Custom Map #1918: Tug of War 1. By: Fubukmaru

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This topic is for discussion of map #1918: Tug of War 1


Author: Fubukmaru
Size: 252x252

Desc:
Fiirst map of the Ticon fall series. As the name implies this map will be a tug of war against the creeper in a whole new way. Some may not like the gameplay mechanics of this map, some may hate it. I love ore and anti-creeper so for me it's the best map ever. You will lose a few times before figuring out the correct strategy. Ask me in the forums if you get too stuck, there are several tactics that work and not all can be easy to achieve. #AC #Runners #Digitalis #Void #TiconfallSeries #noTechLimits

[Fubukmaru]

Since it seems no one can get the map right I'll tell you the tactics to follow.
I had to play and win the map to upload it, and I used 4 tactics to win the upper hand.
The first, to deal with the runners stunning your weapons and mines surround them in relays or collectors, they will act as a decoy so the runners won't stun anything important

The second tactic is to advance to the first emitter. Don't use the singularity, the backfire will destroy you. Use some bombers and nullify it, then place a wall of terrain to protect it

The third tactic will go on reaching the emitters just before the void. For this go up from the right part of the map which is ironically the weakest one. As soon as you reach the first emitter it will be too far to nullify safely. Now you must use the singularity. Between 150 and 200 secs recommended. As soon as you clear at least 2 emitters, go right for the runner nest on the top left. Taking it out is easy using guppies, singularity and bombers. Without the runners dragging you (the top ones won't usually go down) you will be able to clear the bottom easily

The last tactic is for the top. First of al leave at least one emitter alive in the bottom because taking out the digitalis will flood the entire map  from the top. It's best to prepare a defensive line with lots of sprayers to repel the creeper wave. Then invade the meteors with sprayers and terraform them from right to left until you can invade the biggest island using the singularity strategy plus a lot of anti-creeper and bombers.

[Tyler21]

Nice concept (it reminds me of CW2 where there was much more emphasis on AC) and I also liked your story.

However, I found the map somewhat boring to play (there is absolutely no threat of losing the game at any time) and there are some (intentional?) loopholes:

Spoiler

1. You can easily destroy the Northern runner nest at the start by using your second CN
2. You can easily collect the beam tech right at the start by using your third CNs
3. You can seize the whole northern part of the map and prevent digitalis spreading to the unlimited siphon for about 30 minutes or so

After that you don't have do anything else than securing the 'castle' on the South, and the totems SE and use the singularity first on the other runner nest then on the emitter, one by one.
You do not even have to seize new ore deposits as you need only a little need of AC to win this map (to defend the 'castle' and to prevent digi spreading on North.
I guess these make the map a LOT easier compared to your original idea of slowly expanding and seizing the ore deposits.
And it would be more challenging if digitalis could spread into the castle. I think you helped too much by 'cutting' it.

[close]

[Loren Pechtel]

Bug:  One of the initial ore mines can't be mined.  I'm not sure why, perhaps it's one square too low and off the edge?

I used a completely different approach.

The runner nest up top is completely unprotected at the start and is an easy kill.  The other runner nest can be killed by using a few singularity shots to pull the creep off it.  Of course there were still runners but they never were an issue, I simply ignored them and they eventually died off.

All the emitters are far from your base, I don't see what the problem with the singularity weapon is.  A few shots can open a spot to nullify from.  Sometimes I needed the bombers to remove the last bit of creep, sometimes it was completely bare.  I used the same strategy on the spore base.  I took longer than I should have because I wasn't planning ahead enough--once I had cleared the last emitter on the main landmass I fired into the corners--just about on top of that last message capsule.  I had everything dead well before I could get that message and actually win the game.

The only time the backfire from the singularity did any harm was one shot fairly close to my base that I had to do because the creeper was pushing through my defenses.  I didn't realize how much was in the pile when the timer ran down.

[Tyler21]

Bug:  One of the initial ore mines can't be mined.  I'm not sure why, perhaps it's one square too low and off the edge?

Actually it's the terrain on one cell (I couldn't see it either but terraforming solved it).

[Fubukmaru]

Nice concept (it reminds me of CW2 where there was much more emphasis on AC) and I also liked your story.

However, I found the map somewhat boring to play (there is absolutely no threat of losing the game at any time) and there are some (intentional?) loopholes:

Spoiler

1. You can easily destroy the Northern runner nest at the start by using your second CN
2. You can easily collect the beam tech right at the start by using your third CNs
3. You can seize the whole northern part of the map and prevent digitalis spreading to the unlimited siphon for about 30 minutes or so

After that you don't have do anything else than securing the 'castle' on the South, and the totems SE and use the singularity first on the other runner nest then on the emitter, one by one.
You do not even have to seize new ore deposits as you need only a little need of AC to win this map (to defend the 'castle' and to prevent digi spreading on North.
I guess these make the map a LOT easier compared to your original idea of slowly expanding and seizing the ore deposits.
And it would be more challenging if digitalis could spread into the castle. I think you helped too much by 'cutting' it.

[close]

Thanks, as I suggested it won't be the last map on the series. I intend to create microchallenges by giving on my maps only the weapons I want you to use. And I too found it little challenging compared to the first idea wich was covering all the area around the nests with digitalis forcing you to nullify the nearby digital-free emitter in order to put them down. Also, several ore mines are dug so you have to Tform them in order to use them.
In the more challenging version of the map I didn't allow beams so you had to waste lots of energy in shields to avoid spores.
Any suggestion for the next Ticon Fall map? Do you have a favourite weapon and think you can win any map using only THAT weapon? (cannons excluded) or maybe an asteroid field with just relays? The posibilities are limitless. I will also use them to describe how I see the Ticon and why I think they had fallen even being the strongest military

[Loren Pechtel]

Bug:  One of the initial ore mines can't be mined.  I'm not sure why, perhaps it's one square too low and off the edge?

Actually it's the terrain on one cell (I couldn't see it either but terraforming solved it).

That was my first though, some of the other mines need terping first.  There's one that I couldn't get to work even with terping, though.