ROCSTARS v4.0

Version 4.0! Drastic changes, read complete report inside the post.

RS MAPS v4.0 LINK 1 (click to download zip file) 
RS MAPS v4.0 MIRROR (click to download zip file) 

(zip file contains maps for your hosting bot)

GONlC STREAM (watch to see us playing RS MAPS)

Fist big change is that all maps now have new names. Main reason for name changing is to make a difference between them and classic maps so when someone says - Hey lets go Lost Temple - goes classic Lost Temple and not rocstars version. The names are completely new, yea but, the maps are also completely different than the classics.

The other great addon is that all maps are now protected. Nobody will be able to toy in their editors with rocstars maps.

Third big change is about item balance and terrain fix. 

Since all maps have new names I will present them to you and I will keep the on my left bar in case you forget their names in future.

Brute Nest

Unlike his ancestor - Gnoll Wood, Brute Nest is a map which requires good marco management and precise META strategy. Because of many potential places of interest, crazy amount of gold mines and paths which were added to increase the tension in game, Brute Nest offers players various options. At first glance it might look that Brute Nest is huge map, but don't be fooled by first impression. The size of Brute Nest is the same as his ancestor Gnoll Wood. Unlike his ancestor, Brute Nest is all about scouting and planning. It is true, there is a random fountain in the middle of it, but on Brute Nest it is not like - own that fountain or be owned. And if the action on the fountain happens and passes, Brute Nest wont force you, like his ancestor, to creep one side of the map while your opponent is doing the same on the other side so two of you can meet after 10 minutes to determine who crept more and who got better items. Even tho Brute Nest has total of 6 starting positions and looks like a perfect ground for team games, it is a solo map in first place. Be aware that not every solo player likes small maps with few choices that can be made, there are some players who enjoy playing big games with big strategies. Brute Nest is perfect place for that.

Winter Fell

Does this cutie remind you of someone? It is white and it is different but you are right, Winter Fell ancestor is Tranquil Paths.  However, except the first impression and look, Winter Fell and his ancestor don't have many things in common.  On Winter Fell, all player starting positions have been moved to the center in order to reduce the longitude of scouting line which has big influence on early game. All creep spot placements have also been modified in order to give the players more options when creating their strategies and also to better connect their creeping patterns. The middle spot has been changed from useless bunch of woods which were hiding often useless expansion with ultra strong creeps to fountain which offers players to play different styles than they were used to.  Race that was big underdog on Winter Fell ancestor, the Undead, now can creep jack their opponents as much as it want and will also have great help when expanding because in front of every natural expansion there is a bit of Blight. All creeps have been changed from Mercenaries Camps to Mana Fountains which reduces players interest to pump their heroes to maximum levels and then decide to into the battle.

Wicked Lanes

Wicked Lanes ancestor - Echo Isles was in the basket with other TFT maps that were converted to ROC without any sense for ROC gameplay. There is no need, but I will say, that this was a complete Night Elf map and other races had zero chances to oppose to this race because whole creep set and map structure were going in favor of Night Elf. With additional paths that Wicked Lanes got, different placing of the Shops and Mercenary Camps, the gameplay is a very different. Starting positions now have more opening paths which makes it hard for players to lock in their bases and not to worry about being constantly harassed there.

Venom Mud

Venom Mud's ancestor is S_A_I_B_O_T's creation called Rift Valley. It was a decent map but it had few big flaws which Venom Mud doesn't have. One of the main problems of Venom Mud's ancestor was the fact that the action was starting once the players heroes hit their level 3. Very big places of interest were very easy to be taken and some spots were interfering like Fountains of Mana and Shops. Practically, if you push your opponent to teleport in his base while you were holding terrain around Fountain of Mana, your opponent who has red units and red heroes can't heal anywhere. If he goes to nearest Shop, there you are, pumped with Mana, controlling all terrain between Fountain and Shop. If he goes to Fountain of Health, you will spot him easily because that area is very wide and therefore easily controlled. Also, the complete creep set was designed to favor melee units in all aspects and that is the main reason why Undead and Orc had big dominance on this map. Fountain of Health in the middle looked like a bag that was just dropped there without any sense, having too wide and useless area around it. All creeps have also been changed which balances the creeping patterns for all races.

