Phoenix [7.0] is submitted for review.

[BrutusButcher]

New map: Phoenix [7.0] by BrutusButcher.
Map editor link: Phoenix [7.0]

[BrutusButcher]

The great orc army was repelled but not before most cities suffered catastrophic loss.
Now is the time for rebuilding the empire. Which Warlord will prevail?
This map designed for 2 to 6 players, as well as team play.

Need to be mindful of gold management at the beginning. Will you rebuild those closest cities, or explore to capture others?

Please provide feedback, and let me know of any comments or suggestions.

-Brutus

[KGB]

Brutus,

1) How come some of the neutrals have 3 defenders while others only have 1. That's a huge disparity of defenders given all those neutrals mostly produce 1 or 2 turn units that aren't anything special. They should all have either 1 or 2 defenders tops.
2) There is no way anyone is going to be able to rebuild any cities. All your existing neutrals only have an income of 10 gold. That's enough to pay for 2-3 armies upkeep. There are a few random ruins but if you don't luck into gold you'll never have any chance to rebuild (and most people will take a hero instead anyway). You need more money in the game. If you aren't going to increase the gold in the neutrals they you need to make the gold sites give at least +20 or more gold. Players need big incomes to rebuild cities or else the concept is wasted.
3) I think the Sea Serpent city (lower left) is a waste of time. No one is going to build serpents there when it would take 10 turns to reach anything through the rivers. *Maybe* they'd build an Archon but I doubt it given the cost and it being a weak Archon. A serpent city needs to be closer to the middle where the produced units have a chance to do something. Your better off putting a land unit city way back there so the units can be vectored someplace useful.
4) Is it intentional that rebuilt cities can make any units at all while the existing ones are limited? Or is that the design?

With such limited production and so few cities I don't even see how players can even defend anything because there won't be units to build or even afford. I think a flying hero (sorceress) who can raid all the L1/L2 ruins and then hit all the lightly defended cities will rule the day.

KGB

[BrutusButcher]

Thanks KGB, I always appreciate your insightful input for these maps.

The goal for this map was to promote the re-build city function, and to try to have it as a viable path to victory (without having too slow of a start). I am not yet sure if this goal was accomplished. AI (computer) players do not rebuild cities, so was challenging to try to assess how beneficial the rebuilding.

For newcomers to rebuilding,
All 4 city squares must be free of enemy units to rebuild. Only select units and heroes may rebuild (heroes can increase their build skill to make this much cheaper). Rebuilt cities have no initial production, so production will also need to be purchased.

1. The neutral cities having multiple defenders, low income, and limited production was intentional. This is to increase the attractiveness of rebuilding the razed cities.

2. There are 100 income buildings (farms, mines, sawmills, windmills, etc..), these have a higher importance than usual as the income is needed. We can re-assess after a few test plays, potentially can increase the income, or even add a random neutral at spiting distance of each starting position?

3. Excellent point KGB, I think I completely ignored that city in my test plays. I'll plan to modify/upgrade this in next version.

4. Yes, by design. Trying to promote those rebuilds.

The ruins are not overly plentiful, so the sorceress growth rate is slowed (especially if there are numerous players using this strategy). The sorceress might shine for stealing the usually undefended income buildings.
Possibly could add a medusa or ghost on second level ruins to slow sorceress done a bit?
DwarvenHero becomes attractive in mid to late game for his much cheaper rebuilds (I usually avoid him as the first or second hero however..)
Horselord is attractive early, can accumulate many of those farms to boost income early.

[KGB]

Brutus,

With regards to the neutrals having multiple defender. Some of them (the middle south and the left south) only have 1 defender. All the others have more than 1. So the bottom right start (Yellow) and left start (Green) get big advantages over the other starts because they get a neutral with 1 defender. That's what I meant about evening it out.

KGB

[BrutusButcher]

This map has since been edited significantly. Please see "Phoenix rising" version 13 for updated map.
Please leave comments on newer map.

Changes from Phoenix version 7;
Added additional starting location setups for FFA and teams.
Higher level ruins all have at least 1 defender.
Additional income building added. Income from buildings increased significantly. View range for many income buildings have increased.
Low level city added within first turn reach of each starting location.
Additional razed city location added for better future vectoring.
Starting cities all have port access.
Tweaked neutral city defenders for better balance, production limitations also modified.
Hundreds of small map edits to further balance starting positions and further promote re-building cities

Thanks to all play testers.
-Brutus