Posts from Are there any maps similar to the original ones? Auto-translated

I don't want to impose, but since you asked, I recommend my "Asatamu" and "Preserve" maps; perhaps also "Land of 1000." The maps aren't perfect; there are significant imbalances, and "Preserve" might even deter players with its monstrous creature growth. But generally, regarding "rare resources," I'm currently working on something in that direction, without trying to overcrowd every square meter. Maybe something will come of it in a month or two. It's funny, of course, but I hesitate to advise someone else, because I have a similar issue. Although, despite similar priorities, I still liked Samatron's map, "In Search of the Lost City," at least the "starting part"; after that, it seems to devolve into all sorts of dragon legions. There's also OldMage here; he might be quite different from what you're looking for, but he's good because he brings his own, unborrowed style to the game, which is quite self-sufficient. And "Combat Gauntlet," which I mentioned, is a map from "Armageddon's Blade"; in English, it's called "The Gauntlet."

I looked at Asatam's maps – I didn't like them, to be honest. The contrast between the different landscapes is too sharp. The Preserve doesn't stand out in this regard either. I've noticed that most people tend to lump elements from different landscapes together. As a result, the maps look like... well, like a landfill. Perhaps the secret of the standard maps in Heroes III lies in the fact that no one created such a mess when designing them? Earth 1000, by the way, is the most successful in this regard; it more or less adheres to certain principles. For example, there is almost none of this (Picasso would probably have died of envy looking at such maps :D). I downloaded the "Nine in One" map from Old Mage. It's not bad, I agree, but... It feels a bit cramped, don't you think? I used to make maps like that myself, leaving only 1-2 squares for passage, but here, considering the size of the map... Hmm... He's a patient guy, that's for sure. Also, where can I download all the maps from The Armageddon's Blade? In The Death and Decay, there are only maps from The Era of Arathia, but for some reason, there are no maps from The Armageddon's Blade.

Partly true; it sometimes resembles a junkyard, but why not? Overall, I find everything internally consistent. The landscape of Asatama is entirely based on the plot: the blue area is the more "European" part, which smoothly transitions through the northwestern swamps into the "forest of hanged men," which further west ends with a snowy ridge, and to the north, with all sorts of wastelands. In the center is a mountain plateau; if an area is covered in snow, it means it's "high." East of the mountains are deserts and steppes, although to the northeast, there's an oasis where a "new," but also almost "European," kingdom has been established. The islands of the "yellow" player correspond to his "race" and are mystical and anomalous, as is the snowy underground area beneath them. The southern zone is abandoned and flooded, but it's gradually being developed. Even the additional "zones," such as the cursed lands and the clouds, are not random. The cursed lands mark the sites of great battles, the clouds mark mountain peaks, the magical fields mark sacred, temple areas, and the fogs mark stagnant, dangerous places. I tried to recreate one of the stories I wrote with a friend when I was fifteen. The screenshot with the Dalí crack—well, that crack is also explained by the plot; there's even a sign next to it.
Well, never mind; your comments have spurred me on; you'll see—it'll be amazing!
Yes, it's a bit cramped. But I think every style has the right to exist. There are both extremely spacious and extremely cramped maps; you need to understand the author's intention and then evaluate the map based on the criterion of whether the author has fully achieved his own goal. It's like in literature. It's impossible to criticize Joyce from the perspective of Soviet realism. Although, you can choose not to read Joyce. Or you can choose not to read at all. Freedom!
I can't give you a link, but I remember that I used to find a "Complete Collection" on torrents without any problems, which includes maps from all the games. But then I deleted and reinstalled everything ten times, and eventually, last spring, I bought the "Collection" on a disc.

Where can I download all the maps from Armageddon's Blade? In The Shadow of Death, there are only maps from The Restoration of Erathia, but not from Armageddon's Blade, for some reason.

They aren't there, probably because the Conflux was blocked in The Shadow of Death (it's unlocked with the well-known ABinSoD patch). So, you need the Complete Collection.

Everyone has their own tastes, and that's undeniable. For example, I like maps that Avatar Lev called "narrow." I actually think that's a good thing, at least that's my opinion. I think empty maps, like "Inflation" by Kird, are underdeveloped. There's just too much empty space. Which could have been filled with additional development under the protection of a monster. A perfect map for me, for example, is the campaign from Empire of the World 2, but it's for one player. Maps like that, for 2 or 3 players, would be great. They're colorful, have a plot, and are harmonious. But, I repeat: This is just my opinion, and I'm not imposing it on anyone. P.S.: Kird! Don't be offended by my comment about your map. I reviewed the map, understood it, and grasped your idea, but unfortunately, it's not very visually appealing. The idea is good, but it's not fully realized.

Marmot, you know, I appreciate detail and thoroughness in maps, naturalness and realism. And when I see something like this, something like this, or something like this, my desire to play suddenly disappears. It's clear that they're not focusing on quality, but on quantity. Again, what does it mean that "they can't be called easy, and they can't be completed quickly"? If what was implied is what I showed in the last screenshot, then it doesn't excite me either. If the value of a map is measured by the number of zeros after the number of monsters, then this is not a virtue at all, but a creative impotence. Yes, of course, maps of this size and complexity cannot be completed quickly; that's a fact. But playing something like that won't be very interesting. From my own experience, I can say that a map that takes more than 3-4 days to complete already starts to become tiresome, even if it's a good map from the ones that are originally in the game.

I'm not familiar with samatron, so I may not know the true motives behind which he creates all sorts of incomprehensible things like this, this, or at least this. Maybe he wanted to show the endless forests and fields. Or countless hordes of monsters. But, honestly, I'm too lazy to come up with legends that would explain such absurdities. Rather, the simplest and most banal reason lies at the heart of all this: he aimed for something great, but halfway through, he realized that he only had enough strength for something small...

It's a pity the discussion was a long time ago. And yes... I wasn't aiming for "something great" at all.
I still don't understand if Avatar-Lion played my maps, although he might be that armchair genius who, looking at the picture, determined: "he aimed for something great, but halfway through, he realized that he only had enough strength for something small..."?
Judging by this: "But playing something like that won't be very interesting," he didn't play. :smile42::D
And this phrase just made me smile :)
"From my own experience, I can say that a map that takes more than 3-4 days to complete already starts to become tiresome" :smile54: If possible, could you provide an example of such a map? Thank you in advance

"Too bad the discussion was a long time ago."

I'm certainly not an Avatar, but if you want something relatively new, here it is: /topic/at/869826/