13:26, 7th Aug 2008
Rui: Seems like a playable map, according to the reviews. Since it fits the Hive's requirements, I approve.
I believe this is a medieval map? If yes, put it in it's right category, please.

A better preview picture would be nice. Right now the map just looks like an empty forest, which I think scares off a few players.
The skills icons weren't working properly, they both displayed green squares when my level wasn't high enough to learn them.
It would be nice with some instructions at the beginning of the game, as well as information in the quest menu.

I'd love to try future version, so I'll keep an eye out for updates.

I've been looking for a theme for the preview picture, coulden't really seem to get one, that I could paint myself, or find on google or something.
Yeah i know, I've recently added those icons, I'll fix that in a tiffy!
Of course, I'll add some information on what to do. Although it says, in loading screen that it's mostly about staying alive , so far, it's not very advanced.
Thank you for your review.

[Edit]
Btw, did you try to open that map with we?
I've designed this as a half tutorial, I've explained nearly everything that's done.
(Ps.) This map continues on into the eternal, so far, it's not meant to be played it's full length.

Have you found out how to get the icons working? Otherwise I might be able to help you out.
And if you were referring to me, I haven't tried to open the map.

Have you considered putting in barricades, by the way? They could help a lot ^^

I see you've updated the map. I'll give it another spin tomorrow : )

Yes, about the icons, I read Daelin's tut, so it's fixed.
Yeah It's crossed my mind, but I would seem to much like other survival games. It should probably be a holy barrier, so it would not ruin the theme .

Ah okay, feel free to open it, it's a little tut like in we.

Review

Frenzy of the Ghouls

Reviewer's Description: The players take control of a holy priest sent out to purge the land of an infestation of the living dead. Combining different features from different sources, this map makes an effort to differintiate its self from the bulk of other "omegaz uber zombie survival house"



The Good

-Good use of imports of appropriatly fitting icons and button interface. + Originality + Technicality
-Custom made spells work well, fit the hero and are fairly balanced. + Fun Factor + Technicality + Originality
-While not that great, a clear and honost effort at making the terrain good. + Technicality
-This map shows good intentions, giving a trigger commentary to help novices learn. And it is unprotected. ++ Technicality

The Bad
-Holy Retaliation spell leaks slightly and lags, espicially later in the game when alot of players have it and shockwaves are going off all over the place.-- Technicality
-Item drops are MUCH too frequent and should be reduced. - Technicality
-While i respect the fact that the enemies are related to the title "Frenzy of the GHOULS" it would have been nice to have other enemies around more frequently. - Originality - Fun Factor.

The UGLY

-Its not so much "surviving" the ghouls as it is hunting them down, specifically early in game. They roam around like morons, although this fits with the theme and i suppose they dont have brains, it still downgrades the fun factor. (This is actually fixed later on with stronger and more frequent enemies) -- Fun Factor - Originality-Lack of spells.. Holy light gets old, quickly. Despite its usefulness. - Originality - Fun Factor


-Bonus:
-Map is Unprotected, and there is a trigger commentary as well! + Bonus





(1=Unapprovable.)

(2=Bad)
(3=Average)
(4=Great)
(5=Excellent!)

Final Verdict:

3.5/5 Good

Foopad has good intentions, his map, Frenzy of the ghouls has good intentions and is a good effort. This map goes above and beyond for something to be called as a "First map". To show this map to anyone and remark proudly "This is my first map" is an achievment. But speaking in reality, this map is also flawed and slightly unbalanced. The spells are dull and get old fast, i would like less passable and more active. Item drops are much too frequent and the game gets easy later on because of this. The hit and damage counter is nice, and so is the basic "You heal me, i'll heal you" team play of holy light. But all of these good points are down graded by the fact that the ghouls are just plain stupid. They roam around endlessly, walking right infront of you and clearly missing you. This could be fixed with a slight aquisition range and view range increase.

But in the end the fact remains that, this game gets dull quickly. Fighting ghouls, and only ghouls, gets boring pretty fast. The gameplay is much too repatative for my tastes. The trigger commentary is useful for novices, but it is usually short and not very informative. But then again i cannot critisize this, because it is the simple intentions of the author to include this and it does not hamper the map any.


This map is a good effort, and a nearly succesful one. A few more variations in gameplay (Different enemies, creative bosses, New spells) and a few balancing issues would make this a fun survival map for the occasional player.


(This map is approvable.)

-Steel_Stallion.

Oh gee. First I would like to say: Thank you, Steel_Stallion.
Then I would like to say that there's still alot that is in progress with this map. I've figured what you said about the ghouls being stupid and so on. There's multiple reasons I've not done anything about that.
1: Instead of running randomly, I would have to set up regions, making their running seem very simulair each game. Not what I intended.
2: I would have to set the ghouls to go after the players, which really sucks, as seen imost in kodo tags.
3: Very small reason, ofc the roleplay, as you mentioned. Ghouls are brainless.
4: Wc3 Tft, Is designed so that Neutral Hostile, has a denying running function. Even though I've edited them not to run. This makes the ghouls seem rather dum, annoying, when running away on low hp. This seems unfixable.

As for the dullness of the game, I've intended to make more abilites and stuff for the undead side, I've also intended to make other units to spawn. As for now that would be rather annoying, trying to hold out, various ghouls while other, spellcasters, ranged, etc. is making the damage. The name of the map is: Frenzy of the Undead, corrected you . There's surely to come some more end-game later on. Various monsters and spells.
The running part is also explained the fact, I wanted to have a game, where the game would differ from game to game.

I've thought about making the terrain entirely different making more cliffs and mountains, for people to hide in. This would be a huge advantage for the priests, and I chose not to.
Instead of this I'll make it so, that some Ghouls, monsters, etc, will go directly for the players.

About the holy priests and the balance. Balance is easy fixed. I'm making more spells and probably an end-game form, where you become a Bishop, or maybe even god. Also thinking about adding other start players.

I would just like to say that this, map was meant to differ from other survival games.
Anyways thank you for the review, I'll look up on the bad and UGLY points.

Holy Retalation is in a test stage, I'm sure I cant fix the leaking entirely, I can reduce, In this version it's only meant to be used by player red.

Like i said, the ghouls roaming around endlessly. Leave the trigger as it is, but edit the ghoul unit properties so that they have a far range of sight (Like, 1500-2000 maybe?) and an equal aquisition range. (1500-2000).

This way, if they even come close, they will attack the player. Which is better than them roaming about 500 range and ignoring the player.

Oh yeah, my bad. I though I had fixed it.
My map editor gave me an error, and I failed to fix it again!
I'll do as you says, did you see the new monster?

[Edit for Steel_Stallion]
Okay, I'll upload the range fixes then.

I didnt actually re-play it. I will soon. No time now.