Today we are very proud to announce our newly formed map making team:
‘The Planetary Workshop’
We are a small non-profit organization formed by members of the TL custom map forums driven by our passion for SC2 and melee mapping. In an attempt to further our map creation cause, we decided to join forces and not only help each other make better maps, but also to collaborate with players, casters, tournament organizers, the community, and you! Our aim is to channel our ideas, develop new mapping projects and ultimately bring more quality custom maps to the scene!
With tournaments and live streams growing rapidly, there comes a higher demand for new maps in StarCraft 2. Many viewers grow tiresome of repetitive tournament map pools that contain commonly-used maps like Metalopolis and Xel'Naga Caverns (although we love them). GSL and MLG slowly integrate new community-made maps in their map pools, and it has brought a lot of excitement for the viewers. This is something we would like to get involved in with our maps. We want to show the community that there are more maps to be desired, and our mission is to bring these maps into the light. By establishing our 'TPW' tag on selected maps, we want to assure the community that it is a seal of quality that everybody can trust.
As a team, we believe that as long as we help each other through ideas, criticism, and play-testing, we will continue to produce a higher quality of playable maps for everybody. We want every viewer to know that we desire to go beyond simple map-making. We seek to actively get involved in tournament organizations as well as creating our own events, and to help others with their maps. Although we are starting small and simple, we are open to many ideas for the near future, and we hope to create a great gaming experience for everyone in StarCraft 2.
Out of the pool of maps we created, we've selected 9 maps to form our official map pool. These maps will be used regularly for tournaments and future events held by TPW.
TPW maps are chosen based on balance, aesthetics and game-play features. We also try to have a nice variety in visual themes and we try to feature every team member if possible. As time goes on, we will constantly update the map pool to keep things interesting by adding newly-made maps or possibly re-introducing older ones, so we encourage you to definitely take a look at all available maps!
If you plan on using one or more TPW maps in one of your events, or if you hear about our maps being used, please drop us a note so we can watch and feature all events on our upcoming events section!
to be announced
NullCurrent
The only experience of RTS games NullCurrent had before joining the StarCraft II beta was C&C. Surprisingly it went quite well, but due to starting university, the time he was able to invest in the game diminished. Because of this he took up mapping, as it enables him to exercise creativity under restrictions, something which he also loves doing with his hobby; programming.
Meltage
Meltage is a qualified Game Designer and Front End Developer who spends 40+ hrs on every map he makes. His principles are "Quality over quantity" and "Make solid layout and main features, but do not forget innovation".
dezi
Dezi started mapping with C&C:RA1 (the editor where you had several pre-made terrain pieces instead of eg. a terrain pencil). He also made some BW maps but never dove deep into BW mapping.
Because of extensive work with triggers in WC3, he lost interest in custom maps and now focuses his time on making melee maps.
IronManSC
IronMan has been a fan of StarCraft since the original release. He was a melee map-maker since BroodWar and continues to pursue that creativity by extending it to StarCraft 2.
Mereel
Mereel has been making maps since WarCraft 3. He made ambient movies as well as melee maps, and when WarCraft 3 was dying off, he carried on to StarCraft II.
Due to the increased complexity of the editor, he started to create melee maps instead. His goal as a map-maker is to achieve a gaming experience in StarCraft II similar to that of our beloved StarCraft: BroodWar.
Samro
Samro's interest in map making for competitive gaming may trace back to his broader interest in game design for Quake and UT. A map is the space that helps to define a specific gameplay, but also brings forward the atmosphere and stylistic background of each game. Hence map making is nothing less than building worlds and defining all parameters that generate the playground for competitive and high-skill as well as fun to watch matches.
Johanaz
Johanaz has made maps since Warcraft II, but mostly for Total Annihilation and Supreme Commander. He has an irresistible urge to create melee maps to the point of hurting his career in industrial design and music.
Lefix
Despite working as an artist in the gaming industry, Lefix still enjoys working on various projects in his spare time. He likes map-making because it is not only simple, but it lets him express himself more with the freedom of being totally creative; far more than his job would ever allow him to. As an avid follower of the SC2 pro-gaming scene, Lefix feels it is rewarding to see good and well-known players battling on one of his maps.
If you are interested in playing a few games or if you just want to observe, join our in-game channel: TPW on Sunday afternoons starting at 5PM CET on EU-Servers.
We plan on running a weekly KOTH event (King of the Hill) where we will be playing and testing old and new maps. This is a great time to have a nice chat with the team and offer any ideas, suggestions, and feedback. Currently there are no initial plans to enable a KOTH version for the US, but it will happen in the near future.
If you would like to get in touch with us, please send us an e-mail ([email protected]) or send a PM to any TPW member right here on TL.
Quite a few of these maps look very good even on first sight - with One Must Fall being my personal fav. :)
I'll watch by your channel next Sunday, looking forward to trying out something new.
