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Last Frontier - The Fall of Roman Britain
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| Author |
File Description |
Filthydelphia
(id: Al_Kharn the Great) |
Posted on 01/01/22 @ 07:10 PM (updated 07/14/23)
| File Details |
|---|
| Version: |
Age of Empires II: DE |
| Style: |
Build and Destroy |
Screenshot:
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Abandoned by the Roman Emperor, Britain is alone, surrounded by hostile barbarians. But salvation comes in the form of rough Saxon warriors. Will a deal struck with these newcomers save Britain or usher in a new barbaric age?
Features:
Save Britain from barbarian hordes in challenging defensive gameplay across a massive map of Britain
Use fearsome Saxon warriors but watch for betrayal
Fully voice acted
About the Author:
Filthydelphia (xbox: PhillySouljah) is the award-winning designer of historical custom campaigns and official content for the Age of Empires franchise. Formerly part of the Forgotten Empires campaign team, his works include the Portuguese, Burmese, Bulgarian, Italian, Indian, and Sicilian campaigns featured in Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition as well as several campaigns in Age of Empires: Definitive Edition. Outside of Age of Empires, he is a captain in the United States Marine Corps Reserve and has an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. |
| Author | Reviews ( All | Comments Only | Reviews Only ) |
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Possidon
Official Reviewer |
Posted on 01/13/22 @ 05:29 AM
Playability: 4
The scenario is good fun and is full of creative ideas the make it an original entry into the DtS style. Starting in 460AD the players task is to survive until 500AD as waves of barbarian tribes try to take back their land. The player must rebuild Britains economy and protect their settlements by rebuild its military forces. The key to survival is an uneasy alliance with Saxon settlers but you must pay them tribute in the form on unused land for them to grow otherwise they will conspire against you. This great an intense game as you have to micromanage your own economy and forces whilst also holding back the barbarian forces and keeping a close eye on what your Saxon allies are up to. The scenario plays really well and no bugs or lag were found through my playthroughs. The only minor things I would point out was that I found it quite slow in the early stages of the scenario, but this is probably a necessity in order to build up the resources to stop the onslaught towards the end.
Balance: 4
Overall the balance was good, but despite the hints saying that I might not succeed in my first attempt, I actually found it on the easy side. That doesn’t mean that there wasn’t any element of challenge, there was indeed, but that it is easier town than other similar DtS scenarios. The trick to the scenario is building an economy quickly, especially gathering for and utilising any livestock you find. Keeping the Saxons happy is also key. The enemy attacks in waves, which gradually become stronger as time goes on, but I never found them to have particularly strong units. I could wipe out a wave with a small battalion of knights with ease. One thing I found odd was that the Franks would sail around the southern and western coast of Britain and deposit soldiers in the north, above Hadrian’s Wall. I found this odd, but it also helped with the ease of the scenario as the wall held them back for quite a long time. Overall micromanagement is key to survival, as it is in any DtS, but the idea of having to keep an eye on your allies is a novel touch and adds to the difficulty.
Creativity: 5
As with any creation from this author, creativity is the strength of this scenario. Al_Kharn the Great has a real talent for completely overhauling what an Age of Empires scenario can be. This scenario is no exception to this, as it utilises some unique mechanics to make this stand out from other DtS scenarios. The highlight of this is the uneasy alliance with the Saxons. The player must use their Wonder to research a unique technology that provides the Saxons with unused lands in return for their help in holding off the barbarians. The Saxons will arrive on the Eastern shores of Britain and use the land given to them to build a settlement and an army which, depending on how you treat them will either be used to help you or destroy you. Its a great little mechanic which really add to the realism and atmosphere of the scenario. There are plenty of other little details as well that are creative, such as the changes to the cost of repairing the roman walls, which are stronger than your own.
Map Design: 4
The scenario is set on a large and geographically accurate recreation on Britain. The map includes England, Scotland and Wales (with Haridan’s Wall separating England from Scotland) and also includes Ireland and a small bit of continental Europe. The map is realistically design, with a couple of Romano-British towns scattered across southern Britain and lots of lush farmlands in-between. Whilst the design is accurate to the real worlds, I feel as though it could have had more work but into it. I found certain areas quite plain, and could have been spiced up with a little more terrain blending and eye-candy. The towns were also rather square in design as well which weren’t to my taste. Overall there is a a good display of beauty in the map design, but more could be done to perfect it, a skill I know this particular author is fully capable of.
Story/Instructions: 4
The story for thew scenario is setup through the opening cinematic, explaining the Roman withdrawal from Britain and those who have been left behind to defend it from the threat of the barbarians. The rest of the narrative is told by the player through the gameplay. The premise of setting of the scenario is historically accurate and everything is well written and easy to follow. The instructions are also presented well, with a clear objective given as well as a series of optional challenges for the player to complete. What is lacking is some additional hints. The author has given us some in the Hints section, but a little more description on the new mechanics would have been welcome, as it was difficult to understand at first how to the alliance with Saxon’s worked.
Additional Comments:
Overall this is a great and enjoyable defend the spot scenario, set in a period of history that is not depicted often in Age of Empires II. A recommended download
Thanks

Possidon |
HGDL v0.8.2 |
| Rating |
|---|
| 4.2 | | Breakdown |
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| Playability | 4.0 | | Balance | 4.0 | | Creativity | 5.0 | | Map Design | 4.0 | | Story/Instructions | 4.0 |
| Statistics |
| Downloads: | 444 |
| Favorites: [] | 1 |
| Size: | 44.81 MB |
| Added: | 01/01/22 |
| Updated: | 07/14/23 |
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