Both could have optimized space more by re-using the same areas. They did not purely because they had no space. Most of the time I played TKoK over 50% of the map was empty anyway (they had more space than they could actually use).
I agree that it would be possible to remake Gaias Retaliation on a 256x256 map. However, this leaves almost zero expandability (inside the same map, at least).
However, this isn't the main issue for me.
The real deal-breaker is the lack of different terrain tiles. In Gaias, I used 12 "full" terrain tiles and another 20 that didn't need a lot of variation based on two multi-tiles.
This allowed me to put every possible biome I need into a single map:
Forests, cityscape tiles, multiple dungeon/building tiles, winter tiles, autumn/farmland tiles, swampland tiles.
In SC2, I would need to create a seperate map for every biome. And this heavily impacts the workflow. Plus, I feel that it destroys some immersion if everything is split up into multiple maps. I like the "all in one" feel of Gaias.
Needless to say, now that we will get medieval models in SC2, I'm interested to at least take a look into the editor again for the data editor alone. It would be cool to generate and replicate all the spells in the mighty data editor without any scripts involved at all. However, the steep learning curve and missing documentation is still a big turn-off for me.
Would be cool if someone was willing to assist me in my humble beginnings in the SC2 editor to recreate Gaias Retaliation in HD. But I can't promise I will stay for long. Really depends on how much fun I have in the editor.
The main issue I have with that idea is that even when the WC3 units get ported to SC2 by blizzard, we will still not have all the extra stuff that is needed to create a fantasy-styled RPG:
- missile and buff SFX models (Sorry, no arrows for you, archers!)
- no environmental models that fit a medieval setting (no medieval houses, wells, boxes, ships, etc. ... though at least this stuff can be imported or ported from WC3 [thanks to HQ resources in WC3 being popular, like sword & stone or B²m])
- a unit that serves as the basis for item attachments ... call be insane, but the villager model was the greatest thing blizzard ever added to WC3.