different talents, the competition will be absolutely insane.
For people watching on don't forget to give the mapping forum a visit! Many people, me included, would appreciate all the constructive feedback and/or playtests of their maps! (:
Originality and experimentation are one thing, but I hope this contest actually focuses on giving us solid balanced maps, which didn't seem to be the case in TLMC4. At least there is no "no 1v1" restriction this time.
Good luck to mapmakers and please PLEASE do something that gives the map a unique feel. The same maps with slightly rotated base spots and different tilesets are getting old
Ok so, are the maps being judged on aesthetics, like, throwing random shit like signs in? Or is it based off of the actual competitive quality of the map? Could I make an actually good map and just submit that, and like, someone else decorate it so that it looks "cool"?
On January 23 2015 06:23 Blargh wrote: Ok so, are the maps being judged on aesthetics, like, throwing random shit like signs in? Or is it based off of the actual competitive quality of the map? Could I make an actually good map and just submit that, and like, someone else decorate it so that it looks "cool"?
If you have to ask that question, you probably shouldnt be submitting one
On January 23 2015 06:23 Blargh wrote: Ok so, are the maps being judged on aesthetics, like, throwing random shit like signs in? Or is it based off of the actual competitive quality of the map? Could I make an actually good map and just submit that, and like, someone else decorate it so that it looks "cool"?
Mapmakers are generally responsible for making their maps look appealing before they submit them.
On January 23 2015 06:23 Blargh wrote: Ok so, are the maps being judged on aesthetics, like, throwing random shit like signs in? Or is it based off of the actual competitive quality of the map? Could I make an actually good map and just submit that, and like, someone else decorate it so that it looks "cool"?
Mapmakers are generally responsible for making their maps look appealing before they submit them.
On January 23 2015 06:23 Blargh wrote: Ok so, are the maps being judged on aesthetics, like, throwing random shit like signs in? Or is it based off of the actual competitive quality of the map? Could I make an actually good map and just submit that, and like, someone else decorate it so that it looks "cool"?
If you have to ask that question, you probably shouldnt be submitting one
pretty much yes, not only do you need a good sense of every MU, you also need to be able to understand how to work it out with the editor in every tiny detail, and at that point you're probs capable of doing artwork without much effort.
On January 23 2015 06:23 Blargh wrote: Ok so, are the maps being judged on aesthetics, like, throwing random shit like signs in? Or is it based off of the actual competitive quality of the map? Could I make an actually good map and just submit that, and like, someone else decorate it so that it looks "cool"?
If you can get someone to help you out, then yes. But everything about the map, aesthetics included, is the responsibility of the mapmaker. If you can't finish something, don't submit it, generally speaking.
Blah, I'll consider making one then. I cannot stand the little signs or the critters in-game, so I'll leave those out, but that should be okay. I don't mind doing terrain patterns and things like that, but I'll need to do idea-copying for trees and other misc. stuff.
I often lurk the custom map subforums and am always impressed by the quality of the maps. Hope we get some good fresh community ladder maps! Good luck to all mappers!
just wondering if such map is viable for competitive play: 4 player map half island like hall of valhalla, forbidden zone. depending on random spawn players are reachable by land or requires air first like half island maps, like 4 player map split in half. spawn on same half = regular map, diagonal = half island.
On January 23 2015 07:00 joshie0808 wrote: I often lurk the custom map subforums and am always impressed by the quality of the maps. Hope we get some good fresh community ladder maps! Good luck to all mappers!
same here, I'm really liking team Yeoul, I'm a huge fan of just about all there maps. Also there are a few others out there i hope enter this. Is it wrong that Im sad that there only taking 2 maps for wcs.
Looking forward to this. We'll use at least two, but most likely three. We're also trying to keep a spot open for any potential other maps that may be good to use (GSL maps, etc).
While the details aren't fully available yet, we also plan to offer some support with the prizes. This time around there's some unique ones that are more game related.
I'd also like to add that I plan on writing a more detailed post on our performance testing process, as this is a topic that could help a lot of community map makers. This is always the biggest issue we end up having in our testing of community maps, so any insight I can offer into that process may help everyone involved.
On January 23 2015 11:43 Psione wrote: Looking forward to this. We'll use at least two, but most likely three. We're also trying to keep a spot open for any potential other maps that may be good to use (GSL maps, etc).
While the details aren't fully available yet, we also plan to offer some support with the prizes. This time around there's some unique ones that are more game related.
I'd also like to add that I plan on writing a more detailed post on our performance testing process, as this is a topic that could help a lot of community map makers. This is always the biggest issue we end up having in our testing of community maps, so any insight I can offer into that process may help everyone involved.
Can you tell me exactly what happened at Blizzard that has caused this complete 180 in attitude lately? You guys have been on fire lately.
On January 23 2015 08:07 jinorazi wrote: just wondering if such map is viable for competitive play: 4 player map half island like hall of valhalla, forbidden zone. depending on random spawn players are reachable by land or requires air first like half island maps, like 4 player map split in half. spawn on same half = regular map, diagonal = half island.
are half island maps even viable in sc2?
The closest we've come is Arkanoid I think. Either way I'd be leery of putting that map in the later pool. Apart from its impact on casual play there's not telling how it would fare competitively. I really hope Proleague tests a map of that time or one like 815 which has small units only paths.
On January 23 2015 11:43 Psione wrote: Looking forward to this. We'll use at least two, but most likely three. We're also trying to keep a spot open for any potential other maps that may be good to use (GSL maps, etc).
While the details aren't fully available yet, we also plan to offer some support with the prizes. This time around there's some unique ones that are more game related.
I'd also like to add that I plan on writing a more detailed post on our performance testing process, as this is a topic that could help a lot of community map makers. This is always the biggest issue we end up having in our testing of community maps, so any insight I can offer into that process may help everyone involved.
Can you tell me exactly what happened at Blizzard that has caused this complete 180 in attitude lately? You guys have been on fire lately.
Psione has been doing an incredible job reaching out to the community etc. he's doing a lot to keep this game alive! And Kim Phan taking on the esports role has also made a big positive change
On January 23 2015 11:43 Psione wrote: Looking forward to this. We'll use at least two, but most likely three. We're also trying to keep a spot open for any potential other maps that may be good to use (GSL maps, etc).
While the details aren't fully available yet, we also plan to offer some support with the prizes. This time around there's some unique ones that are more game related.
I'd also like to add that I plan on writing a more detailed post on our performance testing process, as this is a topic that could help a lot of community map makers. This is always the biggest issue we end up having in our testing of community maps, so any insight I can offer into that process may help everyone involved.
Please keep posting here, love to see Blizzard more directly involved with the community!
On January 23 2015 11:43 Psione wrote: I'd also like to add that I plan on writing a more detailed post on our performance testing process, as this is a topic that could help a lot of community map makers. This is always the biggest issue we end up having in our testing of community maps, so any insight I can offer into that process may help everyone involved.
And here people thought you had completely forgotten about my question I sent to you. Awesome to hear!
On January 23 2015 08:07 jinorazi wrote: just wondering if such map is viable for competitive play: 4 player map half island like hall of valhalla, forbidden zone. depending on random spawn players are reachable by land or requires air first like half island maps, like 4 player map split in half. spawn on same half = regular map, diagonal = half island.
are half island maps even viable in sc2?
no they are not, as they tend to be incredibly terran favored because their drop tech is part of the army composition they will be using anyway.
On January 23 2015 18:21 zelevin wrote: lol will the winner be as stupid as last time?
