The Recent Ratings
This page contains the ten most recent ratings.
The scores are listed in the regular order, Playability, Balance, Creativity, Map Design and Story/Instruction.
— Jayhawk
The Recent Ratings
| Oasis outpost trouble. V2! | 3.3 | barbarius | |
| The Final War | 1.5 | wallywal | |
| The Black Ghost | 4.7 | Hypernova90 | |
| 3 in 1 map | 1.2 | wallywal | |
| Island Castle | 5.0 | wallywal | |
| The Perfect Land | 4.1 | wallywal | |
| River of Ancients | 4.7 | wallywal | |
| City of Blood by vSchmidt v1.1 | 4.8 | The Dragonheart | |
| The Black Ghost | 4.8 | romanrook | |
| Surviving With Nothing v3.0 | 3.5 | SUBINDXSUBIN | |
| 2008/05/09 06:22:29 GMT-4 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Author: Badguy1945 | Map: Oasis outpost trouble. V2! | |
| Reviewer: barbarius | Rating: 3.3 | Scores: 4.5 4.0 3.5 3.5 3.5 |
| Well, as I'm not English, I can't do a long and precise review, so I can only do a summary of what I think about your map.
Globally, it's a good and amusing map. The game is quite short, but very intense. The design of the map is acceptable, but I think you'd be agree with me if I say it's not a map which is extremely beautiful... But its' not ugly. I think also that put "Hard" like difficulty level for this map is quite exagerated. Killingall the enemies is quite simple, we just have to put the soldiers at the good positions, and it works perfectly.
Anyway, you should also add a scenario for your map. It's not complicated to do that. To conclude, your map is a good map, but I think you can improve it. | ||
| 2008/05/09 04:06:55 GMT-4 | ||
| Author: Avenger101 | Map: The Final War | |
| Reviewer: wallywal | Rating: 1.5 | Scores: 1.0 1.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 |
| [DO NOT APPROVE - reviewer emailed - edited by ericgolf]
Playability: 1
You've already placed everything, so I cant do anything.
Balance: 1
If you play this against an AI he can do nothing.
Creativity: 2
Well... not very nice but you placed waterfalls and farms on earth.
Map Design: 2
You should have a look at mapmaking 101...
Story/Instructions: 1.5
Not much but you wrote a few words so not a 1.
Additional Comments:
Have a look at mapmaking 101:
http://stronghold.heavengames.com/maps/index_html
I hope to see better maps from you in the future.
(sorry for my bad English, I'm from The Netherlands) | ||
| 2008/05/01 08:08:41 GMT-4 | ||
| Author: The Dragonheart | Map: The Black Ghost | |
| Reviewer: Hypernova90 | Rating: 4.7 | Scores: 4.0 5.0 5.0 4.5 4.5 |
| Playability: 4
I loved playing this map. It was thrilling and exciting. This is all due to the large invasion force, and the precise timing. The lenght of the map was also excellent and it was very hard to beat. I was sitting on the top of my chair constantly. It was excellent in any way but not outstanding. The only thing I missed was the way of completing the map in different ways. I always love a map when it can be completed in several ways or with several strategies. The only thing I could do was with the horseman but it became very hard when I lost them. These are very essential units. This makes the map a bit less replayable.
Balance: 5
Simply stunning, outstanding. It was very hard to beat for me, but after looking over it again and again I almost screamed full of happiness when I finished the map. It was hard but good. Again outstanding peformance on the balance. This is balance as it should be. You are forced to move units trough the city, which you can use for your advantages against the invading enemy force. Bravo!
Creativity: 5
Although it may remind people of Reckless Hate Part 1, the map is totally different. The city has such extraordinairy design and other creative supplements. Let's start with the already preplaced set-up force. There are directly reinforcements coming ( Knights ) which you don't see a lot. The little island in the sea is also a very creative supplement. The custom farms are used more times but it is still an outstanding way for making maps look great and shows effort in creating a good looking and creative map. It is also different from Reckless Hate Part 1 because of the invading force. And the Himalaya is something unused in every map I know. All by all it has so many creative things.
Map Design: 4.5
The city was so beautifull. It breathes, it lives and it is really a city. It is big it has a beautifull shape and it is full of eyecandy. The landscape is realistic and the custom farms breath even more atmosphere. All by all it is excellent in any way but there is one little thing I didn't like. Although the Himilaya is a very creative thing and it is unused in many maps it has a reason. Simply because it doesn't look good and it is a bug. When I rotate the map it looks not good and I have some pixel bugs ( which everybody will have I suppose ). I would prefer to keep it on high plain with rocks.
Story/Instructions: 5
The story was very creative and it was very well written. I don't talk long about story's in map but this story is just excellent.
