Cruz de la Mancha is my first public map I created with a little inspiration from Cervantes. You start with a well fortified castle and well-stocked…..errr…..stockpile. The coming battles are fierce, so prepare for the onslaught and pray you survive it!
Well, an example of map which could have been good but miss a little is goal. Reason is the players is provided with so much goods and advantage that he have nothing to do.
Playability and balance are even in the low fork of the 2 rating. Accordying the story (which is good) and presentation you will be soon under attack. The castle/tower (which is also good and original) is given to the player will all he need to work by itself. Really nothing or a very few to add. Worst raw materiels, food, gold, weapons rain on you is so much quantity that granary stockpile and armory cant absord it. What's the result ? You need nothing, you have even too much. Well you order about all your building to sleep, use workers to hire soldiers, and when armory is empty (hard to achieve) you use your 15.000 gold to buy more weapon. Result is really the only thing you have to do is to hire soldiers, wait some peasants come and go to the market place from time to time. I didn't destroyed anything in the map. First invasion is easily cut in piece, second one too even you could loose a gate without consequence however. I played the map twice, one at normal, an other at very hard. Mostly you have over 300 soldiers at the first invasion, close to 500 at the second. It's far enough to cut down any invasion considering the castle. I didn't even use the generous 150 pitch which was given to me nor build traps, and finished each time with 3 to 5 % loose.
Castle design and story and quite original and lovely. However landscape could be enhanced IMO. Landscape who is rather flat, rely too much on tree for the decoration.
The author made a commandable effort for the story, even impressive for a first map.
If I have an advice : to give so much to the players. Not only I will have a few to do and he could be bored, but it could cause a balance break. Point also that players could be more proud to build their own victory, than to see all is given to them at start.