Warcraft III/Patch 1.28.6

Patch 1.28.6 was a major patch that was released on August 25, 2017. This patch was never released to the live production, only the PTR.

General Improvements & Gameplay Objectives

 * Balanced creep camp difficulty progression from early to late game
 * Balanced creep drop tables for better item progression from early game to late game
 * Item diversity: Varied Level 1 though 6 charged items and Level 1 through 6 permanent items
 * Balanced all start locations: total amount and starting distance from lumber, equal amount of spacing, equal size choke points, et cetera
 * Balanced expansion distance from start locations
 * Decluttered points of interest to reduce visual competition during gameplay
 * Retextured map surfaces for better visual clarity - both on screen and mini-map
 * Minimized the size of trees and doodads that obstructed player view of points of interest
 * Added cliff lines or deep water to edges of the map - removing hard edges (aesthetic choice for immersion)
 * Properly placed trees and doodads on the pathing grid: full-cell Medium Grid to half-cell Medium Grid alternate
 * Removed the rolling shoreline waves from rolling hills to remove the noise the waves created - remains for cliff shores

(2)Bandit Ridge

 * This is an original map

(2)Melting Valley

 * This is an original map

(2)Plunder Isle LV

 * Added a Tavern to the center of the map
 * Added two Mercenary Camps
 * Added an additional path/ramp to each player’s middle expansion

(2)Road To Stratholme LV

 * Rotated 3 neutral buildings (Goblin Laboratory moved to the Goblin Merchant; Goblin Merchant moved to the Mercenary Camp; Mercenary Camp moved to the Goblin Laboratory)
 * Added an additional green creep camp to each player’s side of the map
 * Swapped the Mercenary camps with the Goblin Laboratories.

(2)Terenas Stand LV

 * Swapped Start Location with Goblin Laboratory
 * Swapped Goblin Laboratory with Mercenary Camp
 * Swapped two center green creep camps with orange creep camps
 * Changed corner player expansions from green creep camps to orange creep camps
 * Moved starting green creep camps further from start location
 * Added unpathable terrain to the eastern Mercenary camp, so that both sides of the map have relatively the same amount of unpathable terrain.

(2)Tirisfal Glades LV

 * Added two Taverns per player side
 * Swapped the Mercenary Camp with expansion gold mines
 * Opened a path through the middle of the map.
 * Removed the +1 cliff level for each start location
 * Removed the -1 cliff level for the northern Murloc creep camp next the players start location, so that both the north and south camp are similar.

(2)The Two Rivers LV

 * Added a Tavern to the right side of the map
 * Swapped Goblin Laboratory with Mercenary Camp
 * Added some environmental effects (Light rain; Green fog)
 * Tightened the choke point around the northern expansion - similar to the southern position.

(4)Bridge Too Near LV

 * Changed tileset from Lordaeron Summer to Lordaeron Winter
 * Added Mercenary camp with Goblin Laboratory
 * Balanced the number of trees needed to harvest and reach the center of the map for all start locations

(4)Broken Shard

 * This is an original map

(4)Flood Plains LV

 * Added a Goblin Observatory to each corner of the map
 * Added 2 additional green creep camps per start location area
 * Removed cliff level (1up) from the map (no more ramps)

(4V)1V1 Flood Plains LV

 * Added some flair to the creep camps – attempt to bring life to the those points of interest (POI’s).

(6)Gnoll Wood

 * This is an original map

(4)Avalanche LV

 * Swapped the east and west Gold Mine expansions with Goblin Merchant
 * Swapped out the Fountain of Health with Mercenary Camps
 * Removed the lower cliff level to the expansion
 * Removed one layer of destructible rock chunks from the expansion
 * Added an additional green creep camp to each start location

(4)Bridge Too Near LV

 * Changed tileset from Lordaeron Summer to Lordaeron Winter
 * Added Mercenary camp with Goblin Laboratory
 * Balanced the number of trees needed to harvest and reach the center of the map for all start locations
 * Opened the center of the map.
 * Removed the Market place and Red creep camp; Added a Tavern in its place.
 * Added upbuildable terrain around the bridges to help prevent blocking the bridges with structures.

