This topic is for discussion of map #1797: PAC - Corrosive Challenge
(https://knucklecracker.com/creeperworld4/queryMaps.php?query=thumbnailid&id=1797)
Author: Shatterstep
Size: 80x128
General tips
- Mortar Lure - You start with one, so you can destroy it so you get the ERN back (you should end up with 4). Just remember to put it down in the same spot when you get to that place later. Also wait until AFTER you have started the map to destroy it. The ERN won't be refunded for some reason if you do it in the first few seconds of starting the map.
- Mesh - Make sure to place mesh so creeper flows around areas.
- Crimsonator - Any time you have a lot of mortars and cannons, crimsonator helps your creeper survive long enough to kill.
- AC - Vs. AC, crimsonating creeper is worthless.
I'll update this top comment as questions come in. Sorry for being so repetitive, but people often don't read text, no matter how many times it appears ;)
I feel a bit bad about putting so many obvious spoilers directly on the map (like the lure), but I know there are going to be people who would get stuck otherwise. Ok, the start is rougher than I thought. Yikes. Added additional screenshots showing using the crimsonator at the start. Screenshots only show me with 3 units, but you should have 4 by deleting the lure.
First of all thanks for sharing! We need more good puzzle maps like this. It was challenging enough but I didn't feel like I was forced down a particular path or to use a specific strategy to advance. Only thing I wasn't super happy about was the lack of ability to remove mesh (so I could spill creeper into the void and place more mesh lol. But I get why you removed it. Good work and I look forward to another upload :)
I still do a lot of hand-holding on this map.... pre-placing mesh, crimsonating key areas, placing the arrow to show where to put the launcher for the blob, marking in red with the contaminant where to place the lure, etc...
A really challenging version of this I would leave those things out, but then there would be a lot of people getting stuck. Alas.
I liked having a more compact map, especially since there wasn't an issue with lag.
Edit : Finally found where the lure was.
Quote from: Ranger Von Danger on June 25, 2021, 12:40:48 AM
First of all thanks for sharing! We need more good puzzle maps like this. It was challenging enough but I didn't feel like I was forced down a particular path or to use a specific strategy to advance. Only thing I wasn't super happy about was the lack of ability to remove mesh (so I could spill creeper into the void and place more mesh lol. But I get why you removed it. Good work and I look forward to another upload :)
You can still delete mesh, when you have it selected, click the box that reads "PLACE", and it will change to "DELETE"
Great pac-map! I found this to be very well balanced for my playstyle, not too hard and not too easy which is otherwise always the case.
Only thing I didnt like was the preplaced lure which I could not find forcing me to play the first part of the map with one less ERN than necessary. I don't really get the point of that.
Quote from: svartmes on June 25, 2021, 12:02:56 PM
Only thing I didnt like was the preplaced lure which I could not find forcing me to play the first part of the map with one less ERN than necessary. I don't really get the point of that.
There are going to be people that, aside from placing it ahead of time, simply will never figure out how to use the lure.
I placed a bonus ERN actually, but it was finnicky between all the saving / reloading / modifying and it was lost. It reset the ERN count. Anything that triggers a recompile, like adding cpacks can do that. I have to repair other settings too what that happens, like making sure the berthas are on auto, there is another invisible mesh controller, etc... It is amazing how much can go wrong, so I lucked out and only had 1 ERN disappear.
I modified my first comment showing the position of the lure. I'll add the screenshot here as well.
Wow, some people added the "bad" tag to this map. Doesn't exactly motivate me to make more maps. This is a good map and was meant to be challenging. I must have played this map 60+ times trying to get things right.
WTF is wrong with some people.
Quote from: Shatterstep on June 25, 2021, 07:05:27 PM
Wow, some people added the "bad" tag to this map. Doesn't exactly motivate me to make more maps. This is a good map and was meant to be challenging. I must have played this map 60+ times trying to get things right.
WTF is wrong with some people.
That tag was already voted away before I even got in there to see it.
