It took me a while to figure out how to do this one, but it was fun. Not alot of room for error in freeing your pesants and it limits your ability to try different methods,
I can only free my pesants in one way that is almost scripted.
but after the first little scrippted peice there is lots too do.
definatly worth the 30 seconds to download
ericgolf Staff
Posted on 12/21/04 @ 12:00 AM
Rating
4.2
Breakdown
Playability
5.0
Balance
4.0
Creativity
5.0
Map Design
4.0
Story/Instructions
3.0
This was a fascinating map to play. I had great time figuring out how to go about it.
Playability: 5 Several challenges in one. Your economy doesn't start until you have freed the peasants and you must eliminate the enemy garrison to allow this. To eliminate the enemy garrison you must free some of your imprisoned troops. Then there are the invasions to deal with. Also you must consider how to use your limited engineers and get your head around an economy where the peasants have to walk a huge distance to get to work from the keep.
It would have been a "5" except I exposed what seems like a bug in the AI: I was able to cordon off the sign post and block the invaders on their side of the river. The invasions then arrived but did not launch their attacks. They just stood there and let me massacre them with mangonels and xbows. I confess it was a relief to not have them all over me like the first invasion was.
Balance:4 A tough fight to release my missile men and then take out the garrison. Then a nail-biting defence against the first invasion. It might have been a "5" but for the unusual reaction of the AI (above) but more likely it I would have been wiped out without it.
Creativity:5 The placement of the keep, the various fords, the prison with it's moat, the ruined fort. - Multifaceted!
Map Design:4 Might have been a "5" if I had not been able to block off the sign post. ( but without that I might not have been able to win). The mixture of enemy and friendly walls/towers in the fort was both confusing, interesting, and maddening at times.
Story/Instructions:3 Quite good in-map story. Not much on the site. No Mini-map.
In Summary
I'm really glad I discovered this map. Every bit as complex as others by the author. As usual it's a puzzle as well as a fight. I'm really not sure if I was disappointed or relieved that my walls prevented the AI from attacking. And even with this it is a high scoring and entertaining map. Thanks are due to the author for such a great fun challenge. I hope I have not revealed too much about the map here. (I will happily amend this review if anyone thinks so.)