|
Author |
File Description |
puppets |
Posted on 01/19/06 @ 10:07 PM (updated 01/20/06)
File Details |
Map Size: |
300x300 (Medium) |
Difficulty: |
Normal |
Minimap:
|
"God show us the Light, as far as it is within our power to see the light, to do Your work here on Earth until we are reunited with You in Heaven. Deliver us from our enemies, Bless our crops and industries, and all our enterprises in this treeless, drought-stricken land.
Favor our Campaigns against the Heathen Lord Wolf, and deliver him into our hands. In remission of our sins, and in recognition of Your favor, we offer 100 Score Loaves and 800 carved Stone Blocks. We offer finely tooled weapons, 50 score both Broadswords & Metal Armour.
Further, we shall roast Hops and brew stout Ale & Beer for our subjects, your pious & righteous followers. We shall strive to feed and house them, and raise sufficient Army to fend off the Evil Host which defiles this Blessed Land. We shall not indulge in Pride by over-hoarding Wood, nor Fruit, nor Cheese, nor Wheat. And we do this in Your Holy Name O Lord. Our Cause being Just, God Defend the Right."
This is the prayer the Head Abbot of your Castle Abbey offers on the eve of a small attack by the Wolf, who for years has attempted to seize the prosperous and pious Fortified Isle that is your ancestral Duchy. His destroyed camps, and even a small stone fort, litter the landscape for miles around.
The Wolf is under the thrall of The Holy Roman Emperor, whose diplomats have informed you for a tribute, the Emperor will command the Wolf to stop the invasion. Bread, Stone and Swords and Metal Armour must be manufactured and set aside for the Emperor's emissarries before the attacks overwhelm your limited resources. Your subjects are loyal and industrious, but they do enjoy their Ale. To keep them happy and ensure their continued allegiance, keep their tankards full. And now the adventure begins..
-----------------------------------------------
Notes & Tips
(some spoilers- read no further if you do not want inside info before playing)
This scenario is an exercise in strategy and management. The basic premise is achieving economic goals which turn off increasingly frequent and powerful invasions (starting with Archers and Macemen and advancing to Crossbowmen, Pikemen and finally Swordsmen.)2000 Bread, 800 Stone, 100 Swords and 100 Metal Armour with 100% Ale coverage will Turn Off Repeating Invasions. Killing the remaining enemy will Win the game.
The castle is preconstructed and not conducive to alteration. Because of the design, (narrow, spiralling pathways to slow the enemy advance without stalling it, as gateways tend to do) most structures are not available, to forestall the blocking of pathways with Wells or Walls or other structures. Armouries and Granaries are available for increased space for Hard setting Win requirements, but blocking the paths with these would be problematic. Instead, you must choose a combination of 2 defence tactics plus avoiding and using triggered penalties and bonuses to complete the scenario:
1.The dispensation of your forces and drafting of Soldiers
Only these 2 are available, although you can choose to draft Swordsmen which will delay the cessation of invasions due to reducing the stored Swords and Metal Armour. The Castle has been constructed with many different possible configurations of defence. You can choose to assail the defenders at their starting points, or frontally at the entrance, or deeper within the 'spiral'. The position of Archers versus Crossbowmen is crucial. You can also replace Engineers and Ballistae, or replace with Mangonels. You have a 'cavalry' of mounted Knights which can come riding to the rescue, but you would be well advised to save it until the final extremity. A small squad both Pikesmen and Swordsmen has been included as an Honour Guard of the last resort for the Lord. If you can conserve a few mounted Knights they will be handy for cleaning up stragglers after Invasions end. Crossbowmen are regulated by the pace of manufacture of Leather Armour and Crossbows (you are given 25 each to start), but you may purchase Bows for unlimited Archers.
However, while the 30,000 Gold may seem like a profligate amount of cash, you may find that regulating your economy and buying other resources will preclude over-buying of Bows and Archers, as well as the slow pace of re-population. Destroying some non-essential industries can free up draftees.
2. Pitch Ditches and Killing Ditches
These can substantially thin out the massive, and increasingly dangerous, invasions. However, there are natural and contrived restrictions on their use. First, there is the fact that unlike Archers and Crossbowmen, they are not durable. Once they are used, they are gone. Pitch is only obtainable through a single Pitch Rig, so your Ditches and Engineers with Hot Oil must be placed for maximum efficiency and used at the optimum second to stop the massive invasions that will recur after 5-6 years.
