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Author |
File Description |
Tempkn145 (id: tempkn145) |
Posted on 10/14/07 @ 08:13 AM
File Details |
Map Size: |
400x400 (Large) |
Difficulty: |
Hard |
Minimap:
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Im not lying to you, this is a VERY Hard Map and to tell you how hard it is, I almost lost on easy and its my map i made ._. If you manage to beat it on very hard you are either an alien or a stronghold god. |
Author | Reviews ( All | Comments Only | Reviews Only ) |
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Sulis |
Posted on 03/17/08 @ 07:15 AM
Playability: 3.5
There are no specific instructions to inform the player whether this is to be played as an attacker, defender or both. Therefore, this review is based on both approaches, but assumes that you are laying siege to the castle.
The map is certainly tricky to beat and there are many obstacles to hinder your progress. You aren't just faced with the defending army, but huge pitch ditches and plenty of moat to dig through, leaving your troops open to crossbow fire from pretty much any angle you care to take. Similarly, playing this at very hard difficulty as a defender, and therefore against the full force of the AI, leaves you with plenty to do and the central location means you are never quite sure which side the AI may successfully breach. Back to attacking mode, and you are even restricted to moving large volumes of units around just in case you dare to tread on a pitch ditch (which are easy enough to recognise). A sensible amount of starting gold allows you to build a few siege engines which helps to take down some of the outer defences (towers). The map is certainly playable at different levels of difficulty and can be played as both an attacker and defender. This versatility is one of the map's strong points. A more precise score could be awarded if the player and reviewer could be sure they were playing the map the way the author intended and this lack of basic information and instruction is a bit of a problem.
Balance: 4
The difficulty setting on the download page is indicated as 'hard'. Playing as an attacker on hard setting is certainly a challenge and there are different approaches you can take, depending on your style. However, when the map is dissected you are still faced with a castle cut off from the mainland by moat and probably over-manned too. The game has insufficient realism for me, nor does it contain enough of that fictitious element to justify placing it in either category. The map is definitely difficult on hard setting, but perfectly beatable with careful and considered tactics. Despite the obvious benefits of having a siege map that can be played a number of ways using a variety of tactical approaches, the map still left me feeling a bit cold towards it and it lacked something special, or different. Definitely functional though.
Creativity: 3
A fairly straightforward siege map, when all is said and done. Castle, moat, pitch ditches, defending troops, hot oil engineers... it's all here, and they all do what they're supposed to. The map lacks something though and this is another case of a perfectly well made map, but sadly has little special about it, nothing different to lift it from the majority of siege maps.
Map Design: 3
The premise of a centrally located castle that can be attacked from all sides is always a good one for those looking for a good fight. The whole of the castle defences are put to the test with this style of design and you really don't know how the AI will break through. The castle itself looks fine but lacks anything other than standard features. The landscape and terrain is okay for a siege map but in terms of design it is fairly run-of-the-mill. I have a problem in general with large pitch ditches - I simply don't like them. Smaller, strategically placed tiles are, in my opinion, far better and really get the defending player thinking about when to use them. The outer wall structures seem to act as a sacrificial barrier against siege equipment attacks, but aren't particularly appealing visually.
Story/Instructions: 1.5
The story element is very brief, as are the instructions that refer more to just how hard the map is than anything else. Given the paucity of information provided by the designer, the score must fairly reflect the effort made. The story and instructions desperately need much more content.
Additional Comments:
(none) |
HGDL v0.8.2 |
Rating |
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3.0 | Breakdown |
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Playability | 3.5 | Balance | 4.0 | Creativity | 3.0 | Map Design | 3.0 | Story/Instructions | 1.5 |
Statistics |
Downloads: | 520 |
Favorites: [] | 0 |
Size: | 778.20 KB |
Added: | 10/14/07 |
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