Ice and Fire

It feels like the author is strongly against players completing his maps, not just on the "Hero" difficulty, but even on "Veteran" (it's almost like misanthropy, but I'm just kidding). At the same time, the author makes the maps so complex (technically) and convoluted (in terms of plot).

Here, it's important to understand whether there were testers playing on "Hero" difficulty (including the author himself). If the map was completed on "Hero," then the difficulty is justified. If you don't like convoluted plots, there are many other simple maps where you don't have to strain yourself. And, most importantly, if a player can't complete the map on "Hero," what prevents them from playing on a lower difficulty (if "Veteran" is too difficult, then "Knight" or even "Recruit")? If the current player doesn't do this, but other players have completed the map on "Hero," then the author isn't to blame. "Hero" should be challenging, and "Veteran" should be difficult; otherwise, what's the point of them?