First Undead Book of Arkain (Patch 1.29.2 or newer!)

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StoPCampinGn00b 22:13, 9th May 2015 [TD]

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[TD]

Comment - Imperator's Review​

Verdict - Approved, 4/5​

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Map Moderated - Legends of Arkain First Undead Book​

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[Shar Dundred]

Cheats in this campaign are not disabled, but they aren't supported. If you cheat and encounter any bugs because of that, I won't fix that. There are no known major issues so far, this is just an ordinary announcement.

Tips

Some tips from Kasrkin, the Chief Development Tester of this campaign, for the harder chapters.

Tips

Chapter Nine

-Start upgrading immediately, you have a little amount of time before you're needed to assist your ally.
-You obviously won't have enough forces at the start to assist your ally in any significant fashion so send your heroes and use their abilities to keep Teal's forces alive.
-There are going to be a lot of corpses both friendly and not, so train necromancers and "Bring up the meat wagons!"
-Begin building your main force but remember a lot of them will die within minutes.
-Build some extra ziggurats near the front of your base.
-It will be a back and forth situation, watch out for demon heroes and kill them quickly.
-PUSH THEM BACK!!!!
-The enemy base has chaos juggernauts as outer turrets watch out and kill them quickly.
-DEMON LORDS?! Remember they reincarnate once.
-Destroying a demon gate will prevent the spawning of some units in the waves, destroy the gates and the waves will stop.
-Ornasion is immune to spells best get to stabbing.

Optional:
-Zairmak's base has a gold mine that's not being used why not... just take it? He doesn't train additional units so take your time.
-The east entrance to his base is heavily defended you might want to attack initially from the south instead.
-If the situation allows it add your heroes to your attacking force to make it go by faster, they might be needed at the front in a moment's notice though.

-By Fire be purged! He's back again and he's even more pissed than before just take your time and kill those golems of his.
-Silence him when you can.

-The Darkmind outpost is easy to destroy, bring in Rahandir and the rest of the squad if you want to go overkill.
-METEORS!

Author's Notes

Some of my thoughts and plans. (includes spoilers)

Plans

Kasrkin Mode

This is a mode that will be added later. It's supposed to be an additional difficulty for all, who think that Hard is too easy.
The name comes from Kasrkin (who would have guessed that?) who tested the campaign. The idea came when he said that Had was too easy.
I'm not COMPLETELY sure how it will look like later, but it's planned to make the campaign really hard.

Backgrounds

Rebirth

Rebirth

It was a clear night. The wind was picking up, making the leaves rustle while the light of the moon revealed everything on the ground. Everything, especially the remains of those who were fighting at this place days ago. Betrayed by their own king, these brave soldiers of humanity were sent to their deaths because their king became paranoid.
King Uras the Fifth of Rendar, the richest realm of the Seven Kingdoms, called "Defender of Mankind". He sent two thousand soldiers to their deaths because he thought that their leader was plotting against him, because his advisors told him to get rid of him, because this one leader, who was more loyal than the whole council of the king, was more popular than he himself. The moonlight showed who this "Defender of Mankind" really was: A murderer, a madman. A traitor.
The troops had hold their position for several days before they were overwhelmed by the Demons who inhabited this place. Demons, the most wicked and vile creatures that ever existed. There has been no month without a battle against these creatures, no week without waiting for them to attack, no day without being reminded of their trickery and their evil sorcery. They say, a single Demon might be capable of destroying a whole village if not opposed by true warriors. But what are the Demons compared to the schemes of humanity? The intrigues of mankind are already destroying the whole race from the inside, even without the Demons attacking the Kingdoms. The next real invasion of any other race would destroy humanity easily at its current state. Luckily, for the survivors of the clashes that take place before that happens, it might still take centuries before the next real invasion occurs. The Demons have a strange way of acting and the other races have other problems to deal with. Humanity is lucky. That's the only reason why it still exists.
A heavy breath. One of the fighters has survived the battle, heavily wounded. He can feel as life forsakes his body and as he slowly leaves this plane of existence. Only thanks to him and the healers, the soldiers managed to survive that long in this god-forsaken place. He looks around at his fallen comrades, feeling both endless shame and rage at the same time. When that big Demon's strike hit him, he realized that he had been a fool.
The king whose orders he obeyed, let him run into death. The man knew that the king became obsessed with the thought that he was to be replaced, but he didn’t think that it would make him even consider such actions. He was too blind to see what his king had become. That's at least what he wished to be the reason. Actually, he knew the truth: He didn't WANT TO see it! He didn't want to believe that the fear of the king would get the better of him. This was the punishment. Death. Ironic that it wasn't too long ago that he saved the life of the king himself. Now, so many had to die because of the madness of this king. The man had known these soldiers for years, he fought at their side countless times. Now, thanks to the king, they were dead. The man wouldn't have been surprised if some evil god with a twisted sense of humor was laughing right now, while watching him, suffering the pain and waiting for the end.
No, it wouldn't end like this! The man wouldn't ALLOW himself to die just like that! He would return to his king, spit in his face and kill him the most slow and painful way he could think of! This "Defender of Mankind" would suffer for the betrayal of his own kind! His family and advisors would be annihilated, just like the king annihilated all the soldiers here for his mere envy! No one would be able to escape revenge!
The man gathered the tiny bit of magic that still remained in his body and tried to give himself the power to stand up. He didn't care about the consequences, he just wanted to stand up and take revenge! He screamed in pure rage and bitterness. The magic exploded. The man could feel the life abandon his life, leaving him for good, but he was still there. He could feel new strength, his might returning to him, making him even more powerful than he was before. The man stood up, slowly walking away from this place of death. The king shall regret the day, he decided to betray his own kind. For from now on, his time would be over.

