Lands of Ghosts [2.0] is submitted for review.

[Experix]

New map: Lands of Ghosts [2.0] by Experix.
Map editor link: Lands of Ghosts [2.0]

[KGB]

LOL. I love it. It should be called the ''No Barbarians Need Apply' map

A couple of things.

1) In the setup for 4v4 you don't have the teams properly defined. This looks like it was an over sight and this map looks like it will see some 4v4 play.

2) Zarlagen (city on the lower eastern side) is missing it's Ghost defender. Kortol, lower east toward the middle is also missing it's Ghost defender. So is Troy also in lower east. Imstone south of the Orange capitol on same island is missing it's Ghost. Arcadia/Thraxwood to the NE of the Orange capitol are missing Ghosts.

3) Not sure if you wanted all gold sites to be worth 30. But I found some that aren't. One in the snow next to UnknownCity (N/W) is random. One in the upper edge in the west on a small island is also random.

4) The city next to each capitol isn't 100% identical in terms of defender (ranging from Giant to Dwarf to Sea Serpent to Eagle). Is this by design? It seems to me the Eagle cities have a slight advantage because they can fly a hero allowing the capitol to make crows to absorb the Ghost ambush strike. But maybe that's less of a deal than the Sea Serpent allowing rapid movement.

5) With virtually no roads and no bless temples of any kind I expect this map to be a pure flier/sea unit game with the only land units being Elven city defenders. I'll be looking to see if that's how it plays out.

KGB

[Experix]

KGB,
thanks a lot for finding all these missing ghosts and random sites.

1) In the setup for 4v4 you don't have the teams properly defined. This looks like it was an over sight and this map looks like it will see some 4v4 play.

The true reason is that I found team setups the most annoying part of editing this map and I certainly prefer to have some less balanced setups to less setups at all. Since in 4:4 setups weren't at first look so horrible imbalanced as others, I left there all possibilities. But I'll look at this.

4) The city next to each capitol isn't 100% identical in terms of defender (ranging from Giant to Dwarf to Sea Serpent to Eagle). Is this by design? It seems to me the Eagle cities have a slight advantage because they can fly a hero allowing the capitol to make crows to absorb the Ghost ambush strike. But maybe that's less of a deal than the Sea Serpent allowing rapid movement.

The main purpose was to give player possibilities to move through surrending terrains (if he wouldn't want to plunder all that for money ). So the NE got the serpent and eagle, due to his waterfalls and ridges. It might be some advantage, but I think it could be compensated otherwise. There would be probably more changes to balance the starts, but I would like to keep some differences.

5) With virtually no roads and no bless temples of any kind I expect this map to be a pure flier/sea unit game with the only land units being Elven city defenders. I'll be looking to see if that's how it plays out.

I would like to keep the level of gold such that it would be possible to buy some expansive production, but not too easy. From the game vs AIs not much could be learnt, so I am curious what the real game will show. I'd like to start a testing 4:4 after submitting new version.

[KGB]

Experix,

The true reason is that I found team setups the most annoying part of editing this map and I certainly prefer to have some less balanced setups to less setups at all. Since in 4:4 setups weren't at first look so horrible imbalanced as others, I left there all possibilities. But I'll look at this.

I've often found what happens when you leave it totally random is that you get 3 team mates together and 1 stuck on the other side surrounded by enemies. It's no fun for that player.

You don't have to set an absolute 4v4 setup that is used every game. You can have some randomness if you want as long as you don't isolate 1 player and end up with the 3v1 that I mentioned. For example if you put Blue/White on team 1 and Green/Red on team 2 and leave the other 4 as random then you will always have at least 1 team mate reasonably close regardless of how the other 4 spots are split up.

I would like to keep the level of gold such that it would be possible to buy some expansive production, but not too easy. From the game vs AIs not much could be learnt, so I am curious what the real game will show. I'd like to start a testing 4:4 after submitting new version.

You have a LOT of sites and ruins. I don't think there will be any gold problems on this map. In fact I expect it to be an above average income map for 8 players (lots of serpents/kraken/gryphons/spiders) and a very high income map for 6 and few player games (Krakens/Pegasi/demons/red & green dragons).

KGB