|
Author |
File Description |
CSG_DiabloNight |
Posted on 03/30/03 @ 12:00 AM (updated 04/27/03)
File Details |
Version: |
The Conquerors 1.0c |
Number of players: |
8 |
Smosh Blood 2 - An archers blood with the new element of being able to cast spells. |
Author | Reviews ( All | Comments Only | Reviews Only ) |
---|
Pally |
Posted on 06/09/03 @ 12:00 AM
PLAYABILITY: 5
There are no impediments to gameplay; the entire game flows very smoothly. The map is open and easy to navigate, and the gameplay is straightforward, simple, and without bugs. No issues here.
BALANCE: 5
The map is perfectly symmetrical and all players recieve identical bonuses and upgrades. The balance can be skewed slightly depending on civilization, but this is very minor and of little consequence to the game.
CREATIVITY: 4
The core concept is through-and-through classic blood, but there are a few interesting twists. The ability to cast "spells" at certain times is interesting. The player has the ability to choose certain offensive actions against other players periodically throughout the game. These include the ability to damage all units and buildings in any enemy base, to cause all units in the center to die, and to kill all enemy units in your base (a base cleaner).
There is also the addition of a central area that gives bonus attack to any troops stationed there, and a random "Armageddon" feature that kills all units in the center from time to time. Other than that, there is nothing unique that exceeds the standard expectations of the blood style. Unit upgrades, razing bonuses, etc, all function as you'd expect.
MAP DESIGN: 3
The map is relatively ordinary overall. There is virtually no terrain mixing and hardly any eye candy of any kind. The central area was nicely done (with terrain mixing and objects), but that was the only place on the map with any real terrain design or object usage. The majority of terrain consists simply of grass 1.
The map could definitely use more terrain variety, as well as elevations to lend a little extra tactical choice (archers gain a bonus attacking from elevations). I'd also like to see more eye candy, especially in the form of objects. Simple additions such as torches, rocks, statues, ruins, skeletons, etc, can scratch a lot of notches into the map design scale.
STORY/INSTRUCTIONS: 4
The instructions were adequate, telling the player how to use "spells" and what the kill bonuses are. An explanation of how to play is really not needed; the gameplay is very simple; the moment the game starts, units begin pumping out, and you are informed how to defeat a player and of the map's unique features. I was quite satisfied with the instructions.
However, the pre-set messages that play when a player is defeated were, I thought, in questionable taste. I had some players on the zone who were actually annoyed by them, despite the others who either didn't care or found them amusing.
The fact of the matter is, the chat feature in multiplayer is there for the players, and including a message that the author happens to find funny may not be appreciated by those actually playing the game online. I always ask players for opinions after testing a multiplayer scenario, and most said the messages added little or nothing to the game. I would suggest cutting them, but ultimately this is up to the author.
COMMENTS/IMPRESSIONS:
In the end, the map has a great deal of potential, but it falls prey to the most common blood fault. The map seems to have suffered while the author focused on triggers and special effects. It wouldn't have taken much work to mix up the terrain a bit, throw in some elevations, and add a few objects. I personally had a fair amount of fun playing this map, but I continually kept noticing how empty and incomplete the map feels. Improvement in this area is what I would stress the most among everything mentioned above. |
HGDL v0.8.2 |
Rating |
---|
4.0 | Breakdown |
---|
Playability | 5.0 | Balance | 5.0 | Creativity | 4.0 | Map Design | 3.0 | Story/Instructions | 3.0 |
Statistics |
Downloads: | 2,196 |
Favorites: [] | 0 |
Size: | 35.41 KB |
Added: | 03/30/03 |
Updated: | 04/27/03 |
|