Custom Map: First Encounters Part 2

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This topic is for discussion of map: First Encounters Part 2


Author: Ebon_Heart

Desc:
The second part of my First Encounters series, sorry it's taken so long. But it's done! The hard part of this map isn't really in staying alive so much as keeping others alive. Good luck, I hope you can survive the Styglek's tests.

[Ebon Heart]

Alright, one note. This isn't a straight up creeper fighting map. If that's what you're looking for, look somewhere else. This is more a puzzle map than anything else. It's easy to stay alive , easy to advance, but hard to win. Good luck. See if you can figure out the solution.

[DethbyIT]

Fun stuff - definitely makes you think.
Thanks for putting it together and I'll watch for the next one.
dbit

[Ebon Heart]

Fun stuff - definitely makes you think.
Thanks for putting it together and I'll watch for the next one.
dbit

Thanks Dbit, for a while, I've been trying to break the pattern of constant creeper fighting, I try to offer something differnt. Sometimes I succeed, sometimes I fail epicly. Also, I've found this one's a fun one to try to improve your score on. If you do it right, you can remove the terrain around 3 pods at once.

[DethbyIT]

If you do it right, you can remove the terrain around 3 pods at once.

Hmmm...
Now you're making me think about it some more.
I was doing a little bit of moving around to clear up room, but might just have to go back in there and give it another shot.

[Ebon Heart]

If you do it right, you can remove the terrain around 3 pods at once.

Hmmm...
Now you're making me think about it some more.
I was doing a little bit of moving around to clear up room, but might just have to go back in there and give it another shot.

Spoiler

only click this if you're sure you want it spoiled.

Spoiler

you can remove the walls around one, then move the city into the empty space with one blaster, and let the creeper flood the other areas... Just make sure you're well prepared to clean up the mess quickly.

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[DethbyIT]

Right - that was how I got the 22 minute time.
I did something a little differently this round and it worked out pretty well.

Fun stuff!
dbit

[Ebon Heart]

Right - that was how I got the 22 minute time.
I did something a little differently this round and it worked out pretty well.

Fun stuff!
dbit

Dang, now I need to figure out how to get my time down...

EDIT:Dangit, through a very tedious strategy, I got 3 of the survival pods, and lost the last one at 8 minutes exactly... seconds before my blasters were going to get there. :( I'll get it.

[Jay the Juggernaut]

I'm not a fan of puzzles, although your attempt to not conform (for lack of better words) inspires me. :)

[Ebon Heart]

I'm not a fan of puzzles, although your attempt to not conform (for lack of better words) inspires me. :)

Thanks! XD And I don't really make puzzle maps, so much as maps that require slightly different strategies from the straight up creeper fighting custom maps with some random terrain that's become the norm. That's what chronom is for. This is a real puzzle map. http://knucklecracker.com/creeperworld/mapcomments.php?id=4265&page= That and the temple of molach. (Couldn't find a link for that one.)

[CatoSterling]

Shameless plug, another pure puzzle map is this one http://knucklecracker.com/creeperworld/mapcomments.php?id=4347&page=

Out of 100+ downloads, only 1 person (besides the author, me) has posted a score.  I don't think it is all that difficult; I believe it is because most players expect a "blast and conquer" type map, instead of a puzzle map.

[Ebon Heart]

Shameless plug, another pure puzzle map is this one http://knucklecracker.com/creeperworld/mapcomments.php?id=4347&page=

Out of 100+ downloads, only 1 person (besides the author, me) has posted a score.  I don't think it is all that difficult; I believe it is because most players expect a "blast and conquer" type map, instead of a puzzle map.

I know, I don't think a lot of players now adage can get their minds around much more than leapfrogging blasters.

[CatoSterling]

The more that I have played, the more useful techniques I have learned.  For the first couple of maps, I didn't realize that Blasters and SAMs could be moved, so I wasted time building dozens and dozens of redundant weapons!   :P

I am amazed at the creativity and cleverness of mapmakers.  There always seems to be more to learn -- efficient collector coverage, energy management (e.g. parsimonious use of weapons), movable Odin City, blaster-vs-mortar, technology upgrades, terrain features (plains, hills, volcanoes, walls, lakes, ridges, channels, etc), walking Blaster barrages, fast building, cycling drones, tight spaces (reactors), spanning terrain (relays), extended networks (speed), fighting uphill, un-cappable emitters, time-delayed emitters, synchronized emitters, hidden emitters, invisible (off-map) emitters, sacrificial units, delayed/missing technology, energy banking, greedy collectors totems, invisible terrain, invisible creeper, creative destruction, porous Crazonium walls, Odin City flying, SAM spoofing, packet switching, Crazonium bridging, alternate Map Editor, etc.

My map times are just middle-of-the-road, so I clearly have more to learn.

[Ebon Heart]

greedy collectors....

What are greedy collectors??

[mthw2vc]

Lying backgrounds, DES Tactic, friendly spores/emitters, looparound damage, damage through walls, local time limits, one-way shortcuts, cyclic backtracking, dynamic time limits, midmission objectives, multitask, unusable thor, unlockable areas, mortarless zones, out-of-bounds pathways, focused fire, controlled creeper, just to name a few more for CW1 alone...