This is a good first effort and Mcullen Castle III is a solid little siege map. Softnerd has put in a commendable effort and the map is jam-packed. There is no part of this map that does not appear to have been given attention. Unfortunately a few errors and overlooks severely distract from what could be a really good map.
Playability 2/5 although the map plays well, a serious error in the castle design allows the attacker access to the entire castle sans the keep from any access point. The numerous access points given to the wall tops compound this. Once the attacker has crossed the moat he can get atop the walls and kill all of the defending bowmen, as there are no partitions to stop them. The starting funds of $10,000 are just ridiculous as one can quickly pound the defenses into submission with the generous number of engineers given. Although McMullen Castle III is a good looking map it is way to easy to beat. I took the castle on my first attempt. Playing on normal difficulty I achieved victory with a respectable 37% losses. On my second attempt on hard I suffered only 36% losses. Granted, I had already beaten the map but I also had far less troops.
Balance 3/5 the defending troops are well balanced and this is a nice change from the usual over use of ballistics one usually sees in the siege downloads. There is an enormous amount of pitch and kill pits used on this map and to be honest they are the only real threat to your troops. The defending troops were also given an incredibly large troop combat bonus. Unfortunately the author provides no reason or explanation for this. If the Lord is so evil as the story states, why are these guys so happy to fight for Him? A spell, A curse? Why not incorporate it into the storyline?
Creativity 3/5 A good effort in this category the author has made an interesting map. Softnerd has incorporated details of the design into the story and the graveyard and ruins are a nice touch. I felt the ruins could have been more substantial and the graveyard is, well a little to pretty for the storyline, still this is a good job.
Map Design 4/5 I personally felt that this map has a slightly claustrophobic feel that did not appeal to me. A lot of work and attention went into the surrounding terrain and accordingly this should be commended. The castle design needs some work especially in regards to accessibility and there are just a few too many nice things to fit into the storyline. Overall, the author has done a good job in this category.
Story/Instructions 4/5 a great effort at an engaging story. Unfortunately numerous grammatical errors make the storyline hard to follow in places. A simple English dictionary and you are well on your way to a 5 score in this department.
In short- a good effort, and a nice looking map. With practice you will be capable of great work keep at it!