Yomegami's Map Thread

[Yomegami]

I'm primarily a map maker as far as DK2 is concerned, as I don't play multiplayer and don't have much urge to. Figuring that, I might as well post some of my work.

More maps will be added as I finish them.

Hellfire Castle

This is a 4-player multiplayer/skirmish map in which the keepers are squabbling over a hero fortress set in the middle of a lake of lava.
While it's generally AI-friendly, Computer-controlled keepers will likely get themselves slaughtered given the nature of the map (those hero gates do more than simply keep the patrols restocked...).

Download

Castle Lair

Excuse the unimaginative name; I needed to call it something while I was working on it and didn't feel like coming up with something more creative.
Anyway, this is pretty much a new (and in my opinion better designed) version of Hellfire Castle. Once again, 4 keepers are fighting over a hero fortress, but this time storming the fortress is mandatory if one wishes to attack his enemies (which is what I was aiming for with Hellfire). The castle here is smaller but more heavily defended than Hellfire, and the personal appearance of King Reginald on the battlefield doesn't make things easier.
Again, it's generally AI-friendly with the chance that a computer keeper will wind up getting King Reginald's attention and likewise getting slaughtered, although the probability that they'll kill him is higher than the chance of survival they had on Hellfire.

Download

The following maps are single-player and need to be launched through the command line.

Enemy Rush

This challenge is meant to put your skills at creature possession to the test. Here, you are in control of a goblin (a special goblin that is much stronger than normal and has several spells, but still a goblin) and must cut down 16 waves of increasingly powerful heroes before they either kill you or break down the door to your dungeon heart and destroy it. They start out easy, but then get steadily harder.
The final match may not look like much, but I highly suggest you keep your guard up...looks aren't everything.
Changes in V1.5: I got rid of the player's mostly useless Hailstorm and replaced it with the much more useful Slow spell. I changed the 13th match around a little bit. The combatants in the final match lost their heal spell, but gained a new lightning-based spell to compensate (which had the side effect of making that fight much harder than it already was - if you get frozen, it's practically guaranteed you'll die).

Download (V1)
Download (V1.5)

The Fallen One

Here's why I asked if it was possible to change the direction of a hero gate and still have it owned by a keeper.
In this realm, the keeper Lucifer has harnessed the power of his many Mana Vaults to construct himself a pair of hero gates and entrance heroes to his cause. Bolstered by this accomplishment, he dares challenge you for this corner of the subterranean realm. Of course his actions are foolish, but tread lightly all the same. Lucifer's arrogance isn't without some merit....

Your objective is to take control of Lucifer's mana vaults, therefore depriving him of his flow of heroic forces, and use their power to crush him utterly.

Changes in 1.1: I changed Lucifer's AI a bit so that if he needs to build another training room, he does so in a sensible location. I also reinforced his back mana vaults a little (although it's nothing major).

Download (V1)
Download (V1.1)

[Skarok]

I finally got some time to play DK2 normally, so played some maps from here. I only played two of your maps yet, hellfire castle and the fallen one.

Hellfire castle is a very well designed skirmish map; maybe it would be my favourite four player skirmish map if I’d be able to play it on 1.3. But even in 1.7 it was fun, but somehow all the keepers hadn’t many creatures. And yellow tried to build a combat pit, but the gem was in his way, so he freezes. Most of his creatures were angry, but all on a high level. He was the second enemy I killed, but he killed more of my creatures than blue. Somehow the keepers train very slowly at this map, after twenty minutes I was away for about fifteen minutes and they still had level 5 ones. After I killed the two keepers I possessed a mistress and walked through his dungeon. He had stronger minions, but not very much like the other keepers. Before I wanted to wipe him out, I took over the hero fortress. It wasn’t much a problem; I possessed a salamander this time and made them follow me. I lead them on bridges and sold parts of it. I had them trapped and could simple take them out with Turncoat and bridge selling. I converted most of them, but then it seemed too easy for me to kill green. So I tortured all my minions and slapped them to dead, so I got some vampires. I only got six, so I stopped it. I used the level ups and then attacked with my vampires, mistresses and some dark. He wasn’t much a problem. I’m sure on 1.3 the level would be more fun, the other keepers would be more challenging.

The fallen one was fun too, but still to easy^^ I built an arena, torture chamber, temple, library, workshop, training room, treasury, lair and a hatchery. After that I claimed the portal and trained my creatures. I only got black knights, mistresses, bile demons and warlocks. All the other creatures I slapped half to death and threw them in the prison I built in the left corner of the map. Near my temple I built a small guard room, some sentries and a secret door. I locked the door and throw my three skeletons on level four . At the same time I noticed that blue wanted to break through my prison. Fast I dug into the lake and claimed his bridge. My skeletons killed his imps, but they kept coming. So I built a gas trap at the end of the claimed bridge and threw a skeleton on it. Then I noticed that he used call to arms at his guard room at the end of the bridge. In theory I only had to attack from somewhere else and then destroy his hearth. But I used the level up special and threw my entire army in front of him. I simply defeated his minions. The takeover of his dungeon was easy, with secret doors I claimed everything, at the end he only had his dungeon hearth and the treasury^^ Then I found the level three skeletons, after that I walked through the lake in possession, but I found nothing so I went back, unlocked the doors and casted call to arms at his hearth. The map was fun, but WAY to easy. It would be better if you give him more reinforcement.

[Yomegami]

Oh hey, a reply.

I'm glad you liked Hellfire. Personally, I thought I could have done a little better job, given that it was the first map I made after not having played DK2 for years.
Your AI trying to build around the gem seam was most likely an exceptional case of stupidity on its part. Personally, I didn't see one do that while I was testing the map. As to why the AI didn't train above level 5, there's a bit in their scripting that says "Attack when all creatures are level X." I believe that once they get all their creatures to level X, they don't bother training any more. For example, the Conquerer AI only trains to level 5 before they start attacking.
Unfortunately, I don't think I can do much about 1.3 compatibility. :/ I didn't add anything to the map that was exclusive to future versions, so unless there's a specific process to get a map to work with earlier versions I have no clue how to change that.

With difficulty, I generally aim for "beatable." When I can beat a map I made, I consider it finished. Given my skill level, it's not surprising that you'd find the Fallen One to be rather easy. For the record though, it was probably for the better that you met Lucifer's forces head on rather than trying to attack him elsewhere. See, Lucifer's programmed so that he casts Call to Arms gradually in the general direction of the player's dungeon heart, rather than directly on it (so that his forces have time to fight back rather than suffering unnecessary damage, since creatures heeding a call to arms ignore attackers until they reach the flag). So if you were to try to attack his dungeon elsewhere, he would have gradually closed in and then tried to kill you. Granted, how successful that venture would have been depended on the strength of your forces - Lucifer isn't supposed to attack until all of his creatures are at level 5 and he's researched all his spells, and I think he ignores those restrictions. I did update the map a little today, but it wasn't anything major so I doubt you'll find it to be much more challenging.
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Anywho, I updated the main post. Enemy Rush and the Fallen One have both been updated, and I added a new map under the name of Castle Lair.\

Edit: For some reason, the main post vanished on me. ._. Might have something to do with the fact that posts in this section apparently have to be approved first. Anyway, for now just go here to download my maps for now until I find a solution to this problem.