Custom Map #6736: JUBILEE CSM-50. By: yum234

[yum-forum]

Where is the standard template (with the handy info panel in the top right)?

Also is it easy to determine how strong emitters are when they flip?

Detail of setting of map in editor at the core at the top/left corner.
Flip emitter and other unit setting available when you click on it in editor.
Additional information here:
https://knucklecracker.com/forums/index.php?topic=28617.0

[cornucanis]

Where is the standard template (with the handy info panel in the top right)?

Also is it easy to determine how strong emitters are when they flip?

This little unit in the upper-right corner of the screen will turn into the info panel:


To avoid a particular bug, the display will only trigger when you set it to trigger or when you finalize the map. If you don't do anything to it, the display should be visible in your finalized map. If you want to trigger it yourself when testing, however, double click on the unit to bring up its properties. In the properties, choose StargateDisplay.crpl then change SafeResize to 0:


After doing this the display should appear after you unpause the game. BIG warning though: If you're going to resize your map, do it before you ever unpause the game. Resizing should be the very first thing you do when loading up the template. If you resize after unpausing the game, the map will encounter a serious bug where you can't save, load, or exit the map. Due to this bug, make sure you always resize before unpausing your game when starting a new map.

For the flip emitters, you can change their emitter interval and amount prior to and after flipping individually. As with the stargate display, double click the flip emitter to bring up its properties:


Cinterval and Camt control the emitter interval and amount before being flipped. ACinterval and ACamt control the interval and amount after being flipped. Keep in mind that the ACamt will also be multiplied by any green towers you control though. I think yum usually sets the ACamt to be lower than the Camt on all flip emitters that aren't near the start of the map to help counter the influence of excessive green towers.

Finally, this forum post has some useful tips about working with the game mode in general, but I wrote it before the stargates were created so it may be a bit outdated. Most of it should still apply though  ;D

Nice to be at the top of the board but it won't be for long, I am not quick at these maps for some reason.

As yum mentioned, you're still at the top for now but I've also been finding it very difficult to keep up with the speeds some people can clock in on these maps. There was a bug with the mode up until yum had made around 10 CSM maps where you could essentially lower the emitter interval to all emitters to 1 frame by pausing the game and using frame step strategically, but I patched that up when it was pointed out to me. There may be some other exploit still possible, but I think some people just get insane with their terrain micromanagement and singularity usage.

[D0m0nik]

Thanks for the info. And yeah on times I think singularity is the key to a quick time. I don't use it if possible, I would rather restart and change strategy. The maps are puzzles and great fun without powering through.

[yum-forum]

All my 50 CSM maps was designed so that not needed to use singularity weapon. This is difference for instance in comparison with Iron John Logan CSM maps.

[cornucanis]

All my 50 CSM maps was designed so that not needed to use singularity weapon. This is difference for instance in comparison with Iron John Logan CSM maps.

Yeah, I try to beat all of your maps without using the singularity at all for that reason. I know you designed them where they can be completed without it so I try to work within those confines instead  :)

[lmorovan]

No wonder the first 24 best maps are creations of yum234. The overall master of genius.

[Altren]

First of all, I loved the new unit. Not too annoying or complex and it adds to a strategy some tricks.

All my 50 CSM maps was designed so that not needed to use singularity weapon. This is difference for instance in comparison with Iron John Logan CSM maps.

You should try to make at least a few maps that are supposed to "need singularity" (aka hardcore maps). So far I won all CSM maps without singularity and some required uncommon and interesting tricks like walls moving and collecting some AC amount before push.

[cornucanis]

No wonder the first 24 best maps are creations of yum234. The overall master of genius.

Very true! That's why I gave yum a new template with his own signature as well as one for kajacx who contributed several elements to the series as well. I never expected people to actually leave my signature in their finished maps, but if people are gonna do that I figured I should give them an option to leave yum's name too since this series would never be anywhere near as popular without yum's master mapmaking abilities. Anyone who's seen the maps I made with the mode knows they were nowhere near as well-received as yum's expertly crafted maps  ;D

[Loren Pechtel]

We've finally reached map #50! Thanks to everyone who has played the game mode and given us some great words of encouragement  ;D

I originally approached yum a few days ago and told him that since he's nearing map #50 I wanted to make a new script for him to celebrate the milestone. The script I proposed was for a new stargate boss fight but yum had a better idea, the stargate blocker! We may someday still see that boss I've envisioned, but for now this toy is much more versatile and can be used in a wider variety of maps  :)

Now let's talk about how it works... You start the map with several blockers. If you click one one, it will select it. Multi-select is not supported due to the nature of how the blockers move. After selecting a blocker, you'll see a red shadow appear under your mouse that will turn green when you mouse over an open stargate. Clicking the open stargate will send the blocker to the gate. When the blocker arrives, he will plug up the stargate and prevent it from interacting with the stargate network. Pretty simple overall, but it opens up the door for interesting new strategies.

