Richard Ames |
Posted on 08/13/05 @ 08:55 PM
This scenario is very badly balanced and everything suffers because of that. I tried playing this several times on hardest, hard, and moderate. Since easy and easiest are a bit of a joke, I took a look in the editor first to see if it was actually going to be possible. After a quick glance it appears it just barely is.
Playability: 1
Although it may well be possible to play this scenario on easy, (or perhaps even easiest is required) I didn't even feel like playing in the end, so it gets a 1. The fact that I had to look in the editor was disappointing. All scenarios should be made to run on moderate.
Balance: 1
The mission is incredibly difficult - the odds are stacked against you. You don't even have any allies - as I suspected, these are Gaia units, not allies, and they are hard to find and underpowered. You are up against an army of six players, most of which will be attacking you with Iron Age units straight away. Your resources are just wood, and if you try to gather it your vills will become a fertiliser for the earth when a heavy catapult fires at them. Even on easy, the enemy will probably attack you if you try to find some all important gold, so it will be a really slow game. Perhaps building a wonder on easiest would work.
Creativity: 2
For the makeup of the scenario and especially the "find allies on the other side of the map" I can award a point, but there wasn't a whole lot else.
Map Design: 2
The map is made mainly with terrain brush, and looks about ES/Random map quality, but it's the terrible balance that ruins it - the enemy can shoot you over the river at most of your resource areas, which are just wood. Important resources like gold and stone are deep within their ballista tower jungle. Playing as Egypt, a defensive civ, attacking is not going to be easy, and there are not only too many players, but also far too many overpowered units and towers. Even the defensive option of building a wonder will require more gold. There is no bitmap and no hint of where to find your allies, and even the flags are hard to see (I couldn't spot them). Finally, getting to your allies is also impossible for the path finding, you will have to go through many narrow points clogged with enemy units.
Story/Instructions: 1
This area is easy to avoid getting a 1 in. Let's have a look at why it got one.
HISTORY:
the other anchent tribes have rebeld against you and are attempting to destroy you and steal your treasures.
This is a very weak story. One line, two spelling errors, and bad grammar.
INSTRUCTIONS:
You have many enemys but the chinese are your only allies and you must get to them and help them fight. Objectives:Find your allies and destroy all 7 enemys.bild a balllista tower on each flag on the top
of the cliff.protect and find 2 more artifacts.Try to break your men out of jail.
Firstly, the "Chinese" are Gaia units, and this is not made at all clear. Nor do we know where they are located - hint - top of the map. Next, destroy all 7 enemies is all that is required to win here. In fact, it's standard victory, so you can win by a wonder, ruins or artifacts victory as well. The ballista tower victory condition is the only individual victory one, so you can win just by building them, perhaps the best way to win if you can get there. Artifacts is part of the standard victory area, get them all and you'll get the countdown. Finally, the give away that this was designed on easiest is that you are supposed to break your men out of jail - you can't do this on normal settings, they will be crushed.
HINTS:
There are many recources to the left of you, were the enemys are less.
Okay, a good hint, but getting a dock and transport will not be possible normally.
Overall: 1.4
This scenario should only be attempted on easiest. I don't play on such low difficulty levels, because the enemy is basically a corpse waiting to be buried. This download is not recommended. |