The StarCraft II thread

[Nocmen]

Metalopolis, as stated, is likely the two reasons:
1. Close spawns are stupid like that
2. Cross spawns apparently favor Zerg way too much. I've just heard people say this, if someone can expand on why, I'd greatly appreciate.

And if you're taking out Metalopolis, you have to take out Slag Pits, as IIRC, it has a slightly smaller close spawn distance than Metalopolis. I kind of think it's balanced, however, if you take out Close Spawns?

Scrap Station - The fact that an expo is only accessible by air is just stupid.

Delta Quadrant - I didn't see too much wrong with this, it's a good distance, promotes good macro with the back expansion, and two very close expos to the ramp. But there are problems with that, plus I really don't like the gold expo locations.

[xRECKONERx]

I agree with Claus. Scrap Station was so unique. It forced your hand and made you play a certain set number of ways, which made the matches on the map feel much more intense. Now everything just seems like BIG MAP, 4 SPAWN POINTS, GO.

[AGar]

Metalopolis has a serious balance problem (close position), plus it's one of the oldest map and honestly not the most fun to play at all.

Slag Pits, Scrap Station and Delta Quadrant had to be removed. They are all utterly stupid.

Anyone with half a brain was using Metalopolis 1.1 which was fixed to prevent close spawning positions.

Metalopolis was the first Python-like map of SC2. Moderately balanced across lower tiers and the lower echelons of serious competitors, and it produced macro games out the asshole. The map is designed inherently for longer economical games as opposed to innovative and clever strategies.

[Ellibereth]

They should just remake Fighting Spirit.

[TheButtonmen]

They should just remake Fighting Spirit.

They pretty much did.

[Ellibereth]

Oh
yeah
I forgot about that. >.<

[AGar]

I'd much rather they brought back Blue Storm yo.

[Albert B. Rampage]

Metalopolis, as stated, is likely the two reasons:
1. Close spawns are stupid like that
2. Cross spawns apparently favor Zerg way too much. I've just heard people say this, if someone can expand on why, I'd greatly appreciate.

Zerg are a lot faster than the other races, so they can send mutas/speedlings accross the map faster than you can catch them

[Ellibereth]

I'd much rather they brought back Blue Storm yo.

But...it wouldn't be blue storm without the stupid pathing.

[DeathRowKitty]

Metalopolis, as stated, is likely the two reasons:
1. Close spawns are stupid like that
2. Cross spawns apparently favor Zerg way too much. I've just heard people say this, if someone can expand on why, I'd greatly appreciate.

Zerg are a lot faster than the other races, so they can send mutas/speedlings accross the map faster than you can catch them

Yeah, that was part of it. Mostly the speedling part. With the two equal-length paths between bases and the relatively slow Terran units, it was difficult for terran to move out against zerg because it left the natural open to speedling harass...and the speedlings could still get back in time to help defend the terran attack.

The other problem (I have no idea how true this is...I'm just parroting what I've read at this point) was that it was too easy to hold the non-high-yield expansions and zerg could get a gazillion bases (5).

---

I played my placement match and not surprisingly stayed in gold. I'm not vetoing any of the new maps until I've played more games on them, but from what I've seen in my first two games of the new season (both of which have been on new maps), I'll probably be vetoing at least one of them (whatever map the second game was on). On the bright side, it seems to make zvz's shorter, which is nice since I find zvz more exciting on hatch tech than I do on lair tech, but I can't foresee games against anything except z going very well on that map.

[Nocmen]

I've played 3 games so far on Searing Crater and Abyssal Caverns, each, but none on the other two yet.

What I've found (from the perspective of a gold terran):
Searing Crater: What seems like the close expo, is horrible to defend. Unless you are playing against T with heavy sieges, the one on the immediate top/bottom map is the way to go. I feel the golds are practically worthless, unless you go into 5+ base play in cross positions. Gold is definitely worthless in vertical spawns.

Abyssal Caverns: Once again, the Golds are way too vulnerable to siege (can the lines on them be hit from the mains? I haven't checked yet), If I play Zerg on this map, I'm pretty much always going to anticipate a rush, I see it very hard for them to play off 3+ bases on the map.

[AGar]

With close spawns removed, Zerg could potentially hold 5 very easy bases without even getting the high yield if they spawn close-by-air with their opponent. If they're half-decent at expanding their creep, they can control half of the map with minimal effort and lots of speed with which to defend their bases. Add in that they can fairly easily get a gold base and you have a 6-base Zerg that can be REALLY fucking scary.

[Albert B. Rampage]

With close spawns removed, Zerg could potentially hold 5 very easy bases without even getting the high yield if they spawn close-by-air with their opponent. If they're half-decent at expanding their creep, they can control half of the map with minimal effort and lots of speed with which to defend their bases. Add in that they can fairly easily get a gold base and you have a 6-base Zerg that can be REALLY fucking scary.

I keep thinking of my game vs. DRK where he had 6 bases and I had 2, but I beat him because he had no gas or anti-air LOL

[DeathRowKitty]

Buck fanshees.

[Albert B. Rampage]

lol you know you're my favorite team partner!

[Nocmen]

Put a veto on Abyssal Caverns. The differences in the wall offs/air distance really stupid. Each base has one of them and of all the maps to veto, I'm going with that.

Edit: Or I may switch that with Antiga. Same horrible rotational issues as Backwater Gulch, but with the third.

[AGar]

Liquid picks up Sheth... there must be something there that I'm not seeing. Hm.

AGar's Predictions for Anaheim.

- DRG puts up 2 wins max in his group. Nerves get the better of him here. Huk 3, maybe 4. NaNi takes it.
- Sheth bombs his group.
- Machine shocks the hell out of everyone, top 3 in his group.
- Tyler bows out early.
- Alicia - in LB before 4th round of upper bracket play, eliminated within 2 rounds of that.
- IdrA top 2.

[Kinetic]

Kinetic's Predictions
A: Huk wins group, DRG Second
B: InControl takes the group in a shocker, Idra second
C: MMA clean sweep, Open player gets second
D: MVP 1st, Select 2nd

Also, Kinetic.917, just placed into Plat.

[AGar]

Idra is going to have benefitted most from EG's boot-camping. His mechanics are drilled into his head from 14-hour practice sessions in the CJ house for a year. Ideally, he would have focused on working out new strategies and analyzing holes in his other aspects of play (scouting, timings, unit compositions). Whereas the rest of the team is going to have to still hone in on mechanics moreso than he will while also working out things like this.

[Ellibereth]

Machine.
PRACTICE MACHINE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpM0wPKBOro

[Otolia]

Machine.
PRACTICE MACHINE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpM0wPKBOro

I don't get how Machine couldn't know that Carmac speaks a excellent english. This guy has a pretty important position in the ESL It's a requirement for his job.
Or it's just a setup and that's not funny

[Moratorium]

Haven't looked at or played anything Starcraft in a month, what have I missed?

Gonna watch MLG Anaheim starting tonight though...

[DeathRowKitty]

New season started for ladder, complete with 4 new maps that are loved by everyone

that doesn't play protoss or zerg

.

[TheButtonmen]

MLG weekend!

The best casting archon on stream (Day[j]Wheat, suck it Tastosis) and Mr.Bitters holding up the other, I'm stoked.

[Moratorium]

Scumbag Naniwa meme needed:



Go Huk!