Starcraft Fastest Possible Map Ever
Update - February 2018
This website has been acquired from the original owner in an effort to update the the state of StarCraft: Fastest Possible Map gaming and to let gamers know that the FMP community is still alive and kicking. Check out the community section for more information. Credit for all content, code, style, and images of the website go to the original owner. The original website has been moved to a new location: http://researchedworks.com/starcraft-fastest-mapSee here for more information.
Fastest Possible Map
The Fastest Possible Map (FPM) is one of the most popular Starcraft and Brood War maps on Battle.net. The Fastest Possible Map Ever started out as the money map where there were rows of stacked minerals along the sides of your base and many vespene geysers, known as "$$$BEST MAP EVER$$$" or also called Pado Map. A professional Starcraft Broodwar gamer named MeAT. created the Fastest Possible Map Ever on 2 May 2002 by taking the "$$$BEST MAP EVER$$$" and adding 50 stacked minerals right next to your starting location.The map was hugely popular and he later revised it by getting rid of the minerals along the sides of the base and giving it 10 vespene geysers to create basically the same layout as we see today. Many different versions have been made since then. Fastest Possible Map Ever Space is the most popular and it is the layout and dimensions used by the FPM gosus in the fastest leagues. Other popular versions are Fastest Possible Map Green, where the grass tileset is used, and Fastest Possible Map Perfected which has two stacks of minerals per base. All of these maps can be downloaded from the Download section. To make Fastest Possible Maps a map editor that is capable of stacking minerals is needed, such as StarEdit on the Macintosh or StarCraft Extra Editor. Today Fastest Possible Maps have developed their own community with two fastest leagues and specific strategies and build orders.
A battle between Zerg and Protoss on the Fastest Possible Map Ever
Fastest Possible Map Imbalances
The Fastest Possible Map is imbalanced because the corner positions have an advantage over the mid spots. Corner spots have longer and narrower chokes so that they are easier to defend. Mid spots have a side where there is very little distance between the base's ledge and their main nexus. This means drops have less distance to travel to get to your main, so it is easier for the mid spots to be dropped. Also drops can come from a wider range of angles in the mid spots.Protoss
Protoss is generally believed to have an unfair advantage on FPM. This is because their economy is accelerated at the start since they only need one probe to morph in multiple buildings quickly. (Usually on non-money, losing a miner for a small amount of time to make a building doesn't matter too much, but with the fast pace of Fastest Possible Maps this time becomes significant) Because of this the Protoss usually rush at the start while the other races generally try to defend the Protoss rush.
Also the Protoss have an advantage because of their drops. Because of the stacked minerals and hence stacked miners, drops are very effective on Fastest Possible Map, with one psi storm or reaver hit possibly killing 50 miners at once.
Also Protoss units are expensive especially in gas, however on Fastest Possible Map it is easy for the Protoss to become rich and afford the normally costly units. The other advantage is Protoss can quickly make many cannons, since money is plentiful the Protoss often build mass cannons in the middle of the map. Also because of their fast economy they can often win by cannon rushing the other races at the start.
Zerg
Zerg is considered the weakest race early on in the game, however if they can survive long enough they are considered the strongest race late game.
Terran
Terran is the hardest race to control requiring a high APM and good micro.
2v2
In 2v2, Protoss is by far the strongest race. This is because of their early game advantage which allows them to take control of the map. And in 2v2 if you are cut off from your ally you usually lose. For example 2 Protoss vs 1 Zerg and 1 Terran could use their early unit numbers advantage to cannon an enemy's exit and then both attack the other enemy who is cut off from his ally. Another advantage is the Protoss players can be constantly dropping the enemy's miners later on in the game.