On January 23 2015 18:21 zelevin wrote: lol will the winner be as stupid as last time?
Doubt it, the rules aren't as stupid as last time. 2p maps are allowed, and it's a lot easier to balance creativity with strict balance on 2p maps. The finalists probably would've been better last time, but most of the good mapmakers opted for creativity over safe gameplay when it turned out the judges were basically looking for the exact opposite.
Maps since MotM in June plus a few I grabbed from the top of the map section. These maps are generally very high quality and hopefully most of them will be submitted this season!
On January 23 2015 04:35 IeZaeL wrote: So this will be that time of the year where i do maps 24/24. This might aswell be 10 times better than the other contests considering the quality of the recent maps posted here. A big good luck to everyone hoping for the best map to win !
Don't sleep my boy. I really wanna play on one of yours map.
On January 23 2015 11:43 Psione wrote: Looking forward to this. We'll use at least two, but most likely three. We're also trying to keep a spot open for any potential other maps that may be good to use (GSL maps, etc).
While the details aren't fully available yet, we also plan to offer some support with the prizes. This time around there's some unique ones that are more game related.
I'd also like to add that I plan on writing a more detailed post on our performance testing process, as this is a topic that could help a lot of community map makers. This is always the biggest issue we end up having in our testing of community maps, so any insight I can offer into that process may help everyone involved.
It would be amazing and super helpful to learn more about the testing process, i.e. what blizzard is looking for in a ladder map and what features are no-nos.
On January 23 2015 23:16 FeyFey wrote: It feels like all the money from Warlords of Dreanor went into cloning Psione so he can read everything Blizzard related everywhere on the internet.
Doing that would probably generate as much value for Blizzard as the Diablo ports. Psione (like most Blizzard CMs, come to think of it) has been absolutely rocking it lately.
I can't wait to see the contenders. For me, as a player, the maps that I tend to enjoy the most are the "not very complicated" ones. There is nothing better in this world than a simple layout with beautiful eye-candy-ness and a few intriguing features (the reason why I loved Cloud Kingdom and Ohana). And as far as atmosphere, either creepy space feeling or bright optimistic tones seem to be the ones I like most.
On another note, I love what Psione is doing, he deserves a fricking raise for everything he's been doing. I remember not long ago some discussions on battlenet.us about the new maps for season 1 2015, how more community maps would be beneficial, some people pointing out that the community should also vote on maps. And now this! Such a fast reaction! I can only begin to imagine how hard it must be to lobby for the community in a corporatist environment, an environment ruled by soulless, money-driven people. If only we had more people like this at Blizzard.
And I hope Blizzard realizes some day what a true gem Starcraft is compared to its newer additions, Hearthstone and Heroes of the Storm. But until then, I truly hope that with more decisions like this, Starcraft 2 moves closer to retaking its throne as the true king of esports.
On January 25 2015 03:53 Big J wrote: Since I haven't submitted this to any previous contests and I have three spots anyways, this is my first submission. + Show Spoiler +
On January 25 2015 03:53 Big J wrote: Since I haven't submitted this to any previous contests and I have three spots anyways, this is my first submission. + Show Spoiler +
On January 25 2015 03:42 OtherWorld wrote: Is it a problem if the map can be found on only one server? My internet is too slow, the editor refuses to upload it on NA :/
You don't submit a map by publishing it yourself, you send the map via PM to the account TL Map Contest, read the OP.
On January 25 2015 03:42 OtherWorld wrote: Is it a problem if the map can be found on only one server? My internet is too slow, the editor refuses to upload it on NA :/
You don't submit a map by publishing it yourself, you send the map via PM to the account TL Map Contest, read the OP.
I thought I read someone saying that some maps were excluded from TLMC4 because they weren't published, but searching back it looks like I dreamed.
On January 25 2015 03:42 OtherWorld wrote: Is it a problem if the map can be found on only one server? My internet is too slow, the editor refuses to upload it on NA :/
You don't submit a map by publishing it yourself, you send the map via PM to the account TL Map Contest, read the OP.
I thought I read someone saying that some maps were excluded from TLMC4 because they weren't published, but searching back it looks like I dreamed.
Well, it certainly helps if we need to playtest it!
On January 25 2015 03:42 OtherWorld wrote: Is it a problem if the map can be found on only one server? My internet is too slow, the editor refuses to upload it on NA :/
You don't submit a map by publishing it yourself, you send the map via PM to the account TL Map Contest, read the OP.
I thought I read someone saying that some maps were excluded from TLMC4 because they weren't published, but searching back it looks like I dreamed.
Well, it certainly helps if we need to playtest it!
I love when TLMC is running. This subforum actually seems bustling at times, which means there's more to look at, and everyone is so excited.
I've never been one for contests, but I've been hanging around here forever. Hopefully I'll get over myself and actually submit a map or three this time.
On January 25 2015 16:17 lyle Barr wrote: What!!!??? I want to upload my map image but because I'm a new member I'm not allow to upload image?
You could just upload the image somewhere else, like imgur, and post a link to it here. Then once your post count is high enough, you can edit your topic and upload it directly if you want.
The aesthetic work so far is indeed intimidating. I feel like my work is pretty clearly not on this level, so I will have to try and make improvements in the weeks remaining before the deadline... criminy
Since people are posting their stuff already, my first entry's going to be Apotheosis - I haven't decided what to submit for the other 2 yet, but at least 1 will probably be a new map.
That's an outdated overview though. I updated it now.
On January 26 2015 20:21 Xenotolerance wrote: The aesthetic work so far is indeed intimidating. I feel like my work is pretty clearly not on this level, so I will have to try and make improvements in the weeks remaining before the deadline... criminy
One of the biggest issues we run into with community maps is getting performance to a reasonable level. I think it’s no secret that many map makers spend a lot of time making sure their maps look amazing. And while the maps usually look great, the increased focus on complex map art can cause performance issues. I’d like to offer some insight into how our performance testing works, as well as offer some tips to help keep performance at reasonable levels.
In both Blizzard and community maps, we start the performance passes once we receive a map that has received final art. This testing involves an automated process where we ensure that a map reaches a minimum FPS value (40) across various systems and graphic settings. Beyond testing on high-end machines, we make sure to test on medium and lower-end machines that are currently supported. This is a major point to remember. Offline tournaments can control the hardware being used at the event (usually very high-end), but the ladder must support a wide variety of hardware from the entire player base.
During this automated process, a FPS heat map is also created. While we look for the total average FPS to meet acceptable levels, we also ensure that no single section of the map has significant issues. For example, the map may have an acceptable average FPS but have performance issues in the middle of the map where a large cluster of doodads reside. Using the heat map, we can pinpoint a problem area like this and make adjustments to alleviate the issue.
However, despite our ability to pinpoint problem areas, getting performance to appropriate levels can be difficult at times. Part of this is due to our desire to alter community maps as little as possible. So usually it’s a balance of trying to make big performance gains while also trying to keep the look of the map intact. While it would be easy to improve performance by gutting the art on the map, we respect the time put into the look of the map and try to stay true to the original vision.
Each time changes are made, the map tests are run again. This is where you find how much was gained from the changes. Making map adjustments and re-testing can take a good deal of time if the issues aren’t improving through small tweaks. If performance issues persist, at some point we’re forced to make more drastic changes to ensure it meets minimum requirements.
A few points to help keep performance reasonable. Try to avoid the following:
Hidden effects or doodads
Stuff like doodads or water under the terrain can cause issues.
