In this final episode you are the son of the Lord in parts I&II. You have just been promoted to general by your father and have dealt with his Nemesis. This ofcourse being the jealous dutch Nobel; the Snake.
The regent that gave your father permission to settle on the Dutch coast long ago, has finally intervened.
He is furious due to your expansion of territory and the death of one of his Landlords, the Snake.
Fend of his attacks while gathering some goods to resupply your fathers army, once this is done you will attack together. At the meantime establish a well defended settlement with happy and religious people, once the peace is restored it will be yours.
This map is a beautifull and very realistic depiction of northern Holland during the Dark Ages.
If you want to know more about the landscape and way of life read the hints&tips file for a geographical explanation.
This map should be balanced right on normal for the average player, if you are a good or expert player I recommend playing it on hard right away.
Some tips:
-Start working on the economic goals early, the faster you win the less attacks you will have to endure.
-Be carefull with trees, do not build too many woodcutters at once.
-Protect your wheat- and hopsfarms well, they can not be rebuild when destroyed.
For more pointers read the hints&tips file which is included in the zip file.
Have fun and good luck,
Lord_ako
Playability: This should receive a 3.5 although it was fun to play the lack of balance makes the scenario slow at times.
Balance: Although this map had a lot of things going for it, it was too easy to win. I was able to win the first time through. The invasions really never were a threat, even the opening fight was relatively easy. Some things that might have made a difference: a timer to force completion, bigger/more frequent invasions and I know this sounds crazy but maybe fewer options in the market.
Creativity: Gotta call it a 4. The victory objectives were interesting. It was a good balancing act with the wheat, cheese and leather armor. The blessed % fit in well too. However, most of the time the industries ran on their own which hurt playability. The wood limitation was a nice touch but the availability in the market made that by passable. Also starting out with those "disease flinging" catapults was different and fun.
Map Design: I probably should not give a 5 but I really like the looks of this map. All the apparent attention to detail pays off. The unique mounds where the cattle are placed were very well done. I liked the fact there was two entry points for the invasions. It looked like you tried to dress up the extended cathedral, but to me it was just ok looking. Again i just liked the overall look of the terrain and basic map layout. Well done
Story: Although I did not get caught up in the story, I did like the geographical background/set up. These facts did lend another dimension to the scenario as I played.
I played and liked Lighthouse II a lot. And I was really looking forward to LH III. Although the balance in this map is not as strong, the innovative design and attention to detail are apparent. I liked the map and enjoyed some of its unique features.