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| Author |
File Description |
| Zetnus |
Posted on 11/27/19 @ 01:12 PM (updated 12/20/19)
| File Details |
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| Version: |
Age of Empires II (2013): Rise of the Rajas |
Made for the Pretty Town Contest 2019
Tutorial Island is inspired by (and a parody of) the former Tutorial Island in Runescape. If you never experienced it, it was exactly what the name suggests - an island where the tutorial took place.
I drew upon the Age of Kings Heaven forum usernames for player names to populate the island. While you may recognize some (or even many) of these names, there is no significance to their dialogue with regards to the actual forumers. I just thought it would be more entertaining to use familiar names, so please don't be upset if your cameo doesn't say what you might expect.
-Zetnus
>Requires the HD Edition with all DLC.
>For optimal soundtrack experience, please play on 1.5x speed.
>Almost everyone has something to say if you click on them.
v1.1
Fixed Bassefrom
Added dragonslayermcmx
Fixed pier pieces belonging to the player
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| Author | Comments & Reviews ( All | Comments Only | Reviews Only ) |
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| Kataphraktoi |
Posted on 12/13/19 @ 11:29 AM
I found the map did a decent job at portraying this;every character had a name and dialogue, some grinding for levels while others just moved about chilling. I like how forum usernames were used for the characters although if they had delivered personality-accurate dialogue it could have been a much stronger point in favour of the map.
The map's layout was fairly good with a city and its outlying environs with mines, farmlands or logging areas. These areas received enough mapping and detailing work to be sufficiently convincing even if they were a bit simple to my tastes. The water was a bit hit and miss with some areas looking alright, but in others there were long straight edges which could use a bit of roughing up.
Incidentally, while the dialogue of characters is unrelated to their username's personality, the dialogue my guy said is actually pretty accurate. Back when I played minecraft I did the shop thing for awhile on a server so selling stacks of logs or enchanted books is a normal experience for me.
Overall its an alright map and a modestly enjoyable exploration experience. |
HockeySam18
Staff
Official Reviewer |
Posted on 12/20/19 @ 04:51 PM
The map is one of varying landscapes from grassland and forest to farmland, arid plains, and urban settlement. While extremely simple, it is nevertheless pleasing to look at. Ironically, it is the outlying terrain, not the town, that truly steals the show. Each scene suits its context and is crafted in a user-friendly fashion that is easy on the eyes. There are certainly aspects in which the aesthetic could be improved, particularly within the fairly nondescript and spartan settlement, but on the whole the impression it leaves is rather nice. The idea to reference a tutorial mode from another game is certainly creative in the context of AoE2 designs; however, where it truly shines is in the combination of aesthetic, layout, and dialogue to establish context and entertainment value. The reference to AoKH forummers was an enjoyable one, and it was fascinating to see how the author translated aspects from another game into AoE2--this is something that seems deceptively hard to do. Navigable form meets intuitive function in a small yet varied map. Each area was tailored to the aspect of a game that it purported to teach, and the interconnection was strong here. If there were one thing that I were to critique, it would be the somewhat blocky feel of certain parts of the map, but there is a lot to like here as well and it is impressive how the author managed to include so many different settings and climates on a single map yet connect them well. This aspect of the entry was also generally strong. Terrain was mixed decently well and the use of scenery objects in conjunction with the terrain also made for some unique and inviting scenes. The town could have benefited with some more variety in terrain and judicious building placement, but for the most part the entry excelled in this regard.
Additional Comments:
A great improvement upon the author's previous works, this entry is both entertaining and enjoyable. Enjoy heartily! |
Zetnus
File Author |
Posted on 12/20/19 @ 06:32 PM |
Possidon
Official Reviewer |
Posted on 05/03/20 @ 01:46 PM
Rating: 3
Runescape, while not particularly popular today, was an immensely popular MMORPG and as such, there have been many attempts to bring the world and gameplay of that game into Age of Empires. This latest attempt by Zetnus comes in the form of a Showcase scenario, actively trying to recreate the design of the Tutorial Island whilst also adding and AOKH spin to it.
The map copies the design of Tutorial Island quite well if my memory serves me well. There are a number of different areas across the island that would teach the player various skills; from fishing to mining, trading to combat, each area has its own unique design style. The author has incorporated numerous design styles in this scenario. Starting off on a harbour side jetty with a nicely designed beach, the player journeys toward a dense forest, over farmlands, across to the coast to fish, and then through into the main town where the markets are busting with traders. From there you travel through the mines and the combat training areas before arrive at a cave where you will then be transported from the island to the wider world of Runescape itself.
While nowhere near perfect, the designer has done an adequate job at design the island and its many different areas. Highlights for me include the nicely designed coastline and town area. The design itself is quite simple, there are attempts a terrain mixing, but other areas are overloaded with GAIA objects and foliage. The use of additional eye candy from the HD expansions as well as the Portuguese architecture adds to the design and makes the map a lot more pleasing to the eye. A number of design and trigger tricks have been used to create eye-candy. Particularly visible in the combat area is the trigger trick used to make units constantly attack another unit without it dying to look as though they are training.
Scattered throughout the map are a number of NPCs to talk to. There are trainees in each area to explain how to train in each skill (mining, woodcutting, fishing, combat, trading, etc) as well as other players who are training themselves. As nice little detail that Zetnus has added is naming each character after a popular forummer from AOKH. This is a really fun design because you get to go around and see how many of your friend you can find. (You can find me by the fish).
Additional Comments:
Overall this is an enjoyable showcase scenario. While more work is need from a design point of view, it definitely worth checking out for the enjoyment it brings. If you’re an old Runescape player it’ll bring back a bit of nostalgia for you, if not, then you’ll get a kick out of find each of the AOKH forummers and reading their dialogue.
Well Done Zetnus
Possidon
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Zetnus
File Author |
Posted on 07/08/20 @ 04:39 AM
For some reason I'm not getting the notification emails anymore :/ else I would have replied sooner. |
 
HGDL v0.8.2 |
| Statistics |
| Downloads: | 119 |
| Favorites: [] | 0 |
| Size: | 3.44 MB |
| Added: | 11/27/19 |
| Updated: | 12/20/19 |
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