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Author |
File Description |
Duke of York |
Posted on 12/02/02 @ 12:00 AM (updated 12/04/02)
File Details |
Map Size: |
400x400 (Large) |
Difficulty: |
Normal |
Minimap:
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ISLAND WARFARE
In the year of our Lord 1100, King James of York has dispatched you My Lord, to take charge of Elzbeth Hall in the county of Iredell as the direct representative of the crown. Elzbeth Hall is at the center of the vital river trade route at Glenda Fords along the banks of the Azure River. Iredell County is abundant in game and resources with fertile valleys for farming. Rumors of unrest and rebellion have been heard coming from neighboring Wilkes County. There is talk that Lord Sterling (the Snake) is behind this treachery. His majesty has ordered you to fortify Elzsbeth Hall and send a shipment of gold, weapons and provisions to Castle Metuas as soon as possible in preparations for a coming campaign against the rebels. Elzbeth Hall is capable of producing vast quantities of gold in tax revenue for the crown. You must not let this vital trading outpost fall into the hands of the King’s enemies.
Victory Objectives:
10000 Gold
100 Crossbows
100 Leather Armor
100 Meat
200 Wheat
Complete Castle
Notes:
When you arrive at Elzbeth Hall, you will have to purchase your starting supplies. The small community there does have food and shelter, but that is about it.
***Sorry about the inconvenience to the first few people that uploaded the scenario. I had a problem getting the map file onto the site, but it is there now. Please take a look at it and let me know what you think.
Duke of York
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Author | Reviews ( All | Comments Only | Reviews Only ) |
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fleckdoc |
Posted on 12/06/02 @ 12:00 AM
Okay guys and gals…. Here’s my call on “Islands”
FIVE, FIVE, FIVE, FIVE, FIVE
Great job here on every aspect of the design. The boys at FireFly Studios ought to hire The Duke of York and put him to work on their next new version…
A few specifics: First of all, this is a good looking map… take a peek at it and see for yourself… It’s a natural looking, real looking world that’s easy to get yourself wrapped up into. The terrain and buildings are all made with care and they show that this game designer is willing to put in the extra effort to give all of us the best treat he can. The scenario, too, has all the trimmings you’ll want from any design and the story is a first-rate one… It gets you into the game right off the gun. You’ve got a job to do here and it’s a big one! You’ll find out in no time that there’s a lot to gather in and harvest… a lot to construct and manufacture… and a lot of enemy standing in your face to keep you busy defending your home turf while you try to do it all. I’ve gotta admit that I’m not a highly skilled gamer, so I have to believe that this was one HARD game to beat, (It took me a long time to finally get on the right track.) and while this may not be true for some of you, I know that there will still be plenty of action, plenty of strategy and plenty of mouse clickin’ needed to keep even the best player happy. As for the “newbee,” I’d suggest a little practice before taking on “Islands” full steam ahead, but once you think you’re up to the challenge… and when you want to be entertained by a real winner of a game… remember the name, ISLAND WARFARE. It’s one you can get into.
My bottom line: PLAY THIS GAME !
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Sulis |
Posted on 12/11/02 @ 12:00 AM
Playability: 5/5. Island Warfare is an enormous map, both in scale and win criteria. It's a long, difficult mission with more than enough events to upset the feeling that you are truly on top of the game.
I found playability here to be extremely good all through the map. It's enjoyable and addictive, a real monster of an invasion map with some steep economic goals to achieve. The events are well scripted and invasions very difficult to control. 'Islands' has a bit of everything thrown in and the scale of this adventure is spectacular. Definitely a quality map for those that like to play big.
Balance: 4/5. This is a very tough map. It's not easy to work on both the economic criteria and establish a military defence at the same time. The balance was nearly perfect though. You'll have to really work at meeting the gold requirement and be prepared to establish a large settlement if you want to win this in a reasonable time. The invasions throughout were well though out, culminating with an impressive force to test your defences. Personally, I would have preferred to see an easier introduction to the first 7 to 10 years of the map with smaller invasions to allow you to become more established, but this isn't detracting from some quality design work and once again Duke of York has made a truly outstanding map.
Creativity: 4/5. The scale of this map is impressive. The design is ideal for the story with a well thought out landscape and a good layout gives you a feel of proportion. It may be an ecovasion, but done on such a scale that credit has to be given for ensuring everything comes together. A map with backbone!
Map Design: 5/5. The thing that attracts me to this map more than anything is the landscaping. Scale is a word I have mentioned before in this review, but 'Islands' really does portray that very well. Quality terrain modelling and design throughout. It's hard not to like this map.
