Balanced 1 vs. 1 Maps

[JJFZ3000]

I know how everybody loves TD, but aren't there any other balanced 1 vs 1 maps? I'm just curious because it's really hard to find "balanced" maps. :\

[Me Myself & Pi]

What do you mean? All the map, except Final Crusade (Zero Hour), are balanced.

Also, do you mean TFD, as in The First Decade, when you said "TD"?

[JJFZ3000]

TD = Tournament Desert

What's wrong with Final Crusade?

[Daishi]

Besides TD, the 1v1 maps that are most positionally and factionally balanced Barren Badlands, Winter Wolf, Dust Devil, and Forgotten Forest.

All of them are sized such that China can grab the goodies without automatically losing dozers, and still have multiple open paths to the enemy base for early harassment, GLA can't just bunker to victory, and there's lots of open space for vees to get raped. Also, neither side of the field has a significant landgrabbin' advantage.

Final Crusade is flawed because one side gets extra space + safer oils + civilian structure defense. Plus, GLA always wins due to easy bunkering.

[Derek]

Barren Badlands slightly favors GLA since they can easily go 3 supplies. Also the expansion supplies in Winter Wolf are right next to each other, making them very unsafe. Sometimes it becomes 1 supply + 4 derricks vs. 3 supplies though, which can be good. I think North America is pretty balanced too.

In general, a balanced map should be symmetrical, have one very safe supply and one somewhat unsafe supply at each base, several open entraces to each base, and some space to fight in in the middle. Bonus points for extra resources or strategic points that can be fought over, but don't become the central focus of the map.

Tournament Desert really is pretty much the perfect map though.