Additional Comments:
This map deseveres it to be played by everybody. It is great and stunning and is one of the best invasion maps I played in Crusader. | ||
| 2008/04/27 11:56:26 GMT-4 | ||
| Author: vallas99 | Map: 3 in 1 map | |
| Reviewer: wallywal | Rating: 1.2 | Scores: 2.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 |
| Playability: 2
Its a very bad idea to put AI's in a home-made wall.
Balance: 1
What can I say... Not very much of a challange.
Creativity: 1
Not creative at all...
Map Design: 1
Too plain, too much rabbits and the castle isn't nice.
Story/Instructions: 1
Why should someone want to buy a map that he can download for free?
Additional Comments:
Have a look at mapmaking 101. | ||
| 2008/04/27 03:17:00 GMT-4 | ||
| Author: Brass Dragon | Map: Island Castle | |
| Reviewer: wallywal | Rating: 5.0 | Scores: 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 |
| Playability: 5
Well, all AI's work so...
Balance: 5
As you said its not balanced but with your instructions its good.
Creativity: 5
The islands, the lower land and the plains are very creative
Map Design: 5
It looks realy nice.
Story/Instructions: 5
Good instructions!
Additional Comments:
I like this map more than most of the Crusader maps, keep it on!! | ||
| 2008/04/26 06:30:33 GMT-4 | ||
| Author: lord_from_above | Map: The Perfect Land | |
| Reviewer: wallywal | Rating: 4.1 | Scores: 4.0 3.5 4.5 4.0 4.0 |
| Playability: 4
You can play this map very well, but there are just to many lions.
Balance: 3.5
The lions were realy unbalanced but the other things (oasis, iron, stone and wood) are good balanced.
Creativity: 4.5
You can see the story in the map and that makes it very creative.
Map Design: 4
Nice map and good story.
Story/Instructions: 4.5
Realy good story but the file where the story was writen in had a way to big pnt. that cost you 0.5 points.
Additional Comments:
| ||
| 2008/04/26 03:44:37 GMT-4 | ||
| Author: IntoTheBlackness | Map: River of Ancients | |
| Reviewer: wallywal | Rating: 4.7 | Scores: 4.0 5.0 5.0 4.5 4.5 |
| Playability: 4
The playability is great, but you should have put more grass on the map. (mesopotamia has got lots of river-oasis)
Balance: 5
Everyone had about the same recources and grass so this is worth a 5.
Creativity: 5
The iron is put on great spots and its really nice.
Map Design: 4.5
The only point here is the oasis.
Story/Instructions: 5
Great story and nice instructions.
Additional Comments:
Did you know that Mesopotamia was one of the first places where human started writing.
Did you know that Turkey has placed a dam so there is getting less water to Iraq so the land is less green. | ||
| 2008/04/24 20:26:58 GMT-4 | ||
| Author: von Schmidt | Map: City of Blood by vSchmidt v1.1 | |
| Reviewer: The Dragonheart | Rating: 4.8 | Scores: 5.0 5.0 5.0 4.0 4.0 |
| Playability: 5
This map was a lot of fun. From the very beginning, I had excitment flooding through me. The invasions worked to the best that they could and it was a great challenge holding them off. I first sent all my crossbowmen and archers to the front of the city so they could attack the enemy as soon as they came from the signpost. When things got a little out of control, I ordered them back to the tower to hold off from there. Then, I ordered them back to the long wall half way through the city and closed the gatehouse. Meanwhile, I bought many pikemen and swordsmen and sent them to the keep. After many minutes of intense gameplay, I had to order all my archers and crossbowmen up to the keep, and that's when things got crazy. I held them off for as long as possible. In the end, just as the last invasion swept through (a wave of macemen), I nearly won, but they got me in the end. The playability of this map is fantastic! A full five for this. Good work.
Balance: 5
This almost fits in with Playability. I explained how I was close to winning. I would have won if I had changed a few things with my defense, but the balance is still a five. Both armies are perfectly matched and the way that the city is made is exellent for defending.
Creativity: 5
You know, I read the story and it fit well with the map. The creativity of the city and the main plot is great. You did well with this, and so a full five is awarded.
Map Design: 4
You have a good understanding of terrain design, but you still need a little development on that aspect. Many parts of the terrain were very realistic, while there was that mountain with the waterfall that seemed unnatural. The city, wow! That was amazing and some of the ruins were extremely well done. The outside walls were constructed very well. What else can I say? The city was awesome.
Story/Instructions: 5
Wow, I mean, wow! In an earlier comment, somebody said the story read like a movie. And it did! I took great interest from the start to the end. It was creative, imaginative, well constructed and doesn't become boring in any part. You have great potential to be a writer or story writer, etc...
I loved the story, so a full five for this.
Additional Comments:
I had great fun playing the map, keep up the good work. This is definitely worth the download.