Story/Instructions: 5/5. What more do you want for a story? A splendid introduction to set you up for the game ahead. It's very well written and easy to understand, with thought and care shining through. Excellent work.
IN SUMMARY: A real treat. Big, difficult, but worth every minute and an essential download. If you like tough challenges, this could be for you! |
lord Sam |
Posted on 12/19/02 @ 12:00 AM
This is one of the best invasions I have tried so far!
Playability: Very fun map. It took a while to acheive the objectives but I like a good long map.
Balance: Tough one to rate but its got to be a 5. Once I stationed all my troops on both gatehouses, the enemy secretly crossed the river without me knowing and killed my lord before i could get my troops to the keep! And this was only on the normal setting!
Creativity: Very creative and lovely looking landscape.
Map design: I thought using stockpiles for bridges was pretty clever and the ruins of an old castle in the mountains was great as well.
Story: Very good story. I couldnt make a story as good as this one! Great work!
Overall: An excellent map that is worth trying out.
Great work Duke of York!
Lord Sam |
Lord Richard |
Posted on 02/27/03 @ 12:00 AM
I've downloaded dozens of maps from Heavengames, but this map is one of the few maps I've ever seen (and this includes the Firefly-included scenario and campaign maps) that make me want to replay it again and again, and it is currently the only map that has inspired me to give a review.
Previous posters have pretty much covered my feelings regarding playability, balance, etc., so I won't waste time on redundant praises. This map has been out long enough for everyone to have played it by now, and if anyone hasn't played it by now, they should do so. Immediately.
Yes, it's a long and difficult mission. And a long and difficult challenge. And I don't know whether it was ever intended to be beaten at levels above Normal. But I just finally won at Hard, and I don't intend to stop until I win at Very Hard. Something tells me it's possible. And that's what makes this map so great: it pushes you to your max.
One comment: my rating for Map Design would be a 4.9 if a fractional rating was allowed. My only nit: the fordability of the south (back) entrance, where the edges of the river meet the drawbridge moats. The drawbridges are largely useless because of this, having no defensive value. |
MDamion |
Posted on 04/06/03 @ 12:00 AM
I have finally finished Island Warfare and I must say I love ever part of this scenario. I will play it again on an even harder level.
Playability
There was never a dull moment. I spent many hours just thinking through my strategy when I was not able to play. I personally found no bugs in the scripting and the scenario ran flawlessly from start to finish. I was very excited when I finally saw that ever elusive Victory flash at the top of my screen.
Balance
This scenario has the perfect balance. I think I lost and or was defeated around 7 or 8 times. Then again, I am a little rusty and my own poor playing skills may have lead to that. With advice from the creator, Duke of York and a very nice walkthrough from Lord Richard I was finally able to overcome.
Creativity
In a word, Wow! This scenario has it all. Big battles, vast strategy, economic requirements and good castle layout will all be a part of your experience playing this one. I really felt like I was getting a piece of everything Stronghold has to offer during this scenario.
Map Design
Beautiful map with tactical value built right into the land. Clearly this is one of the best examples of a well planned out map with a strong tie to game play and storyline. Before the game was over I found myself using and exploring almost every part of this map. The map has a very natural feel to it, very realistic and smooth placement of every aspect.
Story/Instructions
In my own opinion, the story behind the map should be something that gives you a little extra incentive to actually play and finish that map. This scenario is so strong on its own I would have played it for no rhyme or reason. Is that good or bad for the story, well I think it can only help. The story is there and does add flavor to the map. As mentioned earlier, it is very easy to see the amount of creativity that has gone into this entire scenario and the Duke was good enough to also endow us with a charming short story giving a name to the place I called home for 5 days, Elzbeth Hall.
This is just a “must have” scenario. I had a great time playing it and look forward to playing other designs by the Duke of York. Castle Metuas III is next.
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Jitz |
Posted on 07/16/03 @ 12:00 AM
This map is really great, but I found it entirely too difficult. It took me like 8 times to even get past the third wave of invasion.
Beautiful map and story though. |
HGDL v0.8.2 |
Rating |
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4.8 | Breakdown |
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Playability | 4.8 | Balance | 4.5 | Creativity | 4.8 | Map Design | 4.8 | Story/Instructions | 4.8 |
Statistics |
Downloads: | 4,924 |
Favorites: [] | 0 |
Size: | 742.15 KB |
Added: | 12/02/02 |
Updated: | 12/04/02 |
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