Maps
SECTION TWO - Maps & Multiplayer Modes
This section details the multiplayer maps and the modes available (including Capture the Flag!), Crusade mode and team deathmatch.
The 5 maps available in multiplayer are as follows:
Human : Stonehelm, a free city of the east, set on a steep ness protected by huge walls.
Human : Vradek’s Crossing, a small coastal market town near Stonehelm.
Neutral : Border Keep, an ancient ruin surrounded by two abandoned temples
Undeads : Nelsham’s Scar, a coastal cliff scorched by a deep pit which guards the entrance to the undead realm.
Undeads : Nar-Heresh: the gigantic undead necropolis, set in deep caves guarded bottomless pits.
Border Keep - Neutral territoryThe five multiplayer maps allow for plenty of flexibility. There are numerous sniping positions that look over spawn points, plenty of rocks, castle walls and static objects to hide behind, enabling you to sneak up behind an enemy, and open areas, ideal for huge scale battles, and close up combat. The construction of the environment ensures that all character classes can be used effectively, if you know your fighter's strengths that is!
The city environments can be quite intense, especially if you have two full team battling head to head. On a map such as Stonehelm, the Warrior is ideal for quick kills, but as we learnt very quickly, watch out for the snipers who position themselves around the City walls.
Border Keep was certainly a favourite of ours. Each team begins at their spawns either side of the map. As both teams make their way towards the middle of the map, they'll both need to cross a trecherous open space, that sinks into the ground providing each side with a high vantage point, in order to enter the other team's temple and gain vital territory. It's a huge battle of skill trying to cross the open section without getting sniped. This is where strategy and clever choice of character classes play their part. You'll almost certainly need a few snipers on your team to take out the opposition snipers standing on the temple steps, a few warriors will be vital to power their way across the centre taking out any weaker opponents or to duel with other warriors. There's numerous rocks either side of the open space ideal for assassins or mages who can lay in wait and it's probably wise that any priestesses stay out of the firing line ready to heal any injure teammates. Alternatively, you could just hold back and see how the oppostion plays it.
The City of Stonehelm - Human territoryThere were a few occasions when it was a tense stand-off with neither team, apart from a few mages with suicidal tendancies,willing to risk moving until the snipers had done their work. Other times we'd all steam across the middle with a huge battle ensuing, well sometimes there's no need for tactics, just plain old carnage. One tactic I found extremely useful was hiding behind a stone column right next to one of our territories and using the assassin's stance attack to sneak up behind anyone who tried to steal it. Yep, it's annoying for the enemy but always keep an eye out for an assassin, unless they're donning their invisibility cloaks of course.
Graphically, the maps weren't quite finished so we can't really pass judgement. However, we did see a nicely animated dragon fly overhead during a battle sequence.
Flip over the page for details on multiplayer and the various modes available