Multiplayer map - Lushlands (2 v 2)

[Frontliner_NL]

Hello,

I've designed this 2 vs 2 map for Wesnoth and played it online several times and it was relatively well received. I used to be a map editor for starcraft and I was a well known mapper. Now that I'm rediscovering Wesnoth I want to be a mapper for Wesnoth too. Perhaps even on a development level. I understand that maps require insight regarding balance and certain exploits.

I would like to know what you (wesnoth public) think of my map and what you think should/could be improved. I thank you in advance for your judgement.

A screen of my map. V 1.0



ver 1.1 (made sure no villages were next to mountains and hills).



ver 1.2 (centre area is now accessible to land units, swamp areas changed, land between allies changed).



ver 1.3 Reduced main castle size and made trees near water tropical).



ver 1.4 (Removed forests to clear more tiles for movement and open groun combat, added some hills in that trade off. Removed some villages and reduced main and
center castle sizes, removed the wooden fort and elven fort completely).



ver 1.5 Added 2 villages near centre squares, added two desert villages near sandy river banks. changed layout a little. Tried to make it look more appealing.




Thanks for reading this. Please tell me what you think needs change in order to make map better.
Frontliner

[Baufo]

Well... it looks better then a lot of first tries I have seen so far

Is the map 1 + 4 vs 2 + 3 or 1 + 3 vs 2 + 4?

Some quick thoughts: one of the simplest rules for map design is not to put mountains next to villages which you did a lot. Also the center area with the water villages surrounded by deep water look like potential balancement flaws, however I cannot really say anything about that without actually playing the map.

Btw, there is a sticky in this very forum with lots of good advice on map making.

Edit: to share the map just rename it to whatever extension is allowed, for example, as far as I know, txt.

[woodmouse]

Hmm... I think there's one unfair thing: The villages in the middle. If you have mermen, you can get them. If you don't, you cant. I know, I'm not good at making maps, but I think that's not a good thing. Anyway, I think it's super cool!

EDIT: Oh, Baufo mentioned that before me....

[Frontliner_NL]

*concentrated updates to first post*

[woodmouse]

It's still not possible to go to the water villages in the center...

[Frontliner_NL]

Haha, I read that after I posted new version xD.

Will change asap... thx

[Baufo]

It's still not possible to go to the water villages in the center...

Not quite. Flyers can also reach them too (gryphs for knalga, drakes and ghosts/bats for undead). However one possible problem I see with it is for example that drakes will have a hard time holding the villages.

Btw, you don't have to do absolutly everthing you are suggested here, it's your map after all

[Rex Umbrarum]

The starting castles are humungous! I'm not sure anyone would ever use that much room without a giant amount of starting gold.

[Crushmaster]

The starting castles are humungous! I'm not sure anyone would ever use that much room without a giant amount of starting gold.

I have to agree with Rex here. I do think your map looks pretty cool, though, especially with how symmetrical it is.
God bless,
Crushmaster.

[Frontliner_NL]

*concentrated updates to first post*

[Baufo]

Hmm, center area looks better now.

[Frontliner_NL]

Thank you for all kind words, tips and suggestions and worry not, I know I don't have to do everything you guys tell me to do because it's my map. I appreciate your comments because you as beholder see things that I as author overlook.

THanks again. Tomorrow after work I will rework the main castles because they are indeed huge... They can definately be optimized.

Thanks again and see you later.

If anything else comes in to mind, please share!

[Jozrael]

Most of the original comments I had upon looking at this have been fixed, and the only other glaring one to me is the castle size, which you just mentioned. So on to other matters.

What name did you use in StarCraft as ur MM alias, and what maps did you make? I made maps too, I made some of the original Heaven's Last Stant and the vSky branch of HLS, as well as anonymous balancing edits to a couple handfuls of other maps.

[Frontliner_NL]

Hi there,

I've made 1 succesfull starcraft melee map named "cold snap" click the link for an image!

http://www.panschk.de/mappage/comments. ... cbdfdf5ed8

And I've made numerous well played 'use map settings' maps, starcraft frenzy, kerrigan clones, swords and arrows, larva defence, Larva Wars, lurker assault, starship troopers hunt for the brain bug, enter the hydra RPG, and a very cool map was Blind Marine RPG, click link for video of that map, very dark atmosphere;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EF_gdCU5uW0

[Baufo]

Well, it's quite hard to judge a map's balancement without having played it but here are some more thoughts:

- It seems there is quite a lot of forest in some areas of the map, especially compared to hills.
- I guess the first moving team will be able to get both center villages, that's bad.
- Also you should test how factions with swimmers perform against factions without swimmers.

Generally spoken it is a good idea to test how Knalga (the slowest) and Drakes (the fastest faction) perform.