For days, the man walked through the forests and mountains that separated him from his target. He knew every route in the Seven Kingdoms, but no one was supposed to see him. Most likely, they already heard that his men were slain and thought him being dead. The king might even have celebrated this day with one of his concubines. He was everything but faithful. His wife was either too ignorant to see it or just looked the other way, not wanting to feel the agony of being cheated. It didn’t matter. Soon, she'd be dead along with her husband and the bastards who dare calling themselves advisors while they're actually just trying to gain more power. Sadly, this was how politics work. It would never change, but the man didn’t care anymore. He wanted to take care of those who wanted his death. Everything else didn't matter at all.
It was a dark, windy night when the man reached side entrance of the capital city. Three men were guarding it. The king, in all his wisdom, had decided that everyone who tried to enter the capital after midnight, was to be granted no entrance. If they still tried to enter, though, the soldiers were allowed to execute them. According to their banners, the guards were part of the king's personal army. That meant that they were more than ready to just kill anyone trying to enter. They were cruel bastards, but effective in battle. Making them guards instead of sending them to fight in the first line was just another proof of the king's stupidity and another reason why the people hated their king.
After the man left the forest and entered the street to continue his way, it didn't take the guards too long to notice them and prepare for a fight. They could be heard laughing, most likely already looking forward killing someone. The hood of the man hid his face, disabling them to see who he actually was. Just a few more steps and the man would've passed the gate, but the men surrounded him.
"See what we got here, boys. Some old fella trying to get through the gate." laughed the guy in front of the man, who also blocked the path to the gate.
"Never heard of the rules of the king, old man? No one is allowed to enter the cities after midnight. Midnight passed one hour ago, we are allowed to kill you right now. If I were you, I'd be begging for mercy!" another one said. The third man grinned and grabbed the hood of the man.
"Let us see your face before we kill you. Just so we know whose ugly face will never be seen again." he claimed. Then he removed the hood and fell to the ground, screaming both shocked and scared of what he just saw. It must've been the most terrifying thing he has ever seen in his whole life, a living nightmare.
"By the gods, what-" One move with the hand and both he and the first guard turned into ice. Another move. The ice melted in mere seconds. The second guard was about to beg for mercy – the man wondered if that simple minded moron was even capable of understanding the irony of this – but the man just moved his hand again and the guard exploded from the inside. Then he placed his hood back and entered the city. The few in the city, who were still not asleep, didn’t care about the sounds. They got used to the screams of those who were slain by the guards. The man continued his journey, unaffected by the gruesome deaths of these guards, and entered the dirty streets of the city.
No one minded the hooded man who was wandering through the streets, the few people who were still up were either had something illegal in mind, were too busy with their own business or just left the brothels and taverns and were on their way home. No one cared about one more hooded figure in the night.
It didn't take him long to arrive at the royal palace of the king. The man knew the palace like no one else – not even the king knew about all the secret passages that lead inside. The man only had to touch the stone walls. They still reacted to his touch, they opened and revealed the secret way. Only the man could open this secret door. He entered and the walls closed behind him again, as if the secret gate never had been there.

It took the man mere minutes to reach the king’s quarters. He knew this place all too well. He used to wander through these passages almost every week for years. He knew every candle, every guardian, every door, everyone and everything inside this palace. Another move with his arm and the door opened silently, allowing the man to enter. The room was filled with gold, almost everything was made out of it. Even the bed. The man could see that someone lied in the bed, but it was only one person – the queen. The first target. One move would be enough to make her suffer the same fate as the guards, but the man wanted to take revenge and suffer like he did. Some movements and magic surrounded her. She woke up, most likely feeling how her feet started to ache. She looked at the man with horror. He didn't wear his hood anymore and she looked into his dead eyes. She tried to say something, but she couldn't talk anymore. The man had used his magic to silence her. She wouldn't be able to scream as the ache became real pain. She wasn't able to scream when the pain became even worse. Little, summoned insects fed upon her body, eating it from the feet up to her stomach. She still tried to scream when the insects reached her head. The magic also didn’t allow her to die and made her feel through every second of her torment. This was nothing but a tiny bit of the pain the man had to go through. He watched every second of her torment and felt nothing. No happiness, no pleasure, just nothing. It took hours until it ended and the man was quite sure that, very close to the end, the queen realized who he was. In the end, the summoned insects disappeared after they had eaten all flesh, all bones, nothing was left, no trace that she had ever even existed. The man left, unmoved by the cruelty he just commited. He felt no guilt. She was among those who were responsible for his betrayal, there could've been no doubt about it.
The advisors shared a similar fate as the queen, they died, one after another. In the end, only the king himself remained. The man knew exactly where to find the "Defender of Mankind". The quest rooms, one particular guest room. The man could hear laugher, the king had more pleasure in bedding his most exotic guest than his wife. Soon, all three would be united again - in death. He entered the room the same way he entered the others. Nine people had died tonight, soon it’d be eleven. The man closed the door behind him and then broke the king and his lover apart with his magic. They looked at him, both confused and shocked. The king of Rendar and his "company" – the elven queen. It was rumoured that, soon, she'd allow her daughter to take over so she could enjoy her immortal life without ruling the Elven Kingdom. That day would come sooner than she thought. She was a vile woman who only used the Humans to fight her battles for her. The man had many good friends among the Elves, her daughter was said to be more popular than her mother but not to be trusted. The man had met her once. He didn't like her back then. Only time would show, but tonight, the Elves would lose their queen and the people of Rendar would lose their king. The man rose his hand to gather his magic and then pointed at her. A loud crushing. An ice meteor had fell from the sky – it landed directly on the elf and crushed her body completely. The king stared at her, not believing what he just saw. He tried to call the guards, but he was silenced by the same spell the man used on his wife.
This king would die a slow, gruesome death, he would suffer the same pain as the man did. First, the man entangled the king in this bed. Then, he froze the arms of the king while also burning them at the same, creating a magical symbiosis that was both effective and really painful. The king tried to scream but the spell prevented him from doing so. The man removed the insects once they were done eating the feet and used dark magic to make the king feel pain from both the inside and the outside. Feeling endless waves of pain, the king didn’t realize how his blood became corrupted by the dark magic – he was too busy fighting the pain. He had no chance. The man opened his mouth and an unnatural, strange sound, that made the king look at him filled with even more fear than pain, was the last thing, the king would ever hear. His blood began to burn in black flames, slowly killing the king in agony. The deed had been done.
The king and everyone else responsible for the betrayal of the soldiers were dead. Still, the man felt nothing. He left the palace the same way he entered it and also left the city. In a few hours, the people would realize that their king is dead and since he didn't have any heirs, chaos would reign for the next few years. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered anymore. The man disappeared in the forest and, for the first time since days without rest, he stayed at one place. His journey was over, but the man somehow knew that his story wasn't over. This thought was confirmed sooner than he had expected.
"I've been watching your progress with great interest. We should meet, in person." A voice said inside his mind.
"Who are you?" asked the man, his voice sounded strange, not human at all.
"My name is Aridon, I am the guardian of this world. Come to me, Rahandir Drakeskull, and hear me out. You won't regret it."

