|
Author |
File Description |
Dave_Earl (id: dave_earl) |
Posted on 02/19/06 @ 04:42 AM (updated 03/21/06)
File Details |
Version: |
The Conquerors 1.0c |
Style: |
Build and Destroy |
Number of scenarios: |
4 |
Scotland, 1039:
The kingdom was in turmoil. Rebellion raged across the land. King Duncan relied upon his two generals, Macbeth and Banquo, to quell the uprisings and maintain order in the nation. But Macbeth, having heard rumour of a prophecy, had his own plans.
Few characters have caught the popular imagination like Macbeth. Was he a conniving rogue, as Shakespeare would argue, or one of the nation's greatest kings, as some Scots nationalists have recently argued? Spanning four scenarios, the Macbeth campaign may help you decide.
Follow the career of Brother Gregory, a young Franciscan friar who witnessed the events first-hand. Experience game-play elements including
- Over 160 custom sound files,
- Two avis,
- Custom bitmaps,
- Very realistic maps,
- Gripping gameplay,
- Over twenty custom ais,
- All difficulty levels supported,
- A comprehensive history section,
- The full text of Shakespeare's play, and
- A total file size of less than 5MB.
Some comments from respected scenario designers who've viewed the campaign:
"It's a very enjoyable campaign. There's no doubt that this will be in the Best of the Blacksmith." Stephen_Richards, winner of the 2005 Age of Kings Heaven's "Historical Campaign Contest"
"The game was perfectly balanced for a casual player... This is simply as good as b&d gets in my humble opinion" Oliver, author of 'Lightning and Thunder, the teaser" (5.0 at the Blacksmith) and 'Teuton in Love" (4.8 at the Blacksmith)
"Good luck on your project too, it looks promising to be one of the 'greats' released this year" Mashek331, author of "The Feud Between Two Kindoms" (4.8 at the Blacksmith).
I hope you enjoy Macbeth
Cheers, Dave_Earl
Version 1.01: Non-critical update. Cheat function updated in Scenario 1 to prevent players inadvertently winning. Some grammar and spelling errors in about.html and Scenario 1 victory screen.
Version 1.10: Recommended for beginner players who are struggling on "Standard" difficulty. "Standard" difficulty made significantly easier. The computer now attacks less frequently, attacks with less troops, and builds fewer troops to defend in seige-type scenarios. Some small bugs on level three (training villagers at the barracks and a cliff graphics issue) are fixed. Some other small modifications.
|
Pages: « First « 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 [8] 9 » Last » | Author | Comments & Reviews ( All | Comments Only | Reviews Only ) |
---|
crueldude |
Posted on 07/15/13 @ 08:39 AM
Macbeth keeps crashing each time i try to start the campaign,is it not compatible with the new userpatch 1.3 ,cuz it worked perfectly before ?? |
gaurjimmy |
Posted on 12/07/13 @ 02:03 PM
Hi! Just played your campaign. Needless to say that you have given it a lot of time and efforts and it shows. I won't give a full review for now(saving that for later).
But I couldn't find two things.