(4)Duskwood LV

 * Replaced Fountain of Health with a Tavern at the center of the map
 * Removed red creep camp from the center of the map
 * Replaced the Gold Mines on the north/south/east/west locations with a Goblin Observatory
 * Replaced the single red creep camp at the north/south/east/west locations with two Orange creep camps - separated by water to separate encounters
 * Added an additional green creep camp for each start location

(4)Frozen Clover LV

 * Replaced center red creep cap with a Tavern
 * Removed cliffs from the player’s base and center of the map; added trees to create lanes
 * Added a third lane to the player’s base
 * Added a 3rd green creep camp per start location

(4)Moonglade

 * This is an original map

(4)Phantom Grove LV

 * Changed tileset from Lordaeron Summer to Lodaeron Fall
 * Added deep water to certain parts of the map to help define expansion
 * Swapped the orange and green expansion creep camps
 * Expanded upon the “creepy” creep theme by using creep from a different tilesest to thematically fit point of interest

(4)River of Souls

 * This is an original map

(4)Tidewater Glades LV

 * Rotated 3 neutral buildings (Goblin Laboratory moved to Mercenary Camp; Mercenary camp moved to Goblin Merchant; Goblin Merchant moved to Goblin Laboratory)
 * Changed the layout to better define intended Gold Mine expansions

(4)Turtle Rock

 * This is an original map

(6)Duststorm LV

 * Swapped out the center expansion Gold Mines with neutral buildings (2 Mercenary Camps; 2 Goblin Merchant camps; 2 Goblin Laboratory).
 * Removed all the neutral buildings from start location plateau
 * Added orange creep camp to the expansion Gold Mines
 * Swapped out the orange creep in the corner for each start location with a green creep camp

(6)Gnoll Wood

 * This is an original map

(6)Gnoll Wood

 * This is an original map

(6)Hinterland Raid

 * This is an original map

(6)Monsoon LV

 * Swapped Goblin Merchant with Mercenary Camps (4 Goblin Merchants to 2 Goblin Merchants; 2 Mercenary to 4 Mercenary Camps)
 * Added a 2nd green creep camp to each start location
 * Removed pure Golem creep camps for better player engagement with creep camps
 * Changed to global constant for rain
 * Thickened the grey fog for a heavy fantasy feel for the map

(6)River of Souls

 * This is an original map

(6)Ruins of Stratholme

 * This is an original map

(6)Thunder Lake LV

 * Added 2 Taverns to the north and south of the lake
 * Swapped Goblin Merchant with all 6 Mercenary Camps
 * Removed the 6 Gold Mine expansions from the center of the map
 * Added 2 Goblin Merchants, 2 Goblin Laboratories, and 2 Marketplaces where the center Gold Mine expansions were
 * Removed double cliff ramp into start location

(6)Typhoon

 * This is an original map

(6)Upper Kingdom

 * This is an original map

(8)Battleground LV

 * Swapped neutral buildings around the edge of the map with Gold Mines
 * Swapped the center Gold Mines with Goblin Merchant
 * Swapped the near center Gold mines with Mercenary Camps
 * Replaced the orange creep camp near start location with a green creep camp
 * Removed the +1 cliff level from the expansion goldmine between Purple and Blue start location.
 * Adjusted all the expansion goldmines, so that there is more room to build Town Hall equivalent and defenses.
 * Red start location no longer has two expansion goldmines pointing its way. The expansion between Red and Pink start locations now points towards pinks location.

(8)Mur’gul Oasis LV

 * Removed the Fountain of Mana

(8)Gold Rush

 * This is an original map

(8)Market Square

 * This is an original map

(8)Battleground LV

 * Swapped neutral buildings around the edge of the map with Gold Mines
 * Swapped the center Gold Mines with Goblin Merchants
 * Swapped the near center Gold mines with Mercenary Camps
 * Replaced the orange creep camp near the players start location with a green creep camp
 * Removed the +1 cliff level from the expansion goldmine between Purple and Blue start location.
 * Adjusted all the expansion goldmines, so that there is more room to build Town Hall equivalent and defenses.
 * Red start location no longer has two expansion goldmines pointing its way. The expansion between Red and Pink start locations now points towards pinks location.

