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Family Feud - Blood Brothers
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Author |
File Description |
ibobs |
Posted on 04/23/08 @ 10:36 AM (updated 05/01/08)
File Details |
Ruleset: |
AoW: SM - Unofficial Patch 1.4 |
Map Size: |
XL |
Levels: |
3 |
Single Player?: |
Yes |
Co-Op vs. AI?: |
No |
PBEM/Hotseat?: |
No |
Multiplayer Online?: |
No |
# of Wizards: |
8 |
# of players: |
1 |
Skill Level: |
Expert |
Password Protected: |
No |
It has been 50 long years since the fall of the Realm of Kisomi, the now legendary battles between Father and Mother and the final defeat of their corrupted son, Prince Humperdink, in the now named, War of Betrayal.
Peace held for only two short years after the final end to the War of Betrayal and Bardia and Jasmin were reunited for this brief time. Hoping to keep the Realm together, they had a baby son and loved him for that short time. He was to be the next great hope for the Realm.
However, times have (and always will be) changed.
Lady Jasmin did not recover from the insanity of being buried alive and did not forgive Lord Bardia for the pain that she had endured. With the insanity taking full hold in her, she drove Bardia (and their son, Prince Menelaus) away and held the throne by herself for a short time - long enough though, to have a second son (father unknown) to be her sole heir when she died (again). A surrogate held the throne after her death and then turned it over to her heir when he reached maturity at the Realm's given age of 25. Thus rose the self-proclaimed Emperor - Deridius I. And the Empire of Determined Enlightenment.
In opposite thinking to his deranged mother, Deridius saught order from chaos, good over evil, and conformity in all things. He drove the evil races from the land, he forced his rule over the neutral races and even introduced enforced breeding of the good races to increase their population more rapidly than others. In other words, as his obsession grew, so did the seed of insanity that was planted in him from his mother. It grew over the next 20 years to a point where he became detached from reality and even razed his own cities to the ground to stop the spread of lawlessness and disparity. Of course, as any good leader would know, communities grow strong with disparity and the more you push any people, the more they push back.
Thus started the War of Uprising.
In the years since Bardia's banishment, his son, Prince Menelaus, grew strong and became the leader of races that the Realm should have had. After the death of Bardia and the growing insanity of the Emperor, Menelaus saught allies against Deridius and formed a resistance that grew along with Deridius's insanity.
When the War of Uprising started, Menelaus had a force strong enough to challenge Deridius on his borders and started to take back territory, gaining support as he advanced. In the final year of the War, this advance and the perceived betrayal by his people, pushed Deridius further into desperation and he called upon great forces that should not have been awoken. He called forth the Avatars from the void and used their power to strike back at Menelaus. Deridius wants him dead more than all - as he perceives Menelaus as Chaos with the only goal of wanting the throne from under his still warm corpse.
However, the Avatars are not to be controlled and caused more damage with their magics than any force could have imagined. Even the earth was split assunder, magic from the void was let loose and cities shook and fell with every passing day.
So finally, five long and bloody years after the War started, the show-down is about to happen. The mighty armies of Emperor Deridius I and Lord Menelaus face each other across the Creeping Desert. The Avatars (thankfully) seem to have forsaken Deridius for this one last fight. The winner of this battle will take all... They will take all as at the center of the battle field, lies the key to victory...
Game play notes - do not enable item teleportation, call or resurrect heroes, outpost building, force field. Some events may occur without notice and you think that this is unfair - everything is planned and if you avoid it then you will break the story line. PS expect a few surprises.
Also, this should be played in Classic mode as I have no idea how the AI will deal with the many events in the first few turns.
IMPORTANT NOTE - If you are getting messages then the events are planned and expected, so please continue to play even if you think it looks hopeless. There is one point in the beginning story where this is VERY important remember this, and to continue regardlessly. It will make sense after that point.
SPOILERS - You are meant to lose the first fight.
Do not use Draconian troops if you do not have to.