Excessive splat usage
Splats used to create a snow covered effect on doodads can be difficult to optimize
A series of small splats used to create a “signature” can also be very difficult to optimize
Excessive doodad usage
We’ve seen extreme doodad stacking in the past where several doodads are used to create something “new”. This is fine in most cases, but it can also lead to excessive use of doodads on the map, which definitely impacts performance.
Excessive weather effects
Adding a lot of wind or snow can lower the performance quite a bit.
Excessive use of water
Used sparingly or on a map with few doodads is usually fine. When used excessively it can cause performance issues.
Excessive use of “expensive” or large doodads with terrain materials
More commonly used “expensive” doodads would be the Ice Cliff series. Additionally, cluster of doodads that cast transparent shadows, similar to the minerals or the crystal on the top of the Nexus.
More commonly used large doodads with terrain materials would be Xel’Naga Torn Plates
There isn’t a magical formula that makes performance great. We know it can be difficult at times, especially if you’re trying to push the look of your map to the limit. But if you keep these things in mind, hopefully it will help you make choices that can keep the look right while also keeping reasonable performance.
On January 27 2015 09:59 Meavis wrote: If thats the case, why are there like 20damn blizzard weather effect doodads on blackfrost, you guys can't even follow your own standard
These aren't rules that will prevent a map from being used. These are all tips for situations where performance can be impacted through seemingly innocent map changes. You can take note of these tips and consider them when they might be relevant, or you can ignore them and make maps as you see fit. I offered these points to help map makers that are interested, not to give ammo to those that only look to argue. But it's your choice on how you want to use it.
On January 27 2015 11:32 Arianity wrote: I can't speak for everyone, but i'd assume that most people would be fine with you nuking the doodads/art/whatever , if it means more good maps.
I would definitely be fine with it. I enjoy designing new layouts much more than texturing and decorating a map. The latter is tedious to me.
On January 27 2015 11:39 Antares777 wrote: I would definitely be fine with it. I enjoy designing new layouts much more than texturing and decorating a map. The latter is tedious to me.
On January 27 2015 11:32 Arianity wrote: I can't speak for everyone, but i'd assume that most people would be fine with you nuking the doodads/art/whatever , if it means more good maps.
Yeah you can't, i would be really upset to say the least about people sniffing and changing things without care on my methodically crafted maps, i was very very upset to say the least when Foxtrot Labs came up with these awful Orange Electric Circuits on top of unpathable highgrounds breaking the color palette of the map. Semmo and Etcetra, were also very pissed when their maps got changed too, you haven't yet experienced what it feels when something you have spent so much time working on gets changed without your approval, not a nice feeling.
I'm grateful of this post Psione, It corroborates many things i suspected and added a couple I didn't knew.
btw any doodad that inherits terrain colors/textures can be problematic if used too much just like any other doodad, but how about increasing the size of them? How about if instead of adding 6 Xel torn plates i add 2x300% ? I most of the time tend to go for the later, but it would be nice to know anyways.
If Blizzard has to change the art, I would love it if they let the mapmaker make their own edit and see if it fixes any problems. That way, the mapmaker still has a chance to make something they like while fixing the issues. Out of the few times blizzard has changed maps, the mapmakers weren't entirely pleased by the results. But, if the mapmaker's version isn't better, then Blizzard can have their own version as back up, let he mapmaker know why their fix didn't work out, and then go about adding their version to ladder.
A nice feature would be the possibility for the mapmakers to have the results of Blizzard's performance tests tbh. That way the mapmakers could alter their own map instead of Blizzard doing it.
On January 27 2015 09:20 Psione wrote: During this automated process, a FPS heat map is also created. While we look for the total average FPS to meet acceptable levels, we also ensure that no single section of the map has significant issues. For example, the map may have an acceptable average FPS but have performance issues in the middle of the map where a large cluster of doodads reside. Using the heat map, we can pinpoint a problem area like this and make adjustments to alleviate the issue.
Oh what I wouldn't do to have such a tool. Currently, for me at least, it's a very tedious job to check every area of your map, write down the fps values (minimum & maximum'ish) and compare them to other maps. If just there was a tool similar to the map analyser tool, now that would've been killer.
On January 27 2015 09:59 Meavis wrote: If thats the case, why are there like 20damn blizzard weather effect doodads on blackfrost, you guys can't even follow your own standard
These aren't rules that will prevent a map from being used. These are all tips for situations where performance can be impacted through seemingly innocent map changes. You can take note of these tips and consider them when they might be relevant, or you can ignore them and make maps as you see fit. I offered these points to help map makers that are interested, not to give ammo to those that only look to argue. But it's your choice on how you want to use it.
I never said they were rules either, while there is a lot of value in your post, I am a bit confused as to why you ignore the advice you give to others, on a giant map in 4v4, where FPS issues are most critical.
On January 27 2015 09:59 Meavis wrote: If thats the case, why are there like 20damn blizzard weather effect doodads on blackfrost, you guys can't even follow your own standard
These aren't rules that will prevent a map from being used. These are all tips for situations where performance can be impacted through seemingly innocent map changes. You can take note of these tips and consider them when they might be relevant, or you can ignore them and make maps as you see fit. I offered these points to help map makers that are interested, not to give ammo to those that only look to argue. But it's your choice on how you want to use it.
I never said they were rules either, while there is a lot of value in your post, I am a bit confused as to why you ignore the advice you give to others, on a giant map in 4v4, where FPS issues are most critical.
Psione, would it be possible for Blizzard to release this map testing tool to the community?
It would mean the map makers can make sure their maps are optimal before submitting them. If they do adjustments, they'd do them in a way that they seem fit. You guys over at Blizzard HQ would also have a lot less work going through the maps, testing them, and trying to modify them.
I know it's probably some unpolished command line tool for internal use not deserving of the title "application released by Blizzard" but I really think it's an easy win-win situation for the map making community and Blizzard.
On January 27 2015 09:59 Meavis wrote: If thats the case, why are there like 20damn blizzard weather effect doodads on blackfrost, you guys can't even follow your own standard
These aren't rules that will prevent a map from being used. These are all tips for situations where performance can be impacted through seemingly innocent map changes. You can take note of these tips and consider them when they might be relevant, or you can ignore them and make maps as you see fit. I offered these points to help map makers that are interested, not to give ammo to those that only look to argue. But it's your choice on how you want to use it.
I never said they were rules either, while there is a lot of value in your post, I am a bit confused as to why you ignore the advice you give to others, on a giant map in 4v4, where FPS issues are most critical.
A lot of these work in combination. Maybe it wasn't clear enough in this post. If you took any of these points alone, they usually aren't an issue. However, once you start getting a few of these together, you'll find that performance dips. And when we look to help resolve these issues, we often tweak the areas below. If you have a very low doodad/splat count, you can probably get away with a lot more in other areas. I'd say that weather effects are probably one of the easier ones to address, the ones with splats and excessive doodads can be more difficult.
Best of luck to the contestants! I'm probably going to have to bow out of this one, though; everything I consider fun and interesting about maps doesn't work in the current multiplayer meta. Tough break for me, but I'm excited to see if some of these new mapmakers cropping up recently will get a map on the ladder.
EDIT: Actually... maybe I have a map that can work. :D May as well give 'er a shot!
On January 27 2015 11:39 Antares777 wrote: I would definitely be fine with it. I enjoy designing new layouts much more than texturing and decorating a map. The latter is tedious to me.
