Heroes IV RPG Maps/Campaigns

[Koni]

You have only to follow Banedon's Link, posted above.

[Taurucis]

P.S.: I don't know, how could I forget the Draconics and the A Wind of Thorns.

I don't know if anyone's been reading this thread for a while, but I really have to advise you this...

Do NOT play A Wind Of Thorns.

It says it's meant to be a challenge, but it's wandered over the line from "challenge" to "stupidly impossible."

The maps are ridiculously hard, even on the lowest level. If you've got any monsters that the scenario doesn't recognize as "normal" it ends itself (seriously dude, who the hell said you can tell us how to play?) the storyline is very linear and uninformative. The mobs are stupidly tough for the amount and level of your troops, there's no walkthrough (which every campaign as impossible as this needs) and directions are vague at best.

I spent about two hours on this map before realizing that it's a waste of time and uninstalled it.

I guess you could go and play it... if you're the masochistic type who likes to be frustrated for days on end. I don't see what the fuss is over it.

[wimfrits]

The maps are ridiculously hard, even on the lowest level. If you've got any monsters that the scenario doesn't recognize as "normal" it ends itself (seriously dude, who the hell said you can tell us how to play?) the storyline is very linear and uninformative. The mobs are stupidly tough for the amount and level of your troops, there's no walkthrough (which every campaign as impossible as this needs) and directions are vague at best.

Sounds like a bad experience indeed. I don't even recall putting in a check on players cheating by adding creatures; except maybe in specific areas where only heroes are allowed.
Are you referring to the prologue scenario or the regular maps? If you only played for 2 hours, I'm guessing its the prologue. Stacks in that map are strong because you're not supposed to be able to defeat them. Just follow the road, read the storyline texts and you should get enough hints to get you where you need to be.

As for a walkthrough; there is a player's log in the zipfile that might be of help.

[Taurucis]

The proluge wasn't really bad, it's more like the 3rd map.

And yes, there is a check on players adding creatures to their heroes - in the second map.

I've read the player's log, it's not exactly a walkthrough... more like a diary with 90% of the information missing. Trust me when I say that when I download a new campaign/scenario, the first thing I look for is a detailed walkthrough.

[wimfrits]

Ah. You're right. The check on creatures is necessary because the types of creatures actually used in the 3rd map are carried over to the next map. A player that uses cheat codes to conjure up creatures there may mess up the campaign's creature carryover scripts.
If someone wants to cheat to win, that's fine by me; but part of my job is to preserve the campaign's integrity and therefore I cannot allow such risks.

As for a detailed walkthrough; anyone that wants to write one is free to do so. I cannot write one myself for obvious reasons.

Difficulty is higher than normal; this is mentioned in the readme file. You should play at least 1 level lower than you're used to. If the lowest setting is still too hard; then this indeed is not the campaign for you.
You could consider playing a map like 'My Brother's Keeper' that gives some useful combat tips.

[Taurucis]

Well, I can add/remove troops all I need so I'm fine with combat and everything... but there's no obvious way to progress the storyline and every bit of information is mostly hidden.

It's basically like some kind of thing where you're told "You have a very important quest, no matter what you must seek to complete it" and then you're dumped in the middle of nowhere with no knowledge of what's going on or what you need to do.

[wimfrits]

I don't really understand what you mean by the storyline bit. Your main objective is to upgrade the 2 towns; like was instructed. That seems a clear goal to me, without requiring much storyline guidance.

Long before you finish the necessary exploring to achieve this goal, storyline will be picked up and guide you further.

Still, it seems you did not felt supported enough by storyline texts and I'm sorry to hear that.

[Yurian Stonebow]

It seems to me that Wimfrits is being subject to too harsh critisism. His H4 campaign is one of the best fan made campaigns ever released to that game. We should be fair both in terms of just critisism and well-reasoned arguments. The author has provided enough info to complete the campaign and its indvidual missions. It's up to us, the players, to choose our path, our strategy and options. The gameplay itself is fair and of good quality. We should concentrate on explaining our feedback more to the point and not attacking a single weak point when we have something to complain about.


Sincerally,



Yurian

[jeff]

It seems to me that Wimfrits is being subject to too harsh critisism. His H4 campaign is one of the best fan made campaigns ever released to that game. We should be fair both in terms of just critisism and well-reasoned arguments. The author has provided enough info to complete the campaign and its indvidual missions. It's up to us, the players, to choose our path, our strategy and options. The gameplay itself is fair and of good quality. We should concentrate on explaining our feedback more to the point and not attacking a single weak point when we have something to complain about.
Sincerally,
Yurian

I have to agree with you, it is one of those judgment calls, did I say too much spoiling the map or not enough and frustrating the player. I believe Wimfrits is one of the best making those decisions. Considering his remarks it is doubtful he would enjoy Dragon's Fate or its sequel, and therefore recommend he pass on those as well.

[HodgePodge]

P.S.: I don't know, how could I forget the Draconics and the A Wind of Thorns.

I don't know if anyone's been reading this thread for a while, but I really have to advise you this...

Do NOT play A Wind Of Thorns.

It says it's meant to be a challenge, but it's wandered over the line from "challenge" to "stupidly impossible."
…

I guess you could go and play it... if you're the masochistic type who likes to be frustrated for days on end. I don't see what the fuss is over it.

