New H3 maps discussion

[Akul]

I made this topic for the simple reason of discussing new maps without creating new treads. Post your opinions and short reviews about new maps here.

Since I no longer play H3, I doubt I'll post reviews here.

[Artas1984]

For my leisure, i checked all the H3 XL size maps hosted here since 2002 and found it hard to believe that there are almost no real multiplayer maps. Some people have made nice maps, some look cheap, some know how to make good campaign maps, but non of them had made any decent map, that stands the requirements of competetive MP. Althoug they do name their maps "multiplayer", they give a schit about the meaning of the word as their "MP" still has elements of either campaign playing or standalone. Maby i should run a topic and remind you what is a MP map and what it must not have.

[Akul]

Not many fans like to play XL MP maps.

Anyway, I would like to comment a great RoE map called "Angelic Pride" by Jason Russel. The map is fun, the story is good and the way mapmaker uses objects to simulate scripts is genius. He made better job then many who use WoG.

[Ya5MieL]

Players that play multiplayer use random maps and templates, so the need for custom MP maps is much smaller than the demand for SP ones.

[Akul]

Players that play multiplayer use random maps and templates, so the need for custom MP maps is much smaller than the demand for SP ones.

RMG more then often sucks. Countless times I found myself in situation to need Fly spell or Dimension Gate.

[Muszka]

I also hate RMG. And I'm against Artas1984 here, some MP maps can be cooperative, and it doesn't have to be balanced to good either. I played/tested some of Yurian Stonebow's maps and though some lack balance in the word's contest meaning, but they are winnable on any side and, they are good cooperative maps, and good, no, very good MP maps.

[UndeadHalfOrc]

I was thinking of maybe starting a map about Gettysburg (1863).

What faction(s) would be best associated with the Union, and which one(s) would be best associated with the Confederates?

[Ya5MieL]

Players that play multiplayer use random maps and templates, so the need for custom MP maps is much smaller than the demand for SP ones.

RMG more then often sucks. Countless times I found myself in situation to need Fly spell or Dimension Gate.

IT happens mostly on 3DO templates. If you use custom player-created ones, chances to get walled in are extremely low.

[Muszka]

I was thinking of maybe starting a map about Gettysburg (1863).

What a great idea

[ByteBandit]

I was thinking of maybe starting a map about Gettysburg (1863).

What faction(s) would be best associated with the Union, and which one(s) would be best associated with the Confederates?

I agree with Muszka. Sounds like a good idea. To figure out which factions to use for your map, you should do a little research perhaps. The South was powerful enough for the North. The only thing that the South lacked was resources. I.E. Money, ammunition, horses, stuff like that. The South put up an excellent fight with the North. Many never really quite knew who would win the war.
In the early going of the Civil War, the South did well. They had better Generals in the beginning than the North did. The South had backing from Great Britain for the longest tme, until the North blockaded the Southern Atlantic Coast.
Gettysburg was an almost dead even battle, but became the turning point for the North.

With this said, I would think the obvious choice for the North would be the Castle faction. Perhaps even Necropolis. For the South, perhaps Stronghold, maybe even Dungeon.

[Akul]

My suggestions:

North: Rampart
South: Castle

BTW, perhaps you should create a topic in Mapmaking Guild because this is place where alredy released maps are discussed.

[UndeadHalfOrc]

Yasmiel, what do you guys mean with "Template"? Something you can use with the random map generator? Never heard of such a thing.

Glad you folks like the Gettysburg idea. I'm not an American myself, but recently became enthralled by a trilogy of songs appropriately titled "Gettysburg" (32 minutes long!) by metal band Iced Earth. The song made me want to rent the movie Gettysburg made in 1993 with Tom Berenger and Jeff Daniels. After watching all DVD extras (which are awesome and informative), I did some reading on the 'net, so I'm beginning to learn stuff about the civil war. At least enough to start a map. The problem is that I'm the laziest, most procrastinating guy ever.

I'm not sure about using Stronghold or Dungeon or Necromancers - I don't want to pin either side as being barbarians or evil. How about two factions per side (after all the confederates were a conglomeration of different independent states, Texas, Virginia, etc)

As you pointed out, Confederates were not as rich as the north and largely were known for making the best with what they had; so powerful, resource demanding castles like Dungeon and Tower are out.

The south would probably start the game with better heroes (generals) while the north would start with more resources & mines.

Castle soldiers are dressed in blue so I guess they could best represent Union, along with wizards' Tower, who would represent the mighty "Order" of the White House quite well.

I'm leaning towards an alliance of Rampart + Fortress to represent the South. It represents their individualistic, self-reliant side well, along with the terrain characteristics of some of the southern states (Swamps).

So yeah, probably will be Castle/Tower vs Rampart/Fortress.

