Winter 2009 - Map Making Contest! UPDATED

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Yoyobuae
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Re: Winter 2009 - Map Making Contest!

Post by Yoyobuae »

Uhm, when its winter again? :lol2:

For us living in the tropics, "winter, summer, spring, autum" has no meaning at all (did I even spell them right?). :lol2:
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Doc Paterson
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Re: Winter 2009 - Map Making Contest!

Post by Doc Paterson »

Yoyobuae wrote:Uhm, when its winter again? :lol2:

For us living in the tropics, "winter, summer, spring, autum" has no meaning at all (did I even spell them right?). :lol2:
Attention everyone in this thread: Less talk about trivial things, and more action!

I'm guessing that some entries are being delayed by the replay requirement. I just wanted to say- Don't worry about sending us the perfect replay; really anything will do. As far as balance goes, that will be mostly discernible from a simple viewing of the map.
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Hellrider
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Re: Winter 2009 - Map Making Contest!

Post by Hellrider »

I finally managed to wake up from my eternal lazyness (thanks Doc!) and gather all the files needed to submit my map.

So here it is, the (crappy) name is inspired by the map layout, obviously (even though it is less obvious after many changes from the original version).

About the gameplay: the map is medium-sized, comparable to mainline 1v1 maps. Each player is supposed to be "stronger" on one side (south for p1, north for p2) of the map since there is a forward keep which helps keeping control of the villages (7 villages for each player). There is a lot of water too (after all it is an island) so water/flying units are quite handy here to surprise enemy from deep water (watch the replay inside the archive to have a proof).

One last note: i had no idea about creating cfg files for maps even though watching the code of mainline maps it seemed to be easy enough. If you see any errors, please let me know so i can correct them, thanks :wink:

For more info (and balancing discussions) you can see the topic here.


Edit: updated before contest deadline:
  • removed 1 village on both sides;
    one more village can be reached at first turn with a 8mp unit;
    small terrain fixes to prevent quick bats/gryphon to have a clear advantage
Attachments
2p_butterfly_island.jpg
2p-Butterfly_Island.zip
(2.13 KiB) Downloaded 276 times
Last edited by Hellrider on November 29th, 2009, 7:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Wintermute
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Re: Winter 2009 - Map Making Contest!

Post by Wintermute »

Hellrider wrote:I finally managed to wake up from my eternal lazyness (thanks Doc!) and gather all the files needed to submit my map.
I remember playing a game with you on a previous version of this map, and it was pretty fun, and interesting. hooray for submissions. Who else is out there with a map that is just gathering dust at the moment? :)
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Velensk
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Re: Winter 2009 - Map Making Contest!

Post by Velensk »

I would like to complain about the implications of quick bats. The map I'm working on would be impossible enough to balance without that complication.
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Doc Paterson
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Re: Winter 2009 - Map Making Contest!

Post by Doc Paterson »

Velensk wrote:I would like to complain about the implications of quick bats. The map I'm working on would be impossible enough to balance without that complication.
Yes, it can be challenging for sure. Careful use of mushroom and impassible is all you can do (outside of general spacing of course), on a 1v1. On non-1v1s, you can at least have turn orders (1221, etc.) that usually punish early village-theft. I'm sure you know this as well, but having the problem villages be "standard" villages (not cave, swamp, water, hill, etc. hybrids) will make the bats much more killable, as you cut their defense by 20.
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Doc Paterson
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Re: Winter 2009 - Map Making Contest!

Post by Doc Paterson »

I've been talking to people on the server, and it sounds like we will have many more entrants. Happiness! :)
I will not tell you my corner / where threads don't get locked because of mostly no reason /
because I don't want your hostile disease / to spread all over the world.
I prefer that corner to remain hidden /
without your noses.
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tsr
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Re: Winter 2009 - Map Making Contest!

Post by tsr »

Ok, so I have had this idea for a fairly long time and now seemed to be a good time to post it.

The map is called "Two is a crowd" - cause you only need two sides to have a conflict ;)

There are a few key concepts in this map that brake some of the unofficial "rules" of map-making around here. I hope that you will be able to see past that and just try it first (I havent included a replay since I cant really host games due to tremendous lag/random dc:s).

