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Tamerlane, Prince of Destruction - TC Edition
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Author |
File Description |
Angel Mark (id: Mark Stoker) |
Posted on 10/20/00 @ 12:00 AM
File Details |
Version: |
The Conquerors 1.0c |
Style: |
Mix |
Number of scenarios: |
7 |
This version of "Tamerlane, Prince of Destruction" requires the Conquerors expansion pack. If you do not own the expansion pack, please download the standard AoK version.
"Tamerlane moved like a whirlwind through Asia, commanding both fear and awe throughout the world. Rising to power in 1369 on the ruins of the Mongol Empire, his great armies criss-crossed Asia from Delhi to Moscow, conquering and re-conquering, razing some cities, sparing others. His activity was relentless and unending. His fame spread quickly to Europe, where he remained for centuries a figure of romance and horror."
"Tamerlane, Prince of Destruction" is a seven-scenario campaign about Tamerlane, the last of the great nomad conquerors. In this campaign you must lead Tamerlane as he rises from the chief of a small Mongol tribe to the conqueror of the Middle East.
FEATURES:
- Six playable scenarios
- One cut-scene scenario
- Seven soundtracks
- Fun yet historically accurate gameplay
- Battle scenes that don't lag
- Supports all difficulty levels
- Game style is a combination of role-playing, fixed-force, and build-and-destroy.
This campaign also includes an 8.3Mb Music Pack (This is the same music pack that is used in the AoK version of this campaign. If you have already downloaded it, you do not need to download it again). It is not required, but please download it if you have a fast connection. This campaign includes music from the following albums:
"Baby One More Time" by Britney Spears
"BraveHeart" soundtrack
"Caravan" by Kronos Quartet
"The Edge" by Gnomusy
"Gladiator" soundtrack
"Music of the Crusades" by The Early Music Consort of London
This music is for sampling use only. Please do not copy it or circulate it among your friends. If you really like the music, go out and buy the CDs. All of these CDs are great, except maybe one of them ;-)
CREDITS:
Campaign Designer: Mark Stoker (member of SCN Punk Team)
Playtesters (AoK version): Bob Michaels, Crusader14, EUIX, Freedumb, Gray Wolf, The Great Alexander, Manowar, Strider, and Transcora
Playtesters (TC version): AKM_3, Cat, GR8guy, RoyalLord, and The Red Chimp
Additional Credits:
- Beatrice Forbes Manz: Author of "The Rise and Rule of Tamerlane" (used to research the history for this campaign).
- The Downward Spiral: For letting me use some music and sounds from "The Nexus" campaign.
- The Rasher: "Map Tricks" scenario.
- Steve Ryan: For letting me use some sounds from the "Legend" campaign.
- Strider: For helping me find some great music.
- Sybex: Official Scenario Design Toolkit.
Mark Stoker - SCN Punk Team
For more of the author's work click Here and Here |
Author | Reviews ( All | Comments Only | Reviews Only ) |
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Cat
Official Reviewer |
Posted on 11/28/00 @ 12:00 AM
I must say that this campaign is One of the best I have ever seen. The TC version adds new units and civs for you and Mark's eye candy was to die for. It has been a Very long time since I have either playtested or reviewed a campaign this awesome! Way to go Mark I loved everything about this campaign. Since TDS reviewed the Non TC version I am only going to add comments to his other review. So here we go :)
First off, the campaign's Playability was great. Its not only a build and destroy campaign... a lot of other treats are thrown in. It is a mix of RPG, RPS, FF, B&D... everything! T totally agree with TDS 100% on all of this. You have FF, B & D,RPG, RPS all thrown in with a tremendous effect, so that the playability is effortless.
Next, "Tamerlane's Prince of Destruction's" Balance was literally perfect. If you read the review system, it states that a well balanced scenario is a scenario that is hard, but possible. Well this campaign definitely fits that description. All of the scenarios are very challenging, but with some effort the campaign is very well possible to win. I should know, as some of them I played several times and won :) Mark excells in making it hard but winnable, which all great campaigns strive to achieve.
Mark Stoker put quite a bit of Creativity into this campaign. There were a few concepts in the campaign that I have never seen before. For instance, I loved how you could constantly choose what to do. You didn't just get one objective to carry out, you had a choice of several objectives. According to what road you chose, the outcome differs. I liked how in the second scenario how you could choose what city you wished to build your base in. I also liked how Mark implemented several "Bonus" mission objectives into the campaign. I agree with TDS here as well. I enjoyed the "Bonus Mission's as well as choosing the city I wanted to build in. Bravo Mark for giving us things to do and not just a simple campaign.
