• 🏆 Texturing Contest #33 is OPEN! Contestants must re-texture a SD unit model found in-game (Warcraft 3 Classic), recreating the unit into a peaceful NPC version. 🔗Click here to enter!
  • It's time for the first HD Modeling Contest of 2024. Join the theme discussion for Hive's HD Modeling Contest #6! Click here to post your idea!

[Strategy / Risk] Lordaeron Gambit

Level 15
Joined
Feb 2, 2009
Messages
154
Lordaeron Gambit

Welcome to Lordaeron Gambit! This map was something of a side project while I worked on Northrend Gambit. Using many of the same systems but smaller. The past few patches of Warcraft 3 introduced crashes that became such an obstacle to my editing of Northrend Gambit that I have decided to simply shelf the project in order to work on this one. This map has proved popular in a few spawn-based-strategy circles and it has now become necessary to upload it somewhere for people to download it while I continue its development.

Inspired by maps like Lordaeron Tactics, War in the Plaguelands, and Glory of the Horde, Lordaeron Gambit is a spawn-based-strategy game set in Lordaeron. The land is bound for upheaval, Arthas begun investigation of the plague, the Barovs shelter cultists in Scholomance, and the Blackrock Clan gathers sacrifices for their demonic masters.
Lordaeron Gambit is currently an 10-player game with forces evenly divided between the forces of the Scourge and the forces of Lordaeron. Unlike Northrend Gambit's ambitious path system, Lordaeron Gambit will simply boast events that I hope to properly represent through gameplay. These events often happen automatically, such as when you kill an enemy hero or lost an important base. But others may lead your faction to new heights or new beginnings.

Currently every faction has at least one backup event that may be researched after ten minutes that destroys all that they own but grants them a small but effective hero squad that can be used to assist teammate's in their fights. This tends to result in a massive battle between the few surviving factions in the end game, with squads of heroes skirmishing with one another for dominance beside their teammates' armies that clash forming living battlefields.


Factions

LordaeronLordaeron is comprised of Brill, Solliden, and the majestic Capital City. With powerful heroes such as Arthas and King Teranas, they find themselves in a powerful position with numerous spawns. But bearing down upon Lordaeron are the forces of the Scourge and the Cult of the Damned whose powerful units can quickly turn the tide on Lordaeron early in the game.
To survive, Lordaeron must protect Arthas and collaberate with their ally the Silver Hand.
Silver HandFeaturing powerful paladins and safe bases such as Mardenholde and Vandermar Village, the Silver Hand can quickly turn the tide in most battles to favor the forces of Lordaeron. At the start the Silverhand is quite limited in spawns, and so must play carefully to ensure their units can survive. To this end they should rely on Lordaeron to hold key areas and push with them when the time comes.

Death of many of the Silverhand heroes results in a dark counterpart joining the forces of the Scourge.
The Cult of the DamnedA cabal of necromancers and horrors that threaten the land of Lordaeron, the Cult of the Damned is led by the hero Kel'Thuzad on behalf of his dark master the Lich King. Seeking to destroy the forces of Lordaeron, the Cult of the Damned must use their powerful units and necromancers to assist the Scourge in attacking bases.
ScourgeRavenous hordes of undead led by the bloodthirsty Dreadlords, the Scourge represents the powerful and numerous forces present in Lordaeron. Mal'Ganis in particular leads this invasion to the great pride of Tichondrious and the disdain of Mannaroth. But change can happen quickly should Arthas fall to darkness.
AndorhalA fortress of a town and protected by the powerful Paladins of the Defenders of Justice and the Circle of Holy Light, Andorhal stands defiantly upon the precipice of ruin. Across the waters lies the dreaded Scholomance where the Barovs are mustered forth by the Scourge. Facing impossible odds these noble heroes must hold the line for Lordaeron and the Silverhand.

Should they succeed or fail, they shall gain a hero that will reduce their enemies to ashes.
The BarovsAccomplished necromancers led by Lord Alexei Barov, the forces of Caer Darrow are near unmatchable in an open field. Boasting powerful heroes, and an easily defendable base defeat is often unlikely for the Barovs save for in the face of grievous odds. Tasked with demolishing the town of Andorhal, the Barovs prepare for a long conflict.

