Custom Map #1658: Zesi. By: Thumbmaster

[teknotiss]

it was in a previous PAC map, but perhaps a subtle clue in PAC maps that use it in future would be helpful :)

[thumbmaster]

Great suggestions, guys! How can I fix the intro text without having a duplicate map on CS? I'm thinking maybe adding a #terp tag to the description from now on may help.

[teknotiss]

Great suggestions, guys! How can I fix the intro text without having a duplicate map on CS? I'm thinking maybe adding a #terp tag to the description from now on may help.

dunno if you can, well V could do it, but it's not really worth the hassle, #terp should do it in future  8)

[isj4]

Very satisfying map once you figure out how to get first first island

[newuploader1]

This map was so difficult at first but using Hubbs' idea method to get started made it a lot easier.

[sanbis]

still don't know how to start  :'(
NW useless
central island have three ,
SE、Top、SW
SE looks like useless too
if want stop terp change map should use SW to start
but don't know how to go

[jac1998]

Not much else to say other than the map was hair-pulingly frustrating at the start, to the point that I cannot get PAST the start. I don't know what you were thinking setting it up that way, but you've made it damn near impossible (and I only say that because others on here apparently have done it).

Northwest island is a bust. Central island is almost entirely locked down. Between the PZ Mortar, two PZ Strafers, Bombers and Bertha bombardment, you cannot expand or grow Digitalis anywhere useful. That Totem in the centre? Forget about holding it for more than 5 seconds, the Bertha's next shot will take care of that.

Tried Hubs' strategy of converting the topmost central Emitter to a Spore launcher, didn't get anywhere. You can beat the Beam and Shield and get some Digitalis PREPARED to grow to those locations....but the triple bombardment methods plus all the AC from the Bombers hammering your Emitters mean it will not get anywhere near expanding. You're also not getting that Spore tower back into an Emitter, because the Digitalis can't get to it.

The Terps are useless, I can't change their height and trying to alter the terrain, which is locked at level 3 unless I'm forgetting hotkeys for the height, does absolutely nothing to stop the Cannons and Mortars beating your Emitters into the ground.

All in all, that made me frustrated. Very frustrated. It felt like an exercise in masochism.

Then I came on here looking for advice, and found not only others saying that yeah they've done it, but also you saying "We borrowed this strategy from one of the very popular PAC maps and felt it should be obvious."

That just made me extremely angry, because it felt like mocking and I felt like even more of an idiot for not getting what I was supposed to do and apparently missing what so many others got and gushed over.

So the score's at 1 for all that.

[jac1998]

Overall, I really enjoyed this map. The start is tough but this helps:

Spoiler

Once you can grow digitalis between the two left emitters (in the center island) change the upper emitter to a spore tower and start pounding away at the beam and shield above it.

Once I had the center island I converted all but one emitter to spores and took out the upper right island and the island above the base in the lower left. That cut power to the three islands in the upper left, which gives you plenty of PZs for spore towers.

[close]

Tried that, didn't work for me.

The Beam and Shield do fall, so there's no problem there. The issue is getting Digitalis to the PZs to expand your Creep coverage.

Between the Mortar shelling your emitters, the Strafers severing any Digitalis that you try and grow between your Emitters, the Bombers dropping AC loads to slow down Digitalis growth and periodic Bertha shots wiping out any significant Creeper pool and Digitalis with it, I've gotten nowhere.

This explanation feels like it's missing about 2 or 3 steps to actually GETTING the Digitalis you need anywhere, because once you convert that Emitter to a Spore you CANNOT turn it back, the Strafers and Bombers make damn sure of that by cutting off and slowing down Digitalis growth so much it will never reach the topmost starting PZ before the Berthas fire again and destroy it all.

How EXACTLY did you do it? I'm aware of the Terps, but they've done absolutely nothing for me. Changing the ground height doesn't solve the Strafer, Bomber or Bertha problem.