Killing Pits are limited by several factors: first, there are few trees on the map so you can expect little help from Woodcutters. Instead, you can buy Wood, but this is a real drain on Gold, besides which there is a nasty trigger if you accumulate too much Wood, plus you must be careful not to deprive your Fletchers of Wood while hurridly placing the Killing Pits and returning to the Market to buy more Wood. You will soon discover the most effective placement path, but this is complicated by the fact that you cannot build too close to enemy, and pesky Macemen will spring your traps right before massive Swordsmen invasions, and placing traps deep within the spiral and allowing enemies to penetrate too far within your Castle will not protect your citizens walking the paths. The same holds true for Pitch, you cannot re-lay Pitch Ditches too close to enemy, also you must calculate position so as not to kill your own citizens moving about your fortified city.
Another complication; the narrowness of paths can sometimes make it difficult to target and ignite the Ditches quickly. As the increasing invasions will deplete your men-at-arms through attrition faster than you can replace them, you need to accomplish the economic goals as soon as possible to stop invasions. Merely treading water will result in a loss, as you run out of money and soldiers while the invasions increase. Therefore, allowing peasants to do their work and setting defences accordingly is essential. The steps behind the interior gates facilitate movement, but if the enemy does break them down they will have a short route to the Stronghold, so destroying them yourself is an option.
3.Triggered events
There are no arbitrary Auto-Stop events except for the Archers Arriving at the beginning. All events are calculated to force you to manage your Castle for optimum efficiency of Gold and Food and other commodities, keeping your Popularity above 50 while not depleting your resources. If you prefer to turn off Food consumption to let Food Stocks build up, beware. Overstocking of Wood, Cheese, Fruit or Wheat will result in recurring penalties that may make winning impossible. The Wood limit (300) is especially dangerous, as a Fire in the wrong spot will render you unable to win (Armouries and Graneries are rebuildable, but the chance of a Fire confined to only those 2 places is probably slim). Also, there are substantial penalties for Your Troops Killed. All events are tied to logical triggers (too much Wood, Fire risk; too many casualties in an enclosed fortress, Plague, etc.)
There are also Popularity bonuses triggered by accomplishing 25%, 50% and 75% of the economic goals. These can be used to reduce bribes paid, increase taxes to replenish Treasury, and temporarily reduce food requirements if skillfully managed, thereby again maximizing your Gold and Food resources. You can choose to keep the +2 Pleasant effects, or increase efficiency by knocking them down, but you cannot build more Good or Bad Things. You may trade almost all commodities not included in the Win goals for added Gold, or you may buy Food, according to your economic strategy.
The map is not locked if you wish to view the various penalties and triggers.
From the initial arrival of and placement of Archers, to the management of Food and Gold, to the placement of Ditches and Pits, to the monitering of Wood, Cheese, Fruit and Wheat to avoid penalties, this scenario won't allow you much time to sit around watching the action, not-withstanding there is little or no construction involved. The Castle design was based on rounded corners and circular motion, symmetry and lively gameplay. There are many ways to try to beat the scenario and the relative non-predictability of events and triggers, along with varying defence strategies help make the scenario worth playing many times. Even the Wolf's comments are triggered by benchmarks; taunts by Your Troops Killed (slightly before triggering misfortunes) and anger by Enemy Troops Killed (again, alerting you to Popularity bonuses upcoming).
Hopefully the attractiveness of construction and landscape detail will also add to your gameplaying experience. The 'dirt' floor of many of the wall towers was necesary to avoid unsightly 'creasing' of the circular walls, but all areas are accessable and were devised to give a different look to the central Fortress and make it an integral part of the Castle and its defences, rather than a stand-alone structure located in a safe spot far removed from battle. Instead, it is the Heart of your defence and the surrounding structures and pathways a vital part of your defence strategy. The scenario should be considered difficult, but is far from impossible.
The possiblity of added Granaries and Armouries makes a win on Hard possible, although existing structures could probably hold the necessary resources.
Bon Chance, Chevalier.
rafer8674@hotmail.com
|
Pages: [1] 2 » Last » | Author | Comments & Reviews ( All | Comments Only | Reviews Only ) |
---|
Darkslave Master |
Posted on 01/20/06 @ 01:00 PM
Hey puppets, you could better write a short story here instead of doing all this, it only scares off people if you type a huge story with tips here, also, if you want to know what the mission is all about you need to read this whole thing (or at least untill the point all mission info is given), just put the whole story with all things liek tips and alike in a word document and put that together with the map in a zipped folder and submit that, I use this method to.
DS_M |
Lord Ako |
Posted on 01/20/06 @ 02:26 PM
DS_M, I don't agree with that, just look at some of the best rated maps on this site, you'll find that they usually have very long stories/readme's. The same can be said about the description page. ;) |
puppets
File Author |
Posted on 01/20/06 @ 02:48 PM
Criticism noted. I changed the "Notes" to "Notes & Tips" and included a spoiler disclaimer.
