Archon IV (4player) - New host added

[acturas]

Map Name: Archon IV (1vs1, 2vs2, or even 1vs1vs1vs1!)
Map Type: Large mulitplayer map for longer battles (created by Acturas)

Click HERE (http://home.ripway.com/2005-1/239656/ArchonIV.zip), HERE (http://home.ripway.com/2005-1/240221/ArchonIV.zip) ,HERE (http://home.ripway.com/2005-1/240147/ArchonIV.zip) or HERE (http://home.ripway.com/2005-1/240151/ArchonIV.zip) to download the map. Also mirrored at DOWfiles (thanks guys) and can be found HERE (http://dawnofwar.filefront.com/file/Archon_IV;36168).

Your mission:
Contact with the holy city of Archon IV has been lost. The Imperial Guard garrisons last order was to secure and hold the cathedral 'Semper Fidelis' until reinforcements arrive. Long-range surveillance indicates that they have failed. Can your take AND hold the Semper Fidelis. - Alea iacta est -

Map layout:
The map has a number of features that I hope makes things a little interesting.

1 - Each player starts off in a reasonably defensible position, with either higher ground and/or 2/3 choke points leading to their base. Links to pictures of each starting location follow.

Government offices
http://img87.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img87&image=dowplayer4start6qu.jpg

Wilderness
http://img87.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img87&image=dowplayer3start6ji.jpg

Factory
http://img87.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img87&image=dowplayer1start3pp.jpg

Refinery
http://img87.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img87&image=dowplayer2start1hs.jpg

2 - There is only 1 Relic (yes 1). This means players have the option of going straight for the relic in the cathederal (and trying to hold it) OR skirting around it and building up an army large enough to crush whoever is in there. In play testing this has lead to a number of great see-saw matches where one player takes, looses and then retakes the relic. However you may also decide to bypass it altogether.


3 - The bridges on the river can be used to contain a player to either side of the map if defended correctly (esp with the Eldar being able to build structures anywhere).

4 - Cover. To keep things simple all craters have a heavy cover stat, with trees offering light cover (broken trees and roots offer broken light cover).

Other stuff:
Time taken to plan, build and playtest 60+!!! Thanks to my bro for playtesting and my girlfriend for putting up with me:D

Anyway enough of this talk!!! Go ahead and download the map. If you have any comments (good, bad or just plain ugly then please post them here). If there is call for it I could make this map a 6 or even 8 player....

Screenshots:

Overhead view
http://img87.exs.cx/img87/724/dowarchoniv15mn.jpg

River view
http://img87.exs.cx/img87/5577/dowarchoniv26yb.jpg

In game screenshot
http://img87.exs.cx/img87/751/dowarchoniv40vc.jpg

Links to further screenshots:

http://img87.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img87&image=dowstatues8cs.jpg
http://img87.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img87&image=dowarchonivchurchempty6zj.jpg
http://img87.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img87&image=downorthlookingsouth2co.jpg
http://img87.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img87&image=dowpipes1vc.jpg
http://img87.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img87&image=relic000241op.jpg
http://img87.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img87&image=relic000357rc.jpg

[LheRoX]

Cool =)...GJ.

[mekis]

it looks lika a niice map but i cant download it. can u get another url.. and not a http://home.ripway.com... error url :p

[acturas]

The servers I am using have a limited download bandwidth so until i have a better host I have also created a hotmail account with the file as an attachment to the first mail. Login as acturas@hotmail.co.uk, password is dowmap. The first mail has the map as an attachment.......so you can download it from there if the other servers are over the limit:(

[ThrowN]

Nice Map! There should be more maps like this, that are large for few players so that you can tech a lot! I hate rushing!

[acturas]

Any other comments folks?!?!

[alcatraz]

great work, I'd love to see it in a 6p or 8p form!

alc

[lowlander]

Reminds me of Stalingrad! pretty cool , base area a bit small , but very defendable.

[acturas]

Thanks:) Funny enough thats what I had in mind when creating the map (and Leningrad). A city in a meat grinder......... yeah its a little small but it helps in forcing you to expand (but you can fall back to da base if you need too!).

[moenrg]

I have downloaded this and have played it twice. First off this map is HUGE. Resources will not be a problem. It would appear that players 1&2 if teamed would have an advantage since they are not separated by a river, but it doesn't play out that way. If player 1 doesn't cross the river, he's quickly outpaced by the others in resources. So he must attack that way. Fighting tends to be all over the place and good communication is a must since you simply can't quickly reinforce a threatened area. The result was alot of ebb and flow, capture and recapture. Both games were long, with both sides maxing out tech. The map itself is beautiful, great attention to detail. I tend to like stragetic maneuvering, where both sides try to force to other out of advantageous terrain, rather than battles happening all over the place, but that's just me. Overall a very good map, I wish I had this much time for these details.

:Pint:

[Hanna]

I had a rollicking good time playing this map. It also has the advantage of being beautifully rendered. It has a very hand-crafted feel, as though you spent months and months fine-tuning every bit.

The AI is very sneaky on this map, for some reason.

Well done. Well done.

Love,

Hanna

[BCStern]

... wow

[faust8577]

man you did a great job I watched the replay of my game and couldn't help but notice the cool setup of the landscape while CSM and orks were killing each other

Great Job

[TheThunderer]

Hey great lookin map. I downloaded it but I dont know what to do when i try and unzip it can you guys please help. Thanks

[acturas]

Thanks guys for all your positive comments (yes I spent aaaaageesss creating the map. I even created plans for the map on paper first!!). Thunderer in answer to your question checkout the readme included in with the map. If you still have probs post here and I'll give you a hand:). As a little note has anyone panned the camera down near the entrance to the city (top middle of the map)? Take a look and you'll see a firefight taking place just outside.....:)

[faust8577]

Well I played it again last night I'm gonna post some screenshots soon of some the most memorable moments of last nights slaughter. 2vs2 LAN game 2 csm vs 2 sm
perhaps even in a battle report format....Hmmm :p

seriously though man this is great a map, inspired me to wanna learn the map editor
but it looks daunting when you consider the fact that the last map editor I played with was the starcraft one.

Is it hard to learn, and any documentation for it?

[TheThunderer]

Thanks Acturas I got it but havent played it yet cuz of other bussiness but Ill let ya know about how it went when Im done.

[acturas]

Its pretty similar to the starcraft, but with bells on. There are docs available online and i'm sure if your having any probs you could put a post in the forum and the folks would be happy to help....

[faust8577]

All good acturas got it working....MAN It's cool!!! I'm gonna start a new thread with screenies from all the home built maps I've played. giving credits to the creators of course

[acturas]

Whats happening with the contest folks? Anyone know?

[monoRAIL]

There's been no word from Relic about the contest for over a month now. I suppose they're busy with Winter Assault, or maybe a new patch.

[Rayden]

Why don't you use the sticky thread in DoW Discussion Forum to ask these questions???