Core Concepts
Written by: TheGamerASD
In AWBW map design, there are three core concepts which make a good map. Balance, dynamic gameplay, and player choice. Most of the guides on this site are made to help achieve one of these core concepts. Let’s take a closer look into these core concepts of AWBW map design.
Balance
Balance refers to both players in a map having an equal possibility of winning. In a balanced map, no player has an unfair advantage over the other player. Making a map symmetrical already makes it more balanced, but FTA is still something to be careful of.
Dynamic Gameplay
Maps with dynamic gameplay are designed to prevent stalemates from occurring. Stalemates happen when both sides have heavily fortified their front lines with indirects and infantry, making attacking difficult. Dynamic gameplay can be encouraged by opening up fronts, lowering the amount of heavy terrain, or adding more contested cities.
This map is likely to stalemate due to the large amount of mountains making it easy to defend with indirects.
This map is designed to prevent stalemates with more open fronts that make it possible but not too easy to defend.
Player Choice
Maps which allow for player choice have more interesting games on them which allow for different strategies. Player choice is important because it makes player skill more important. Better players will make better decisions when faced with a choice. Maps with player choice don’t have obvious capture phases or a single unit deployment route.
Take a look at this map. The city placement causes an obvious capture phase which lowers player choice.
Now take a look at this map. The cities are laid out in a way which encourages player choice by offering different paths for infantry to capture cities.
Another point to consider when making a map which encourages player choice is unit deployment routes. Ideally, units should have different paths they can take after being built from a base.
This map only has one route for vehicles to take after being built from a base, which lowers player choice.
Vehicles and infantry should have multiple paths they can take after being built to allow for player choice.