There are a few drawbacks to the script though. The biggest one is that you can't interact with the blockers while paused. It's certainly not impossible to do with CRPL, it's something I can patch myself one day or someone else could patch if they were enterprising and wanted to improve the script. The problem is that it would be a little time consuming to make sure there are no major errors with the implementation since you'd essentially have to divide the script into a pause-friendly portion and a non pause-friendly portion. I've been working on game jams lately and have a new one starting today, so I only had a few days to knock out the script and wasn't able to fully make it support paused interaction.

Also note that there were a couple of improvements to the script I made as we tested map #50 that aren't yet reflected in the map because yum had already finalized the map before I made the changes. In future maps using the blockers, though, the highlighter ring will be much bigger and more noticeable because we found it was easy to "lose" your blockers if you forgot where you put them. In addition, there will probably be some blockers that move faster in future maps. I've made the highlighter ring spin faster or slower depending on the blocker's movement speed to give visual feedback on their speed.

Finally, I'll try to get the new finished template available on the forums within a few days. I have a few more tweaks I want to make, but in the worst case that I'm not able to get it to the forum (as with the last one, when you guys had to pass it around yourselves because I was absent) I've attached a temporary template that should have everything you need to use the blockers in your own map!

The blockers make your maps even more interesting.  However, they also make an existing problem more of an issue--I'm sure you have no problem telling the various gates apart but I've got some red-green issues and it's hard to tell some of them apart.  It would be a big help if you made the various gates more distinct.

[lmorovan]

What if a new unit is created and named "recharger"? Let me explain: when you turn an emitter into an anti-creep emitter, it starts wearing off in time and if not recharged, it will turn back into creeper emitter. The new unit, produced by the CC, can replenish or recharge the anti-creeper emitter back to it's original strength. Failure to do so will cause anti-emitters to turn back into creeper emitters and must be "conquered" again. This may cause a dynamic situation where every conquered emitter will have to be revisited and replenished constantly, causing a real head-ache to the player. Just a thought.

[cornucanis]

The blockers make your maps even more interesting.  However, they also make an existing problem more of an issue--I'm sure you have no problem telling the various gates apart but I've got some red-green issues and it's hard to tell some of them apart.  It would be a big help if you made the various gates more distinct.

Sorry, I know we haven't done a very good job of making this feature well known, but I actually implemented something to help with that a while back. Try pressing CTRL + R  :)

[yum-forum]

WOW! I forgot...  :-[

[Loren Pechtel]

The blockers make your maps even more interesting.  However, they also make an existing problem more of an issue--I'm sure you have no problem telling the various gates apart but I've got some red-green issues and it's hard to tell some of them apart.  It would be a big help if you made the various gates more distinct.

Sorry, I know we haven't done a very good job of making this feature well known, but I actually implemented something to help with that a while back. Try pressing CTRL + R  :)

Perfect.

[yum-forum]

In SB-2 I mentioned that this feature exist.  :)

[sept1973]

The blockers make your maps even more interesting.  However, they also make an existing problem more of an issue--I'm sure you have no problem telling the various gates apart but I've got some red-green issues and it's hard to tell some of them apart.  It would be a big help if you made the various gates more distinct.

Sorry, I know we haven't done a very good job of making this feature well known, but I actually implemented something to help with that a while back. Try pressing CTRL + R  :)

Thanks for this feature!  I have also had problems identifying which gates were parts of a group before, and this makes it so much easier.

I may have seen a small bug when using this feature with the new blockers, though.  Sometimes when moving a blocker off of a gate, the identifying symbol will not re-appear, and the center of the gate will turn white.  I'm not sure if this has something to do with saving and re-loading the game, but when I replay this map I'll try to pay more attention to see if it happens again.