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Author |
File Description |
trmjones |
Posted on 03/08/08 @ 02:00 AM (updated 03/23/08)
File Details |
Climate: |
Central |
Difficulty: |
Very Hard |
Population goal: |
9500 |
Culture goal: |
95 |
Prosperity goal: |
95 |
Peace goal: |
0 |
Favor goal: |
95 |
Minimap:
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Ah Governor!
I know you think more of yourself than you should so I have a very hard challenge for you.
Tassie is rumoured to exist many months sail (wind willing) away. Some have even said that if the earth were round it would be on the over side of the world!
The location I have picked for you is said to be rather inhospitable with little good farming, lots of rough terrain, and basically only good for timber and apples (and some say for the wilderness experience). Fishing should be good though. I may want some of those Huon pines.
Even though you will be far away don’t expect our enemies to leave you alone; the natives will probably not be pleased with your presence either.
You will have little initial money and loan, money will be very tight until taxes are significant. And you don’t have long! Mark my words be quick with your prosperity.
I will make plenty of requests to keep you on your toes. You wont be putting your feet up much this time!
Good luck – you will need it!
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Author | Comments & Reviews ( All | Comments Only | Reviews Only ) |
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joshofet |
Posted on 03/18/08 @ 02:40 PM
I doubt luck has anything to do with it, but future knowledge sure is needed here. Seems like another mission impossible thrown at us. Did you finish the mission yourself TRMJones, and if so at what difficulty level? I doubt you could at hard without cheating. I confess guilty to cheating by having a (quick) look at the map in the editor, but I'm glad I did since I think it saved me a lot of frustration.
Until we have confirmation from either the designer or any of the players who downloaded and actually played this mission to its finish, I would warn anybody to be careful in engaging this challenge to avoid possible disappointment. [Edited on 03/19/08 @ 10:41 AM]
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trmjones
File Author |
Posted on 03/20/08 @ 05:38 AM
Joshofet, yes not so much luck, but lots of skill is needed!
Yes, I have finished it myself, a bit over 1 year before the deadline. It took me a couple or restarts, and I depended on using all exports available, and getting a blessing from Neptune on Jan of the year I first had all the export routes going. I played it on the default Hard level.
The couple of restarts were mainly due to the challenge of getting a layout for 4x4 palaces that works well. Getting the luxury palaces going with little money (and needing forts) is a big challenge.
There is a little favor to spare so I think you could afford to be a bit late with one or two requests.
I hope you give it another go, it certainly is winnable.
ps Caesar doesn't actually ask for any timber, but a bit of furniture now and then, amoungst other nasty requests.
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joshofet |
Posted on 03/20/08 @ 03:51 PM
OK, I will give it a try and tell you how it went. I doubt I will finish this on my first try though ;). Thanks for a tough challenge.
My first try was not very successful, the first native attack came when I did not have any forts at all yet, so game ends ...
In the second try I focussed on getting furniture exports going with a blessing ASAP, and the second native attack hits me right in my industrial zone, my four forts are at the other end of the map so when they arrive most of the damage is allready done. Back to square one again, again adapt my strategy to prepare for multiple attack points. That again reduces my options for building, which were pretty slim allready. Did use multiple blessings, which in my book is a cheat (outside contest maps). No way this map can be won without future knowledge, so if you play it, make sure to keep a save of your earlier attempts to check what you have coming ...
In my third try I avoid building near the first two invasion points. A furniture mall near the entry point gives good control over what I sell. Neptune's blessing in the first year and I'm already forced to manage multiple blessings to stay out of debt, develop my city, meet the requests, and build my forts. Also multiple blessings from Mars. When the first invasion comes I still have not enough troops, since I cannot build my housing where I did before. I manage by moving the javelins across a bridge and have them mow down the petrified natives after deleting the bridge. The first actual invasion comes right at the entry point, just two legions of javelins are no match, so this strategy does not work either, and I'm cheating my way through actually. The second pottery request is impossible to meet timely without advance knowledge.
I'm not trying a fourth one, did my best on these. I trust it can be done, TRMJones said he did it. Maybe I should go into debt heavily, and give a lavish gift every year to keep Caesar at bay. On the other hand, since I need towers near the entry point anyway, why not fight him off and save the money for more lucrative investments, no need to comply with requests either...