If you ally with a different side, then expect consequnces.
Version 2.1 posted 30/04/2008 - Changes to Draconian diplomacy.
Version 2.2 posted 01/05/2008 - Speed improvements to movement in beginning from Rat_P feedback. |
Pages: [1] 2 » Last » | Author | Reviews ( All | Comments Only | Reviews Only ) |
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mentork |
Posted on 04/29/08 @ 05:09 PM
EDIT:
I was too harsh, this really is a good map.
Balance: 4
I actually renamed the file "attack of the randomly spawning dragons" when i was play testing it, but it got better when he added the warnings
Creativity: 5
I don't think i have ever played a map quite like this one.
Map Design: 5
Amazing, i could never replicate this.
Story/Instructions: 4
You worked very hard on the story, and overall the tale you tell is great.
Playability: 3
A little too much like watching a movie, i dislike that there are allot of events that must take place for the game to proceed.
Additional Comments:
Sorry i did not play around with it more for you. I dislike this kind of map though, i did not realize i was your only play tester.[Edited on 04/30/08 @ 11:36 PM]
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rat_peddler |
Posted on 04/29/08 @ 07:20 PM
Playability: 3
As noted in other review the options are very tightly scripted especially at first. With so many AIs and classic play the amount of playing vs waiting is poor for the first part of the game. There are some poorly explained key events that one must complete or suffer dire consequences.
Balance: 4
Much of the resources and troops are doled out via rewards for quests. They seem to be pretty fair until the Titans turn on you. Then you are out of luck.
Creativity: 5
Lots of great events with terrain changes, diplomacy, etc... Probably a little too much in that I think playability suffers.
Map Design: 5
A beautiful rich map. I may have gotten side tracked at a key point with my desire to go off script and explore it.
Story/Instructions: 5
Lots of events and messages. So many that it was a little confusing as too which ones to pay attention to.
Additional Comments:
I gave up after the Titans turned on me because this also changed race relations. I was heavily dependent on the Draconians for the bulk of my armies. I don't have the patience to back track and replay. A great technical effort that lost a little sight of playability.
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AlexanderE |
Posted on 04/30/08 @ 07:41 AM
Playability: 5
The map is made in such a way that you enjoy great battle after great battle, because of the AI either helping you or fighting against you. I find the switch of allies into enemies brilliant to keep a single player game interesting (i was pretty dependent on the draconian race)
Balance: 5
Nice balance, love how you can maintain such balance for 200 turns.
Creativity: 5
This should be a 6. The way you work with quests, AI, unit relations and armies is simply unique.
Map Design: 5
Lots of nice little details and very lively.
Story/Instructions: 5
I was in doubt for a 4 but...i think other people rate you down too much on this map. I find all SP stories difficult to follow. (e.g. I won the first couple of battles so my wizard never died and i allready conquered half the above world before i entered Troy)
Additional Comments:
I find it interesting how other people rate maps (since this map cannot be rated before turn 200). Your map is bold, daring and new.
If others don't enjoy these kind of monster stories, they shouldn't rate this one.
I am really looking forward to more of your maps. I think you take mapmaking to the next level.
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Oakbow2 |
Posted on 05/12/08 @ 03:12 PM
Playability: 5
Fun! Fun! Fun!
Balance: 5
I think of Balance as "Challenge". Very challenging!
Creativity: 5
This should be a 10. Wow, this map is creative!
Map Design: 5
This should be a 10. Wow, this map is amazingly designed!
Story/Instructions: 4
The only area that was a little off. I have not finished the map, but some of the quests have confused me because the instructions were not that clear. I think I am in areas I should not be by accident. I play hardcore style so I dont go back so hopefully I havent doomed myself, because I am pretty sure I am doing some things that maybe I should not yet hah.
