Winter 2009 - Map Making Contest! UPDATED

[AzureAvenger]

Sometimes you have to cross the ruins and leave back your lair in order to find something beutiful. And when you reach it, you find a mirror of your ugliness trying to take it from you...
Can you step into the void, ready to sacrifice yourself, in order to crack your mirror?

This map is for 1 versus 1 games. Both sides start at a desert in which are scattered holes of void unpassable black. There are some villages and oases near the keeps. At the middle of the map you can find the only two forests and one mountain, along with four castles and some rivers. And no houses.

Elves can play even without forests, as they can recruit healers and woses that regenerate. They can also recruit some mermans that - if they reach the center - can be quite useful. The two forests are in critical central positions, so they can use them.
Humans can use heavy cavalry in order to clear the narrow paths and fencers to go past them. They can also get some mermans and 2nd level healers, if lucky.
Dwarves can play a bit better, as they can climb sand hills quickly, but they have low defences at middle and cant heal themselves quickly, so they can hold their positions.
Orcs can use poisoners quite efficiently but they still have no healers.
Dragons are a bit overpowered as they can heal themselves, but they still have low defences at middle.
Zombies are fast moving and can use submerge to surprise opponents, but they lack healers.
The last two may be a bit overpowered, but not quite sure: loyalists can kill zombies for example.

The game can last quite a long, and defend-attack circles may be often. You have to pick your units quite early, as the desert slows your movement, something chalenging that makes scouts really usefull. The low starting gold (50g) can keep the rounds going at the beginning, and not much thought is needed untill you reach middle, so it should go quickly. The replay lasted 15 rounds but only because zombie leader decided to send his leader attack. A test play online lasted about 30 rounds, and about 30 minutes. A clock would help, but i dont know how to put it in there (this is my first map).

Well, thats all, hoped I didnt talk too much. Here's a screenshot and the map.

(did i catch the deadline ? )

[Doc Paterson]

The game can last quite a long, and defend-attack circles may be often. You have to pick your units quite early, as the desert slows your movement, something chalenging that makes scouts really usefull. The low starting gold (50g) can keep the rounds going at the beginning, and not much thought is needed untill you reach middle, so it should go quickly. The replay lasted 15 rounds but only because zombie leader decided to send his leader attack. A test play online lasted about 30 rounds, and about 30 minutes. A clock would help, but i dont know how to put it in there (this is my first map).

Well, thats all, hoped I didnt talk too much. Here's a screenshot and the map.


(did i catch the deadline ? )

Because I love the spirit of this map so much, I want to give you a heads-up:

When it came time to judge, I'd probably rate this-

1) Creativity/Originality: 9

2) Balance: 3

3) Appearance: 8 or 9

4) Fun factor: 3 or 4 (Because infinite choke-points are not too fun.)

I'd suggest you do a little reading up on map balance, and get some revisions in as quickly as you can. This map is one of the most distinct I've seen entered, but as it is, it probably wouldn't advance to the next round. Either way, best of luck to you.

[Hellrider]

I updated my map with some fixes right before the contest's deadline.
Make sure to get the latest version on page 2.

[AzureAvenger]

I'm working on it, thanks...
...

Now you also have the choice to retreat into your misery...or let the opponent use it against you.

Hope it is better...I tried to correct the balance issues, but i think i distorted the appearance a bit. And the map is a bit larger, so you have to start with 75 gold. These are not enough to cover all the possible paths though, so the map should be more playable...
I didnt have time to really play it, just an AI quick match.

(I blame you for staying awake late this night Is it still in time ? )

[Aethaeryn]

Okay, here's the two maps I'm submitting, both compatible with the latest 1.8 beta:

Fortress Assault (3v1)
The whole point is uneven teams on a wide front where each attacker has different challenges and terrain to overcome. This is one of my first MP maps, and I playtested it exhaustively in late 1.3 and early 1.4 days of Wesnoth, balancing via trial-and-error. A replay for Wesnoth 1.7.9 is included. The upper left village is a "Gold Mine" which provides 50 bonus gold at the start of turn 10, 20, 30, etc., to whoever owns the mine. This both makes it harder for the defender to turtle and a bit easier for the defender to stay in the fight. (It's labeled with WML and explained in the objectives). The attackers each start with 100 gold and no villages while the defender starts with 200 gold and all the villages north of the river, which tends to even out the starting gold amount.

Twin Rivers (1v1)
This map is more traditional, both in the type of combat and my methods of balancing. I took inspiration from several mainline maps, including Hamlets. The point is a three front battle, and snow and mushroom is added to account for a possible Drake advantage. I am going to get a replay on 1.7.9 and upload it tomorrow, but I wanted to submit the map tonight. The goal of the map is to be different than the average 1v1, but still be close enough to the mainline style.

[ezysquire]

Azgart's Fall on page 6 of this thread has been through another change today. It has evolved markedly from when the initial version was uploaded. It remains a 4p FFA but now involves a new feature aimed at speeding up the game. It is likely to evolve further in the near future - but the current version will suffice for the 1 December deadline. See the post on page 6, including new map jpeg and the current version of the map file - plus brief discussion on the new changes - including the powerplay achieved by executing a leader kill.

[sidzej]

Delfador's Astral Sphere

Map description:

You have been traped in the 538 years old Astral Sphere as a penalty for your awful behaviour at the Princess wedding ceremony. However, You were not the only one that wasn't politically correct during this ceremony. Generous King decided that the strongest out of the banished will be sent back to The Real World and will receive an invitation to The Wedding Afterparty, while the others will die in the Astral Sphere as an examples of "dura lex sed lex" rule. Are you strong enough to win this Psychedelic 3 players FFA game? Watch out The Windmill - it may hypnotize You!