On January 27 2015 11:32 Arianity wrote: I can't speak for everyone, but i'd assume that most people would be fine with you nuking the doodads/art/whatever , if it means more good maps.
btw any doodad that inherits terrain colors/textures can be problematic if used too much just like any other doodad, but how about increasing the size of them? How about if instead of adding 6 Xel torn plates i add 2x300% ? I most of the time tend to go for the later, but it would be nice to know anyways.
This caught the eye of one of our Senior Technical Artists who helps address map performance. Being particularly passionate about the work of community map makers, he wanted to offer some details on this. I know you guys really enjoy some of the finer points of this process, so I've offered the unedited and more technical answer that he provided.
This is a really good hypothesis, and actually does sometimes work. In the general case, smaller objects mean you have to draw more of them which can be bad, but larger objects can also be bad because they are less likely to be optimized away as "off screen". So there is optimization that can be done through size, but it is very hard to dial in. Unfortunately, increasing the size of Torn Plates or Ice Cliffs in particular will often make things worse. There is a "sweet spot" to their size.
We cache blended terrain textures for "terrain chunks". These are the red lined grid cells seen in the terrain editor. This is an optimization on most hardware, because you only have to do the terrain blending once, and can reuse it between frames. However, on some hardware/settings combinations, there is not enough memory available to cache all the terrain you can see at once. This is especially true in some of the "12-high cliff" tilesets, like Umoja, where deep cliffs north of the current view can cause more terrain chunks to be seen. I believe the "slow" cliff meshes are "Cliff Made13" and "Cliff Natural3" in particular.
When a doodad with terrain materials goes to draw itself, it first checks to see if it can use a cached terrain chunk. It can do this if it resides entirely within the borders of a single terrain chunk, and that terrain chunk has a valid cache. If it cannot use an existing chunk, either because the chunk didn't fit in memory, or because the model requires information from multiple terrain chunks, then it will attempt to render its own cached terrain chunk. This can lead to a "death spiral" for performance. The terrain doodad will request its new cache, possibly ejecting another cache, and now both will do their own terrain blending that frame.
This leaves an odd situation. If there are too many terrain material doodads crossing chunk boundaries, then it's super slow. If there are lots of small ones, then there might be more crossing overall. If they're too big, then each one is guaranteed to cross a boundary, and that would be quite bad. Also, it's really not reasonable for gameplay or artistry to ask people to dodge red lines constantly when placing doodads.
Therefore, the best advisory really is to be sparing with your usage of doodads with terrain materials. Terrain material doodads often help make a map look quite nice, they are in the game to be used, and the system is there to support it. However, the system works quite a lot better under its anticipated loads (i.e. 8-high cliffs, only a few terrain material doodads for accent).
Terrain Objects draw like the ground and do not suffer from this performance issue. Regular doodads also do not suffer. This issue is unique to Doodads that use Terrain Materials
Hopefully this info helps provide further insight into the complexities of map performance. If this confuses any map makers, it is likely not a scenario that you'll run into and shouldn't be too concerning. We're just offering this as extra info for those interested.
It's really building up fatigue watching people repetitively fighting each other using only 3 races and their own specialties.
Melee maps are literally just a good looking container that you drop 2 aggressive spiders inside it then close the cap, and maybe some food inside there, too so they can spend as long as possible trying to knock each other out.
Making new maps visually and geologically only means you get to use different routes and quote different scenarios from the war in the history.
What is new? Nothing. We've had all these glorious players expanding their tactics based on how the maps are geologically designed. And if you are confined to only geological changes, there will be quickly nothing left for anyone to expand.
Not more and more boredom, get something new and fun. Competitive doesn't mean it has to be always structurally the same.
Seasons of seasons of same fight happened again and again. No wonder why MOBA is popular, they have millions of team combinations, and each fight is different and possibly always unique.
When can StarCraft officially support alternative side goals inside the melee maps? Like what warcraft 3 did. I especially liked the blockade stone and watch tower inside sc2, it's very well designed, but that's it? really?
Get some map specific features and unique "fun stuff" out, like a neutral defensive tower that can be powered by mineral or something. Letting pro players pick a unique unit type from a unit pool in their match up, you know, just to become more stylized and unique...
Maps since MotM in June plus a few I grabbed from the top of the map section. These maps are generally very high quality and hopefully most of them will be submitted this season!
wow, a lot of those look amazing! to everyone with the patience to finish such a piece of art, you guys/girls are heroes and i salute you!
thank you very very much! i may not play much sc2, but when i do, i don't wanna do it on secret spring or inferno pools...
On January 28 2015 15:07 Remotecrab131 wrote: It's really building up fatigue watching people repetitively fighting each other using only 3 races and their own specialties.
Melee maps are literally just a good looking container that you drop 2 aggressive spiders inside it then close the cap, and maybe some food inside there, too so they can spend as long as possible trying to knock each other out.
Making new maps visually and geologically only means you get to use different routes and quote different scenarios from the war in the history.
What is new? Nothing. We've had all these glorious players expanding their tactics based on how the maps are geologically designed. And if you are confined to only geological changes, there will be quickly nothing left for anyone to expand.
Not more and more boredom, get something new and fun. Competitive doesn't mean it has to be always structurally the same.
Seasons of seasons of same fight happened again and again. No wonder why MOBA is popular, they have millions of team combinations, and each fight is different and possibly always unique.
When can StarCraft officially support alternative side goals inside the melee maps? Like what warcraft 3 did. I especially liked the blockade stone and watch tower inside sc2, it's very well designed, but that's it? really?
Get some map specific features and unique "fun stuff" out, like a neutral defensive tower that can be powered by mineral or something. Letting pro players pick a unique unit type from a unit pool in their match up, you know, just to become more stylized and unique...
That's all I wanted to say for SC2.
I guess you didn't see how successful new Polaris rhapsody was
On January 27 2015 11:39 Antares777 wrote: I would definitely be fine with it. I enjoy designing new layouts much more than texturing and decorating a map. The latter is tedious to me.
On January 27 2015 11:32 Arianity wrote: I can't speak for everyone, but i'd assume that most people would be fine with you nuking the doodads/art/whatever , if it means more good maps.
btw any doodad that inherits terrain colors/textures can be problematic if used too much just like any other doodad, but how about increasing the size of them? How about if instead of adding 6 Xel torn plates i add 2x300% ? I most of the time tend to go for the later, but it would be nice to know anyways.
This caught the eye of one of our Senior Technical Artists who helps address map performance. Being particularly passionate about the work of community map makers, he wanted to offer some details on this. I know you guys really enjoy some of the finer points of this process, so I've offered the unedited and more technical answer that he provided.
This is a really good hypothesis, and actually does sometimes work. In the general case, smaller objects mean you have to draw more of them which can be bad, but larger objects can also be bad because they are less likely to be optimized away as "off screen". So there is optimization that can be done through size, but it is very hard to dial in. Unfortunately, increasing the size of Torn Plates or Ice Cliffs in particular will often make things worse. There is a "sweet spot" to their size.
We cache blended terrain textures for "terrain chunks". These are the red lined grid cells seen in the terrain editor. This is an optimization on most hardware, because you only have to do the terrain blending once, and can reuse it between frames. However, on some hardware/settings combinations, there is not enough memory available to cache all the terrain you can see at once. This is especially true in some of the "12-high cliff" tilesets, like Umoja, where deep cliffs north of the current view can cause more terrain chunks to be seen. I believe the "slow" cliff meshes are "Cliff Made13" and "Cliff Natural3" in particular.