Dark Heart and Mind

Dark Heart and Mind

I sat in the corner and sighed. I had no idea how long it had been since they threw me in this prison. I was alone for hours. Sometimes, the guards passed by, but they wouldn't dare say a word. I didn't know why, but they only looked at me, grim expressions in their faces. They despised me, they couldn't understand that I wasn't one of them. I've never been one of them. I was raised far away from them, by an Orc as an Orc among Orcs who couldn't accept me either. Only the one who raised me, the one I even called father, and the one I called brother really accepted me. Others tolerated my presence, but I never got anything from them without fighting for it – but that was a common thing among Orcs. I was happy that I had so many opportunities to prove my worth. I had forgotten everything that was before.
My orcish foster father said that he'd unite the Orcs one day. That he'd create a future for his people that would make them get the life they deserved. While pillaging was part of the culture, it shouldn't be the limit. He wanted to see the Orcs in their own kingdom, he kept telling me. I loved listening to him and discussing his plans with him. He also insisted that I'd have a respected position in that future. I had forgotten so much.
I was more than happy to fulfil every single order he had for me. It wasn't the first time he sent me to infiltrate the Empire, not the first time I got information for him since the Humans always believed that I was one of them. However, on the last mission, they caught me. I still have no idea how they could have found us, but they had. The Imperial knights rushed the camp we had built just a few hours ago and killed everyone inside, excluding me. I managed to escape while the Orcs sacrificed themselves for me. In the end, it was in vain. I reached a Human village and tried to get through unnoticed. While doing so, I overheard many talks between the Humans. Before, I had never really cared about their small-talk, I was only interested in the things I knew. I realized that the Humans and the Orcs weren't so different.
However, before I could start to ponder about this, the knights found me. They had noticed me when I escaped and rode after me. This time, there was no escape, no battle. They caught me. There was a mage in brown clothes who accompanied them. He just had to wave his hand and I couldn't move anymore. I was helpless, when they enchained me. The mage had a short talk with one of the knights before he and half of the knights were on their way. The knights said, there was someone who wanted to talk with me.
I was thinking about this capture, when I suddenly heard noises and looked up. From far away, I could see light. A tall figure, bearing a torch, was coming my way. I could already hear the heavy armor from afar. When he came closer, I noticed the dark armor he was wearing and knew who it was. It was the very person I had been brought to after the knight captured me. I had never seen anyone else with this armor. It was black with some golden ornaments on it, but that wasn't all of it. Being a magic user myself, I could FEEL the magic of this armor. Dark magic. He put the torch aside and looked at me. The torch allowed me to see his face. It was completely cold. He didn't say a single word, he just looked at me.
"What is it?!” I asked him. I wasn't scared of him – unlike the Imperials. I had heard several tales about him, claiming that he was the most intimidating, living Human. But I was no Imperial, I grew up among Orcs. Orcs don't fear their enemies. He didn't reply. Instead, however, he opened my cell and entered. From this close, I could see how tall he was. Had he been an Orc, he would still be tall in comparison to others. Even taller than my foster father.
"You have only a limited amount of time until the Orcs will be here, Imperial. You should run, you cannot hope to have the power to withstand them!” I told him after some time of silence. When I said "power”, he seemed to be amused. He smiled. He claimed that I had no idea about TRUE power, that I was naïve to trust on others. He came closer and as much as I tried to deny it, his presence started to intimidate me. I blamed some spell of his armor. He removed his helmet and came closer until his face was almost touching mine. I could've tried to use this opportunity to try and kill him to escape, but I couldn't do it. I had to listen to what he told me next, what he whispered in my ear. I had to listen to the dark and sinister secrets, that he told me. My eyes widened, the longer I listened to him,the less horrified and the more fascinated I was by this secrets. It didn't take long until I LONGED FOR knowing more. He whispered of things, unable to describe. I forgot everything I had known, he was filling my mind with things so monstrous and so wunderful at the same time, I couldn't have dreamt of. He talked for hours and the more I listened to him, the more obsessed I became with learning more. More knowledge, more power, there was nothing else I could think about. I completely forgot everything else. It didn't matter anymore that I was imprisoned, it didn't matter that he should've been my enemy, I just wanted power and knowledge, no matter how dangerous it was, I WANTED it. When he stopped talking, I begged him to continue. He told me, that he would tell me more next time we met, but also that he had to go now. Then, he just left.
I knew that he had changed me. He had darkened my thoughts by simply talking with me. Sometimes, I could still hear his whispers afterwards.
The moment he left, I forsake all the plans Rangul had. There was only one thing left in my mind: Power. I longed for it. It was like an addiction and I wanted to see it satisfied. I would find my own ways of gaining power and then seek him out again.

 

[Kasrkin]

 

[LISBOAH]

Alleluia... Alleluia...Alelluaia!!

I am going to play the campaign as soon as I can and see if there are some bugs.

 

[DD Mikasa]

CHEERS TO MANNY MORE!
Good Job Shar and Kas!

 

[MogulKahn]

Uuuu, nice

 

[DD Mikasa]

Review TIME!
MAJOR SPOILERS


Terrain:+3/5You are improving your terrain skills but some mapes still need some work

Custom unites/heros:+3/5 Krom model was amazing.You have done a decent work in the heros skillsets exluding Saphira and Largoth in my oppinion Largoth skill set was just "meh"...You could have done a better work on that.However not that much work on the rest of the tech tree.We just got a new toy to play with the Frozen Ghosts they were really helpfull tho about the Legionares they are just overused unites.

Plot:+5/5At first i was getting rather confused and bored.We were doing all this erands...THEN hell breaks lose...Ardion had a spy within Demon army,there is another powerfull being that can really mess up Ardion plans,Largoth makes a run for it and betrays Ardion and to top it off even Ardion fails to forsee the Demon army invasion which leads me to question his abilitys to see the future.

Gameplay:+4/5What makes this book better than the other two books is that you have a mixture of gameplays,you are not focused into "RTS" battles.

Bugs
-In chapter four even tho i had no cheats on the Demon slaves army still could find my hidden mine(the one at the left of your base) and destroy it with the gryphons
-Chapter four on of the heros did not drop a "Life" artifact...

 

[Kasrkin]

Bugs
-In chapter four even tho i had no cheats on the Demon slaves army still could find my hidden mine(the one at the left of your base) and destroy it with the gryphons

That's no bug AI immediately know where your base is once a town hall, or the other races' equivalent is built unless there are triggers to prevent this. This has been the case for many RTS games, some games' AI don't even build up their forces if there isn't a main building built by the player.

 

[Deleted member 237964]

As always 5/5 from me.I hope they approve it soon.

 

[KingLich]

I'm playing in easy mode and found out that enemies do rebuild lost buildings. I recall in the very first mission against the orcs and in the sea battle chapter against both humans and orcs.

Easy mode isn't that "easy". In the first mission, it is difficult to siege the orc base because they train units so fast you can barely attack the buildings. I can't imagine how it must be in higher difficulties.

 

[Deleted member 238589]

Completed that chapter on hard difficulty recently. It is kinda hard, but with the right strategy, there should be no problem. I'm not sure how it is on easy difficulty.

 

[Shadow Fury]

TERRAIN Generally, the terrain was not really well done. Let's say it was mediocre. Sometimes the tile variation and the doodads were used well yet most of the times it was not like that. The thing that disappoints me most is the heavy restriction of the terrain. Due to the large use of Blizzard cliffs, the battling area is very limited. Just in the first mission, when I had to siege the orcs, for the abomination at the ramps it was like one after the other. One dies, the next goes. The same awful thing occured in the rest of the chapters. That's not good because I'm unable to manipulate my army at its full potential which makes your missions both tedious and insane; all this trouble for the terrain! The fog was also used badly just as the doodads. On some occasions, it was so weak that I couldn't see it or it had such a large Z Start that at long distances, the terrain was coloured with a deep colour (I recall Chapter 3 having a dense blue fog on long distances and no sky). Well, it looks very unnatural, peculiar and, honestly, terrible. All in all, the terrain requires greater attention for a more attractive gameplay. GAMEPLAY AND PLOT Well well well... I must say the plot kept me intrigued till the end of the campaign. The characters were enjoyable with each one clearly having different personalities. A betrayal wasn't missing in the story and that made things more interesting. However, the gameplay didn't flow so smoothly as the plot. As there is the terrain issue above, your missions are just insanely hard and managing my troops was inevitably impossible! Regarding the skills of the heroes, I must say I'm really deluded heavily. Any new skill is just a clear copy-and-paste of a default one. The rest of the skills (about 90% of them) are just the old ones totally untouched. Saphira has the same exact set of skills of the Dark Ranger; Veringar is a clone of the Death Knight. Largoth just has a mix of default skills. Rahandir just had one new skill. Aridon and Fleshtearer didn't really impress me. Only Krom was up to some proper standards with 4 brand new skills. With all these points being stated, I have to say that the heroes were pretty boring to play. It felt like replaying old heroes and nothing new or original. The gameplay could be much better than it is in its current state.