Whoa, all of those look pretty awesome. I love 4min1gas secure naturals, too. Rattlesnake is my favorite by layout, but all have an awesome terrain. Great job ;).
One Must Fall's rocks in the middle are pretty cool, too.
Here's hoping you manage to make tl grow balls and get their tsl map pool to evolve... (uhh, it's going to take balls yourself, but i trust you guys, you'll get there :) )
A new mapmaking melee map team = yahoooooo000OOOO .. uhh i mean awesome, (not to mention the "long live eu realm" bit) plus il y a de fous plus on rit
As for the maps, they are great and have great competitive potential (in my scrap book), if only you would also feature quirky/fun maps (as such if you have to ;) ), my joy would be complete
You need to get those on the NA server ASAP. My life feels hollow after seeing those. I feel like there is a void in myself that can only be filled by an epic map such as these. Blizzard needs to use the community for ladder maps. Nobody even plays on their maps in tournaments, they edit them with supply depot or other things.
Btw do your maps have supply depots at the bottom? They look tournament worthy.
You need to get those on the NA server ASAP. My life feels hollow after seeing those. I feel like there is a void in myself that can only be filled by an epic map such as these. Blizzard needs to use the community for ladder maps. Nobody even plays on their maps in tournaments, they edit them with supply depot or other things.
Btw do your maps have supply depots at the bottom? They look tournament worthy.
These are all on NA except for 'TPW Curfew' I believe. I host the NA section of the team.
These maps do not have depots at the bottom, but will consider it to the team. Thanks!
Is there a way to download them and open them up in the editor? I have downloaded them through a custom game, but I'm not sure where they end up being saved. I'd like to take a good look at them and can't really do that in-game.
July, 20th 2011 - Greetings Sc2Mapster community!
Today we are very proud to announce our newly formed map making team:
‘The Planetary Workshop’
We are a small non-profit organization formed by members of the TL custom map forums driven by our passion for SC2 and melee mapping. In an attempt to further our map creation cause, we decided to join forces and not only help each other make better maps, but also to collaborate with players, casters, tournament organizers, the community, and you! Our aim is to channel our ideas, develop new mapping projects and ultimately bring more quality custom maps to the scene!
With tournaments and live streams growing rapidly, there comes a higher demand for new maps in StarCraft 2. Many viewers grow tiresome of repetitive tournament map pools that contain commonly-used maps like Metalopolis and Xel'Naga Caverns (although we love them). GSL and MLG slowly integrate new community-made maps in their map pools, and it has brought a lot of excitement for the viewers. This is something we would like to get involved in with our maps. We want to show the community that there are more maps to be desired, and our mission is to bring these maps into the light. By establishing our 'TPW' tag on selected maps, we want to assure the community that it is a seal of quality that everybody can trust.
As a team, we believe that as long as we help each other through ideas, criticism, and play-testing, we will continue to produce a higher quality of playable maps for everybody. We want every viewer to know that we desire to go beyond simple map-making. We seek to actively get involved in tournament organizations as well as creating our own events, and to help others with their maps. Although we are starting small and simple, we are open to many ideas for the near future, and we hope to create a great gaming experience for everyone in StarCraft 2.
‘Current Map Pool’
TPW Core Delta (4) [EU, NA] by Meltage http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=216022
TPW Monsoon Valley (2) [EU, NA] by NullCurrent
http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=231528
TPW Odyssey (2) [EU, NA] by Lefix
http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=239728
TPW One Must Fall (2) [EU, NA] by dezi
http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=192107
TPW Void Rift (4) [EU, NA] by Johanaz
http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=220743
TPW Antiga Prime (2) [EU, NA] by IronManSC
http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=234258
TPW Judicator Caste (2) [EU, NA] by Mereel
http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=229202
TPW Cascade (2) [EU, NA] by Samro
http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=245335
TPW Titanis (4) [EU, NA] by Lefix
http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=232599
‘Additional Maps’
TPW Rattlesnake (4) [EU, NA] by Lefix
http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=232599
TPW Green Harvest (4) [EU] by Johanaz
http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=238276
TPW Curfew (2) [EU] by Lefix
http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=211966
TPW Scars of Aiur (2) [NA] by IronManSC
http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=224251
TPW Razed (2) [EU] by Samro
http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=230453
‘Information on the Maps’
Out of the pool of maps we created, we've selected 9 maps to form our official map pool. These maps will be used regularly for tournaments and future events held by TPW. TPW maps are chosen based on balance, aesthetics and game-play features. We also try to have a nice variety in visual themes and we try to feature every team member if possible. As time goes on, we will constantly update the map pool to keep things interesting by adding newly-made maps or possibly re-introducing older ones, so we encourage you to definitely take a look at all available maps! If you plan on using one or more TPW maps in one of your events, or if you hear about our maps being used, please drop us a note so we can watch and feature all events on our upcoming events section!
to be announced
NullCurrent
The only experience of RTS games NullCurrent had before joining the StarCraft II beta was C&C. Surprisingly it went quite well, but due to starting university, the time he was able to invest in the game diminished. Because of this he took up mapping, as it enables him to exercise creativity under restrictions, something which he also loves doing with his hobby; programming.