Huh??!!?? Dude, if a map/campaign gets too difficult, there's lots of ways to 'cheat' without using codes. I found 'A Wind of Thorns' very difficult but fun. (I admit I cheated some, but not with codes or giving my Heroes creatures. )

The first map did take some figuring out and well the rest were puzzling as well, but clearly a pleasant change from the usual hack & slash, own all towns type of maps you see everywhere.

… Considering his remarks it is doubtful he would enjoy Dragon's Fate or its sequel, and therefore recommend he pass on those as well.

Ooooh, 'Dragon's Fate'. Such a GREAT campaign. And its soon to be released sequel … FANTASTIC!

[wimfrits]

@ Yurian, Jeff and HP: Thanks for sharing that!

I'm very well aware of the fact that one can never please everyone; so it's a good thing there are many different mapmakers around with different styles. Still, I'm always sorry to hear about people's negative experiences.
And I think Taurucis does have a point in that challenge in AWoT can still be too high in some areas and more texts could be present at times.

[bot]

Some people that just discovered this game rush to post some silly messages about the difficulty of certain map or campaign. I am just wondering when do I find anything new to play. A wind of thorns was a great campaign. I've played it for 4 or 5 times, the last time on expert. Dragon's fate was ok, but I've never finished it because of the last map that I found boring. I've read something about Gemma's fortune.... very bad, really. Nothing original, nothing new, too bad. Now I'm re-playing old good maps, who knows, maybe the new homm(6) will bring back to life this game. Until then, without new maps this game is dying.

[Koni]

Some people that just discovered this game rush to post some silly messages about the difficulty of certain map or campaign. I am just wondering when do I find anything new to play. A wind of thorns was a great campaign. I've played it for 4 or 5 times, the last time on expert. Dragon's fate was ok, but I've never finished it because of the last map that I found boring. I've read something about Gemma's fortune.... very bad, really. Nothing original, nothing new, too bad. Now I'm re-playing old good maps, who knows, maybe the new homm(6) will bring back to life this game. Until then, without new maps this game is dying.

Your statements
- to AWoT: full agreement, the most challenging and fascinating campaign, I've ever played.

- to Dragon's fate: if you haven't finished it, then you weren't interested in the most detailed and interesting story of a campaign, I've ever seen, and how it ends in its two (!) alternative ways.

- to Gemma's fortune: read and think of your own first sentence "Some people that just discovered this game rush to post some silly messages about the difficulty of certain map or campaign." You should consider that it was the first try by RobB to make a map/a campaign of his own. He can be proud of his work!!! And the positive comments had caused him to create a new campaign, which soon will be released. Such comments like yours were rare, fortunately. And your "bad" justice about "Gemma's Fortune" is contraproductive and contradictionary to your last sentence.

[Muszka]

Seconding Koni.
Those who judge other peoples maps should have at least a great map published.

[wimfrits]

Those who judge other peoples maps should have at least a great map published.

I don't know about that. You have to be a mapmakers to be able to value the amount of work that is done for a map, and perhaps the technical quality of that work.
But as maps are made to be played, ultimately only the player's opinion counts.

[jeff]

I am sorry bot found DF’s last map boring as I made a great effort to tie up a great deal of loose threads from the earlier maps as well as continue the story along, but I would also be foolish to think everyone that played DF would actually like it. He does show good taste in the fact he does like Wind of Thorns, so I respect his opinion, he certainly is entitled to it. Well perhaps he found it boring as there was so much text, which is one of my faults that I tend to get a bit wordy at times. Oh, there were actually four different endings possible, though a couple of them were unlikely.

[bot]

Not exactly boring, just seemed too easy, as long the heroes were so well developed. I had 2 gm order heroes and the ring. The battles looked very easy and I've never finished it. Actually i couldnt find a real enemy. When the heroes are too strong there are another ways to make the map intersting. Who knows, maybe the map had an unexpected ending and I rushed with my opinions. Sorry.

[bot]

Sorry, me again. I haven't read all comments before posting. On this forum you can meet map creators and just players. I'm just a player. The comments of a player(an experimented one I can dare - I never cheat, I play the same map in differnt ways to discover its potential, I've played even quest maps written in russian because some of them were amazing) might be useful for the creators. Gemma's Fortune was a try. The experimented map creators should help the author with good advices, to improve his(her) style.(never rush to guess if male or female). As I've alredy written, I'm not a map creator. I don't make maps because I know what it means a good map.

[RobB]

When the heroes are too strong there are another ways to make the map intersting.

I found this statement interesting as it pinpoints a difficulty I had partly with "Gemma's Fortune" and even more so with my latest campaign. So far, the only solution I've found (and which I have not applied sufficiently well) is to give the opposition more and more creatures and skills, but it is all too easy to tip the balance and make it impossible. So please, what are some of these other ways?

In particular, it is a problem where the opposition factions are allowed to fight each other. If you don't allow this, then you end up with a game where the hero is forced to play it the way the mapmaker has written it, which means it will be more or less the same every time you play. If you do, then in my experience one colour becomes very strong, while all the surviving colours are too easy.

[bot]

Maybe changing win/loss condition, adding some interesting scripts. Also, don't allow humans to hire too many heroes, the computer cannot build a good combo, it is stupid. You should build a combo for it from the beginning. For example, give it a crusader with gm life and gm tactics, a demonologist, a ranger(or a seer), but carefully with hypnotize spell, the computer is not able to deal with this spell, may cast hypnotize twice at the same creature. To become a good mapmaker you have to play as many maps as you can.