Also, I wonder if my play style has a flaw, because it took me 10 minutes of attempts to get to the first arrow, and I was about to give up and just quit the map before I finally managed to kill those initial buildings. I see that no one else even mentioned that as being hard. I wonder if that's the issue the people that stuck that tag on there ran into, or if it was something else. That first bit was honestly the hardest part of the entire map.
Quote from: Durikkan on June 25, 2021, 08:40:29 PM
Also, I wonder if my play style has a flaw, because it took me 10 minutes of attempts to get to the first arrow, and I was about to give up and just quit the map before I finally managed to kill those initial buildings. I see that no one else even mentioned that as being hard. I wonder if that's the issue the people that stuck that tag on there ran into, or if it was something else. That first bit was honestly the hardest part of the entire map.
The first few lines of the ADA message mentions
launchers with blobs and needing them to pass the map. But I get you. I often skip most ADA messages. And admittedly that is a very specific thing to have to do in order to progress.
I wouldn't say your style has a flaw. Launchers being used for anything other than spores seems like it would be rare, so that is partly what I wanted to do for this map. To make use of as much of the PAC toolkit as possible. Never occurred to me how powerful lures could be in some specific circumstances. I really learned a lot when creating the map.
On a different note, I think the Field Generator is too powerful. If I create any maps in the future, I think I might drop the power by 20% to 25%. Dunno.
Quote from: Shatterstep on June 25, 2021, 09:42:21 PM
The first few lines of the ADA message mentions launchers with blobs and needing them to pass the map. But I get you. I often skip most ADA messages. And admittedly that is a very specific thing to have to do in order to progress.
I wouldn't say your style has a flaw. Launchers being used for anything other than spores seems like it would be rare, so that is partly what I wanted to do for this map. To make use of as much of the PAC toolkit as possible. Never occurred to me how powerful lures could be in some specific circumstances. I really learned a lot when creating the map.
On a different note, I think the Field Generator is too powerful. If I create any maps in the future, I think I might drop the power by 20% to 25%. Dunno.
I think I may not have been clear. I knew that the launcher was the the thing to place on the arrow, I'm talking about trying to get to that. On that straight section before you get there, there's multiple snipers that have clear line of sight with no intervening terrain, so I didn't even try to use blobs. There's lots of missiles, so no spores. There's like 7 nearby enemies attacking you, absorber terrain and the berthas shelling you. You need to use an emitter feeding into a stash, with a field generator pushing the stash into a crimsonator to make it down that first straightaway. Or at least that's how it seemed to me as the only possible way to clear that first section, and even that might take a few attempts before it successfully works.
Yeah, the field gen is pretty powerful, but it's difficult to tweak exactly, because of the way it functions.
Edit: Ah -- it occurs to me the correct solution to that bit was probably skimmers, I tend to forget those exist.
Quote from: Durikkan on June 25, 2021, 10:28:51 PM
I think I may not have been clear. I knew that the launcher was the thing to place on the arrow, I'm talking about trying to get to that. On that straight section before you get there, there's multiple snipers that have clear line of sight with no intervening terrain, so I didn't even try to use blobs. There's lots of missiles, so no spores. There's like 7 nearby enemies attacking you, absorber terrain and the berthas shelling you. You need to use an emitter feeding into a stash, with a field generator pushing the stash into a crimsonator to make it down that first straightaway. Or at least that's how it seemed to me as the only possible way to clear that first section, and even that might take a few attempts before it successfully works.
Yeah, the field gen is pretty powerful, but it's difficult to tweak exactly, because of the way it functions.
Edit: Ah -- it occurs to me the correct solution to that bit was probably skimmers, I tend to forget those exist.
You are right, that is a brutal start if you don't use the crimsonator.
Shit. I'll add the screenshots to my first comment to help others that get stuck. For the screenshots only used 3 ERNs so as to make it match the same as if others forgot to delete the mortar lure. I'm glad you mentioned it. I'm sure many others will probably struggle with the start.
