Custom Map #567: Stairway to Heaven

AutoPost · December 15, 2011, 07:01:02 PM

This topic is for discussion of map #567: Stairway to Heaven

Author: SmileyCoder

Desc:
A map with alot of random action, a small story and running for your life!

North Korean · December 15, 2011, 08:40:35 PM

Is it too early to ask for a hint to get rid of Anti creeper at bot?

Zaggy · December 15, 2011, 10:19:59 PM

This one's fun. I'm a little disturbed by the thumbs up / thumbs down ratio (3/9 right now). Are people giving this map a thumbs-down because they couldn't figure it out?

The story element is definitely unique, and there's a challenge in figuring out the optimal time to make your move. It probably seems impossible at first glance (titan emitters with no experimentals), but the story gives you some big hints. It's a little luck-based where the big drones decide to attack, since it's practically impossible to kill it before it wrecks one of the caves.

Thumbs-up from me. I'll try this one again.

SmileyCoder · December 16, 2011, 12:53:31 AM

I will return in a day with some more direct hints, but I will say that if you pay attention to the story you should know all you need to know!

fitz · December 16, 2011, 04:48:00 AM

Brilliant map and different. Thanks

Henrik · December 16, 2011, 05:40:55 AM

Brilliant map I enjoyed playing very much. First time I tried it seemed impossible, but the creator of the map was clever and I figured out the strategy.

Quote from: North Korean on December 15, 2011, 08:40:35 PM
Is it too early to ask for a hint to get rid of Anti creeper at bot?

Spoiler

There are safehavens in this map, move the ship one by one to the top. Don't forget to build micro rifts, beacons and phantoms in each safehaven. And set the blasters on "fire at drones only", because they wont do any damage to the creeper anyway. Hence unnecessary to waste energy. At the top you'll find the tech to remove the anticreeper and let it out. After that it's a piece of cake

[close]

Kithros · December 16, 2011, 06:48:33 AM

Fun map, but I have a tendency to skip steps...

Spoiler

[close]

SmileyCoder · December 16, 2011, 07:03:12 AM

Quote from: Henrik on December 16, 2011, 05:40:55 AM
Brilliant map I enjoyed playing very much. First time I tried it seemed impossible, but the creator of the map was clever and I figured out the strategy.

Thank you!

I only have a small extra spoilers to add:
Letting out the bottom Anti-Creeper:

Spoiler

You need to Vacuum up the small bit of anti creeper that is in the small room with the gateway. This lets the gateway destroy the impassable rock. Do NOT dig the walls until the gateway has done its job. To vacuum up the AC you need to move to the top of the stair first to get to the Maker Tech

[close]

johnthetech · December 16, 2011, 10:58:08 AM

I figured out the secret at about 90 minutes in cuz I skipped a step. Too stubborn to restart (at least I had every tech maxed), I began the solution then. Which meant it took me over an hour after that point to finish once I released the creeper.

By the way, awesome map.

Relli · December 16, 2011, 04:44:09 PM

Loved the map. Took me a few tries to understand things, but I figured it out in the end. I suppose I got lucky with the big drones, as I had no trouble with them. The first one did aim for one of the bottom havens, though. So maybe that was it.

A mini tip for anyone who wants it:

Spoiler

When you claim a new spot, you can move the phantom coils from two bases down to the new one rather than making a ton more. The phantoms shouldn't make it past the top two havens.

[close]

SmileyCoder · December 16, 2011, 05:46:14 PM

Spoiler

I made sure that I had at least 2 beacons and 2 microrifts in each haven, so that if a big drone tore through, I could actually have the time to build a new beacon since the drone is moving so slow.

Its also quite possible to beat it even if you do loose a haven, though its fairly important to keep a haven close enough to the bottom, so that you can rift in the maker.[/Spolier]

[close]

MadMurphy · December 17, 2011, 04:11:22 PM

I think I went about this differently than how it is supposed to be played. I will create a video of my second play later today.

fitz · December 17, 2011, 04:53:00 PM

I have played this map several times now. I followed the story line and you can get to the clean up quite quickly. The key to me is how do you clean up quickly ( Kithros :o ). I suspect the answer is smart use of shields to manipulate the flow. However it is tough to get an optimum strategy without getting very high AC densities and creating creeper. Its a really great map, I don't remember being motivated to replay any map as much as with this one.

MadMurphy · December 17, 2011, 05:21:34 PM

I would think It would have to do with digging under those tough emitters instead of dealing with shields.

EDIT: Link to video

Kithros · December 17, 2011, 06:25:10 PM

Quote from: fitz on December 17, 2011, 04:53:00 PM
I have played this map several times now. I followed the story line and you can get to the clean up quite quickly. The key to me is how do you clean up quickly ( Kithros :o ). I suspect the answer is smart use of shields to manipulate the flow. However it is tough to get an optimum strategy without getting very high AC densities and creating creeper. Its a really great map, I don't remember being motivated to replay any map as much as with this one.

Well, using shields helps - truthfully, the main reason my time was so fast was that I got to the top really fast - I was at the top of the map in under 5 minutes, so the creeper densities everywhere except for that 200M just outside the anti-creeper emitters were pretty low still and didn't take too long to deal with. As such, I pretty much focused all of my energy into killing off that creeper with launchers and just let the anti-creeper on it's way to kill off everything else (though I did use some shields to push the anti-creeper towards the emitter near the top-right) - and of course, keep building reactors whenever possible.