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The balance?? D'uh... Trying to not give Terran too much advantage with high ground Siege Tanks, or if I do, make it close enough so protoss Goons and Zerg Lurkers can also target anything below. Just one of the few examples.

Second is probably on the esthetic part. I just can't play a map without any doodad, it's just terrain otherwise... I like when map makers try to make a "story" out of their melee maps.

Well, melee maps have two parts - how realistic it looks, and how balanced it is.
Just saying it needs both won't get you nowhere, since it can't be perfectly done, yet you can perfectly make it balanced or perfectly make it realistic, maybe people should post instead which part they think is more important.

Balance is only one thing. You need to also make a unique map setup that promotes different gameplay when you go into different spots in the map or play different races. Good looking terrain is a must, doodads and more natural looking terrain (or more uniform ie: platform terrain should always be uniform). Good and well placed mineral amounts, maybe place them in some bad points that force the player to defend and scout all around them to keep them, that's always fun.

Thats why I like maps like LT, they have most of that, except that it is more of a terran map.

Well first of all its hard to make a map that doesn't play better for terran. Being able to build almost anywhere, and the versatility of tanks is something hard to prevent in maps (without making the map boring).

The best example of a non-terran map is Luna, since you can't build in the middle and their are no cliffs over expansions (except for main base cliff).

I think that make a map balanced should be the main concern of a map, worry about doodads last.



I completly agree, thats why i love maps like korhal of ceres, and the maps in the blizzard mystery map event.

Realistic it looks? ive never seen any melee maps in Starcraft that even looked close to realistic.

1- Expansion points are in strategic areas, dont have too many or too little resources.
2- Balance, just like shadow paladin said, you cant have things unfair for a certain race and high cliffs for tanks(SO DAMN CHEAP).
3- the map should look nice, i personally dont like square maps, like money maps, i like variety, and more than square islands.

Realistic? I never pay attention to that. Anyways, good point.
Balance is hard, that's why there're still melee maps at designing.


LT is not more of a terran map. The South base is perfect for terran, but the north one spells 'death' for terran against protoss (if equally skilled)


I'd rather say, many people nowadays forget expansion. It is a GREAT feature of SC! How can people forget it?
High cliffs are evil...

I've played a map (forgot it's name) which is surely UNBALANCED, but I think it's fun. There're 3 bases at all. One base has loads of high cliffs which s great for terran. And all the expansions near it has high cliffs. However, there is another one which has open, wide ground, where it's crappy for terran lovers. Many times my friends struggle about choosing terran or not(If you managed to get the base with high cliff you'll have a much better time, but if you get the open base...poor you)

Maybe you don't define it that way, but you have to agree that a map with all types of lands and many doodas that are placed randomly and not stacked looks more realistic than a map with square-like groud some water and stacked doodas or no doodas at all.

I've played many a game as every race vs every race on that map and I can without a doubt say it is more of a terran map.

i dont quite understand what your saying here. are you saying that people dont expand any more? they do all the time, you cant play without expanding, unless your playing a money map.
And no LT is not a human map, its balanced very well.

Okay...


Up to you, but I think it's balanced. It's the cliff that makes it sucks for terran at 12 o'clock location. You can't block it, and zealots can run straight up to your tank/bunkers. But in the south base, your enemies actually have to go around, getting blocked by your tank, and that cliff can be blocked for even more bombardment.



Not as furious. In the old days there are much expanding going on. Nowadays people are sticking to tradition (expanding to the nearest resource node) which makes them VERY predictable and makes it boring. I can even tell when and where a guy is expanding just by looking at his primary mine now.

i dunno, i havent noticed a decline in expanding, but maybe thats because i ALWAYS play with the same people, i expand to other main bases when they are not full, and protect them, then attack.

And because you've never tried out that son of the immortal Hunters.

'Big Game Hunters' is a bit of a hybrid between a normal Melee map and a money map.

sort of, they have 2 vespene geysers.

LT is best for 1v1...I have to change my point, LT has a slight tilt to terran...
omg do you guys notice the cliff at 11 o'clock position(above 9 o'clock's primary expo point) can attack two mineral fields at once with tanks?) Completely crazy. Well...nothing a few queens can't handle, though.

Big game hunters is a 2v2 map, not a money map. In 2v2 maps, you will never produce tier 3 units, even so, little. This results in huge amounts of fast producing units all charging out and rushing towards one single player. A traditional 2v2 game always has more than 20 factories going on(not terran factories, factories as buildings that produces unit)for each players. My mineral count never run over 500 in GBH cux we're always mass producing units.

Oh, and does anyone here reads Chinese? I've found a Chinese site for SC...those people on there are insanely good. (I've seen 2 marines kicking the ass of 3 zealots with the help of 3 SCV--in open ground!)

look at the poimpest plays at sclegacy.com for tillers marine, a this guy micros 1 marine and 4 medics vs 5 lings.

Oh, and a pimpest play was one where a firebat killed, like, 25 zerglings with the help of 2 medics.

Here are my opinions that give a melee map a good taste:

1. The map doesn't only have terrain But some doodads
2. The map shouldent have a lot of minerals evrey where, Same with vespene
3. The map is nicely spaced, Kind symmetrical
4. The players playing it shouldent have a huge ammountof an advantage
5. And finally there should only be 28 mineral patches per player.