Staredit Network

hi.

so here is my new 4player map. it really is kinda my first real try at more than two starting locations.

but i also tried to come up with some other new or uncommen features for the map, so i will briefly describe everything..

first of all, it's a semi island map. you do not have a ramp leading down from your main cliff, but the rest is build like a 'normal' non-island map. you have an extra mineral expansion in your main (yes. theres no easy second gas for zerg) and then there is the natural, which has got a 8-mineral-lift-off-expo-blocker and two minerals (there count is 16) that will block you from building your cc as close as normal to the gas. but as a zerg you are able to build a second hatch for the gas above the other one (as soon as the minerals are gone) so you can mine your gas better. i don't think that a terran or protoss will build a second cc/nex there, so this is like a advantage for zerg. the 12 and 6 o'clock expos are similar, but you can't build a second hatch and the minerals that block you from building close to the gase are at 300 each. the lift-off-blocker is 8 again.
the expansions at 3 and 9 o'clock are usable as min onys if you build your nex in front of them, but again there are minerals with low count on the sides of the lines so you can mine them and build a more safe gas expansion.

so tell me what you think. theres no download yet and heres the pic:

old pic scroll down for new

I dont think those minerals in the middle of the map should be placed like that. Because it looks kinda awkward...

Ok, im really pissed off. I had a huge thing typed out, and the power freaking goes out at my house, sorry about bad spelling, grammar, etc. cause im typing at really fast and dont care.

In short i said:

Millenium, that doesnt matter at all.

im not big fan of island maps, but this got my attention, good job at mains with the minerals.
Zerg is at a bit of a disadvantage because of late gas, but they do have the ability to create more ground units than other players on the center island and take over expansions easier.

This map is really good aside from the fact its unbalanced a bit with zerg (not bad for an island map) your maps are almost as good as rose.of.dream's and bill's. Your maps are the best by FAR on sen.
C ya, im out, and really annoyed.

(but your map is enough to keep me in a good mood =D )

What is the purpose of all those little minerals at each players 2nd natural and the 12 / 6 islands? isnt one enough block CC from landing pre drop? If they're for decoration, you should vary their arrangement, because from the picture it looks very monotone.

Remove some of those white things from the middle of the map and you have a really cool looking map.

I was actually wonder also, i have never seen those, could you explain them? (not the ones blocking a cc from landing)

frist off, i'm glad you like it yenku. too bad your longer post is gone.

about the middle expansion minerals:
they will be changed slitely. i'will remove the ones at the sides (the 8-min-blocks) and replace them with doodads, so that the feature i planned with them will be clearer and more usefull. i mean you can drop behind the minerals, to be secure from melee units, but will also have the problem, that range-ones are directly able to attack your peons, without having to cross the base first.

about the white things that should be removed:
somehow i like the feeling they add to the map. i added them later after being done with the rest, because something was missing. i will reduce their number and see how it will turn out.

about these extra blocking-minerals:
i already tried to describe my intention with them in the first post. ..it seems, it aint that easy to describe/understand what they are for (you aren't the first asking about their meaning ). imagine building your expantion. normally you would place your cc/nex/hat as close to the gas as posible. so that you use three peons to mine quite well. ..but i wanted to increase the distance between the gas and the cc, so that you either need more worker or will get less gas. at the natural this additional distance is exact the space another hatchery needs to be placed, which zerg-players would build to pump there units frome noetheless. so they place it there and can mine very well again, while terran and protoss wont build another nex/cc i assume. this will give the zerg a small eco advantage.
but i think the extra blockers will be removed at the 12 and 6 o'clock islands, because there no additional hatch would fit or be needed (if you're not going mass air without land fighting) and so they are like pointless
i will keep the ones at the naturals, because i think they are kind of cool. but i will remove them, too if i will get much feedback saying the suck.

Without those minerals, everyone would place their CC/Nex/Hatch as close as possible to the minerals and just use a couple of extra peons to get the most gas as possible. Zerg players wouldn't bother with this unless they're going to build an extra hatchery and don't / can't expand. Think Rivalry.

If you really want it to make a difference, I suggest you put a good 50-100 minerals in those and situate them so they prevent the HQ from being built close to the minerals.

Take the symmetry away from those white things and they should look a lot better in my eyes. This is all trivial, though.

What program did you use to make the image?

I noticed the start locations look different.

esem: it seems that idea wasn't that good.. i removed all those extra blockers. (at natural and island expo) but i will keep the distance of the gas. so if zerg wants to they can still build two hatch and protoss/terran can decide where they wanna build..

i also added some variation to the white doodads (looks better now)


ihatett: i used scmdraft2 to create the screenshot. just discoverd it.. high-res screens with all doodads and stuff.. great.


i changed the middle expos and after another lookover i will release the first beta. (maybe today)

I'll have to start using it.

really cool jpg

I'll be using the same program in the future from now on.

I await your beta version.

first beta is up. ..nothing changed since last post.

old pic scroll down for new

I can't wait to see what Nature's Manor will look like with all of the trees.

Noname, nice work keep it up.
BTW, are you going to try the map making contest i messegd you about? I think you should you really have a chance... And you can submit four (i think) maps so more chances!! (and if you submit a map with something bold, you have others in case)

the new beta is done. i added ramps to the mains. so no semi-island any more. i also added some bridges leading to the middle expos. what do you think?

yenku: yes. i will enter that contest. hopefully newborn will be finished in time.

[url=http://img131.echo.cx/img131/6305/newborn078no.jpg]old pic new beta on page 2[/img]

I really like it, the design looks very cool and it seems to be balanced. I hope u ill finish it in time !

Last but not least, flacker and myself also played on newborn (I won the BO19 10-1 in the end, anyoing i lost to him in FP-League two weeks ago:().
The choke is really far away from the main at least at my postition, so i build my supply way too late and then a scv got stuck behind the supply depot:(
In midgame I had the impression that the AI of my unitz got confused with the minerals at the 9o'clock expo. Or i'm just not good enough to control them^^

Wow... this is the best map i've seen in a while. Very very good job!

trcc, wesmic: thanks.

panschk: i'm glad you playtested it. i'm allready planning on changeing the mains. ..it's too bad i can't do really anything about the ai problems without killing the idea behind the 3 and 9 o'clock expo. but the behavior of the units seems to be really annoying for the player and i don't want anyone to loose a game, because of such extra problems.

what did flacker think of the map? would be cool to know his thoughts, too.

well it was one of 5 games that night, so we did not chat much about the maps. I will ask him when I see him(If he even remembers, as all maps we played were pretty unknown ones.

With the AI, I think we need some more tests, perhaps it's just me giving dumb commands:D I wanted to push through the expansion first, and then decided that going through the middle is a better idea, as i felt my units beeing superiour on open field.

i don't think it's your commands. because in earlygame you had a similar problem with a vulture getting stuck at 3 o'clock expo. and i think flacker had some similar problems.. can't recall a certain scene though. i will do some testing on that.

Map was far better as an island.

I have the impression that almost everyone hates playing on airmaps and does not do as long as he is not forced to. (I like them actually, but I'm a strange guy, too). Making Airmaps is easier than making ground maps imho, but also it is pretty much in vain unless you have a really new feature to offer.

OT: Where are you from exactly nochance? I'm from Hannover

Where did that impression come from?

It comes from playing SC/BW 4 years now, where everyone except for fishy[FP] and me tried to avoid airmaps as much as possible whenever we played. Actually is it a fact that most players dislike airmaps.