Spring RTS Engine

Whats the current thinking, do people want specific areas from which metal can be sourced, or "my preference" Global metal availability "all over the map" but with a much lower yield per mex, say 1.0, this preserves the stategic option of hiding a resource farm anywhere on the map.

Well, metal maps traditionally have uniform resource distribution, but for that reason I don't like them and rarely play them. IMO, fighting for resources by fighting for territory IS what is fun about TA.

I agree, but there is that "where are they" factor with metal maps, no matter how often you play the map those extractors could theoretically be anywhere as opposed to "fixed" metal resources GOW is a good example of what I mean.

Well, the issue with metal maps is that you can put all those extractors in a single place and then tonnes of defenses in front of it. Agree that you lose the unknown part of where they are, but the porc factor of metal maps makes it worthwhile to me. You remind me of GOW, it's a shame there's no linebombing in spring.

Linebombing looked awesome in replays of that map.

well you could simply make metal everywhere, and put a radius of like 1000 on the mexesm make sure they produce 2-3 per mex, and there ya go.

Just cause the world is made of a type of metal, it doesn't mean that that metal is good, or particularly rich.

if you think when you place metal, and think hard, playtest, balance, and think again...

its usually a better map because players have to think to play well on it, and thus are more immersed in the game, and can enjoy it more, victory or defeat.

when its nominal, normal, or lazy metal distribution, the map becomes "typical" and the game becomes a "walk the same steps as the last one" map with nothing more than eyecandy...

prime example, my map, blacklake swamp.

there is NOTHING fancy about the metal, or the map, besides eyecandy.

is it played much? do people talk about it much as "such a good game" bla bla bla, no.
its just another run of the mill map with flowers on it..

if thats your intention to make run of the mill maps, so be it, GO FOR IT they are worthwhile too... but if you want to create something spectacular, think outside the box.

(I'm thinking EE but yeah)
Consider doing something like make the metal ONLY claimable from rubble on the map or rocks or something, and those rocks are underwater, in small shallow lakes where most constructors and units cannot go, that boats would have no point on... meaning your extractors are only units, con units, hardly defendable, mobile, and take some management... and MUST be escorted to the extraction sites..

THUS! you have to defend ALL sides of the resource "pools" and you can't take someone elses without force, amphibious, or specalized units like torpedo bombers.... maps with, thought, can be fun