- all terrain (except impassable mountains, river-ford and deep water) is in pairs (this isnt really important per se but it is for two terrains: villages and keeps. For villages to create healing areas and make it harder to steal them and for keeps (or actually castle-hexes connected to keeps) to lower the amount of unit-spamming and gold-hoarding.
- all villages are placed in the back of the map, because I have never really liked the snowballing effect of loosing a village, imho it goes too quickly if one side manages to really take a village, not only for economical reasons but also for positional ones.
- you dont start in a keep but have to choose which one to go to (I am not entirely pleased with the distribution of them yet, but I need to see some human vs. human replays before I can change it).
- the map is filled with river-ford and rubble (over ford) to allow extensive use of fishies.
- player 2 starts on an owned village while player 1 doesnt.

So please try it out and tell me what you think (in pm so this thread can stay clean).

/tsr
Attachments
A screenshot of the 1.7 version (only difference is the choice of village. In the 1.6 version they are elven winter villages instead)
A screenshot of the 1.7 version (only difference is the choice of village. In the 1.6 version they are elven winter villages instead)
map_teasers.tar.gz
The map (bundled in a map-"pack") with scenario-file and all ;) It works in 1.6 but there is a prettier version for 1.7 too ;)
(1.42 KiB) Downloaded 286 times
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Rigor
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Re: Winter 2009 - Map Making Contest!

Post by Rigor »

ill take a look at it tomorrow but DLed it already :)
grrr
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Re: Winter 2009 - Map Making Contest!

Post by grrr »

tsr's map would look so much nicer if there was another non-village healing terrain but oasis. A "Fountain of youth" - shallow water/ford hex with a fountain (cure poison, +8hp) - would certainly help other maps, too. Actually, a whole variation of that theme might be in order:
- oasis,
- fountain of youth,
- magic mushrooms (feel free to come up with a better name, the important part being the slowing effect on flyers),
- mountain spring (think of the dwarves!),
- tree of life.
I am sure most map makers would agree.

Disclaimer: I have no idea how hard (or perhaps easy) this is to implement.
Becephalus
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Re: Winter 2009 - Map Making Contest!

Post by Becephalus »

This mapmaker wants fewer terrains!

Maybe I will try to make a map using like 6 terrains!
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Doc Paterson
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Re: Winter 2009 - Map Making Contest!

Post by Doc Paterson »

Becephalus wrote:This mapmaker wants fewer terrains!

Maybe I will try to make a map using like 6 terrains!
Woah, you live.

Use these six:

Hill Village
Mountain Village
Swamp Village
Water Village
Cave Village
Snow Village
I will not tell you my corner / where threads don't get locked because of mostly no reason /
because I don't want your hostile disease / to spread all over the world.
I prefer that corner to remain hidden /
without your noses.
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jb
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Re: Winter 2009 - Map Making Contest!

Post by jb »

We're off to a good start.

Still a month left to get your maps in, I hope to see several more entries!
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Sapient
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Re: Winter 2009 - Map Making Contest!

Post by Sapient »

Do collaborations between two mapmakers count?
I'd like to submit my slightly modified version of a map by Jelly the Mad Dog (assuming he doesn't mind).

I chose a replay which not only demonstrates the hectic, random feel of the gameplay on the map (which is great for tinymap addicts like me) but also shows off one of the the unique 3-way deep water ambush possibilities.

Any feedback should be posted to this map development thread. Thanks.
Attachments
4p_Twisted_Outpost.zip
After learning that this outpost had been badly damaged in a hurricane, two enemy generals lead a bold surprise attack.
(16.37 KiB) Downloaded 278 times
Last edited by Sapient on December 1st, 2009, 4:01 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: 3rd revision
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Wintermute
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Re: Winter 2009 - Map Making Contest!

Post by Wintermute »

Sapient wrote:Do collaborations between two mapmakers count?
I'd like to submit my slightly modified version of a map by Jelly the Mad Dog (assuming he doesn't mind).
Sure! As long as all (current) authors are credited, notified, and OK with the submission.
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