Failure to push Andorhal may result in a coin flip of a result due to the war raging just south of them between the Blackrock Clan and Alterac, and the winner isn't always on their side.
Blackrock ClanFeaturing powerful warlocks and the Blademasters of the Burning Blade, this force is comprised of those within the Blackrock clan whom make sacrifices to appease their demonic masters. Having allied with the Crushridge Ogres the Blackrock Clan sallies forth from the ruined city of Alterac to crush Strahnbrad and the forces of Alterac that remain.

Every hero killed by the Blackrock Clan pleases their demonic masters and grants them additional units to be used for further bloodshed.
AlteracFrom Strahnbrad the Perenoldes gaze upon their ruined kingdom. Brought to dishonor by Aiden and craving vengeance for the loss of their home Aliden, Isiden, and Beve set aside their differences in an attempt to reclaim their birthright... for now.
Rothide GnollsGnolls raised into undeath by Thule Ravenclaw with the twisted woven wand, these savage creatures fight for the Scourge in the depths of Silverpine Forest.
GilneansNorth of the great Greymane wall lies the domain of Darius Crowley. Pyrewood Village is beset by horrid undead and the onslaught of death has only begun. Led by Silverlaine and Crowley the people of Northgate struggle to survive the night.


Gameplay

Build Points:

A classic staple of the spawn based genre, build points allow you to create buildings with uses ranging from utility to fortification. There are currently two types of build points.

Tower Point: Allows the creation of a tower which can be upgraded to more powerful versions. Currently there is only one type of tower that boasts a multiattack but other towers such as ones with a cold attack or feedback effect may be added in the future if there is demand.

Building Point: Building points currently offer three potential buildings to be constructed. First is a gold mine which grants you 25 gold every spawn (2 minutes). Second is a lumber mill which grants you 20 lumber every spawn. Third is a Fort which spawns a limited amount of units every spawn and can be upgraded to a fortress which grants even better defensive capabilities and more units upon every spawn.

Income:

Lumber: Lumber is used for unit upgrades and buildings at build points. It may only be earned by killing units and through building lumber mills at build points.

Gold: Gold is used for upgrades and upgrading towers. 100 is given to every player every spawn in addition to the amount they receive through any gold mines.

Spawns and Units:

For those with previous experience with spawn based strategy games, this terminology will be recognizable. Every two minutes units are spawned for all factions at their bases. Should one of these bases be destroyed, it will leave behind a Building Point. Primary bases, otherwise known as "Capitals", can create Quarters which will increase the amount of units spawned from it. There is a maximum of 2 quarters per a player.

While units spawned from bases are powerful and can swing battles in your favor, other types of units exist outside the spawning system that must be utilized fully for victory to be assured.

Elite Units: Otherwise known as "Elites" these units carry powerful healing that allow your heroes to survive skirmishes with enemy as well as a myriad of abilities that make them a formidable force on the battlefield. Every elite for each faction can be improved with a single upgrade available to that faction which improves their capabilities. These Elites can only be trained from capitals and as such upon losing your capital you lose capability to train these units.

Demi-Heroes: Sometimes just called "demis" these are powerful units that are treated as heroes in classification without the capability of leveling or improving their capabilities. These heroes are revivable and often provide impactful abilities to offset a faction's weaknesses.

Heroes: The powerful levelable units we all know and love. Heroes are unrevivable in Lordaeron Gambit, and as such hero targeting more than common, its part of the game! Heroes can come with abilities that increase their capability to 'pick' off enemy heroes. Many factions have backup heroes that are granted whenever an important hero is slain but these heroes are often worse or accent some weakness as a trade-off.



Thank you to anyone interested in this maps development, and all feedback is welcome. If you like any triggers or terrain or anything you see in the map feel free to take it. This map will never be protected and you can do whatever you want with its terrain etc as long as you give proper credits.
 

Attachments

  • Lordaeron_Gambit_v.08c.w3x
    91.5 MB · Views: 41
Last edited:
Level 38
Joined
Feb 27, 2007
Messages
4,951
Thank you to anyone interested in this maps development, and all feedback is welcome. If you like any triggers or terrain or anything you see in the map feel free to take it. This map will never be protected and you can do whatever you want with its terrain etc as long as you give proper credits.
I really appreciate the tone of this footnote. Props, man.
 
Top