This map is absolutely gorgeous.
The clever, and sometimes very subtle, placement of doodads (including buildings models turned into doodads) combined with the terrain work is simply exquisite. Every area has something special to look at.
There are far too many details that I love in this map to list them all, but to name a few:
The lighting is just amazing; you have the bright yellow glow emanating from the stained glass windows of a church, the brilliant white pouring out of an arcane sanctum, and the warm orange lights of townhouses and farmsteads.
The water; there are calm pools, sleepy streams, and rushing rivers, cascades of water tumbling down rocky hillsides, streams of water gushing out of culverts, water pouring forth from hidden springs and dams, sometimes disappearing underground again, and mighty waterfalls crashing down into the misty depths far below.
The causeways over the water; some use more or less timber in their construction, while some are just packed earth between two retaining walls. Some have more grasses growing only on the outer edges, whereas others are more overgrown, with grass peaking out of every gap in the wood.
Before I stay up all night thinking of more and more to write, two final things; the moths fluttering around lanterns, and the butterflies dancing around the fairy ring are fantastic details.
I'll leave reviewing the gameplay to others, because it's very late, and my dying GPU probably wouldn't handle running this map (I'm surprised the World Editor hasn't killed itself in protest while admiring the map, lol).
EDIT: Well, turns out that playing the game didn't quite kill off the old graphics card, though it was running hot with the fans whirring crazily, and towards the end the framerate was in the basement.
So after a very short first game just figuring out the basics of how to play (such as not squandering those important first two minutes, lol), I managed to get slightly over half an hour of proper gameplay before being overwhelmed by an unexpected gargantuan meat wagon demolishing my main defenses whilst attempting to expand to another location, and at the same time being flanked by a flock of unruly gargoyles...not quite sure what ended up killing me, but all in all,
@Mr.Goblin, I rather enjoyed the experience, and would definitely recommend to others (I in fact already did so, even
before playing it myself, just based on my impression of the map).
Approved
glad you liked it!