Gameplay comment

This is an 3 player FFA map. Map is 100% simetrical with each player having 7 villages in his/her territory. Main combat occurs in the tunels, while controling the passages allows to threat both enemy villages and being able to transport own units inside and outside of the tunel. In sense of gameplay this map is more like two separated 1 vs 1 becouse of inexistence of the center. Far spaces between the other oponents makes reading behind fog very difficult and provides the unknown factor of overall politicall situation. Both tunels villages are 8 hex from the recruit keep and one of them is without suport village to heal wounded units - it was made to enable easier atacks on that one, while making damaging enemy units every turn and softening the defence an efective strategy agains defenders, even with very tight space. As tested couple of times (map is around 1 year old, althrough it was modificated during this period) is generally balanced. The only faction that is propably unbalanced here are dwoorfs, becouse of ulfs, guards and birds witch works mega great in tunels and provides high mobility. If you are pushed by both players you always can play very defensivly with leaving the center and hoping for some counteratack and counting on that the other players will focus they powers on they border aoviding loosing units in atacks on your high defence remainings of the army.

3p - Delfador's Astral Sphere

Delfador's_-_tekelili_vs_souls_steven_vs_sidzej.gz

Replay 2

(77.37 KiB) Downloaded 382 times

Delfador's_-_gogus_vs_hogar_vs_sidzej.gz

Replay 1

(25.68 KiB) Downloaded 380 times

Delfador's Astral Sphere.rar

Map

(1.77 KiB) Downloaded 356 times

[Aethaeryn]

Here's a Twin Rivers replay from last night that I was too tired to post. (I don't have time to check to make sure this is the whole game, but it should be. It is probably on the server archives too.) I'll try to get a few more replays in since this (by chance) wound up as a mirror match.

[tsr]

Ok, just to make sure.

The version of "Two is a crowd" present in this thread is not the latest and greatest. That is found in the map thread. I hope that is ok by the judges.

I have a fairly updated/changed version that I think addresses some issues, but I haven't had time to playtest it so I will just hope that this version makes it to the next round (unless the judges prefer an unplayed version...)

/tsr

[Yogibear]

Latest revision of the map, which accounts for the quick scout problem.

2p_Snake_River.zip

Snake River: Map, scenario and replay.

(34.41 KiB) Downloaded 437 times

[AzureAvenger]

The rounds went through and no progress was made...
So the dreamers filled the void with some "something" to walk on....and finish their eternal battle at least!

I had an online match that lasted 30 rounds and we couldnt say for sure who was the winner (well, i would probably loose first but nevermind ).
So, as everyone suggested, i made the corridors a bit wider. I am not sure i like the void as it looks right now, but i might correct it later...
As a balance issue, i report that drakes should be banned from this map!

The game should start with 50 gold and house income 1. Low experience factor should also help.

I think that's the final revision for now...thanks to all who had the patience to play the map and whoses the name i cant remember

I also submit the first version of this map with a quick fix, just in case.

[Velensk]

This is my map and associated cfg.

I had other replays but I accidentally deleted them. This one was provided by curtsy of krotop. I'll go hunting through the archieves for the other replays and edit them into the post later. They may be for different versions of the game or map but they should be viewable.

EDIT: got the replays. I won't guarantee the quality of play on any of them but they will give a general impression of how the map plays. A couple of them have somewhat surprising endings.

[F8 Binds...]

Are maps due by the end of tomorrow, or by the end of today? I happen to have a completed concept, but I lack the proper time to submit a replay as of today.

[TheMasterOfBattle]

still not December 1st my time, so here is my map. Unfortunately not much playtesting on it as I was extremely busy. So I only have one 1.6.x replay, the others are from 1.4.x

[AzureAvenger]

Really sorry about the lots of posts, but i had an idea to fix dragons and zombies balance....
I just and only removed some villages, made sure the leader could efficiently protect what he had and added some more water tiles.
(I also ficed the shape at the edges, so it looks better...still dont like the look of the cave, but we will see tomorrow if ill even try to fix it)
So, here is IntoTheVoid-afterlast. I also had a quick match with myself and posted the replay. I dont know how to write good cfgs, but now you should start with 100gold and +2 income as normal. Fox of war would be nice, so you can flank your opponent and take the swamp or cave fortress near them.

("by" december1 means "and" december1?)


...
Just discovered a nonsymmetry, so i fixed it. I also added a real replay, sorry for not remembering the other players name. It is a humans versus elves match, in which the flank factor shows itself. Finally, i corected the relevant cfg file, whick was outdated.


Forgot to tell that 50% experience factor seems to play good, but dont know how to put it in there...

(Let's see, 4 posts and 2 edits for one map.... ... and i still dont like the caves!)

....

Another EDIT:
(didn't want to break the page 8 tradition )
And as the windmills whirled, the dreamers found out they could settle some houses at their new found paradise...
Added some villages at middle for motivation. Also added some dirt paths, so evry faction can reach middle in time. Some decorations here and there, and that's all... Ah, and experience factor should now be normal: 70%
Many thanks to Enqirehu and Dauntless!!!

End Of EDIT....

Hope i didn't tire you

Another EDIT
I am aware of the first player "gets the villages" issue, thats one of the reasons i didnt put any at the first place... I cant fix it right now though (i still have some ideas, just cant wesnoth all the day)...maybe later, but not before december 2nd
Just to be typical, i post a replay of the last revision. Its the "Orcs vs Elves replay" file.
End of Another EDIT