The Archdefenders Version 1.14

[eubz]

Please, review the rules before posting. Read the rules about beta phases of maps.

 

[Pinols]

I tested the map only in Singleplayer, but to me it's pretty evident you need some balancing, as well as some fixing, i tried the horrors race and the skill which spawns a naga royal guard equivalent when an infected unit dies within two seconds was first of all way too strong, i had an army of only those units, second of all you need to fix the fact that you can cast that on ally units, or even on themselves. You can have them infect themselves while in the midddle of the map and have basically endless units.
Anyway, it is a solid foundation and a fun map if finished properly.

 

[Null]

I tested the map only in Singleplayer, but to me it's pretty evident you need some balancing, as well as some fixing, i tried the horrors race and the skill which spawns a naga royal guard equivalent when an infected unit dies within two seconds was first of all way too strong, i had an army of only those units, second of all you need to fix the fact that you can cast that on ally units, or even on themselves. You can have them infect themselves while in the midddle of the map and have basically endless units.
Anyway, it is a solid foundation and a fun map if finished properly.

That was a sugestion from a discord member. I really thought it would be fun. It was op when it last 5 seconds. I thought that at 2 seconds it would be better. I guess I ll take it out of the map.
Also this is the kind of map that you would play with a friend, because i made the helping thing with the roads and some spells.
Playing it with more people has a much different impact.
Pls consider rating.

 

[eubz]

I think you might want to make this playable and balanced for single player.

 

[Null]

I think you might want to make this playable and balanced for single player.

I LL do that in the future

 

[Blasterixx]

My small review
~

Spoiler

~~Negatives/Bugs~~

- The terain looks too empty and boring.

- Since the players get income over time, the workers beside building 2 or 3 buildings they become useless, i suggest implementing some gold mines on the map and make the players go out of their zones and secure them in order to boost their overall income, those gold mines should be defended by powerful creeps/undead.

- Since there are heroes in this map i suggest implementing some shops around the map as well, to be able to buy items.

- Alpha aura lvl 3 stopped working after some time, no idea why.(from the maxed lvl wolf hero)

- Same with adaptability spell.(from the maxed level wolf baby)

- It seems like the version name on this site is called 1.1 while in the game is called 1.0

- Not sure i am a big fan of not beeing able to revive heroes,i guess its not a big deal but the map loses lots of fun potential when u cannot play with heroes as well, maybe make reviving the heroes cost lots of gold like 500 ~ 1000 gold and increase the gold with the leveling of the hero.

- I played this map 2 times so far:

First time i played solo the game was hard and i got overwhelmed by the undead forces pretty fast (it seems like playing solo ain't the way to go which is fine for a team game map but it shouldn't be impossible).

Second time i played with 3 more players, and this time even tho all of us were new to the map, we managed to destroy the undead base and win pretty easily(almost too easy), so i got a few suggestions for the difficulty:

1.First make it that the more players are in the game the harder the difficulty of the enemy should be, for exemple: playing solo the undead mobs have 0 armor and 0 dmg upgrades and waay less hp, playing with 2 players mobs have 1 armor and 1 dmg upgrades and a bit more hp and so on...

2.Second, i noticed there was some kind of Lich teleporting around the map at first near the spawns, and i killed him fast after i focused him, no idea what was up with him, but i think you should change the way he works entirely, something like this:

-Make him work like an undead hero and go with the undead waves and attack the players instead of teleporting at random in front of the player's bases.

-He should be able to level up from kills and some bonus constant xp the time goes on, this way he will become more powerful the time goes on forcing the players to work as a team and kill him.

-The Lich should get more spells the more he levels up as well like frost nova, etc.

-When he gets low hp he should try to run back to the main undead base and heal there and then keep going with a random wave of undead to attack a random player once more. (If the lich dies he will revive and lose 1 level or lose 200 hp permanently, and the revive time is always 80 seconds).


~~Positives~~

- I really like the concept of the map, my favorite race must be the wolves, i love the way you can evolve them based on kills and the chance to get random passive spells as well.

- I see every race has its role, the Wolves are like the main damage dealer race while the mentalists are more of a support race, didn't test the other 2 races.


~~Final thoughts~~

- Overall the map has lots of potential and with more testing/reworks and time it will become something special, i wish you all the best with your project!

~

 

[Null]

My small review
~

Spoiler

~~Negatives/Bugs~~

- The terain looks too empty and boring.

- Since the players get income over time, the workers beside building 2 or 3 buildings they become useless, i suggest implementing some gold mines on the map and make the players go out of their zones and secure them in order to boost their overall income, those gold mines should be defended by powerful creeps/undead.

