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Type: RPG/Defense/Survival Goal: Defend three children while keeping yourself alive. At least one child must survive. Max Players: One
Description:
Dark Vestige is a sidescroller that takes place after a necromancy book reacts to the arcane energy of the playable character, Rheya. The dead begin to rise and alter the nearby areas to make a new dominion for themselves. Rheya must protect a small handful students from her father's magic academy against the undead while trekking through mysterious forests, a raided village, and a shadowy mountain peak.
Features:
Sidescroller view with a corresponding arrow key movement system
An optional introductory cinematic to go with the storyline
Custom music for both in and out of boss fights
Multiple landscapes to venture through
Varied enemy combat types which usually require full attention to overcome
Unique bosses at the end of each zone which bestow new skills when defeated
Wide variety of skills with distinctly different purposes
A few Easter eggs to provide minor aid throughout your adventure
Five playable difficulties
Nightmare mode to ensure seeing children slashed to pieces (if you don't die first)
Improved Movement System
Tweaked Frost Wyrm (Size/Functionality)
Added Loading Screen
Fixed Child Following Triggers
Tarrasque:
Lasher
Shadow_killer:
SK Building Pack
xXm0rpH3usXx:
Log House Kit
Church & Library Pack
Markos3520:
Hanged Pirate
Illidan(Evil)X:
Iron Fence, Gate & Corner
olofmoleman:
Hobbiton Doodads
Mc !:
Key Item
Bookn5
oBs3rv3r:
Mat
Forgotten_Warlord:
Empty Pot
sPy:
Venonmous Aura
-Berz-:
Nether Bolt
Natures Wrath
Marcos DA:
Life Essence DAB
Raging Ent:
Nature Magic II
ike_ike:
Carrion Swarm
CRAZYRUSSIAN:
Fast Potion
PeeKay:
Emerald
Anachron:
Nature Heal
Tickles:
Rheya
Nox Arcana:
Crystal Forest
Essence of Evil
CGEffex:
Whip Crack
Connum:
Breaking a Bottle
Personal Notes:
This map was solely created for the mini-mapping contest, and I didn't intend to change or add too much to it after the contest (which ended in October of 2011). I'm still willing to consider changes or additions to it over time.
I know the ending might seem rushed and could use some work, but I intended to make a sequal to it. I don't see that happening anymore, so I might alter the end over time as well.
This is definitely one of the most atmospheric wc3 maps you'll ever get to play and it's a side-scroller, which is rather rare.
The music is very moody and fits, the environment is dark and well made, the storyline is actually interesting, though for a DC, I'm expecting you to extend this a little bit.
You've added 5 difficulties and the gameplay can be lots of fun!
Rating:5/5 - Highly Recommended
Suggestions:
Put the passive skills at the bottom, so that the active ones are bound to better hotkeys
Modify "Energy Sample", maybe make it a spell like your 'A', I forgot the name, which basically targets the nearest target in front of you
Add that feature you've added to your Mini-mapping contest #7 entry, F1-F10 hotkeys, for potions for example
Amazing concept, downloading now.
EDIT: A true masterpiece. The only thing I didn't like was its duration, so I'll be waiting for part 2. And by the way, I lost 2 children on the easiest difficulty, damn dragon!
5/5
this is the very 1st singplayer RPG I ever liked becauase other single player RPG makes me feel like a loner because I don't have anyone to play them with (no offense)
I was writing a 'test judgement' for the 'Can I be a Judge' threath about this map so I think I can share my thoughts on it.
Lordkoon said:
Checking Field
Explanation
Points
Originality:
- It is not often that I see a 2d game based on warcraft 3. It was entertaining, well put together and to be honest very original compared to the other maps people release all the time with well known concepts and gameplay like AOS, Footmen wars of all kinds, underdeveloped rpg's with lack of story and others.
- Here the story was a bit plain but easy to follow and I guess for such game types nobody can expect a deep-going history lesson lore-wise to the game.
- Many unique features have been presented in Dark Vestige but did not make the game hard to master.The presented systems were understandable and easy to follow. And even for a such short game the creator has thought about the Stats and utilizing them accordingly. I am giving 23 points for Originality. I remove 1 point because it felt awkward (altho also very freshly new to the gameplay of maps overral) using children as a living shield against zombies and monsters. I also remove 1 point for the story being too basic and not contributing a lot to destinguishing it from those of other maps/entries.
