Posts from Bay of Destiny

Name: Bay of Fate.
Map name: The bay of fate.
Map type: Multiplayer.
Number of players: 5.
Dungeon: Yes.
Size: (XL) Large.
Author: Subjugator.
Description: Many centuries ago, the sea flooded the bottom of an ancient glacier, forming Nordenfjord – a narrow, deep bay on the border of the kingdoms of dwarves, orcs, and humans. From the depths of ancient caves, dark elves rose to the surface, and from the fiery abyss, demons crawled out... Soon, the waters of the bay will turn red with blood flowing from the ancient cliffs. Whoever becomes the lord of Nordenfjord will be able to rule the northern seas without question.
From the author: So, I want to say right away that this is my first map. I decided to start mapmaking with multiplayer, as it is simpler in some ways. This map is not easy; you can only play with 5 factions on it, namely Dungeon, Fortress, Haven, Inferno, and Stronghold. This is all due to the features of the terrain and landscape, which I tried to accurately convey (the races most suitable for northern lands). Now about the gameplay: it is unique for each faction – from a tactical point of view, the orcs are in a less advantageous position, as they are squeezed in on two sides, while the dark elves and demons rush towards each other across bridges over the abyss. But Askh and skillful hands can turn everything to their advantage. I wish you good luck and have a nice game! All suggestions are welcome.
P.S. The recommended difficulty is "Warrior". It will have reasonable neutrals, more or less sufficient resources, and a fairly intelligent AI.

Could you also add screenshots to the description?

And how is the map itself?

I played as Humans with a hero. At first, I was overwhelmed by the number of heroes, castles, money, and resources (I think it's an obvious excess), but then I got used to it and easily completed the map in 12.5 weeks. Overall, I liked the map, although it has some obvious imbalances. For example, the Orcs are in a clearly worse position, while the Humans (considering their preparation) with their 3 castles are the clear leaders. I don't know, maybe I'll try playing as Dark Elves. In general, thank you to the author.

That's the whole point: Orcs are in a less advantageous position for cooperative play, but a human player (I played as Orcs myself) will quickly adapt. You have Gotai and Kurak – if you alternate giving them troops from the capital and taking the growth from their cities, they will crush the Dwarves and Humans in about two weeks, as they don't expand their territories very quickly. So, it all depends on your skills. Try playing as an Elf or a Demon – it won't be hardcore, but it will be a rather interesting match. If two players want to test their experience and skills, they should play as factions from different worlds – a kind of war between the Dungeon and the Overworld, because otherwise the game will quickly lose its meaning. In general, thank you for the comments. And while I remember:
should I remove the Magistrates in the cities and replace them with something smaller – a Town Hall or an Elder's House in the cities on the map?

Good start. I liked the map. I think the magistrates should be replaced with a town hall. And overall, you could make the game a bit more challenging, for example, by increasing the spawn rate of neutral units.

Magistrates have been turned into town halls. Regarding increasing the difficulty: increasing the number of neutral creatures isn't always a good idea. Although, when playing as each of the factions, at a certain point, no neutral army poses a problem for you. You could strengthen the protection of racial artifacts or something similar. In general, thank you for the comments.

I replayed with the Elves, and it seemed more interesting than playing as Humans, although I finished it a week faster. The map is enjoyable, especially considering how rare they are. Greetings to the author.

Huge armies with high-level heroes, a guaranteed chance to obtain super abilities (many mentors), and the ability to collect a full set of items, and even more than one. I love maps like this:smile20:
I've played through it twice (with the Elves and Dwarves) and now I'm playing with the Demons.
Perhaps this is something to consider: weaken the guardians between the Dungeon and the upper world. They are probably too strong for the AI; it never crossed the border, even after a long time when it was the only ruler of its half of the world. Both times, I had to break through myself.

I like the map; I've explored about half of it so far. Sometimes, the opponent flees the battlefield even though they clearly have the advantage. I enjoy playing as the Dwarves. The only problem is that the game crashes when I enter any Inferno Castle. Thanks for the map!

