*Warning! : This post is an "eye-bleeder", please do not read unless necessary.
On a side-note : If some of you aren't familiar with my reviewing style, please bare with me during this whole ordeal. Excuse the somewhat randomness factor, I'll try to work on this in the near future*
- Loading screen - Add a custom loading screen whilst still trying to keep the over-all file-size of the map to a minimum!
- The Intro - Is too long, might cause seizures to people suffering from epilepsy. (It's not exactly appealing to eye).
*(10 hours later : Finally In-game, the first things I've noticed)
- Models : No custom hero models.
- Hero Descriptions : Have typos and / or lack real information about each individual character. Also : Do not suggest a hero by writing "Namiro : Probably best hero" in his description.
- Quests : First quest was bugged! - Although I clicked on "Hatsuki" to accept his quest, no text appeared , but from what I understood, I was supposed to explore the parts of the map where pings started nagging me to go to. Also, stupidly : why wouldn't the units / heroes that provide you with quests, be invulnerable? - My enemies could attack them / kill them (As I could too) and this is very troublesome if I actually want to complete these quests, obviously. Suggestion : try "Gaia's Retaliation"'s approach adding a "Talk to" or "Accept" quest option on those specific units.
- Structures : Are easily destroyable and very few are Invulnerable as they should be! I mean, I could practically destroy a Way Gate, thus ruining it's purpose (Creeps that fallowed me to a nearby friendly camp had the tendency to do that for me). Many other structures and building were vulnerable to attacks and if they're existence was purely aesthetic, then they fail in that way too. - Variety is also an issue but I will not continue on this subject.
- Notifications : Are usually annoying and redundant! Why would I have the constant need to be informed I've just received "X" number of experience points and other such "achievements"? And why "Add 300 Experience Points"? Sound like the Flintstones are in town.
- Shops : Sell few items or troops . Items / troops have the saddest descriptions to find on any map in English here on The Hive. Barely consisting of one line, not describing abilities or benefits thoroughly.
- Items : Imbalanced , lack a proper description, and some require other items for their completion (no information about where to buy / find / acquire those items is stated) - Suggestion : "Healing Stick" Does not have a cool-down, this may leave to abuse on the battlefield! And for God's sake : "Healing Stick (Duration 15 seconds, radius 400)" ...*sigh*
- Skills : I think this section is the most messed-up and lacking of all things to consider. You obviously have a problem writing what things do , or what they are, etc.
Example : Moon Thunder - "Lvl 10 (250 damage, chance 14%)" ...uhmm?...I then found out while playing, that this skill is supposed to have a % chance to mini-stun a target and inflict bonus damage, but the names of the skills barely reflect or suggest what they might do in reality. Balance : AoE spells are too OP and can target both structures and units in their radius' (and if any of your allied units or structures are unlucky enough to be caught in that area, you can kiss them good-bye as well ; neutrals too)
One of the "guilty party" spells - "Monsoon" - has nothing to do with it's name, it just periodically hits units with lightning in the desired area (also affects building, neutral creeps and so on). Enough here before I go insane.
- Terrain : Oh yes...the terrain...This map suffers from what I like to call "Outbrake" syndrome, as ap0calypse might get the pun. The reasons why I dislike it so much are simple :
1)Caves placed in the middle of nowhere (and no,they do not take you anywhere) with no land to support them ,giving them a reason to exist, or be feasible.
2) Terrain patterns sometimes change abnormally, from green pastures to extreme frost wastelands with nothing to make the transition smoother. What I mean by this : well, imagine you're in a desert...you walk 3 feet and you've stumbled upon a giant slab of ice...standing next to a fresh water pond...near all these critters (and I swear I'm not exaggerating) -a Rabbit, a Lizard, a Stag and a Seal. (Is this a message from the author bringing forth the dangers of Global Warming to our unaware minds?)
Oh and don't expect custom terrain or different doodads from the ones seen in normal W3, although the proper use and balance of those can result in a very good looking map indeed.
3) The doodads themselves are plenty, which is good! But most of the times, (just like everything else), are over-used and it seems like the map wants to mimic a never-ending repetitive spiral that hurts my eyes. And for balance sake, Christ! 1 out 3 destructible doodads (boxes,cages) I attacked, gave me Experience Runes that quickly overfed me. Now creeps and Bosses didn't even phase me...
- Game-play : Awful! - Some creep camps or mobs are placed too close to friendly camps and that usually results in a conflict if the fog of war lifts when your hero passes by. Abilities , like I said, are Overpowered ; Items do next to nothing ; and you can't shake the over-all feeling of "Why am I playing this?" throughout the whole game.
- Sounds / Music : This is where I wanted to get to. - The reason why the map is so HUGE. Remove the songs at once! (increases file-size for no reason)
I turned the music ON in W3 just to experience what's called an "EAR RAPE"! I tried to sample these sounds and I came to the conclusion that Bjork and Placebo have united forces to stop the pleasure of music once and for all. The music was bad ; just good-ol'-100%-noise-that-infects-your-ears bad! (Again reference to Gaia's Retaliation : Zwiebelchen has good tastes here too)
One last note on the music / sound section : There's a custom sound played whenever you pick up an item, or gain a level...For the sake of humanity, REMOVE IT! - Annoyance Factor = >9000!!!
~ If I missed anything, I apologize : I'm tired and fed up with reviewing poor quality maps such as this one, no matter how harsh or "mean" that might sound. Nothing personal -Corpse- & -Makoi- ~
- Rating : 1/5 (Unacceptable!)
- Voting for : Rejection!