The Eastern Kingdoms I - Neathis

The Kingdom of Neathis faces many struggles, as the ancient evil resurfaces. An outcast cult member with no memory of the past becomes its unexpected champion, the only one capable of defending its right to exist. Shall the hero succeed, or is the kingdom doomed?

This map was created as a challenge not to use any custom resources. Therefore,  all you need to play this map is the .dsmap file. The map is intended for vanilla DS1, but it can also be used with the LOA expansion.

The map features:

• []Approximately 40-60 hours of gameplay. This may scale significantly with difficulty and gameplay style.

  []Balanced gameplay - most of the time, hack'n'slash tactic is not necessary for a balanced party. Of course, sometimes it is necessary to choose the right tactics in battle, such as retreating for a moment or regrouping.

  []All followers from Kingdom of Ehb (Ulora, Gyorn, etc.) can be met and recruited

  []40 quests to complete.

  []A party of 8 can (and will) reach level 150 in this map, and still have some more fighting to do.

  []DS2-style underground treasure chests - Find a random button on ruins or cave walls for a secret treasure chest under the ground to appear.

  []Life and mana shrines are significantly more effective and are practically bottomless.

  []Multiplayer respawn statues and starting positions (althought without level caps).

  []Many 'side' areas to be explored, with treasure, bosses, quests and even followers.

  Recommendations:

  • []Do not play as single character. Especially on Hard difficulty, it may be impossible to pass late-game areas. The larger the party, the better.

    []In middle to late game, a nature mage with healing and buff spells can make a huge difference, especially the Harmony spell.

    []Rebalancing mods, such as Expert AI or Adepts may significantly affect gameplay in an unexpected manner.

    []Considering that the whole party will reach level 150, it is a good idea to use one of the mods that increase party gold limit.

    []While side areas may be exciting to explore, do not feel obliged to clear every monster in every area. The game is to be enjoyed, after all.

    []Do not pay too much attention to some characters falling behind in experience (typically Nature mages, as they cast healing spells sometimes) - the differences will be erased when your characters reach level 150.

    Known issues:

    • []Not all quests are foolproof. It may be wise to speak to NPCs before venturing further.

      []Multiplayer starting positions do not have level caps.

      []North may be positioned differently in some regions. However, if an NPC tells you to go south, you may trust your compass in the area.