PAlAT (id: palat) |
Posted on 07/25/15 @ 12:45 AM
Ratte Mission 2
To start, I have to mention that there are several problems plaguing this mission. I would have to categorize them as follows:
1) The gameplay is "unnatural." By this I mean that although it is difficult to beat the map, it is possible, yet the player in all likeliness will be forced to play the game in an exploitative manner. What I would consider "exploits" include, especially in relation to this map: reliance on the destroy tool to break prebuilt buildings for resources, heavy reliance on chokepoints in order to achieve victory, building moats and walls all over the map without hindrance (related to map design), cramming 80+ archers onto a gatehouse. Yes, it is perfectly possible to beat this map using such methods, but it really puts a damper on the fun.
2) The AI pathfinding is restricted. Due to the way AI in SH works, it always takes the path of least resistance. The gameplay here is basically restricted to the lower half of the map, because the AI won't bother to cross the river. The castle thus isn't surrounded at any point, making choke points a lot easier to establish.
On a positive note, the invasions spawn correctly and do not appear to be "staggered," i.e. they do not attack in parts but go full on in. This has the effect of heightening difficulty.
Notwithstanding playability flaws, this map presents a fair challenge to even seasoned veterans of the game. That said, based on the author's advice of playing on VH, I would only say that the map is marginally balanced, borderline impossible. The reason is because there are simply a) too many enemy archers, and b) too many enemies anyways, regardless of how many enemy archers there actually are. Even cramming all your archers (88 possible) into a strongpoint isn't enough to save them from arrows on VH. Assuming your archers could survive the enemy ones, the spearmen would overwhelm whatever chokepoints you put up based on sheer number alone.
Aesthetically, the map design is about average, on par with most of the maps that come with the base game. It's relatively detailed, showing that the author has put a fair amount of effort here, but on average, the map is also quite flat. Aside from allowing the player to build walls and dig moats just about anywhere, this "flatness" just makes a large portion of the map look bland. Landscape aside, the author puts knowledge of SH eyecandy to use - I see some hut-less wheat farms, lowered walls, a sort of motte-and-bailey castle design.
Lastly, the final product is severely lacking in any instructions, hints, tips, story, etc. Of course, this is not necessarily a bad thing, depending on how you present your project: is it a side project, or do you treat it as something you invest a lot of time and effort in?
2.6/5.0 |