I didn't use skimmers or stashes anywhere on the map.
Damn. If only that extra ERN hadn't disappeared. Also, I originally had the berthas and pylons leading to them being built so as to give some time, but since I had to let things progress while making the map, I forgot about deleting and recreating them so they would be built from scratch.
The absorber is to make it easier to see after you have progressed in the map. Honestly it wasn't needed in the final version because of where things ended up. Originally I had an emitter next to the start, and the creeper just got so high it obscured later areas.
Really wish there was a way we could update maps after they are published.
I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed this map. A refreshing change from the recent trend for "massive war of attrition" style PAC maps. Thanks!
Quote from: Malcolm on June 26, 2021, 10:41:39 AM
I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed this map. A refreshing change from the recent trend for "massive war of attrition" style PAC maps. Thanks!
Kind words. Thank you.
Heres a redraw of my review though it hasn't taken very long to get a response 4:00 am in the morning someone has cyborg eyes.
Got through half of it within less than 30 minutes thanks to these kind tips and hints but my review stays I did play puzzle maps back in CW3 and those CSM maps plus I cannot be invalid as I played over 80% of these PAC maps start to finish. If you want my honest opinion I'd say increase the map size a little while expanding existing areas that should open up more strategies.
6/10
Quote from: Mr$Hyper$ on June 27, 2021, 03:12:54 AM
"Productive reviews"
Heres a productive review. Stop making puzzle maps
I have to spend 3 hours of my glorious life on this figuring out which combo works with which and I'm a PAC genius I beaten the early PAC maps with autopilot in a time when emitters marching was the only way to win things (placing an emitter in front of another).
I didn't beat the map but I do have the right to make an honest review of how unsatisfactory I found this map. In my most honest opinion it's not worth spending 3 hours just to find yourself stuck in a chokepoint with thousands of mortars with erns firing at you and cannot place a lure because thats your frontline m8.
I thought the Payback maps were the worst ones well puzzle maps are the worst as not only you cannot feel like you are the creeper master, you are the little patch of creep in the face of 100k anti creep.
Review done and I thought my critical reviews were over after I left SC2 but it's now back with these maps.
I'm sorry you had trouble with the map. The forum is here to help. There was no reason to suffer.
MORTAR LUREDid you read the ADA message?
The 2nd sentence mentions mortar lures: "Mortar Lure forces mortars to target it.
You start with one already placed."
The 3rd sentence: "The Lure and Launcher (with blob) will be needed to win."
Even if you didn't read that there was a lure already place on one of the red X's on the right side. While easy to overlook, it should have forced all mortars to target one side automatically as long as you freed the emitter that would feed it.
CHALLENGEThis was specifically listed as a 'Challenge' type map. Was that not clear?
Other than having the map play itself I'm at a loss at how I can better accommodate you. I even blatantly mentioned the tactics needed to pass the map and put red X's and arrows to show where to use the mentioned units.
Do us both a favor and in the future avoid playing any of my maps. Or better yet, maybe being a map maker is more pain that I care for. Geez, the amount of work I put into my maps is nuts. Such a waste of my time apparently.
Good day gentlemen.
First post on this website!
I must say it's very smart of the author to subtly tell you how to utilize nearly all Creeper Structures in this map.
I've known that the Red Arrows are for Launcher, the Red Crosses are for Lure (subtle helpful hint to progress later on).
The map revolves around using the classic Push combo (FieldGen+Emitter+Crimson) to advance Creepers around the map;
And using Skimmers and Blobs to disable certain Nullifier.
I bound my "Copy" and "Destroy" shortcuts to the forward and backward buttons on my mouse for faster placement and removal.
The Blob Nest is kinda heavily RNG-based if you wanna speedrun it. The Spore Launchers affect little-to-zero how you progress your speedrun excepts its eggs.
The only Creeper Structure that I wasn't able to utilize were Stash and Egg Gen.
