Posts from Source of power.

Name: Fountain of Strength
Map name: Fountain of Strength
Game version: 3.1
Map version: 1.0
Map type: Multiplayer Arena
Two-level map: no
Number of players: 3
Size: Small 96x96
Map author: jomn
Map description: In the valley of the Great River, the druids of Irrolan have long built altars, practiced healing, and offered prayers of praise in the name of Sylvan. But since the Empire established a trading post here, the magical power of this place has begun to wane. What's worse... either the numerous settlements of defenseless peasants or the poisonous gases from the larger sulfur lake have attracted hordes of demons to the valley. Will anyone be able to stop the demonic legion? Who will seize all the riches of this land? Who will discover the secret of eternal youth and strength?
From the author: This is my first map. It was created for personal use - playing with friends. I enjoyed the creation process, so I want to share it. Multiplayer map for two players with random towns, there is also an AI playing as Haven. There is a version with allies (2 players vs AI). It is recommended to play on Warrior or Veteran difficulty.

Based on the screenshots, it looks good. Let's play it now...

The author has meticulously worked on the design. It turned out beautifully!
If this is the author's first map, then they have a talent for mapmaking.

Regarding the issues:

- I don't know why, but the third player wasn't generated. Even though he was selected at the start, I only have one opponent in the game, and the third castle remains empty.

- The placement of objects on the map is very haphazard. This causes the game to sometimes lag. I don't rule out that my hardware isn't powerful enough, but the large number of objects in a small area doesn't look very aesthetically pleasing. It looked better in the screenshots at first glance.

Let's continue playing...

I fixed the issue with the second player; you can now test it.

Thank you for your feedback.

I apologize for the comment about the aesthetics. The map's overall design is simply stunning. There might be a bit too much going on in the center, but the outskirts, as I mentioned, are exceptionally well-crafted. The textures look very harmonious.

I haven't encountered the AI yet, as the path to it is blocked. (I'm deliberately not using Astral Gates.) I'm looking for the Keymaster's tent.

It might be worth removing the Astral Gate spell, as it contradicts the idea of garrisons and outposts. Instead of searching for a key and breaking through a garrison, the player can easily move closer to the enemy's castle and occupy it while it's unguarded.

Let's continue playing...

In the center, near the red player? I'll try to come up with something...

Yes, I didn't take that into account.

Maybe playing with a friend would have been more interesting, but I play alone. On the 4th week, a turquoise player appeared with an army that was too strong for me. He had 10 Archangels! But I accepted the battle at my castle, killed the catapult, and wiped out his entire army. By that time, the blue player was already resting. And a week later, using portals like him, I finished the game with a victory. I didn't get to enjoy the beauty of the surroundings! The balance is clearly off. Portals should be banned.

I explored the entire map. It's very well done! The Royal Mausoleum in the forest and the Tieru Rock in the north are breathtaking. Considering this is the author's first map, it's a very impressive piece of work! Here are some observations: - The passage to the Dungeon in the north of the map is closed. It's not just blocked by monsters; it's completely closed. It's impossible to even attack the guards. I'm not sure if this is the author's intention, but it either needs to be fixed or the passage to the Dungeon should be removed altogether to avoid misleading players. - The Turquoise player is not aggressive enough. On Veteran difficulty, he didn't even attempt to attack my Castle, even though he had the ability to use Astral Gates. However, reading the post above, I see that another player didn't have any problems with the Turquoise player's aggressiveness. - It would be a good idea to upgrade the fortifications of the Turquoise player's Castle. Currently, there are no walls at all. The final battle isn't very challenging. - All the signposts point in the same direction (to the left), which can be confusing at times. This also needs to be fixed from an aesthetic point of view. - The quest log states that, in addition to capturing the Knights' Castle, you also need to repel a demon attack. However, after capturing the Castle, there was no attack, contrary to my expectations. Something needs to be done about this as well. Overall, I enjoyed the map. Thank you very much to the author!

The map turned out to be easy. The outposts need to be strengthened, and heroes shouldn’t be allowed to jump over them. I played as a hero and explored half of the map, but the teleportation ruins the author’s original idea.

I just wanted to say that Astral Gates should be removed, but I see that arkmo has already beaten me to it.

I played as a Human hero and completed the map in 5 weeks. It's clear that the map was created with care, but it's a bit disorganized. As already mentioned, the Astral Gates ruin the whole idea (although I didn't use them, I honestly just cleared the garrison and visited the yellow tent). The Turquoise player is quite weak and needs to be buffed. And, just for completeness, the map lacks a mentor. I wish the author creative success (preferably on maps of a larger size).

I played as a Human hero and completed the map in 5 weeks. It's clear that the map was made with love, but it's a bit confusing. As already noted, the Astral Gates ruin the whole idea (although I didn't use them, but honestly cleared the garrison and visited the yellow tent). The turquoise player is quite weak and needs to be strengthened. And, for completeness, the map lacks a mentor. I wish the author creative success (preferably on maps of a larger size).

There is a mentor on the map. He is located in the north, to the left of the river.

With the Astral Gates, all the niceties go out the window. I didn't notice any range issues with the turquoise units. If I weren't playing as the Tribes of the East, it would be tough. They start with an army. And I was also "lucky" – a week of festivals and plagues. The map is beautiful, but there's no point in exploring it – jump around a couple of times and "mission complete." And yes, if you want to destroy the gates, you need a mentor.

I played through the game with an elf hero. There are many objects, but they won't be used in the game. The yellow tent is easily defeated, so it might make sense to move it behind a teleport. Also, there's no point in killing the army with angels, where the bow is located; it's a waste of time. We need to structure the game so that outposts and teleports with armies are necessary to pass in order to win. There are indicators for the Tear of Ashi, but probably no one will take it. And after the hero jumps through the astral gate, only losers remain in the army of turquoise creatures. And for some reason, they had small armies.