- Since there are heroes in this map i suggest implementing some shops around the map as well, to be able to buy items.

- Alpha aura lvl 3 stopped working after some time, no idea why.(from the maxed lvl wolf hero)

- Same with adaptability spell.(from the maxed level wolf baby)

- It seems like the version name on this site is called 1.1 while in the game is called 1.0

- Not sure i am a big fan of not beeing able to revive heroes,i guess its not a big deal but the map loses lots of fun potential when u cannot play with heroes as well, maybe make reviving the heroes cost lots of gold like 500 ~ 1000 gold and increase the gold with the leveling of the hero.

- I played this map 2 times so far:

First time i played solo the game was hard and i got overwhelmed by the undead forces pretty fast (it seems like playing solo ain't the way to go which is fine for a team game map but it shouldn't be impossible).

Second time i played with 3 more players, and this time even tho all of us were new to the map, we managed to destroy the undead base and win pretty easily(almost too easy), so i got a few suggestions for the difficulty:

1.First make it that the more players are in the game the harder the difficulty of the enemy should be, for exemple: playing solo the undead mobs have 0 armor and 0 dmg upgrades and waay less hp, playing with 2 players mobs have 1 armor and 1 dmg upgrades and a bit more hp and so on...

2.Second, i noticed there was some kind of Lich teleporting around the map at first near the spawns, and i killed him fast after i focused him, no idea what was up with him, but i think you should change the way he works entirely, something like this:

-Make him work like an undead hero and go with the undead waves and attack the players instead of teleporting at random in front of the player's bases.

-He should be able to level up from kills and some bonus constant xp the time goes on, this way he will become more powerful the time goes on forcing the players to work as a team and kill him.

-The Lich should get more spells the more he levels up as well like frost nova, etc.

-When he gets low hp he should try to run back to the main undead base and heal there and then keep going with a random wave of undead to attack a random player once more. (If the lich dies he will revive and lose 1 level or lose 200 hp permanently, and the revive time is always 80 seconds).


~~Positives~~

- I really like the concept of the map, my favorite race must be the wolves, i love the way you can evolve them based on kills and the chance to get random passive spells as well.

- I see every race has its role, the Wolves are like the main damage dealer race while the mentalists are more of a support race, didn't test the other 2 races.


~~Final thoughts~~

- Overall the map has lots of potential and with more testing/reworks and time it will become something special, i wish you all the best with your project!

~

Your Feedback means a lot for me. Thanks!

 

[Pinols]

That was a sugestion from a discord member. I really thought it would be fun. It was op when it last 5 seconds. I thought that at 2 seconds it would be better. I guess I ll take it out of the map.
Also this is the kind of map that you would play with a friend, because i made the helping thing with the roads and some spells.
Playing it with more people has a much different impact.
Pls consider rating.

I'd only nerf the type of unit it spawns and the fact they can cast it on themselves, other then that it's fine.
I'll do more testing if i get the chance, love the concept anyway.

 

[deepstrasz]

Lots of uncredited authors: Resources in Use by The Archdefenders V. 1.11 | HIVE If you used material from other sites, games, credit those too.

Awaiting Update.

---

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Description Guide - Melee Maps
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Melee Map Description Generator v1.3

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Description Guide - Maps
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Details

GENERAL MAPPING
A Beginner's Guide to Map Making
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Various Terraining Tips!
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How to create Melee Maps
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Melee mapping - The reasons behind common aspects of competitive 1v1 maps
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Pathing - Everything about it
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Triggers - Memory Leaks and Custom Scripts

If you're not satisfied with the review and wish another opinion, contact the other reviewers or use the staff contact:
Paillan
twojstaryjakcie
Daffa the Mage
eubz
https://www.hiveworkshop.com/forums/staff-contact.692/

 

[deepstrasz]

Spoiler: comments

1. Heroes should have glow. You can easily add it: How to add Hero Glow without Modeling
2. Terrain is too bare. You should make it look nicer. See the guides above. It's flat, one tiled and has little doodad variation.
   
3. The enemy is named Player 14.
4. Holy Rejuvenation is also found on normal units. A bit more uniqueness? And yet another unit with that spell. Every unit should have its role.
   
5. Not sure if intended but you can choose the next ability level for the same spell once you level up afterward. In the original game there's a one level pause.
6. Stun is a passive ability with an active ability icon. You can make it look passive: Button Manager v1.8.2 Same Holy Hammers, Light Stomp, Holy Fire.
   
7. Intended for some spells not to have more than 1 level or 2?
8. No information on how you get resources/income.
9. Buildings have chaotic icon positions in the build menu.
10. Even the items in the shop have some abilities already present on units and the hero. Devotion+Devotion? Does it stack?
    
