Unbalanced scenarios

[bakaohki]

load the save file (location depends on OS, you will need to tell us which OS for us to tell you where to find it.) edit the difficulty setting from enjoy!

Back in the DOS times I even used debuggers to hack up some of the games I played (press space to kill the boss and stuff like that), so if I really wanted to do it dirty I would've found a method anyway (to be honest I know about the "nice" save format and I'm pretty familiar with my home directory:)), but I would be happy to see a similar option in the menu. A fancy slider with difficulty descriptions for example ^_-

[shevegen]

Although I dont like the idea that some scenarios should be made easier, I disagree with turin's:
"Why don't you play on easy instead?"

since it was my perception that there ARE times when medium is MUCH easier than easy, simply because you can quickly level up, and high level units really help a lot.

I also think that reducing difficulty is not the best option, it should be rather turned a scenario into something better. Maybe we could vote for this one day? I'd defintely vote to retweak those Lance knight scenario which send so many horsemen at you...

Luck is also a big factor, i hope maybe there can be more ways to have less have a smaller influence UNDER certain circumstances (like fatigue units would be nice)

[bakaohki]

I restarted the game on easy, but now it is just ridiculously easy (read: no fun). On medium it took me ages (like a week or so) to reach the Sceptre of fire, and I have found the levels quite challenging; but on easy it was like four or five hours, without any problems (nearly no save-loading at all). So I still say, that the Heir to the throne is still painfully unbalanced.

Some minor things though: the island level with the undead hordes was easy to survive, but I couldn't kill *both* enemy leaders (though +3 more turns and I would've done that too). The Siege of Elensefar and the first encounter with the young princess was fun, all the other levels were simply boring ;_;

[Yogibear]

It's sort of a speculation, but i don't think you would have perceived HttT that easy if you had started on easy level the first time.

After all, if you played onto the SoF on normal, then you really have learned a lot! In fact, easy is no challenge then any more.

[rogue]

Personally, I love the current Normal/Medium difficulty level. I think it's just right. I'm slightly bothered that some stages have been made significantly easier in later releases. ie. a secret bridge appearing in Siege of Elensefar.

Some scenarios have taken me close to a dozen retries (Princess of Wesnoth with 100 gold, the big undead stage with 100 gold), but I learn, adapt, and eventually win.

I never save/load to re-roll botched attacks. That completely ruins the fun of a game like this, IMO.

[Destructicus]

Perhaps some of the unpleasantness can be alleviated by giving the player more information rather than rebalancing and editting the scenario. I am thinking something like a benchmark can pop up (or be accessed from the scenario info option in the menu) that will give the player info on how well they need to be doing or what they should shoot for.

Eg. in HttT's first mission something like: "Get Konrad out as quick as possible and level a unit or two if you can!"

or for later on: "Make sure you have a shaman leveled and finish with 400 gold" or something like that.

The advantage to this would be that you would know halfway through the scenario if you were doing "ok" or not, and you could choose to restart then and there. I agree that nothing is more depressing than just barely squeeking by in a few hard-fought scenarios just to find out you were just setting yourself up for certain defeat in the future.

[torangan]

Yes, I'd like to have some hints in campaigns, probably depending on the difficulty settings. Rough tips on medium, more detailed ones on easy.
Things like: "You should try to level at least two Shamans up to Shydes, they might be very usefull in later levels."

[bruno]

Why don't you enter the suggestion for campaign specific tips in the bug tracker. This is a good idea that shouldn't be forgotten.
It would be even better if you gave some thought for how it might work in practice and enter that into the ticket.

[aelius]

I actually do offer campaign specific advice in The South Guard with narrator messages. Those events are only fired on the EASY difficulty level, as more advanced players are assumed to know what they are doing.

I hadn't though of giving advice on what units to level up, but I'll add that in. Check out Born to the Banner (the first scenario) to see what I mean.

- b.