First Map: Where Eagles Dare.

[Canny]

posted on May 11th, 2010, 12:30 pm

Last edited by Canny on May 13th, 2010, 7:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Ok, so my first map. I tried my best to make it as asymmetrical as possible. the resource expansions around the dilthium moons in the middle are intended to be dangerous while the tritainium moons are far from protected and easily contested on the limb of the main map . the middle is intended to be a problem to be solved so it requires a scout and the idea is to find your way in. the dilithium moons on the outside corners have a nasty surprise, i made sure it's marginal enough that if you hesitate then you can kiss bye bye to what was your ships. i also made sure the green nebulae are.. less inviting then it looks .

System Y-363418 near the Cardassian Sector, the map also has 1 giant rock floating through the system, it makes good eye candy but could slow down performance a tad.

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posted on May 11th, 2010, 5:36 pm

Good work . It's always nice to see new maps popping up! Check out Astrometrics for a collection of many of FO's community maps

One thing that might help with the asymmetrical design is to split up the moon pairs and spread them about a bit a bit more. By splitting the moons you will find that expansions with have either Dilithium OR Tritanium but rarely both together (maybe only for especially dangerous and lucrative areas). You then need to balance the moon placements based on how each player will encounter the map.

I tend to also, make sure that there are roughly equal numbers of each moon, otherwise a resource shortfall in either Dilithium or Tritanium will result in some factions gaining an unfair advantage over others

posted on May 11th, 2010, 5:42 pm

Good work . It's always nice to see new maps popping up! Check out Astrometrics for a collection of many of FO's community maps

One thing that might help with the asymmetrical design is to split up the moon pairs and spread them about a bit a bit more. By splitting the moons you will find that expansions with have either Dilithium OR Tritanium but rarely both together (maybe only for especially dangerous and lucrative areas). You then need to balance the moon placements based on how each player will encounter the map.

I tend to also, make sure that there are roughly equal numbers of each moon, otherwise a resource shortfall in either Dilithium or Tritanium will result in some factions gaining an unfair advantage over others

i thought i got the last part right, clearly not enough, i will make another map with a few twists and see what i can add to it. thanks phoenix.

posted on May 11th, 2010, 5:46 pm

Aye, it's tough to balance moon placements as the most obvious balanced solution is to arrange them in a pattern, but more people will recognise a pattern fairly quickly once they've sussed it out. Check out the Hitch Hikers Guide to FO as well . Many good map making tips under the Map Design section!

I look forward to seeing your 2nd map

posted on May 11th, 2010, 6:22 pm

Aye, it's tough to balance moon placements as the most obvious balanced solution is to arrange them in a pattern, but more people will recognise a pattern fairly quickly once they've sussed it out. Check out the Hitch Hikers Guide to FO as well . Many good map making tips under the Map Design section!

I look forward to seeing your 2nd map

beaten you to it, done that earlier in the day, a nice guide Boggz did.
i should have the 2nd map ready sometime tomorrow or the day after, get the ai to jump through some hoops and find bugs that players would otherwise miss. did it with this map, the top left asteroid field had a gap in it and patched it up same with the planetoids near the middle top left dilithium moon, i would of never found it if i wasnt messing around watching ai forces kill each other my defiant mopping up the stragglers, a very impressive kill list to be sure . anyway, better hop to it .

posted on May 13th, 2010, 7:39 pm

I have updated the map due to a missing blocking section in the botton right asteroid belt. i have ran hours on this map before and never flared up so this time i have corrected it.