SC2Mapster

First of all, a short FAQ about Strategist:

Frequently asked questions

What is Strategist?

Strategist is a 1-6 FFA micro tournament map, using ladder units and stats. Players choose a squad and fight each other for 2 minutes in each round, in different small arenas.

The winner of each fight is determined by the supply of his surviving units. After 12 rounds, the player with more victories is declared winner and the game ends.

How do squads work?

Squads are defined unit groups. Once you use a squad, you'll play with it an entire round against the other players. After selecting it once, you won't be able to use it again.

There's 10 for each race, divided in 3 levels matching game tiers. To unlock level 2 of a race, you need to play with 2 squads of that race. To unlock level 3 you must play with 4.

What about upgrades?

Each round you get gas depending on what you selected. If you selected a squad, you get 1 gas, if you selected the race random squad, you get 2, and if you selected the random squad you get 4.

There won't be any update unlocked by default, unless lot of people think it's good for balance.

You'll be able to buy detection and others with gas, too, but they will last only for a single round.

What if there's 3 or 5 players? is one of them left alone?

No. There's a Computer player, that lets players get points after a bad round. The computer player is hard to beat, so you'll need micro and a plan to defeat it. Players fight this computer player each round, no matter the total number of players.

The map isn't released yet. I'm doing private tests for balance in EU (post here if you want to try it). I'll stick with a closed beta for the first tests, because I want to do them with all the terrain and dialogue art removed, so the testing triggers perform better, and I don't want people to think the map is bad just because the terrain looks cheap.

Screenshots:

• Coming after closed beta ends

Current squads:

Too long to post them here, look them at Teamliquid instead :).

Current state of the closed beta

• Available arenas: 6
• Automated rounds: Disabled (so games are infinite)
• Upgrades: All enabled by default (may become purchasable later)
• Art/terrain: Disabled (to make tests smoother)

Suggestions, criticism and opinions are welcomed. If you want to help test the balance of the map by yourselves, just post here and I'll warn you when I get online, so we test it together. Take in consideration that, in its closed beta state, the map feels a bit cheap. The good part is you'll see all the disabled things being enabled one by one after each update, until the map reaches open beta.

After open beta, I plan to add rankings to the map, saving the stats of each player with lots of details, like how many times he wins with a specific squad.

My final goal making this map is to have a micro tournament where you choose your units, and you have to manage well your resources each time you choose them. I hope I manage to make a fun, challenging and polished map with your help ;).

• Thread on the forums: http://www.sc2mapster.com/forums/player-zone/map-feedback/35830-strategist-ffa-micro-tournament-beta/#p1