Posts from Crystal

Name: Hero of Might and Magic
Map name: Crystal
Two-level map: yes
Number of players: 5 (Player 1, computer 4)
Size: XL
Difficulty level: Hard
Map author: SergeyY

Map description: Find and capture the city.

(A very difficult map to complete. It is hard to pass even with double magic in "The Shadow of Death" before it was fixed in the patch).

I look forward to your feedback and comments.

Well, how is it going? Has anyone completed the Land of Horrors, or defeated Tazar? I recommend clearing these critical areas by using double-cast spells. The initial version of this map was created before patch 3.2, and it was designed with the assumption that players could cast spells twice to increase the difficulty.

The map isn't easy, but I would call it tedious. I apologize to the author! But there is one place that is worthy of praise, the one where you have to defeat the first enemy! Unfortunately, I don't know how to use double-cast, so could you write how to do it? Maybe someone else doesn't know either!

Did you defeat the first enemy? As I understand it, it's either Tazar or Gunnar?
Or have you already completed the entire map?

I've completed the map. The first one for me was the Black Dragon Castle. Unfortunately, I don't remember the hero's name! If you have any doubts, I can send you the save file. I can tell you more details, but then it might not be interesting for others!

MMMM... Sorry, SergeyY, but the map isn't great... Not at all...

What am I supposed to do on it for the first week or two? Okay, maybe three is too much, I got carried away, by the 3rd week I'll definitely break through the starting obstacles... But sitting around doing nothing for 2 weeks? That's just silly. And further on - the obstacles are strong, until there's a sufficient army/magic - the game will consist of sitting in the castle and accumulating an army. That's stupid and boring.

In my opinion, the map didn't turn out well... Maybe something interesting will appear later - but judging by the landscape and the map's content (I looked in the editor) - there won't be anything like that. I didn't play it to the end because the first 5 days of "playing" completely killed my desire to continue.

I apologize, but it didn't impress me.

This map features one of the common mistakes made by novice mapmakers. I call it: "We have nothing, but there are dragons everywhere." Beginners mistakenly believe that the difficulty of a map lies in a challenging (resource-poor and troop-less) start, and that the guards should be as strong as possible... At the start, you need to skip many turns to develop. As for the visual aspect, there are also significant flaws here (a lot of empty space, a mismatch between the landscape and the type of towns... etc.)

In my opinion, when creating a map, you need to consider three things:
1. Beauty (So that it is pleasant to look at)
2. Comfort (So that the map is not too stressful, but at the same time is interesting and makes you want to play it again)
3. Balance (Here it is important to find a golden mean. It should not be the case that the map can be completed quickly or that you have to skip a month to gather troops).

Dirty_Player, well said!
I downloaded the map myself, took a look at the landscape in the editor, but haven't started playing it yet (I'm "finishing" another one). I can only assume that the author is more interested in maps where you mainly have to fight frequently and fiercely. That's why he "focused on action" at the expense of everything else. :( Two comments from me: This is a "map-supermarket," as I call them. :) SergeyY, have you heard of the existence of curved lines? :) And personally, I almost always stop playing a map I've started if I see that I need to spend weeks just accumulating troops before "breaking through" the defenses set up around it. :( Map creators should keep this in mind!

Marmot, Dirty_Player

Personally, I started breaking through the guards stationed around the starting castle – already in the 1st week. In the 2nd-3rd week, I ventured into other areas and started fighting there.

I thought it wouldn't be a problem to skip turns 7 times if I needed to gather troops... How can pressing the button 7 times be stressful? There are maps of this type – they are simply completed over many months. It's that kind of map. Regarding the guards, I agree that I added too many, but nevertheless, I overcame all the difficulties and completed the map!

Next time I create a map, I will probably add troops to the starting hero to make it easier... :) Here, the goal was to create a map that was as difficult as possible but still COMPLETABLE.

You see, there are practically no IMPOSSIBLE maps, but playing by just pressing the spacebar is silly... Just calculate the troops needed better than the starting hero or the guards. And the fact that they can be completed in many months doesn't mean "we just sit there for two or three of those months, pressing the spacebar to accumulate troops";)

And which of the starting guards did you defeat in the first week? And what did that give you?

The goal here was to create a map that is as difficult as possible, but still PASSABLE.

Well, you have achieved this goal!

Personally, I started breaking through the defenses around the starting Castle on the 1st week.

Interesting, how?

I thought it wouldn't be a problem to skip a turn 7 times if I needed to gather troops... How can pressing a button 7 times be stressful?

Well, firstly, it's not 7 times, but more (for most players who don't want to lose their entire army in one go)! And secondly, it's stressful to sit in one place and do nothing (or rather, just build one thing). By the way, today I launched the map and on the 4th day I was convinced of the correctness of Ta Kotoraya and Dirty Player. Only a person with a lot of patience and a love for endless battles will be able to complete such a map!
I hope you can create other maps that are more "friendly" to players.

I don't remember exactly, it was a long time ago, but I think in the first week I cleared out the monsters at the top, took the Spirit of Despair artifact and a shield that gives +4 to everything, and also leveled up Expert Earth. In the second week, I attacked the horde of dendroids at the bottom with a horde of gremlins (with a few golems and gargoyles) :D. Although there might have been a few more mages.

I don't remember exactly, it was a long time ago, but I think in the first week I cleared out the monsters at the top, took the Artifact of Despair, and a shield that gives +4 to everything, and also leveled up Expert Earth. In the second week, I attacked the horde of dendroids at the bottom with a horde of gremlins (with a few golems and gargoyles) :) Although there might have been a few more mages.

Hmm... but the main thing is - WHAT did it give you? There are many guardians among the dendroids, and breaking through them in the second week doesn't give you anything significant, because next come dragons, which can't be broken through with gremlins right away ;)

But overall - I wish you good luck in your future mapmaking!

how does this not provide any significant advantage? 2 sawmills, tons of resources...

how can it not give anything substantial? 2 lumber mills, tons of resources...

Hmm... and then you have to grind again?:rolleyes: To build up, gather troops to fight dragons?

Okay... well, Dёti seems to have explained everything well... We're waiting for your new maps... good luck!