1. In the last scenario, what is the significance of the mysterious marsh land?
2. In Loch Watten, there is a mysterious creature mentioned in the scout report but nowhere to be seen. |
Julius999
Official Reviewer |
Posted on 12/13/13 @ 12:40 PM
1. I don't think there is one. It's just an intriguing bit of landscape for a bit of added interest.
2. I might be wrong, but from memory I think that if you sail into the central part of the loch the monster sinks your ship. |
cmeb4uleave |
Posted on 02/24/14 @ 05:59 PM
I must be under skilled because I am not enjoying this. Not progressed much in the play of things. I've forced myself to read several things of Shakespear and much of that I did not understand. Perhaps it was the old English. The scene is typical of what I am seeing from other people on this AOK Heaven website ... that is a huge task done without a town center, limited troops, and a ton of unknown stuff that you find out the hard way. I'll struggle with it some more and see what happens. |
cmeb4uleave |
Posted on 10/03/14 @ 09:50 AM
Tried some more, but underpowered characters kill it for me. Nicely done but not playable for me. Thanks anyway! |
Thomas_Elliott |
Posted on 10/04/14 @ 08:52 AM
cmeb4uleave, could you tell us which parts you are struggling with? This is one of my absolute favourite campaigns, and while I agree it is quite challenging (the beginning of the third scenario in particular is very tough) I am sure you will be able to beat it on standard difficulty if you use the right strategies. You mention that you have a huge task to complete without a town center, but basically every one of the four scenarios is a B&D (in the fourth scenario there is a bit of FF first but I don't recall that being too hard). Is it possible that maybe you overlooked your town centre? For example, the first scenario starts with the view on Macbeth, but if you check Northeast of him, you already have a pretty solid town that you can train troops from even before Macbeth arrives. In the second scenario, you are free to build your own center anywhere you want to train your troops (but there are some obvious sites that are extremely resource rich you can find to the South of the enemy town). Without building up your economy it is obviously impossible, but you are given the tools to do it. Also, the fact that your heroes are underpowered should not be a big factor as this is B & D; I normally let my heroes go into battle under close supervision just because I think it's pretty cool, but if you keep losing your heroes you can usually just keep them in your town and let the troops you build go and fight. Let me know what your specific problem is and maybe I can help/ |
Mash (id: Mashek)
Staff
Official Reviewer |
Posted on 07/10/15 @ 07:36 AM
'Macbeth' is the first and only submission by designer Dave_Earl, submitted to my astonishment nine years ago. Indeed, I still remember the day of the file's release, and I've played the campaign perhaps a few times since. It's been a long time since I've been meaning to review this, so here goes. Better late than never, I suppose.
Macbeth is classic B&D (build-and-destroy) that provides hours of solid game play, illustrated against the colourful backdrop of Macbeth's tyrannical reign over Scotland. This is most popularly presented in Shakespeare's play of the same name; a melodramatic tale of how a general, at the behest of his ambitious wife, murdered King Duncan in order to take the throne and succeed as king himself. Following in these very footsteps, what follows in this campaign is a complex tale of two sons looking to revenge their lord, with sweeping landscapes, well-designed scenarios and plenty of great voice-acting in between, too.
PLAYABILITY: Don't be dissuaded into thinking this is just another B&D. Sure, it is of that classic game type many have seemingly grown bored of over the years, but this brings new life into an old concept. That being said, whenever I'm in a "B&D" mood I come to this. Macbeth is vintage AoK, and as another reviewer said before me features some very "old school" game play. Players will appreciate the to-the-point storytelling and short intros, before you are quickly thrust into the game. My first impression of the campaign was just how well each of the four scenarios are designed, with stunning attention to detail in just about every compartment. The map design compliments the game play very well, especially when considering this is a B&D after all, and you can spend many long moments enjoying the vivid scenery while enemy forces ransack your town because you were too busy star gazing. As a whole, the missions are very reminiscent of Ensemble's campaigns with straight-forward objectives (e.g. defeat enemy army), but from then on it gets very challenging rather quickly. This is no simple hack-and-slash, and you'll need to be on your feet from start to finish against multiple opponents, and use cunning and strategy to win the day. Most players, even those considered veterans of the game, will be forced to use the save button a number of times. There's always enough going on to guarantee you hours of quality entertainment, and the timeless game play means it's always fun to replay the campaign a second or even third time. Heck, make that a fourth time! 5+
