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| Author |
File Description |
| Lord Ako |
Posted on 03/05/04 @ 12:00 AM
| File Details |
|---|
| Map Size: |
400x400 (Large) |
| Difficulty: |
Hard |
| Made with version: |
1.1 |
Minimap:
 |
The Ice Age
It's 40.000 years ago and you are the Cro-Magnon people,
the ancestors of modern man.
This is the time known as the last big ice age, when wild animals and another humanoid, the Neanderthaler, roamed the land.
A land teared apart by moving ice and eroding winds.
You will need to finish on top in the battle for food and provide safety to your people.
>Eradicate wolves.
>Eradicate Neanderthalers.
>Enclose village.
>Reach population 32.
Further away from the ice, where the climate is more temperate, there is a Taiga with pine and birch trees. It will be vital to get a steady supply of wood coming in but the Neanderthaler caves are nearby. They have trapped the Taiga with pitfalls and their hunters are never far off...
This map is a bit hard so perhaps these tips will come in handy:
-Completing the objectives early will make things easier.
-Think small, resources are somewhat limited so don't overextend.
-Place lots of woodcutters at the start, and place them well.
The story can be found in the map.
Some geographical and historical data, as well as more hints, can be found in the Zip File.
I hope you enjoy playing this map, cheers, Lord Ako.
[While fixing the minimap link I had to make a guess that this was made with version 1.1 - edited by ericgolf] |
| Pages: [1] 2 » Last » | | Author | Comments & Reviews ( All | Comments Only | Reviews Only ) |
|---|
| Stratego |
Posted on 03/14/04 @ 12:00 AM
my first rating concerning the playability of the ice age map was certainly wrong(only 2 points);
now I'll give you obviously 4 points for this good work.
Greetings
Stratego |
Lord Ako
File Author |
Posted on 03/15/04 @ 12:00 AM |
| Fraser |
Posted on 03/15/04 @ 12:00 AM
While short and to the point, the instuctions were crystal clear as to what I should do.
I thought it was a great idea to build it in the ice age and actually have the ice. Wish I'd thought of it. |
| NAT |
Posted on 03/15/04 @ 12:00 AM
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| Jalis |
Posted on 03/16/04 @ 12:00 AM
Imo the 2 in playability from the first reviewer in a mistake/wrong key stroke.
the map is rather hard, like life was probably rather hard at this time. theme is original. Working outside Strongholg range is an uneasy challenge.
For a come back, Lord Ako, you didn't miss your entreance ;) |
| NeKoeNMa |
Posted on 03/20/04 @ 12:00 AM
Playability: 4
This map isn't easy and isn't that hard too, but I really hate "Time until defeat", so that's probably why it ended up being a 4, not a 5.
Balance: 3
As I said, the map isn't easy nor hard: What a real map has to have, but it is really hard to make weapons so I have to rely upon my hunters and possibly my lord to survive.
Creativity: 5
What else to say? I doubt there was a map like that ever on Stronghold. I also liked the Idea of the glacier. Also, it shows up how to survive with a wooden "castle".
Map Design: 5
Again, very geographically correct, as for the ground and the river. Really liked that one. The glacier also is very curious.
Story/Instructions: 4
A really original story, but there isn't much of it. Also there aren't much instructions other than hints.
It was really a nice and replayable map. Keep going! |
| Sulis |
Posted on 03/20/04 @ 12:00 AM
For those of us who remember Ako from the early days of Stronghold Heaven, you'll all be aware that his work was of the highest quality, pushing the limits of the game and always ready to explore something new. After an absence from the game, he's back... and what a map to announce his return! I simply loved this map, a wonderfully unique scenario and genuinely different from anything i've ever played. With The Ice Age, we have a mixture of win criteria along with a time limit, which personally I thought was a bonus to an already addictive map. I had noticed the damage the meagre hunters could add to a scenario if used properly, and they do feature heavily here. As you can only recruit spearmen, their modest firepower can, and does, cause real problems. Clever, very clever. They also did their upmost to pick off my woodcutters, adding a frustrating but novel element to the map. This is one of those scenarios where you don't really realise the work you have to do until you're half way through the game. It may not appeal to all, but I was hooked from the start.
Balance: 5/5
This proved to be a tricky map to beat. You're severely limited in terms of what you can use to rid the barbarians and defend against the attacks, but bear in mind that this is a key part of the scenario and the setting Lord Ako has presented. It took me a couple of attempts to beat it, and even once i'd eventually won I played it through a few more times... as i've said before, a crucial part of a well balanced map is being able to win without being overly difficult or annoyingly easy. I reckon balance is perfect and deserves a 5.0 score. Finding the balance between having sufficient spearmen to attack the barbarians and defend your own settlement was a major feature of the game for me.
Creativity: 5/5
There is no way that this map deserves anything less than 5.0 for creativity. Not only do you have a unique and beautifully rugged, bleak landscape that i've never seen done before, the use of the hunters as an integral part of the barbarians' defence and the time limit feature all adds up to something really special. It's the quality of the scenario as a whole and the presentation that should be commended here too. Very different and very well done.
Map Design: 5/5
I don't really know where to start with this! As i've studied geology, I can fully appreciate the work that has gone into recreating some of the terrain features we have here. The polygonal cracks, the braided stream, the tundra area... all are exceptionally well done. Taking away the geological features, you're still left with a breathtaking landscape, expertly modelled and intricate. Using the river function as a glacier just about works, and you need to be a brave person to attempt this and successfully pull it off.
I really can't praise the map design enough. Simply stunning.
Story/Instructions: 4/5
As comments have already suggested, there may be a lack of a genuine story here, with this part of the scenario concentrating more on information and background to support the map landscape. I don't really see this as a poor aspect though, certainly not when you see the wealth of information provided. What I did like was the simple, clear and concise way that the content was presented. This should appeal to many people, including those that aren't interested in geology or have no real knowledge. I found the information here to be of a very high quality and fully supported the scenario.
IN SUMMARY
Wonderful landscape. Highly addictive scenario. Tricky and taxing to play, very satisfying when you win! Absolute quality from Lord Ako, as you would expect.
Yep, I like this one... ;) |
ericgolf
Staff |
Posted on 10/09/06 @ 06:50 AM
Great story! Great representation of a glacier! Unusual use of hunters :-)
It is actually a while since I played the map but in a couple of forum threads I recently used this map as an example to be aspired to when creating story/instructions. This is what I said there:
The in-map description is simultaneously entertaining, intriguing, while informing about and justifying the objectives.
Without too much reading I am motivated to play it and informed what to do to win. If I am further intrigued I am given the option of looking at a separate file in the zip. If I am struggling but still want some hints, then there is a file for that too. This way of doing things [in story/instructions] suits me as a player who wants to spend time solving the scenario.
Eric de la Golf
;-) |
| silentdead |
Posted on 03/30/08 @ 01:38 PM
??? |
ericgolf
Staff |
Posted on 03/31/08 @ 03:46 AM |
| Pages: [1] 2 » Last » |
 
HGDL v0.8.2 |
| Rating |
|---|
| 4.5 | | Breakdown |
|---|
| Playability | 4.3 | | Balance | 4.3 | | Creativity | 5.0 | | Map Design | 4.8 | | Story/Instructions | 4.3 |
| Statistics |
| Downloads: | 3,426 |
| Favorites: [] | 0 |
| Size: | 766.67 KB |
| Added: | 03/05/04 |
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