Custom Map #173: Pocket. By: ThirdParty

AutoPost · January 29, 2014, 10:59:14 PM

This topic is for discussion of map #173: Pocket

Author: ThirdParty
Size: 20x20

Desc:
This is less of a puzzle than my other 20x20 maps, but is still challenging: you have very limited space and must make a difficult assault. #NoCRPL #NoSpores #NoDigitalis #3P

Altren · January 30, 2014, 01:28:32 AM

Unlike your other 20x20 maps this was not so crucial about doing mistakes (and that's very good), but anyway it was not less puzzling than others.
Most of the time I played this on 4x speed, because I was waiting for waves ends to do a little progress after each.
Well, I never could imagine, that I would ever end any map in almost two hours of game time. Especially when it is smallest possible map.

ThirdParty · January 30, 2014, 09:32:07 AM

Two hours?! And I thought I'd over-terraformed during my 21-minute run! But congratulations on being the first person to beat it.

Altren · January 30, 2014, 03:57:38 PM

It was far from optimal run of course, and also even while playing on 4x speed I was leaving game to play "on it's own" for a several minutes total. But yeah, I terraformed almost all spaces to level 1 or 10 (except spaces under CN). Also I used very unoptimal strategy to defeat creeper (as I figured closer to end).

Neoshade · April 28, 2014, 09:17:04 AM

I have no idea how to use the device... :(

ThirdParty · May 14, 2014, 08:38:36 PM

Quote from: Neoshade on April 28, 2014, 09:17:04 AMI have no idea how to use the device... :(

It's just decoration, not meant to be used. Sorry for the confusion.

Hubs · October 08, 2015, 11:04:10 PM

This was by far one of the most difficult maps I've played. Holy crap that was hard!

nethkhar · May 29, 2016, 08:02:52 PM

Can someone give me a heads up on how to start this? I've tried everyway I can think of but the creeper just takes over too fast. I'm missng something but I have no idea what.

Shockblast DX · May 30, 2016, 08:11:53 PM

You could try using only one of the ore deposits, and put a weapon on the other, and switch from both, or just start one weapon at a time.

toolforger · January 13, 2024, 05:14:04 AM

Quote from: Shockblast DX on May 30, 2016, 08:11:53 PMYou could try using only one of the ore deposits, and put a weapon on the other, and switch from both, or just start one weapon at a time.

No way using the ore. Can't build both a mine and a sprayer before the creeper seeps to the ore plateaus.
I haven't tried a cannon yet. It would build quickly enough for sure, but there's some trickery required afterwards, and multiple tricks are needed. (Most importantly, don't worry about the CN being flooded, you can always call down another one.)

UPDATE: I can't solve this.
Took me quite a while to get two cannons and a reactor to build without creeper killing the third build site before it's done, but the energy still isn't enough to keep the overall creeper level from rising, so the best I can achieve is a stalemate.
I could try more approaches, but it would be blindly stumbling through a maze of possibilities, not strategy, and I dislike that.