Dp PAC First map

[D0m0nik]

Hey guys.

This is my first PAC map, it has taken forever to make, replayed and tweaked many many times!
Could you please test it and let me know if it works? Also are there any holes in it?

Thanks
Dp

[RrR]

Hard. Took me an hour. NE corner was hardest, laying down digitalis pixel by pixel. Upgraded (?) build speed is unforgiving - units that have been knocked out keep regenerating. Very cheap reactors is also unforgiving. Once the reactors are being taken out the game is almost over - let the player win. They deserve it. Good game.

[D0m0nik]

Thank you for testing it RrR, really appreciate it.

I did worry it was a bit hard, during testing I must have played it about 30 times and just kept making it harder without realising.

I may tone it down!

With regards to the forge, if I remove it the end does not work as well.

Once the reactors are being taken out the game is almost over - let the player win.

I didn't understand this - what do you suggest?

[RrR]

I was hoping that taking the PZ reactors out would cause energy problems, but they rebuilt immediately. Are they the usual cost?

The difficultly level is fine if you want to present it as a very hard map. If you want most people to be able to finish, then tone it down.

[D0m0nik]

Yes the reactors are standard but I upgraded build speed, energy and packet speed. The idea was that once you knock out the forge you then attack the cluster of reactors a lot easier but still with some challenge. I was hoping to keep the map difficult almost to the end.

I think I may release it then, I did want it to be Nuhages level of difficulty, I may have achieved it!

Thanks a lot for testing it, I didn't even know if it would have worked at all but it really is easy to use the template. For the next map I will try to add nulifiers.

[stdout]

Congrats on your first map. I look forward to more from you.

[D0m0nik]

Thank you stdout!

I already have an idea for my next map. Following on from RrRs comments I may make a much easier map so that more players can enjoy it. I wanted my first one to be equal to Nuhages maps in terms of difficulty and I think I achieved it.

[stdout]

There are a lot of brick wall maps out there and it seems that's the most popular type in the genre. Personally, I like the more brainy thinky type maps, where you don't meet as much resistance but you have to make decisions as to which path you take. Mechanics where you cut off the enemy's access to resources, like ore and energy, are a lot of fun, because if the user can get those early he's rewarded with a much easier game. But if he overlooks it, then it's a slogfest all the way.

I'd rather have a game that you can win in 20 minutes, but you play it 5 times trying to eek out a little better score each time. The 1+ hour games are fun for one play through but who wants to go through it a second time?

Games that start with PZ-powered berthas under construction, timed so that the player has sufficient time to deal with them if they hurry, but if they neglect it, they finish and start firing. Those are fun additions.

I'm also partial to the asteroid/void maps. The void adds a mechanic that gives the player LOTS of extra options for play.

[D0m0nik]

There are certainly different types of map within the PAC genre, I am a huge fan of Nuhages maps but rarely play them more than twice. Your own maps are a lot quicker to beat but I can happily play them again and again as they tend to be open to a lot of different approaches so I know what you mean. It is rare that I play a PAC map that I don't enjoy to be honest.

I definitely will try a different kind of map next.