tannergx's Maps - Null & Voids added 2/11/2013

[Darkmage7a]

Glad to see you back at it again Tanner. Ruins at Fort McAda would be my first choice, not sure about the other two. They are all very nice I don't really play on maps that use ladders on columns much, but Broken Skyline is a BOV map so what to I know?

[rednax]

This is just amazing. New maps by Dignan, Mad_Wookiee, Darmage7a, Tannergx, and Gamebear!

~Rednax, who didn't have time or the inspiration to make a map

[tannergx]

Thanks all for the responses. I think most agree that Ruins and Remains are the stronger maps as entries, so I'll go with those.

I think Scout's Lookout is the map that most looks like a real landscape. The problem is that dudes with guns tend to kill dudes with swords in most real landscapes. And I know why the map resonates with Rednax... it's a Rednax footprint in disguise (see underlying arrangement of 24-hex tiles, and double wide road sections).

Lastly, I just made some last minute adjustments to Remains... some battlements have been thinned out to give better access to 4 movers like Knights. And Q9 now has 2 points of entry to the center complex when not Valda boosted. My apologies to those that have already downloaded. New version:

Remains of Clionesia

[tannergx]

Remains & Ruins both fell out after the 2nd round. The good news is that I can now post some much needed revisions that I've been sitting on:

Remains of Clionesia

After more games, I felt the map suffered from sticking to rigidly to concept. Specifically, I had blocked access to the central promenade with water, as well as the path around the left-side columns. I was initially trying to push all the action to the sides, but in retrospect, I don't think it added anything - the center is the low ground so there is little harm in granting easier access. There are basically two changes with this revision that make the map more flexible in my view, and give easier paths to melee armies to engage ranged foes.


Ruins at Fort McAda

The more games I played with riflemen on the submitted version of this map, the more apparent it was that it was broken. A shooting gallery pure and simple. Radical surgery was required, and I've made changes to almost every aspect of the map, while trying not to lose the feel of the original landscape. Battlements were pushed out to make the 1-up ground closest to the start zones just a little more difficult to take. The Ruins were perched up on the central plateau where they actually can provide some LOS coverage. Road hexes that stretched into start zones were re-purposed to provide more lateral access on the plateau. And strong power glyphs were added to each side, intended to punish strategies that overload one side and ignore the other.

If anyone played the originals, please let me know what you think of the changes.

Cheers,
~tgx

[dok]

I didn't play on either, but as the self-anointed champion of theoryscape, I feel qualified to comment.

I much prefer the new version of RoFM. I thought the original was a shooting gallery. This one still has much more useful LoS blocking. More importantly, most of the good high ground can get engaged quickly. My biggest concerns with the new one are the 2 level 4 perches that aren't next to the roads, and the presence of Gerda (which is much more important than Wannok).

I already liked RoC a lot, but I do think this version is an improvement. More options is usually a good thing. The one thing on this map that really concerns me is that I think I would usually dice off to get the side with the height 5 Raelin perch.

[tannergx]

Originally Posted by dok

My biggest concerns with the new one are the 2 level 4 perches that aren't next to the roads, and the presence of Gerda (which is much more important than Wannok).

dok, I'll take those concerns. The 2 level-four perches were in play during my play tests, but they aren't in the most desirable locations to begin with. The ruins give ample flank opportunities, and ultimately I think a 1-up is needed in that zone to avoid the dullness that results from flatness.

Regarding Gerda, I agree that it's more desirable than Wannok most of the time. But with 4th Mass armies, I don't tend to see Marcu as wound soak (non-Valiant), so there are situations where it's reasonably desirable. Gerda is the strongest glyph I'm comfortable using, and was needed to help melee survive in play-testing... is there a better pairing for it than Wannok that you might suggest?

Originally Posted by dok

The one thing on this map that really concerns me is that I think I would usually dice off to get the side with the height 5 Raelin perch.

If you do that, you'll get reduced coverage from the small ruin... I'm trying to introduce a trade-off there to balance out the asymmetry of the ruins.

Ultimately, I'm really new to RotV, and I'm still learning how to use it effectively (and still learning what constitutes tourney worthy in general). Really appreciate the feedback.

~tgx

[Dad_Scaper]

Tanner, without speaking directly to the revisions, Ruins at Fort McAda appeared to suffer from the same affliction affecting all the contest maps that did not use the columns: LoS problems.

It's a strange problem, considering Tom build High Point 2 with just a RotV and it's fine. In the end, the maps I would probably select for one of my tournaments would be ones like Ruins of Clionesia, which I thought at the time and still think is a strong map.

I wonder about those platforms on level 4 just outside the start zones. Can range/Raelin camp on them too easily? Just looking at the map, that's the question that leaps out at me.

I enjoy looking at your maps, tanner. Keep up the good work.

[Killometer]

I love Fort McAda, but could the map be set up so that the Ruins are angled 60 degrees to provide Left-Right and Start Zone-Start Zone coverage?

[tannergx]

Between work and family, I don't have much time to build maps and post lately. Catching up with 2 new concept maps added, and 2 maps revised:


Checkpoint Narrows




Soggy Bottom



Scout's Lookout



Ruins at Fort McAda


Comments about new maps and changes to previous ones available in first post of this thread if interested.

Cheers,

~tgx

[Robber]

I'm loving Narrow Checkpoints. You don't see too many maps with capped castle walls these days. Even if not perfectly balanced because of the capped segments, it looks very solid and I'd like to try it out soon.

[stubobj]

You impress me every time with your maps. They all look great but Scout's Lookout is one Im wanting to play on the most. I dont see range really dominating and the AE dont seem like they'd break the map. I hope to get this up soon. Great job!

[tannergx]

Hi Robber and stubobj, thanks both of you for the positive responses.

With Checkpoint Narrows, I wanted to use capped castle walls as big LOS blocking towers. To make most of the tower tops accessible for non-flying double-hexers, the area around the towers was also built really high. In the end, I think there is too much elevation for use in a double-blind competitive situation. But I thought it played well enough in draft situations to share. Hope you come away from it feeling the same.

Scout's Lookout is a carry over from the map contest this summer. The early version was pretty spartan and lonesome looking, which I liked. But I think the current version is much more effective at blocking north-south line of sight, as well as being visually more interesting. Glad to hear you like the looks of it.

Cheers,

~tgx