Custom Map #9202: Taylor Hill. By: Benaplus1

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This topic is for discussion of map #9202: Taylor Hill


Author: Benaplus1
Size: 128x84

Desc:
First in a series of maps in Pennsylvania. This map finds you in the mountains near the New York border, where the creeper has taken hold! #RealWorld #NoTerps #Pennsylvania

[Helper]

Thanks for posting a map.
Someone smacked you pretty hard with that "1" rating and it's probably due to your restriction to only one Reactor.
Your basic map looks playable enough, with that uphill/downhill attack that is needed, but the lack of energy is going to be hard to tolerate for a lot of players.
I'll look forward to your future versions, but will take a pass on playing this one. It restrictions on game pieces tend to add a slog factor that takes the fun out of most maps.
Thanks,
H

[Johnny Haywire]

The energy required to defend the top of the mountain is actually pretty small. A few collectors and a reactor provided enough power for 3-4 mortars and 4 blasters. And no spores in this map, so that makes it easier too. Also, ore requires no energy, so connect from the top of the mountain to the other ore deposit and you'll have plenty of AC and once you get some upgrades you'll be golden. So yeah, you can totally ignore the warning in this map and turtle it.  ;)

Not an unpleasant map - a little pausing is required (or at least recommended) during the first few minutes but after that you can just let it run.

Thanks for the map!  ;D

[Helper]

Thanks, I appreciate those comments.
I'll give it a go.
H

[Benaplus1]

Hey, thanks for trying out my map! This is the very first one I've made, so I know it's really basic and rough. I wanted to make a map using real topography, and Pennsylvania has some interesting terrain for creeper fights. This may be a dumb question, but is there a way to automatically generate terrain heights in CW3 from a file? I drew all of the terrain in this map manually from the contours, which was a lot of work which it'd be nice to not have to do in the future! :)
Turtling is definitely a viable option on this map. I put the message there to try to encourage people to expand faster. Since I tend to turtle in the early game, I wanted to make a map that encouraged more expansion. That's why I included the one reactor there to be placed in the power zone after the AE tower is destroyed. By that point, energy is no problem, and it just helps you finish the mission faster.
A "1" seems harsh, but let me know if you think it's appropriate, and why.

[Johnny Haywire]

Willbir wrote a script that generates terrain based on a picture.

Search the maps for the text "image-to-map" and you'll find several maps produced that way.

Dunno where that tool is or how you could get it.

Hope this helps!  ;)

[Helper]

A "1" seems harsh, but let me know if you think it's appropriate, and why.

Not sure if you're asking me or wild man Johnny.
A "1" is extremely harsh. I just checked and four players had all given you a 1. That goes beyond harsh to the realm of brutal.
I haven't tried it again yet, but I think it must be tied in with the lack of power available to attack.
In general, I think the vast majority of players want to build up their power and attack as quickly as possible, all the way through the objective.
I see that Johnny used an hour and a quarter to beat it, and he's a very good player. That takes a lot of patience and optimism, which most people have in short supply.
I'll try it again today and post back.
Thanks,
H

[Johnny Haywire]

Yeah, "1" should be reserved for the worst maps - i.e., maps that are just awful. You'll find that people often dislike people - or maps - that they can't understand. Small minds give small scores, and that's about as kindly yet succinctly as I can put it.

As for the map itself, all of my times are generally high since I don't pause nor save the game, unless it's absolutely required.

I grabbed the pickups on the right, then went for the hill, built a few collectors and then 1 or 2 blasters (?) and then wanted to see if I could hold the hill without expanding at all. It's entirely possible to hold off the creeper, and possibly even to push a bit. But I like AC so after a while I went for the AC and then moved on.

I only explain that because this map is very manageable, and if "Elite" is 10 and "Novice" is 1, I'd say this map is probably high 7 to low 8 range. People just panic though, hit "1" on the rating and then wonder why they end up in debt, waiting on pins & needles for their stimulus check to arrive so they can buy more cigarettes and gummy bears. And wondering where in Europe this particular spot in Pennsylvania is. :P

Satire aside, for this being your first map it's really good. You've made a challenging map using real geography - that's pretty cool! Just keep in mind that if you make maps that inexperienced and/or unskilled players can't finish, they will likely give your maps a low rating. And unfortunately, those same people are allowed to vote in real life as well. So we're all doomed. Keep calm and build a forge.  ;)

I, for one, appreciate anyone who takes the time to make a thoughtful map - whether I'm able to beat it or not. So thanks for your work!  ;D