Darkshire

[Moderator]

15:49, 28th Jul 2008
Rui: Another nice melee map that wishes to restore a Warcraft 1 terrain.
See my full review [self="http://www.hiveworkshop.com/forums/resource.php?t=92628#post760660"]here[/self].

 

[Rui]

Approved!

[+]The map has a valid name, an author name, a site description, and is finished. And it is well categorized!
[+]Strategical starting locations.
[+]Doodads were well placed.
[+]The collision was friendly and you had a lot of space to fight.
[+]Creeps were decently chosen and placed, with the exception of a creep camp hugging the map's boundary. Aside from that, it's fine.
[+]The map contains Taverns and a good choice of neutral buildings.
[+]Resources are well distributed.
[+/-]Terrain has a nice shape, but it could have used some more work on elevation and ground texture variation. Like Grand Hamlet, you made an entire terrain with grass...
[+/-]Drops were not that balanced. The green creeps' drops were OK, though. What you should reconsider: the yellow creeps' items.

Great melee map, but it needs some work on the terrain.
My rating for this resource is 4/5 (Recommended).

If you have questions or complains, post on our Map Resource Moderation.

~Thank you for using the Hive Workshop

 

[HFR]

Very thanks Rui. I update the map as soon as possible to improve the terrain. I have plans to make the Stormwind map itself for 6 or 8 players.

 

[Razmataz]

Me and Rui tried this map out against several computers. The night elf insane built too close but thats not really a meele AI issue to compare. Perhaps you enabled a larger source of getting gold? The expansion was extremely difficult to obtain once the enemy took over their gold mines in the side centres.
Top mark from me, however.

P.S, it's not meet war once again, it's "met" war once again.

 

[HFR]

Well, I tested this map using AMAI TFT, and it worked well for all the races. I think that the expansions gold mines are in good positions, however, I give you permission to edit the gold mines if you want. And sorry for the bad spelling. I'ts because I'm brazilian.

 

[HFR]

----UPDATED----
-Changed the positions of some creep camps;
-Added some trees to the bases;
-Changed the itens of the orange creep camps;
-Corrected some grammar mistakes.

UPDATE (2)

- Greatly improved the terrain
- Removed most of the Blizzard Cliffs
- Added fog
- Added weather effect

 

[Evan1993]

HFR has created an excellent map, with a gloomy environment that envelops you, a balanced layout, and correct creep drops makes “Darkshire” a very fun map to play.

The rain and fog do wonders for the environment, however if you look at the terrain too closely you’ll notice that it appears the tiles have been placed with no rhyme or reason, somewhat unrealistically. The creeps look homeless, like they don’t belong; they have no fires, no places to live in, and no objects that they have collected. There is little sign that the creeps have ever lived there.

The village also looks slightly abandoned no humans or livestock to be seen for miles. (Unless you count the four raccoons and four rabbits outside the village)

With a choke points and the high ground make it easy to defend your base. If you’re out numbered good use of the fountain with high ground or choke points can be used to turn the tide of the game in your favor. Everything appears to be symmetrical and fair. Except one little thing, the creeps at the expansion gold mine closest to teal’s start location are not set to camp, were all the other creeps are.

Whether running to get an item from the goblin shop, going to the Mercenary Camp to use up your extra gold, or healing your units at the fountain, you’ll never be sitting around to do on this map.

It is interesting to note that there are no red creeps, and there are pathing blockers to keep you from going to the fountain from anywhere but the path.

In my opinion, Darkshire is worthy of being in the ladder pool. HFR has made a good map that stands out from the other melee maps uploaded on the hive. You got my vote of 5/5! Impressive work, I’ll be sure to look at your other maps.

 

[HFR]

Thanks for reviewing my map. I'll look forward and fix the "errors" soon.

 

[Rui]

Rui's review for "Darkshire" (melee map by HFR)