11. The paladin hero doesn't even have an inventory.
12. The Barracks has the WcIII description.
13. Maybe another enemy than the same undead like how players can select one of more factions which are not necessarily human or "good".
14. Horrific Ascension's description is vague.
    Tooltip Tutorial
    Creating Good Descriptions
15. Void Calling has the Summon Water Elemental description.
16. Abilities in the learn menu should have active icons.
17. Research Acidic Gland should have an active icon.
18. Chaotic Moves should have a passive icon.
19. Total Recreation looks as if it's a DISBTN/disabled icon.
20. I'm pretty sure all heroes have no inventory seeing this one doesn't have one as well.
21. Wyrm drop should look passive. Healing Wyrm should have the autocast borders. You can use that program linked above for easy editing.
22. For of Madness should look active and its deactivate icon is different.
23. The monstrosity hero's ultimate replaces the unit completely having to start levelling up from the first level. Same for the second transformation. You also lose the CTRL+number group and get the hero deselected.
    
24. Also, no other items?
25. Players always start in the same spot. Some are closer to each other, not sure if that is proper balance.
26. The enemy is pretty boring, attacks being very similar as their repetitive defense.
27. Splitting Arrow should look passive.
28. Mind Link looks like a green square. Learn more about icons:
    Complete Icon Tutorial - All About Icons
    How to Make an Icon
29. Treasure Archive's icon is as if it were disabled.
30. The rest is probably the same.

Recycled Warcraft III material. Factions feel incomplete, unpolished, ripoffs of original game races. The enemy doesn't help on that part either. There's no real AI but triggers spawning units and sending them.

Needs much more work. Please learn from the altered melee and defense/survival maps on the site.
Some examples of altered melee:
How to: Create a Full-working Custom Race
Custom Race Creation: Advanced Mechanics
UB - Ultimate Battle v2.20b AI+
Deforestation of Felwood v2.1.1
Nightborne v1.04
Planetary Domination v2.04
Sands of Time [v1.9]
The Grand Citadel (Racial Issue 1.6)

Awaiting Update.

(previous comments: The Archdefenders Version 1.12)

 

[FeelsGoodMan]

Ok so here is my review;

Spoiler

The terrain is not interesting. There are many guides on how to make a good terrain so I advise you to read up on some of them. Try to introduce some more environmental doodads here and there. Now I realize this is a defense map but some doodads and other things would really do it good.

There are a lot of spelling mistakes all over the place. I suggest asking for help if English is not your first language to have someone proofread it for you.

The spells could have been done better, and many of them were just modified Warcraft 3 abilities. Spells can be hard, but there are some really good tutorials you can read to start making decent spells.

The chieftain hero is hard to distinguish from the Goliaths when he's in his second form. Try adding hero glow to him with a hero glow model. I know there is a model called Aura.mdx which adds hero glow to non hero units.

I might just be bad but sometimes it was really hard. I had to use cheats sometimes.

Immolation shouldn't have a PAS icon in its disabled form. And the enabled and disabled should have the same icon only different hues.


Chieftains grasp at last level has a BTN icon while the ability is passive. You should change the icon to a PAS icon.

More units and more variety would be nice. Now I have 3 units that I can train, and two items. Two upgrades too.

I like that the hero can get a new form as it opens for further customization, but in the end it's for the most part just increased stats. You can expand a lot more on this idea.

I don't like that the hero is permanently dead when it dies. Just a subjective opinion so disregard this if you will.

Kaku was just standing some random place on the map, not attacking. Not sure if that's intentional?

All in all I would say it's a good start, and a good baseline for a map that can be good if you introduce more elements to it. As it is now it's lacking substance. You need more upgrades, more unit types, more items and preferably more tiers for the buildings as well to open up for stronger unit types. More varied enemy units and so on. Spell casters needs more spells (they had 1 healing spell).

Keep working on the map, try to think up interesting strategies and then expand on those strategies as much as you can.

 

[deepstrasz]

I'm sorry but most of the issues are still present. The general quality of this map is low.

(previous comments: The Archdefenders Version 1.14)

Substandard.

 

[Null]

Spoiler: comments

1. Heroes should have glow. You can easily add it: How to add Hero Glow without Modeling
2. Terrain is too bare. You should make it look nicer. See the guides above. It's flat, one tiled and has little doodad variation.
   
3. The enemy is named Player 14.
4. Holy Rejuvenation is also found on normal units. A bit more uniqueness? And yet another unit with that spell. Every unit should have its role.
   
