Astranaar Outskirts

[WolfFarkas]

Reserved

 

[Remixer]

Review - Astranaar Outskirts
(Version May 8th 2025)
Synopsis: Astranaar Outskirts is a melee map for two players, featuring the Ashenvale tileset. The layout offers various routes around the map, with gold mine positioning that encourages active and aggressive gameplay. A functional map that follows standard melee gameplay rules.
Map Aesthetics: The overall aesthetics are nice and clean. Ashenvale (with small customizations) works beautifully, albeit the terrain looks a bit too smoothened out - it lacks contrast, as the grasses are blended almost completely, with very few sharp transitions, likewise the cliff and height variation is very muted (smoothened). I'd encourage you to check some other maps to see how contrast can be used to bring some details or elements to the front, while blending others to the background. The tile usage, while good, could also be less predictable, as the same rough ruins dirt paths go everywhere in the map with the same tile blend surrounding it in the same order everywhere. The shallow water areas (surrounded by the dark stone) are perhaps the only distinct areas on the map that really pop out. Despite my critics on the aesthetics it looks nice and is overall a solid job.
Map Layout: The layout works as it is very open and small patches of forest create a maze-like corridor layout where distinct levels or areas do not really exist - everywhere is accessible from everywhere. This is functional, yet it can lack strategic points - thus it's good you considered some keypoints of interest with the gold mince placement and creep placement. The choke points on the map (especially near the center area) are really narrow and are quite restrictive. The central gold mines, while in more close proximity of enemies, are quite sheltered due to these narrow corridors and they are perhaps not as dangerous to take as one might initially think (the enemy really has only one favorable direction to attack from, and that's from the 'wrong' side of the expansion. Overall the layout is acceptable. Could be spiced up with more high/low grounds or more strategic pressure points.
Neutral Objectives: The creep camp placement looks good and item drops seem to be of appropriate strength in regards to the creep camp strength. Good work. The goblin laboratory camp is very heavily guarded, and I wonder if it is intentional? On one hand, early access to goblin laboratory is nice, but on the other hand this map has mostly trees as obstacles and it's perhaps not even a smart idea to cut down the protective walls on your own side of the map (you could actually add other obstacles than trees, as this is quite considerable on the map). Double permanent level one drop from central green camps is acceptable, but it can be quite a hinderance if random chance does not favor you. Overall the neutral placement is solid and of good quality.
Map Gameplay: Functional melee map for two players. Doesn't necessarily bring much uniqueness onto the table. Acceptable. Approved.

 

[WolfFarkas]

Review - Astranaar Outskirts
(Version May 8th 2025)
Synopsis: Astranaar Outskirts is a melee map for two players, featuring the Ashenvale tileset. The layout offers various routes around the map, with gold mine positioning that encourages active and aggressive gameplay. A functional map that follows standard melee gameplay rules.
Map Aesthetics: The overall aesthetics are nice and clean. Ashenvale (with small customizations) works beautifully, albeit the terrain looks a bit too smoothened out - it lacks contrast, as the grasses are blended almost completely, with very few sharp transitions, likewise the cliff and height variation is very muted (smoothened). I'd encourage you to check some other maps to see how contrast can be used to bring some details or elements to the front, while blending others to the background. The tile usage, while good, could also be less predictable, as the same rough ruins dirt paths go everywhere in the map with the same tile blend surrounding it in the same order everywhere. The shallow water areas (surrounded by the dark stone) are perhaps the only distinct areas on the map that really pop out. Despite my critics on the aesthetics it looks nice and is overall a solid job.
Map Layout: The layout works as it is very open and small patches of forest create a maze-like corridor layout where distinct levels or areas do not really exist - everywhere is accessible from everywhere. This is functional, yet it can lack strategic points - thus it's good you considered some keypoints of interest with the gold mince placement and creep placement. The choke points on the map (especially near the center area) are really narrow and are quite restrictive. The central gold mines, while in more close proximity of enemies, are quite sheltered due to these narrow corridors and they are perhaps not as dangerous to take as one might initially think (the enemy really has only one favorable direction to attack from, and that's from the 'wrong' side of the expansion. Overall the layout is acceptable. Could be spiced up with more high/low grounds or more strategic pressure points.
Neutral Objectives: The creep camp placement looks good and item drops seem to be of appropriate strength in regards to the creep camp strength. Good work. The goblin laboratory camp is very heavily guarded, and I wonder if it is intentional? On one hand, early access to goblin laboratory is nice, but on the other hand this map has mostly trees as obstacles and it's perhaps not even a smart idea to cut down the protective walls on your own side of the map (you could actually add other obstacles than trees, as this is quite considerable on the map). Double permanent level one drop from central green camps is acceptable, but it can be quite a hinderance if random chance does not favor you. Overall the neutral placement is solid and of good quality.
Map Gameplay: Functional melee map for two players. Doesn't necessarily bring much uniqueness onto the table. Acceptable. Approved.

"The tile usage, while good, could also be less predictable, as the same rough ruins dirt paths go everywhere "
Just an opinion, in competitive melee, have one single type of tile as "Road tile" favours players to follow the road without the need of looking the minimap, some players praised me that idea.
(you will find I use that idea in all my maps for practical reasons)

as example a pro mapper used the Rought dirt of village tileset almost everywhere land and shallow water in this map (current WC3champions and battlenet ladder).

Autumn Leaves 1.6

Another Competetive 1vs1 Map by Tenshi 1 Tavern 1 Lab 1 Merc 2 Shops 2 Expansions for each player. The falling leaves drift by the window, the seasons are changing. All sorts of creatures are starting to search for a warm place for the upcomming winter.

www.hiveworkshop.com

Portal:Maps

In this Portal you can find basic information and links for Warcraft 3 maps. Maps are monumental part of competitive Warcraft III matchups, strategy, and balance. It is important to note that most commonly used Tournament maps have a 2-letter abbreviation used by players when listing or...

liquipedia.net

thanks for the review.

 

[Remixer]

Just an opinion, in competitive melee, have one single type of tile as "Road tile" favours players to follow the road without the need of looking the minimap, some players praised me that idea.
(you will find I use that idea in all my maps for practical reasons)

While being consistent in tile usage is indeed good and provides clarity (for example, providing a visual cue when water transitions between walkable/unwalkable), there are different approaches in how consistency can be reached. Perhaps there is no correct way, but generally muted and too blended tile usage leads to a lack of contrast and provides a visually boring map.

In the reference map you linked the blending is way less extreme and visually more appealing: the smooth and rough dirt are alternated between randomly, yet they still indicate clearly the main pathways between the important objectives, while the smooth grass does not surround the dirt road completely - there are spots where the rough grass breaks the smoothness of the road, making the whole tile usage look at lot more pleasing due to the presence of contrast.