I didn't heed the warning about the nasty critters the first time through, and the lord was soon overrun by wolves. I changed my strategy after that, and soon had a terrific little village in full production. Every resource was available, except for hop farms, but if you really want to let your villagers get drunk, hops and ale are both available for purchase. I think the only thing that might hinder playability are all the trees... I spent a lot of time clearing trees and selling the wood. I had plenty of stone to make a huge castle, but clearing the trees out of the way would have taken some time. Still, an enjoyable map, and nicely balanced as far as resource placement goes.
Playability & Balance: 4
Pretty map - I liked the ruins! All parts of the map were accessible. The resources were blended in nicely so as to look natural. The only thing that didn't look natural were some of the edges of the rivers. Using the smallest brush size to vary them would help in that regard.
Creativity & Map Design: 3
The story was minimal, and it really could have used more. I'd like to know the story behind the title and the ruins.
But still, you did warn about the nasty critters!
Story: 2