When a doodad with terrain materials goes to draw itself, it first checks to see if it can use a cached terrain chunk. It can do this if it resides entirely within the borders of a single terrain chunk, and that terrain chunk has a valid cache. If it cannot use an existing chunk, either because the chunk didn't fit in memory, or because the model requires information from multiple terrain chunks, then it will attempt to render its own cached terrain chunk. This can lead to a "death spiral" for performance. The terrain doodad will request its new cache, possibly ejecting another cache, and now both will do their own terrain blending that frame.
This leaves an odd situation. If there are too many terrain material doodads crossing chunk boundaries, then it's super slow. If there are lots of small ones, then there might be more crossing overall. If they're too big, then each one is guaranteed to cross a boundary, and that would be quite bad. Also, it's really not reasonable for gameplay or artistry to ask people to dodge red lines constantly when placing doodads.
Therefore, the best advisory really is to be sparing with your usage of doodads with terrain materials. Terrain material doodads often help make a map look quite nice, they are in the game to be used, and the system is there to support it. However, the system works quite a lot better under its anticipated loads (i.e. 8-high cliffs, only a few terrain material doodads for accent).
Terrain Objects draw like the ground and do not suffer from this performance issue. Regular doodads also do not suffer. This issue is unique to Doodads that use Terrain Materials
Hopefully this info helps provide further insight into the complexities of map performance. If this confuses any map makers, it is likely not a scenario that you'll run into and shouldn't be too concerning. We're just offering this as extra info for those interested.
This is very insightful information, thanks for sharing.
On January 29 2015 07:18 NewSunshine wrote: This is gonna get hot.
Almost forgot, thanks psione for posting the full answer, i love reading the more technical side of things!
Beautiful ! The second one reminds me of KTV Neo Gobi layout-wise, update coming or new map?
I usually make maps in "litters", specially for things such as the TLMC's where i make several different or sightly different layouts/maps and test them in tandem so any possible idea gets even a little testing or know how it would change the flow of the map. Lately (december/jan) i have been toying around quite a bit with what ended up becoming Neo Gobi, the layout of the Protoss map is one of those maps that shares lots of similarities with Neo Gobi, but most likely than not it will be scrapped since i have already published a map that uses the layout, it would be redundant to publish two similar maps.
On January 29 2015 07:18 NewSunshine wrote: This is gonna get hot.
Almost forgot, thanks psione for posting the full answer, i love reading the more technical side of things!
Beautiful ! The second one reminds me of KTV Neo Gobi layout-wise, update coming or new map?
I usually make maps in "litters", specially for things such as the TLMC's where i make several different or sightly different layouts/maps and test them in tandem so any possible idea gets even a little testing or know how it would change the flow of the map. Lately (december/jan) i have been toying around quite a bit with what ended up becoming Neo Gobi, the layout of the Protoss map is one of those maps that shares lots of similarities with Neo Gobi, but most likely than not it will be scrapped since i have already published a map that uses the layout, it would be redundant to publish two similar maps.
Oh ok, interesting to know how you proceed. I have to say I love the color scheme you used in that second map as well.
Seeing as many people have shown some of their entries, I might as well then. :-) Will probably also be my only entry. Haven't got any good ideas for different layouts.
On January 31 2015 01:49 Ferisii wrote: Terran will lift CC every game. :-)
We had a discussion about this in the map thread including a poll in which the majority of votes were in favour of keeping the gold and rocks as they are. Personally, I think this is a complex issue that can't be resolved by theorycrafting.
On January 31 2015 01:49 Ferisii wrote: Terran will lift CC every game. :-)
We had a discussion about this in the map thread including a poll in which the majority of votes were in favour of keeping the gold and rocks as they are. Personally, I think this is a complex issue that can't be resolved by theorycrafting.
I think you could either move the rocks from the main backdoor to the base location, or replace the rocks on the wide ramp with a rock tower.
On January 31 2015 01:49 Ferisii wrote: The Browder icon made me crackle. Good stuff. Also, let's be frank. Terran will lift CC every game. :-)
Why? You lift your base, then you are stuck behind the rocks. You can't 2rax from there. You can't expand from there before breaking down the rocks towards your main base, or your expansion will be defenseless. A Protoss 1-2 base allinning against that can warp from your original mainbase into the gold, or blink down without requiring vision.
On January 31 2015 01:49 Ferisii wrote: The Browder icon made me crackle. Good stuff. Also, let's be frank. Terran will lift CC every game. :-)
Why? You lift your base, then you are stuck behind the rocks. You can't 2rax from there. You can't expand from there before breaking down the rocks towards your main base, or your expansion will be defenseless. A Protoss 1-2 base allinning against that can warp from your original mainbase into the gold, or blink down without requiring vision.
On January 31 2015 01:49 Ferisii wrote: The Browder icon made me crackle. Good stuff. Also, let's be frank. Terran will lift CC every game. :-)
Why? You lift your base, then you are stuck behind the rocks. You can't 2rax from there. You can't expand from there before breaking down the rocks towards your main base, or your expansion will be defenseless. A Protoss 1-2 base allinning against that can warp from your original mainbase into the gold, or blink down without requiring vision.
you can FE there by floating your 2nd orbital lol
And you are going to defend that base against air harass how?
Like I said, we already had this discussion. You're not telling me anything new here, guys.
On January 31 2015 01:49 Ferisii wrote: The Browder icon made me crackle. Good stuff. Also, let's be frank. Terran will lift CC every game. :-)
Why? You lift your base, then you are stuck behind the rocks. You can't 2rax from there. You can't expand from there before breaking down the rocks towards your main base, or your expansion will be defenseless. A Protoss 1-2 base allinning against that can warp from your original mainbase into the gold, or blink down without requiring vision.
you can FE there by floating your 2nd orbital lol
And you are going to defend that base against air harass how?
Like I said, we already had this discussion. You're not telling me anything new here, guys.
Looking forward to entering but got a couple of questions. "We recommend that maps follow the following design restrictions" So its not actual rules but just a recommendation? Also, may i ask why we shouldn't change rock health/armor values? What's the harm?
On February 03 2015 01:09 emkro wrote: Looking forward to entering but got a couple of questions. "We recommend that maps follow the following design restrictions" So its not actual rules but just a recommendation? Also, may i ask why we shouldn't change rock health/armor values? What's the harm?
I guess it's a recommendation that you're heavily invited to follow (; Rock values are because it could disturb new players or some BS like that I believe
So I'll for sure submit these two maps and I'm still working on a third, not sure if I'll just rework an older map or create something new. Moonlight Madness I reworked the corner bases, it's now not blocked by rocks, but you do have to take a very long way around to get to the backdoor early, plus you have to go through watchtower vision. Korhal Killzone is just super aggressive, probably too aggressive, but /shrug, yolo!
On February 03 2015 01:09 emkro wrote: Looking forward to entering but got a couple of questions. "We recommend that maps follow the following design restrictions" So its not actual rules but just a recommendation? Also, may i ask why we shouldn't change rock health/armor values? What's the harm?
I guess it's a recommendation that you're heavily invited to follow (; Rock values are because it could disturb new players or some BS like that I believe
Yeah I guess so That's what I believe too, to not confuse people but If my map would benefit from such a change, I think new players "confusion" isn't enough of an argument really. Oh well, I guess I have to deal with it for now or to break the "suggestions". I guess if they like my map enough such a dispute should be solvable.
On February 06 2015 20:50 And G wrote: Did you by accident link the old overview or does Moonlight Madness really have two main entrances again?
Edit: Okay, I see now that the screenshot of the bottom right expansion matches the overview. That's... interesting.
