Four Lands (new map) - Isar cross replacement?

[cypreess]

HI,

I've played over and over again on Isar cross and get little bored of this map. I decided to make my own.

My purpose was to make a map that is compact, fast (like Isar is) and favorize a little more water and flighting units (especially deep water for undeads).

All comments are welcome. (Consider that this was my first map, therefore I read all recommendation on this forum about creating new maps). Allies are Player1 and Player4 vs Player2 and Player3.

PS. How to edit Map default settings (like gold, sides, etc?)

[A Guy]

Not a bad start. There is too much hilly terrain for my liking though, gives dwarves a huge advantage.

[Sapient]

Midpoint village is the hallmark of the new mapmaker.
I suggest reading the guides; there's a lot of good information there.

[cypreess]

So I did some MP plays, get some comments from other players, read carefully all tips how to create balanced map, and after two iterations came with this:

Four Lands v2.1.zip

(977 Bytes) Downloaded 236 times

PS. After I submitted I saw that there is one hext upper left that should be removed.
PS2. Windmill is not an another village in 2.1. So number of cities are balanced.

[cypreess]

Just a few modification, v2.2

PS. Can anybody tell me how to define default settings for map (names of sides, sides configuration, starting money). I can't find appropriate preferences settings in the MapEditor.

Four Lands v2.2.zip

(1.36 KiB) Downloaded 257 times

[Nightshayde]

Can anybody tell me how to define default settings for map (names of sides, sides configuration, starting money). I can't find appropriate preferences settings in the MapEditor.

You have to make a scenario for it, there is nothing in the editor for it (oh how I wish Wesnoth had Warcraft III's editor)

[Crendgrim]

You have to make a scenario for it, there is nothing in the editor for it (oh how I wish Wesnoth had Warcraft III's editor)

In 1.11, the editor is being changed a whole lot, so you'll be able to set much more directly via the editor. This won't work for 1.10, though.

[vultraz]

I like the first version best, but it does have too many hills, and I think the latest version has a tad too much flat and not enough water. Maybe something that's a combination of the two? I like what you're doing here, by the way. Keep it up.

[Dunno]

From my small experience in balancing, I know that it's very important to have neutral or balanced terrain around villages, especially the ones in the middle. You see, in your map one of the middle villages is next to a mountain and the second one next to a forested hill. Forested hill is ok, but mountain would favor the dwarves too much. And I agree that there is a bit too much flat in the center, there is not even a single hill without forest. And my last comment would be that there's almost no way to retreat units for players north and south, their villages are very far, while east&south have their middle village. I'd move one village closer to the middle, or perhaps even place it on the far bottom hex.
But overall, this map looks very promising, I'd love to play-test it sometime

[Koo]

Much of flat and swamps. This is advantage for Drakes (with Saurians). Sand also is favorable for Saurians.

[Sapient]

Much of flat and swamps. This is advantage for Drakes (with Saurians). Sand also is favorable for Saurians.

Normally I would agree with you, but on a map of this small size it may help the drakes compensate for the loss in mobility advantage.

Dunno was correct with what he said about not placing a mountain next to a village. That is mentioned in the tips thread:

Putting mountains next to villages is generally avoided...