Shilmista - The Era of Rain Showers (REVIEWED)

forever. Reviewed ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shilmista: The Era of Rain Showers follows the story of a humble merchant forced to abandon his homeland and business after it is destroyed by invading soldiers. He comes across a neutral village and decides to establish himself there instead by conducting a series of small quests for the locals. Shilmista is an original scenario, being one of the first AOM scenarios to have an RPG (role-playing game) element to it. The player, for example, has the ability to select the quests he or she wants to undertake. The player can also select which weapon and armour upgrades they wish to purchase with the gold they are awarded from completing these tasks. This aspect of the scenario is extremely well triggered with no evident bugs and a true credit to the authors thorough knowledge of triggers and the AOM editor. The scenario eye candy, though not outstanding as the map is mostly forest, is still well constructed and no area of the map is left blank. It is not however over-the-top and un-natural looking, which can occur in such scenarios. The storyline is far more engaging than the description suggests. I, to be honest, when I first played this scenario thought it would be quite uninspiring and dull. I was pleasantly surpised though, to discover that it was quite the opposite. Though the initial scene (the escape from Shilmista) was relatively mundane, the tasks you are required to undertake in the village are both original, fun, and overall quite engaging. In fact, the only disappointing aspect of the scenario are the cinematics. The author over-used complex camera tracks, which at the best of times are messy and rough. The use of camera cuts, both close-ups and distance shots of the characters, would have been better suited in certain places. He also had a tendency to show the edge of the map, which looks unprofessional. Overall though, Shilmista: The Era of Rain Showers is a thoroughly enjoyable little scenario, bringing enjoyable and challenging task ideas and gaming styles to AOM. Reviewed by BlueDragon27
Lead a merchant through an experience that will change his life