CINEMATICS

Since there are so many cinematics throughout the campaign, they won a whole separate category for themselves. I see you adopted a skip command, great I'd say! Although sometimes it can make a little negligible difference (e.g chapter 7, the 4 spiders + furbolg, skipping decides who lives and who dies before I intervene), I don't find this an issue worth consideration. What was disappointing was how slow-paced the cinematics were. The camera was either static or very slow. The characters seemed pretty immobile. From time to time they casted an animation to show some reactions yet it didn't really make a great effect. I would recommend letting the camera move more frequently as well as the characters. Furthermore, the characters should play more oftenly their animations.

OVERALL RESULT

In conclusion, the map campaign (undeniable reviewer instinct) proves to be very challenging but it requires much polishing and greater originality. However, I believe in its current state it can be approved. Therefore, I'll give it 3/5 and vote for APPROVAL!

 

[LISBOAH]

I was playing the missions and I realized this.

Spoiler

-In the second mission, most of the sins are classified as undead, except Lust and Wrath. Why? I am asking because I can´t use Death Coil in order to heal them.
-In the third mission Sapphira says 'Flesh Wagons' instead of 'Meat Wagons'. And isn´t a little early to have the Necromancer Master Training avaiable? And if you putted this upgrade, why not put also the Banshee Master Training too? We got those units in the first mission so why have one and not the other?
-In the fourth chapter I end up fighting the three Pit Lords. Could you make it an optional quest, like making Sapphira's job easier? Also, the slave base that is elven, the workers are humans,not elves.
-In the fifth mission Veringar wonders for what the gem serves. Shouldn't you make this an optional quest?
-In the first interlude, Veringar is not on the meeting. Is this on purpose? And the guardian of the second demon artifact, will he appear in the second books or is he dead for good?
-In the sixth mission that bug with Largoth's armor is finnaly fixed! Allelluia!

 

[Shar Dundred]

Surprise!

 

[Tash]

Great Job with the First Undead Book!
The Gameplay is flawless! The terrain is great too!

Spoiler

I suggest hiring Voice Actors and have voices for each characters.

But there is something I want to ask. Why is Vanessa an Undead already in one of the last few chapters? She was rescued by Sasrogarn and they left the base of the Knights of Kome on the First Orc Book.

The Ancient Guardians or something like that in Chapter Five is so over powered. It is impossible to get in and I needed to restart the chapter after being killed by the guardians.

Other than that, the campaign is great!

Spoiler

Gameplay - 8/10
Terrain - 9/10
Creativity- 7.5/10
Story - 6/10


Overall - 8.5/10

Cheers!

 

[Deleted member 238589]

The review for the campaign "Legends of Arkain - The First Undead Book" (Hard difficulty), created by Shar Dundred
Reviewed by Imperator

Warning: No spoilers ahead!

The gameplay in this campaign consists of standard melee-styled maps, in which you need to destroy your opponent's base in a standard fashion in order to win, and the ones in which you are given the limited amount of troops in order to survive and conquer.
The first type of maps are generally very challenging, sometimes even frustrating. The enemy AI, which is very well designed, will be a constant threat, and will require you to constantly have decent amount of troops protecting your base, while the main army travels on.
Usually outnumbered, a player will face many challenges before finding a proper way to deal with his enemies. A player would also do well to keep an eye on the side roads and isolated forests, as they hide valuable treasure, as well as potential enemies. Completing the side quests may also prove to be benefitial in the later chapter, so never hesitate to complete them.
As the game goes on, a player will inevitably realize that the brute forces isn't enough to win. Even the largest armies will be decimated in a matter of seconds, if charging a well fortified position. The heroes of the Undead race, which is obviously the main race of this campaign, have a lot of stun abilities. Maybe even too many.
The player should definitely use those against the special units, which greatly overpower any standard units, such as the Elites.
Using your troops and heroes wisely, and finding the weak links in enemy defenses, as well as choosing the right moment to strike, are all the key factors to victory, and this campaign was successful in these term.
Now, the other type of maps, which involves surviving with limited troops and resources, is the one in which the difficulty varies. Chapter two, for example, requires minimal micromanagement, as the given units, which can easily be heals and empowered by buffs, greatly overpower their enemies. While some others, like chapter seven, require a lot more micromanagement, as the boss fight is extremely difficult, if not impossible to complete, if the player does not have the sufficient amount of troops that survived to face the boss.
These type of maps offer many secrets and surprises, as well, so keep your eyes open.
As this campaign is very story-driven, the creator uses a lot of cinematics to reveal the certain parts of the story. Those usually involve long conversations, which tend to be a bit dull and difficult to follow. Something like this can easily be solved with the usage of music, which would spark more life into these cinematics. Otherwise, they serve their purpose well. As I already mentioned, they are more about long conversations, rather then fight scenes. It is understandable, since their purpose is to keep the story moving, but it would be nice to see an occasional fight scene.


The story in this campaign follows the undead race, and their leader, Aridon, as they're trying to save the world of Arkain from the complete annihilation. To do this, they will need to fight off the vast and powerful demon hordes, as well as the mortal armies, who might interfere with their plans. They use to manipulate the events form behind the scenes, but this time they will have to get involved in this bloody war themselves.
During this campaign, you will meet many interesting heroes and characters, some of which are better developed then the others. For example, I would like to know more about Krom. Not about his past, since it's meant to be a mystery, but more about how he feels about the situation, and you know, expressing his opinion more often, since he's not depicted as a mindless brute.
I think that would make the story more interesting. Even if the other heroes are just servants, it would be good to know if they have a different vision of how Arkain should be saved. Unlike a certain Dreadlord, who's loyalty is questionable, it is a bit uninteresting how the undead heroes are in line with everything their leader, Aridon, suggests, even though they're just undead, they're obviously not mindless. I would like to see
Saphira, for example, breaking off from her master's control, and starting to seek revenge. The story is definitely very interesting, but it needs more twists like the examples I had given you, to make things even more interesting. There are also some repetitive lines that certain characters tend to repeat quite often, like Largoth constantly nagging about how powerful he is, and how Aridon wastes his potential. It is a bit dissapointing that there are fewer canon choices now, compared to the other campaigns of the first book.
A decent part of the story is being told through the cinematics, as I mentioned before. Take them as an opportunity to work more on the character development.


