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Author |
File Description |
KingJohnVI |
Posted on 03/07/12 @ 06:37 PM (updated 09/30/15)
File Details |
Ruleset: |
TS Standard Rules |
Map Size: |
X-Large |
Playable Races: |
All |
Surface Levels: |
3 |
Difficulty: |
Normal |
Surface Minimap:
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Rome: A Scenario for Age of Wonders by KingJohnVI
Ancient Rome began in central Italy, slowly but steadily spreading its influence across Europe until it became the most powerful empire in history. But for now the Romans (The High-Men) have only just begun their conquest of Italy, and there are many terrible enemies to contend with before dominance can be assured. Moreover, ancient stories tell of a terrible evil that has been slowly gaining power in Pluto's domain beneath the earth (the Greeks would call him Hades). Can the Romans overcome all odds and claim their rightful place in history as masters of the known world?
To claim victory you must capture the nine capital cities of Europe and Africa including Rome, Siracuse, Carthage, Terraco, Lugdunum, Batavi, Daci, Pella, and Alexandria.
As far as balance goes, I tried very hard to give each faction a fighting chance, though I can't say for certain whether each player is evenly matched because of certain factions' positioning. To alleviate this problem, some factions will have more cities immediately available to them, and others have fewer. A great example of this is the Sicilians (Lizardmen), and the Northern German Tribes (Frostlings). The Sicilians are very close to and immediately between the Romans (Highmen) and Carthaginians (Dark Elves). Therefore, their position would result in their swift defeat were they not given some early advantage. As a result, the Sicilians have more cities immediately available to them compared to most other civilizations, and more surrounding cities start as their species. Similarly, the Northern German Tribes (Frostlings) have fewer cities that are more spread out because they have fewer hostile neighbors, and because any potential enemies have other enemies of their own to deal with. Also, Africa has fewer cities than Europe, but far fewer contenders. As a result, I believe the balance is fair, though I doubt it can ever be perfect given Europe's geography.
Finally, the dwarves and goblins are optional. They can be played historically as additional barbaric tribes that spring up after a certain point in the game (they start underground) or they can be turned off to allow additional underground expansion, or just one could be turned on to give one side an advantage.
List of Empires:
Romans (Highmen)
Carthaginians (Dark Elves)
Sicilians (Lizardmen)
Greeks/Macedonians (Humans)
Spanish Tribes (Halflings)
Gauls (Orcs)
Northern German Tribes (Frostlings)
Dacian Tribes (Elves)
Egyptians (Azracs)
God of the Underworld (Undead)
Optional:
Vandals (Goblins)
Suebi (Dwarves)
Final Note: The difficulty settings that are selected by default are intended for a medium difficulty single-player game with the human taking control of the High-men. Different difficulty settings for the computers dramatically affect the early game.
I hope you enjoy the map!
Edit: Updated to v1.03 with minor fixes.
EDIT 2: Updated to v1.05 with a few starting balance changes and adjustments to AI behavior and the underground. The Undead should now become a factor earlier in the game and should fight more intelligently. The Orcs should now have a greater chance of early game survival.
EDIT 3: 9/21/15 - Updated to v1.07 with an additional path to the underground to/from Asia Minor (East of Greece). This will give the Macedonians and Egyptians slightly more competition in the area. Also added additional foliage and other cosmetic updates, especially in the Desert. Finally, gave each player unique starting introductions on the first turn. Enjoy! |
Author | Reviews ( All | Comments Only | Reviews Only ) |
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Hammerhands |
Posted on 07/17/12 @ 06:49 PM
Playability: 5
A very fun map. I was very pleasantly surprised to find myself coming back to this map to play it again. The world was well enough done that I could very easily find my way through it with my meager geography skills. I looked forward to every moment of the game. It brought joy back to an old game. Very well done.
Balance: 4
A little too easy. But then it was a bit realistic, as the Romans didn't seem to have too much trouble conquering the world either. I did notice that by the time I found the Undead, I was established, and there was no way they could uproot me. They lasted for a mere eighty turns or less. It was nice at first to find a powerful enemy so late game where I could have a good challenge without fear of really losing.
Creativity: 5
Nicely done here as well. A vaguely historical map with an obvious and distinct magical and fantastical tip. It was a new twist on a good game that I really enjoyed.
Map Design: 3
I'm sorry for such a low score here, but I must be realistic. This is the only place where I was disappointed at all. There was little decoration at all upon the landscapes. There were no cacti in Africa for example. More skeletons, the occasional plot of grass might have been nice to see as well.
Also... it would have been really easy to put a few sea serpents or mermaids in the Mediterranean, as many sailors in those days believed in the existence of such creatures anyway.
Story/Instructions: 5
I suppose that the story here is as good as it can be, as the map is historically based with only a few twists and touches.
Additional Comments:
I enjoyed this game, and look forward to more maps from you.
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Mauregas |
Posted on 09/10/13 @ 01:08 PM
Playability: 5
(Insert Playability analysis here)
Balance: 5
(Insert Balance analysis here)
Creativity: 4
(Insert Creativity analysis here)
Map Design: 4
(Insert Map Design analysis here)
Story/Instructions: 4
(Insert Story/Instructions analysis here)
Additional Comments: Really enjoyed playing Rome, took my time and won in 120 plays at King level.
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HGDL v0.8.2 |
Rating |
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4.4 | Breakdown |
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Playability | 5.0 | Balance | 4.5 | Creativity | 4.5 | Map Design | 3.5 | Story/Instructions | 4.5 |
Statistics |
Downloads: | 875 |
Favorites: [] | 1 |
Size: | 78.95 KB |
Added: | 03/07/12 |
Updated: | 09/30/15 |
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