5. Not sure if intended but you can choose the next ability level for the same spell once you level up afterward. In the original game there's a one level pause.
6. Stun is a passive ability with an active ability icon. You can make it look passive: Button Manager v1.8.2 Same Holy Hammers, Light Stomp, Holy Fire.
   
7. Intended for some spells not to have more than 1 level or 2?
8. No information on how you get resources/income.
9. Buildings have chaotic icon positions in the build menu.
10. Even the items in the shop have some abilities already present on units and the hero. Devotion+Devotion? Does it stack?
    
11. The paladin hero doesn't even have an inventory.
12. The Barracks has the WcIII description.
13. Maybe another enemy than the same undead like how players can select one of more factions which are not necessarily human or "good".
14. Horrific Ascension's description is vague.
    Tooltip Tutorial
    Creating Good Descriptions
15. Void Calling has the Summon Water Elemental description.
16. Abilities in the learn menu should have active icons.
17. Research Acidic Gland should have an active icon.
18. Chaotic Moves should have a passive icon.
19. Total Recreation looks as if it's a DISBTN/disabled icon.
20. I'm pretty sure all heroes have no inventory seeing this one doesn't have one as well.
21. Wyrm drop should look passive. Healing Wyrm should have the autocast borders. You can use that program linked above for easy editing.
22. For of Madness should look active and its deactivate icon is different.
23. The monstrosity hero's ultimate replaces the unit completely having to start levelling up from the first level. Same for the second transformation. You also lose the CTRL+number group and get the hero deselected.
    
24. Also, no other items?
25. Players always start in the same spot. Some are closer to each other, not sure if that is proper balance.
26. The enemy is pretty boring, attacks being very similar as their repetitive defense.
27. Splitting Arrow should look passive.
28. Mind Link looks like a green square. Learn more about icons:
    Complete Icon Tutorial - All About Icons
    How to Make an Icon
29. Treasure Archive's icon is as if it were disabled.
30. The rest is probably the same.

Recycled Warcraft III material. Factions feel incomplete, unpolished, ripoffs of original game races. The enemy doesn't help on that part either. There's no real AI but triggers spawning units and sending them.

Needs much more work. Please learn from the altered melee and defense/survival maps on the site.
Some examples of altered melee:
How to: Create a Full-working Custom Race
Custom Race Creation: Advanced Mechanics
UB - Ultimate Battle v2.20b AI+
Deforestation of Felwood v2.1.1
Nightborne v1.04
Planetary Domination v2.04
Sands of Time [v1.9]
The Grand Citadel (Racial Issue 1.6)

Awaiting Update.

(previous comments: The Archdefenders Version 1.12)

1: They now have glow+
2: Now the terrain is simetrical and has more doodads+
3: Now its the dead.+
4: Its a trait of the team to have healing spells.+
5: Now that pause exists.+
6: Now Its pssive+
7: Yes! the tier 1 hero has only 4 levels at the spells, the tier 2 has 6, and the tier 3 has 9+
8: It has that information in the hints at the begining, but who reads them. I added 1 more with yellow.+
9: Now they are organised+
10: It doesn t stack. The units heroes and items are made for sharing. None of the teams are eficient without some help from another+
11: It gets one at tier 3. It says in the description of the shop, but again why should somebody read that.+
12: Changed it now.+
13: I'll first solve all the inconsistences+
14: All the ascension ones are vague. It the hero 2.0 -
15: Changed that +
16: Now they have +
17: I'll add -
18: I'll add -
19: Now it's ok -
20: At Tier 3! It says in the shop's description. -
21: Done. Ill add. -
22: I don t want to spend time on it Till i ll find a good icon. -
23: It's tricky becuase you have to wait untill the big waves stop then to transform him. +
24: 3 per team, except tauren which don t have an item to help the surrounding units. I'll add -
25: Now its symetrical +
26: Added a chance to spawn 3 diferent types of enemy units, added an olbelisk which attack the players bases from afar, added souls pools to spawn after a player dies. +
27: I ll add -
28: On my screen it looks normal. Ill fix it soon. -
29: Repaired it. -
30: Pretty sure it is.

I FIXED 18~20/30
1 small big problem. I have casc viewer but idk where are the icons. Where are they located??

 

[deepstrasz]

1 small big problem. I have casc viewer but idk where are the icons. Where are they located??

I don't know. Try using Retera's Model Studio instead to export icons.
Retera's Model Studio

The problem with the map is that it's generally too simple. You should play more of this genre and get inspiration.
The terrain layout is too bare and square.

I appreciated all those changes but overall the map doesn't quite bring anything new to what already we have on the site and compared to those, the polish and content in yours is low.