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| Author |
File Description |
| Jalis |
Posted on 08/31/03 @ 12:00 AM
| File Details |
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| Map Size: |
300x300 (Medium) |
| Difficulty: |
Hard |
Story :
“Fort” Alamo was really an old Spanish fortified Franciscan monastery near San Antonio, Texas. His strategic position was on the only real road allowing to access north Texas.
At this time Texas was Mexicans, but numerous settlers came recently from the north. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna Perez de Lebron (Shortly Santa Anna) dictatorship was however badly accepted and a revolt rise both in new settlers population than in old Mexicans one. Early 1836 Santa Anna personally came in Texas with his army to crush the rebellion. Fort Alamo was on his road. Texans rebels were entrenched here were determined to fight and confident enforcement from the north will help them. At this time Texas army was unprepared due to lack of time, and wasn’t able to fight Santa Anna army with reasonable chance to win. Really enforcement will never come.
Situation on the 23 february 1836 : Fort Alamo was defended by about 100 Texan volunteers under Jim Bowie command, 37 regular Texan soldiers under colonel Travis command, Davy Crockett and a dozen of his friends join them. On the 1st march 32 more volunteers joined when a part of Santa Anna was already here and sporadic fight occurred. Total defender of Fort Alamo is assumed to be 189 + some women and children. Santa Anna army was first 1400 soldiers with enforcement caming constantly for a final total estimated from 5000 to 7000. 1400 to 3500 were directly implicated in Fort Alamo assault.
Shortly before the end, Alamo defenders were aware than enforcement will never be able to arrive at time. Anyway they decided to stand and resist even it was obvious victory was impossible. Take in mind too that Mexicans first asked them to evacuate. When Travis answer with a cannon, Mexican reaction was the Red Flag.
On the 6 march 1836 final assault occurred and all defenders where slaughtered, expect a few prisoners including Davy Crockett. Santa Anna despite his officers protests ordered to execute them. Only women and children were saved.
Consequence : obstinate resistance of Fort Alamo was high cost for Santa Anna. About 13 day were lost. Mexican loose estimation varies depending of sources. Minimum 1000 admitted by Santa Anna himself, and up to 1600 according other sources.
Consequence of this siege was Sam Houston gain the time he needed raise his army, Santa Anna army had been significantly weakened. Result was Mexicans were defeated some day later at San Jancito by Houston’s army. Santa Anna was made prisoner and Texas gain his independence to join the union some years later. Point San Jacinto was a strange battle which didn’t involved all Santa Anna army so far. Main achievement at Alamo was time loosed by Santa Anna at benefit for Houston, not the casualties suffered by Mexicans. It’s why victory in this map is a time out.
Technical :
The map is not very easy. You are authorized and encouraged to find stone to repair your towers and gates where you can. It include destroying stairs, wall where they are enough tick, and even the church. At war like at war. It’s, for this map, not considered as unfair. I balanced the map including this feature.
Because the map is highly recommended to be play at normal only, and because their is quite important possibility you loose all your guys before official end of the game and victory, I added some messages.
Messages signification :
All are from Santa Anna, the pig here.
Starting msg is simply you will all die, no prisoners. Historically, after Travis refuse to surrender, Mexicans raised the red flag. That mean the combat will be merciless, to the death. No future surrender will be accepted, nor prisoners.
Pig complain number two. “you make me thing complicated. You will pay for this”. Really Resistance at Alamo Worried Santa Anna, and putted him in trouble. This msg occurs when you kill about 200 enemies or more. It’s not really an achievement, but rather the minimum expected from you.
Pig complain number three. “I will cut you in pieces, in very little pieces”. You just kill 350 enemies or more. It could be considered as an intermediate achievement.
Be alive and still resist in February 1839 is considered like a victory. An msg, of felicitation will come, And indicate your victory.
More achievement occurs with the fourth msg.
Pig complain number four : “What happen to me, What’s wrong ?”
This msg occurs not earlier than February 1839 and if you’ve killed 500 ennemies or more. You’ve significantly weakened Santa Anna army, and make him loose lot of time. By this way you’ve give Sam Houston enough time to organize his army, and make him thing easier in the future by weakening Santa Anna army. Really you just doomed Santa Anna and insure Texas independence. Mexicans army will find soon his destiny at San Jacinto Battle.
Really you’ve win like Fort Alamo won historically… It’s time now to die in hero or achieve an outstanding victory. Point that still resist and be alive in February 1839 is a victory like said above.
Februry 1840. If you survive to this date you will receive the official victory message. Really you was still victorious a year later, a little more when/if you received the fourth msg, but here is an outstanding success.
Defenders on the map.
Knights : Travis, Crocket, Bowie.