Ruthless Dune

Ruthless Dune had one of the most disgusting ancestor there is - Scorched Basin. Creating something out of Scorched Basin does deserve a medal, but I don't ask for it. The knowledge that the players will have some fun playing on something that used to be pack of shit is satisfaction by itself. Unlike his ancestor, Ruthless Dune is playable map. The terrain has been modified in order to get more space on the map so the range units would have harder time controlling it. Starting positions have been moved to center to reduce the longitude of scouting line and Mercenaries Camps have been added to create new game variations. All creeps have been changed in order to give other races that don't have Moon Wells chance to creep without being punished for that afterwards. Natural expansions now have same amount of gold as the expansions and green spots in front of each starting position and in the middle of map have been added to make it more interesting in early game.

Crook Shelter

Crook Shelter's ancestor is MBoHeRo's map called Ruined Rainbow. I believe that Ruined Rainbow won some Replayers map contest and along with Rift Valley and Outskirts, it is decent map. However, Crook Shelter's ancestor had many flaws. I actually wrote about it in one of my past articles. Crook Shelter is small, tastefully made map that focuses players on early game. With two Fountains of Health it really has no major place of interest and therefore the action on the map can be perfectly balanced. The only thing that dictates how the game will go are players and their choices. And there are multiple choices to be made. Fast expansion, focus on Mercenary camp, Abuse of Goblin's lab, you name it. In few words, Crook Shelter has it all.

Edge City

Edge City's ancestor is ZeN's creation Outskirts. In the past, I praised Outskirts because I had my role in it's creation. However, it had few flaws and exploits that some races used to the maximum which made the map quite unpopular. With 3 starting positions it is very hard to create a balanced field on which all races and all matchups have close to equal chances. With terrain fixes and camps replacements and all creep set changes I believe that Edge City is a better map than his ancestor. One more addon are islands with gold mines on two spots. In the past Edge City's ancestor had islands but without gold mines and because of that I never saw anyone taking them.

Mystic Shrine

Mystic Shrine's ancestor is the most popular and the most played Warcraft 3 map - Lost Temple. Players like Mystic Shrine's ancestor because out of all maps, it looked like it was the most balanced one. However, I found a way to improve it and to make it better than it was. On Mystic Shrine's ancestor, starting positions very very locked, the temple in the middle was very locked and easily controlled which all affected the gameplay. Expansions in the corners were useless and the Goblin's lab was reserved for certain strategies and units who were able to take it. Now, the additional path to each starting position makes it harder for players to control one part of the map. Four extra entrances in the temple also make it hard to guess where your opponent may be. Some creeps have also been changed but only to give all players and races more options than they used to have.

Pillage Cay

Pillage Cay's ancestor is Plunder Isle, a map which forced tower creeping, range units, and whole set of dumb and must do pack of strategies which provided fun to few and tension and disgust to majority. With two towers or two moon wells, one could lock his natural expansion and then freely, without worrying about that his opponent will take goods from the Shop that he blocked, move on Drakes or other creep spots he likes. Pillage Cay is different. Starting positions are moved to center, new paths have been added and the side expansions are now useful part of the map. Some creeps have been changed, Mercenary Camp behind the Drakes have been added too. Goblin's Lab was placed next to the base to give players help in early game and to offer them useful goods in middle - late game. Two green camps in the middle of Pillage Cay now give some sense to that, once useless spot.

Question Vale

Question Vale's ancestor is Secret Valley - one of those maps who were imported to ROC without any changes or adjustments to ROC gameplay. Question Vale has two shops in the middle, which are close to eachother but practically very far away. That means that one can't control both of them at the same time. Fountains are both random which dicates the strategies that player may decide to play. Additional paths to side expansions connect the map and major spots in a way that makes sense. Red Camp next to base is attractive, but beware! If you get caught while taking it, someone might take you.