Map Reviews
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Bionica v3.1 (FINAL)
Reviewed by aGorm
Looks
That map looks (don't be fooled by the minimap!) really good. The central island is especially nice; the texture used is perfect. It is slightly stylized (like TA maps) not a real world... The metal around the edge actually looks pretty damn good too, as you don't notice the sea join at all. It gives it the feel of being on an island, without being on one. Other maps that come to the edge look bad because it seems abrupt. This avoids that problem because it's meant to be. One gripe that stops this from getting 9/10: there are ramps, and they are necessary, but they spoil the look. However it's still is very good.
8/10
Playability
The start positions are wrong. This is annoying. Also everyone will need to make them the same to play. However it clearly has lots of potential for a good game once started. All the players would have to fight around and destroy there neighbours on land, and use air and sea to get the others, which could lead to all sorts of cool suprise attacks and so forth. The island in the middle, containing extra metal and great radar coverage, is a good place to get. Only one real problem: there is not much room for a base around the outside. If you started there, you'd be at a disadvantage.
7/10
You can get the map here.
Lava Highground 2 - v1.0
Reviewed by aGorm
Looks
The map looks, at first sight, pretty good. The texture is maybe a little repetitive, but it's different. The ambiance is good (i.e. sky effects and lighting). In "normal mode" it all looks fine! Just nothing special...
However... The metal map is like somthing out of a funky light show. It's just green dots on the ground! They obviously meant to represent metal patches, but the time was not taken to add then onto the surface map. If they would have, I would forgive them but as they are--well they do look a bit off.
8.5/10
Playability
Here it scores above average... It's a simple concept, everything works well (as you'd hope in a second version...) No problems, except how easy it is to defend... Should 2 popup turrets and 4 imolators really be able to take down 100 mavericks? Not really... However the terrain does give that sort of great advantage to the defender; but a good attacker will be able to work around this!
Its biggest problem here is just size... It's tiny really. Had it been a little bigger I'd have said 8/10, but it has dropped to 6/10.
You can get the map here.
Destination: Mars
Map made by Buggi
Reviewed by GenBlood
Looks
The map is of Mars the forth planet from the sun in the solar system. The planet has large deposits of metal all over the map. The over all look of the map is good and well layed out. The map size is 40x30 and was designed for 8 players. This isn't meant for a 1 vs 1 game, unless you have a few hours to kill. The overall look and feel is good and a must have in your maps folder.
8/10
Playability
This map has a lot of metal, so harvesting resources shouldn't be a big problem. When choosing between solar or wind generators, you should select the wind generators. They use less metal and build faster then solar at the start of the game. You should build metal storage units and energy storage units early in the game. It's better to have extra resources, in case you solar or wind generators get damaged during the game. The map is big but the resources are there. A good player can build alot of planes and ground units. You will need to build good round and air defenses early in the game, or the game will be over really quick. Also, having good team members on your side is a plus. They can help you build your base, gather resources and send ally messages to help you out during the game. IMHO this is a good 4 or 6 player map. I haven't tried 8 players over the internet. Most likely you will have to be on a LAN to get 8 players on this map without any lag. Completely strange placement of metal <,<
6/10
You can get the map here.
Volcano Island
Map made by aGorm
Reviewed by GenBlood
Looks
The overall textures and placement of the trees are good. There isn't too many trees per island. The metal resources and geo vents per island our very good and well layed-out. This is a good 2 player map or a 2 vs. 2 map. There is four islands and lots of water. In the middle on the map there is a lot of metal. The first person or team that can control it will be hard to beat. The bottom line is the overall look and feel is good.
7/10
Playability
When starting you have all the resources you'll need at your fingers tips. You can build on land and in the water. To get the most out of this map you will need to build on the land and in the water. This map will force people to build ships, in my opinion. If you are a good player you can win without building ships, but you will get more out of this map if you do both. The map can be played over and over. The key to winning is getting control of the center of the map to get the metal. Once you control the center, its a good chance you will win the game :) Playability of this map is good. It's a must have for your maps folder.
7.5/10
You can get the map here.
Core Prime Industrial Area
Map made by zwzsg
Reviewed by GenBlood
Looks
A classic Core Contingency metal map converted for TASpring. It can play 6 players with room to spare. The textures and overall look reminds me of TA in the old days. The resources like metal and energy are well balanced. Converting maps isn't easy. It takes time to compile them and make sure they have the same feel as it orginal CC map. zwzsg, you did a great job on converting this map and I look forward to future maps from you.