[UndeadHalfOrc]

Good idea Akul, I created a topic on the mapmakers guild.

viewtopic.php?t=8590

[difool]

For my leisure, i checked all the H3 XL size maps hosted here since 2002 and found it hard to believe that there are almost no real multiplayer maps. Some people have made nice maps, some look cheap, some know how to make good campaign maps, but non of them had made any decent map, that stands the requirements of competetive MP. Althoug they do name their maps "multiplayer", they give a schit about the meaning of the word as their "MP" still has elements of either campaign playing or standalone. Maby i should run a topic and remind you what is a MP map and what it must not have.

Well, "multiplayer" in the Heroes universe actually means "twoplayer". I'd love to do a full house 8 player free-for-all but that is almost entirely the domain of a weekend-long LAN/hotseat game.

[Muszka]

Well, "multiplayer" in the Heroes universe actually means "twoplayer". I'd love to do a full house 8 player free-for-all but that is almost entirely the domain of a weekend-long LAN/hotseat game.

Well there are some exceptions. Take for example Tim Duncan's Treamask. It can be played only as a multiplayer game but, it's strictly singleplayer

On the otherside, it's very rare nowdays, that 8 H3 fans to be found in one place a full weekend.

[ByteBandit]

To Undead:

The only reason for having Necropolis on the side of the Union is because of constant troop recruitment. Perhaps the quickest way of getting troops.
And Castle for Union just makes sense.

Reason for Stronghold for the Confederacy was fast movement. The South moved very fast.
Dungeon for the Confederacy was, well because of nothing really.
The South DID have money. Perhaps more money than the North, really. They had cotton, for one. They actually controlled the US economy for the most part.
You are taught that the Civil War was about Slavery. But really it was'nt. It was about control of the economy, as the Southern plantations ruled and dictated how resources from the South would be distributed to the Industrial might of the North. Through the price of cotton and other products from the South. Slavery was the backburner isssue. So, when the North passed Slave restrictions on the South because of the inflational price of cotton, the South seceded from the Union, and the War was on.
Maybe this could be useful in your map?

[Akul]

New H3 map "In Deeps of Eternal Darkness" has been uploaded. Since I don't play H3 anymore, I am afraid there is not much I could say about it...

[Artas1984]

New H3 map "In Deeps of Eternal Darkness" has been uploaded. Since I don't play H3 anymore, I am afraid there is not much I could say about it...

First to all: don't rate this map if you only saw a little screenshot of it that prooves nothing". Download it, and start playing for Castle just for a month.


Now i will say: this this the first map of mine uploaded here, that is not multiplayer, because it is unbalanced for competetive playing.
In 2004 i made some unreal huge epic campaign maps, 3 of them, but they were lost before i got to this CLH site...

Someone said that multiplayer means "for 2 people", so ye,
"In Deeps Of Eternal Darkness" is for 2 people and can be played on LAN, but the structure of the map does not allow to say it's MP, so i named it SP.
And someone was wrong: multiplayer maps must be ballanced, nomater if Heroes game, take a look at Warcraft maps and see.
Take a look for example at my "Clashing Trilogy" - this is a real MP map for 3 or 6 people by all standarts.

Now about my map.
When you start playing, in the begining you will notice a huge advantage of Caste against Necropolis, because i made this map different for both teams in types of aquiring monsters. Caste has 3 towns, Archangels, Zealots and Royal Griffons in each, with addiotional 1 structure generator for every kind of mosnter, but only 1 generator for one type of monster is available in the map, not 3, so that's all, no meele ground unitis, and you can not upgrade your town to any other structure. However the advantage of having 6 archangels in the 1 week is huge.
Necropolis's kingdom is surrounded by cliffs and sea, and deverything inside is covered in black mist. This is the land of Eternal Darkness, 7 Necropolis towns are empty, no creature generators will be available to build, you only can upgrade the Necropolis building itself to a 3 level defenece building, but Necropilis team has to collect creatures from generators outside, 7 types of generators for each monster, so you get 7x7 generators. You won't get powerfull monsters very and you won't get to upgrade your creatures, but after some 7 months, if you constantly will be collecting troops fro moutside generators, the advantage of Necropilis will be unbearing against Castle. So that make this map so different and SP like. Both of the teams in every town have shipyeards, so teh whole map is basicly a sea battle map. The are neutral towns for every team to get - Tower for Caste and Inferno for Necropolis. This will add some fun.

[Artas1984]

Talking about "SOMEONE'S" maps, not all, some of them AS I LAID MY EYE ON THEM, seem to be made from RMG, well i can't proove that, and don't care realy who's, but if such hideus schit is tolerated here, i already wrote to Angel speaking what i think of peolpe who can't make their own map and use RMP BS...

SHAME

[Artas1984]

The other map posted not long before was "Tatalian Inside Wars"

Little about it: basicly 8 Fortress VS Fortress with shipyards enabled in every town. There is the north region - 8 towns owned by 8 beastmasters and the sounth region - 8 towns owned by 8 witches.

The map is very heavy "densed" with lots and lots of stuff and details and many creature generators from Tatalia's.