Custom Map #975: teks06 Creeper Cascade

Started by AutoPost, March 24, 2012, 01:01:05 AM

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AutoPost

This topic is for discussion of map #975: teks06 Creeper Cascade


Author: teknotiss

Desc:
run away from a creeper cascade. fast. i would also suggest LOTS of AC makers remember 1 or more crystal energy in reserve allows more than 60 energy to be supplied to your network! this is what the low value low cost crystals in the chamber are for. but this time there are large negative scores for the lower ones to punish you for inefficiency.

Karsten75

Bizarre unit limitations makes this less fun than it could be. However, given the trivial nature of the map I can see why one might want to impose artificial difficulties.

teknotiss

well thanks for that karsten!
constructive as always.
and not at all superior!
did you forget to make your point? or was that it?
"Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent.... Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.... Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?.... Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?" --- Epicurus

Karsten75

OK, I'm sorry if you didn't understand my point. I'll try again. With more words.

The map is never hard to finish. The creeper can be held at bay easily enough with a few Blasters early on and then adding a few Launchers later on. Given that you supply a Dark Beam and that the beginning is relatively easy, a win is almost always assured.  Now all that remains is to tear down and rebuild the Dark Beams to accommodate the severe lack of Dark Mirrors. A major part of my time was spent simply waiting for the next Dark Beam to finish building - I'd estimate about 5 minutes or more.

I never found a really good use for the ample supply of Anti-Creeper, since by the time I'm fighting down, I can detonate a Conversion Bomb in each of the left and right chambers with 4 emitters each and then I have plenty of Anti-Creeper - and I can take out the emitters with one Nullifier per chamber. 

After that again I'm handicapped in alternative strategies, since the limit on Conversion Bombs slow down how fast I can destroy the huge structures of Creeper - it's faster to simply slice it with a Dark Beam than to twiddle my thumbs while I build Conversion Bombs 4 at a time.

But, given that it is a short, fast map, one can play it a few times and see how to improve scores - which is way better than some other maps with equivalent amounts of creeper that is just a simple slog.

Just so you know, I rarely, and in this case have not, rated the map with a thumb either way.

And since it's relatively short, I may make a video of it if I have nothing else better to do in the next few days.

teknotiss

i like to provide (force) options on how to complete my maps sometimes.
one tactic for one area, another later on. (but i don't think i got the balance right, this map was a "yes/no" as i was uploading it; could i have done more to flesh out the threat, would that have made it too long/boring etc)
this one was supposed to offer enough threat at the start to be interesting, but not take an age to complete. and yes i thought fast scores would be possible (i was hoping 15 mins minimum but i was fairly sure i'd failed, after 15 or so play tests it gets difficult to not "know" the map, and so i find it hard to judge how hard or not i've made it).
the main plan was to make it slightly harder to kill the bottom emitters than the "box o' dark beam and a nullifier" tactic (thats why so few mirrors), in retrospect i should prob have closed the bottom left and bottom right emitters up except for one square access. that would have forced the players to get blasters and c bombs set up. i could also have added more terrain in the bottom chamber to block d beam placement, i did experiment with this but just wasn't sure the extra effort for the player was worth it. some slog maps i like, others i hate, since i didn't really want this to get too boring i left them out.
perhaps i'll remodel it with just 2 Dbeams and put the tech elsewhere (in amongst the ac maybe) then the player must hold off longer?
i also hoped it would be interesting enough to be replayable.
hmmm some things to consider on the next one
"Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent.... Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.... Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?.... Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?" --- Epicurus

Helper

Very interesting (and fun) game to play.

I got a bit sideways with all the Darkbeams and Mirrors stuff - but I imagine anyone with a little experience (and skill) could whip through it in about half my time.

Thank you for putting this together. I'll give it another go when I get caught up.

pocketdare

Hmm - I have to admit that finishing this map made me feel just a little ... cocky.  :)