• 🏆 Texturing Contest #33 is OPEN! Contestants must re-texture a SD unit model found in-game (Warcraft 3 Classic), recreating the unit into a peaceful NPC version. 🔗Click here to enter!
  • It's time for the first HD Modeling Contest of 2024. Join the theme discussion for Hive's HD Modeling Contest #6! Click here to post your idea!

Skull Island v0.8

General Information:
-1v1
-96x96 Size

Buildings:
-6 Gold Mines
-2 Mercenary Camps
-1 Goblin Laboratory
-1 Goblin Shop
-1 Tavern

Camps:
-6 Green camps
-8 Orange camps
-1 Red camps

Description:
A group of explorers had travelled the sea for many years in search of fruitful land. They found an island, but the wildlife drove them to the shores, where they eventually drove mad from thirst and starvation. Which made take the last resort..

Changelog


-Changed map to fit "Melee Map" standards.
-Changed trees to Lordearon so they don't look glitched in Reforged.


-Rebalanced drops.
-Made easy expansion opening more broad.
-Swapped shop for lab.
-Removed a green camp that would be hard to contest.
-Made some areas more open.


-Made the map more circular by closing off center.


-Balance: Natural expansion has 2 ogres now to soak up some damage.
-Balance: Changed a bunch of item drops.
-Gameplay: Added critters.
Contents

Skull Island (Map)

Reviews
Cigaro
Saw your thread on reddit and figured I'd drop a comment. It is a very unique design for sure. What's interesting is that even though the different types of terrain have "broken" edges when combined, it still looks cool and like it was meant to be...
deepstrasz
Short militia brawl rush. Lightly asymmetrical. Approved. If you want more reviews, you should participate in the The Grand Review Exchange! R U L E S Site Rules Map Submission Rules M A P - D E S C R I P T I O N BB CODES BB Codes | HIVE...
Level 12
Joined
May 12, 2012
Messages
104
Saw your thread on reddit and figured I'd drop a comment.

It is a very unique design for sure. What's interesting is that even though the different types of terrain have "broken" edges when combined, it still looks cool and like it was meant to be like that:

overlap.jpg

Nice job on the water basin near the goblin merchant in particular, also the top and left murloc camps and murloc/makura camps:

cool-1.jpg cool-2.jpg

What I'm unhappy about is that it doesn't count as a melee map anymore. I can see why you want the special doodads and all that, but I think you could have done without. The green trees could be lord-summer and the blueish trees lord-winter. I've swapped them in the editor and it still looks pretty good. Guess I'm too conservative when it comes to such design issues.

===

LAYOUT

The expo is very close to the main base. All of the trolls do piercing damage so HU might wipe it away with some militia and defend-footies, then cash in on a juicy lvl 3 perm. It'll also be a lot easier to defend that. I would ask a HU player on his opinion.

Additionally, the map as a whole is very small. A peon needs 43 seconds to walk from town hall to town hall – that's about 20% less than on the smallest commonly used 1v1 map EI. It'll definitely play a little different than the meta.

About the two-way gold mine on the right: Isn't it extremely hard to defend this once you've set up your base? The enemy can use artillery on your entangled or hunted mine, but to challenge him, you need to squeeze past the sides of the mine. This will be a critical choke point that's very difficult to overcome unless you clean out a lot of trees first. Any army composition that prefers to fight in a narrow spot would have a huge advantage here. I'm not saying that the gold mine cannot use that way, but perhaps the creep camp guarding it should be weak instead of strong? Then again, I haven't tested it, so this is all general armchair speaking.

===

CREEPS

The lvl 9 Makura camp drops two lvl 1 perms instead of one lvl 2 item. I'm not sure if that will be appreciated. In a scenario where you're playing single-hero you won't have room for those two items and would prefer to have a single, stronger permanent. If you really want to include 2 drops, I would make one of them a powerup. Same cae with the lvl 16 camp at the marketplace: At that stage of the game, nobody wants lvl 1 permanents. They will only clutter up your inventory.

The lvl 16 murloc camp at the goblin lab only drops a lvl 2 perm, that's pretty weak.

Can't find the critters. why u h8 ud ;_;

Clever idea to mark the aggro range of expo creeps. I'll try to do that too next time.

===

Great mix of tilesets and very innovative, double-access neutral building use. You've got a classic axisymmetrical layout but tilted it by only 30 degrees or so, therefore making it look nothing like any other map.

Don't think it's tournament-ready but it's definitely very cool.
 
Level 24
Joined
Nov 9, 2006
Messages
2,558
Thanks for the feedback, i changed a couple of things like the expansion, item drops, etc.

