Custom Map #1582: The Dig Site

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This topic is for discussion of map #1582: The Dig Site


Author: Xindaris

Desc:
Beware! You have to dig for the technology you need to survive.

[mpp]

Having to babysit the dig down to the C-bomb tech was very tedious, with having to place ore rigs, wait for them to run out, then restart the dig.  If your intent was to slow the dig progress down, placing some higher health ground tiles would have been a better solution.  Combine that with the long dig for the micro rift tech, and then finally the nullifier, made this a tedious map to play.  If I didn't have a good setup with my saved game, I probably wouldn't have finished this map since I had to rethink my strat about 1/2 the way through it because I kept getting overrun.

[Xindaris]

Well, the huge risk of getting overrun if you don't defend yourself right is exactly what this map is about. This is supposed to be a desperate defense against an overwhelming enemy; the only way I was able to beat it was with a series of careful tactical retreats, building a ton of shields behind me the whole way. Managing the ore mining (as well as gathering the various techs, supply items, and premade CBs along the way) is also supposed to be part of the challenge, requiring the player to pay attention to several areas at once. If you start digging every way you can from the start, you definitely get the nullifier before the conversion bomb (which as far as I know is absolutely necessary to get anywhere near a position to use a nullifier), so I'm not really sure how that's tedious. I'm also pretty sure I consistently had the micro rift before I even had to mine the first bit of ore, so it can't take all that long to get it; plus, there's all those energy crystals in that middle area as intermediate rewards.

I honestly have no idea how anyone beat this map in under 20 minutes, since that's about how long it takes to reach the CB tech. I'm not sure, but I suspect improving ore rig efficiency (in the upgrades screen) might make them work a little faster, allowing the left dig to go faster, but I'm still not sure how it could go that fast. I actually very carefully tweaked the values of those ore deposits so the player should almost be out of places to retreat to by the time they're able to get the tech.

[Karsten75]

You did put a lot of thought and effort into this map. But here's my problem with it.

Decisions made early on are significant. ANd it is hard to predict how the map plays out. SO no amount of saving can help the player when they realize they made a mistake. One has to start over and try a new strategy. And then the same consequences. You, on the other hand, had a vision in mind, you *knew* what would happen when and how the map would play out.


For me as a player, it's frustrating to spend maybe an hour and then realize I failed. Then I have to start over again, and an hour later, again the same realization. However much I'd like to play and complete this map, it is probably not going to happen if my current game does not pan out.

It is just not rewarding enough to eventually beat it, and then maybe have to play it yet another time to get the score I'd like to show.

I don't mind restarting a map in the first 10 minutes or so, when I see I need a different strategy. It's just a real time waster to have to do it after an hour or more of excruciating painful play, a lot of scrolling, a lot of pausing and so forth.

Hence, I agree that you made a fine map and I congratulate you and also thank you for the effort, but for most players, it's just going to be too much.