The one thing that astonishes me in ALL of Mark Stoker's campaigns is his brilliant talent in Map Design. No matter what anyone says,Tds and I still say that Mark Stoker has THE best talent in the map design department. Just look at his maps, you'll be amazed. He uses loads of eye candy, and uses the tools ES provided him to make the map design beautiful.Yes he does TDS and quite well I might add. Mark's eye candy is gorgeous, intricately detailed, that you just love to look at his maps.
Lastly, the historical campaign's Story/Instructions were pulled off amazingly. I was so surprised as to how a historical campaign such as "Tamerlane, Prince of Destruction, TC Version," included a deep story, alternating points of view, character personalities and character interaction, and a hilarious bit of humor in it. I was cracking up during the Britney Spears bash. That was just hilarious, Mark. Although the story follows a real time in history, you still feel the plot as if it was a fantasy. And man... that one "prison scene" was really funny. I'm still laughing... Haha.
In conclusion, this is one of the best campaign's ever made. Mark Stoker includes The most beutiful, brilliant map design that I have ever seen, with an incredible fun factor, a tremendous plot (not to mention custom music which really lets you feel the mood), extremely well made bitmaps at the start of each mission, and an amusing (yet professional) bit of humor all in one campaign. Great job Mark Stoker, and I had a fantastic time reviewing this incredible campaign. I can't wait until the next one. Thank you for letting me have the honor of playtesting and reviewing this magnificent work of art!!! Everyone needs to d/l this one if you haven't already! Now do not wait !! |
ErnestOConnell |
Posted on 10/02/01 @ 12:00 AM
Excellent Excellent Excellent. It took me months to get past the first playable scenario with those endless waves of cavalry archers, and by the time I had gotten past it I had killed around 1227 enemy units! That's how long it took! But persistence is the key, and anyway I like really tough campaigns. I also liked the map design a lot - it's just so really really detailed and everything seems to be in the right place, e.g. the second playable scenario "Lord of the Horizon" had a map that looked really like the Black sea coast. I like that.
Another thing I like about this campaign is the excellent sense of humour, like the Britney Spears music while your a prisoner of the emir. The story-style sequences which form a part of many of the scenarios is great too, really giving a sense of 'being there' during events tat are portrayed with great accuracy from a historical viewpoint. I also admire the lack of linearity in the game, with different options being available to you, e.g. in the scenario "Lord of the Horizon", you can either set up base in the ruined city or in the Georgian village. And if you choose the latter they give you resources, but you then don't benefit from the castle in the ruined city ( I can't quite remember what it's called - Tabriz I think ).
To sum up anyway - Rock Hard, varied , detailed , and funny. I love it! |
pdc90dem |
Posted on 05/30/05 @ 03:27 PM
Playability: 5
Everything worked out great. No technical problems at all. Excellent mix of different battle styles and scenario types. No lag problems.
Balance: 5
Exteremely challengin in many areas. Much micromanagement is required. It's definitly winnable, however. Lots of side goals and quests to fufill. The campaign brings the best out of RPG, FF, and B/D in all areas.
Creativity: 5
Absolutely brilliant. The work and ideas put into this scenario is amazing. Infiltrating Delhi is fun. The part where Minamoto is totured with the Britney Spears music is quite funny.
Map Design: 5
It was as if every forest, every road, every town and village, every river or stream, and every elavation change was given an unbelievable amount of work. These maps are amazing in the quality, realism, and variety.
Story/Instructions: 5
Excellent instructions and story. I love an Age of Empires scenario when I learn about History like this one. A thrilling adventure to say the least.
Overall:
Brilliant. This is hands down the best campaign ever. They need to hire this team to do the Age of Empires III scenarios. This was awesome. [Edited on 05/30/05 @ 03:28 PM]
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Kronos_almighty |
Posted on 07/28/07 @ 09:55 AM
Playability: 5
Completely great to play. Feels involving and just...just...amazing gameplay.
Balance: 5
Very balanced. It was a good challenge but it was never unfair.
Creativity: 5
heh, very creative! You used history very well in your campaign.
Map Design: 5
Each map was beautifully designed, with nothin gout of place.
