Professional tournaments may no longer feature it, but if you log on to the free StarCraft PTR, you’ll see countless 1v1 and 2v2 lobbies on Lost Temple. Almost all competitive maps that followed Lost Temple copied its accessible naturals and array of expansion options. Maps like Python riffed on the Lost Temple formula-neighboring main bases with short air distance, third bases that drove players toward the center of the map-and became beloved in their own right. Its influence on mapmaking, however, continues to this day. WCG Lost Temple Desert Lost TempleĮventually, as players grew better and better at exploiting its quirks, Lost Temple began to fall out of favor in the competitive scene. There was even a Desert version of the map used in certain 20 GhemTV tournaments in South Korea. Tournament versions like WCG Lost Temple attempted to address positional imbalances (for instance, the ability of Siege Tanks in the upper-right main base to shell the ramp and natural of the upper-left main base unchecked). You’ll have to get out there and create your own! Lost Temple’s Enduring LegacyĪs players discovered the most powerful strategies and exploits of Lost Temple’s asymmetrical features, the map underwent numerous changes. Unfortunately, many replays of these epic games have been lost in the years since. When both players stabilize, the map’s plentiful bases enable long, drawn-out conflicts, such as a famous match between the Korean players Chusung and that lasted for 45 minutes and culminated in the entire map being mined out. As for what happened next… well, you might want to watch for yourself:ĭon’t let these videos make you think all games on Lost Temple end in the first few minutes. BoxeR built four early Barracks along the edge of his base. In one legendary replay, Lim ‘BoxeR’ Yo Hwan battled an unknown player on the south side of Lost Temple. It’s in these so-called “close positions” that some of the craziest games of early competitive Brood War took place. “You can stretch and go for them, or you have to be aware that perhaps your opponent did, so you need to scout and monitor.”īut perhaps the most interesting part of Lost Temple is the proximity (by air) of its paired southern and northern bases. Morris also points out that Lost Temple’s “hidden” island expansions give players strategic options. the map funnels players through the center, so they’re visually reminded of playing on an alien world while having fantastic gameplay moments.” “It looks like an alien temple, which scratches that galactic war fantasy. “It’s the middle of the map that I think most people remember,” says Lead Designer Matt Morris, who was in Blizzard QA during StarCraft’s development. Island expansions encourage late-game hijinks, while abundant cliffs force strategic play to dislodge high-ground defenders.
Mineral-only third bases drive players toward the center of the map, and toward each other. Why is Lost Temple so popular? Easily accessible natural bases (the expansions closest to the players’ starting bases) help competitors bolster their early economies and enter an exciting mid-game phase with plenty of units. In that way, the map is a microcosm of StarCraft itself: a hand-crafted product that took on a life of its own. Still, Mercer certainly didn’t expect Lost Temple to become such a runaway hit.
The team wanted to create battlefields that allowed multiple strategies, were unique, created opportunity for mastery, and were fair to all three races, while maintaining a high standard of artistic quality.Īmong the original maps, Lost Temple may have come closest to achieving those goals. Mercer recalls several design goals that went into Lost Temple’s development-along with the rest of the original maps. “There’s a bit of fuzzy memory going on here.” “We’re talking about close to 20 years ago,” he says. When asked about Lost Temple’s development, Principal Designer Scott Mercer takes some time to think before answering. StarCraft’s original maps, like the rest of the game, were created under tight deadlines almost 20 years ago.