G'day everyone.
There has been a lot said about the new Arabia (not just in this forum). I think a lot of the criticism is valid and some of it isn't. The idea that any map in and of itself can stop walling is a falacy. It doesnt matter where the wood is, if people want to wall they will manage it. The conversation about walling is not related to the map or maps, it is related to certain balances related to the game.
Multiple issues with the new Arabia have alrrady been discussed. I agree with some and not with others. Despite all this, the issue I want to bring up is purely based on gold positions. This is not mearly about the infamous 3rd/extra neutral gold but more about the overall positioning of gold on the map.
At the moment the overal position of how gold can spawn on the new Arabia is really imblallanced and has some extremely strange interactions. Often, the gold can be only on one side of the map or positioned in close 'clumps' of three gold which are often within one screen (if the screen is zoomed out a little). Often, you can draw a line down the centre, or just off to one side of the centre, and all or almost all of the golds will be on one side. This leaves a lot of the map which is barren of anything except for wood.
As a player who plays in the 17** bracket (not the strongest of players but not a complete noob) I have noticed that all these things lead to a certain style of play that is completley broken. These gold positions mean that a forward caslte or even just presure on certain side of the map makes it completely impossble to expand and get the resources needed to make a counter push. Post imperial age basically is just who can put the most forward castle to control as much of that side of the map as possible. A lot of the time, one side of the map is ignored as a result of it being unimportant to the win condidtion of the game. This is accentuated by the change of the 3rd golds being now in neutral positions and are often in particularly dangerous places to mine (they often need a castle to prrotect them).
I could go on but I think the screenshots below will speak for themselves for anyone who understands the competative side of the game and map generation. Note that some of the screen shots are just randomly generated maps from single player to demonstrate my point and others are from games where I noted the particular crazy nature of the gold spawns. There are also a couple of examples of what I consider to be fair spawns of gold. I loaded about 15 maps to get these (including the 'fair' maps) spawns so these spawns are really common.
A couple of examples of fair map spawns, mostly equal ammounts of gold on both sides of the map with opportunities for expansion no matter where the pressure is applied:
These next couple are examples of ranked games where the gold positions are completely crazy. in both occasions the game was decided on forward castle and pressure on one side of the map which restricted all access to any gold of the other player. Arabia is not meant to be played like arena in this way! In the first map, one castle can protect FOUR golds... FOUR... this is CRAZY!
The next selection of maps are just unfair for one player or the other (or somtimes both) it terms of gold position and expansion oportunites in case of localised pressure. Also, take note of the uselessness of one side of the map interms of gold positions. Draw a line down the side of the map and cut it off till the 2 hour mark, the wood wont be needed 11.
Unfair for Blue
Unfair for Blue or both
Unfair for Red
Unfair for both
TLDR - New Arabia gold positions are scuffed bruv!
There has been a lot said about the new Arabia (not just in this forum). I think a lot of the criticism is valid and some of it isn't. The idea that any map in and of itself can stop walling is a falacy. It doesnt matter where the wood is, if people want to wall they will manage it. The conversation about walling is not related to the map or maps, it is related to certain balances related to the game.
Multiple issues with the new Arabia have alrrady been discussed. I agree with some and not with others. Despite all this, the issue I want to bring up is purely based on gold positions. This is not mearly about the infamous 3rd/extra neutral gold but more about the overall positioning of gold on the map.
At the moment the overal position of how gold can spawn on the new Arabia is really imblallanced and has some extremely strange interactions. Often, the gold can be only on one side of the map or positioned in close 'clumps' of three gold which are often within one screen (if the screen is zoomed out a little). Often, you can draw a line down the centre, or just off to one side of the centre, and all or almost all of the golds will be on one side. This leaves a lot of the map which is barren of anything except for wood.
As a player who plays in the 17** bracket (not the strongest of players but not a complete noob) I have noticed that all these things lead to a certain style of play that is completley broken. These gold positions mean that a forward caslte or even just presure on certain side of the map makes it completely impossble to expand and get the resources needed to make a counter push. Post imperial age basically is just who can put the most forward castle to control as much of that side of the map as possible. A lot of the time, one side of the map is ignored as a result of it being unimportant to the win condidtion of the game. This is accentuated by the change of the 3rd golds being now in neutral positions and are often in particularly dangerous places to mine (they often need a castle to prrotect them).
I could go on but I think the screenshots below will speak for themselves for anyone who understands the competative side of the game and map generation. Note that some of the screen shots are just randomly generated maps from single player to demonstrate my point and others are from games where I noted the particular crazy nature of the gold spawns. There are also a couple of examples of what I consider to be fair spawns of gold. I loaded about 15 maps to get these (including the 'fair' maps) spawns so these spawns are really common.
A couple of examples of fair map spawns, mostly equal ammounts of gold on both sides of the map with opportunities for expansion no matter where the pressure is applied:
These next couple are examples of ranked games where the gold positions are completely crazy. in both occasions the game was decided on forward castle and pressure on one side of the map which restricted all access to any gold of the other player. Arabia is not meant to be played like arena in this way! In the first map, one castle can protect FOUR golds... FOUR... this is CRAZY!
The next selection of maps are just unfair for one player or the other (or somtimes both) it terms of gold position and expansion oportunites in case of localised pressure. Also, take note of the uselessness of one side of the map interms of gold positions. Draw a line down the side of the map and cut it off till the 2 hour mark, the wood wont be needed 11.
Unfair for Blue
Unfair for Blue or both
Unfair for Red
Unfair for both
TLDR - New Arabia gold positions are scuffed bruv!
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