Oh yeah, it has two entrances! Still doing some tweaks to it before I actually submit it, but if you really want to go the backdoor you really have to go completely out of the way plus through watchtower vision. Although, protoss warp ins might still be a problem, might rearrange some of the rocks, we'll see tho.
Very standard, pretty simple aesthetics, but after messing around in the editor for quite a long time I couldn't really figure out a brand new layout that I enjoyed, so I decided to do a few edits to my Color Crush map. This will most likely (99%!) be my 3rd map I will submit. I want to add a lot more glowy-colored lights and such but with all the water & lights already I don't want to cause fps drop.
-------------------------------------------------- Color Crush:
Build an overlord at 10 pop Eight pool! Eight pool!
Set a rally point at their base
Send your lings in to probe chase Eight pool! Eight pool! And If you thought your probes were safe I'm telling you now you've got zerglings in your base.
Im loving this everyday checking TL and seeing like 3-4 new awesome maps on the custom maps thread and then here, can't wait to see the finals. The HYPE is too real.
Wow, I really like what I see in this thread... all this rdy to play maps^^!
I'm lucky - I don't have to decide :-)!!
Aparus - in better shape
Whatever maps are going to be choosen... made fun to make one. to blizz... won't you like to take all of the maps?!? hihi imagne a ladderpool with 40 maps!
On February 10 2015 01:41 AMax wrote: Help can not send a map to the contest , did not find the button to attach a map . And we must send the map ?
I *think* this is how you do it:
Go to custom games, find your published map, right click it, and click on map info. On the screen that comes up, click the gear on the right of the name and click "Copy Link." Pressing Ctrl+V should paste the link to the in-game map.
On February 10 2015 01:41 AMax wrote: Help can not send a map to the contest , did not find the button to attach a map . And we must send the map ?
I *think* this is how you do it:
Go to custom games, find your published map, right click it, and click on map info. On the screen that comes up, click the gear on the right of the name and click "Copy Link." Pressing Ctrl+V should paste the link to the in-game map.
Actually, you have to upload the file to a hosting site (like mediafire) and send us a link to it.
On February 10 2015 01:41 AMax wrote: Help can not send a map to the contest , did not find the button to attach a map . And we must send the map ?
I *think* this is how you do it:
Go to custom games, find your published map, right click it, and click on map info. On the screen that comes up, click the gear on the right of the name and click "Copy Link." Pressing Ctrl+V should paste the link to the in-game map.
This is incorrect. We want the physical map file for this contest! Please upload it somewhere (common suggestions are a filelocker service like mediafire or a cloud storage service like dropbox) and then send us that link. A link to the map on Battle.net will unfortunately not be much use for us since frequently we need to open up maps and check various things.
On February 10 2015 10:47 And G wrote: Umm, how is a "physical" SC2Map file that I upload somewhere different from an SC2Map file downloaded with the editor directly from battle.net?
Because the TL strat team has better things to do than log into battle.net via the editor and manually search for a bunch of maps, with the off-chance of not being able to find it.
Look forward to hearing what you think! No idea what to expect since this is a little different.
Take note of the tunnels in the middle of the map. They potentially invite a new metagame into play by allowing smaller units to travel quicker through the center of the map as well as provide evasive options for armies of smaller unit compositions.
Look forward to hearing what you think! No idea what to expect since this is a little different.
Take note of the tunnels in the middle of the map. They potentially invite a new metagame into play by allowing smaller units to travel quicker through the center of the map as well as provide evasive options for armies of smaller unit compositions.
I don't fucking care if it's balanced or not, this needs to win!
Look forward to hearing what you think! No idea what to expect since this is a little different.
Take note of the tunnels in the middle of the map. They potentially invite a new metagame into play by allowing smaller units to travel quicker through the center of the map as well as provide evasive options for armies of smaller unit compositions.
I don't fucking care if it's balanced or not, this needs to win!
Note that the Lab Minerals aren't recognized by the analyzer.
I came up with the name because I changed the gravity on the map to +1.0 (so not actualy zero) instead of the default -9.8 (which is the gravity on our lovely planet earth). This causes physics debris of killed units to fly into space instead of just fall on the ground. Nothing gamechanging really but it adds something new without changing too much. Here's an example, poor Protoss units
Look forward to hearing what you think! No idea what to expect since this is a little different.
Take note of the tunnels in the middle of the map. They potentially invite a new metagame into play by allowing smaller units to travel quicker through the center of the map as well as provide evasive options for armies of smaller unit compositions.
This is probably my favorite part of TLMC, these last few days before submissions are due and you get to see a ton of new maps getting posted. Yeaaaaa!!!
Although, I do wonder how long the whole judging process will take...Let's hope Plexa & Co plow through it within a week! :D Ehhhh?? haha.
On February 11 2015 08:30 SidianTheBard wrote: This is probably my favorite part of TLMC, these last few days before submissions are due and you get to see a ton of new maps getting posted. Yeaaaaa!!!
Although, I do wonder how long the whole judging process will take...Let's hope Plexa & Co plow through it within a week! :D Ehhhh?? haha.
Hmmm I like quick results, but I don't want it rushed, I'd prefer each map carefully analyzed.
I published a map in battle.net, map sent to the contest on February 10 just today I learned that it was not necessary to publish it. If I removed the map today with the publication, it will be involved? I still have rasskhozhdeniya in the names of the letter I wrote to the English name of the map, and the editor is written in Russian.
Phaeton Oasis features a standard map layout but daringly placed watch towers. The map is on the small side, but the Watch Tower will be easy for the defending player to hold to use in defending early pushes. Additionally, early in the game it can be used for scouting the opponents gases to have a clearer idea if a cheese or push is coming in advance.
The Watch Tower is a powerful tool players will find themselves planning strategies around and having fights at, but as long as they are mindful of it and how the opponent can use it, the high ground cliffs and Line of Sight blockers will allow the defending player to hold it and prevent potentially powerful pushes like Blink or Siege Tanks from making use of it.
And because everyone is showing their silly maps with unique visuals, here is another one:
The low ground as well as the sand dunes around the edges are half submerged in fog that for some reason disappears when zooming out, so the overview looks a little weird.
On February 12 2015 00:28 And G wrote: Just in time, my third submission:
The low ground as well as the sand dunes around the edges are half submerged in fog that for some reason disappears when zooming out, so the overview looks a little weird.
Well you might have just invented a new aesthetic.
The low ground as well as the sand dunes around the edges are half submerged in fog that for some reason disappears when zooming out, so the overview looks a little weird.
Tip: Stay zoomed to the level the fog still appears. Then go to View > Camera > Camera Editor (Shift+Alt+C) Then simply increase "Field of View" value until entire map is visible, without getting rid of fog.
Might be another better way of doing this, but thats the way I know of.
Careful not to angle the camera too much while having high depth of field. To get what I mean, zoom in a fair amount, set depth of view to max, and look at your map from an angle. It distorts it a bit.
On February 12 2015 00:37 TheSkunk wrote: Tip: Stay zoomed to the level the fog still appears. Then go to View > Camera > Camera Editor (Shift+Alt+C) Then simply increase "Field of View" value until entire map is visible, without getting rid of fog.
Holy check this actually worked! Now it looks like this:
On February 12 2015 00:37 TheSkunk wrote: Tip: Stay zoomed to the level the fog still appears. Then go to View > Camera > Camera Editor (Shift+Alt+C) Then simply increase "Field of View" value until entire map is visible, without getting rid of fog.
Holy check this actually worked! Now it looks like this:
On February 12 2015 00:28 And G wrote: Just in time, my third submission:
The low ground as well as the sand dunes around the edges are half submerged in fog that for some reason disappears when zooming out, so the overview looks a little weird.
