Recommended Starcraft Maps?

[Terraspaz]

So, I'm hosting a Starcraft Tourney this weekend for some buddies in the area. It's unique, in that there is a ban on playing starcraft since the beginning of this year, until the day of the tourney. (We all played leisurely years ago... nothing competitive) As a consequence, however, I can't poke around and play with various maps, to figure out what some good maps would be.

Any suggestions? I'm looking for about 3-5 good, solid maps. We'll be playing Brood War.

[Leper_Kahn]

Assuming you're talking about the actual game and not UMS maps here are some ones I'd recommend. All of them have a relatively different play style.

Note: Clicking on the map will result in downloading the map file. Just drag them to your program files/starcraft/maps/download/(whatever folder you like) area to use them in the tournament.

Rush Hour III
http://www.teamliquid.net/tlpd/images/maps/10_Rush%20Hour%203.jpg (http://www.teamliquid.net/tlpd/maps/download/10/(3)Rush%20Hour%203.scx)

Ah, Rush Hour III. What a middle school map. Clearly has the potential for epic macro games, but also be careful... An early rush will be fatal here!

Colosseum II
http://www.teamliquid.net/tlpd/images/maps/192_Colosseum%20II.jpg (http://www.teamliquid.net/tlpd/maps/download/192/(4)Colosseum%20II.scx)

Colosseum is the map to play for huge armies battling each other in land suitable even for the Romans.

Carthage
http://www.teamliquid.net/tlpd/images/maps/196_Carthage.jpg (http://www.teamliquid.net/tlpd/maps/download/196/(2)Carthage.scx)

As a newer map it has few plays on it. However, a few things are clear here. This map is made for dominance. The better player will surly be brought to light on a map like this.

Andromeda
http://www.teamliquid.net/tlpd/images/maps/175_Andromeda.jpg (http://www.teamliquid.net/tlpd/maps/download/175/(4)Andromeda.scx)

Geometric. Clear. Chrome. Perfect.

Plasma
http://www.teamliquid.net/tlpd/images/maps/183_Plasma.jpg (http://www.teamliquid.net/tlpd/maps/download/183/(3)Plasma.scx)

If you're looking for something different... Play here. This three player map is all but an island map. With zerg eggs making it very difficult to reach the other player's base air units reign dominate on this map. Also, if you're creative a few "jumping" tricks might lets you get those units across the eggs without having to kill them!

[Saithis Bladewing]

I always thought Brushfire was a good, solid map.

Lost Temple is definitely worth recommending as it's like, easily one of the most popular maps for 'pro' tournaments, and for good reason.

Both are standard assuming you have Brood Wars (then just Lost Temple is).

[Winterwind]

In addition to the maps Leper_Kahn proposed already, most of the other maps from the ICCup map pack (http://www.iccup.com/starcraft/files/view/iCCup_Season_7_Full_mappack_02.html) can be recommended as well. Python, Luna and Destination would be some of my favourites.

Something I would recommend against would be using the maps accompanying StarCraft by default. The vast majority of Blizzard maps is poorly designed to say the least - from too wide and multiple base entrances which sway the game massively in the favour of certain races, over ridiculously few mineral patches that stupidly slow the game down, over ledges and further terrain features (which are generally good, as they allow for strategy) placed in a manner that, again, greatly favours one race over the others, up to strategically nonsensically placed expansion locations, Blizzard maps are riddled with a variety of bugs that make most of them vastly sub-par. Good maps such as Lost Temple, which was also included in the ICCup map pack, are the exception from the rule.

PS: All StarCraft-related questions can also be posted in our main StarCraft thread here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=101411). :smallwink: