Archi Maps - Psy-Land Series

[Archivian]

Hi everyone, I've been making some 1v1 melee maps for a few weeks now and i've kind of been doing them as a series. Each series with a different theme, so i figured I would let you all know about it. This one has gone a bit fantasy.

If you like what you see, please comment/rate. Suggestions from those who try it are also very welcome.

If you wanna see all the maps currently on EU Bnet, just type **Archi -** into the Bnet map search.
Enjoy!!!

Pictures are taken (screenshot) in the editor - so would look nicer ingame if i could get those angles.

(NEW) Archi - Plateau (not yet up for download) (Available to play On EU Bnet): Download
(This picture is 2 SC2editor screenshots merged, no other editing done)

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These next maps are top 3 places out of 2198 on Nibbits. (at time of posting)

Archi - Highlands (also on EU Bnet) : Download

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Archi - Sacred Step (Also on EU Bnet) Download

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Archi - Psy-Land (also on EU Bnet)[b/] : Download

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[Siretu]

I'd suggest you add a picture to every map that is top view so you can view the entire map instead of the specific angle of your choice. Even though all your maps look beautiful, I'd also like to see how they look strategically.

 

[Archivian]

I'd suggest you add a picture to every map that is top view so you can view the entire map instead of the specific angle of your choice. Even though all your maps look beautiful, I'd also like to see how they look strategically.

Done

 

[Monsterous]

I have a question for your first map, using the wonders of paint!
Im hope im disproven, as it looks like a wonderful map.

Question: It appears to terran friendly for me. Of course i haven't played the map so i could be wrong, or you've tested it yourself so im definitely wrong, but i feel that siege tanks would be too strong.

Spoiler: Siege Tank Affected Areas

Red Areas are possible areas could attack from without being under threat greatly from ground forces due to the distance required to reach it.

The yellow area in the middle might cover too much ground for the siege tank. Its like the Kulas Ravine watchtowers. It covers a great distance, and might be able to reach the backdoor rocks for defense. It covers both ramps so it cant really be attacked. Yes, air can be used, but the siege tanks will be defended against that. Also add in the vision from the watchtower, and its a permanent fortifcation unless routed out.

For the Red Areas, i could possibly be wrong as again i have not tested or played the map as it is cannot be downloaded. The yellow area i might be exaggerating for the same reasons, but it still looks like too good a fortification.

I cant think of any units that may be unbalanced. Reapers look fine, having a good attack area at the corners and multiple ledges to get away to. Zergling flanks also look good, and theres places sentries can be devastating. Looks like an excellent map, love the terrain and doodads.

 

[Archivian]

I have a question for your first map, using the wonders of paint!
Im hope im disproven, as it looks like a wonderful map.

Question: It appears to terran friendly for me. Of course i haven't played the map so i could be wrong, or you've tested it yourself so im definitely wrong, but i feel that siege tanks would be too strong.

Spoiler: Siege Tank Affected Areas

Red Areas are possible areas could attack from without being under threat greatly from ground forces due to the distance required to reach it.

The yellow area in the middle might cover too much ground for the siege tank. Its like the Kulas Ravine watchtowers. It covers a great distance, and might be able to reach the backdoor rocks for defense. It covers both ramps so it cant really be attacked. Yes, air can be used, but the siege tanks will be defended against that. Also add in the vision from the watchtower, and its a permanent fortifcation unless routed out.

For the Red Areas, i could possibly be wrong as again i have not tested or played the map as it is cannot be downloaded. The yellow area i might be exaggerating for the same reasons, but it still looks like too good a fortification.

I cant think of any units that may be unbalanced. Reapers look fine, having a good attack area at the corners and multiple ledges to get away to. Zergling flanks also look good, and theres places sentries can be devastating. Looks like an excellent map, love the terrain and doodads.

I'll go through your post point by point just to make sure i hit all the marks.

Siege tanks in the red areas.

9 and 3 o'clock (Natural) - This is the biggest point of contentionwhich i actually chose to leave in after a bit of testing coz it actually made for some good defensive and offensive stratagey in placement and terrain and some nice micro fights.

Siege Tanks can be pretty harsh in that spot. Also at the top of the ledge, 1 or 2 tanks can just see the mineral line but their angle of vision is seriously cut off. So anymore than 2 or 3 tanks is pointless.
See pic:

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With Vision The tanks can see about half the mineral line making them pretty mean. But that vision has to be spotted and if the spotter is an air unit, a simple air defence like a couple of turrets (which could likely be at the back of a mineral line for other reasons) can defend against it.

(Spoting with Air unit)

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Stalkers or marines can also defend the back of the line, and hit across the sweet spot. (assuming the tanks are kinda close to maximize that position)

Really the battle is over the ledge. Who ever has that controls the vision, and considereing the defender starts pretty much next to it, they have a long time to get a spotter of some kind there.

I should add that even if the tanks lined up against the ledge, Had a spotter on the ledge, and an air spotter, all that will allow them to do is shoot maybe up to 30% of mineral line. The cant push foward coz there is a cliff in the way, they would have to go back round to the front again. Nor can they cover the troops doing a main push to any great effect, unless they can take the ledge and get tanks up there. They are also bottled in there, defenders ground troops can easily cut them off from any ground route.

Thats alot of investment to do against someone who starts with it next to them and can put a reaper/stalker/overlord on the ledge and have the advantage.

Every other mineral line is safe from siege with the occasional one where the Gas can just about get hit. But even then its not too hard to get too them.

Yellow bits:
That area is quite big actually. The 11 o'clock XNT covers most of the distance to the 11 o'clock ramp (but cant see the ramp). If a siege tank where next to the XNT it would cover about 1/2 the distance.

On the Assumption someone does build enough stuff to hold and cover all of the middle and you cant get through. There is still the back door to the main that you can go for. Also, on the outskirts of the map there are long grass sections, So tactics will be a little different out there.

 

[Monsterous]

Ah, fair does - glad that there not as bad as i first thought ^^
Of course, for terran on that ledge, they could always scan dealing some good damage in a small period - but then thats kind of a tradeoff i guess with the MULE not used.

Thanks for the feedback to my feedback

 

[SerraAvenger]

A few things that jumped to my mind, I hope I wasn't jumping to conclusions. Before I start though, I'm not a pro player, so anything I say may be complete rubbish.

For plateau, how long is the distance between the two bases? It kinda seems to me as if early cheese could be very powerful on that map.

As for the highlands, I think you should move the rocks to the center of the golden minerals.

What are the rocks in Psy-Land there for? I'm not a pro or anything, but they do look pretty redundant. I'd probably turn them to cross the big gap in the middle from south west to north east, or completely remove them. All they seem to do right now is allow an additional ramp for tanks to destroy the golden mineral workers.

Most of your maps seem to have many chokepoints.

You also have a typo: The \b in the title of Psy-Land became a b\.

Last but not least, I find some of these maps are graphically overloaded while others are somewhat lacking distinguishing features. You could try to play more with textures, and you could make the doodads more diverse and place them strategically as decoration at areas that look empty right now.

 

[PrisonLove]

What doodad did you use for those huge Xel'Naga Cliff claws? Ive been looking for those to use in my map, but can't find them.

 

[Dave312]

What doodad did you use for those huge Xel'Naga Cliff claws? Ive been looking for those to use in my map, but can't find them.

It is a Doodad call Xel'Naga Hull Girder (both the front and back varieties). It is located under the Environment folder.