Approved
- Joined
- May 21, 2013
- Messages
- 1,638
Hello there, for a first melee is a good one, my first melee maps didn´t have this quality
I am going to be sharp, so you can learn fast things, for your nexts maps, and if you decide improve or remade this one (I remade 3 melee maps from 0 to improve the quality)
Review.
1-The 1vs1 melee maps usually are 96x96, there are some 128x64 but the comonn thing is 96x96
160x96 is unnecesary too big, also you have a lot of empty space, the problem in this is you have to walk a lot (they game become slow and boring, also is hard to defend diferent points without teleport scroll).
Sugestion re-desing this map in 96x96 it will worth the time to make it again with high quality.
2-you have monotone tiles, you have to learn how to mix the tiles, download sunken ruins melee maps and study how to mix the tiles,
3-gigant doodads, if you increase the size of the doodads and you don´t put land/air blockers your units will go inside the doodads, and thats a bug in melee, altered melee, rpg and any other category.
4-small doodads are needed so a map would feel more alive, flowers, shells, rocks,
5-tile use, to have a good map diferent areas are needed, like a grass part a water part and a sunken temple construction part.
Cliff and ramps can be tricky but they give a lot of quality to the map.
6-Creeps position, creeps should be in an U or V form area so they won´t be hit by the laterals. That also is important for goldmines. Goldmines should have some tree wall area so the enemy won´t flank you and kill your peons. Markets and mercenary camps should be in an U area so you have to kill the guards first to access the building. Also U areas help to avoid agro (when you target with 1 click to an area but the units go right to a creep and that was not your intention). Creeps in open areas tend to have agro. Some of your creeps are good in U area the crabs, the murlocks and the gargantuan tortoise.
7- Mercenary camp and markets creeps should be in camp mode to avoid agro.
8-For competitive melee play, humans need an easy expanding (near and orange creep level 12-15 defended) against undead, if not undead win the match (have it in mind when you design).
9- You have gaps between trees, when map , always check with P, you have to put the trees mindfully. In trees with gaps, small units like footmas can walk between trees and big ones (heroes, abomination) not, also wisp can go deep inside the forest to harvest wood or for spy. You have to learn how to put the trees with no living gaps, because this is the worst bug to fix (I fixed it in 7 maps of mine, deleting all the wood and put it again, I don´t wish it to anybody, so never forget don´t leave gaps between trees, it cost points in the last melee contest. And reviewers always spot this as bad thing.
10- A power up level 2 is too much for a murlock creep level 8 (near the two green big columns), also power up level two, you can loot the experience book, 2 experience book by luck you can level up and have great advantage against the enemy, thats why power up level 2 are set manually 33% inteligence level 2, 33% agility level 2, 34% strengh level 2. The random level up 2 should be used in small amounts for the red creeps.
11- the are no green creeps looting permanent level 1, the formula is , 1 green creep power up level 1, another green creep permanent level 1. There are no loot of permanent level 2, item diversity
12- The red creeps, your red creeps are looting the orb of darkness (permanent level 6) and random charged level 4). I don´t recommend to loot permanent and charged in the same creep, because you can get your item bag full, usually is 1 permanent or charged and the power up books.
13-Markets should be better defended, you defended with a orange level 10, I think 14-19 is ok, and the level 10 should defend nothing just for exp and item.
14- Health of fountains must be defended with red creeps or powerfull orange ( Level 19), many competitive melee users think that health / mana fountains should not be used, so thats why they should be well defended for the very later game.
15- For competitive melee, the charged item level 2, should be set manually without the electric wand, since is too powefull for a level 2 charged.
16-Goldmine creeps usually are not in camp mode, or they are in camp mode but with large distribution, I think did it well in the south, but in the north, they are too near the goldmine so they should be in normal mode, remember that they usually they don´t go in camp mode if they are very near the goldmine. Thats to avoid tower exploit
edit 17- the file should be named like this (2)Azhara Mounds, you need to put the number of players inside brackets thats to know how many players is for with no need to open it.
Overall sugestion: download melee maps, study them, study blizzard maps, read reviews of maps, read terraining tutorials, download sunken ruins maps to learn how to mix the tiles and how to improve the enviroment, gain knoledge and experience and then use your knoledge when you map
If I were you, I would aim for high quality maps, I think a melee mapper should be judged for the quality of the maps and not for the amount of them.