All I wanna say is, thank you Shatterstep very, very much for making this kind of map.
Lots of frustration at first because I did not know how to execute each part of the map to progress.
But after a lot of trials and errors and fun, I've got the 13:49 minute mark.
Please make more like this! <3
I goes by these (funny, but no mean intent) names when submitting results: "could be danu, should be danu, must be danu, daddy danu, rich-2-play map (when map's lagging so much)"
Quote from: Asiion on June 27, 2021, 05:21:09 AM
Good day gentlemen.
First post on this website!
I must say it's very smart of the author to subtly tell you how to utilize nearly all Creeper Structures in this map.
I've known that the Red Arrows are for Launcher, the Red Crosses are for Lure (subtle helpful hint to progress later on).
The map revolves around using the classic Push combo (FieldGen+Emitter+Crimson) to advance Creepers around the map;
And using Skimmers and Blobs to disable certain Nullifier.
I bound my "Copy" and "Destroy" shortcuts to the forward and backward buttons on my mouse for faster placement and removal.
The Blob Nest is kinda heavily RNG-based if you wanna speedrun it. The Spore Launchers affect little-to-zero how you progress your speedrun excepts its eggs.
The only Creeper Structure that I wasn't able to utilize were Stash and Egg Gen.
All I wanna say is, thank you Shatterstep very, very much for making this kind of map.
Lots of frustration at first because I did not know how to execute each part of the map to progress.
But after a lot of trials and errors and fun, I've got the 13:49 minute mark.
Please make more like this! <3
Kind words, Asiion, and well explained. I tend to be a bit verbose.
Interesting side-note, I haven't seen anyone use colored text other than me. Admittedly I have only done that on the maps. I completely missed we could do it in the forums. Neat.
I found that spore launchers and stashes to be of little value on this map. I wanted to encourage using launchers for something other than what they are usually used for.
Quote from: Mr$Hyper$ on June 27, 2021, 03:12:54 AM
"Productive reviews"
Heres a productive review. Stop making puzzle maps
Here's a productive comment. Telling other people what to do might lead to you not being a member here. Harsh and hurtful comments are not welcome.
You are more than welcome to stop playing any map, at any time if it is not of the genre that you like,
It's one thing to object to a shoddily-made map, but entirely a different thing to have map rage and then vent on the map maker.
Just wanted to drop in and say I really enjoyed this. Not going to lie I probably spend 3 hours on this. Don't regret it. The first two hours was me trying anything I could think of to get beyond the first few hops with only 3 ERN. I didn't find the lure to destroy for the 4th until I came on this forum to get some hints.
I read that there was one in the ADA notes, but my eyes just never noticed it what with all the death right in my face from second one. The last hour stretch on a bit because I was trying to beat it without using lures just as a matter of spite. I got fairly far. Some lucky air sac drops took out a few of the groups of high power mortars. Had I been willing to wait longer maybe I could have done it, but I just dropped the lures down and did it as intended and it moved along very nicely from there.
Great map, please keep up the good work. I'll happily try out any other maps I see your name attached to.
Thanks
Quote from: Srial on June 29, 2021, 08:13:36 PM
Just wanted to drop in and say I really enjoyed this. Not going to lie I probably spend 3 hours on this. Don't regret it. The first two hours was me trying anything I could think of to get beyond the first few hops with only 3 ERN. I didn't find the lure to destroy for the 4th until I came on this forum to get some hints.
I read that there was one in the ADA notes, but my eyes just never noticed it what with all the death right in my face from second one. The last hour stretch on a bit because I was trying to beat it without using lures just as a matter of spite. I got fairly far. Some lucky air sac drops took out a few of the groups of high power mortars. Had I been willing to wait longer maybe I could have done it, but I just dropped the lures down and did it as intended and it moved along very nicely from there.
Great map, please keep up the good work. I'll happily try out any other maps I see your name attached to.
Thanks
Glad you liked it. Admittedly I didn't want it to be this hard. Pity I can't update the map.
