This is what you've been waiting for. This is the first map with ships. The map is fun, relatively easy and has plenty of ways to win with different strategies.
You start out with a viking close to your home base. If you assimilate him into your borders, you learn how to build a shipyard and haven. You'll need these because your main island has only coal. You'll need gold and iron if you want to win the game. Or not.
In fact, both enemies are allied. You can catapult them down, mow through them and into the gate. You could even build a haven next to red and go straight for the gate. It is within striking distance if you properly play your hand. This is a map you can enjoy several times.
The southern island has iron. The island directly south of the main island contains dinosaur bones. This will be a theme in the game telling you where the gold is to be found. Probably because gold comes from meteors and dinos were wiped out by meteors. Sounds entirely logical to me. This game sure has its own style.
Wow complete nostalgia. Still remember this game. Cannot believe that someone was still playing this game in 2014. Btw "On the High Seas" was my favourite because it has ships and islands. I finished this part may be 6 times (in a period that spans 10 years) so still remember it clearly.
ReplyDeleteActually main land also has gold. You need to expand to east to see them. It'll be quite close to the border so you better be quick to expand your borders otherwise enemy might get that area. But iron is only on the south island, on the main island there is but it's in enemy territory almost impossible to capture. But hey make lots of ships and invade the islands. One island has gold and another has iron. You do need iron to make sword and shield for your soldiers. Because you start with a very limited army. But I remember that you start with at least 25 iron ore in the headquarters and 50 coal. So you can have 12-13 more soldiers without having an iron mine. So build iron smelter, armory and an alehouse ;) Because this is a large map you need soldiers not only to defend your territory but also to build barracks in order to expand your borders and make small colonies on islands.
Expanding on the island will be slower because ships have to go to main land and grab the stuff. So you will need lots of ships. I suggest having 3-4 shipyards but that will use your wood stock heavily. Existing forests won't be enough for that. You need to build foresters. I built shipyards, woodcutters, foresters and sawmills all close to each other on the west side of the land. Keep foresters away from farms because farmers cannot work with 100% capacity when they don't have enough space. East part has green fields. I recommend first chop all the trees then demolish and replace them with farms which you will use to feed your miners.
You almost don't need to build storehouses. Instead build harbour wherever you see the anchor sign. They are actually storehouses with "Start Expedition" button.
One of the islands on the south is so close that it could be connected to the main land using small boats through the sea. So transfering the goods will be faster. To transfer people (soldier, builder, miner etc.) you still need to carry them on the big boats.
One last thing, in this map enemy still is not the side that starts the war. They won't do anything no matter how strong they are until you attack them for the first time. So don't do it until you feel ready. You can build catapults on the borders to weaken them while your miners are digging gold and iron. When you feel ready go for it. Because after you start the war they will also be attacking not only defending.
In the latter episodes once your borders get close they also start the war and the artificial intelligence is smarter.
This game was awesome and this map is simply legend.