Ascent of the Covenant - A ToB inspired AoS

Backstory:
As my latest project started to reach it's finished state I decided to take a break from it. I played some ToB games on b.net and actually got into it again, inspired by this revolutionary AoS I was confident that I could create an AoS similar to ToB, with high quality skins and icons here on wc3campaigns and the nice people around here who are always willing to help I decided to start on this project. It is now around 70-85% complete, I started this many weeks ago just after my latest project. There are heroes resembling those of ToB's, but they are not copies. They may be similar but I aimed on creating Heroes that would actually require decent team strategy. There are no uber items here like that of DotA, only strategic items are sold by merchants, like healing potions, anti-magic potions, etc,. This solid project intends on being very fun & strategic to play just like ToB or AotZ, and other maps..

What are you capable of?

I am capable of creating amazing JASS enhanced spells with the help of CS system, I can make a beatiful terrain, I can make almost everything I need for my map except skinning and modeling.

What is the "Ascent of the Covenant"?

It is a ToB inspired AoS of smaller size. Even though it's size is smaller, there is MORE freedom of ganging and sneaking. The terrain is quite original in my opinion, you can expect to be dead in 20 seconds once you see all of the enemies are gone. With the new map layout, you'll never be alone! It fully supports warfare, gangbanging, hero sieging, and even escaping. The towers are not separated from the bases( 2 for each side, 1 main, 1 small ), meaning more variability and tactics when going for the kill.

Story :

The Covenant has long been purifying the world from the evil powers inhabiting in it. Their last foe, the Zenith, the biggest evil ever to have lived, has escaped their extinction and grew stronger as they hid themselves from the Covenant. They face each other for one last time, and you are the chosen one, it is up to you to determine the victor.

Is this just another DotA style map or what?

This map IS NOT for YOU if you said that. Calling another map as 'DotA' style already repulses most people and mapmakers here, making them think of you as "n00b" player. DotA is not a genre, and DotA is NOT a game people.

What have you accomplished then?

So maybe I was addicted to ToB too much, I made a new layout from scratch and this I can tell you :

-The new map definitely fully supports and encourages gang-banging, it has around 5-7 spots capable of gangbanging in EACH lane.

-Asides from the pvp-encouraging, there are NO towers separated from the base, allowing players to gang any hero on ANY part of the map, except the bases, which are guarded by powerful towers.

-Original and Unique design, I really did appreciate ToB too much. So much that my mind drove me to make the beta version alot like ToB, in this new layout it is far more original, NO ToB resemblances.

-Unique heroes, I am forgetting to implement the Heroes from the other version, so you can expect more originality.

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Before I forget it, BIG BIG thanks to Rising_Dusk and all of the guys who tested my crappy beta version. If you want to be beta testers for the NEW version with unique gameplay, please do PM me. I removed the attached Beta version.
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Thanks to you who took the time to read through all this, please remember to leave comments, suggestions and/or feedback.

Interesting. I really, really think people should be being origional rather than trying to make ToB II.

Few points though:

- Covenant and Zenith? Not the world's most origional names.

- "This gigantic monster, which uses Oniwaga's Titan model, has a whopping size of 322 kb for the model, 277kb for the skin." - 600kb for ONE HERO? That's more than half the size of warlords, which has about 6 custom models and about 3 skins.

I stopped reading after you stated that you have heroes "inspired" on ToB heroes. You should just come up with original concepts for these heroes on your own. You will get much more fresh and interesting results.

Those are the Beta heroes, my original heroes were the ones not yet finished, and so am still planning out all of them. The "inspired" heroes will be left untouched so that the players may play the map with the "ToB feel" to it :).

Oh, and some of the Beta heroes were originally made by me, like the Titan and Arch-Druid. The Blood Knight itself IS original, though it's "theme" is the only thing inspired from AotZ.


The story is based on a fictional story I read... I don't know the name and it wasn't very popular. It was a war between two different races battling on another planet that was said to be rich in resources. The Zenith were elvish looking people, tall skinny and long ears. They were the good guys in the story, the Covenant were humanoid types. Their ancestors betrayed their god so they were punished. They made a covenant or a promise that they will repent for their sin, which is why they are called the Covenant. It was on bookstores around 7-8 months before Halo 1 was released so I don't know the origin of that name.. And it was also a small, pocket-sized comicbook with about 50 pages.


How should I say this.. I am trying to make an AoS inspired by ToB, like AotZ, however, I implemented heroes that resemble ToB heroes so players can get that "ToB feel" to it, but I don't actually want it to be ToB. It's just kinda like an expansion to ToB, except that I don't have my hands on ToB's quality skins..


Don't worry, the map size is fairly small. 400-500kb smaller than ToB.

Sounds cool, id like to c screenies of your terrain, when you can ^.

Sounds like the origin is the Jewish covenant.

But basically you're saying nothing in it is origional?


Skins don't make a map.


That's large. ToB had a big crowd, and got updated irregularly. It also started off with a much smaller filesize.

No, what I'm saying is that the map will have some ToB feel to it while being different than ToB. It will mostly have original stuff made by me, the ToB resemblances will be left for the ToB feel to it.


I THINK the story is best explained as the story of the big-hit game "Rising Force" online, excluding the robotic Accretians and a bit modified story.


Don't lecture me about what makes a map, I know already that gameplay and core makes or breaks it..


I was hesitant to implement the Titan. Then I actually made a plan, I implement the Titan as a Beta hero and some others, if beta-testing is successful Heroes that were totally-to-moderately ignored will be replaced. If the map would be better without them, I shall remove them and their skins.

I dont think ull get the best feedback on this site, or atleast the fedback you desire as most mods/admins will 'frown' on largely basing it off ToB, atleast i think they will.

I am not 'basing' it on ToB, I made it from scratch and I made it look somewhat like ToB, but not really close that it becomes ToB terrain. ToB is Medium, this is Large, more freedom and more sneaking places.

-P.S., Beta Testing Stage might be released by tomorrow without delays. Don't judge a book by it's cover.

EDIT : The resemblances are just left there so that even veteran or amateur ToB players may have fun and play with good strategies.

Ok, I look forward to giving it a test :D
Remember to upload here!!

It'll be uploaded tomorrow. I'll add in the abilities this night and the finishing touches tomorrow morning, then upload it here afternoon. Maybe around 1-2 pm GMT + 8:00(Beijing)

-P.S., this map is better tested with a friend or two, since single player always sucks with AoSes.

Not IitS -_-*

Anyway, might try it out.

/Me wants to test. :D

And just so you know, a new version of Tob is being worked on...

Looks and sounds interesting! Although i am not a ToB fan, but I am waiting to test this and see how it goes =)

Ah! Same time zone! Good to know another asian map maker! Good luck!

I forgot to mention..

Please note that I will release a very early beta testing stage later, the Heroes that WILL be modified in any/some way are :

>Malfurion
>Titan
>Rogue Hunter
>Blood Knight
>Huntress
>Undead Pirate
>Spitfire Overking

These heroes are in their youngest stage, hopefully in future versions they will be a whole lot better.
I would appreciate it if you would leave feedback after testing :D
Huntress' ulti is very hard to aim :P

EDIT : Added some screenshots, see the first post to see the first two.