I got past the first gap relatively ok, granted I used skimmers rather than blobs.
I'm completely stuck on the T-intersection right after though. The map feels like it punishes you for making a wrong move. Is it supposed to be a map where making a mistake requires restarting, or does being stubborn still work?
I tried pushing west, but the AC from the east broke that after the creeper from the map emitter broke the wall. Pushing east felt like it made more progress at first, but then revealed the laser and brought everything to a standstill.
Would love a hint :)
Edit: Nevermind. Restarted the map and used a field gen to keep the creeper away from the east wall. Worked out perfectly.
Quote from: palpatine213 on July 03, 2021, 06:33:32 PM
I got past the first gap relatively ok, granted I used skimmers rather than blobs.
I'm completely stuck on the T-intersection right after though. The map feels like it punishes you for making a wrong move. Is it supposed to be a map where making a mistake requires restarting, or does being stubborn still work?
I tried pushing west, but the AC from the east broke that after the creeper from the map emitter broke the wall. Pushing east felt like it made more progress at first, but then revealed the laser and brought everything to a standstill.
Would love a hint :)
Edit: Nevermind. Restarted the map and used a field gen to keep the creeper away from the east wall. Worked out perfectly.
Glad you made it past.
While I didn't want it to be too challenging, I did want it to take some skill and hopefully teach tactics to help with other PAC maps. Problem is what is obvious (or quick to figure out) for one person, is something another would never think of. Creating maps that appeal to everyone is rather challenging. I should mention there have been plenty of situations I have been in where I was completely stuck. So I know what it is like.
It took me many many many tries to finally figure out what I was doing. It would have helped if I actually would have read and understood what you were saying. I had never used the a few of the things that are needed to complete this even though I have played all of the PAC maps.
I finally finished in just over 29 mins. So, it is a very doable map, just takes some time to understand what ya need to do.
I really enjoyed it, thanks for making it.
Finally broke the 25 min mark. This is one of the few maps that I play over and over again trying to get just a little better.
Hoping to break the 20 min mark, but I think that will take a bit of luck.
Quote from: thetroll527 on July 05, 2021, 11:28:48 PM
It took me many many many tries to finally figure out what I was doing. It would have helped if I actually would have read and understood what you were saying. I had never used the a few of the things that are needed to complete this even though I have played all of the PAC maps.
I finally finished in just over 29 mins. So, it is a very doable map, just takes some time to understand what ya need to do.
I really enjoyed it, thanks for making it.
Glad you liked it.
Quote from: thetroll527 on July 06, 2021, 04:41:11 PM
Finally broke the 25 min mark. This is one of the few maps that I play over and over again trying to get just a little better.
Hoping to break the 20 min mark, but I think that will take a bit of luck.
It is doable. Asiion gave some good advice for using units. I would reiterate to not bother with stashes, skimmers, or spores. I attached a video showing how I did my 10 min 10 sec time. Obviously heavy spoilers.
I have been playing World of Warcraft since the 9.1 patch dropped. I'll get bored with WoW soon enough and make some more maps then.
The first half of the map was tough, but the rest, was easy once all the nullified stuff started making plenty of things for me to overpower their defenses and the lab died before the rest of the map, but the start was tough, you should make the start easier and more challenge later. But this is the only pac map that takes advantage of using this lure thing since I found the left hand side mortars were hitting everywhere and putting the lure focused them away from where I was pushing, no other pac map does this.
I really enjoyed this map. Not too hard (except for the start, where a generator + crimson + field gen still struggles to make progress... Maybe delay the Bertha shots for a minute or two?) There were a few spots that were a little slow or sticky, but mixing up the units on the field quickly found the solution.
Very refreshing compared to maps that can only be beaten if you put X unit precisely at Y coordinates and target Z unit. It's still a knowledge check, but your map checks your knowledge of how to use the units, instead of your knowledge of some secret on the map that you have to somehow figure out or suffer.
Well done!