Additional Comments:
This is my first rating of a map. I am an avid AOW player. I lurk in Gamespy and am a member of the regular mutliplayer community. I felt I had to come out of my single player map rating silence for this map however (and Ive played almost all of them). Tremendous effort involved here to which I can only say Thank You!! I have not finished this map yet but I intend to. BTW, I am playing it set to BNW 3.0 (makes single player harder imo) and it works just fine if anyone is wondering. I also set it to simultaneous after awhile when the events slow down, and it is also working just fine. I bet you could set simultaneous around turn 20 or so and be fine if you dont like classic.
Keep em' coming IBOBS!
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Sir Herra |
Posted on 06/06/08 @ 03:36 AM
Playability: 5
I really enjoyed playing this. Specially the fact that you get beaten sometimes. I have played this map once around turn 90 and was able to solve Royal Blood quest and get new friends. No more spoilers here...heh. Unfortunately I had "cheated" a bit and couldnt solve very first nature quest free Larry. So I got defeated.
Now I am playing my second game more carefully. Trying to move only to areas I am supposed to be.
Balance: 5
Single player map but computer can still punch back even in later game.
Creativity: 5
ibobs has to have spent hundreds of hours making this. Initial battle is fun and even after that you can expect some surprises.
Map Design: 5
Fun map with tons of details. Some areas cannot be accessed but once in game. All three levels (above/underground and shadow land) are used effectively and areas are well thought.
There are three different aspects here: 1. Normal fighting with some areas of map just for that. 2. Areas for storyline 3. Places to visit just for scenery...heh
Story/Instructions: 4
Story for this map covers small book. Great story. Maybe a bit more guiding and warnings what player should and shouldn't do. I had to start from start once and use earlier saves few times because breaking storyline.
Additional Comments:
This map is in many ways unique and needs patience The reward is ever thickening plot and tons of challenges. Most of the maps you know you won after 20 turns or so. But in this map you can't be sure of anything.
Only thing that could be more user friendly are those quests. No need to give more tips but I hope players shouldn't worry so much if getting into wrong place in wrong time.
One of the best scenarios ever made. Maps like this make this game fun to play again and again (And yes I think I have played almost all scenarios AOW Heaven provides). |
DragonKiller |
Posted on 06/11/08 @ 04:47 AM
Playability: 5
This is a great, great map!! Some of the other review say it is very tightly scripted, but once you are past Troy then it really opens up! My pc is not so fast, but it was quite nice to watch the AI move and progress too. You had to do this to survive the various onslaughts. Assuming you saw them coming. :)
Balance: 5
The battles just keep on coming, right until the end. I couldn't even explore some areas as could never dominate the map enough to spare a hero stack. Nice.
Creativity: 5
Fantastic! Love the start and it just gets better. To go from battle to quests, back to battle and then to quests again at the end in one scenario is simply unique.
Map Design: 5
Nicely drawn.
Story/Instructions: 5
How can you rate it less than a 5 here? I agree with others that a couple of quests are a little vague, but this is no reason to rate it down. To have quests up till turn 180+ is amazing.
Additional Comments:
This map is HUGE (!) and I have no idea how many hours you must have spent on this. I agree with AlexanderE, a map like this must be completed before rating. It is a story driven map and so you have to follow it if you want to play it. You can always break these maps if you really try.
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cracks |
Posted on 07/20/08 @ 07:39 PM
Playability: 5
I could (and will) play this Map again & again - Truly excellent!
Balance: 5
Someone else said it before me; but I feel good Balance = highly difficult, and this certainly is difficult!
Creativity: 5
One of the most creative Maps I've ever seen, if not the most. You are a great Maker of Maps!
Map Design: 5
In all honesty, this Map is really very nice, but I would probably have given it a 4.5 if I was able... not to say it isn't pretty, but I think it was just a little shy of awesome. Although the Creativity should be a 5.5 so it brought this up ;)
Story/Instructions: 4
As others have said, more guidance on some of the Quests/Events would've helped this Map out. But to be honest, I'm not sure exactly how you could have improved it. I know I could not have done any better or even come close, so I feel guilty bringing it up, but there were times when I was completely lost. I never did get the 'Paris / Throne Room' Quest to work, even though I hovered around there for days/weeks, moving him to & fro where the Event should've triggered from :(
Additional Comments: A Masterpiece. In the top 3 of all Maps I've ever played. This is my first review, but this Map required one for sure. Great work, iBobs!!
