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Vestige of Zhakul by Crozo
144x144 playable only in EU server
it's my first map made with sc editor but i work a lot on it ^^ ( numerous changes in design )
The concept is simple : an easy 3 base macro map with a rocks protection for the 3rd and a 4rd "hard" to defend.
Random precisions :
-15 bases : 14 standards 1 gold in the middle.
- The watch towers give a good vision but don't give u full vision for the middle path ( gold ).
- there are a lot of air blockers ( big tree, zealot statue, big tower, arch in the middle of the map near the gold ) but they dont incommode gameplay.
- Main to main 40s~.
- there is a little path for reapers in the main base.
- 3 separates rocks of 2000 hp to protect the b3, destroy 1 is enough to enter.
- no abusive spot for drops ( path finding blocked for all the potential abusive spots )
Aesthetic
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It's a decent first map, but there's definitely room for improvement. A few comments:
- Don't use air blockers. They add nothing to the map, and are usually extremely buggy. I know that using air blockers is en vogue right now, but they're almost always a bad idea. Blizzard added air blockers around tall structures on Ulrena and Frozen Temple, and they do absolutely nothing good, and trap units occasionally. Even on New Gettysburg where they are part of the theme of the map, the map would be better off without them. The only acceptable usage of air blockers is the "Merry Go Round" usage and even then it can mess up the air units' pathing.
- Horizontal and vertical ramps are generally to be avoided (since they're so short). Stick to diagonal ramps.
- The gold base will never be taken except when one side is overwhelmingly ahead. If it's there for purely aesthetic reasons carry on, but know that it has almost no effect on the map.
- If you leave the corner bases through the diagonal ramp, your units will have to awkwardly walk around the mineral line and gas geyser. Generally avoid to place resources in the middle of the way.
- Layout-wise there isn't really any likely fourth base to take. Probably the base next to the watchtower, but the flow of the map isn't great there. Also the bases directly above the main are too conjoined. Taking one of them is basically the same as taking all of them.
- The natural (and third for that matter) are pretty far away from their chokes. Pushing them forward can make them easier to defend.
- I like vertical overviews better than slanted ones, since it makes evaluating distances easier.
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Some nice and helpful comments from ZigguratOfUr, but definitely keep up the good work, I think the aesthetic is really nice.
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Rather CS heavy but not a bad first map at all.
Air blockers are fine if you know how to use them, but I don't know how much they add here.
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thanks for the advises zigguratofur, i dont understand the problem of the vertical or diagonal ramp though, too short ?
i dont like airblockers too but i put them only for the realism, i dont want to see air units noclip through the decor, i tested the map against AI and the airblockers didn't hinder the gameplay.
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On June 29 2016 02:27 Crozo64 wrote: thanks for the advises zigguratofur, i dont understand the problem of the vertical or diagonal ramp though, too short ?
i dont like airblockers too but i put them only for the realism, i dont want to see air units noclip through the decor, i tested the map against AI and the airblockers didn't hinder the gameplay.
Ramps that face 0°, 90°, 180°, 270° (horizontal and vertical ones) are a lot shorter than those that face 45°, 135°, 225°, 315° (diagonal ramps), which makes them look really bad, harder to wall-off on, and make "reading" the units standing upon them harder. You'll notice that no map in any ladder pool, or any tournament pool has used horizontal or vertical ramps.
As for the airblockers, I've seen air units bug out on literally every single map with airblockers on them that have seen tournament play (though in some cases it was very rare), so I'd highly recommend not to have them. To me either changing the decor or dealing with the lack of realism is better than having an air pathing bug even if that bug only happens once every hundred games or so.
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On June 29 2016 02:52 ZigguratOfUr wrote: You'll notice that no map in any ladder pool, or any tournament pool has used horizontal or vertical ramps.
Partially true.
Generally horizontal ramps are used no more than once and in less important areas, and used because 45 degree ramps would make the map very.. difficult to work with.
See Echo:
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On June 29 2016 03:13 Avexyli wrote:Show nested quote +On June 29 2016 02:52 ZigguratOfUr wrote: You'll notice that no map in any ladder pool, or any tournament pool has used horizontal or vertical ramps.
Partially true. Generally horizontal ramps are used no more than once and in less important areas, and used because 45 degree ramps would make the map very.. difficult to work with. See Echo:
That's true. I was being too absolute. Horizontal and vertical ramps are in rare instances necessary, though they should be avoided if possible.
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yeah horizontal ramps are fine-ish if it's not a natural or main ramp. Planet S is another good example.
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