Custom Map #1099: System Take Back. By: stdout

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This topic is for discussion of map #1099: System Take Back


Author: stdout
Size: 128x128

Desc:
The humans have grown complacent with easy mopup missions recently. In their arrogance, they left one weak emitter alive to play with it as a kitten does a mouse. Now is the time to strike! Spread forth your creeper and take back the power zones. Build more emitters and continue the spread. Add spore towers and bombard their fortifications. Their shields will break under the strain of our assault; we will suffocate them under a pool of creeper. Based on stewbasic's #PlayAsCreeper. Thank you for your help

[stdout]

I waited 6 weeks for someone else to make another "PlayAsCreeper" map and realized that everyone must be waiting for me!  ;D

This is a fairly easy map. In fact, I think it's impossible to lose. But I wanted a fun game that lets me play as the creeper again. There are a few challenges to the map and hopefully some people might have some fun playing it. I know I had a lot of fun making it.

A tip:

Spoiler

The bottom-left area is protected by a squadron of beam towers that probably can't be dealt with directly. Instead starve them of resources by attacking the reactors feeding them.

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It took a long time to figure out how to make stewbasic's crpl code work with a new map and I would not have been able to do it without his generous help in providing his detailed instructions. I really appreciate it!

[Ragnarok]

so good! i love it!!! just wondering though but it seems like the bertha cannons make it really really difficult to advance in the beginning, could you perhaps change that (idk, maybe only use one?)?

[Ragnarok]

also i think i may have found a glitch, but i can control the terp kinda (it lets me make an area 3 height)... so i can use it to free myself... not sure there is a way to fix that, but be aware because it is possible...

[Linden]

Thanks, Stdout! Great fun map. :D

[mzimmer74]

Fantastic map!  Incredible job with this!

I should mention that the second time through was much easier once I figured out how to connect the islands!  Try beating the level without doing that...not easy!

[stdout]

i can control the terp

This is not without precedent. The Loki have been known to figure out how to take control of human tech and use it to their advantage. You make a good Loki! :)

I'm glad everyone is enjoying this map. I've played it at least a dozen times myself.  ;D Nearly all the credit belongs to stewbasic for writing the CRPL code so make sure to thank him, too.

[NFITC1]

This was fantastic and I loved it! The only issue I see is that Berthas have WAY more health than anything else so they're hard to take down. An actual bug related to that, the Berthas continued to fill their ammo while they weren't connected to a network. That did nothing but add two minutes while I was waiting for them to stop firing so I could advance to the next island.

[DestinyAtlantis]

This was fantastic and I loved it! The only issue I see is that Berthas have WAY more health than anything else so they're hard to take down. An actual bug related to that, the Berthas continued to fill their ammo while they weren't connected to a network. That did nothing but add two minutes while I was waiting for them to stop firing so I could advance to the next island.

I'm guessing that it might have something to do with the increased-fire-rate-depending-on-units-lost, but i may be totally wrong (haven't looked at the script at all)

[ljw1004]

This is the second creeper map I've played, and I've enjoyed both.

I feel stupid about not realizing how to cross gulfs between islands. The game's impossible without crossing gulfs, yes? because you can't get past that huge barrage of anti-air defenses protecting the southwest?

(It didn't feel like an accomplishment to discover how to cross the gulf between islands. Maybe consider giving a hint about it in the introduction?)

I really like maps with a story behind them, and this map had story in spades.

It starts to feel as if the "play as creeper" genre may have become stale already -- there's never any challenge because the AI just blindly replaces units in the same location. I would never expect someone to write a smart AI in CRPL. But I wonder if there are alternatives. Maybe some way to increase tension -- e.g. a set of Big Bertha cannons that start construction at the beginning of the game and if you don't make gains before they come online then you're stuck. Or a row of solar collectors that are gradually being built and once they reach an isolated set of reactors then the good guys will have enough power to hold you back indefinitely.

I wonder also if there are other ways to change the strategic story? There were two main strategic novelties in this map -- First the narrow chokepoint at the top that you required a "behind enemy lines parachute drop" (spores) to conquer because the frontal assault was never faster than the mortar. Second the set of air-defenses around the southwest that you had to approach from behind. I hope people can invent new interesting strategic stories. I wonder if any of the strategic battles from history (e.g. Austerlitz, Waterloo, ...) can have mirrors in Creeper maps?

[mzimmer74]

I feel stupid about not realizing how to cross gulfs between islands. The game's impossible without crossing gulfs, yes? because you can't get past that huge barrage of anti-air defenses protecting the southwest?

Technically, it's not impossible since I was able to do it. 

Spoiler

You can just squeeze a spore past the AAD if you make it land in the gap to the right of the bottom left island.  The creeper will then spill over onto the island and slowly take out the units there.  Once they are gone, it's trivial to send all your spores and take out the now uncharged AADs.  Of course, it was when I did that attack that I realized how it could be used to spread the digitalis.  MUCH easier the second time around with that!

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[Lioncourt]

ljw, if you take out the bottom middle island, you can easily send spores to the southwest island and avoid the anti-air, then after you take the island, you can just starve the anti-air till your shots get through and kill them.

[stdout]

Maybe some way to increase tension -- e.g. a set of Big Bertha cannons that start construction at the beginning of the game and if you don't make gains before they come online then you're stuck.

I like the way you're thinking. The map I'm working on is utilizing some of those very ideas. I even have a bertha that starts building at the beginning and it'll take a while before it comes online.

[Lioncourt]

stdout, Im sitting in the chat room.

[stdout]

Sorry I missed you. Family life keeps me busy in the evenings. I just popped in to the forums for a minute and am heading back out. I can be here during the day.