Statdtschutt

Feedback for Stadtschutt

ROUND #1 REVIEW
GOOD:
1. I like the resource layout. Forces a decision early game, go for both fuels or get the munitions and one fuel. You can decide to starve them of fuel or out tech them later. I think this gives each faction some early game choices.

BAD:
1. This map has too many wide open areas. This can be fixed by the next round. Add some more destroyed buildings or hedgerows to break up the many open areas.
2. The cutoffs may be hard to contest since one of them is so close to the enemy base. This could be another map where more central located cutoffs could reward play in the middle. Which would create a more 2v2 feel as opposed to running to the corners for fuel which creates a 1v1 feel.
3. Some of the roads are too deep. They look more like ditches. This will lead to units shooting the ground a lot. Level up the ground a little so units can effectively engage each other. In some cases this appears intentional, to create a firing lane. Maybe keep it between buildings etc.
4. Base defenses could be better. Base buildings can be attacked without bunkers returning fire.

POSSIBLE CHANGES:
1. Could add some small buildings in the center so if you decide to go mid and get the munitions you can hold them longer. It will force teams to fight all three fronts early game. This will show which team has better micro.
2. As stated above, this map could really use some more sight blocking. That is the major flaw of this map. It is way too open.
3. I like the idea of two cutoff points. This map could benefit from only having one cutoff up the middle. However, "close the pocket" is always a possibility in team games. I would stay with two but move them to be easier to contest.

SCORE:
7/10 - I really like many of the choices of this map. The resource locations, the red cover around the outer VPs, etc. Choices that are play related. However, the map needs a little work yet to be high level. I would rate it a 6/10 but the intelligent play choices make it a 7, soon to be 9 I hope.

Since the final version shown in the Contest Cup, I've made a number of visual improvements and fixed an assortment of bugs.

All the pre-existing craters should have no blocks of impasse. Readjusting the terrain heightmap to eliminate the road ditches screwed things up. I think I have gotten them all now.

Fixed/improved a number of objects in odd positions from adjusting heightmap and removing deform splines previously. (These are the hardest to find...)

I made some non-gameplay adjustments to territory sectors. They now include the flanking pathways that exist on the edges of the map.

Moved the map entry points on the road outside each base so that they are in their respective base sectors. I realized if the that point was captured by an enemy, they could call in units directly in front of the base. Which is cool and all, but not for this map.

Removed the last deform spline I could find.

Added an invisible wall of movement-sight-shot blockers on front section of the base sector borders. Artillery shells clip and hit the buildings in scatter more often on the north side, so I added some invisible walls so that the south sector's forest grove couldn't be fired through by long range/indirect units. Units can still fire over it, but it's much more equalized now.

Nudged some of the starting base points and base MGs around a little bit.

Removed some of the heavy crush objects on the left and top side areas to match distribution with the right and bottom.

Added a few more fire effects on ruined buildings to better indicate that they aren't garrison worthy.

I'll continue to update as I have time this week. And feedback that can be given will be given high priority as I can only waste so much time idling in custom match, and the AI doesn't show me how the map actually plays for people.

Show Spoiler

Thanks so much! It's an honor to have a map incorporated into the map pool and I want to do what I can to deliver the best possible product.

Does anyone have a link to the broadcast of the Map Contest Cup? Stadtschutt was the first map played and I haven't been able to find any replays on the map, so (re)watching that stream would be quite useful.

The videos were on Duke Jasons Twitch stream. There are a few listed not sure why.

The videos were on Duke Jasons Twitch stream. There are a few listed not sure why.

Thanks! So far that's the best I've got.

Thanks! So far that's the best I've got.

It starts at around 19 minutes in.

Final version submitted.

Let the hate commence.

Show Spoiler

This map is going to be pure arty cancer every single mid- to lategame. Same as all the other maps that have this layout. (especially Hamlet).

The map is good but why make the bases so close to each other?

This map is going to be pure arty cancer every single mid- to lategame. Same as all the other maps that have this layout. (especially Hamlet).

The map is good but why make the bases so close to each other?

This was a decision I struggled with throughout the development of the map. At first the bases were in the far corners, but this made the map feel absolutely huge. Furthermore it skewed the balance between factions with FRPs and those without.

Because I had focused on the map being so wide, I kept having to move the bases closer towards the center to strike as best a balance as I could.

The final version does have an invisible shotblocking wall in the bases perimeter through the south base's forest grove and top base's building row. This was mostly to balance how the buildings in the north already absorb a great deal of rocket artillery and onmap artillery shells. The trees could be easily shot through. It is my hope that this might sufficiently reduce the effectiveness of that artillery spam on base sectors.

I did make a conscious effort to provide strong (and sneaky) flanking opportunities to reduce the safety of artillery units as much as possible to counteract this problem as well. In my opinion this is the largest factor that validates the bases being so close together. It's only cancer if you can't even get to those artillery units.

I appreciate the concern, though. I tried to address as much as possible with the (lack of) feedback I received through the course of development and the contest. I hope it holds up.

This was a decision I struggled with throughout the development of the map. At first the bases were in the far corners, but this made the map feel absolutely huge. Furthermore it skewed the balance between factions with FRPs and those without.

Because I had focused on the map being so wide, I kept having to move the bases closer towards the center to strike as best a balance as I could.

The final version does have an invisible shotblocking wall in the bases perimeter through the south base's forest grove and top base's building row. This was mostly to balance how the buildings in the north already absorb a great deal of rocket artillery and onmap artillery shells. The trees could be easily shot through. It is my hope that this might sufficiently reduce the effectiveness of that artillery spam on base sectors.

I did make a conscious effort to provide strong (and sneaky) flanking opportunities to reduce the safety of artillery units as much as possible to counteract this problem as well. In my opinion this is the largest factor that validates the bases being so close together. It's only cancer if you can't even get to those artillery units.

I appreciate the concern, though. I tried to address as much as possible with the (lack of) feedback I received through the course of development and the contest. I hope it holds up.

I hope it wont be that bad then. I like the map by the way, it plays very well.