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DarkLynx |
Posted on 07/30/08 @ 04:25 AM
Playability: 5
You just forget that there is a world outside. Unlike other strategy maps, where you can take your time, grow you empire, slowly produce troops and push forward, here you can't just wait, cause the quest are pressing on you to take action. You feel the clock is ticking and have to think fast before it's too late!
Balance: 5
Challenging! You fight on multiple fronts, always have to think of strategy where to defend and where to attack and never know from where the enemy will strike.
Creativity: 5
Perfect mix of driving a story plot and strategy map. Everything has its place and as the game and your empire moves forwards, so goes the story!
Map Design: 5
The world appears to live itself. i personally don't like unreal things like lava pools in the middle of snow fields and this map is realistic. There are urban areas, battlefields, armies camps and everything that a living fansasy world would need!
Story/Instructions: 5
We could find few bugs here and several unclear instructions, but... whatta hell, with soooo many quets, events, turns of action it was impossible to avoid some cracks. The richness of all the story elements just forces you to follow closely the story and remember everything and with so fine story plot it is a good thing and keeps you playing more.
Additional Comments:
Did someone say that the story driven maps are not what ppl really want?? It's totally untrue!:) This map is made by genius and inspires me to make my own story map at least in half as good as this one. But not before I play Blood Brothers second time -_^ |
Black Thor |
Posted on 10/27/08 @ 08:34 AM
Playability: 5
(Insert Playability analysis here)
Balance: 5
(Insert Balance analysis here)
Creativity: 5
(Insert Creativity analysis here)
Map Design: 5
(Insert Map Design analysis here)
Story/Instructions: 5
(Insert Story/Instructions analysis here)
Additional Comments:Very good map, big, good story, a lot of events, big Heroes
(but..I created an army too big, and I defeated The Avatars without the final battle I was waiting for...)
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D Cleve |
Posted on 11/24/08 @ 08:04 PM
Playability: 2
There are lots and lots of quests. This is good, but some of them are essential, and it is too easy to mess up their conditions before they are scheduled. I lost and had to restart once because I had already saved the leprechaun before being asked. On the replay I seem to be out of bounds on lots of quests. This appears to be because I won the first war, defeated his counterattack in the north and drove Deridus out of the cities through the pass to the West. It takes hours and hours of playing to lose the first war, and the game is broken if you do not lose it ...
Balance: 4
I like very challenging games. This one is challenging, but if you win the first war, it becomes too easy.
Creativity: 5
The creativity is amazing.
Map Design: 5
Visually stunning. Complex interaction of map, storyline, and events.
Story/Instructions: 4
Very good story, but too many pitfalls.
Additional Comments:
The starting army is too large, and it is difficult/slow to handle. Battles take a very long time to fight, and there are dozens of them. If the only viable outcome is defeat and destruction of this entire starting force, then the first 20 turns or so seem like a pointless and time-consuming preamble to the real game.
I am on turn 60 or 65 (lost track, playing other scenarios now) and have over 25 cities/towns and 8 heros. I keep having to gift locations back to my opponents so I can take them again to satisfy quests. I like challenging games -- and that does not include having multi-stack armies/leaders just sit around for the next 20-30 turns or so to let the AI catch back up. |
Pages: [1] 2 » Last » |
HGDL v0.8.2 |
Rating |
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4.7 | Breakdown |
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Playability | 4.4 | Balance | 4.8 | Creativity | 5.0 | Map Design | 5.0 | Story/Instructions | 4.5 |
Statistics |
Downloads: | 3,789 |
Favorites: [] | 0 |
Size: | 1.57 MB |
Added: | 04/23/08 |
Updated: | 05/01/08 |
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