Posts from Magical expanses.

Map Name: Magical expanses
Map Name: Magical expanses
Map Type: Multiplayer / Singleplayer
Two-level map: No
Number of players: 4
Map Size: Extra Large (216x216)
Map Author: LifeForm



Map Description.

In the sun-drenched magical expanses of a river-cut valley, four ancient, warlike kingdoms are spread out.
Among the plains and fields lies a kingdom whose banner was red.
A mountain kingdom with a blue banner huddled on the dark, impregnable cliffs.
The green flag of the picturesque forest kingdom was lost among the mighty, ancient trees.
And the yellow banner of the steppe kingdom resisted the sandy storms of the desert.

The forum seems to be glitching for me lately. I finished the map. Surprisingly, it wasn't too difficult. I played as two Necromancer players. The design is good. It's a linear map, which I like. It seemed like the second player gets the most territory before entering the enemy areas. There are a lot of resources. I played with two players, and then a leveled-up elf from the dungeon joined. I didn't find any glitches or bugs, which is not surprising, since the map was just uploaded, and it's already version 1.3. It's a shame there's no Dungeon faction. Thanks to the author, as always.

Surprisingly, it's not that difficult.

For a change, I decided not to make it too difficult this time.

I didn't find any glitches or bugs, which is not surprising, since the map has just been uploaded, and it's already version 1.3.

Yes, I don't like to upload unfinished maps; I usually play through them myself several times first. During the first playthrough, you usually find a lot of small mistakes.

It's a pity there's no Dungeon.

I don't find drawing Dungeons as interesting as drawing the surface landscape, so I don't always include them.

Thank you for your feedback, elizbar1967.

I was looking forward to a new map from the Author in the new year. What can I say: I completed it with the default Tower hero, playing as red (top left city), in 4 and a half months. It also seemed easy. The map is beautiful, and the design is pleasing to the eye. I would call it "a long road in the dunes." All of the Author's signature features are present. Wood and ore resources are, as always, far away, and hiring buildings are not as useful as they were in "Lords of the Horizon." I didn't notice any errors or glitches either. It lacks some kind of sharpness, tension! You only need to think in the first month. After that, it becomes easier after capturing a neutral city. There is no point in developing a strategy based on risk and rapid capture, as there is not enough tempo for an advantage and a sensational development. But overall, it's very good, and the most intense and fierce battles are in the middle, when the enemy wants to take back your new city... Mana is really needed, and I encountered few wells. Fortunately, the Tower has a spell (but you lose a day). The initial breakthrough is difficult and depends on the faction. As an option, you can break through with a ballista, regeneration, or invisible units. For example, mages can use fire to heal golden units... I started a second game as yellow (bottom right city). I have a plan to capture resources faster and the tomb with the artifact. In short, I'm still figuring things out and getting used to the huge distances! It is clear that Mentorship and shackles will be very helpful here, as will morale. Because it is unknown whose city you will capture, and these troops will be helpful later. Thank you to the author for his work and the new map!

The map is beautiful, the design is pleasing to the eye.

Thank you.

I would call it "a long road in the dunes."

Dunes are made of sand, but here the desert occupies only ¼ of the map.

It lacks some intensity, tension! You need to think hard in the first month.

So, you want the initial development to be more difficult?

Thank you to the author for their work and the new map!

Thank you for such a detailed review.

I take back my words. There's plenty of challenge and excitement! The second playthrough as the Mages (the yellow city in the lower right) turned out to be interesting. The Dwarf got two cities this time. By the end of the first month, I captured the nearest neutral city to the left, across the river on the mountain. It seemed like I was developing at a good pace and moving forward, knowing the map. I placed a hero on a trading post and another one near the wheel to collect money. But then the Dwarf started to put pressure on me and interfere with my plans. And considering that the Dwarves receive support in the form of a stack of units when defending, it was very difficult and interesting. On the last mana node, I took the city in the lower left, and immediately after that, Blue attacked me! He also turned out to be no fool, attacking when I was weak. I had to work hard to drive him out of the center on the left, on the city's shore. So, there's plenty of intrigue. You need to set the computer to use the same Factions, and it will be very interesting! After that, I defeated everyone in about three months and a week. From the main city, after accumulating 12 Titans and the rest of the army, I started clearing the right flank upwards. But that was already just beating up neutrals with little resistance in some places. So, the map turned out well! Thank you for the new map! Now I'll try a third playthrough, starting from the forests

In general, the AI in Heroes of Might and Magic V can play completely differently on the same map. Sometimes, I can complete a map in a relaxed mode, without even trying. I think, "This AI is so dumb, it's not interesting." But when I start playing the map a second time, I can't win at all; the AI manages to build incredibly large armies.

So, the map is a success! Thank you for the new map!

I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Thanks to the author for the map!

I decided to play as an elf, uniting all the computer-controlled factions into one team – it turned out to be challenging, but interesting. The landscape, as in the author's previous works, is quite appealing. 7/10.

Thank you for your feedback, Sir Syddan.

I completed this map, Inferno, with Grok, on Hero difficulty. I played as the blue player and united the other players into one team.

Walkthrough

The opponents were randomly generated, and I got a dwarf and two knights. I didn't want to skip turns, so I fought through with some losses, then developed a ballista, which made the battles easier. Grok took 15 succubi, 4 cave demons + troops from dwellings, and moved forward. There, he encountered the red Erling; only succubi and 1 demon remained, and Erling fled. Starting from the second month, I began developing Kaspar. He captured a neutral human town. The yellow Krag and the green Ellaine approached him, and Grok attacked them and fled with 14 ghosts, which he took from Kaspar. I made the threat level low in both cases (a total of 3 attacks). I think this was the only way to hold the town without significant losses. Now, I need to find vampirism. Kaspar learned it temporarily by capturing an enemy town, and Grok learned it through the secret knowledge and by fleeing from Ellaine. There are two strong enemy heroes: Erling and Miv; they don't attack on their own. For now, I just run around the map, defeat weak heroes, and build up my army. On level 26, Kaspar finally got the spell, took 14 ghosts, and attacked Miv. I planned to flee, but during the battle, I realized that Kaspar could win! Even though Miv can cast antimagic for 9 turns. I reloaded, put on manacles, killed Miv, and lost 11 ghosts. Then, with two heroes, I went on the offensive and easily defeated everyone; Erling lost according to the "7 days without a town" rule. I completed the map in 189 days.

I noticed that the computer develops better here than on the "Lord of Horizons" map. Or maybe it just turned out that way in this game? I don't understand why the red player couldn't be a demon; I had to play as the blue player. I enjoyed playing; the design is very beautiful, and it's interesting to explore the map, and there was even a good battle for a replay. Thank you very much for the map!

Noticed that the computer plays better here than on the "Lord of Horizons" map. Or is it just how the game turned out?

From my experience, on the same map, the computer can sometimes play well and sometimes play poorly; it just depends on luck.

I don't understand why the red player can't be a Demon; I had to play as the blue player.

I simply prohibit playing as races of cities that don't fit the terrain type at all. A city of Demons would look completely out of place in an environment of green fields with flowers.

I enjoyed playing; the design is very beautiful, and it's interesting to explore the map.

Thank you very much.