Story/Instructions: 5
Very historical and very good. The story was very clear and easy to follow.
Additional Comments:
OMG! How do you make a campaign this good?!
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FuzzyFurry25 |
Posted on 11/10/08 @ 05:47 PM
Overall Rating: 4.8
Playability: (5)
According to the Reviewing Guidelines, the playability category is “simply a gauge of how much fun you had playing this particular scenario.” Well... I loved it. I had just finished re-playing all of the official AoK:TC campaigns and I went to AoKH to find another like them. This one fit the bill wonderfully, and I loved playing it.
Balance: (4)
--Prologue: The Siege at Balkh – This was a cinematic; balance does not rate if it is part of a campaign.
--The Blue Horde – You were given a small set of units and then sent out to make it across hostile territory. I was worried that it would be impossible, but it turned out to be reasonably balanced here. Once you got the city, you would have assumed it would be easier. In fact, it was still well balanced, since the enemy kept up the string of attacks to keep you constantly on the defensive for a while. Well balanced.
--Lord of the Horizon – Once again, very well balanced. The start was a guaranteed loss, but it was intended that way. Once you got the city, you would have assumed it would be easier, since you now had defenses and an army. In fact, it was still well balanced, since the enemy, as in ‘The Blue Horde’, kept up a long strong of attacks to keep you constantly on the defensive for a while. I also liked the idea of a side-enemy demanding tribute. That kept it even more well balanced, as you never knew when he would turn on you.
--Regicide – Well balanced. Whenever you think you are gaining the upper hand, a trebuchet shows up and proves you wrong. But then the enemy holds back enough where you can defend your town. I loved the back-and-forth balance here.
--The Imperial City – Well….uumm…. it was well balanced once I figured out how to get additional troops to help me break into the prison. I didn’t find the slave-owner unit until I had died four times on prison break-in attempts. It was partially my fault, since I didn’t realize there were “orange units” to talk to within the Imperial City. I thought the orange units were only in the orange towns. Still, I couldn’t give you a perfect 5 in this category.
--The Subjugation of Syria – While the main game play was general B&D, the saboteurs you were able to get gave you an un-beatable advantage. All you had to do in order to win was to mine gold and then use saboteurs. (I tried it, just to see if it worked, and I was able to defeat the enemy using nothing but saboteurs.) This greatly lowered the balance score here.
--Thunderbolt – This scenario was a little harder for me. It required more subtle tactics than I am used to in order to defend the oasis. That, however, was not what lowered this score to a 4, since that was my fault. What lowered your score was twofold: 1) There was a constant hail of attacks on my base while I was trying to get fortified after losing much of my army at the oasis, which made it difficult to establish a base of operations, and 2) The king fleeing to the west. After one of my scouting units strayed too close to the castles, the king fled (I had withheld from attacking the castles, because I had gotten the impression that the king would not flee until the castle was attacked). My cavalry were in position attacking the city’s eastern flank, and they tried to catch him, but they couldn’t reach him in time. So I lost, after being careful to do everything right. Not too balanced in that regard. Other than those two points, it was a combination of area-defense and standard B&D with average balance.
Creativity: (5)
--Prologue: The Siege at Balkh – Very well put together and creative. You did it well. It was intriguing, even though it was an extended cutscene. The ways in which you portrayed the story were good as well. It felt quite real.
--The Blue Horde – Very nice. At first, I was thinking it would be a boring, walk around the enemy and then win. Instead, I found experimenting monks, sudden cavalry charges, traitors, and a man selling a longboat that wouldn’t help you at all. Then, when I thought it was over, I find that I have to build a city and annihilate the enemy. Surprise!
--Lord of the Horizon – Wow. I loved the ability to chose between the two towns, and, as I said above, the idea of a side-enemy demanding tribute. I really liked those aspects of being able to make more choice in the flow of the campaign.
--Regicide – Don’t think I’ve ever seen a user-created scenario where you are forced to fight as one guy, and then his enemy who is really the good guy. Very unique idea, while tying in the basic regicide game-play. I also liked Subotai randomly coming into the game. It was a seemingly random move that caught me off-guard.
--The Imperial City – I liked the creativity of it all (wow… that was redundant). It was all a fixed-force find-and-destroy, but it had such a spread in scenery and methods that it still wins a 5.0 here. The slave thing was also something I was not expecting and had not seen before.