I played as the Orcs. The map is beautiful. The landscape is detailed and well-crafted. I agree that there are a lot of resources and external buildings around the Castles – it’s a matter of taste, but I prefer fewer of them. There are significantly more artifacts in the dungeons than on the surface – that’s not good. I played the original version when all the expensive buildings, including the Capitol, were present in the Castles. The fact that they were later removed from the map was a good decision (I hope the same will be done for the Orcs). Because money is the only limiting factor in developing the Orcish army. And I had so much of it that it was like having cockroaches behind the stove: I equipped the troops of 2.5 heroes. Humans and Dwarves disappeared from the game within a day of each other, followed by Demons and the Tower faction with approximately the same interval. The Dwarves and Humans didn’t even fully build their Castles: in one city, there was a Castle, in another, a Stronghold, and in the third, nothing. I really didn’t like the author’s arbitrary choice of heroes. There are three Castles, and a hero is already assigned to each one, but the map is still not a single-player map, but a Multiplayer one. For this reason, I didn’t play as Humans – I saw their team and the idea of re-hiring everyone seemed absurd. Preferences for starting heroes can vary, so it’s better to let the player choose for themselves. Thank you for the good work.

The map is generally good. However, the hero sets for each faction are confusing, with three castles and a huge amount of resources. All heroes should be allowed, as I choose them based on the situation, but I've been deprived of that option. And the heroes with initiative are clearly unnecessary. It seemed to me that there are fewer resources in the Dungeon than on the surface. There are many seams on the demonic land; it would be desirable to fix them. Also, there is too much empty sea. The landscape is well done. Thank you for your work!

I'm glad you liked the map; I'll answer all your questions in order:
1. You're talking about the seams on the demonic land – that's not a problem; I'll use Mask to fix everything properly.
2. It's not a good idea to weaken the Guardians between worlds, because many people say that the neutral armies aren't very strong against the human armies due to the large bonuses. So, sorry, you'll have to deal with the demon lord in his own lair. And there are many ways to kill the aggressive phoenixes.
3. The fact that there are a lot of artifacts underground is a tactical move: it will be very difficult for the Dark Elves to defeat the demons, and the demons also need good armor. This is, so to speak, a kind of jackpot for the underground factions.
Besides, there are also very good artifacts on the surface, and if you don't like the items, there are three artifact shops. By the final confrontation, all factions should have some tricks up their sleeves.
4. Regarding the empty sea – well, besides another sunken Temple, I'm not sure what else I can add – I just want to convey the atmosphere of the North and make the sea wider. Although, I myself had to cross the sea very few times – only when chasing the main enemy forces. I need to think about this.
5. Regarding the heroes – I suggest doing this: we'll keep two unique heroes (i.e., from the scenario), and the third will be the player's choice.
6. Believe me, you'll need the resources at least to gather an army and build your cities (at least your own). For example, the Elves have expensive troops, there are many of them, and the cities need to be developed. In general, if you want, gather them; if you're just looking for a more or less worthy opponent, then you are the master of your own destiny. Personally, my demon gathered a formidable army of Elves and demons, and even a very strong Kurak with his bloodlust couldn't save him from painful losses. Thank you for your feedback; I'll take everything into account!

3. The fact that there are quite a few artifacts underground is a tactical move: it will be very difficult for the Dark Elves to deal with the demons, and the demons also need good armor. This is, so to speak, a kind of jackpot for the underground factions.
Besides, there are also very good artifacts on the surface, and if you don't like the items, there are three artifact shops. By the final confrontation, all factions should have some aces up their sleeves.

The Dark Elves have an additional shop + faction rush and railag. It will be very difficult for the demons to cope. Obvious imbalance.

Good day.
And where is the map itself?:) Where should I "click" to download it?:):):)
The description and reviews made me really want to play it, but this is so disappointing:(