I don't understand what's supposed to be so great about Apotheosis. Not saying it's a bad map, but it basically looks like a less interesting version of the original Bel'Shir Vestige but with an additional base for less aggression.
A young Templarian named Moshegal had been appointed to the position of Battlefield Coordinator. As part of his new job, he had to learn of past mistakes in battle. To do this, he visited a once thriving, but now dead Protoss world. It had been the site of a long siege from the Zerg, who deployed dreadful weapons of war, the Swarm Hosts. Over time, countless Templar were slain by endless waves of locusts. Moshegal could sense his fallen brethren. Sorrow filled him as he looked across the battlefield. The young Templarian clenched his fists and made a vow.
Prediction time :D I bet the selected maps will be (basing my judgement on Plexa's post about last TLMC and the discussions that followed) : Apotheosis Hyperlink Annihilation Station Neo Emerald Plaza Coda Daydreams Paralda
I would want to say Twin Entangler and Cassandra Gemini as well but I'm pretty these will be put out because too innovative/unusual features T_T
I've just discoverd that one bloody mineral patch has moved from its intended position causing a different expansion location than on the other (mirrored) side. Am I still allowed to fix this quickly or will the map have to remain unchanged? (I've already updated it on battle.net but the one in my dropbox which I linked in the PM is still the old version)
So many weird and innovative maps. I hope the prize goes to the likes of Rao Mesa, Korhal Killzone and Neo Emerald Plaza Other favorites include Lyote, Station 22, Ammonite and Chronograph
Please no more Dual Sight/Daybreak remix with some twists
On February 12 2015 19:51 Arceus wrote: So many weird and innovative maps. I hope the prize goes to the likes of Rao Mesa, Korhal Killzone and Neo Emerald Plaza Other favorites include Lyote, Station 22, Ammonite and Chronograph
Please no more Dual Sight/Daybreak remix with some twists
But it's so difficult to tell whether an innovation works without extensive testing, and the only way of doing extensive testing is to simply put the map on the ladder, but you can't do that without knowing whether it's a functional map. So it's circular reasoning and we'll never get different maps.
On February 12 2015 19:51 Arceus wrote: So many weird and innovative maps. I hope the prize goes to the likes of Rao Mesa, Korhal Killzone and Neo Emerald Plaza Other favorites include Lyote, Station 22, Ammonite and Chronograph
Please no more Dual Sight/Daybreak remix with some twists
You mean like Standard maps? Maps that should be the cornerstone of any map pool?
Also I don't know what to tell you if you think any recent maps resemble Dual Sight, in any meaningful way.
On February 12 2015 19:51 Arceus wrote: So many weird and innovative maps. I hope the prize goes to the likes of Rao Mesa, Korhal Killzone and Neo Emerald Plaza Other favorites include Lyote, Station 22, Ammonite and Chronograph
Please no more Dual Sight/Daybreak remix with some twists
You mean like Standard maps? Maps that should be the cornerstone of any map pool?
Also I don't know what to tell you if you think any recent maps resemble Dual Sight, in any meaningful way.
Don't you see the Dual Sight clone in Pantanal? Pretty obvious to me.
My rankings for the submissions roughly in order, so the judges know what not to pick:
Finalist Candidates
Neo Emerald Plaza by Iezael Sanctuary by Timetwister Orichalcum by Iezael Hyperlink by Timetwister Sol Dios by NewSunshine Moonlight Madness by SidianTheBard Daydreams by eTcetRa Korhal Killzone by SidianTheBard Station-22 by Ragoo Rago Mesa by ScorpSCII Ganymede by Uvantak Samarra Mines by Uvantak Operon by NegativeZero Apotheosis by NegativeZero Trapped under ice by Mereel
Exosphere by NegativeZero Cassiopeia by Xenotolerance Demon's Claw by NewSunshine Winter Station by lefix Evergreen Terrace by lefix Echo by Uvantak Sugar Free by NotAPlexaSmurf Monterey by Timetwister Dark Matter by Antares777 Purify by Mereel Graveside by eTcetRa Lyote by ScorpSCII Coda by Iezael Mossfire by NotAPlexaSmurf Ancient Realm by Antares777 [Desert Map] by Mereel Kylskada by eTcetRa Annihilation Station by Meavis
Red Space by lefix Cactus Valley by Ferisii Brimstone by NewSunshine Color Crush by SidianTheBard Paralda by ScorpSCII Broken Promises by OtherWorld Alizé by Icetoad
Everything else I didn't rate was either shit, or I missed it (unlikely) or for other reasons (SeinGalton breaking the rules).
On February 13 2015 03:31 Uvantak wrote: Fixed. I built upon Meavis list and i didn't update much, so if any map is missing or outdated just hit me up.
You have the wrong overview for mine as well, this is the correct one. + Show Spoiler +
Since ragoo already narrowed the list a lot , I'll list my own dream finalists!
Daydreams by eTcetRa Apotheosis by -NegativeZero- Exosphere by -NegativeZero- Neo Emerald Plaza by IeZaeL Echo by Kappatak Paralda by ScorpSCII Sol Dios by NewSunshine
I kind of hope there is an honorary mention for maps with cool or unique visuals like Color Crush and -Phoenix-, I think it would be nice if they were recognized even if the maps weren't good enough to make it to the finals.
On February 13 2015 04:22 TheSkunk wrote: I kind of hope there is an honorary mention for maps with cool or unique visuals like Color Crush and -Phoenix-, I think it would be nice if they were recognized even if the maps weren't good enough to make it to the finals.
If Phoenix doesn't get on ladder this TLMC is officialy a joke
On February 13 2015 04:27 Aquila- wrote: Why are the thirds impossible to take on almost all maps? Map makers clearly play Zerg?
Because this TLMC is a conspiracy led by dirty Zerg mapmakers to make the life of every non-Z a nightmare. All of this being orchestrated by The_Templar (who is in fact The_Infestor) and Plexa.
On February 12 2015 12:46 Uvantak wrote: Here we go!
KTV Samarra Mines
KTV Ganymede
KTV Echo
I have heard you all really like ramps...
bro. gtfo with ur foxtrot maps
User was temp banned for this post.
is sort of a good sign, no?
this might mean (if such "less than savvy or savory" posters do post) that sc2 people are finally going towards accepting the fact that MAPS are VITAL in any rts
then again he just might have been a "blip" and things will remain the same... time will tell
ps: so who's up for recapping all the maps featured in this thread for tlmc5?
^someone hating on a mapmaker because of a map he made (and a map that displays statistics that are more balanced than (according to TL.net) the only good map that existed in 2014, no less) is not a positive sign if you ask me. As for the recap, it's on the previous page.
Nice work guys, glad to see the mapping is still happening. I'm digging Neo Emerald Plaza by leZeal, Station-22 by Ragoo, and Trapped Under Ice by Mereel.
On February 12 2015 11:29 Xenotolerance wrote: still waiting for ironman's submissions
I don't make maps anymore.
Whatever happened to the map Ravage? It got 2nd but nothing happened to it
It got used in a handful of amateur tournaments since its 2nd place announcement, but that's all it had coming for it. It never made it to professional level if I recall, which was fine with me. I changed that map so much I think I actually did more harm than good when developing it. It should still be uploaded to battle.net as ESV Ravage I believe.
