Custom Map #1770: PAC - Tutorial v1. By: Shatterstep

AutoPost · June 19, 2021, 09:21:55 PM

This topic is for discussion of map #1770: PAC - Tutorial v1

Author: Shatterstep
Size: 128x80

Durikkan · June 19, 2021, 09:36:03 PM

Also worth noting for anyone that hasn't played one of these maps, you have to click on one of the red starting position buttons before you can place units.

Shatterstep · June 19, 2021, 11:47:15 PM

Quote from: Durikkan on June 19, 2021, 09:36:03 PM
Also worth noting for anyone that hasn't played one of these maps, you have to click on one of the red starting position buttons before you can place units.

Doh, I forgot to mention that.

Sometime I want to add map floating tags like in the first few campaign missions. Maybe for v2 of the tutorial.

CS Z · June 20, 2021, 10:23:40 AM

Well I've attempted this twice. Nope. I just don't get it. Was hoping to actually learn something but it doesn't make sense to me and I just got overwhelmed by AC in just 10 minutes.

Shatterstep · June 20, 2021, 01:05:27 PM

Quote from: CS Z on June 20, 2021, 10:23:40 AM
Well I've attempted this twice. Nope. I just don't get it. Was hoping to actually learn something but it doesn't make sense to me and I just got overwhelmed by AC in just 10 minutes.

You can use all the units that are already deployed. If you link up areas with mesh that also helps.

It is a lot of work to have a step-by-step tutorial. I ran into a bug that I was struggling with all day Friday and Saturday, so I gave up on the step-by-step part and just released the v1.

Shatterstep · June 20, 2021, 02:00:15 PM

Here are some screenshots showing where to add mesh. Should make things much easier. Don't forget you have all the other units to attack with as well. If you destroy the field generators you can replace them with other units. The left start position appears to suck a bit.

Bit of an irony that the tutorial doesn't seem to be serving its purpose. Sorry about that.

GadgetBoy · June 20, 2021, 10:40:00 PM

Creeper cutoff makes this map unplayable, despite the size.

One of the biggest strategies to winning in PAC is resource denial. Giving the computer infinite refined resources negates that tactic completely.

Shatterstep · June 21, 2021, 02:52:25 AM

Quote from: GadgetBoy on June 20, 2021, 10:40:00 PM
Creeper cutoff makes this map unplayable, despite the size.

One of the biggest strategies to winning in PAC is resource denial. Giving the computer infinite refined resources negates that tactic completely.

Check out my comment above (with the screenshots) to see how to make things a little easier. Using mesh makes the start nicer. Note that the right-start is far easier than the left if you aren't bothering to use mesh.

The map is still winnable no matter what state it is in, but it requires advanced tactics if you let things build up too long. I let it run without doing anything for 10 min (I didn't even do the mesh thing until 10 min mark). Was still able to win. To say it is unwinnable is being dramatic :P Blobs insta-kill units they touch, no creeper required. You just have to avoid snipers or overwhelm them.

I wanted people to be able to have things regenerate so they could practice targeting and see best practices for unit combos. That is why the infinite resources. I wasn't even going to have much of anything defending the rift lab, but With 29 ERNs on the map I figured it would be ok to put something.

In its role as a tutorial it is underwhelming. It seems to be causing frustration, which is rather ironic considering it was supposed to help with that. I'll have to do better when I eventually get around to doing a v2. I apologize. Sadly it isn't possible for me to remove it.

At least some good can come from this map. I added tooltips to the PAC units telling what they do. Hmm. If other map makers don't use my version of the cpack though, it won't show up on anyone else's maps but mine :(

Jakobaland · June 26, 2021, 01:42:19 PM

Yeah, that creeper cutoff was really annoying, I was playing around with this thing and managed to get so much creeper on one of those smaller islands that my emitters cut off on the main island, and without creeper there I could not build new structures and got stuck. Surely I could beat it if I tried again, but at this point I don't feel like it anymore. Would be a lot better if just the creeper cutoff wasn't an issue.

Shatterstep · June 26, 2021, 04:59:05 PM

Quote from: Jakobaland on June 26, 2021, 01:42:19 PM
Yeah, that creeper cutoff was really annoying, I was playing around with this thing and managed to get so much creeper on one of those smaller islands that my emitters cut off on the main island, and without creeper there I could not build new structures and got stuck. Surely I could beat it if I tried again, but at this point I don't feel like it anymore. Would be a lot better if just the creeper cutoff wasn't an issue.

Until after I published this map I didn't understand what the creeper cutoff was. My future maps I'll be making sure to bump them from 3.5 CC to 100 CC. Note that 3.5 creeper cutoff is ridiculous for a PAC map, but I had no idea.

Sorry about that.