Just wanted to drop a quick note, that before I'm really continuing to work with the brand new map called "Angel Chasers" (SoD); I'm going to update my original SoD map "Adventure Islands" with Horn Of The Abyss objects. That means, that the updated version will only work with HoTa, but SoD version will always be featured on my SoD XL map pack.
I'll have to think about whether change the map pack's name and continue adding HoTa-enhanced versions of the maps, in case I decide to update some the others, as well, and add those versions directly into the map pack, or will I just list and upload HoTa-boosted versions separately on this website's Homm III map-download section. Anyway, at least "Adventure Islands" of the old maps will receive HoTa-makeover and I'll add that version to somewhere on this website, either to my map pack or the Homm III map-download section, plus I'll add the link here, as well.
The update will be MINOR. I think that the map is already nicely detailed and balanced with SoD version's objects; the update will bring a few new interesting adventure map locations presented by HoTa, plus a few visual new objects to enhance the diversity and presentation of certain areas a little. More like "a final touch" than a major update, really.
I think that this will be my format of working with new Homm III maps in the future, as well: to make firstly a SoD version which is the most commonly used one (since SoD and Complete of Homm III equal as the same); so that almost anyone can play it. I'll then might or might not go on and create a HoTa-update for an existing SoD map, afterwards. Updating to HoTa will be easy task, since the amount of new stuff it presents in form of map-objects is not very big (moderate amount only, plus some great changes to existing ones, which will be automatically updated when playing a SoD-made map in HoTa expansion, anyway).
Stay tuned. :)
Log 17.12.2015: I've been upgrading the map and it's Horn Of The Abyss (HoTa) -version is pretty much 99% finished. Slight graphical changes might still occur. Some of the new HoTa-rocks of the water tile-set look better than original, so I may swap a few. Other than that, I've added pretty much the eye-candy I wanted to from HoTa tile-set.
What I also did, beyond pure graphical changes, was some balance fixing (mainly decreasing the amount of resources lying around; this time there will be less to spend) and swapping old adventure map locations, where you can fight to gain resources of creatures, to another ones featured in HoTa. For example, I did switch some Crypts and Dwarven Treasuries far off from the starting castles into e.g. Red Towers, Black Towers, Experimental Shops, Spits, Mansions. More diversity, plus some new HoTa locations offer a bit higher challenge than vanilla Homm III locations (such as aforementioned).
Still some play-testing and tweaking to do, but I really like how much those little chances, that HoTa allows to do to my map, do boost it and make it better in terms of play-ability, and of purely looking better, as well. HoTa -team really added a few new graphical tile-set objects to there, where the game lacked most: sandy dunes, icy blocks, crates and barrels for the docks area. These all fit into "Adventure Islands" perfectly!
The map is really starting to look like a candy, to my own eyes, anyway.
Oh yes, plus added another MAJOR new quest along the original main quest of the map (to kill the Old Sorpigal Refugee Co.'s leaders, who enslave shipwrecking people on the islands): and it's a pirate themed one. This is something which I'm still play-testing, as I want the big fight to be challenging enough, yet not overly so; well balanced with the huge reward (not too huge to out-balance the map, though!). All in all, I could say that this map has pretty many quests, so this one will be the final one, as well.
Some pictures of Horn Of The Abyss version of the map below:
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