Custom Map #718: Singularity. By: Decagon

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This topic is for discussion of map #718: Singularity


Author: Decagon
Size: 448x252

Desc:
GalCorp forces are on the run, fleeing to a heavily distorted region of space. The Crystallids pursue with a fiery vengeance, and will stop at nothing to take them down. WARNING: Map contains several massive ships. Play at your own risk.

[strigvir]

"Several command ships" idea just doesn't work on maps filled with MK7s.

[Keeper Decagon]

"Several command ships" idea just doesn't work on maps filled with MK7s.

You have to keep them extra safe. The Flare, or even a Shattered or Diamond, will provide adequate cover for your command ships to hide behind. Using them on the front lines near the enemy fleets/defence platforms is ill-advised. Keep them far back, hiding behind other ships. The Flare itself should be more than tanky enough to survive against enemy MK7 fire.

[Keeper Decagon]

Welp, looking at the rating for this map, I'd say it was a bust after all. Is it because of the MK7's killing command ships? Come on, the MK7 shots only come from one direction and can easily be blocked. You shouldn't even be seeing them until you move to the left side of that area, by which point you should have everything built already and have multiple ships with shields that can take the hits for the vulnerable HQ ships.

To be frank, I don't know why I bother making maps that are harder and/or different than the established formulae. All it attracts are sh*tty ratings, putting future players off from actually playing it, and puts me off from making more maps. I have a story to tell here, but if people are simply going to take it at surface level and look only at the map/gameplay involved, then I might as well not bother.

[GoodMorning]

I'm still playing through the previous maps. But we need some difficult maps, even if new players can't finish them on the first attempt. And the story is good.

Keep in mind, ratings are unreliable. The skill/player count curve means that hard maps have the ratings stacked against them.

[Exodus Legate]

I personally put an 8 on this one, for interesting, a little too easy, and some annoyance from feeling a little cheated about not being able to go on the offence against the big stations at the end.
But to be honest, I don't even look at the ratings when I do maps (Which isn't often, I admit)- engage with people in the map thread about their thoughts, sure, but the ratings system? Couldn't care less- it's too easy for people to just give random bad ratings that it doesn't deserve. I frankly feel people ought to be required to finish before rating, since "too difficult" is not a vlid critism of a map, IMHO. If I enjoyed making and playing them, and one or two other people did, that's enough for me, and the second is optional.

TL, DR: Don't let the ratings get you down.

[strigvir]

Welp, looking at the rating for this map, I'd say it was a bust after all. Is it because of the MK7's killing command ships? Come on, the MK7 shots only come from one direction and can easily be blocked. You shouldn't even be seeing them until you move to the left side of that area, by which point you should have everything built already and have multiple ships with shields that can take the hits for the vulnerable HQ ships.

I dunno, I've lost this mission without a single clue why. I guess one (of the three) command ships was flying from point A to point B and got a stray MK7 shot. This is instant 1 for me, regardless of how I like your other maps, sorry.

To be frank, I don't know why I bother making maps that are harder and/or different than the established formulae. All it attracts are sh*tty ratings, putting future players off from actually playing it, and puts me off from making more maps. I have a story to tell here, but if people are simply going to take it at surface level and look only at the map/gameplay involved, then I might as well not bother.

There is nothing wrong with difficult maps, just don't mistake irritation for difficulty. Insta-lose HQ on a map with MK7 ships is one of the most irritating ways to make any map "harder". You only need insta-lose when you want limit the movement of the command ship, it's not just a "make harder" switch.

[Dark Ambition]

Welp, looking at the rating for this map, I'd say it was a bust after all. Is it because of the MK7's killing command ships? Come on, the MK7 shots only come from one direction and can easily be blocked. You shouldn't even be seeing them until you move to the left side of that area, by which point you should have everything built already and have multiple ships with shields that can take the hits for the vulnerable HQ ships.

To be frank, I don't know why I bother making maps that are harder and/or different than the established formulae. All it attracts are sh*tty ratings, putting future players off from actually playing it, and puts me off from making more maps. I have a story to tell here, but if people are simply going to take it at surface level and look only at the map/gameplay involved, then I might as well not bother.

There are many great maps that have been bombed with low ratings for their time/difficulty by lower skilled players. Any half-way decent player will know to not trust the rating of a map, as it is almost certainly not indicative to how good it will be to play.

[Keeper Decagon]

Thanks everyone, for your replies. I guess I was having a bit of a meltdown this morning when I posted that rant lol.

It is reassuring to know that people do appreciate the worth of a map without caring so much about the ratings. :)



Also, Strigvir, the reason the map disallows HQ emergency jumps is because of the story, and because of the Flare. If you played the previous map, you would see how insanely overpowered it is to be warping that thing in all over the place. To keep it part of the map without completely breaking balance, I simply had to put that restriction in there.

It wasn't necessarily a "make harder" switch, but it does require you to pay more attention to their locations.

[Keeper Decagon]

...some annoyance from feeling a little cheated about not being able to go on the offence against the big stations at the end.

I just wanted to say: the next map will show you why I didn't let you attack those stations at this point. :P

[ChaosMaster130]

Uhhh. Was the map win condition really just pick up the data pickup? as me and several other people seemed to have just rushed it and won.

[Keeper Decagon]

Uhhh. Was the map win condition really just pick up the data pickup? as me and several other people seemed to have just rushed it and won.

Yes, that is indeed the win condition. Was kinda hoping people wouldn't just rush for it. Even put struc there to try and prevent it, because I think it ruins the map. But I guess some people insist on circumventing an entire map if the opportunity arises. :/

[Exodus Legate]

To be fair, I played it properly first.

[CyberDyneSystems]

I really loved the challenge and love maps with big ships to fight.

Keeping my ships safe from Mk7 fire has just become part of the strategy. Didn't realize it was just a packet for the win condition so played the long game edging forward taking ground bit by bit. Didn't get the packet until that entire front row of ships with the Varros was destroyed.

Then when I won, instead of playing a second time for speed rushing the packet, I did the opposite. I put my heavy hitting custom fleet in there, avoided the packet and tried to take on your back row of Mega/Capital/Titan Ships. Using saved game, I tried two different strategies at the end,. and failed both times! I almost had the left most carrier capital ship out, but the damn thing was rebuilding itself faster than my portable energy supply could keep the fleet firing.

Maybe with some seriously tough dedicated ramming vessels I could have done it,.. hmm.. Might give it another go some time, but for now, I am faced with a rare (unique?) defeat of my custom fleet!

[toolforger]

A bust because a single stray shot killed your HQ, just because you didn't want to do the detail bookkeeping of always keep something in front of your HQs? On THREE DIFFERENT HQs, so a single mistake means you lose, even though it's already not too easy? With ships that are so large that you needs several seconds of 100% concentration just to place them?

Nope.
Nope. Nope. Nope.

And not understanding the complaint does not somehow make it invalid.