On February 19 2015 21:57 fluidrone wrote: technically "sick good" is positive .. for north american
and yes i meant he real good.. so good you get a little sick (like when eating too many chocolate/sugar)
Thanks but I'm not that good of a map maker. To an average player I might be, but if you compare me to other mappers you'll laugh at how pathetic my designs really are. Ohana, in its time, was decently good in terms of aesthetics. It's not rocket science to create a jungle/nature scene Nowadays, the maps I see being made are mind blowing to me that I don't think I could do as good, or better. I applaud the mappers who continue to stick through it thick and thin.
On February 12 2015 11:29 Xenotolerance wrote: still waiting for ironman's submissions
I don't make maps anymore.
Whatever happened to the map Ravage? It got 2nd but nothing happened to it
It got used in a handful of amateur tournaments since its 2nd place announcement, but that's all it had coming for it. It never made it to professional level if I recall, which was fine with me. I changed that map so much I think I actually did more harm than good when developing it. It should still be uploaded to battle.net as ESV Ravage I believe.
On February 19 2015 21:57 fluidrone wrote: technically "sick good" is positive .. for north american
and yes i meant he real good.. so good you get a little sick (like when eating too many chocolate/sugar)
Thanks but I'm not that good of a map maker. To an average player I might be, but if you compare me to other mappers you'll laugh at how pathetic my designs really are. Ohana, in its time, was decently good in terms of aesthetics. It's not rocket science to create a jungle/nature scene Nowadays, the maps I see being made are mind blowing to me that I don't think I could do as good, or better. I applaud the mappers who continue to stick through it thick and thin.
Wait...you made Ohana? WTF you are the best (I'm sorry if I'm dumb because I don't know this, I don't follow the map community that well)
On February 12 2015 11:29 Xenotolerance wrote: still waiting for ironman's submissions
I don't make maps anymore.
Whatever happened to the map Ravage? It got 2nd but nothing happened to it
It got used in a handful of amateur tournaments since its 2nd place announcement, but that's all it had coming for it. It never made it to professional level if I recall, which was fine with me. I changed that map so much I think I actually did more harm than good when developing it. It should still be uploaded to battle.net as ESV Ravage I believe.
On February 19 2015 21:57 fluidrone wrote: technically "sick good" is positive .. for north american
and yes i meant he real good.. so good you get a little sick (like when eating too many chocolate/sugar)
Thanks but I'm not that good of a map maker. To an average player I might be, but if you compare me to other mappers you'll laugh at how pathetic my designs really are. Ohana, in its time, was decently good in terms of aesthetics. It's not rocket science to create a jungle/nature scene Nowadays, the maps I see being made are mind blowing to me that I don't think I could do as good, or better. I applaud the mappers who continue to stick through it thick and thin.
Wait...you made Ohana? WTF you are the best (I'm sorry if I'm dumb because I don't know this, I don't follow the map community that well)
That's ok, it was 3 years ago and most people don't follow the map scene. I'm not surprised that anyone new within the last 1.5 years wouldn't know who I am. What very few people know is that Ohana was actually collaborated by 3 individual map makers, one being myself. I believe one of them was named Nullcurrent, and I can't remember the other guy. We were on a map team called TPW, the planetary workshop.
On February 12 2015 11:29 Xenotolerance wrote: still waiting for ironman's submissions
I don't make maps anymore.
Whatever happened to the map Ravage? It got 2nd but nothing happened to it
It got used in a handful of amateur tournaments since its 2nd place announcement, but that's all it had coming for it. It never made it to professional level if I recall, which was fine with me. I changed that map so much I think I actually did more harm than good when developing it. It should still be uploaded to battle.net as ESV Ravage I believe.
On February 19 2015 21:57 fluidrone wrote: technically "sick good" is positive .. for north american
and yes i meant he real good.. so good you get a little sick (like when eating too many chocolate/sugar)
Thanks but I'm not that good of a map maker. To an average player I might be, but if you compare me to other mappers you'll laugh at how pathetic my designs really are. Ohana, in its time, was decently good in terms of aesthetics. It's not rocket science to create a jungle/nature scene Nowadays, the maps I see being made are mind blowing to me that I don't think I could do as good, or better. I applaud the mappers who continue to stick through it thick and thin.
Wait...you made Ohana? WTF you are the best (I'm sorry if I'm dumb because I don't know this, I don't follow the map community that well)
On February 20 2015 14:42 IronManSC wrote: What very few people know is that Ohana was actually collaborated by 3 individual map makers, one being myself. I believe one of them was named Nullcurrent, and I can't remember the other guy.
On February 12 2015 11:29 Xenotolerance wrote: still waiting for ironman's submissions
I don't make maps anymore.
Whatever happened to the map Ravage? It got 2nd but nothing happened to it
It got used in a handful of amateur tournaments since its 2nd place announcement, but that's all it had coming for it. It never made it to professional level if I recall, which was fine with me. I changed that map so much I think I actually did more harm than good when developing it. It should still be uploaded to battle.net as ESV Ravage I believe.
On February 19 2015 21:57 fluidrone wrote: technically "sick good" is positive .. for north american
and yes i meant he real good.. so good you get a little sick (like when eating too many chocolate/sugar)
Thanks but I'm not that good of a map maker. To an average player I might be, but if you compare me to other mappers you'll laugh at how pathetic my designs really are. Ohana, in its time, was decently good in terms of aesthetics. It's not rocket science to create a jungle/nature scene Nowadays, the maps I see being made are mind blowing to me that I don't think I could do as good, or better. I applaud the mappers who continue to stick through it thick and thin.
Wait...you made Ohana? WTF you are the best (I'm sorry if I'm dumb because I don't know this, I don't follow the map community that well)
Hi guys, new guy in the house here! I made my first Starcraft map for the TLMC5 but hadn't posted it here yet. I thought it was about time I'd put it out there.
So without further ado, I present to you 'Sandstone Mesa':
Map Size: 144x124
Players start in the top-right and bottom-left corners of the map. The player's natural is fairly big and has a backdoor that leads to a potential third or fourth. A series of chasms and ramps span across the entire map, splitting it in two. This forces players to carefully consider which routes they want to use for their attacks and which they should monitor for incoming attacks. The two fifth bases on the map are located at the end of the series of chasm and ramps that divide the map in two. Because these fifth bases are located on contested terrain, they will become increasingly important bases to secure and defend as the map gets mined out. Xel'naga watch towers can be used to gain vision of these bases as well vision of the outer four pathways to your opponent.
The map might not look too pretty as I haven't had too much time to learn the ins and outs of the editor yet. But I feel fairly confident in the way that the map plays. I have published it on battle.net under the name 'Sandstone Mesa TLMC5 Edition' on all servers except Southeast Asia, so you can give it a spin if you'd like.
I'd love to hear what you guys think of the map. The contest may be over but feedback is still appreciated.
On February 23 2015 02:00 JPR wrote: Hi guys, new guy in the house here! I made my first Starcraft map for the TLMC5 but hadn't posted it here yet. I thought it was about time I'd put it out there.
So without further ado, I present to you 'Sandstone Mesa':
hmm. the bases connected to the naturals are way too easy to take. Its cool that you are trying new things, but 1 ramp for a third is too little, especially if there's a path from the natural to it. You need to add another ramp to the base, and increase its size a bit.
Ah i was going to post my maps here but i finished last minute, and then i got banned for a week for telling Uvantak that foxtrot was a bit wack. (plz dont reban be for that) So here is my 3 maps that i sent in:
Beowulf Platform:
Sands of Solace: (BTW this map was created August 1st 2014, MONTHS before secret spring was even a thing)
Vegetation: (the decoration is much much better up close)