Now, the terrain of the Arkain world. Gameplay-wise, the terrain is well-made, and it provides strategic advantages and disadvantages in certain situation.
Narrow paths limit the army's movement, so you need to get past those quickly and carefully, before even your strongest units get picked off by the enemy.
Aesthetically, the terrain is a bit poor and sometimes lifeless and flat. Chapter two feels especially neglected in those terms.
I don't mind that you use cliffs for the strategic purposes, but you should definitely use a LOT more decorations and doodads.
The terrain feels like it's covered with trees and cliffs, to mask it's emptiness. It is not really that difficult to fix, but you need to use the decoration doodads more often and wisely.


Thing I would like to point out:
- The Fist of Ice ability is called Avenge in the ability learning tool-tip
- Some of the "Sins" in chapter two are not classified as Undead, which makes healing them impossible
- Maybe you should give heroes the fewer stun abilities, and they to give them more auras and thing from which the whole army benefits
- Making core improvements to the terrain at this stage is pointless, but more decoration won't do any harm
- Giving certain heroes more custom spells would be a smart choice
- I would also be good to see some more custom items


Overall, this is a worthy campaign. The author clearly put a large amount of effort into making this campaign, as well as the other ones in this series. I hope you'll heed my advises and remember them when the time comes for the campaigns of the second book.
I give this campaign 4/5 and I vote for APPROVAL.​

 

[cleavinghammer]

I have to say, the first level is a huge improvement on the others in terms of difficulty, challenging but not frustrating.

Second level: Lust can't be healed by Death Coil, some grammar mistakes in Wrath's cutscene.
Third level: the intro cutscene has no sky (and Saphira says Flesh Wagons instead of Meat Wagons). The attack waves tend to gang up on you.
The green base's south gate is invulnerable but the walls aren't.

 

[LISBOAH]

But there is something I want to ask. Why is Vanessa an Undead already in one of the last few chapters? She was rescued by Sasrogarn and they left the base of the Knights of Kome on the First Orc Book.

I had the same question a month ago. The books and therefore their stories are not related to each other. What happens in a book may not happen in the others.

Spoiler

I just watched the 'Behind the Scenes' and I must say... I LOVED IT!! It was so funny to see all these characters interact with each other! I see that you putted my and many others' concerns about the removed undead mission about Krom.
Did you just made out that Sas is the least popular character, or did you based it on votes?

 

[cleavinghammer]

Fourth level: there's a gap in the trees below the base entrance that infantry can go through.
Having (finally) beaten it, I think this one could definitely be improved by having Saphira's troops attack. Since the aim of the mission is to grab the stuff quickly and there's a stupidly huge base in the way, so there's not much in the way of stealth here. Also, I can't say I saw the part-carrying leaders ever move much.

 

[Shar Dundred]

Version 1.10 released

Version 1.10

General:
- Reworked Dark Arrow ability
- Fixed Fist of Ice tooltip
- Removed stun from Splitting and increased damage instead

Chapter Two:
- Improved terrain
- Wrath and Lust are classified as Undead now
- All player units' hit points have been reduced

Chapter Three:
- Added sky
- Made some of the walls invulnerable
- Improved dialogue

Chapter Four:
- Added trees

Having (finally) beaten it, I think this one could definitely be improved by having Saphira's troops attack. Since the aim of the mission is to grab the stuff quickly and there's a stupidly huge base in the way, so there's not much in the way of stealth here. Also, I can't say I saw the part-carrying leaders ever move much.

I'll think of something. Thanks for your feedback, it's really appreciated.

 

[cleavinghammer]

Fifth level: No bugs that I could see.

Sixth level: Make the ships visible or give Shades Ultravision, having to hunt every last ship down is less than entertaining (I ended up using the cheat, and it turned out I'd still missed half of them). Also, the hero dialogues trigger when any unit (including shades) enters the base.

Seventh level: Definitely needs a healer (maybe replace Aridon's Dark Ritual with a healing move?). The only one I found was by using Charm on a Chaplain. The teleport&stun everyone move (again, with no healers) is just cheap.
You should have some lower level Forgotten Ones be summoned during the battle, otherwise there's nothing to use Aridon's ultimate on.
The portals the boss summons can be Charmed.
I would suggest making Aridon's raise dead and Saphira's arrow summon the same type of skeleton, it makes it easier to select them all (and they have the same role anyway).

Eighth level: Again with the synchronized attack waves.
Why is there so little lumber around?
You should put the sidequests closer to the starting point. It's already difficult enough with inferior equipment and spells, no need to add going through entire bases as well.

Ninth level: So the first time the demons were steamrolling the base, and... I won. Apparently the victory cutscene happens as soon as Aridon dies.
Abomination hero doesn't have the items, level or abilities he had in the previous level.

 

[TheGreenBottle]

Ahh , finally it's out , but still , i would have expected a demon campaign but i guess that will be the fourth book , right ??? Anyway , great campaign and keep up the good work for the fourth part ( hopefully a demon campaign ) ......

 

[Deleted member 238589]

Sixth level: Make the ships visible or give Shades Ultravision, having to hunt every last ship down is less than entertaining (I ended up using the cheat, and it turned out I'd still missed half of them). Also, the hero dialogues trigger when any unit (including shades) enters the base.

Haven't noticed this one, as I chose to destroy the bases instead, but I noticed there's a lot of ships. Making them visible is not a bad idea.

Seventh level: Definitely needs a healer (maybe replace Aridon's Dark Ritual with a healing move?). The only one I found was by using Charm on a Chaplain. The teleport&stun everyone move (again, with no healers) is just cheap.
You should have some lower level Forgotten Ones be summoned during the battle, otherwise there's nothing to use Aridon's ultimate on.
The portals the boss summons can be Charmed.
I would suggest making Aridon's raise dead and Saphira's arrow summon the same type of skeleton, it makes it easier to select them all (and they have the same role anyway).

I forgot to mention this. I was able to complete it, but it's hard to be an undead with no blight around to regenerate you.

Eighth level: Again with the synchronized attack waves.
Why is there so little lumber around?
You should put the sidequests closer to the starting point. It's already difficult enough with inferior equipment and spells, no need to add going through entire bases as well.

All the lumber is at the southern part of the base, and don't worry, there's a lot of it.
I agree for the second part. It's kinda too much to destroy so many bases, not to mention two bigger ones for the main quests. It might discourage people from doing them. (the side quests)

Ninth level: So the first time the demons were steamrolling the base, and... I won. Apparently the victory cutscene happens as soon as Aridon dies.
Abomination hero doesn't have the items he had in the previous level.

The first one didn't happened to me, and I'm not sure about the abomination, as I lost him in the boss fight. He doesn't come back after you lose him in that one.

 

[d3v4stator]

time to check this out XD

 

[Shar Dundred]

Ninth level: So the first time the demons were steamrolling the base, and... I won. Apparently the victory cutscene happens as soon as Aridon dies.

That's no bug, it's the "second, not good" ending.
Currently working on the other things you mentioned, might update the campaign soon.

