"The Kingdom of Kaliron" (abbreviated TKoK) is a well-known RPG map created by the Crimson Creations team. The gameplay is similar to that of other RPGs. In TKoK, however, you'll find more than just another RPG.
The map is initialized with the display of the world map, which you can consult at any time when in-game. It is displayed until the host chooses the difficulty, which basically determines how much gold and experience you get from creeps.
After this, you can get to choose your hero by using the arrow keys to jump between the available choices and pressing ESC to pick one. There are nearly 10 heroes you can choose, all of them with unique abilities.
It is after the game starts that you can try to guess just how much time was spent on the creation of this map. From the equipment system and the talents tree to the attribute system and the wonderful terrain, TKoK is the closest you can get to games like Neverwinter Nights without actually buying a full game.
Gameplay-wise, TKoK is similar to most RPGs: you slay creeps and complete quests which get you involved in the storyline, be it the main plot or a partial tale you get to play a role on. If that doesn't serve to make it more than a grinding game, then you'll like to know that bosses are fun to challenge. The Brood Mother, for example, is triggered to, after a while, run around the battlefield, lay a few eggs and vanish. These eggs will constantly spawn smaller spider minions who will also attack you. You must manage to kill them and, at the same time, destroy the eggs, for the Broodmother will jump on you after that.
Even without the story factor, which most players just don't pay attention to, it is hard not to be eager to acquire your next talent, select your attributes and discover the next tier of items. For me, the plot counts a lot; and TKoK, while not doing an extremely good job on its promotion, does not leave anyone disappointed either.
If in most RPGs you find a sloppy terrain, fear not for TKoK's. The landscape received, from the authors, as much patience as that given to the systems. It is actually better than what most people produce using the Ultimate Terrain Map and yet adequate to a playable map.
What else did I forget to mention? TKoK also has custom spells and a save/load system, if you're still wondering. Custom spells are the minimum we can demand from RPGs. Another important aspect is that the author actually appears to listen to people and consider their proposals. This may appear to be an irrelevant detail, but, in a few maps currently played on Battle.Net, you cannot possibly imagine the large impact this aspect can have.
In short, TKoK is (at least in my opinion) the best RPG map out there for Warcraft III. It promises to keep adding content, such as new regions and heroes and a lot of other good stuff.
My rating for this map is 5/5 (Highly Recommended) with a Director's Cut award. The work this map evidences and how well it turned out deserves no less than that.
Rui's review for "The Kingdom of Kaliron: Eastern Kingdoms" (v3.0.2d)
