River Passes v4

Type: TA Map
World: Lush

Created by: AndrewAce3158

Requirements: CC, v3.1 patch

Players: 2
Map Size: 8 x 6
Memory: 32MB
File Size: 1.99MB
Start Positions: 10

--General
The centre of the map is blocked by a large mountain. Three rivers also direct your path. Your only path to your opponent is to follow the river crossings in an arc around the map.

--Resources
Using solar for energy is safest. Wind output can be high but varies greatly, from 3 to 24, so you'd be taking your chances.

Metal is spread out evenly and generously around the map.

--Strategy
Rushing will probably have little effect since there is only one route to the opponent and therefore easier to defend. Expand your base quickly. The map is small and you want as much of that metal as you can scavenge. Keep your Commander in one of the rivers as defense, to D-gun enemy units as the pass. Enemy units will find it hard to target you underwater. Attack continuously to slow your opponent. As you gain land cover the river crossings with defense. If you have metal to spare build an aircraft plant. Your opponent probably will not have defense at the back of its base, near the mountain. In multiplayer River Passes should provide a quick game.

--Artificial Intelligence
River Passes has a different AI for each difficulty level. The hard AI will attack using mostly missile units, the same units as a human player would use. The AI will attack quickly, after around 9 minutes at the earliest. Use mobile armies to defend your river crossings. A fortified defense by itself is useless against this AI. The medium AI is a cannon loving AI. It builds the most expensive, and the most useless weapons. It attacks after 11 minutes at the earliest. The easy AI bring stupidity down to new depths. It's an AI that thinks torpedos drive on land, LLTs are the best defense and nothing beats a good old PeeWee. Need I say more? If you want to sit and laugh at a try hard newbie AI, then this is the one for you. It attacks after 16 minutes at the earliest.

--Tools Used
• Annihilator - main map construction
• TAEB - minimap rendering
• Notepad - AI creation, fine tuning OTA settings
• HPI View/Pack - inserting AI

--Version details (v4)
• Reverted water level (really this time)
• Much harder AI
• Multiple AI difficulties

Looks like I forgot to change the water level last time. Done it this time. The AI has been made much harder by using stronger units and there are now different AIs for each difficulty level.

--Version details (v3)
• Map recreated by splitting River Passes XL
• Reverted water level

River Passes has been recreated by splitting River Passes XL to make sure that both maps are identical. A bit fussy huh? I also set the water level back to the original level because I realised that you could build on the shallow water.

--Version details (v2)
• Fixed and Improved AI
• Voided mountain edges
• Lowered water level
• Adjusted start positions
• Altered features

Several mistakes in the AI have been fixed and the AI has been improved. Voided mountain edges improve unit navigation, also improving the AI. The water level has been decreased to stop those Tritons popping up out of the land. Start positions 3&4 have been switched with 5&6. Some features, mainly rocks, were removed to allow the voids to be placed.

ReadMe last modified: 24/9/01
For a more up-to-date ReadMe visit:
www.tauniverse.com/AndrewAce3158
or alternatively:
www.geocities.com/andrewace3158