 

[cleavinghammer]

Yeah, I double-checked just to be sure by teamkilling him.
Actual ending: ...huh. Maybe make the new arrivals look like they outnumber the old ones, three demonlords and a dreadlord isn't exactly impressive compared to what was destroyed.
Have the orc/human battle show up so you can see how it's going, they ended up falling back before I'd finished the wyvern base.

Overall, good as or better than the other two (the mind possession level was very good), though the fourth and eighth levels are definitely down there with the second orc level.

 

[Shar Dundred]

Just noticed this one:

You should have some lower level Forgotten Ones be summoned during the battle, otherwise there's nothing to use Aridon's ultimate on.

With Aridon's Raise Dead, you can summon skeletons which can be used for Aridon's ultimate. The player isn't supposed to use it on the Forgotten Ones.

Overall, good as or better than the other two (the mind possession level was very good), though the fourth and eighth levels are definitely down there with the second orc level.

Glad you enjoyed it.

EDIT:
Version 1.11 released

Version 1.11

Chapter Six:
- Player can see enemy ships now

Chapter Seven:
- Portals got Resistant Skin
- Added some Runes of Healing

Chapter Nine:
- Destroyer can no longer be trained in the Slaughterhouse
- Fixed Fleshtearer issue
- Fixed issue that made the Souleater Legion look like they're just a few Dreadlords

EDIT2:
Please take a look at this thread and vote!

 

[Kazeon]

I'm the one who always demands something new and fresh, but I can't find any here.

I'm sorry to say this, but I have to, just to prove how REAL SHIT THW's rating system is. This campaign is absolutely nothing compared to The Road of Destiny both in term of aesthetic and story.

(EDIT: since Imperator challenged me. I reverted the post to previous version plus some improvements)

 

[Shar Dundred]

I'm the one who always demands something new and fresh, but I can't find any here.

I'm sorry to say this, but I have to, just to prove how REAL SHIT THW's rating system is. This campaign is absolutely nothing compared to The Road of Destiny both in term of aesthetic and story.

(EDIT: since Imperator challenged me. I reverted the post to previous version plus some improvements)

Thank you for comparing my campaign with something I don't know anything about and giving a low rating without any form of constructive critic! I LOVE that.

 

[Deleted member 238589]

I haven't challenged you and I'm sorry if you feel that way, but it's not SHIT just because you disagree with it, which I respect. You could at least bring some arguments to the table.

 

[Kazeon]

Thank you for comparing my campaign with something I don't know anything about and giving a low rating without any form of constructive critic! I LOVE that.

I can't spill suggestions if it's not regarding to code stuff. The only thing I can say is: that campaign kept me playing for more than 2 days, while your campaign made me bored since the first second until the next 5 or 10 minutes, then I quit.

 

[Shar Dundred]

I can't spill suggestions if it's not regarding to code stuff. The only thing I can say is: that campaign kept me playing for more than 2 days, while your campaign made me bored since the first second until the next 5 or 10 minutes, then I quit.

I'm sure you wohat I'll just ignore yout feedback since all it says is that you don't like it because you don't like it. I can tolerate a 2/5 if it's well explained, but your explanation is just ridiculous and justs shows that you don't like this type of map. Should I give your Glideon a 2/5 just because *I* don't enjoy it? Well, I won't rate it at all because it never had a chance in the first place.
Sorry, but for me, both your voting and feedback here are invalid. Also, I don't appreciate that you use this opportunity to advertise some other project.

You wanted to show that the voting system here is bad? Well, congratulations for misusing it.

 

[LISBOAH]

I can't spill suggestions if it's not regarding to code stuff. The only thing I can say is: that campaign kept me playing for more than 2 days, while your campaign made me bored since the first second until the next 5 or 10 minutes, then I quit.

You and I have very different ways to get fun. I spent a whole night playing Shar's campaigns because of the gameplay, the occasional plot twists, the answer of questions I had throughout the books and the amazing and well-made characters he created.
I will never get bored of playing these books and once all the books are made I will replay from the start!

I'm sure you wohat I'll just ignore yout feedback since all it says is that you don't like it because you don't like it. I can tolerate a 2/5 if it's well explained and your ecplanation is just ridiculous and justs shows that you don't like this type of map. Should I give your Glideon a 2/5 just because *I* don't enjoy it? Well, I won't rate it at all because it never had a chance in the first place.
Sorry, but for me, both your voting and feedback here are invalid. Also, I don't appreciate that you use this opportunity to advertise some other project.

You wanted to show that the voting system here is bad? Well, congratulations for misusing it.

Well said Shar!!

 

[DD Mikasa]

I can't spill suggestions if it's not regarding to code stuff. The only thing I can say is: that campaign kept me playing for more than 2 days, while your campaign made me bored since the first second until the next 5 or 10 minutes, then I quit.

Have you played the other two books?
The story it is connected with the other two books,I would sugest you to try them out and then say how Shitty or not shitty this project is...

 

[LISBOAH]

I just replayed some missions and I, as an anime lover, found this:
-In the first mission, the orc hero hidden in the wood has the same name as a member of Akatsuki in Naruto Shippuden.
-Rahandir Drakeskull is a Dragon Slayer and I could just think of the Dragon Slayers of Fairy Tail.

 

[DD Mikasa]

I just replayed some missions and I, as an anime lover, found this:
-In the first mission, the orc hero hidden in the wood has the same name as a member of Akatsuki in Naruto Shippuden.

In fact Shar took that name from a user in here that has that nickname

 

[StoPCampinGn00b]

I'm the one who always demands something new and fresh, but I can't find any here.

I'm sorry to say this, but I have to, just to prove how REAL SHIT THW's rating system is. This campaign is absolutely nothing compared to The Road of Destiny both in term of aesthetic and story.

(EDIT: since Imperator challenged me. I reverted the post to previous version plus some improvements)

Really? Our rating system is real shit? Maps are rated based off of something called opinion. It is nearly impossible, or even impossible, to be more objective than subjective. I could be more objective by catering to the popularity, which is what moderators and reviewers usually try to do, but I don't understand how our system is shit based off of your reasoning that two maps got a four and you feel that the other is much better.

This map offers blizzard-like gameplay in a non-blizzard universe, which many maps fail to execute. Some people are tired of the Warcraft story, so here is something different for that demographic. And for you to say this map is absolutely nothing compared to another map, which has not yet received high marks, is absolutely ridiculous and simply discourteous. Must I need to explain why?

I notice you seem to be dissing Hive Workshop quite often and I'm not to fond of it. Oh, I'm directly attacking now? Technically speaking, yes I am. But it is extremely relevant to what were dealing with here. Perhaps instead of venting out your rash opinions paired with unkind words to solve something you believe is an issue, you can just create a staff contact thread about things like this.

Going with the 'ol "You're just a friend of the reviewers and author" classic is not going to work as a counter argument. If this was someone else's map and someone other han you posted the exact same content in your post, I'd still be going against it.

To conclude, in no shape way or form am I going to change your rating nor encourage you to change it at the moment. I'm just arguing against your abhorrent statements.

