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I played the map without quests on “hero” difficulty, using different Factions. I was particularly impressed by the exceptionally well-designed landscape and the placement of structures. It’s interesting to move around the map. However, the main idea – the ban on “Dark Magic,” although not entirely complete – didn’t resonate with me. (It’s like if friction disappeared on Earth because it spoils many things). The existing balance of magic in the game has been fundamentally undermined. Considering that the heroes will be encountered as highly developed, with very large armies, the choice of magic has become almost non-alternative. Therefore, I decided to see who would thrive in these new conditions. The rejection of “Dark Magic” should primarily benefit those Factions that are greatly hindered by it (Orcs) or do not use it much (Elves). Necromancers are in a very difficult position in such a scenario. I played as Elves, Humans, and “Academics.” My assumptions were only partially correct. Necromancers are completely toothless on this map (demos in the attachment), but the Dungeon faction always appears first. Now, about those who turned out to be the winners. I didn’t play as Orcs – it’s not interesting without Cyclops. The Elves are noticeably slowed down in their development due to a lack of wood and money. Their lumber mill is located on some central route, and all players capture it, and you only have time to retake it. I completed the map as Elves in 5 months and 1 week. The “Academics” are even more hindered – they are constantly lacking some resources. The amassed army does not yield good results, and the attack is weak. The nearest opponent is Humans, who appear in large numbers, and the mage can do little against them. In general, the mages lead an almost partisan lifestyle, waiting for the Human main hero to move away. After capturing the Human Castle, life becomes more enjoyable. I completed the map as mages in just under 5 months. The advantageous location of the Castle helped – proximity to Humans and “mentorship” from the main hero. Finally, the Human Castle itself. It’s a pleasure to play as them. They develop quickly, and with Elain’s support, they have an abundance of money. In this Castle, not only can you do without creatures of level 7, but even level 6 is not needed. Not a single cavalry unit was used in battle. The main hero chose Mephala; in conditions of uncontrolled “Light,” she becomes a super-beast. With the army she took from the Castle once, without any reinforcements, she traversed the entire map and defeated the guards of the red tent. It took 4 months and a little. A demo has already been uploaded showing how the Dungeon faction gradually gnaws at the Dwarf outpost; for comparison, Mephala and the same garrison.
Playing as different Factions, I never had the thought of fighting in the arena or specifically collecting artifacts. This has been written about – the losses are disproportionate to the gains. The idea of reputation is self-defeating. On the one hand, it greatly overloads the map with scripts, and on the other hand, it creates a lot of absurd situations. (Some of these have already been described; I’ll add: when a computer hero attacks on their turn and dies, my reputation decreases; when I retake my mine, my reputation decreases again. Computer Factions survive for a week after capturing a Castle and losing all their heroes. During this time, you can increase your reputation with the doomed faction by either providing the required resource or defeating its opponent). The Necromancers seem superfluous on this map. It would be more logical to replace them with Demons or remove them altogether. A few words about the map’s functionality. There were crashes, but they were not critical. Considering all the complexities and the size, I was only surprised by its stability. For some reason, the crash rate was different for different Castles. They occurred more often when playing as mages. However, all saves were read correctly, and I could reload them.