I disagree with your larger point though. Far from "scaring people off", I find notes on construction and strategy and the why and how of construction very interesting. As LordAko noted, many other mapmakers do this and I personally find it very interesting and adds to my enjoyment and appreciation of the map.
I've submitted about a dozen maps now (under my old account) and all of them are pretty verbose. They are some of the most downloaded maps on the site (all within the top 20) so I don't really think anyone was scared off.
However, I think my disclaimer will keep anyone from reading too far and spoiling anything.
Now I wish someone would actually play and review the thing instead of critiquing the length of my README.
|
Jasper Tudor |
Posted on 01/20/06 @ 03:37 PM
I totally disagree with DS_M. I think it's a testment and proof of your writing skills even before the map is downloaded. Long stories draw downloaders. 'Nuff said. |
lollard97367 |
Posted on 01/20/06 @ 07:25 PM
Write as much as you want! Your map gets a whole webpage to itself to use however you want (and to put almost whatever you want). I think we should commend and encourage as much as possible on write up.
Lollard |
Darkslave Master |
Posted on 01/21/06 @ 06:57 AM
well... i ment actually that he could better put the COMPLETE story + all the tips and thing in one word file wich could be read after download, here on this description page not that enormous storys and alike but just about something up to 1.5 paper sides of story and athor's notes...it will make it easyer to see quickly where the mission is about without reading really lengthy story's to find out...some may like it...some may not...i just like to see quickly what the mission is about and then when i like it i download an then read the full storyline...that is what i ment, not neccesary to follow it...i'm also just a human and like or dislike things
Downloaded will rate as soon as finished
DS_M[Edited on 01/21/06 @ 07:10 AM]
|
Darkslave Master |
Posted on 01/21/06 @ 10:41 AM
*3.5 hourl later*
Crap this map is lengthy!
i'm only on 1/4th of the things needed! but this can also be coused becouse my pc is slow and i'm on speed 10-20 most of the time
I think some things are odd, like 20 graneries...although the keep area is very nece with diffirent lelvels and platforms and costum towers
I have had some close moments...when the 100 swordsmen come rushing in..., are you sure this should take so long, i'm playing for 10 years now and only have 600 bread and 35 swords and plates together with 250 stone...
DS_M
[Edited on 01/21/06 @ 10:44 AM]
|
puppets
File Author |
Posted on 01/21/06 @ 05:54 PM
You play on 10-20? good lord no wonder. I play on 95 always, and in playtesting I had half the stuff needed by the first major swordsmen attack. The Stone requirement is inflated, I won't give away how you can grab stone quick but its pretty obvious, that's why I inflated that requirement.
If you keep your industries working with no interference you should be able to finish in 20 years no problem.
The extra granaries are for playing on Hard or Very Hard, in which the Bread requirement would be 4000 Bread, added to your normal food cache you would need 20 granaries to win at that setting. That's why 20 Granaries (each holds 25o items x 20= 5000 food items. |
Darkslave Master |
Posted on 01/22/06 @ 10:03 AM
I'll retry the map, my previous attemt really ****ed, however it is strange that the enemy throws in 1000ths of men and the castle stays unharmed... |
puppets
File Author |
Posted on 01/22/06 @ 10:59 AM
The reason the castle stays unharmed is primarily the lack of gates directly between the attackers and the Lord. The game AI will hone in on the Stronghold and the Lord as its first priority. If there are obstacles in the way they will hack out the shortest distance to get through, sometimes even going through walls rather than gates.
During testing and in trying to decide what structure to allow, I blocked the path with Wells and the attackers would begin hacking through walls to get to the next circle within the spiral. However, it slows them down enough to where its too easy to kill them before they get through. That's why I disallowed almost all structures.
In some of my playtests the attackers DID break down the interior gates and cut a huge section from the open path-loop, especially the 2nd furthest inside gate, which cuts off a big, out of the way loop of path. I guess the AI figured it was faster to break down the gate then do all that walking. But it was inconsistant and didn't always happen. That's why I mentioned, you can break the inside steps if you don't want this to happen. However, the stupid citizens will sometimes walk all the long way around on the dangerous ground instead of using the safety of the wallsif they don't have steps up to those gates, so its a tradeoff.
|
Pages: [1] 2 » Last » |
HGDL v0.8.2 |
Rating |
---|
4.4 | Breakdown |
---|
Playability | 4.0 | Balance | 4.0 | Creativity | 5.0 | Map Design | 4.0 | Story/Instructions | 5.0 |
Statistics |
Downloads: | 560 |
Favorites: [] | 0 |
Size: | 687.21 KB |
Added: | 01/19/06 |
Updated: | 01/20/06 |
|