Moving forward, this:

I can't spill suggestions if it's not regarding to code stuff. The only thing I can say is: that campaign kept me playing for more than 2 days, while your campaign made me bored since the first second until the next 5 or 10 minutes, then I quit.

That's fair enough if you can't give suggestions nor constructive criticism, but I hope you know that those who give a bad rating and do that are often shunned. You see, if you stated this in a less unapologetic way, you wouldn't be receiving the distaste people have for you in this thread.

In my opinion, your rating is not invalid but everyone here has every right to bash on your rating because of your attitude.

----

I started to played the map an hour ago and stopped just right now. I must say that I have enjoyed this due to me usually enjoying RTS games, but the quests were not boring and I wish I caught up with the story of the second book. I give it a five star user rating out of opinion, but I keep it as a four star moderator rating based off of Reviewer Imperator's vote.

 

[bbsome]

Great, Looked for ward to it!!!! >_<

 

[Kazeon]

Isn't it very obvious the level difference between these two campaigns? In every aspect (terrain, story, quest, gameplay, etc, etc.) that campaign wins. I would like to give extensive review on that campaign but this is obviously not the right timing. While for this one, it's impossible. What kind of review do you expect from me while I just played it for less than 10 minutes?

This is not a 2/5 resource alright, maybe 3/5 will do. But if a 5/5 campaign only gets 4/5, then obviously a 3/5 campaign should get 2/5. Just to be fair. Unlike you, I always see everyone equally, not matter if he/she is new comer or popular user. Shar's campaign series are very well known, but that doesn't affect my scoring at all, I'm sorry for giving objective rating.

I said your rating system is shit because you always pick user review most of times. While those users don't know anything about map making. What they see is just anything they want in the map, not the overall quality of the map. Even I doubt today's map moderator's reviewing skill. They are good at selecting words and made extensive reviews, but again, they don't know how to see overall quality of maps. It's very obvious judging on how you guys gave ratings. It's hard to be objective more than subjective, but if you can't be objective you shouldn't be a moderator from the first place. Without being objective, a "standard" would never been existed. And if you say "today's standard is higher" then I say another bullshit has been spoken. In fact, the standard is always fluctuating all the time. Why? Because you pour your personal opinion about the thing into the court.

Just a hint, the easiest way to be objective is by comparing one to another. I compare this to that one because they are still fresh and have same ratings. I saw the margin of quality difference is just too big, it seems too unfair to me. And as always, if these kind of things happen around me, then I will talk.

I'm talking for map section here.

And I will give correction to my rating. I gave 2/5 not because this is a lacking resource.

 

[Shar Dundred]

Isn't it very obvious the level difference between these two campaigns? In every aspect (terrain, story, quest, gameplay, etc, etc.) that campaign wins. I would like to give extensive review on that campaign but this is obviously not the right timing. While for this one, it's impossible. What kind of review do you expect from me while I just played it for less than 10 minutes?

This is not a 2/5 resource alright, maybe 3/5 will do. But if a 5/5 campaign only gets 4/5, then obviously a 3/5 campaign should get 2/5. Just to be fair. Unlike you, I always see everyone equally, not matter if he/she is new comer or what. Shar's campaign series are very well known, but that doesn't affect my scoring at all, I'm sorry for giving objective rating.

Again, you're comparing and that shows again that the only reason why you keep returning, is that you just want to say something against Hive. That's no objective opinion, it's part of that litte crusade of yours, you "civilized" person. Take that bullshit somewhere else and stop spamming my thread. You've wasted too much of my time already.

 

[Kazeon]

Again, you're comparing and that shows again that the only reason why you keep returning, is that you just want to say something against Hive. That's no objective opinion, it's part of that litte crusade of yours, you "civilized" person. Take that bullshit somewhere else and stop spamming my thread. You've wasted too much of my time already.

Alright. But before I leave. Do you really think your campaign is at least equal to that one? Which part in your campaign is better? Answer it for yourself.

I'm not talking bullshit dude, I'm being objective.

 

[StoPCampinGn00b]

Isn't it very obvious the level difference between these two campaigns? In every aspect (terrain, story, quest, gameplay, etc, etc.) that campaign wins. I would like to give extensive review on that campaign but this is obviously not the right timing. While for this one, it's impossible. What kind of review do you expect from me while I just played it for less than 10 minutes?

I don't expect a review from someone who had a 10 minute testing section. In fact, I'd prefer for someone not to give a rating at all from playing for that amount of time. I usually don't rate maps I strongly dislike even if the quality is decent so I don't rain on the parade, which is totally innocent (I hated Blades n' Gore II but I didn't down rate it because I wanted to balance the ratings out with maps I felt should be higher). What do you gain from that? Self righteousness feelings? I say it's not worth it as someone who does that just pours negativity all over and receives it back. You can't change our system that way.

Also, why is it bad timing for you to give a review on that campaign? Who would be against that if your review seems just?

Note that the four star rating is usually made as a placeholder for potential five star maps. For three star maps, it's not so much a placeholder for a four due to three star maps usually not improving greatly after approval whereas four star maps make the extra push for a rating like that. But like I said, this isn't the place to chat about ratings like this. If you feel that a moderator gave an unjust rating, you can discuss that with the staff.

This is not a 2/5 resource alright, but if a 5/5 campaign only gets 4/5, then obviously a 3/5 campaign should get 3/5. Just to be fair. Unlike you, I always see everyone equally, not matter if he/she is new comer or what. Shar's campaign series are very well known, but that doesn't affect my scoring, I'm sorry for giving objective rating.

False accusations. Tell me specifically where you feel that I cater to a specific type of users and treat others with negligence or negative bias. If a newbie uploaded this map, my rating would most definitely stay the same. If it wasn't APproject who created iceborn and a somewhat problematic user, I'd still give it a DC. If Ralle created map breaking the rules, I'd still reject it.

You did not give an objective rating. The rating you gave was a self agenda rating, wanting one map to get lower ratings than another. You specifically said the map deserves a 3/5 but you want to keep your rating as a two.

NOTE: I'll continue this argument via pms or vms. We're getting more off-topic now.

EDIT: Really? You just doubled your previous post in length just right now and changed some things. Thanks for making my above arguments useless >.>

I said your rating system is shit because you always pick user review most of times.

False. 1/3 of the time I do and half of that third I also check the map.

While those users don't know anything about map making. What they see is just anything they want in the map, not the overall quality of the map.

Mostly false. These guys aren't moderators, but they are more than average user in objective capability. The super majority of users vote with opinion.

Even I doubt today's map moderator's reviewing skill. They are good at selecting words and made extensive reviews, but again, they don't know how to see overall quality of maps.

There is no one better on the market that is active. Never mind that, but we do know thank you very much. Your definition of quality is obviously much different than others of the site. What we do is set the standard, which isn't your standard, then do it from there. Orcnet and I are the only ones left, and the whole of Hive Workshop seems to have no issue with it but you always seem to be against us.