23
Terrain:
I have never seen such great terrain results by such a simple concept. And using mostly models from the game (excluding the cinematic ) to achieve that will surely award you with high amount of points . The terrain was also feeling very much alive, the crossing with 3-4 rows of trees that look revolting in the editor but display excellent ingame, the small critters that could be seen in the background, the atmosphere really reminded me of some sequel of ‘ Return of the living dead’.
However there was one thing I didn’t like and it was the Icy part of it in the end. It felt to me that the ice was on the wrong position and contrasted too much with all the dark-tinted environment. Perhaps that was the main point but still I would rework that part. For such a great terrain and atmospheric environment achieved by both the terrain itself and the life you have put in it I am giving you 18 points for Terrain. I don't give a maximum of 20 because I think a small rework on the final icy part is needed also the ending scene is a bit empty and looks lifeless compared to the whole other part of the game.
18
Gameplay:
The gameplay was maybe the thing that got me going till the end. To tell the truth I was expecting some repetitive gaming experience like I have seen in the past from such games (in general, not in wc3 ) but you got me pleasantly surprised there. The waves were not too long and boring to spam Q and run, falling zombies from the sky was also a new one (lol).
I do however have some points to make :
1. Compared to your second game with those same elements of gameplay Dark Vestige performed a bit stiff. The hero sometimes did not respond to my commands to turn around immediately. I really think the movement system in Aegaeus (your other map with 2d styled gameplay) was much better.
2. The lack of jump system really gave me a headache because I was supposed to dodge projectiles flying at me or the kids but had no means (except when using the Arcane equivalent of the hero) to stop them from hitting me or them. So as I stated above I used poor children as shield. Muhaha
3. The stats system was indeed a good idea but in term of duration of the game didn’t really pay off much. I never understood how much damage was I doing at the first place to know how much will the strength increase (+2%), and the dodge stat made me wonder can I use it to dodge projectiles but I came to the conclusion that I can not.
4. Some enemies were taking % of my health even if I killed them before they hit me, just for being in melee range of me.
Since there are still much aspects to improve in the gameplay I am giving 28 points for it. I do however understand that with the hard coding of WC3 some of the things I listed above might be due to the game itself.
28
Triggering:
The game was running smoothly until the very end. Even if there were some leaks (which I doubt) they did not affect it at all. I do like when people are storing triggers in the appropriate folders making it easy to coordinate, edit, inspect. I do feel like some of the triggers e.g. the Critter ones could be done with less than you’v put in them but if done right performance is the same. Aside a bug that caused me to have permanently the AOE poison-looking cloud under the hero(when I press the spell second time while still under its effect ) I don’t think there are major bugs that need reworking.
Since triggering is not my best side I shall give you maximum points for you effort to keep them in good order and easy to browse through.
10
Object Data/Map Presentation:
In terms of presentation I am impressed with the simple yet easy to follow structure of the game itself. The quest log is informative and gives good amount of information. Credits were given accordingly and in separate groups to make it easier for map makers to find who made those great icons for example.
I have not found bad or broken icons nor did I find an out-of-place tooltip.
Colours were a bit spammed in my opinion. First time I played it I never noticed the comments the hero makes when a boss dies. Perhaps the +2% of health restored for each soul should be a floating text above the head of the hero.
Health bars were also removed. That was something I was hoping to see in this map so I can give a 10 out of 10 points for Object Data/Presentation.
p.s. No dummies were seen during the game or any other anomalies.
Conclusion: In conclusion I would like to say that Dark Vestige is a map of excelent quality and astonishing atmosphere. The good choice of main musical theme also contributed to that feeling. I encourage people to do maps of such quality more often, being for a contest or not.
Great map, I really like side scrolling castlevania type games, too bad there was no elaborate level requiring jumping.
Only problem is that it is too short, make more, make campaign I command it!
How'd you make most things black & white? I dig that.
-is the Abomination supposed to just stand there and reek?
-there's a bug where the Abomination is; because of the locked camera to that place, the heroine may go a bit down instead of staying at the same height as the enemies; this does not resolve after battling the boss; the kids are also where the lasher is
-OK, after battling the lich and getting up on the hill, the issue with the height position of the player's units was solved
4/5 for encouragement. You need to make it longer to feel like an actual game.
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Approved
I'll fix that up immediately if nothing else. Thanks for the in-depth review.