The Dragonheart | ||
| 2008/04/23 20:09:46 GMT-4 | ||
| Author: The Dragonheart | Map: The Black Ghost | |
| Reviewer: romanrook | Rating: 4.8 | Scores: 4.5 5.0 4.5 5.0 5.0 |
| Playability: 4.5
Great job here! I loved your Reckless Hate series and I really like this map. Started great, ended great, and just was fantastic. The only problem was that when your charging knights destroy the trebuchauets the enemy do not attack you and so makes the map very boring. Even though there is that minor glitch overall great playabillity.
Balance: 5
The map was perfectly balanced. After reconsideration I have decided to change the rating, so great job here. Was pretty tough but overly not immpossible.
Creativity: 4.5
Was a very creative map with beutiful tricks and features that all people love, and a cool harbor designalong with the whole city and countryside. However, a minor problem (Not again) was that the map was very similar to your reckless hate map. Overall though was great though.
Map Design: 5
Wow!. Were do I begin. Well let me start with the countryside. It was filled with those little eyecandy tricks that everyone just loves. From custom farms to himilaya mountains, this map had it all. The terain was made perfectly and is a great example of how far we designers have come. And of course, I was very interested in the small ruined farm. It was really cool and made a fine edition to the land. Now on to the city. Once again, Wow! You used the lowering wall trick amazingly well, the walls of the city were works of beuty, the urban sprawl was perfect, you did a brilliant job with the vegitation and rocks, the dock was very good looking and I really liked the quarry in the city. A great map, though you could have explained the island thing in the water, maybe told us what it was for. Also you might have added the ship leaving the harbor form the story to add to the effect, Still, nice job
Story/Instructions: 5
WOW. A great story. Nuff said.
Additional Comments: A great map. Definately worth downloading.Also check out the Reckless Hate series if you want to, it is good!
| ||
| 2008/04/23 09:52:12 GMT-4 | ||
| Author: Lacur | Map: Surviving With Nothing v3.0 | |
| Reviewer: SUBINDXSUBIN | Rating: 3.5 | Scores: 4.5 5.0 3.0 2.5 2.5 |
| Playability - 4.5
This is a fun map to play with enemies on all sides. You are on a high plain but then again you are surrounded. That was what I liked. The terrain on the top was really too plain. It really doesnt feel nice to see plain areas. If it was not plain and rather detailed, it would have been a lot more fun. The struggle comes in the first part of the map only. Once you get a good enough grip, it starts to get really easy but the first part is the challenge and I had to play it quite a few times to get past the beginning.
I played against the wazir, marshal, lionheart, saladin, Emir, nizam and the wolf with a slight computer advantage. I was on top of the hill too. In the beginning it was very hard to survive. I was constantly being attacked. I had to play this map 4 times to win. So this was my strategy. I started off and got a steady enough economy running. Next I kept recruiting slaves and archers slowly. I also had a few churches which had to be destroyed a few times so that I could get more archers when I was under multiple attacks. Otherwise I would have been toast. The recruiting of the slaves was what that helped me survive the most. In the beginning I got an army of about 50 slaves up and torched the emir's castle. The fire lasted for a while but he recovered very quickly. I also managed to light the marhsal's castle. And wazir's castle caught fire from the marshal although it didnt last very long. Then I strengthened my fortifications and recruited spearmen and archers for defence. In these conditions I found spearmen to be of the right cost for helping with getting rid of catapults. Once I got a steady castle up and running things started to become a bit more smooth. I used slaves in between too. I would send in a batch of 10 or 20 frequently to light all the quarries which were right below me. It helped me to slow down the first wave of attacks too. Otherwise I wouldnt have gotten enough time to build up a well defended castle. After getting a steady economy up I decided to stop the slave recruiting and concentrate on building a good army. But by then saladin had completed his castle building. Saladin's castle is easy to light on fire. His buildings outside are an easy target and the fire spreads into the inner castle swiftly. So I couldnt resist burning his castle down.
Because of my constant use of slaves saladin and the emir had become really weak. I gathered a good enough army and wiped them both out easily. I had enough men left to siege the emir's castle too. So I decided to send them in. I almost killed him but I was unlucky. His lord survived by a small mark. So I came back to my economy and saw it totally demolished. My popularity was zero, there was no food left and the armoury was full and the production had halted and I had little money left after waging war. So I had to wait a bit before gathering another army. After a while I gathered a large army and wiped out the lionheart and with the few left men, emir.
After that, the nizam and the wolf were the only once left. I managed to get rid of the nizam but the wolf was the biggest problem. He made a supersized well defended castle which took a lot of time to break through. After breaking through I decided to see some fireworks before finishing him off.