--The Subjugation of Syria – While the saboteurs may have detracted from your balance score, they really helped here. As this scenario was otherwise just basic B&D, the saboteurs kept your creativity rating up for this scenario.
--Thunderbolt – Very nice. I liked the idea of the alliance with the neighboring tribes, and their subsequent anger when I mined on their land. Very well done, there. I had also never played a scenario where the first goal was to defend a desert oasis. Unique idea.
Map Design: (5)
--Prologue: The Siege at Balkh – The entire map looked brilliant. It was a well designed city, and the mine, countryside, and village were also very well put together. Good arrangement within areas, and an overall nice use of available space.
--The Blue Horde – Incredible. The use of eye candy was nice, and the varying of terrain and scenery kept me going. There were many nice areas of un-discovered scenery as well, such as the marshes and the wolf den. Well done.
--Lord of the Horizon – Again: wow. You have a serious talent for Map Design, my friend. My favorite part of this scenario: I absolutely loved the half-destroyed town. It looked as if it had been attacked and left to burn, which was the desired feel. I also loved the shipyards in the first city, and the overall varying of terrain. Well done here.
--Regicide – It seems as thought I can’t say “wow” enough in this review. Incredible map design. You varied the terrain well. You used the entire map. The city lay-outs were well thought-out, and they looked incredible.
--The Imperial City – I need to find another word for “wow.” Umm… amazing. This map, as with the others, had an amazing spread of detailed and diverse map types and scenery. Well done, again.
--The Subjugation of Syria – Very well done. I loved your ability to create multiple, distinct tribes within one map. I especially liked the way in which you made it clear that Tripoli was an active port city. Well done here.
--Thunderbolt – Very nice. My favorite part of this scenario’s map design was the use of elevation to create sand dunes. I had never seen this before, though it makes complete sense to do, and it worked very well. The oasis looked brilliant. I especially loved the diverse use of forage bushes, trees, flowers, and so on, as opposed to using just trees as one would usually find in an AoK oasis.
Story/Instructions: (5)
The storyline was awesome, and you did I very good job with instructions. The “hints” sections were very helpful, and I likely would have failed on numerous occasions without them. The story was well developed, thanks to the “History” sections, the “Instructions” sections, and the in-game dialogue. Also, very nice use of the “Scouts” section, something which many scenario designers do not use nowadays. Very well thought out story; the story you provided was on the same level as those of the official AoK:TC campaigns. Well done here.
Additional Notes:
Recommended for Download
Very well done scenarios, and an amazing overall campaign. This campaign is of the same caliber as the official AoK and AoK:TC campaigns, and is just as enjoyable to play. Varying types of maps and scenarios keep the campaign diverse and creative. Well done.[Edited on 01/12/09 @ 06:17 AM]
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Possidon
Official Reviewer |
Posted on 01/31/10 @ 10:41 AM
One of the best campaigns by one of the best authors
Playability: 5
Tamerlane, Prince of Destruction is a fun and humorous campaign which is a mix of B&D, RPG, FF, RPS … everything! 100% on all of this. You have FF, B & D, RPG, RPS all thrown in with a tremendous effect, so that the playability is effortless.
Balance: 5
Extremely challenging in many areas. Much micromanagement is required. It's definitely winnable, however. Lots of side goals and quests to fulfil. The campaign brings the best out all of the game styles.
Creativity: 5
The were many creative aspects. There was a lot of humour, like when Minamoto was being tortured with Brittany Spears Music and the multiple choices you can do.
I liked how in the second scenario how you could choose what city you wished to build your base in and the different BONUS Mission which Mark Stoker implemented is the campaign.
Map Design: 5
This campaign has seven beautiful maps. Mark Stoker has used loads of Eye-Candy and there are wonderful uses of terrain mixing. Also there is a good use of GAIA Items. These maps are 100%. Very Detailed.
Story/Instructions: 5
A historically accurate telling of Tamerlane in a seven scenario campaign. The story was very fun, enjoyable and interesting. The Instructions were very clear and I knew what to do at all points.
Additional Comments:
A MUST DOWNLOAD
Possidon
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HGDL v0.8.2 |
Rating |
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5.0 | Breakdown |
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Playability | 5.0 | Balance | 4.8 | Creativity | 5.0 | Map Design | 5.0 | Story/Instructions | 5.0 |
Statistics |
Downloads: | 48,132 |
Favorites: [] | 29 |
Size: | 2.41 MB |
Added: | 10/20/00 |
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