When you sit down for a game of AoW Shadow Magic, how do you usually set your game up? Scenarios? Random Maps? Campaign even?

Any particularly good advanced settings?

Curious because I just picked up Shadow Magic. AoW1 was fun so decided to finally get it.

Wizard's Throne campaign is better.

Good single player user made maps (the best of them are truly brilliant) played using my own custom mod is what I prefer.
If you are new to the game I suggest playing the campaign first.

Random maps and scenarios for any game like this. That lets you play with any side to its full ability, minus the artifical restrictions that campaigns impose upon your gameplay as a matter of course. I much more enjoy figuring out my way to play and beat an enemy on a tactical and strategic level than trying to guess how a campaign level designer has set up the only possible way for me to win.

Unfortunately random maps don't provide an even playing field since the AI can't use all the Quest Stones and recruitment sites that are randomly generated.
Once you have mastered the game you'll appreciate all the artificial restrictions.

Campaign, although I've never managed to finish the final map as becomes a bit of a chore. I do enjoy the story though.

Never played any single player maps - any that anyone would recommend?

Here you go: Link.

To search through these 700 maps, I'd suggest sorting by ratings or downloads. You'll quickly discover that some maps are for regular players and some are for true experts. ;-)

You'll also find that some mapmakers suit your style of play better than others.

Thanks - I'll take a look while I wait for AOW3 to settle down...

I prefer:

Random maps
No Shadow stuff (planes, or races)
Sometimes underground, sometimes not.

Hello,

I play AOW:SM with single player maps. I have several maps (extra large) which I play. They are that big, that I forget the details and so the map is after several months still interesting.

I love to play AOW (3 and SM) as sort of a role playing game. I love the setting in AOW:SM, including the (from AOW3 boards) 'useless' wizard in his tower.
I never played it as multiplayer - in part because my friends either do not play AOW games or have no time for it.

While all AOW games are Strategy games, I play them more as an ongoing RP game with a strategic background.

For this reason I am not completely happy with AOW3: They have 'optimized' the game for multiplayer games. This means, that even Halflings have 'Warlords' and 'Berserkers' (??). This is not as I see Halflings!

Also they 'balanced' AOW3, and the racial specialties (Titan, Dragons, and so on) are gone - only the class matters. The action based alignment is also a major difference.

So - AOW:SM still is a favorite game for me, and I find it simply beautiful even with its simple bitmap graphic. (AOW3 is more taxing for the PC, but also beautiful). There are a lot of units and special features. As a fan of XL maps I also find the transport units (Zeppelin, etc.) really fine. (This was all cut from AOW3, since it is 'unbalanced' and 'allows exploits' in multiplayer mode.)

The campaign of AOW:SM is very well done, and should be played at least once. Single Player maps have the advantage that they are quite different and there are a lot of them.
Random maps are not so well done in AOW:SM, but usable. (In AOW3 it is a problem that random maps are integrated in the game and *cannot* be edited or exported to a map, which is a pity).

I always play in 'Classic Turn Mode, and in 1920x1200 which is the maximum. The game is unable to support 2560x1600.

I hope this helps :-)

M.