So, I've started work on Aureolin Eclipse 03. That mission has been bugging me for a long time. I've probably tossed away 5 or so maps (one of which was almost half-finished, terrain wise), but I think I've found a concept I like. The idea is essentially to do a base that was hit by a BC some time ago, causing somewhat of a... dent. You can see it below.
Obviously, this is a very early phase (I started it today), so there aren't a lot of details. But something just feels... wrong somehow. Maybe things look better when it's closer to being finished, but I thought I'd ask for some help here before starting to experiment with things that won't end up working. So, any advice is helpful!
I'm guessing a reason that it feels odd is because the base is located on cliff level 3 (the highest), which I usually reserve for walls, unwalkable mountains and such. My fingers just itch to putting a higher cliff above, but obviously that isn't possible.
It's a very good start, and a good concept/story to serve as the background of your terrain. I'm glad you're thinking it through this well, it's bound to end up good.
Now for some actual advice I can give you.
The fact that you're using the highest cliff level and your discomfort with it probably sort of stems from the effect that you do not know how to proceed now that you cannot add high ground eyecandy (mountains and such). The answer, I think, is fairly simple: use the low ground more extensively. If you cannot go higher, dig deeper. Consider interweaving some of the low-ground areas more with the high-ground areas. Add (doodad-based) missile turrets there to make it look like the high-ground base continues down there, along with what may be elevators. Possibly raise some parts of it with plateau and create small artificial cliffs to make the entire area seem 'staircased', making the battles played out on the highest ground level feel more epic and important to the player along the way. At the same time, it may even add to the terrain if you sporadically add some floating platforms (small unpathable doodads, not actual playable zones) from the space tilesets, to make the entire area feel very much focused around height-play.
As for the Cruiser - I'd say you should move it forward a little bit, as well as tilting it so that the way it has crashed looks more realistic (make the back end 'stick out of the ground'). I also don't think it would be a bad thing if you enlarged the thing even more, as it did, in your backstory, play a very pivotal role to explain the looks of your terrain. Don't be afraid to go overboard and make it fit snugly inside the hole you've created.
Tell me your thoughts, let me know if this helps, show us what you'll make of this, and keep us updated. I'm quite curious :)
As I said on the PM you might get a good enough depth effect by using "Lower Height" tool on the lowest cliff level. If the result is good enough that can free up a cliff level without losing that high above ground feeling.
Oh oh I just got an insanely good idea for the mission and a slight alterate to the terrain that you could do. What if instead of part of the cliff being taken out by the bc, it takes out a bridge there instead and a base or objective you need to get to on the other side. The make the mission so that you have to repair the bridge but there is also an very long alternative path thats almost impossible to push past since enemies are pushing back all the way back to base. You'd have to balance it to make players decide between having more scvs and minerals going toward fixing the bridge vs making a larger army to fight off the incoming army or push all the way through. That might also give you a reason to use the top cliff level since your base would be kind of a king of the mountain defense thing.
Lots of good ideas here. I'll get back to them when I have more time. I did another sketch of the base, though, and I will try it out in the editor later.
@ ScrinKing: That is the Unbuildable Plates (3x3):
I tried to make it look like the bridge was being constructed back again.
(Btw: the BC isn't a part of the story directly. It's more of a background thing, really.)
use the high and low tools and change low cliff for high and so on, you can show off the BC if you have more of a low cliff level and under the BC use high tool like a hill and add rocks
I tried a second attempt, and I am much more happy with it. It's more symmetrical too (which I like). The bridge was lowered to cliff level 2, so when there's incoming, the player faction has a higher ground advantage for defense.
Way much better looking love the idea of the BC crash, all the suggestion are excellent I love the team work of suggestions you receive on this site cheers to all!
That looks very cool. I'm just wondering what drunk pilot drove it backwards though, haha. Though I have seen crazier things in real life... like a car through an apartment garage.
The fact that you're using the highest cliff level and your discomfort with it probably sort of stems from the effect that you do not know how to proceed now that you cannot add high ground eyecandy (mountains and such). The answer, I think, is fairly simple: use the low ground more extensively. If you cannot go higher, dig deeper. Consider interweaving some of the low-ground areas more with the high-ground areas. Add (doodad-based) missile turrets there to make it look like the high-ground base continues down there, along with what may be elevators.
I tried working downwards as you said, essentially ending up with something akin to a pyramid structure. Below is a little update:
As I said on the PM you might get a good enough depth effect by using "Lower Height" tool on the lowest cliff level. If the result is good enough that can free up a cliff level without losing that high above ground feeling.
That looks very cool. I'm just wondering what drunk pilot drove it backwards though, haha. Though I have seen crazier things in real life... like a car through an apartment garage.
Haha, "drunk pilot". I might just add those two specific words to the dialogue now (if I can remember to). :p
Anyway, here are some more photos. Below is some kind of off-base decoration.
Then, some in-base decoration.
Here's a helipad. The enemy will try to make drops here.
Oh oh I just got an insanely good idea for the mission and a slight alterate to the terrain that you could do. What if instead of part of the cliff being taken out by the bc, it takes out a bridge there instead and a base or objective you need to get to on the other side. The make the mission so that you have to repair the bridge but there is also an very long alternative path thats almost impossible to push past since enemies are pushing back all the way back to base. You'd have to balance it to make players decide between having more scvs and minerals going toward fixing the bridge vs making a larger army to fight off the incoming army or push all the way through. That might also give you a reason to use the top cliff level since your base would be kind of a king of the mountain defense thing.