There won't be a fourth one for me though, I have seen enough of this scenario to know I don't like it. Maybe others do, I hope so, since it looks like quite some development went into this map, and it would be a pity if that goes to waste because (almost) nobody can play it. Maybe players with a much more aggressive style, like Civilis or Tryhard could beat it, but I'm not sure they still play this game. [Edited on 03/22/08 @ 04:18 PM]
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joshofet |
Posted on 03/22/08 @ 04:11 PM
Playability: 1
The scenario is (nearly) impossible to finish, and fully impossible unless extensive future knowledge is used.
Balance: 3
Most aspects of the map are very hard, military, economy, population, ratings and speed. Too hard to my tase, but a good balance.
Creativity: 2
It isn't difficult to make a hard map in CIII, the challenge is to make one that is hard but still possible for a range of players. Expert players can always engage it at very hard.
Map Design: 4
It is a nice design, attractive map with interesting geography that adds to the challenge in more than one way. I hesitate to give a 5.
Story/Instructions: 4
A good story that tells exactly what the player can expect. Some more background could have made it even more interesting, like a (fake) story about Governor Abelius Tazmannius or something of that kind.
Additional Comments: Most comments are already in the post above. If the designer is interested in developing a version that is somewhat relaxed I would be ready to give some more pointers. Players can always try the present scenario at normal or easy difficulty, still future knowledge will be indispensible.
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trmjones
File Author |
Posted on 03/23/08 @ 09:49 PM
Thanks for the comments and review. If I do another map I'll do as you say and test it on very hard.
One tip for you: on scenarios like this you can get your income going quicker by importing raw materials (ie clay).
I have updated the zip file and included 2 saves; one at the start and one at the end (just needs a gift to caesar to complete).
For those after a challenge pls ignore these saves.
ps How do you get multiple blessings? |
joshofet |
Posted on 03/24/08 @ 07:56 AM
I don't think that would help very much. At very hard you have to overcome the 300 population bug, which on this map would not be that hard, but still. Better test any scenario at hard, and more importantly, have it tested by other players before you upload it. You can always solicit for beta testers in the forum, things are quiet over there, but there is a small but steady audience.
My idea of an interesting map is one that can played without advance knowledge. That means the player should have time to meet all invasions and requests timely after they occur. The designer can include some warnings in the text file, such as the need to build up defenses fast, or a hint that it might be good to start with pottery and furniture production.
The latter warning is missing here, though the comments make good on that. I did do a fourth try, in which I built nothing near the edge, since attacks come from all directions. Now I know that I need both pottery and furniture quickly, I did indeed go into debt heavily and start pottery exports early. Not good for my KR, but I have bigger worries. The first three attacks are no problem now, but the fourth again comes at a different spot. My four javelin legions cannot beat the natives, even though there are excellent choke points, but without tower backup they stand no chance.
If you know what is coming, and you have the time to prepare for that, CIII becomes a completely different game than the one as displayed in the career missions. It calls for a completely different strategy than players use in those, one that often will be thought of as cheating by ordinary players.
CIII is a game with many features, such as free roads and multiple blessings. In a contest setting players use the features often, while ordinary players see them as bugs, and avoid them if they can. Some players like contests, since they provide a puzzle to be solved, and they like puzzles. I do, if you do too, have a look at the maps we present at CBC. If you don't, fine, contests are quite unlike career mission, and they present a different kind of CIII again.
Maps like this, that rely on massive advance knowledge, similarly present a puzzle, not one that I like particularly, but maybe others do. I doubt there is a large audience, but that should not withold anyone who does like these kind of scenario's from designing them.
Thanks for the additional uploads, if I have time I may have a look at them. I would have some more comment now or later, but I'm afraid that could be appreciated as spoilers, so if you are interested TRMJones, send me a mail. My address is in the profile in the forum.
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joshofet |
Posted on 04/07/08 @ 04:33 PM
I seem to have overlooked your question about the multiple blessings trmjones, maybe you have already found the answer in the game help forum, if not this is the trick:
Make a god exalted, when he or she is still exalted at the time that a blessing is scheduled, you will obtain one.
Next delete temples for that god and wait till he or she becomes displeased, then make the god exalted again and repeat.
You can get as many blessings as you want, but since it takes some time to get a got displeased and exalted again, more than one per year is difficult, and sometimes there are years without any blessing, simply because none is scheduled to happen. |
HGDL v0.8.2 |
Rating |
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2.8 | Breakdown |
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Playability | 1.0 | Balance | 3.0 | Creativity | 2.0 | Map Design | 4.0 | Story/Instructions | 4.0 |
Statistics |
Downloads: | 954 |
Favorites: [] | 0 |
Size: | 277.48 KB |
Added: | 03/08/08 |
Updated: | 03/23/08 |
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