[Release] Challenge set of maps - Old missions tweaked

[Cm_blast]

First of all; this is not new missions, just preexisted missions from campaigns and maps that I done in the past but with values altered in order to make these 20 maps that will put a challenge for veteran players; but if you consider yourself a very high skilled player, then I recommend you playing on hard.

The spoiler will give all the detailed info about the changes done, but to summarize a bit:
*AI will start with "unlimited money"; more initial harvesters; will produce units much more faster and also start with double amount of units defending the base; this doesn't means that are more defensive (except for maybe a couple of maps), that value it's unchanged, but now the AI won't waste time buildings units with a defending task, the extra initial spawn will fill that defense, so anything that he builds will focus on attacking the player.
*A "rage mode" will activate though the game, warned by a message into the game; this will activate at this formula: 5.000 + 10.000 * <number or Ais>, in ticks. This "rage mode" will make all the AIs to builds units as fast as possible and will spawn twice amount of sandworm into the map. 

The player gets some advantages too (ally Ais also gets them), like starting with more money and getting more stuff when a reinforcement or delivery it's given (doesn't apply if it is a loop); If the maps turn out too easy I can revert to the original values, but I wanted people to have more money early to keep doing stuff and being more aggresive if he wants; also some of these maps the spice it's on smaller fiels while the AI gets producing units non-stop even if you harass him.

The briefing has been completely removed, now will only tells usefull information, like which side you are playing, who it's your ally, who it's your enemy, tech and main objetives, including bonus objetives. Also which mission it's based.

The maps I choose to do this were maps that were originally easy and that rely on enemy getting free stuff from time to time (which they will get faster now). Also, these maps are very simple in terms of gameplay and objetives, but I tried to pick enough variety to avoid similar maps being played the same way.

Full list of changes on values done here:

Spoiler

/----\
| AI  |
\----/
*AI "Unlimited" money.
*2 extra Harvester and 2 extra carryalls per refinery.
*AI will only rebuild harvesters if have less than 1 harvester per refinery.
*Double amount of units on any initial spawn (but no more overall defenses).
*Reinforcements/deliveries based on an timer happens twice as fast.
*Interval reinforcements/deliveries double the amount of repetitions.
*The first attack for the AI happens twice as fast (other attacks are unaltered).
*AI builds units twice as fast.
*AI attack priority on buildings changed to 1.000 for all buildings, walls included.
*AI will Buy units though the Starport (if on the original map was disabled).

/---------\
| PLAYER |
\---------/
*Double amount of initial money.
*Reinforcements and deliveries that only trigger once after certain time will give twice the amount of units.
*Harvester remplacement removed
*Ally AIs also recieves these dis/advantages.

/-------\
| GAME |
\-------/
*Dialogues in game plot related removed (warning about big attacks remain)
*Remove "<side> has been anihilated" messages.
*Rage mode that activates at 5.000 + 10.000 x <numbre AIs> ticks:
-AI builds units as fast as possible.
-Music change into "Harkonnen Battle".
-The amount of sandworms double.

Disclaimer: I didn't try to beat my own maps; so it is impossible to me to know if the maps can be beat it; I leave that for veteran players. However, I did internal test to ensure that any thing that happens during mid game and/or alliances work as intended, it's just that I am not even going to try to beat these maps.

File:
Challenges set of maps.rar

: the missions will be listed into the "Fremen" section, since I switched all to be together.
: a total of 20 challenges + a bonus one, which uses different rules instead.

*The bonus mission it's still a preexisted campaign but here it doesn't apply the same basic rules with the exception of the "unlimited money" and "extra harvesters". Here, instead, the layout of the map changed to make something more interesting while still being harder than how it was the original map.

Edited January 26, 2022 by Cm_blast

[Fey]

20 minutes ago, Cm_blast said:

Challenge maps!

Word on the street is, aarmaageedoon had this super-hard-mode campaign beaten three weeks ago, blindfolded.

😂 I'm sorry, I know your pain.

[Cm_blast]

48 minutes ago, Fey said:

Word on the street is, aarmaageedoon had this super-hard-mode campaign beaten three weeks ago, blindfolded.

😂 I'm sorry, I know your pain.

This is a general "challenge mode", for that reason I said that if you are a very high-skill player play it on hard; at least to have "something", I know him and the other 2-3 like him will find it easy, but this is more intented to people with high-skill that beat the original maps because are really easy. I hope at least those kind of players find it as a "challenge".

I know a few changes I can do to make it almost unfair for the likes at him,  but anyway, these were originally easy maps that people (in general) beat with ease, or even myself, and this is the much harder version of those maps.

Edited February 8, 2020 by Cm_blast

[Cm_blast]

Leaving here an update.
I was working for a while on a second pack of maps to serve as challenges.

All the missions but one has been tested and defeated by an actual skilled played with the exception of challenge #18. Although that is still pending, I wasn't really happy by the choice I made for challenge #18 (nothing to offerd into the gameplay and kind a unfair gameplay). So I change it for a totally new Challenge #18, which not sure how it will turn out in terms of difficulty, but I found out that there is something on the mission itself that may balance out.

So, unless it turned to be impossible to defeat I will keep it for now.

Also, there is an extra bonus mission. This bonus mission doesn't have the AI producing units or getting deliveries faster at all; instead, I altered the layout of the map, removing the big choke point that splitted the map in two so now the map it's more open for everybody to move more freely and attacking any AI in the order desired.

In short: 10 more challenges maps + that one extra mission.

[Adrian]

Sounds interesting I will try it

From which campaigns are your challenges?

[Cm_blast]

7 hours ago, Adrian said:

Sounds interesting I will try it

From which campaigns are your challenges?

Various campaigns and some single missions.

The briefing on every challenge will tell which campaign and mission is.