How would that work? How can you "fix" a bridge in SC2? And can't you just fly over?
So, I've started work on Aureolin Eclipse 03. That mission has been bugging me for a long time. I've probably tossed away 5 or so maps (one of which was almost half-finished, terrain wise), but I think I've found a concept I like. The idea is essentially to do a base that was hit by a BC some time ago, causing somewhat of a... dent. You can see it below.
Obviously, this is a very early phase (I started it today), so there aren't a lot of details. But something just feels... wrong somehow. Maybe things look better when it's closer to being finished, but I thought I'd ask for some help here before starting to experiment with things that won't end up working. So, any advice is helpful!
I'm guessing a reason that it feels odd is because the base is located on cliff level 3 (the highest), which I usually reserve for walls, unwalkable mountains and such. My fingers just itch to putting a higher cliff above, but obviously that isn't possible.
It's a very good start, and a good concept/story to serve as the background of your terrain. I'm glad you're thinking it through this well, it's bound to end up good.
Now for some actual advice I can give you.
The fact that you're using the highest cliff level and your discomfort with it probably sort of stems from the effect that you do not know how to proceed now that you cannot add high ground eyecandy (mountains and such). The answer, I think, is fairly simple: use the low ground more extensively. If you cannot go higher, dig deeper. Consider interweaving some of the low-ground areas more with the high-ground areas. Add (doodad-based) missile turrets there to make it look like the high-ground base continues down there, along with what may be elevators. Possibly raise some parts of it with plateau and create small artificial cliffs to make the entire area seem 'staircased', making the battles played out on the highest ground level feel more epic and important to the player along the way. At the same time, it may even add to the terrain if you sporadically add some floating platforms (small unpathable doodads, not actual playable zones) from the space tilesets, to make the entire area feel very much focused around height-play.
As for the Cruiser - I'd say you should move it forward a little bit, as well as tilting it so that the way it has crashed looks more realistic (make the back end 'stick out of the ground'). I also don't think it would be a bad thing if you enlarged the thing even more, as it did, in your backstory, play a very pivotal role to explain the looks of your terrain. Don't be afraid to go overboard and make it fit snugly inside the hole you've created.
Tell me your thoughts, let me know if this helps, show us what you'll make of this, and keep us updated. I'm quite curious :)
As I said on the PM you might get a good enough depth effect by using "Lower Height" tool on the lowest cliff level. If the result is good enough that can free up a cliff level without losing that high above ground feeling.
I like what you've got so far, but I think the battlecruiser needs to be moved forward a fair bit.
What doodad are you using for the mesh/grid there, right before the battlecruiser?
@EivindL: Go
Oh oh I just got an insanely good idea for the mission and a slight alterate to the terrain that you could do. What if instead of part of the cliff being taken out by the bc, it takes out a bridge there instead and a base or objective you need to get to on the other side. The make the mission so that you have to repair the bridge but there is also an very long alternative path thats almost impossible to push past since enemies are pushing back all the way back to base. You'd have to balance it to make players decide between having more scvs and minerals going toward fixing the bridge vs making a larger army to fight off the incoming army or push all the way through. That might also give you a reason to use the top cliff level since your base would be kind of a king of the mountain defense thing.
Lots of good ideas here. I'll get back to them when I have more time. I did another sketch of the base, though, and I will try it out in the editor later.
@ ScrinKing: That is the Unbuildable Plates (3x3):
I tried to make it look like the bridge was being constructed back again.
(Btw: the BC isn't a part of the story directly. It's more of a background thing, really.)
use the high and low tools and change low cliff for high and so on, you can show off the BC if you have more of a low cliff level and under the BC use high tool like a hill and add rocks
What do you mean?
I tried a second attempt, and I am much more happy with it. It's more symmetrical too (which I like). The bridge was lowered to cliff level 2, so when there's incoming, the player faction has a higher ground advantage for defense.
Way much better looking love the idea of the BC crash, all the suggestion are excellent I love the team work of suggestions you receive on this site cheers to all!
Marie T. Freeman If you're too busy to give your neighbor a helping hand, then you're just too darned busy. https://www.facebook.com/wargirlmaps.maps
Spread the love join DISCORD
https://discord.gg/Jtzt8Su
That looks very cool. I'm just wondering what drunk pilot drove it backwards though, haha. Though I have seen crazier things in real life... like a car through an apartment garage.
Ehhh... I don't like symmetrical bases, but it's looking okay now.
I tried working downwards as you said, essentially ending up with something akin to a pyramid structure. Below is a little update:
I'll check that out.
I did that, and it works better now, thanks. I'm still going to work on the BC, though.
Haha, "drunk pilot". I might just add those two specific words to the dialogue now (if I can remember to). :p
Anyway, here are some more photos. Below is some kind of off-base decoration.
Then, some in-base decoration.
Here's a helipad. The enemy will try to make drops here.
And finally, another view of the entire base.
Its really turning good love the "eye candy"
Marie T. Freeman If you're too busy to give your neighbor a helping hand, then you're just too darned busy. https://www.facebook.com/wargirlmaps.maps
Spread the love join DISCORD
https://discord.gg/Jtzt8Su
How would that work? How can you "fix" a bridge in SC2? And can't you just fly over?