(8)Deadlock LV

 * Swapped out center Gold Mines with a Marketplace
 * Swapped locations of Goblin Merchants and Mercenary Camps

(8)Feralas LV

 * Added 2 Goblin Merchants and 2 Mercenary Camps to the middle of the map
 * Expansion Gold Mine creep camp now drops items

(8)Golems In The Mist LV

 * Added 2 Mercenary Camps and 2 Goblin Merchants
 * Added a Tavern to the center of the map
 * Added an additional Green creep camp per start location
 * Adjusted the ally properties so teams can be top vs bottom or east vs west

(8)Mur’gul Oasis LV

 * Removed the Fountain of Mana

(8)Northshire LV

 * Replaced the 4 Taverns with 2 Goblin Merchants and 2 Mercenary Camps
 * Swapped the 2 Goblin Merchants with 2 Taverns
 * Added an additional green camp to each start location
 * Orange camps at the 4 corners are now red camps
 * Eased path to the red corner creep camps
 * Adjusted the ally properties so teams can be top vs bottom or east vs west
 * Tucked the Goblin Laboratory and Mercenary camp buildings and creep off the main path. Now easier to move around without engaging them.

(8)Sanctuary LV

 * Swapped the 4 Mercenary camps with Goblin Laboratories
 * Swapped the 2 center Gold Mines with Mercenary Camps
 * Added a second Tavern to the center of the map
 * Added 2 green creep camps to the center of the map
 * Added a red creep camp to the center of the map
 * No more all Golem creep camps
 * Lowered the previous 2 center red creep camps to orange creep camps
 * Replaced most Lordaeron creep camp units with Cityscape creep units

(8)Twilight Ruins LV

 * Swapped the Goblin Laboratories with Mercenary Camps at the edges of the map
 * Created three distinct difficulties for the orange camps

(6)Death Rose

 * This is an original map

(6)Duststorm LV

 * Swapped out the center expansion Gold Mines with neutral buildings (2 Mercenary Camps; 2 Goblin Merchant camps; 2 Goblin Laboratory).
 * Removed all the neutral buildings from start location plateau
 * Added orange creep camp to the expansion Gold Mines
 * Swapped out the orange creep in the corner for each start location with a green creep camp

(6)Emerald Shores

 * This is an original map

(6)Monsoon LV

 * Swapped Goblin Merchant with Mercenary Camps (4 Goblin Merchants to 2 Goblin Merchants; 2 Mercenary to 4 Mercenary Camps)
 * Added a 2nd green creep camp to each start location
 * Removed pure Golem creep camps for better player engagement with creep camps
 * Changed to global constant for rain
 * Thickened the grey fog for a heavy fantasy feel for the map

(6)Stranglethorn Vale

 * This is an original map

(6)Thunder Lake LV

 * Added 2 Taverns to the north and south of the lake
 * Swapped Goblin Merchant with all 6 Mercenary Camps
 * Removed the 6 Gold Mine expansions from the center of the map
 * Added 2 Goblin Merchants, 2 Goblin Laboratories, and 2 Marketplaces where the center Gold Mine expansions were
 * Removed double cliff ramp into start location

(8)Battleground LV

 * Swapped neutral buildings around the edge of the map with Gold Mines
 * Swapped the center Gold Mines with Goblin Merchants
 * Swapped the near center Gold mines with Mercenary Camps
 * Replaced the orange creep camp near the players start location with a green creep camp

(8)Deadlock LV

 * Swapped out center Gold Mines with a Marketplace
 * Swapped locations of Goblin Merchants and Mercenary Camps

(8)Mur’gul Oasis LV

 * Removed the Fountain of Mana

(8)Twilight Ruins LV

 * Swapped the Goblin Laboratories with Mercenary Camps at the edges of the map
 * Created three distinct difficulties for the orange camps

Known Issues

 * We are aware Warcraft III matchmaking is a bit long in the tusk; we will be improving matchmaker logic for a future patch
 * Automated Tournaments and Ladder Board are not functional for PTR
 * Latency was improved with 1.28, but still needs work to meet modern standards