Swordmen and pickmen, 37 : Regular army
Xbowmen, 12 : Crockett friends
Spearmen, macemen, archers, engineers, additional xbowmen, grenadeers (pitched engineers) more than 100 : volunteers
Green archers : last 32 volunteers arrived on the 1st Marsh
Pitch traps, mangonel and ballista : artillery
Civilians : women and children
I design the map basing me on picture, I think it’s rather accurate. Knights are placed where Travis, Crocket, Bowie headquater were. Crockett in the advanced wooden post. Bowie room is the apothecary. Point the location is exact and the choice of the building not innocent. Really Bowie was sick during the siege (pneumonia). Travis is in the north post (engineers guild).
I had to put a keep in order the game work, and later, sadly to add a lord to motivate the AI. The keep is at the original church placement. It is sided by a chapel for historical accuracy.
Come on boys, the mexicans are on us and we'll give them Hell!
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| Author | Comments & Reviews ( All | Comments Only | Reviews Only ) |
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| NAT |
Posted on 09/10/03 @ 12:00 AM
I have read your comment on my review and taken things into account and looked at your map more carefully. |
Jalis
File Author |
Posted on 09/17/03 @ 12:00 AM
My fault was to not insist too loudly on this : you are not authorized, nor even encouraged to destroy a few part of the fort to gain additional supply in stone : YOU MUST DO IT.
It include the dangerous staircase of the great outer bailey near the north post (engineers guild). See Alamo_tips.txt for more details.
Second play at easy could cause worst difficulties than play at normal. The map is intended to be play at normal only for best balance.
Last, you are not expected to survive at Alamo, but even you loose all your men, you will be victorious anyway (most time), like historically all defenders died, but won a great victory. Achieve a standard stronghold victory is possible however. Look at victory condition mentioned with the story above. Be alive in February 1839 is a victory.
Try to make original, none standard, and not enough “visible” and obvious victory conditions, were probably a mistake, as well as to havn’t be enough clear on a detail (demolition) in my instructions.
Sincere thanks to NAT, for this quality review, which achieve his main goal : be fair, honest, instructive and help mapmakers, pointing some mistake to help them to deliver better map in the future.
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| UnikUnok |
Posted on 11/03/03 @ 12:00 AM
Playability 4/5 this is a well-put together siege. The AI attacks wonderfully focusing on specific parts of the Alamo and you will be hard pressed to defend them from the start. I do not think I have ever seen ladder men so effectively utilized and this once again shows Jalis’s flawless understanding of map programming. Game play was seriously affected at times and this is to be expected with the massive numbers of attacking troops. The choppiness to the action was intermittent and overall does not greatly effect what is offered.
Balance 5/5 balance? What balance, there is none but that’s the idea. The defenders of the Alamo are hopelessly outnumbered and considering this in a historical light the balance is perfect. Although I agree with the NAT team on most points made in their review, I do not feel it is necessary to win Fort Alamo. In fact to be historically accurate, something I have always been a stickler for, you should not be able to win. The feeling of hopelessness would not be there if you could see a way to victory. I am sure Bowie and Crockett felt much the same as they looked out at Santa Anna’s army. Jalis has done well to recreate the proper feeling for an Alamo map.
Creativity 5/5 what a great idea this is. The Alamo recreation presented here lends itself well to the Stronghold configuration. Not all ideas translate well into a Stronghold map this one does with flying colors. All of the buildings inside the Alamo function with the walkers and wanderers going about their various tasks. This is hugely important IMO as it really adds to the feel of the map. I am so tired of villages all laid out with dozens of spinning red circles above them, Bravo Jalis! Everything has its purpose, every detail has a reason for being on the map and most are even explained in the storyline. The author has done some incredible work in this department.
Map Design 4/5 the terrain is some of the best to date from Jalis. Overall it is some of the finest you will find at SH. Unfortunately there are just a few spots that seem a little rough or perhaps just not as focused as the rest of the map. A lot of time and effort went into the earthworks for the site. Functionally and defensively the recreation of the Alamo is dead on. Ascetically it just doesn’t look like the Alamo as much as I would have liked. We are all familiar with this buildings famous façade and I just did not feel it was as well represented as it could have been. I also felt beach would have been a better choice for the paths instead of pebbles.
Story /Instructions 5/5 considering English is not Jalis’s first language the effort he has put into the instructions are phenomenal. The author has also included an in depth historical summary of the events that took place at this American landmark. Jalis has even included a friendly tips page for the timid, lol! This is how a map should be accompanied IMO. Excellent work.
In Short- an essential download, one of the best siege maps offered at SH. This map should not be overlooked. In the words of the Lionheart “gird your loins, sharpen your steel, you shall soon be tested”!
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| lord liam |
Posted on 11/04/03 @ 12:00 AM |
 
HGDL v0.8.2 |
| Rating |
|---|
| 4.7 | | Breakdown |
|---|
| Playability | 4.3 | | Balance | 4.7 | | Creativity | 5.0 | | Map Design | 4.3 | | Story/Instructions | 5.0 |
| Statistics |
| Downloads: | 2,750 |
| Favorites: [] | 0 |
| Size: | 571.13 KB |
| Added: | 08/31/03 |
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