BALANCE: Even on moderate, the scenario is very challenging, frustratingly so at times. Not always a bad thing, but inexperienced players may find this off-putting, which has been made clear to me in some of the comments above. For me personally I find it is a welcome change, and for someone who's been at the game since it was first released well over a decade ago it is a good decision by the designer. In most scenarios, you will have to gear up quickly with base building, if you want to avoid being caught out by Macbeth's soldiers. They seem to strike at your base quite early, and in numbers sometimes too difficult to confront by military means alone. Once you have consolidated your position I find it is useful to scout the enemy's positions thoroughly before assaulting. No simple attack will bring you victory, as in most random map games. You'll also have to use some wit to overcome strong enemy defences, while utilising some underhand tactics and striking at the economy, in order to dampen the enemy's resolve. It leaves you thinking, rather than simply attacking, and every scenario presents its own challenges. 5-
CREATIVITY: Macbeth is one of the more polished campaigns of its type, and what it lacks in fancy trigger tricks, it makes up for in doing everything else right. From the very onset you notice the extra attention the designer has given to pre-game instructions, with a custom-made cinematic, tailored bitmaps and a concise storyline. That said, where this campaign truly stands apart is with the voice acting, which is done as about as well as can be, and always leads the player on with interest. The unique map design with beautifully designed towns and fortifications is also complimented by the custom made AI. 5
MAP DESIGN: The map design is aesthetically pleasing, and clearly very skilfully made. Indeed it is hard to believe that this is the author's first submission. The author has adopted a unique yet minimalist approach with the bold use of forest and Gaia placement, but blends in with great effect against the sprawling hills and well-designed towns and fortified cities. Even the settlements are technically well made and difficult to assault, forcing you to opt for different angles of attack, sometimes from different directions at once to gain some vestige of supremacy. There is not a dull part in Macbeth while some areas are simply eye-opening. The castle on the rocky island in Loch Watten or the haunted marsh in Dunnsinane with the eerie will-o-wisp are inspirational. The design in general utilises a lot of well-known design tricks, but in a way it blends in with the rest of the map and creates a seamless experience. For me, this is without doubt the best part of the campaign. 5
STORY/INSTRUCTIONS: Designing a campaign around the popular Shakespearian play in 'Macbeth' would be, I suspect, a daunting task. Yet the author has done this seamlessly. While much of the story is kept in-game, and some of it augmented for the sake of playability, the general tone of this tragedy is clearly set and easily accessible by anyone unfamiliar with Shakespeare's work. The voice-acting complete with a Scottish undertone only adds to an enjoyable telling of the story and keeps the viewer's interest from start to finish. There really isn't a dull moment. Dave was also kind enough to supply some interesting notes in history regarding various aspects of the campaign, as well as that of the game play. Insightful. The pre-game bitmaps were also a delight in that they were well drawn imitations of each scenario, looking the part of a treasure map of history. 5
CONCLUSION: Macbeth is one of my all time favourite campaigns with classic B&D game play, an entertaining story, and hours of entertainment. This is one that surely deserves to be kept permanently on the hard drive.
In a sentence - Vivid map design, classic game play, and an absolute gem of the Blacksmith.
In closing - A must download![Edited on 02/20/18 @ 04:40 AM]
|
cmeb4uleave |
Posted on 02/10/16 @ 08:56 PM
Here I am for the third time. I revisited Macbeth and am unable to win any of the scenarios. I then set about to modify (cheat) so that it was then within the possibility of winning. AmA of Germany thinks it is cheating to use the pause button (Ulio, Chrombasia, etc.). I want to be able to play the game and enjoy it not crucify myself on the altar of peer scrutiny. When designing a game one could make Standard mean playing to the end without saving or pausing and winning. The harder levels could be ramped up to decimate the experts by degree. |
Mash (id: Mashek)
Staff
Official Reviewer |
Posted on 02/13/16 @ 02:41 AM
To be sure, Macbeth is very challenging, even for an old head such as myself. I don't at all consider it cheating to use the pause button, it gives the player a chance to consider his options, especially in moments of stress. Cheating would be using the reveal map code or giving yourself extra resources. |
cmeb4uleave |
Posted on 02/13/16 @ 03:40 PM
Thanks Masheck & Dave Earl. Guess I just need to be a better player. I'm 66 years old but anythings possible though not probable. |
Pages: « First « 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 [8] 9 » Last » |
HGDL v0.8.2 |
Rating |
---|
5.0 | Breakdown |
---|
Playability | 5.0 | Balance | 5.0 | Creativity | 5.0 | Map Design | 5.0 | Story/Instructions | 5.0 |
Statistics |
Downloads: | 25,748 |
Favorites: [] | 15 |
Size: | 4.34 MB |
Added: | 02/19/06 |
Updated: | 03/21/06 |
|