8/10
Playability
Metal maps are different from other TASpring maps, like others you have the gather metal at certain locations. Most of the map can produce metal in some amount. Resource management on building ground units, planes and structures is important during the beginning of the game. Make sure you have lots of energy in the beginning. If you build too much at the start and don't manage your energy properly, your base building will slow down really fast. I've made some bad choices on this map and got crushed really fast. I've learned from my mistakes and have improved my overall game play. Overall this is a kick ass map and it's a must have in your maps folder.
But the middle! <,< Awful for gameplay. If that was improved it would be worthy of 8-9 out of 10. For now...
2.5/10
You can get the map here.
Azure Rampart
Map made by zwzsg
Map reviewed by GenBlood
Looks
This is a 5 player map has a very good design. The overall design is different then most TASpring maps. The metal and geo resources are available to the players. The geos more to the middle of the map. So, you will need to go and find them. Also, all the main starting postions of the commanders are marked. You might say, the locations are marked with letters A, B, C, D and stuff like that. I would say this is a very good looking maps.
7.5/10
Playability
On this you really need to plan on what you are going to do. The metal resources could have been better, but you can make metal if needed. You will need to decide if its a ground or air battle. In the beginning resources will be tight. Most likely a air battle or the use of planes will be a big part in winning on this map. Nukes can be used, but they require a lot of resources to build them.
I just finished a game with MOnG and 3 others and I used planes and nukes. Bottom line, I messed up :( I nuked a few of the players. I wasn't watching when I was typing and messed up. I nuked my based when I set a rally point. It was funny. Back to the review ...
I would say it's an "OK" map, but new players might not like the small area to build on. You have to have a good base layout. You must design your base to defend against a lot of planes. Managing your resources is a must on this map. If you build too fast you will run out of metal or energy and basically you will get crushed by a good player. In my opinion this map is a must have, but I don't see too many playing with it.
6.5/10
You can get the map here.
Mirage
Map made by Neuralize
Reviewed by GenBlood
Looks
This is a very good looking map. The metal is visual when looking over the terrain. The geos are placed in good locations all over the map. The mountain terrain textures look very good and they stand out. This is a very well layed out map for 4 players for a free for all (FFA) or teams. You should have no problem playing a 2 vs 2 or even a 3 vs 3 game. In my opinion this is a very good looking map and a good design.
7.5/10
Playability
When you start on this map you have metal resources and geos at your finger tips. If you layout your base properly, you should be able to rush the enemy base before they get their defenses built. I forsee a lot of playability in this map. You can have a good 3 vs 3 on this map. The one hosting the game can have players postions be selected in the game. This will add another level of game play to this map. You can have a 3 vs 3 game picking locations in the game, say team 1 on the top of the map and team 2 on the bottom of the map. Good team mates on a map like this can help build almost all types of structures on a map like this. I like nukes, anti-missile silos and Kroggie factories. Also, nukes can be used to stop large numbers rushing you. Like a offensive weapons against a rush attack. I would stay this is a must have for you maps folder. It's about 18 MB but it's worth the download time.
8.5/10
You can get the map here.
XantheTerra
Map made by Shintahr
Reviewed by Zoombie
Looks
This map is gorgeous. The vistas and terrain are epic in scope and filled with grandeur, bringing mars to life. Only problem is that this grandeur is ripped to shreds when you build the first unit/building. Suddenly you realize that the epic canyons and tall mountains are actually very small, and then the map suddenly gets less cool. This is quickly remedied by either, A) getting MiniSpring or B) blowing some stuff up. The height map is well done, the terrain deformability works great, and the unit move speeds actually impacted game play!
7.5/10
Playability
This map’s visuals are surpassed by its game play. The canyon that runs down the middle makes for a great tank protection. The metal placement is good and allows for your base to have some form of structure. Even though this map is vertically-challenged, it is at least big. Really big! So massive armies and huge bases are the name of the game here, and the ensuing firefights deserve some really cool music to go along with it. There is no sea to speak of, so your energies are best devoted to K-bots. The wide plains are good for tanks, but unfortunately they have trouble navigating the narrow, bumpy canyons that cut the map in half. The K-bot also gets a large move bonus in the canyons; which is great for a speedy attack. LRPCs reign supreme here, with every base being easy to reach and unprotected by cover. So destroy the enemy’s first or bring out the radar jammers! The last note I'd like to make is the fourth starting position is perfect for turtlers. A small island surrounded by canyons with enough room to pack in a bunch of guns. You still need to send some con units to the lower parts of the canyons for metal, but you are relatively safe from Goliaths and other large tanks. Be sure to have lots of air defense for those pesky brawlers, as small, tightly packed bases are perfect targets for these. It's about 6 MB and it's worth the time to download.
9/10
You can get the map here
