Custom Map #3925: Skate Around The Edge. By: BermanPost

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This topic is for discussion of map #3925: Skate Around The Edge


Author: BermanPost
Size: 255x255

Desc:
Skate Around The Edge, watch out for the Spores from the center.

[RrR]

The first part of the map is an interesting challenge, but once you have the second PZ or so, it becomes rather repetitive rather than difficult.

[jaworeq]

Yeah, I got kinda tired after hitting first corner, and there were many more without rewards.
Only challenge for me was balancing energy at the beginning between 3 beams and expanding.

[Grimeripe]

So, how do you go about doing this map?

I can get five reactors up, with 3 beams, but the energy demand is just too much. Impossible to keep the swarms at bay.

Using collectors is rather useless as well.

Hints?

I managed it at last, but did not bother to play through, as once you have enough energy to kill off the spores it becomes repetitive as jaworeq says.

[Grimeripe]

Spoiler

I build two collectors and I think four reactors before the spores started to fly. Then I build three beams. After this is was all about building 3-4 more reactors (and maybe a collector) and pausing the builds tactically so you just about manage to down all the spores. Get it wrong and you have to restart because any spore that lands loses you energy and then you will be swamped.

Always built one unit at a except for the beams. Eventually you can build maybe two reactors at once, this is where you can build a cannon to start expanding.

I built reactors and one of the collectors on the ore deposits, you can come back later and remove these reactors when you have enough reactors.

Then all you need is time, lots of time. Take out one enemy at a time, keep building reactors. Best use I could come up with for the PZs is to alternate between beam and reactor, that way you will have even more energy and good cover.

A few Berthas will keep the creeper in check so it can't overflow. Unfortunately to PZ Berthas.

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[Karsten75]

How I did it

There's a little-known "trick" that spore towers don't fire at a few unit types, including Spore Towers. Nor do they fire at a CN that lands and don't move again. If there are no targets, they don't fire at all.

I thus built 5 fully-loaded Spore towers, and then part built 5-reactors (48/50 energy packets to each and one Collector (4/5 energy packets). Then I waited until the CN's energy was full (25 packets), and simultaneously completed the build-out of all the energy units - that way I was prepared for a few waves of spores.

my starting position

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Like many here I stopped somewhere on the eastern strip of land  - didn't seem much point after that.

[stdout]

Once the top line was cleared, I started building berthas in every available space, alternating beams and reactors on the PZs. Most of the berthas were set to auto-target and a few were manually placed on the next emitter in line.

I also had about 10 guppies that followed me down the line, supplying a faster source of energy packets.

As was said above, the start was very interesting but became as fun as dragging a log through mud at the end.

[D0m0nik]

I think your maps are a fantastic contribution to the game, keep up the good work.

When you are making 'expert' maps you are bound to make marmite maps, some will love them and some will hate them.  I love some of your maps and some, like this one, I don't even bother playing, I just don't have the patience for the long slog!

[Cavemaniac]

When you are making 'expert' maps you are bound to make marmite maps, some will love them and some will hate them. 

Heh.

Marmite.

You've gotta be based in Britain to make that comparison!.

I love Marmite - but only the New Zealand version, black and solid.

Not that horrible runny brown stuff people love to hate in the UK!

Breakfast spread digression concluded.

[GoodMorning]

Mildly interesting, but the difference between the third Emitter and the last one was the build time of the Nullifier.

Thanks for putting some harder maps in recent CS, however.

[BermanPost]

it is hard to skate that edge between making a difficult map without it turning into a slog at times, but I do have an idea...

[GoodMorning]

I know. Thanks for continuing to.

I look forward to your next map. (But "slog" implies a lack of entertainment. The "slog" section is not necessarily difficult, just repetitive, and thus unlikely to be any additional challenge.)

[Karsten75]

it is hard to skate that edge between making a difficult map without it turning into a slog at times, but I do have an idea...

Illegitimi non carborundum.

Just do whatever it is you like doing. :)

[GoodMorning]

Xe who does not like a map, need not play it. So, keep them coming.

[D0m0nik]

I don't know if it is just coincidence but your lowest scoring map is the one that you forgot to write 'Experts only' or 'hard' in the description. For challenging maps your scores are actualy quite high and I think a warning of difficulty goes a long way in preventing rage quitters scoring low, at least they were warned!