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While I was preparing to write, the map version had already changed significantly. I played version 0.9 on the "Hero" difficulty level. Accordingly, here are my thoughts on it.
I liked the map's concept. I didn't notice any obvious bugs. I looked at the forum – many arguments have been made about the difficulty of the monsters in the Dungeon; it didn't seem that difficult to me. I easily defeated a half-legion of black dragons, and the rest were even easier. The Dwarf armies are normal, meaning their growth rate doesn't need to be reduced. But... the entire map is built around hindering the player (random magic, not allowing access to the portal without capturing Horncrest, exorbitant fees for removing barriers – a "Jewish merchant bank," no "portal to the town"). This is disappointing. I replayed it several times. You start to understand what and how things work towards the end of the map. My first attempt with Varen was without any magic (luck, "empathy," "magic of speed," "stone skin," "path of war," education) – it didn't work. I fought off two dwarves, but I had nothing to take the first Castle with. Random spells really ruin the experience (maybe they could be changed to specific ones, say, "light" spells?). Since I saw a scattered Dwarf set, I chose "light." I gave up on logistics (in the first attempt, the hero spent three days near the teleport). The dwarves attacked first (the order is always the same: Karli, Helmar, Ingvar, Inga). Karli had more than 100 Earls/Jarls, more than 30 dragons. I had 10 cavalry and 2 seraphs join me, but that was still manageable. I almost lost to Varen against a weak Inga who had dark magic – "dispel" prevented me from finishing the game. Now is the time to remember Lorenzo. He easily recruited 300 archers in three weeks, besieged Horncrest, and was then pinned down near the Castle and destroyed. (I would like to fight with him, even if it's the last battle). Lorenzo had skilled dark magic with "weakness" and "curse." It's very good that he can be recruited in the Dwarf tavern; ideally, he should be a priority hire (in my case, it was only on the second week). Without him, it would be very boring. Varen is definitely a weak hero – he has few spells and is like a tank with a stick.
Result: Varen – level 31, Lorenzo – level 32. The battle with the rune guardian is a nightmare. I have a full Dwarf set, and so does he, plus "eternal misfortune." His troops are held back by Varen's special abilities, but the damage inflicted by human troops on the dwarves is negligible; magical protection constantly triggers on both sides. This is like an all-powerful core meeting an impenetrable wall. I replayed it four times. The computer isn't weak, but it starts to noticeably lag in the middle of the battle. I agree with the wish to "remove the Absolute Protection from this dwarf." Hitting almost 1,000 warriors in this case is like using a pickaxe to dig a tunnel in basalt.
Finally, for those who have the strength to read to the end – the animations are excellent. Thank you to the author for the work.
Valerichek
Heroist
