Abondoned Buildings are not distributed evenly

Quite a few times I've run into the situation when 3 abondoned Factories were located very close to each other with other 2 or 1 were also located in close neighbourhood. The same situation is with abondoned Sience Buildings.

This unconsistennes adds the great element of luck and discomfort to the game, because every player heavily relays on finding abondoned Factories early in the game, so he can produce mules.

The situation with Protoss Obelisks is better: they cast eqully. But their (most often 2) Protoss Avanced Technolody Buildings also sometimes lie nearby.

I guess, the situation can be changed by virtual cplitting the map on zones. After casting buildings the algorithm can check each zone for presence of the same buildings, then recast it to the empty zones.

This way you don't need to use those unaesthetic Destuctible Rocks all arround the map for levelling the building presence... or you can just replace one of those rocks in empty-building zones with the another zone extra building. (Convinient: you don't need to start algotithm of autocasting again for the price of extra loading. I don't know how exactly the program works, but the previous autocast to the certain zone with numbers assigned to the buildings would be faster. I mean, would be good if the programm spreaded numbers on the map rather than massives of buildings datas, then changed them... While changing numbers assigned to the buildings would be fast and easy.)

As I said, I don't know the modern programming. But I still want to share my thoghts), because I liked programming very much years ago in school.

There can be big zones on the map, defined as "zones" because they relatively isolated from other area and therefore are easy for clearing from Zergs and subsequent defence. (Usually 2-3-4 the same kind buildings can be found deep in one of such zones at the later stage of a game when nobody needs them any more; while everybody was straggling to find them half an hour before this: wich made sone of the variants of casting quite unfriendly to players. At the later stage they are good for nothing, even for salveging: they are very cheap and are not worth of disrupting players' attention to check if any of other players still owes the building of this kind)
These big zones can be checked for the presense of the same buildings and if there are the same buildings placed there they can be RE-placed to the spot in another empty big zone.

Another way of splitting map on zones is having predifined spots for placing buildings (as an alternative to placing buildings in one of zones this can be: Heyzer, Hutchery, Destructible Rocks, like now or just grass instead of a building, with assigned similarly to buildings numbers)
The check in this case can be done on a bace of comparing building numbers in each spot with the each neaby spot from the assighned list for this specific spot. (Yea, the list of neibaring spots for each specific spot you will have to assign "by micro"(?) (with you own hands(?).

The Heyzers don't need to be checked for spreading equally like buildings: can players hope for at least some surprises?)
That were my fantasies about this map. If they help you, Nagnazul, to write a good skript for casting building on the map - I'll be happy that I made some input. If not... well, my appology for my diletantism...

The distribution is uneven, but I just kinda see it as part of the game. Some slight adjustment so that they are spread a tad more evenly would be nice, but I don't see it as a huge issue. On Brutal, I have learned to never take buildings for granted. You find them much later, simply because you are spending all your time mining so you can build defenses, so when you want one you really have to look. I take the uncertainty as part of the challenge I guess.

As long as the number of Factories, Science Facilities, and Fusion Cores is not diminished by the eventual addition of upgrade buildings, I am fine.

Things get distributed unevenly, but there's usually so much stuff to distribute it leaves very few empty spaces. Finding duplicate buildings will eventually be rarer, since there will be more varieties of buildings.

Also, the upgrade buildings will replace some factories and such, but you might find some upgrades to be worthy replacements. One upgrade, for instance, may replace MULEs.

Gut reactions to your post:

0_0 Mule replacement! Ge to the Situation Room! Brainstorm! Brainstorm! What could it be? I not a big fan of Mules, so this would be cool... can't wait to see.

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0_0 AHHHHHH!!!!! Even more buildings to find, and even less of each one!!! NOOOO...... I play 2 player Brutal. It is almost a completely different game. Victory depends solely on finding a Factory and Fusion Core in a timely manner, which happens rarely enough already. My base-building strategies are complex but proven, but I need the buildings. Then again, the randomness is why I love your game. My only Brutal win is partially attributable to the fact that we found a Core right outside our base. Most of my losses since are almost solely caused by our inability to find a Fusion Core. Brutal, especially 2 player Brutal, is a totally different beast than Normal. I'm going to write a gigantic post or two shortly covering my experiences in Brutal, stay tuned for more specifics.

Nagnazul wrote:since there will be more varieties of buildings...you might find some upgrades to be worthy replacements. One upgrade, for instance, may replace MULEs.

To make a use of all the upgrades the game needs to be longer... or not such "work in timelly manner demanding".

The game is already inpenetrable for noobs, wich lowers its popularity: people come, try, get upset and leave.

As a resalt: resently it has been almost impossible to find a partners for the game.

I am lucky I started playing before introdusing so much the building-gurding Zergs into the game. I would not probubly even try figere the game out on present difficulty.

There has to be related separate light version of the game to introduse newbies: "Stranded on Krydon - light". This would promote and introduce game to more gamers.

How I learned? I just stayed in a game for a few times after was killed, helped people, thought.

Then once we won. I stayed in a game after Terrains fleet came and slowly cleaned the map with the powerful army, and learned what it takes to kill Hutcheries, where ussually minerals and buldings are placed. In one word: there was way for me to get accustomed.

Well, I am not stating that this is the right way to improve popularity: another side of familiarity with the map and with the game is that many people are getting bored: I don't see any more many of the gamers who I played with weeks ago...

Hour-long games are plenty for me lol! Any longer would be crazy.

The idea ISN'T for you to buy every upgrade that the upgrade building will offer. You have to prioritize what you need. You can't just raid the shop and be done with it.

A "Light" version could work... the only problem is more advanced players would possibly quit if it was selected. I myself ask the members of the lobby what they play, and if they play normal I leave lol. Brutal only for me! I play largely with people from past games that I have friended. This idea is worth a shot though.