Custom Map #10518: 814-Vanilla Maps 06. By: Rennervate / AlexX

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This topic is for discussion of map #10518: 814-Vanilla Maps 06


Author: Rennervate / AlexX
Size: 256x256

Desc:
just a try. two possible launch options. Both work. One significantly better than the other.

[Loren Pechtel]

The top looks like it has a lot more space but I don't see how to expand from it.  I couldn't get enough defenses up to survive on the bottom.

[EEderle]

I am also stuck :-(

I like many of your maps but some seem very hard at the beginning and after trying 10 times and not seeing the (maybe obvious) trick a lot of fun goes away

May I ask for a spoiler?

[wolfgoesmoo]

I think the key for the bottom start area is:

Spoiler

Not to worry too much about the emitters near your start spot. Grab the energy with a siphon, build a bunch of reactors, then a couple of terps to flatten out the starting island. Build a forge and grab the nearby aether. During this time, you'll need to build 2-3 beams to deal with some early spores, but you want to get your two guppies up and running early and start sending them out to all the beam spots with aether packs. If you use the guppy cancel trick to build nullifiers on the same spot as the guppy landing there are a couple of spore spots you can get more easily, but it's not strictly necessary. You can fly a terp out to terp down an extra 3x3 area for a nullifier in a couple spots. While you're taking out distant spore towers, build yourself maybe 8-10 beams? Use the aether to upgrade your energy, range, and weapon speed. With a sprinkle of speed, build speed, and ore. You probably don't want to start spending much time or resources nullifying the emitters nearby and capturing the nearest islands to your starting spot until the 10-15 minute mark.

Here's a run at the 30 minute mark. It's not especially optimized, but I'm not in much danger, and you can see my upgrades at the bottom.

[close]

[hawgwash]

This is a helluva map Alex.  Another 10 from me.

[hawgwash]

I agree with all of wolfgoesmoo's comments, with a couple of additions. 

Spoiler

I built a LOT of terps and built a lot of terrain up to level 10.  As I picked up power zones I put terps on some of them.  Speed of altering the terrain is important.  Another thing is usually I emphasize weapon range over weapon speed in forge upgrades.  But in a map like this, I think weapons speed is better, at least early on.  Once you kill all the emitters on an island, you want to clear that island quickly so you can get the PZ.  If your weapons have longer ranges, they'll often target a different island where the emitter is still active, and won't do you much good.

[close]

[wolfgoesmoo]

I agree with all of wolfgoesmoo's comments, with a couple of additions. 

Spoiler

I built a LOT of terps and built a lot of terrain up to level 10.  As I picked up power zones I put terps on some of them.  Speed of altering the terrain is important.  Another thing is usually I emphasize weapon range over weapon speed in forge upgrades.  But in a map like this, I think weapons speed is better, at least early on.  Once you kill all the emitters on an island, you want to clear that island quickly so you can get the PZ.  If your weapons have longer ranges, they'll often target a different island where the emitter is still active, and won't do you much good.

[close]

I think

Spoiler

at least one rank in range is pretty crucial for increasing the distance your beams can hit spores at, especially since as you noted you need to spend a lot of time terping. Until you have maybe 1/3 to 1/2 of the bottom area cleared you need to be terping a lot, so I spent a lot of time swapping different weapons or units into the PZs.

[close]

[Loren Pechtel]

I think the key for the bottom start area is:

Spoiler

Not to worry too much about the emitters near your start spot. Grab the energy with a siphon, build a bunch of reactors, then a couple of terps to flatten out the starting island. Build a forge and grab the nearby aether. During this time, you'll need to build 2-3 beams to deal with some early spores, but you want to get your two guppies up and running early and start sending them out to all the beam spots with aether packs. If you use the guppy cancel trick to build nullifiers on the same spot as the guppy landing there are a couple of spore spots you can get more easily, but it's not strictly necessary. You can fly a terp out to terp down an extra 3x3 area for a nullifier in a couple spots. While you're taking out distant spore towers, build yourself maybe 8-10 beams? Use the aether to upgrade your energy, range, and weapon speed. With a sprinkle of speed, build speed, and ore. You probably don't want to start spending much time or resources nullifying the emitters nearby and capturing the nearest islands to your starting spot until the 10-15 minute mark.

Here's a run at the 30 minute mark. It's not especially optimized, but I'm not in much danger, and you can see my upgrades at the bottom.

[close]

Spoiler

I didn't realize there were a bunch of spores that could be hit before they activated.  Finally beat it.

[close]

[rennervate]

Thank you for playing my maps and kindly giving your feedback here. I also think it's great that you support other players when they have questions!
your comments made me think a little and i revised the map. I just uploaded this modified version.