Ok... that's the better part. I really like what you tried to do here. And I don't want you to feel discouraged by what I am going to say. You made some very critical error for melee that you have to avoid. But the good new is that you don't have to scratch your idea in the same time ! The boat idea is not that imbalanced. The creeping is. The layout is too. That's different ! It was a pleasure to review this map, and I think it's a good exercise to point out what you feel is really problematic about a map, as a reviewer. I am trying to be constructive in the advises I give, and I hope it will help you for the next melee contest !
- Random neutral buildings can be very imbalanced. Avoid it at all cost.
- Direct access to the border of the map (even from the starting positions) is bad. It breaks immersion, or so I was told. Even a short line of trees is good. But directly touching the limit is bad. If you need more space after creating the map, play with the 'borders and camera limits in the 'scenario' menu.
- possible to wall off with altar+farms only. good !
- No way to wall off or defend the expansion !? accessible from all sides... I'm not sure if I like it... too secluded can be problematic but too open is a problem too :/
- paths are too narrow, even for boat to maneuver in.
- Non systematical drops is a danger. Getting 0-5 items is frustrating. There is already enough rng in the item drop !
- some drops are clearly not equal. Wardrums are not equivalent to level 3/2 items.
- beware the campaign items. Some of them are a good idea (greater invis is not too bad), others are really strong (invocation diamond, iron maiden, bash axe)
- Ok... shredders, towers, boats, neutral units. Some of them are more advisable than others. Towers are very low level units. Ennemy towers give 25 xp. The core of creeping is to get experience. If you gain no xp, there is no interest in creeping. If you want tower creeps, use them rarely with weak towers. They don't give a lot of xp, and cannon towers are therefore not somethng you want to kill. If you want some unusual towers, use the elven towers (except the rock tower, they are just super awesome glorified guard towers)
- Shredders do an awful lot of damage to be simple level 4 creeps. I think that's a bad idea. Putting them is pair is certainly lethal for fragile heroes and units (like for example mountain giants).
- Player units can be used as creep, I feel... But not all of them. Player units have tendancy to scale more than creeps. Tier1 and Tier2 units can be good camp units, tier 3 are far too strong for the xp they give.
- I'm not even sure if sapper explode when they are creeps... anyway, that's also a bad idea.
- And the central creep camp is noted as level 0... For the strongest camp on the map that's a problem. I'm also not sure if it gives xp... as the editor claims that all these boats are level 0 creeps ...
- Item dropping on deep water are destroyed. Try to put the creeps over shallow water.
- Use amphibian creeps or naga units ! They will be far more rewarding than boats that are also mechanical units and therefore insensible to most spells.
- The doodads are varied and not symetric. It implies a lot of work. I think it might need some more though :/
- ground tiles are a bit too uniform
- new items, new creeps, new mercenaries, new tiles ... BOATS ! I think it could have been more balanced though, even with the boats idea.