[Dox]

It looks like GomTV are looking to combat the era of Terran dominance by removing gold bases from ALL of their maps - in what seems to be a desperate attempt to reduce the significant lead a 3-base player can achieve with MULE's.

In addition to these changes, Metalopolis, Xel'Naga Fortress and Terminus have overstayed their welcome, and will no longer be seen in the GSL Map Pool.

Please consider these map changes when hosting tournament matches in the future, as we can probably expect these updated versions of the maps to arrive on SEA soon enough.

Additional Map Modifications
Bel'Shir Beach

• Rich Mineral Patches exchanged for Regular Minerals (8 mineral patches & 2 vespene geysers)
• Map tileset updated to Winter, replacing the Summer theme.
• + [Pretty Winter Textures] +

  

Antiga Shipyard

• Rich Mineral Patches exchanged for Regular Minerals (8 mineral patches & 2 vespene geysers)
• Players can now only spawn diagonally.

Dual Sight

• Rich Mineral Patches exchanged for Regular Minerals (8 mineral patches & 2 vespene geysers)
• Width of natural choke reduced.
• Entrance to 3rd base divided into two paths.

CrossFire SE

• Rich Mineral Patches exchanged for Regular Minerals (8 mineral patches & 2 vespene geysers)
• Every expansion on the map has been reduced to 7 mineral patches..
• Neutral supply depots have been placed at the bottom of each players' ramp, preventing bunker walls.

New Map
Calm Before the Storm

• It's like Delta Quadrant and Crossfire got together to have an attractive baby.
• + [Show Map] +

  

What do you guys think? Will we see more and success with these changes?

[Snx.FigJig]

Eh, the new map looks ok. Think there's too many chokes/hallways and also....rocks, did David Kim and Bowder help design this map? :P

[NvPinder]

New map looks pretty cool. Look forward to playing it for sure. Looks INSANELY protoss favored (chokeyness of typhon peaks/crossfire combined with even easier 3 bases than tal'darim/terminus = lololololololololol)

removing fortress and meta over belshir, duel sight and crossfire makes me a little sad tho. but all in all i think its a good map pool.

Not sure how i feel about the removal of the golds either, I dont think it will make tooooo much of a difference tbh. But antiga is going to be very interesting without them, since it's the natural fourth to take anyway.

[|Erasmus|]

Originally Posted by PickleWeasel

Eh, the new map looks ok. Think there's too many chokes/hallways and also....rocks, did David Kim and Bowder help design this map? :P

The rocks are probably there so zerg can't just scout a FFE protoss and immediately go up to (safe) 3 base without making lings to kill the rocks. They can take the more exposed front expansions, but they are much more vulnerable to protoss timings if they do.

EDIT: rocks at the front expo as well... I guess they -really- don't want zergs taking that insta third base against FFE. :/

[NvRossi]

i dont really like the jungle basin / delta quad style safe natural/3rd

[inFeZa]

I like the new map. But the changes to bel'shir are bad...
IT WAS SO PRETTY QQ

[Bugalugs McScruffin]

Originally Posted by inFeZa

I like the new map. But the changes to bel'shir are bad...
IT WAS SO PRETTY QQ

Gah!!! Didn't actually check till just then. What have they done? Oh the huge manatee. It was such a pretty map. And now. :'(

I am curious as to the reasoning behind changing it though. If anyone has any insight, please do tell.

[Dox]

Well, it's a pretty obvious reason. Korean Winter begins in November. When the summer season begins, we'll probably see them switch back to the old tropical tileset.

I think it's actually really clever.

[nirvAnA]

thats a good observation Dox!

i personally liked the summer maps, they looked so pretty. winter maps just look depressing. calm before the storm looks so sc1 influenced

[Dox]

Whoops! I had the wrong picture (version) of Calm Before the Storm. I've updated the OP - the rocks at the rear natural are now gone.

[Daboo]

Originally Posted by Dox

Whoops! I had the wrong picture (version) of Calm Before the Storm. I've updated the OP - the rocks at the rear natural are now gone.

If this map makes the ladder, the rocks version is the one we'll get

The antiga shipyard seems like a good change, a few people were complaining about positional imbalance on that map,notably tyler in the recent sotg. But Now, there isnt much incentive to take the base at the center, especially with siege-able high ground next to it.

[Bugalugs McScruffin]

Massive picture, but it looks very nice. Lots of safer fast expands. Early 3rd for Zergs. Will be interesting to play on.

[NvPinder]

I think delta quadrant is a really bad map to compare the new map to... from the looks of the new map it's large and the nat choke is shattered-ish tight. delta quadrant was steppes of war small, even crossmap, and the nat was as bad as xel'naga in terms of ramp placement and openness & rocks stopped quick backdoor expansions.

This new map will actually be defensive macro heaven (think god's garden in broodwar, MINUS the ledge at the back-nat) combined with chokes everywhere for the mid-game forcefield heaven of crossfire & typhon, I actually couldn't design a more protoss favoured map if i tried... They must REALLY want a protoss to win another GSL.

Quick Comments

Dox:

[Ruscour]

I'd say Crevasse is the most similar map to Calm Before the Storm. I like the map changes, a bit disappointed that Crossfire remains in the map pool though.

[ETL.Branno]

could protoss double expand early and do like 10 gate +2 blink stalker with obs? this maps looks pretty bad for zerg with all the chokes and hard to defend 4th base.

[Aean(:]

bel'shir beach looks so sick!

[LennX]

So now GSL is attempting to try the BW way of balancing the races via map pool. Pretty decent changes I must say. Gold patches are also going the way of the Dodo now.

[SuperHero]

I really like the new map and the tile change to Bel'shir beach, i think it suits the season great.

However the new map is definantly a defensive macro map, heavily protoss favoured with all those chokes (force field!) and also terran would have a good time on it with siege tanks firing into those chokes. even the middle of the map has those lake thingos so its not a massive wide open space.

for the gold mineral change, i do agree that MULE bombs on a gold base are incredibly effective especially if terran is able to get up the production facilities in preparation for the massive mineral increase that it generates. without gold bases it would appear that MULES are now more to make up the economy imbalance that terran suffers (protoss chronoboosting probes, zerg multiple drones at once)

[EscapisT]

Damn!!! I wanted Red, Blue, Yellow, Silver, Crystal, Ruby ,Sapphire, Firered, Leafgreen, Emerald ,Diamond ,Pearl ,Platinum ,Black and White minerals

Quick Comments

neon:

OMG ! Gotta Catch Em All!

[TAXanT]

Some cool changes Cheers for the info Dox.