Excellent young Crusader...you also have survive my first order (outpost to enlarge).
May it seemed like a dream for you...now you´re awake and found yourself in the middle of the desert - lost and lonely - Here´s your order: build up a small outpost and abolish a handfull of iron and stone that we need for oure crusade.
Some food? Beware of starvation...and arabian infidels... - whether we ever see us again my companion?
Playability:
This map is a true revelation, and I love such sorts of challenging maps that train your skill. All demanded goals are achievable and contrary to the author’s classification concerning the difficulty level, it is well playable and even winnable. There are multiple ways to manage those initial restricted/limited economic conditions, and you’ll learn how to use your market as efficiently as possible. The trading options are well thought out/planned or realized. Starvation is permanently threatening and temporarily letting your popularity decrease. Fortunately, you can handle and equalize this continuous shortfall of food by purchasing wheat (baking bread), and apples through the sale of surplus iron which is available in abundance.
Balance:
At first, when I saw this abandoned tiny oasis and the ruins around, I knew that I had to be prepared for the worst. There’s not enough free space to place more than one single wheat farm, and I also took care not to chop down all these existing palm trees in the first stage. You will never know … as wood is a bit scarce in the desert. In my opinion, balance is nearly perfect, though the strength of the increasing invasions might be getting stronger, possibly being doubled at the end for all “hard core players” among us.
Creativity:
The game play is very convincing, and I recommend playing these kind of maps where it’s up to the player to find any appropriate strategies for a successful finishing. Maybe another rising star among the Stronghold map makers? Anyway, I was very delighted with the author’s sensitiveness and individual creativity.
Map Design:
Yeah, that’s it! Simply marvelous! I really liked this credible looking bizarre terrain reflecting an authentic, rough atmosphere of a desert by an extraordinary map design. No criticism in this sector.
Story:
Well, put a little more efforts and imagination into this field as you did with map design or the scripting, then you should become one of this year’s “whizz kids”.
Dragon of C, he’s an inventive map designer, very talented.
I promise you lots of fun, and I recommend playing this exemplary economic Crusader map, absolutely!