Posts from Campaign for Shades of Darkness: The Fall.

The "Fall" Campaign
This campaign is designed for fans of the game it's based on. It starts with quest maps, but there will definitely be some carnage. There is a plot. I spent two months working on this campaign (not all the time, of course), and that says something. So, people arrived in ships in the Northern lands and found themselves in the middle of a battle between the undead and demons. With fresh forces, the people managed to drive out both, but everyone remembers the revenge that is coming. It is in this environment that the adventures of Cord, Brian, and Archibald will take place. There is quite a lot of text, and I tried hard on the design, so I think people who have played RoE, SoD, and AB will enjoy it.
The "Between Two Fires" Campaign
This campaign tells the story of a ship that fell behind the main group from Avlia. A small expedition finds itself alone in an unfamiliar world and encounters the local inhabitants. This is a prequel to all other maps and campaigns. The campaign includes 3 maps; it is small and can be completed in one evening. All maps are size S, the territory is the same, but the dungeons, victory conditions, some landscape elements, and quests change. Don't think that just because the maps are small and similar, the campaign itself will be uninteresting. The goal is to convey the story and provide enjoyment. And, as a hallmark of the series, there are loooong credits.
I will probably add one more map to this campaign about the search for the Holy Grail. In general, I don't know; maybe this campaign will be expanded with more maps, because it is too small.

In the second chapter, to buy a boat, use the market in Goldenfish to exchange gold for wood, not the market in the city. It's cheaper to exchange gold for wood at a ratio of 887/1 than 2500/1; otherwise, you might wait too long for the required amount to accumulate. And another thing: should I create a more extensive continuation of the stories of the Northern Lands? I have a lot of ideas for that.
Bug: there might be a glitch with the words in the final credits after an empty line. This is beyond my control, but it seems the glitch doesn't occur in a newer version of the game.

Here are a few tips on setting the difficulty level. Chapters 1 and 2 are quest maps; use 80% or 100%, otherwise, a large number of monsters may block the path during the weekly growth phase. In Chapter 3, you can experiment; you should have enough troops to handle the weekly monsters. In Chapter 4, the troops of allies and enemies are balanced; use high difficulty levels. In Chapter 5, the hero is well-leveled; choose any difficulty. In Chapter 6, set the difficulty to the maximum.

Here are a few more maps based on the Northern lands.
1. S, two-level - Ice and Fire
2. S, two-level - Torra Island
3. M, two-level - Dilemma
The last map shows a battle between four Barbarian castles, but the ways to play as them are different. One tribe relies on brute force, with reinforcements arriving every week in the form of troops. Another focuses on magic; it's the only one where you can build a 3rd-level guild, and there are also magical shrines nearby, with the starting hero well-developed in this area. The third tribe has a strong economy, receiving money and resources every week. And the fourth is standard.
I've made some minor adjustments to the maps; these are

I understand that mapmaking for the third installment of "Heroes of Might and Magic" isn't as popular as it is for the fifth. But I'm glad that the campaign has been downloaded by 92 people as of June 23, 2007, and that at least some of them have checked it out. Attention! The first post has been updated. Everyone who wants a good story is welcome. :)

Archibald wasn't created under the influence of the second game; he was taken from "The Master and Margarita." I didn't even play the second game, and I learned about this character's existence on the forum. The name sounded similar to "archer," so I ask fans of the second game not to be offended. For fans of unconventional campaigns, I can also recommend Capital of Death and Capital of Death II, created by LifeKILLED.
It seems that The Longest Adventure has finally ended. Well, thank you to everyone who downloaded it and tried to help. I don't think it's necessary to keep a dead map on the portal any longer.

I completed your "Between the Flames" campaign. In the final map, isn't victory achieved by defeating Karagon? I had this question because after the victory, the credits describe the defeat of the demon army without any involvement from Yvor.

Ivor's task was to hold out until reinforcements arrived, and if the demonic lord—partly the master of these lands—were to lose to a handful of arriving elves, I think that would be somewhat wrong. Specifically, the rout of three Inferno castles allowed them to cut off supplies, and Alucard, sacrificing his own army, took Karagon's forces to the afterlife with him. But do not think that Alucard was protecting the elves. One of the human commanders is Captain Dobryak; he is the one who routed Karagon's army. I decided not to make another map showing how the human troops defeat the demon troops and instead described the outcome in the epilogue. Nevertheless, Karagon survives, and his conflict with Alucard will continue in "The Fall." In that campaign, Cord will meet Alucard, and you'll find out what Karagon did wrong if you play it. :) Captain Dobryak also appears in the half-finished first map of the third campaign.
P.S. Well, so, did you like it?

Yeah, that's interesting.
But in that case, I would have made it so that Karagon couldn't be defeated so easily, giving him more troops. Otherwise, I destroy him, and in the epilogue, they say that some archangels and necromancers did everything! That's not fair ;)

Oops, I made a mistake! I'll fix everything right away.

SandroXXL, even though you may not be a great map or campaign creator (yet), I can still see some meaning and plot in your work. I looked at your creations – they're not bad, not all of them, but you're already doing something. Never be afraid to do what you don't know how to do; remember, an amateur built the ark, while professionals built the Titanic. Over time, I would agree with this statement about you: "A person creates their maps like an artist leaning over a blank canvas, searching for an image they only vaguely sense, representing it only intuitively, but the specific outlines of the picture, let alone the details, are not yet known to them. A true artist begins by defining the starting point, making the first light stroke, then another, a third... until they "find" that one correct line that best meets their expectations. Careful hands draw soft, barely perceptible contours so that in case of an error, it is never too late to go back and try again. And so, stroke by stroke, brushstroke by brushstroke.
But how great is the reward when a masterpiece is born in the throes of creativity. The creator is no longer an apprentice; he is a personality, the author of a remarkable canvas. People are drawn to a successful person; they want to flatter him, to be part of his success. The rumor goes: "Success has come to him." But in fact, he came to success himself."
Good luck! Best regards.

Thanks, Ley, for the kind words. It's nice to hear. I initially registered on the forum to share my work. I'll keep improving! :)
to Kamikaze
Could you tell me about the battle where you defeated Karagon? Specifically, on what day did it happen, where (in New City or in an open area), what was the size of your army, and, if possible, how much mana Karagon had.

But in that case, I would have made it so that Karagon couldn't be defeated, giving him more troops. Otherwise, I crushed him, and in the epilogue, they say that some archangels and Necromancers did everything! That's not fair.

That was the original idea, but when I was testing the map, I temporarily captured castles instead of trying to defeat Karagon. I gave him a small amount of starting experience (30,000), although that's not very much, but I thought that the initial skills should be adjusted to match the experience. Now I've doubled the army size and added 20+ initial units; I think it will work as originally intended.
P.S. If anything, don't be offended. As a rule, one test is never enough.

I was just thinking about creating some small companies, and if needed, I'll reach out.

I will gladly help in any way I can.

First, I sent Aeris – my loyal general – against him; he inflicted some minor damage on Karagon. After that, Karagon was left with almost no mana; he was sustained by demons until they died. And the Chain Lightning spell also did some damage to his ranks. So, a well-planned defense did its job. I had a lot of dwarves, and the Clone spell came in handy. But I can post the save file if you want.;)