At the dawn of creation the ancients left an imprint on the earth to be remembered by: the Star of the Ancients. Through-out history the Star of the Ancients has been the cause of death of many Lords as they battle for control of the Star. The constant fighting has caused the ancients to weep, dividing the star into four quadrants in a bid for peace. Will you make the ancients weep?
In designing the map I used Saladin's castles for measuring space around the keep. Some of the castles are a bit tight, but they work.
The twist is that the farmland is mainly on a plateau as opposed to regular ground height where farmland is usually found.
Playability: 5
Loved it! This map would be best for multiplayer, and would produce heated battles, with so little resources. I played against AI's, and it worked just fine, especially when you pit all three lords against you! Because the iron and stone are in only two locations, I'm assuming you had 2 on 2 in mind. Is this right?
Balance: 4
Geometrically it's balanced perfectly. Good amounts of resources, and the placement of accesses to the square mountain are placed far enough from opposing keeps that the accesses can't be blocked by walls. Great job. The only thing I didn't like was that stone and iron were in just two locations. If all four locations had some, it could cater to a free for all game.
Creativity: 4
Very nice. The geometrical 4 player game has been done ofcourse, but again you've incorporated resources and terrain that requires strategic play. The map fits in with the story too, great job.
Map Design: 4
Great. The terrain is polished well, and multiple strategies and multiple accesses make for diverse game play. I found an equal struggle for the iron/stone as well as the oasis - If you control the mountain, you control the game. Usually I wouldn't like the fact that the mountain is square and the rivers come from nowhere, but the story fits the scenario so well it doesn't matter.
Story/Instructions: 5
A little short, but fit the map well and wasn't boring in the least.
Additional Comments:
This is my favorite of your first submissions. Keep up the good work!