After a civil war you decide to build a castle close to one of the war-torn castles which is by now infested with wolves and bandits and worst of all disease. You must stockpile ale quickly before winter comes to have enough to go through the winter and you must have your people drinking ale as well. You must also get a sufficient population to even call this a "castle" and you must keep the peasants happy with gardens,dancing bears and such.
Playability: 3
Pleasant, peaceful and mildly challenging. It's a fairly tame scenario more on a par with the original economic missions that came with the game. There's still enough for the player to be getting on with but there's no serious threat to their progress.
Balance: 3
I played it at Normal Level and gained a victory approximately halfway through, so for experienced players it's a bit too easy and will be more of a challenge played at Very Hard. The early wolf attacks can still cause problems though and you still need to be organized to make headway in the game.
Creativity: 3
I could almost quote the review guidlines here, it's a good traditional SH economic scenario with no obvious errors. There's nothing too taxing but the author has included several events to thwart your progress and maintain the players interest.
Map Design: 3
The author has made a fair attempt at detailing the landscape. Some parts look very nice indeed, the hill areas, cliffs, resource areas and the waterfall are all well done. Other parts however, especially the low lying centre, look a little unfinished and empty.
Story/Instructions: 4
The story ties in well with the map and gives a clear indication to the player what they must do. The text contains a few mis-spellings and errors but I don't believe the author is native English speaking so I've no problem with that.
Additional Comments:
It's not an outstanding map but it does all work properly and it's clear the author has applied some thought and effort into creating it. There's nothing wrong with this scenario at all, it'll just be a bit too quiet and too peaceful for most seasoned players. Newer players however should enjoy it more as a follow-on from the original game missions.