Skirmish and Multiplayer Map · Battle Tactics

Metal Gridlock

Metal Gridlock is a Total Annihilation map on Metal, 9,760 × 9,856 pixels, with 10 start positions.

20 X 20 Five squares interlock to create defensive forts.

Map of Metal Gridlock with its start positions — Start position, numbered by player · Map 9,760 × 9,856 pixels · Scroll or pinch on the map to zoom; drag to move. Hover over a feature or a resource for its details.

Start Position Fairness

Even with 2 players. The map has no metal deposits: every cell holds 255 metal, so an extractor makes the same wherever it stands. The most cramped start has 1.5% less flat land than the roomiest.

Start	Vents	Area	Flat Land	Water	Nearest Enemy
1	2	50.4%	32.5%	12.1%	7,806 pixels
2	2	49.6%	32%	12.2%	7,806 pixels

Uneven with 3 players. The map has no metal deposits: every cell holds 255 metal, so an extractor makes the same wherever it stands. The most cramped start has 38% less flat land than the roomiest. The geothermal vents are not shared evenly: from 1 to 2 a start.

Start	Vents	Area	Flat Land	Water	Nearest Enemy
1	1	35.3%	20.7%	10.1%	5,532 pixels
2	2	39.2%	27%	7.9%	5,637 pixels
3	1	25.5%	16.7%	6.2%	5,532 pixels

Even with 4 players. The map has no metal deposits: every cell holds 255 metal, so an extractor makes the same wherever it stands. The most cramped start has 7.4% less flat land than the roomiest.

Start	Vents	Area	Flat Land	Water	Nearest Enemy
1	1	25.2%	16.1%	6%	5,494 pixels
2	1	24.9%	16.1%	6%	5,521 pixels
3	1	25.5%	16.7%	6.2%	5,532 pixels
4	1	24.4%	15.5%	5.9%	5,494 pixels

Lopsided with 5 players. The map has no metal deposits: every cell holds 255 metal, so an extractor makes the same wherever it stands. The most cramped start has 56% less flat land than the roomiest. The geothermal vents are not shared evenly: from 0 to 1 a start.

Start	Vents	Area	Flat Land	Water	Nearest Enemy
1	1	18%	10.9%	4.9%	2,987 pixels
2	1	24.9%	16.1%	6%	5,521 pixels
3	1	25.5%	16.7%	6.2%	5,532 pixels
4	1	19.4%	13.4%	3.8%	2,976 pixels
5	0	12.1%	7.4%	3.2%	2,976 pixels

Uneven with 6 players. The map has no metal deposits: every cell holds 255 metal, so an extractor makes the same wherever it stands. The most cramped start has 48% less flat land than the roomiest. The geothermal vents are not shared evenly: from 0 to 1 a start.

Start	Vents	Area	Flat Land	Water	Nearest Enemy
1	1	18%	10.9%	4.9%	2,987 pixels
2	0	17.1%	10.1%	4.9%	3,032 pixels
3	1	20.2%	14.1%	4.2%	3,088 pixels
4	1	19.4%	13.4%	3.8%	2,976 pixels
5	0	12.1%	7.4%	3.2%	2,976 pixels
6	1	13.1%	8.6%	3.2%	3,032 pixels

Uneven with 7 players. The map has no metal deposits: every cell holds 255 metal, so an extractor makes the same wherever it stands. The most cramped start has 45% less flat land than the roomiest. The geothermal vents are not shared evenly: from 0 to 1 a start.

Start	Vents	Area	Flat Land	Water	Nearest Enemy
1	1	12.9%	8.6%	2.9%	2,987 pixels
2	0	17.1%	10.1%	4.9%	3,032 pixels
3	0	12.7%	8.1%	3.3%	2,897 pixels
4	1	19.4%	13.4%	3.8%	2,976 pixels
5	0	12.1%	7.4%	3.2%	2,976 pixels
6	1	13.1%	8.6%	3.2%	3,032 pixels
7	1	12.7%	8.3%	2.8%	2,897 pixels

Fairly even with 8 players. The map has no metal deposits: every cell holds 255 metal, so an extractor makes the same wherever it stands. The most cramped start has 15% less flat land than the roomiest. The geothermal vents are not shared evenly: from 0 to 1 a start.

Start	Vents	Area	Flat Land	Water	Nearest Enemy
1	1	12.9%	8.6%	2.9%	2,987 pixels
2	0	12%	7.6%	2.9%	2,960 pixels
3	0	12.7%	8.1%	3.3%	2,897 pixels
4	0	12.2%	7.7%	3%	2,976 pixels
5	0	12.1%	7.4%	3.2%	2,976 pixels
6	1	13.1%	8.6%	3.2%	3,032 pixels
7	1	12.7%	8.3%	2.8%	2,897 pixels
8	1	12.3%	8.2%	2.8%	2,960 pixels

Uneven with 9 players. The map has no metal deposits: every cell holds 255 metal, so an extractor makes the same wherever it stands. The most cramped start has 49% less flat land than the roomiest. The geothermal vents are not shared evenly: from 0 to 4 a start.

Start	Vents	Area	Flat Land	Water	Nearest Enemy
1	0	11.1%	7%	2.9%	2,987 pixels
2	0	10.4%	6.2%	2.9%	2,960 pixels
3	0	11.1%	6.7%	3.3%	2,897 pixels
4	0	10.7%	6.3%	3%	2,976 pixels
5	0	10.6%	6%	3.2%	2,976 pixels
6	0	11.4%	7.1%	3.2%	3,032 pixels
7	0	10.9%	6.7%	2.8%	2,897 pixels
8	0	10.6%	6.6%	2.8%	2,960 pixels
9	4	13.2%	11.8%	0%	3,815 pixels

Uneven with 10 players. The map has no metal deposits: every cell holds 255 metal, so an extractor makes the same wherever it stands. The most cramped start has 43% less flat land than the roomiest. The geothermal vents are not shared evenly: from 0 to 3 a start.

Start	Vents	Area	Flat Land	Water	Nearest Enemy
1	0	11%	6.9%	2.9%	2,987 pixels
2	0	10.4%	6.2%	2.9%	2,960 pixels
3	0	10.2%	6.2%	3.2%	2,794 pixels
4	0	10.7%	6.3%	3%	2,976 pixels
5	0	10.6%	6%	3.2%	2,976 pixels
6	0	11.3%	7%	3.2%	3,032 pixels
7	0	9.9%	6%	2.7%	2,713 pixels
8	0	10.6%	6.6%	2.8%	2,960 pixels
9	3	9.3%	8.4%	0%	1,222 pixels
10	1	6.1%	4.8%	0.3%	1,222 pixels

Each part of the map, and each deposit and vent, counts for the start position nearest to it in a straight line; one exactly as near to two starts counts half to each. Metal is what the Metal Extractor makes on each deposit, or the Underwater Metal Extractor where the deposit lies in deep enough water: 0.001 times the total, over the cells under it, of each cell's metal plus one. The richest deposits are taken first, and no two extractors overlap. A vent counts where the Geothermal Powerplant can be built over it. Flat land is ground the Kbot Lab could be built on: inside the map, out of the water, with no more than 10 height units between its lowest and highest ground, and clear of features that can't be destroyed (trees and other features that can be destroyed count as cleared). Area, flat land and water are shares of the whole map, leaving out any void cells, and the nearest enemy is the distance in map pixels to the nearest other start. The verdict goes by the larger of two gaps between the best and the worst start, in metal and in flat land: under 10% is even, under 25% fairly even, under 50% uneven, and 50% or more lopsided.