100 years ago on the year 977 there was a great battle between your Grandfather and the 4 dishonorable barons of the west thankfully you’re grandfather won but died during the battle. Fifty years later you’re father defended a Castle and during a counter attack was killed.
Now it’s the year 1066 you have bad feelings and so do all the peasants, you need to get to the nearest castle and fortify it. Unfortunately you have no heir and since most people think you will die anyways, there have been power struggles and you are cut off from all aid. The only help you might get are from bandits, who will come to your castle to escape the roar of the baron’s armies. If you do not survive this onslaught it is quite likely that the rest of the country will fall due to no strong leader. Your objectives are simple, defend the castle of the rolling hills and do not die in the process.
WARNING: Extremely hard map on very hard setting, play at your own risk can cause loss of hair and brain hemorrhages.
Hints: None you’re on your own bud.
Castle Type: Motte and Bailey
Difficulty: Normal suggested for average players, Hard suggested for somebody wanting a challenge, Very Hard as said above most likely impossible.
Summary- Overall score 3.3 [Edit:] >> 3.6
A good scenario. Exciting to play. Challenging and relatively long. Players will not regret downloading this one.
Playability: 4.0 – Excellent.
I tend not to play big castle type maps. I prefer to make my own economy. However, this gave me plenty to do in reorganising the economy and I see now it would offer good replay value, as there are other strategies I could have tried. The player is given plenty of options and I like that.
Balance: 3.5 - Good:
Won on first time on Hard setting. I see now that I made some mistakes. I will do things differently next time I play this map.
Creativity: 3.5 - Good: but not a whole lot of creative stuff but good points are:
1) A couple of castle details were nice and one in particular I would mention were it not that I might spoil play for others so I will let them find it themselves.
2) Signpost placement. This added to playability and balance. Again here I won’t be too specific so as not to spoil play.
3) The game starts with the peasants strolling up the road to the castle. A nice touch.
Map Design: 3.5 – Overall Good:
The quality of the terraining is pretty average but some aspects boosted this category above average.
Positives: The landscaping did make for interesting play as I tried to find places for extensions to my castle. Terrain features had been added with a view to game play. The road up to the castle was nice and I mentioned signpost placement above already.
Negatives: It had been set out a bit too hurriedly using large brush sizes. More time needed to be taken with the equaliser tool on lowest size setting.
Story/Instructions 2.0 [Edit:] >> 3.5 – Overall: Below Average [Edit:] >> Good.
The story on the site DL page was OK but there was no story at all in-map. Now for me this is a complete no-no. As it happens I downloaded the zip a day or two before playing it when I noticed the author’s request for a review. I did not read the story at that stage. When I came to play I just launched SH and load up the map to find no story to set the scene or to fill me in on how to approach the scenario.
Author, You will boost your score here by simply typing the site story into the map and updating the DL page. You will boost it still further by taking a little time to weave a more interesting story around the start of the scenario. Why is it that the troops are inside but the peasants are still on their way? Your touch of creativity with the peasants will seem all the greater, if it fits with your story. Let me know if you improve this aspect and I will amend the score here. (You could ask for inspiration in the forums). Indeed, I would urge you to at least do the first improvement I have suggested. You have made a good scenario (and are to be congratulated). Why sell it short with a dashed-off story when a bit of time will increase its value?
Edit:
The author has added the story in-map and updated the file. So my criticism about there being no in-map story no longer applies and I now say that the Story/Instructions are Good. :)
[Readers of this review please note. This review contains *my* opinions. If you have different opinions then write your own review. Please don’t expect me to hold the same opinions as you. I detail here the URL to the review guidelines should you harbour any thought that this review does not conform to them:
http://stronghold.heavengames.com/dl/guide
]