User Guide

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ACCOMMODATING VARYING STYLES OF PLAY
In addition to getting feedback on bugs and overall quality in your map, playtesting with other people lets
you see how your map might be played by players with different gaming styles. It’s important to avoid
forcing players to win a game with only one playing style. You also do not want to allow players to win by
relying on a single gaming style. The following is a short list of some of the more common playing styles and
how they can be accommodated and limited in your maps:
✯ The Air Cavalry. Some players rely heavily on air power to attack the enemy and defend their positions.
Since air power is unavailable to the GLA, you should have AI-controlled GLA sides build Stinger sites
early in a single-player game. For multiplayer maps, open space and buildings that can be re-enforced
with anti-air infantry can effectively limit air power. One of the most effective tactics for the Air Cav types
is to drop units at the back of an enemy’s base, so be sure to leave a little space behind each base area
to mount a surprise attack.
✯ The Early Rushers. Some players attack as soon as they possibly can. While you want to encourage
combat, it isn’t fun for other players if they get wiped out in the first two minutes. A choke point can
limit Early Rushers, and multiple openings to each base area allows for effective counter-attacks.
✯ The Turtlers. New players in particular tend to hunker down in their base areas and build and build
their bases and units. In all maps, it’s good to have some worthwhile resources, such as strategic
buildings, supply depots or oil derricks near each base area. These resources provide incentives for the
Turtlers to expand out of their base areas. In single-player maps, an early attack from AI-controlled sides
can rattle a Turtler’s shell.
✯ The Nukers. A subset of the Turtlers, some players wait and wait until they can build and deploy their
super weapons. These players tend to avoid combat, which makes for dull games for the other players.
Again, base areas with multiple access points are harder to defend. For China and USA sides, their super
weapons require a great deal of power, so in single-player games, you can script strikes on their power
plants when these sides approach super weapon capability.
✯ The Road Graders. Some players prefer to build a massive mechanized army to crush the opposition.
These players slowly and steadily build an army of tanks, which can clutter the board and slow down the
game. While open spaces can encourage mighty battles, you as a designer can limit the scope of them by
creating a variety of smaller objectives that cannot be won as easily with a huge army. For example,
scattering resource depots on the map splinters an army. Additionally, strategically placed choke points
can slow the progress of a large army, giving defenders a chance to thin the herd. In single-player games,
regular attacks by AI-controlled sides can slow down the build-up.
✯ The Commandos. Particularly for fans of the GLA, the strike-and-move method of attack is appealing.
To assist the Commando types, you can create strategically advantageous positions on your map from
which to launch attacks. Buildings that can be garrisoned provide a great opportunity for a small force
to effectively thwart a larger one. Also, units on higher terrain have a longer range of attack than the
units on lower terrain, so it’s never a bad idea to have ridges overlooking base areas. Multiple entries and
space at the back of a base area allow for Commandos to make their mark. Commandos, however, are
vulnerable to air attack and can be easily defeated at choke points. You certainly want to reward players
that find clever and sneaky ways to bring a small strike force to bear against a larger and more powerful
enemy.
When you are planning out your map, you may want to examine it from the perspective of all of these types
of players. How would a Commando-style player approach each base area? Are there possibilities for the
Road Grader to enjoy this map? While it’s impossible to please every player and style, considering each style
often illuminates mistakes and leads you to simpler and more effective ways to build a better map.