Gloomreap

Message

#1 Post by **DarnYak** » June 28th, 2007, 8:34 pm

To begin, an overview of how Gloomreap's objectives work so I know everyone understands what's going on:

Rough History

Long ago, a powerful artifact was destroyed here due to being considered evil/corrupt/etc. Or rather, attempted to be destroyed, as they found out the damned thing would just reform on its own. So they built a large warding stone that encased the 'heart' of the artifact, then broke the rest of it apart, ground it to dust, and scattered it around the swamp hoping this would be too difficult for it to reform.

Mechanics

Scattered around the map are big green crystals called Gloomite. These are created from the dust from the artifact having slowly gathered together over the years. While you can attack these, only specially trained Gloomite Miners are capable of extracting the pure gloomite from the crystal and putting it to use.

Gloomite is the only source of Tower Cores for this map. Every 3 full crystals mined provides enough for 1 core (or, more specificly, 60 gloomite fragments, of which 1 is granted per hit by a miner). Furhter, after mining at least 40% of the Gloomite, you can spend all of it and 100 crystal to trigger the reformation of the rest of the artifact at the warding stone in the center of the map. This takes some time, and the progress bar is displayed in the team status window (note: I intend to speed this up). After its formed, it must be brought back in an Arcane Wagon, just like on Stormwail.

Miners are computer controlled, but allow player influeance. After thier current Gloomite node dies, they pick a random one nearby, or the nearest overall if there aren't any close ones. Clicking on one will grant temporary control, and allow you to move it elsewhere (note: a bit buggy currently). Your team may have 5 miners at once. If one dies, a single new one will spawn whenever the spawn points reset (every 70 seconds).

Feedback

First: I want to focus on improving the current setup. If you want to argue why it should be removed entirely, or only be a optional mode, please take it to the other thread.

Second, three maps have been attatched. Lots of people seem to have visualization problems with Gloomreap, so i hope these can be of some help. One of them includes a grid, so if you need to refer to specific spots on the map, feel free to use the coordinates provided in that one.

The impression I've gotten so far is people either dislike Gloomreap completely, or are less then satisified with its setup. My goal is to determine why, and how I can improve it to make a better map. Removing it entirely is not an option.

One of my first concerns is lane size and related pathing issues. Are there any spots that need to be looked at (use grid to point them out)? Sinkholes where it looks pathable but aren't? Parts of a lane where its overly narrow? Parts where its just hard in general to tell the water's edge from the actual lane?

Second, is it graphicly appalling? I know I can't tolerate red maps easily, so maybe my choice of water and fog color is annoying people? Is the fog too dense?

General layout is always an issue as well. Are the shops and fountains in acceptable locations, and the area around them properly accessable? The lanes are strange, I know, but i'm more concerned about people not knowing where roads are then the twisted spawn pathing.

Gloomite. Does the current distribution of Gloomite seem balanced, or is one side getting more, easier to farm gloomite leading to an impossible to win game?

How's Gloomite farming working? Most people seem to be ignoring it at the moment, but focusing on it as a centeral element of gameplay, does it acutaly pay off? Are the miners too hard/easy to kill? Exploitable?

Any other comments are welcome. I want to bring this map to the point where people are actualy asking to play it, even if not as often as Stormwail.

DarnYak

FutatsuNoOmoi · #2 Post by **FutatsuNoOmoi** » June 28th, 2007, 8:50 pm

Constructive criticism:
You should display where lanes proceed to when a town/base is destoyed, some are pretty self-explanitory, and many who played it a good ammount SHOULD know where they goto after, but for others who knows where they go after that point?

#3 Post by **DarnYak** » June 28th, 2007, 9:05 pm

FutatsuNoOmoi wrote:Constructive criticism:
You should display where lanes proceed to when a town/base is destoyed, some are pretty self-explanitory, and many who played it a good ammount SHOULD know where they goto after, but for others who knows where they go after that point?

The basic answer is they go straight for the enemy main, and naturally run through whatever's in the way. The only minor exception is the center islands, which will walk through to the far side and then goto main, rather then turn around and goto main (they still go through the front base either way, just from a different direction). Pink goes to Red, Yellow goes to Green to be specific.

DarnYak

Dekar · #4 Post by **Dekar** » June 29th, 2007, 7:14 am

Gloom is my favorite map!

Its easy to switch lanes, has close healing posibilitys everywhere on the map, and you dont have to care about obelisks ( for the relaxed game ).

And the terrain is also nice, no need to change anything imo.

And now with the knowledge of what Gloomite is good for ( because I like to know exact game mechanics ).

Pheonick · #5 Post by **Pheonick** » June 29th, 2007, 11:53 am

I like the new system, I thought the obelisks on Gloomreap were a bit stale, this style is much more refreshing. The terrain is also good.
I know what you mean about the red maps, I can't stand the barrens-style terrain. Something I obviously picked up from WoW.
Also it would be nice to see more map specific spawns or items or even some other third hero controlled, map determined things. Even if its just new/different artifacts from the Candleburg marketplace, or a sea giant spell tier 3 merc. spawn for creeps instead of the Magnataurs. I don't think the mammoth centaurs would be native to the beach.
I also have nagging thoughts whenever i see the large forest surrounding the Candleberg lane. I just think that something more can be done with it... Haven't thought of much that could be done though, to be honest.

#6 Post by **DarnYak** » July 2nd, 2007, 2:32 am

Still seeking comments on this.

If you dont feel like you've played it enough to have a firm basis to comment...then go play it more =P

DarnYak

#7 Post by **Tehw00tz** » July 2nd, 2007, 2:55 am

Are you gonna redo/replace the opening video?

Dekar · #8 Post by **Dekar** » July 2nd, 2007, 7:49 am

The gloomite worker seem to mass on the midlanes all the time and control over both grants a HUGE advantage as in completly shutting of the enemys core income.

At least thats how it feels to me.