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Carreg Cennen by WarLord Designs
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Author |
File Description |
WarLord_Designs |
Posted on 12/23/05 @ 06:51 PM
File Details |
Map Size: |
400x400 (Large) |
Difficulty: |
Hard |
Minimap:
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History:
Spectacularly sited about 100 metres above the river Cennen, north of Swansea, the welsh fortress of Carreg Cennen dominate the surrounding wilderness of the Breacon National Park. The naturally defensible site may even have been a prehistoric hillfort, and was certainly a stronghold of the Welsh princes. One can only image the struggle of the invader as he, wielding a weapon would face volleys of arrows and the hard rock hilltop in an effort to storm the castle.
The story of Carreg Cennen Castle is a long one, going back at least to the 13th century. There is archaeological evidence, however, that the Romans and prehistoric peoples occupied the craggy hilltop centuries earlier (a cache of Roman coins and four prehistoric skeletons have been unearthed at the site). The hill top offered a clear strategic advantage to who so ever occupied it as its narrow sides proved hard to overcome. Although the Welsh Princes of Deheubarth built the first castle at Carreg Cennen, the present stone castle dates from around 1300, when it was built as an English outpost by one of Edward I's barons. Ingeniously adapted to its rocky hilltop, its core is a high walled, strongly towered enclosure, protected by a succession of pits, drawbridges and gatehouses. Even the natural cave beneath the castle rock, perhaps a prehistoric refuge, is incorporated into the defences via a gallery passage and can still be explored with torches.
This was one of our entries in the design competition and as you may have read was second in the rankings, we hope you enjoy our map.
Thanks to all who entered and especially to teh staff involved with the competition.
WL_D. Alexus and Arthus.
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Author | Reviews ( All | Comments Only | Reviews Only ) |
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Jasper Tudor |
Posted on 01/01/06 @ 12:39 PM
I review a lot. Mostly because I only recently got my account here at SHH, but I've been dowloading and playing maps from here since early this spring (oh, that's last spring by now..). Of all my reviews I beleive only a few (two or three maybe) have been straight-through 5's. Time to add another map to that list.
Playability: 5
Is this map fun? No, it's better than that. Normally, I often find eco-vasions to be a bit of a bore (fighting is funnier=P), but at this map, I was really determined to complete all the objectives. The goals are not individually hard to reach, but all together they become more or less a nightmare. However, the map was to no degree frustrating (except for my first tries, when the game messed up a bit), and to clear the mines to the west, while still keeping a good amount of archers to protect your crops is great fun.
Balance: 5
The map is rightfully labeled as "Hard", because it sure is HARD. As I knew I'm not a very good player, I played the map at Easy to get a Normal-difficulty level, and at Easy, the map was beaten without exhastion, which was good. At Normal...that's where the map gets really tough, surviving the Snakes invasion is nearly impossbile, as is keeping a good food-supply without moving the granary (and if the granary is moved, it's put into great danger etc. etc.). The small bandit-invasions weren't very hard (a few archers out in the fields did the trick), but conquering the enemy's mining-camp is a lot tougher than it looks.
Creativity: 5
I liked the randomly crenelated walls, the invisble rock-cut ditch (I beleive it was there to make the AI work out right?), the nice custom-towers and the clever enemy camp. The castle itself is one big piece of pure creativity. It's incredibly true to the original ground plan, and you guys have surely made the castle justice!
Map Design: 6 or above
My favourite part of the map actually. This map is clearly the best looking map I've seen. The castle is great indeed, but I beleive that the surroundings looks even better! The AI doesn't work out perfectly with the map, but this is easily compensated for by the great look of craggy landscape. Splendid!
Story/Instructions: 5
Well written, explains what is happening and why, and there's also a lot of historic facts included (although nothing that I didn't know before, Carreg Cennen has always interested me).
Additional Comments:
Worth every single 5 given. A wonderful map overall.
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Lord Karpathea |
Posted on 04/01/06 @ 10:48 PM
Playability: 5
Awesome. I enjoy every map you guys have designed, and this was no exception.
Balance: 5
Really hard to win. Just how I like it.
Creativity: 5
Can't give it anything but a 5.
Map Design: 5
Exquisite.
Story/Instructions: 5
Clear instructions and excellent story.
Additional Comments:
Really awesome. |
Lord Gandor |
Posted on 05/29/06 @ 11:15 PM
Playability: 5
I can now say (without a doubt) that this is my all-time favorite map...ever. I havn't quite played all the other maps...(like 2500 of them right?) but for now you have made my day. The combination of scripting, balance, not to mention the designing has won me over. I immensely enjoyed it!
Balance: 5
Part of what makes this map so great is that it scares me...badly. Food and weapon production takes FOREVER because the farms are in the valley and the stockpile is in the lower castle area. Keeping a task force of 30 archers near the farms at all times I set them on that mountain ridge and they cut the wolf's men to pieces. It was such that I was lulled into a false sense of security when the snakes troups hit... The knights immediately cut my spearmen to pieces and the pikes went after my archers. Guiding them carefully I managed to get the archers up to my base (good thing they're fast!) and put them on the walls. This didn't help at all of course... They blew the wall down like it was made of pasta. The pikes again had the job of killing the archers. The loss of the gatehouse devided them into two sections, luckily the pikes destroyed a couple random walls and trapped one group of archers...as for the other group...those poor souls... This didn't matter of course as the swordsmen streamed into the keep.
Creativity: 5
Well, it's a historical castle... but you did design it well with those custom crens and the whole killing the enemy lord to stop the invasions was creative...
Map Design: 5
A 6 or above Jasper? More like...2648954 x 652 = this map. Custom crens are my favorite part of castle designing and you abused them to the point of insanity...and I liked it. The quarry in the natural caves (those are the caves right?) and those custom towers and the huge custom keep and the whole thing together is a beauty. I can't remember much else because it's greatness must have burned my brain.
Story/Instructions: 5
It's a historical. All the above is mostly true and you can't compete with reality so...5
Additional Comments: There should a be a shrine to this map! Sorry, but it's just such a great map. May your brush tool be steady and your castles great! (They already are!) I still can't believe this map has only got 2 reviews other than this! Must be because they're speechless.
LG[Edited on 05/30/06 @ 10:23 PM]
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Dragons Rider |
Posted on 10/04/06 @ 09:59 PM
Playability: 5
Pretty fun, except for the glitch which others have mentioned, really bugged me because I was about to win. Edit: This has been changed to 5 after considering that it was not obviously put in the map. My apologies to WL_Designs
Balance: 4
The bandits were good distractions from preparing for an army attack, taking the mine was a enjoyable challenge
Creativity: 5
The attantion to detail was excellent, i love your patience with wooden walls
Map Design: 5
What can I say about this catgory? perfect!
Story/Instructions: 5
Clear and straight
Additional Comments:
Keep bringing in the maps![Edited on 10/08/06 @ 06:24 PM]
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HGDL v0.8.2 |
Rating |
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5.0 | Breakdown |
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Playability | 5.0 | Balance | 4.8 | Creativity | 5.0 | Map Design | 5.0 | Story/Instructions | 5.0 |
Statistics |
Downloads: | 4,961 |
Favorites: [] | 0 |
Size: | 1.13 MB |
Added: | 12/23/05 |
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