Custom Map #1180: Prison Break. By: Heritor

[AutoPost]

This topic is for discussion of map #1180: Prison Break


Author: Heritor
Size: 320x200

[WithersChat]

Just, go VERY fast to exit, otherwise the weapons become too strong for you...

[superbrias]

This may not have been *perfectly* executed, but god adding the cursor aspect to PAC is exactly whats its needed, CW3 had the totem-empowered "motivated flow" which allowed you to push rather then being perfectly at the mercy of the natural flow, the cursor aspect definitely needs some tweaking but as the first one where I have seen all these aspect combined I see all this + shaper making a VERY great "anti-'Creeper World'" level series, the normal PAC rules providing a creeper base to oppose the basic tools (main base, cannons, mortars, beamers/SAM, sprayers), the shaper to provide the special tools to shake things up (parallel to the forge/ERN/Rockets and even giving defense in some versions with egg spewing shapers), the cursor aspect to give direct control to the player rather than just placing things (as a sort of parallel to the mobility of a number of the "human" structures), and finally the Autopilot AI to make the "human"(enemy) not only a static defense and instead a "smart" reactive force (my favorite interaction is the nullifying of your structures if your front is pushed back past one of your structures)

[heritor]

This may not have been *perfectly* executed, but god adding the cursor aspect to PAC is exactly whats its needed, CW3 had the totem-empowered "motivated flow" which allowed you to push rather then being perfectly at the mercy of the natural flow, the cursor aspect definitely needs some tweaking but as the first one where I have seen all these aspect combined I see all this + shaper making a VERY great "anti-'Creeper World'" level series, the normal PAC rules providing a creeper base to oppose the basic tools (main base, cannons, mortars, beamers/SAM, sprayers), the shaper to provide the special tools to shake things up (parallel to the forge/ERN/Rockets and even giving defense in some versions with egg spewing shapers), the cursor aspect to give direct control to the player rather than just placing things (as a sort of parallel to the mobility of a number of the "human" structures), and finally the Autopilot AI to make the "human"(enemy) not only a static defense and instead a "smart" reactive force (my favorite interaction is the nullifying of your structures if your front is pushed back past one of your structures)

CW3's push is what motivated me to cobble this together - it's definitely not a polished product but I'm hoping this'll get other people's creative juices flowing around this type of idea.

[Shatterstep]

The cursor really helps PAC. Nicely done.

[Malignantmind]

More PAC maps like this, please. The cursor aspect makes a world of difference, especially when you're dealing with a mobile AI.

[Shatterstep]

To make things more strategic, it should have been possible to resource starve the AI. Energy, reddon, blueite, and greenar were all in the same place and nearly impossible to take out. There was also a resource cache for arg at the rift lab, which meant the sweepers couldn't be taken offline.

I think it would be way cooler if you could target specific resources to cripple weapons that are most annoying for you. Adds to replayability as well.

Attacking by air seemed rather pointless, but if I could have starved them for reddon, my crappy launchers would have been able to do at least something.

Anyway, again, fun map.

[svartmes]

What the others said;  adding the cursor was genious. It's easily my favorite CW4 PAC map so far.
I hope the cursor mechanic becomes the standard for future PAC maps.

[Karzon]

Unlike that previous autopilot one (where the erned units kept dodging everything I throw at them), I could do this one (and enjoyed it greatly).  Yeah, the cursor works well in a lot of ways, but to me the best part was being able to make sure new emitters get covered enough to activate.  They're so large that was a problem sometimes.

[ikkonoishi]

Could you tie cursor power to free ERNs? Having it with the normal map coverage = power makes it possible to just cursor push to the rift lab from the beginning almost.

[WithersChat]

Could you tie cursor power to free ERNs? Having it with the normal map coverage = power makes it possible to just cursor push to the rift lab from the beginning almost.

Turns out many people like this cursor... I guess I have to include it in my next map. But yeah, I'll tie it to free ERN power. (And maybe only while you have some specific thing selected?)

[fraterpotens]

Gosh I am obviously in the minority, but I find the cursor pretty annoying, I feel like I have to babysit it.
Could you make a placeable object (like the lure) with the cursor power? so you could fix it in place at a front while you go do something else?

[flamewolf393]

This map is impossible to even start. Theres no way to get past even the very first line of defences. Theres just way too many mortars and cannons, and with the shield walls in the way you cant get to the weapons to destroy them.

Ive beaten the cursor maps and the PAC maps, so I know what Im doing. This map cant even be started, 20 minutes in and I havent destroyed a single thing.

[heritor]

This map is impossible to even start. Theres no way to get past even the very first line of defences. Theres just way too many mortars and cannons, and with the shield walls in the way you cant get to the weapons to destroy them.

Ive beaten the cursor maps and the PAC maps, so I know what Im doing. This map cant even be started, 20 minutes in and I havent destroyed a single thing.

I've attached my playthrough - there's multiple ways to get past the first shield wall (aim a blob at the M-rift powering the bottom section, then keep attacking until they run out of ammo / use your cursor to get creeper to the breeder at the base of the wall and once that raises, cursor creep over the wall), and the second shield wall is easy if you charge up the inside between the two walls and destroy the mrift there too (and from there, it's a short jump to the mrift powering the defences stopping the emitter from breaking out)

It is fairly brutal at times though - it's common for a single slipup to cost you an extra 5-10 minutes easily.

[WithersChat]

This map is impossible to even start. Theres no way to get past even the very first line of defences. Theres just way too many mortars and cannons, and with the shield walls in the way you cant get to the weapons to destroy them.

Ive beaten the cursor maps and the PAC maps, so I know what Im doing. This map cant even be started, 20 minutes in and I havent destroyed a single thing.

use crimson, it's ridiculously powerful as long as there is no AC