I'm not really sure about the gold mine and walk distance for workers.
I'm going to leave it unchanged for now unless i come up with a better idea of what to do with these two things.

Currently im thinking about maybe removing the center and the hard gold camp, so the map becomes circular. With 4 paths to each other's side.
 

deepstrasz

Map Reviewer
Level 68
Joined
Jun 4, 2009
Messages
18,706
Short militia brawl rush.

Lightly asymmetrical.

Approved.


If you want more reviews, you should participate in the The Grand Review Exchange!

R U L E S

Site Rules
Map Submission Rules


M A P - D E S C R I P T I O N
BB CODES
BB Codes | HIVE

MELEE MAPS
Description Guide - Melee Maps
Describing Your Melee Map
Melee Map Description Generator v1.3


MAPS IN GENERAL
The importance of a Description
Description Guide - Maps
Map Thread Guide
Map Description Making: Good & Bad
Map Description - Templates
Map Description Generator [1.2]

How to Add a Screenshot to your Map Description


ADDITIONAL NECESSARY INFORMATION
  • A credits list in the map thread description is required where the names of the resource (models, skins, icons, spells, sound etc.) authors are mentioned along with the specific resource. It would be a luxury to have links leading to the used resources. Credits in the Quest Log would be appreciated too.
  • A detailed changelog in the first post would be helpful to reviewers and notify fans about the newest implementations to your map.
  • Map thread tags are important. Please use those that fit and not more or none.

If you're not satisfied with the review and wish another opinion, contact the other reviewers or use the staff contact:
Paillan
twojstaryjakcie
Daffa the Mage
https://www.hiveworkshop.com/forums/staff-contact.692/
 
Level 24
Joined
Nov 9, 2006
Messages
2,558
Is being asymmetrical a reason to give a lower rating? Echo Isles is asymmetrical.
Most of the distances are the same and the amount of trees each player has is similar too.

Militia Rush is hardly possible either with the changes to center.
This is with the duration from base to hitting enemy building.
Compared to amazonia, which is slightly longer.
However it's easier to circument rush here because you can pull creeps into militia.
 

Attachments

  • militia rush.jpg
    militia rush.jpg
    798.8 KB · Views: 246
  • amazonia.jpg
    amazonia.jpg
    971.4 KB · Views: 247
  • 3.jpg
    3.jpg
    921.2 KB · Views: 155
Last edited:
Level 24
Joined
Nov 9, 2006
Messages
2,558
Well i'd like to know since some maps are made with the intention of being asymmetrical to make it more interesting.
Just to use Echo Isles as an example, it has asymmetrical differences that could upset balance, but it's something players have come to accept.
So to be judged on the map being asymmetrical seems a little wierd to me.
By downrating assymmetrical maps you pave a way that gives mapmakers an incentive to create 100% mirrored maps, which honestly aren't as .. interesting.

On another subject i also believe it's wierd to judge some maps by competitive melee map standards - such as being small enough for militia rush and then proceed completely ignore others non-competitive features like shipyards, waygates, non-summer-camp.
I believe it's wrong to judge every melee map by competitive melee standards when some are designed with different intent, say inhouse training games.

You actually expect me to detail why I give a specific rating?
Actually yes, otherwise how could i possibly improve the map?
I've taken feedback and improved the map so..
 
Level 24
Joined
Nov 9, 2006
Messages
2,558
Well then it's not really a fair judgement is it?
If you're a moderator you're supposed to act as objectively as possible.
Also without proper feedback i can't improve the map.

Seems a bit wierd to me to get reviewed on aesthetics when most of the feedback i recieve is positive when it comes to visuals.
 

deepstrasz

Map Reviewer
Level 68
Joined
Jun 4, 2009
Messages
18,706
Well then it's not really a fair judgement is it?
If you're a moderator you're supposed to act as objectively as possible.
I was 70% this would follow.
We review maps to distribute them in their respective sections: Approved, Substandard or Restricted. This is not a one answer to every question test.
Seems a bit wierd to me to get reviewed on aesthetics when most of the feedback i recieve is positive when it comes to visuals.
So, if many people like a painting, everybody should too?

I'm not going to continue this divergence. If you're not satisfied with my way of reviewing, use the Staff Contact (https://www.hiveworkshop.com/forums/staff-contact.692/). Maybe they'll remove the rating and appoint another reviewer. I'm not gonna give you fives because you think you deserve them.
 
Level 29
Joined
May 21, 2013
Messages
1,635
Deepstrasz hardly rates 5/5 a map, unless is astonished with the map.
4 stars is the hightest score that comonly gives, even very worked maps.
3 stars is the most common rate for approved.


Imo , block the center reduces the manouver options
 
Top