Overall it was a lot of fun to play except for the fact that the plainness wasnt very fun to watch. I really enjoyed this map and so a 4.5 is the score that this maps playability deserves.
Balance- 5.0
According to the review guidelines this section is supposed to be rated on the basis of distribution of resources and other things but I hate that. I like to review more based on how difficult it was to play. This is a very difficult map. I recommend playing it. Beginner players should play with normal settings and normal AI's and more experienced players should play this map with the strong AIs with a slight computer advantage. Kudos to you for bringing this wonderful map. One thing I would like to say is that you should move a bit of the stone backwards so that all of the quarries arent burned down by the player. Another thing is that you should specify the AIs that should be used and the type of advantage too. Otherwise the player will pllay the map on a random setting and say it was too easy or too hard. So specify something like the ones I have specified above.
Creativity- 3.0
Your idea is good and original as much as I know.There arent many maps in SHH with this idea. You rely completly on trade. You have to buy everything and every bit is important. The crusader section doesnt have many maps like this one. Another thing was the hidden oasis. If normal oasis was used on this map it would have looked really weird. You have used a creative trick creatively. All around you have shown good creativity. I am sure that you will do even better in the future. The story wasnt too creative. There are many maps and stories based on the theme of Global Warming.
map design- 2.5
This was the weakest part of the map. Most parts were plain and others were really unnatural.
Suggestions to improve Map design
At the top of the map, do some terraining. I mean it is really completely plain. You could add a could looking farm area which is unusable due to the presence of rocks. Then you could add boulders which could also be unusable due to the presence of stones. For an oasis always use the medium sized brush and create a pretty basic oasis with all three types layer after layer. Then use the second smallest brush size and blend all of the together. For a finishing touch, use the smallest brush too. And then a few oasis bushes and some rocks of different sizes and a few palm trees. Always remember to add a small lake if you are adding an oasis plain.
The boulders that were available for the AIs at the foot of the hill was just, it came out of nowhere. They occur below rocky mountains and such. So if a small very rocky area is added above, it would be better.
The slope could have been used very well. It looks plain. The good part is that the enemy could access it from all sides. What you can do is scatter rocks of different sizes making sure that you dont add too many. Then scatter boulder terrain in between. Then also add a bit of iron. Make sure that the area near the boulders for quarries is more rocky. Also add the flat rocky terrain in between it all. Then add a few small desert bushes in between. I dont mean the cactus' but the grassy desert bush. The you could make the boulder filled are for the quarries more natural by scattering some iron using the smallest brush.
At the bottom, if you had just made normal grass for the AIs it would have looked really boring. So I congratulate you for using the small trick for this. The only problem is that the map looks unnatural at the bottom too. You could add a few bushes and other stuff and make blending terrains too. Also the beach side could be a whole lot better. I cant give you much suggestion for the beach side because if you use any suggestions for that from me, you would probably end up with AI issues.
Story/ Instructions -- 2.5
A basic story with a few sentences was presented but the theme is used a lot and the story was really short. You could add something from the birth of the king or like this.
"To the left all that could be seen was the vast emptiness of the barren slopes and the blue waters. To my left the same. Trapped in between no my people revolt. Ahhhh why did they leave me? The blessings of nature have left me perhaps for me to meet my fate."
And so on or add more events taking place. It may take time but I am sure you can make one. Another thing was the instructions on how to play. There wasnt much except for the location and alligiance. The problem will be that people would play on a random type of advantage and then say it was too easy or it was too hard. For example for this map you could add "Beginner players should play with normal settings and normal AI's and more experienced players should play this map with the strong AIs with a slight computer advantage."
Additional comments
This is a hard and fun map to play. I recommend it to all.
Its a nice map. I am sure that you will improve and start making better maps.
Good luck! | ||
To show our appreciation of people taking the effort to rate scenarios we've added a little Top 10 of the most active raters.
Top 10 Raters
| Reviewer | Scens. rated | Minimum | Maximum | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| lollard97367 | 111 | 1.0 | 5.0 | 3.63 |
| Lord Rushton | 106 | 1.0 | 5.0 | 3.79 |
| Duc Camembert | 84 | 1.0 | 5.0 | 3.72 |
| Stratego | 45 | 1.6 | 4.7 | 3.84 |
| AZ ViTrAzhAs | 44 | 2.5 | 5.0 | 4.19 |
| Lord Michael I | 44 | 3.2 | 5.0 | 4.26 |
| SUBINDXSUBIN | 39 | 2.7 | 5.0 | 3.97 |
| Pat Dark Knight | 37 | 2.2 | 4.6 | 3.86 |
| The Dragonheart | 32 | 1.0 | 5.0 | 3.84 |
| dethrone666 | 29 | 1.4 | 5.0 | 3.99 |
* denotes a former staff member.