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
==List of 1 v 1 maps==
===(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
==List of 2 v 2 maps==
===(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
==List of 3 v 3 maps==
===(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
==List of 4 v 4 maps==
===(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
==List of FFA maps==
===(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