"Darkshire", a melee map by HFR, is no doubt worthy to be on the Battle.Net ladder with a few fixes. I played this map with Evan1993 and his friend, ZapPew. It has improved since I last played it.
As soon as you start the game, you find yourself in an interesting environment consisting of a light fog and an average texturing work (I am not a fan of random placed tiles; like Evan1993 said, the ground textures look a bit random, yet in my opinion, it still didn't look all that bad).
The structure of the scenario is good. Like my gaming partner said above me, in this map you have an advantage when standing on your territory; you access the other team's land passing through a broken diagonal gate -- which is an acceptable choke point considering its size -- and climbing a cliff level (as we know, ranged units have a chance to miss when standing on lower cliff levels). The expansions can also be accessed through a diagonal gate, and since there are no Goblin Laboratories for you to fly your way there with a Zeppelin, it makes a place where you'll most likely find your enemy. That is something I like to see.I've got only a small suggestion for the author: use the Rock tile on the spots you placed pathing blockers on and smooth it a bit. Right now, it looks weird.
Right off my head, I can't think of a single melee map I have given a good grade for drops. That means either I have never reviewed one that deserved it, or it was long ago. "Darkshire" is one of the few maps or the only map I actually liked ALL the drops.To be honest, the Fountain of Health's guards didn't convince me much; they were too few and they dropped a lvl4 charged and a lvl4 permanent. But in this case I wouldn't lower the drops, but increase the number of creeps or place stronger ones.
And since we've spoken about neutral buildings, I guess I can jump to that point.
The map has two Taverns on town, two Goblin Merchants and Mercenary Camps for each team, and a Fountain of Health at the center.This is a placement I dislike. Usually structures such as Merchants or Mercenary Camps are placed between the team's starting spots, since the player is distant from his base and can't access his shops and unit training structures as easily. In this case, the Merchant will serve only for players to farm permanent items (Boots of Speed, Periapt of Health and Circlet of Nobility). The Mercenary Camp is acceptable if you've decided to fortify the gate choke point and are in dire need of more units, but it'd still be more pleasing to see it between each team.Finally, the Fountain of Health can be used against a team by pressuring it and quickly sending units to it for them to heal. This is not very relevant, especially considering the ''territory-advantage'' I mentioned earlier, and I'm not downrating the map because of this.
The trees have holes which you might like to fix. Press the P letter on your keyboard and it'll show you the pathing map. Make sure there are no uncolored spaces between the trees.
I recently read an article which stated creeps guarding Gold Mines shouldn't be on guard position to prevent players from using towers. In your map's case, perhaps it would be indeed wise to not set them to short acquisition range, due to the gate choke points ^{edit}(which players might like to fortify).
That is all I have to say, I believe. Sorry for the long review. I am sure you'll work on the things I mentioned, so I'll just give you the rating I initially planned (although I had to think and think before deciding) as soon as I see the map updated. That is a 4,5 out of 5, which makes a 5 (Highly Recommended). You deserve it for making one of the few melee maps where drops DON'T suck.

 

[HFR]

Now this is a good and big review. Thanks for testing my map again. I'm sure that I'll fix at least the majority of these "bugs" and flaws.

Again, thanks for testing it (twice).

Edit: Updated it. You can read the changelog at the map's description.

 

[Rui]

Argh, HFR, the intention was not to put them all on a single spot >_< There are WAY too many creeps now. I suggest you move the Mercenary Camps to that corner after each team's "defensive" gate, where two Golems and a Wizard stand, if I'm not wrong. Find a place for the Goblin Merchants in town, but don't put them near the Fountain of Health, and make sure you don't block the ways for players to scout either (with builders).

 

[HFR]

Argh, I thought editing the map at 3 am would make something "good"... Ok, I'll fix it, and I'll be very... Well, I'll fix it.

 

[Rui]

Sorry for bothering you so much, but the last thing I imagined was that you'd put all neutral buildings on a single spot.
I've got an idea: maybe you can put the Goblin Merchants on the expansion Gold Mines place. After you pass the gate, there are some trees. Why don't you put the Merchant behind them, and increase their number a little, if necessary? The creeps remain, of course.

 

[HFR]

I placed the merchants at the small farms in the town. Well, I'll upload it, and, if it looks bad, I'll check this possibility.

 

[Rui]

They look good, HFR!

I've got a few suggestions: fix the Mercenary Camp guards' drops, a lvl4 (I think?) permanent is too strong. Put it at a lvl2 (or 3?) usable like another group you have outside the players' bases.
Additionally, add a brigand to the Goblin Merchant group and set the drop to a lvl2 power-up.

I don't know what else to say. You could have still improved the texturing work a bit, but bleh. Once you fix those things I mentioned, I'm going to give this map a 5/5. Excellent work!

 

[HFR]

Ok I'll do those things, but after some rest, as I'm pretty tired of editing this map. I'll do the things you mentioned and then... Well, it'll be finished.

Edit: Updated the map. Well, I think it's the final now. I'll not mess with the terrain, as randomic place tiles are up these days