Where to start...
[First post including map]
1. Is this map balanced?-There is a guide posted in this section to guide you on how to balance a map. It explains the strengths and weaknesses of each race and the conditions a map may have to help or hurt them. If you aren't going to take the time to help yourself to the information already available to you, people are going to be disinclined to help you themselves.
The guide is right
here. Strike one.
2. Is the map play-able?
-Make sure your start locations are properly placed and for the correct players. Also check that your minerals and gas belong to P12 as well as any pre-placed building sprites you are using.
You haven't given us a map at all. Strike two.
3. Is the map properly decorated?
-No one wants to play a bland looking map. Doodads are a must. The ISOM tool is your friend, not just for making cliffs, but for making the map look pretty.
Again, you haven't given us the map, so we can't tell. Strike three.
4. IMPORTANT: Does my map have a concept, and is it worth playing?
-One of THE most important parts of a map is the concept. Nobody wants to play a standard main->nat->minonly->3rd gas->island anymore. Blocking minerals, extended ramps, pre-placed building sprites, anything that makes your map INTERESTING. Now it is hard to balance these interesting aspects, but that is part of making a good melee. Sometimes you have to be experimental in your concepts, even if it affects the balance negatively. This isn't to say that you should make a totally imba map with a weird experimental concept, because that's just silly. Another part of balance, is incorporating these elements positively.
Note bold. Strike... four?
Lord Malvanis. Just fix it up so minerals are tip top efficient. Follow promap positions, and never try a thing like this again. Because it makes the game inconceivably boring at start. Not that I will ever play your map.
Theres a complete guide for it in this section. Maybe you should learn how to read and think first before you try to make a map.
4. IS MY COMMENT CONSTRUCTIVE AND POSITIVE?
I'm sick of seeing flaming and trolling based on the quality of someone's map. If you haven't got anything nice to say, don't say it at all.
Self-explanatory.
Quote from name:TassadarZeratul
This might actually be a cool map. Just because it doesn't follow the guide exactly doesn't mean it'll suck, don't give up Malvanis!
Probably you're best bet is to surround the minerals/gas with unbuildable terrain/doodads, then the player's can't speed up their mining.
Btw, speaking of the melee guide, it's really hard to read because it over-uses terms like "gas nat" and "sunk their main". I can sort of figure some of them out, but the guide could be edited to be a lot easier to read by removing the jargon.
Quote from name:TassadarZeratul
And I still disagree. Nonstandard mineral placement will force people to use nonstandard strategies, but if it's done right this isn't a bad thing, just different.
1. Do I know what I am talking about?
-If you have no idea how to make a balanced melee yourself, you really don't have much business trying to tell someone else how to do it. Rather than give bad advice that will only hurt, it's better to be silent and let someone else do the job. If you aren't sure, say so, not everyone's an expert, but if you aren't, do not claim to be.
If you're unfamiliar with some of the jargon in the guide, ask! We're here to help, after all. If something doesn't seem clear, the people around here will be more than happy to clarify.
Lol this is hilarious how its presented as a UMS map but its a melee map. You might want to finish it and show us the entire map instead of provide very little information with terrible in game screenshots. All I can say for sure right now is that mineral placement is terrible and you should go with something more standard.
4. IS MY COMMENT CONSTRUCTIVE AND POSITIVE?
I'm sick of seeing flaming and trolling based on the quality of someone's map. If you haven't got anything nice to say, don't say it at all.
If you've got points to make, make them in a constructive and positive manner.
No. Look, one of the guidelines in this section is that if you don't know what your talking about, then it would be better to keep quiet rather than give bad advice. Right now, you're giving bad advice, so shut up and let the people who know what they're doing handle it. Report me, cry, do whatever, but I'll be dead banned and buried before I sit silent and let the blind lead the blind, or in this case, the noobs lead the noobs.
Malvanis,
When posting a melee map you need to provide a screenshot which shows the entire map so that we may comment on it's balance and ways to improve it. You do not take in-game screenshots as you did here, like a UMS map, so Chuiu was exactly right. Use SCMDraft or whatever other program you would like to make the image, resize it and save it in a good format such as a quality jpeg or a png. Until this is done, I can't really help you.
Also, there are elements you can use to make your map experimental and different, in fact, its a good sign that on your first map you're already trying to incorporate experimental elements. However, there are still things that have to remain standard in order for the map to be playable, and mineral formations are one of those things, at least if you are going to mess with them, things like distance aren't a good way to do it.
I wish you luck in future maps.
Minus the first paragraph, this is the best post I think I've ever seen Ex make. *applause*
SCMD Symmetry Tools, where are these? If you mean the subtile tool, I don't know how to use it
In the newest version of SCMDraft, there are symmetry tools in the toolbar near the top-right. If you have further trouble finding them, drop me a pm.
Guys, I never want to have to do that again. Respective fines and topic closure will follow. Have a good day.