, so If this map would be mine I would redesign it again in 96x96, but well you can also improve it but the 160x96 size the only way to fix it, is to start over.
I am going to be sharp, so you can learn fast things, for your nexts maps, and if you decide improve or remade this one (I remade 3 melee maps from 0 to improve the quality)
Review.
1-The 1vs1 melee maps usually are 96x96, there are some 128x64 but the comonn thing is 96x96
160x96 is unnecesary too big, also you have a lot of empty space, the problem in this is you have to walk a lot (they game become slow and boring, also is hard to defend diferent points without teleport scroll).
Sugestion re-desing this map in 96x96 it will worth the time to make it again with high quality.
2-you have monotone tiles, you have to learn how to mix the tiles, download sunken ruins melee maps and study how to mix the tiles,
3-gigant doodads, if you increase the size of the doodads and you don´t put land/air blockers your units will go inside the doodads, and thats a bug in melee, altered melee, rpg and any other category.
4-small doodads are needed so a map would feel more alive, flowers, shells, rocks,
5-tile use, to have a good map diferent areas are needed, like a grass part a water part and a sunken temple construction part.
Cliff and ramps can be tricky but they give a lot of quality to the map.
6-Creeps position, creeps should be in an U or V form area so they won´t be hit by the laterals. That also is important for goldmines. Goldmines should have some tree wall area so the enemy won´t flank you and kill your peons. Markets and mercenary camps should be in an U area so you have to kill the guards first to access the building. Also U areas help to avoid agro (when you target with 1 click to an area but the units go right to a creep and that was not your intention). Creeps in open areas tend to have agro. Some of your creeps are good in U area the crabs, the murlocks and the gargantuan tortoise.
7- Mercenary camp and markets creeps should be in camp mode to avoid agro.
8-For competitive melee play, humans need an easy expanding (near and orange creep level 12-15 defended) against undead, if not undead win the match (have it in mind when you design).
9- You have gaps between trees, when map , always check with P, you have to put the trees mindfully. In trees with gaps, small units like footmas can walk between trees and big ones (heroes, abomination) not, also wisp can go deep inside the forest to harvest wood or for spy. You have to learn how to put the trees with no living gaps, because this is the worst bug to fix (I fixed it in 7 maps of mine, deleting all the wood and put it again, I don´t wish it to anybody, so never forget don´t leave gaps between trees, it cost points in the last melee contest. And reviewers always spot this as bad thing.
10- A power up level 2 is too much for a murlock creep level 8 (near the two green big columns), also power up level two, you can loot the experience book, 2 experience book by luck you can level up and have great advantage against the enemy, thats why power up level 2 are set manually 33% inteligence level 2, 33% agility level 2, 34% strengh level 2. The random level up 2 should be used in small amounts for the red creeps.
11- the are no green creeps looting permanent level 1, the formula is , 1 green creep power up level 1, another green creep permanent level 1. There are no loot of permanent level 2, item diversity
12- The red creeps, your red creeps are looting the orb of darkness (permanent level 6) and random charged level 4). I don´t recommend to loot permanent and charged in the same creep, because you can get your item bag full, usually is 1 permanent or charged and the power up books.
13-Markets should be better defended, you defended with a orange level 10, I think 14-19 is ok, and the level 10 should defend nothing just for exp and item.
14- Health of fountains must be defended with red creeps or powerfull orange ( Level 19), many competitive melee users think that health / mana fountains should not be used, so thats why they should be well defended for the very later game.
15- For competitive melee, the charged item level 2, should be set manually without the electric wand, since is too powefull for a level 2 charged.
16-Goldmine creeps usually are not in camp mode, or they are in camp mode but with large distribution, I think did it well in the south, but in the north, they are too near the goldmine so they should be in normal mode, remember that they usually they don´t go in camp mode if they are very near the goldmine. Thats to avoid tower exploit
edit 17- the file should be named like this (2)Azhara Mounds, you need to put the number of players inside brackets thats to know how many players is for with no need to open it.
Overall sugestion: download melee maps, study them, study blizzard maps, read reviews of maps, read terraining tutorials, download sunken ruins maps to learn how to mix the tiles and how to improve the enviroment, gain knoledge and experience and then use your knoledge when you map
If I were you, I would aim for high quality maps, I think a melee mapper should be judged for the quality of the maps and not for the amount of them.
, so If this map would be mine I would redesign it again in 96x96, but well you can also improve it but the 160x96 size the only way to fix it, is to start over.
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