For Map Makers Used To Other Strategy Games

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[edit] Editing For Map Makers Used To Other Strategy Games

Introduction

So you consider yourself an expert map maker, eh? You figure you can just port some of your maps from other games into the Battalion map editor and they will be instant classics, right? Wrong. The art of making a Battalion map is quite different than anything that applies in other games. Sure, overall concepts such as balance and uniqueness count, but the specific elements of Battalion cause it to be a much different environment that what you may be used to. What works well in other games may not work well in Battalion and vice versa. Here are a number of tips for players coming from other strategy game realms to help them create better Battalion maps.

Map Size

The most common fault in maps ported from other games is that they’re far too big. Since Battalion is an online game without a save feature, maps must promote relatively short games in order for them to be played at all. A “good” 2 player game in Battalion usually lasts only around 20-30 turns, and they generally don’t last more than an hour or so. One thing to remember is that the default size for a map in Battalion in 15 wide by 9 tall, which is generally much smaller than comparable games. While no one is going to fault you for going larger with a good reason, it’s generally a good rule to keep your maps as small as possible.

A Defensive Game

Battalion is a game that is much more defensive than most other strategy games. Terrain provides a much larger defense than it does in other strategy games, making it very important in Battalion. Map makers without a lot of experience in Battalion will often create maps that have clusters and haphazardly placed forests and buildings. Maps in Battalion, unlike in some other games, must be created with a mindset of “is this terrain fair and interesting for all players?”

A Basic Game

What you see is what you get in Battalion. There are no special bonuses or large degree of randomness in the game. That means that you should design your maps in a reasonable state of mind. Don’t let your experiences in other games lead to create unbalanced maps with the idea that some special bonus will kick in half way through the game and change the course of the battle.

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