Meltage
Meltage is a qualified Game Designer and Front End Developer who spends 40+ hrs on every map he makes. His principles are "Quality over quantity" and "Make solid layout and main features, but do not forget innovation".
dezi
Dezi started mapping with C&C:RA1 (the editor where you had several pre-made terrain pieces instead of eg. a terrain pencil). He also made some BW maps but never dove deep into BW mapping. Because of extensive work with triggers in WC3, he lost interest in custom maps and now focuses his time on making melee maps.
IronManSC
IronMan has been a fan of StarCraft since the original release. He was a melee map-maker since BroodWar and continues to pursue that creativity by extending it to StarCraft 2.
Mereel
Mereel has been making maps since WarCraft 3. He made ambient movies as well as melee maps, and when WarCraft 3 was dying off, he carried on to StarCraft II. Due to the increased complexity of the editor, he started to create melee maps instead. His goal as a map-maker is to achieve a gaming experience in StarCraft II similar to that of our beloved StarCraft: BroodWar.
Samro
Samro's interest in map making for competitive gaming may trace back to his broader interest in game design for Quake and UT. A map is the space that helps to define a specific gameplay, but also brings forward the atmosphere and stylistic background of each game. Hence map making is nothing less than building worlds and defining all parameters that generate the playground for competitive and high-skill as well as fun to watch matches.
Johanaz
Johanaz has made maps since Warcraft II, but mostly for Total Annihilation and Supreme Commander. He has an irresistible urge to create melee maps to the point of hurting his career in industrial design and music.
Lefix
Despite working as an artist in the gaming industry, Lefix still enjoys working on various projects in his spare time. He likes map-making because it is not only simple, but it lets him express himself more with the freedom of being totally creative; far more than his job would ever allow him to. As an avid follower of the SC2 pro-gaming scene, Lefix feels it is rewarding to see good and well-known players battling on one of his maps.
If you are interested in playing a few games or if you just want to observe, join our in-game channel: TPW on Sunday afternoons starting at 5PM CET on EU-Servers. We plan on running a weekly KOTH event (King of the Hill) where we will be playing and testing old and new maps. This is a great time to have a nice chat with the team and offer any ideas, suggestions, and feedback. Currently there are no initial plans to enable a KOTH version for the US, but it will happen in the near future.
If you would like to get in touch with us, please send us an e-mail ([email protected]) or send a PM to any TPW member right here on TL.
You can also find more detailed information about us and our maps on our website: www.theplanetaryworkshop.com
Don’t forget to visit our IRC channel theplanetaryworkshop on quakenet and our in-game channel “TPW” if you are looking for games!
Quite a few of these maps look very good even on first sight - with One Must Fall being my personal fav. :)
I'll watch by your channel next Sunday, looking forward to trying out something new.
Whoa, all of those look pretty awesome. I love 4min1gas secure naturals, too. Rattlesnake is my favorite by layout, but all have an awesome terrain. Great job ;).
One Must Fall's rocks in the middle are pretty cool, too.
Here's hoping you manage to make tl grow balls and get their tsl map pool to evolve... (uhh, it's going to take balls yourself, but i trust you guys, you'll get there :) )
A new mapmaking melee map team = yahoooooo000OOOO .. uhh i mean awesome, (not to mention the "long live eu realm" bit) plus il y a de fous plus on rit
As for the maps, they are great and have great competitive potential (in my scrap book), if only you would also feature quirky/fun maps (as such if you have to ;) ), my joy would be complete
HOLY CRAP
You need to get those on the NA server ASAP. My life feels hollow after seeing those. I feel like there is a void in myself that can only be filled by an epic map such as these. Blizzard needs to use the community for ladder maps. Nobody even plays on their maps in tournaments, they edit them with supply depot or other things.
Btw do your maps have supply depots at the bottom? They look tournament worthy.
Great job on the terrain; I can't stress enough how important good looking terrain is!
These are all on NA except for 'TPW Curfew' I believe. I host the NA section of the team.
These maps do not have depots at the bottom, but will consider it to the team. Thanks!
@IronManSC: Go
Oh thanks. I thought I read they weren't but it was just the koth game mode? Anyways will you be hosting nights where we use this?
Awesome maps, good luck TPW :) I like Antiga Prime most.
maps lookin really good :) glad to have you lot here
going to play them with friends to take a look at them
These maps look great! Let me know if you'd be open to applying PeepMode to a couple of these. http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=226035
Is there a way to download them and open them up in the editor? I have downloaded them through a custom game, but I'm not sure where they end up being saved. I'd like to take a good look at them and can't really do that in-game.
Great looking maps.
It would be nice to see some larger maps as well.