It's hard to be objective more than subjective, but if you can't be objective you shouldn't be a moderator from the first place. Without being objective, a "standard" would never been existed.

I am as objective as one could be to the point where most people won't be displeased because of it. In my reviews, I stress the separation of my personal opinion and the moderator rating. The problem here is that the rating factors when being objective are extremely murky that the only thing left to do is rate objectively based off of popular opinion on what factors should be objective about the map. Like I said before, you're not the one providing the objective rating rubric. When we compare maps, most maps are incredibly different from each other that we must be extra careful when doing that. Orcnet has been doing this for years, and I have been moderating for half a year with such little complaints. That is my response to your criticism.

 

[Heinvers]

Can you guys be less toxic to Quilnez and just boil off this difference?

You're getting worse by the day.
He has the right to low rate it he wants/thinks that it's the right thing, you're just making yourselves look like power-hungry/manipulating bastards.

So yeah, just stop.

~~~~~~

Also Quilnez please do add constructive criticism in your posts if you think that something's 'shit'.
That way you'll receive less toxicity from users around and not end up shunned as the majority tend to do with low raters.

 

[Shadow Fury]

What a harsh debate... time to calm everyone and express my opinion

All right Quilnez, I know you're one of the guys which search for the top quality maps and I know that you're a great map-maker. However, I must say that you review in a way that let people dispute you with lots of controversial comments. Your method of comparing a map/campaign to another map/campagin is the only thing unfair. Why? Let's take your Glideon. If I compare it to Iceborn, I'd give you 1/5. However, I did not do so thus I gave you 4/5. If I had to apply this comparative method on every map, then I'd just spam 1/5 and 2/5 to all resources since I'd give links to better ones.

Back to this campaign, I gave it 3/5 as well as you did yet I did not receive any objection. The reason? Simple! I based myself on some valid arguments and didn't just rush my vote based on a short gameplay time (took two days to review this).

In my map reviewer career, I've encountered several maps I did not like as type of gameplay however I did not decrease my rating for this. I recall you bashing me in Minotaur's Labyrinth about you stating facts and no opinions. Well, I'll tell you this time that whatever you say in a review is 100% your opinion. You like/don't like the terrain? It's your opinion! ALL professional moderators and map reviewers ALWAYS say their opinion in their reviews because it's impossible to state facts only.

With all these things being said, I'd highly recommend you Quilnez to change your way of reviewing or not reviewing at all since you'd just receive unwanted comments from others.

 

[LISBOAH]

Isn't it very obvious the level difference between these two campaigns? In every aspect (terrain, story, quest, gameplay, etc, etc.) that campaign wins. I would like to give extensive review on that campaign but this is obviously not the right timing. While for this one, it's impossible. What kind of review do you expect from me while I just played it for less than 10 minutes?

This is not a 2/5 resource alright, maybe 3/5 will do. But if a 5/5 campaign only gets 4/5, then obviously a 3/5 campaign should get 2/5. Just to be fair. Unlike you, I always see everyone equally, not matter if he/she is new comer or popular user. Shar's campaign series are very well known, but that doesn't affect my scoring at all, I'm sorry for giving objective rating.

I said your rating system is shit because you always pick user review most of times. While those users don't know anything about map making. What they see is just anything they want in the map, not the overall quality of the map. Even I doubt today's map moderator's reviewing skill. They are good at selecting words and made extensive reviews, but again, they don't know how to see overall quality of maps. It's very obvious judging on how you guys gave ratings. It's hard to be objective more than subjective, but if you can't be objective you shouldn't be a moderator from the first place. Without being objective, a "standard" would never been existed. And if you say "today's standard is higher" then I say another bullshit has been spoken. In fact, the standard is always fluctuating all the time. Why? Because you pour your personal opinion about the thing into the court.

Just a hint, the easiest way to be objective is by comparing one to another. I compare this to that one because they are still fresh and have same ratings. I saw the margin of quality difference is just too big, it seems too unfair to me. And as always, if these kind of things happen around me, then I will talk.

I'm talking for map section here.

And I will give correction to my rating. I gave 2/5 not because this is a lacking resource.

Oh so now you are judging the ENTIRE SYSTEM of Hive Workshop? You are saying that everybody that loves this campaign are a bunch of bigot fools that are just loving this campaign because its creator is famous? I will let you know that I started loving this campaign long before I even knew how popular Shar was. A well-known author can make a book and I can consider it pure garbage but not this. Shar's campaigns are awesome not because of his popularity, but because of the hard work he puts on making them and his creativity in creating such campaign, thrilling story and amazing characters!

 

[DD Mikasa]

Alright. But before I leave. Do you really think your campaign is at least equal to that one? Which part in your campaign is better? Answer it for yourself.

I'm not talking bullshit dude, I'm being objective.

From what i saw that campaign had a lot of people working on it

Hmm i took a look at this campaign you speek of.Indeed its has a really really good terrain but gameplay wise...It's not that good we just do objectives and to be honest i got really board from all thoes sidequests.On top of that the quest section was buggy as hell,some of the quest diden't even show up on the "Quest section" and there was some other bugs i don't recall right now,The campaign you speek of it is really good but LoA project it is good also.

I think lore wise Shar project has the edge,Shar created all the story himself while the campaign you speek of was bassed on WoW lore.Also the storys Shar worte were a really cool edition that i enjoyed.



AND

LETS NOT FORGET, THAT CAMPAIGN HAD A WHOAL CREW OF MEMEBERS WORKING ON IT,while this one is done by Shar alone and as we know there is So much a man can do

 

[Joinma]

Finished all at last!
There are 4 important items in this campaign, 3 crown of kings and 1 ring of arch magi.
All missions which I controlled undead base, necro-wagon works every missions.
Some walkthrough
- Give Krom the best int equipment so he can heal continuously
- CH 8 sequence = expo -> posses bottom right base -> destroy arch mage base -> destroy grey base. I used ghosts the most mixed with a few priests and a dozen of mortar team.
- CH9 Slow game speed down so it will be 100x easier.
It seems only necro-wagon works here. No one has time to use dispel since everyone is busy using AoE spells or attacking someone.

Overall - I enjoy it a a lot even though necro-wagon is everywhere.

I just realized something. Vaneesa was with orc attacking Imperial base in orc campaign, wasn't it? How did she stay with aridon in undead campaign at the same time?

 

[AGUS EL GRANDE]

Wow! The difficulty is insane! The best campaign, maybe i'll should download the new versions. Chapter nine, what the hell? Is really great! Congratulations! You're very good in this!
Sorry for the english, I'm argentinian xD

 

[LISBOAH]

I just realized something. When the Builders build a lumberjack they instantly start harvesting humber and same thing goes to orc Peons. But not with the acolytes. They just stand there. You should fix that.

In the sixth mission the Queen of Suffering can gain control of my ships. And shouldn´t the fleets be fighting rather than some occasional zeppelins and aerial attacks?

In the seventh mission the Resistant Skin of the Spirit Legionnaire says 'Mountain Giant'. Also you could make the killing the corrupted forest inhabitants an optional quest.