Vix: Looking for 1.9 Betatesters for Version 0.3

[artisticdude]

This originated as a practice in WML, but turned into something much better than I'd expected. I have successfully implemented some of the more complicated WML into this campaign, so I can promise that this won't be the ordinary 'defeat two leaders' campaign. It's modeled in the style of UtBS and IftU. As of right now it consists only of one scenario, which I posted below, since I can't feel justified in uploading only one scenario to the add-ons server. Feedback, suggestions, ideas for new scenarios and critique are welcome.

[Gambit]

You have to sell it mate. You're saying it is "different" and "better" and "cool". But why? You'ven't (double contraction ftw) convinced me to download.

What does it do?

[artisticdude]

If I came across as being braggadocios, my apologies. I didn't mean to.
Some of the features implanted in the scenario aren't all that unique, but others might be:

-You don't start out with a castle, you have to capture an outpost from a group of soldier using only the troops you are given at the start of the scenario.

-The fog lifts and returns every 5 turns (took me ages to figure out how to code that).

-A wishing well that you can choose a wish from (though none of the wishes come true, it's just for fun).

-A system of trapdoors that allows you to move to and from the mainland and two islands (and I don't mean just teleporting, there was a lot of storing units in there, as the first time the unit moves to one of the islands, he has to say something, but only on the first time the trapdoor is used).

-A new enemy appears on turn two, tries to take over another outpost, and begins to recruit troops to fight both you and your first opponents if he succeeds in defeating the outpost's defenders.

-you can choose whether or not to allow the commander of the outpost you capture to live or die (if you let him live, he might give you advice and join your side, but he could also betray you to the enemy).

-You don't end the scenario when you kill the enemy leaders, you have to capture three ships (similar in a way to UtBS, but see below).

-once you've captured the ships, your enemy from turn 1 and the one that arrived on turn 2 ally to stop you from boarding the ships. To win the game, you must move every unit you have to the ships. Your leader must board the ships last.

There might be one or two other features, but I can't tell you without ruining the story. I'm thinking about adding a couple more features, but I think the scenario might become overcrowded if I did that. Feedback on this particular point would be appreciated greatly.

[Gambit]

Everyone brags. But you've gotta give a reason. Otherwise people ussually don't download.

I downloaded it, but it won't let me copy it to my campaigns folder. Some sort of error about encryption.? And there are all these funky .ds_store files in it. I guess it's because you're on a Mac? Anyway it won't let me play it.

[artisticdude]

Yes, I'm on a mac. Hmm, that is a problem. I can only .zip the file on mac...

I have a windows laptop that I hardly ever use though, I can use that for a windows version. I'll get that posted as soon as possible. Is there a way you can compress files so that they will open on both mac and windows?

[Gambit]

That's what I don't get. It knows it's a zip file (and a valid one at that, because it tries), but when I try to unzip it I get messages about encryption.

edit: I told it to go ahead anyways and it worked...
That's another point for the "just keep clicking okay and everything will work out fine" philosophy.


edit 2: Unknown scenario The_Port
I looked. It's there. And the ID is right. It just doesn't appear to see it.

[artisticdude]

I hate that 'unknown scenario' message. I get that all the time, but I know for a fact this campaign works fine for me. What version of Wesnoth are you running? I use the 1.7.11 beta, and everything works out fine there. Here's the windows .zip.

[Gambit]

SOOOO many things I love about this. Here they are in chronological order.

1. Saurians!
2. There's another team trying to do the exact same thing I'm doing, it adds a race against time kind of feel.
3. I love river battles.
4. When I can use the river safely and my enemies can't, it adds even more twisted enjoyment to a river battle.
5. Commiting grand theft naval right under the enemies nose! They're still alive, and you're taking all of their ships. XD
6. Gotta haul arse out of there. I had to leave about 5 guys behind to slow them down.
7. I won't give it away for other people who will download it, but you-know-what towards the end... holy cow! This is the first TBS to scare me.
8. You actually have to retreat the units you want to keep for next round! (at least I guess that's where you're going with this?)

I've attached a replay if you want it. I realize that sometimes players find bugs that designers don't, but they might not realize they're bugs and may not report them. The wishing well had some, what I expect to be, unwanted behavior around turns 22-24. The dialog was switching between the teams. Also sometimes players play things contrary to what you expected/wanted them to do. So that's another reason for the replay if you want it.

I wish you would move at least some of the story inside of the scenario instead of the black screened bit at the begining. Dialog makes the characters easier to like.

[Anonymissimus]

I've had the toggling fog in my campaign before you, too. Can be done with modulo=...

Have you used the wishing well core macro ? If yes, what are the bugs ? When I saw that macro it was so funny that I chose to take it at once.

[Wonderboy]

Nice scenario. Now you only have to create more.

Some notes:

1. The zipped campaign seems to only work if it is inside the games campaign folder (not in add-ons folder). I noticed that you've uploaded the campaign also to add-on server and that seems to work.
2. There is two {FIRST_WATCH} in a row instead of {FIRST_WATCH} and {SECOND_WATCH} in the scenario.
3. The wishing well triggered when a human went there and Vix replied to him.
4. I had killed both generals before I stole the ships. It made the rest of scenario very easy because the enemies couldn't use the gold.
5. Vix says "stupid" too many times.
6. The heroes would benefit from custom graphics.

[artisticdude]

Thanks for your comments, everyone! I'm working on the next edition. Gave the scenario the default schedule, added a filter for the wishing well so that only side 1 triggers it, made the port defenders more defensive, and am working on trying to make the orcs try to capture the ships. Is there a macro or something where you can set a goal for an entire side? I'm working on adding some more units to the recruit list (this is a good chance to flesh out the saurians). I was considering having the saurians stop at an island to collect provisions in the next scenario, but I ran into a problem. What do saurians eat (besides the obvious worms)?

5. Vix says "stupid" too many times.

Hehehe, that's a good one! Do you mean in the wishing well macro, or in the entire campaign? Either way, I'll cut out a few 'stupids'.

I had killed both generals before I stole the ships. It made the rest of scenario very easy because the enemies couldn't use the gold.

Hopefully now that they're more defensive it won't be as easy, but I might need to add something else in there as well (perhaps give the enemies more gold and/or better recruit list).

The heroes would benefit from custom graphics.

I'll work on finding some, I might even find time to make them myself (though I've never attempted spriting saurians before).

You actually have to retreat the units you want to keep for next round! (at least I guess that's where you're going with this?)

Hmm, I hadn't really thought about it, but that's a good idea. I'll implement it in the next scenario. Thanks!

I wish you would move at least some of the story inside of the scenario instead of the black screened bit at the begining. Dialog makes the characters easier to like.

So true, will add some more dialogue.

I'm thinking of only making the fog lift during the day, and return at night. That might give it more of a realistic feel.

@Gambit: Those annoying encoding problems again! Downloading the replay to my mac isn't working, the game says the file is corrupt. I'll download it on the laptop and see if I can port it over to the mac...

[Gambit]

Day/night fog rotation would be way too fast imo. Any reason for wanting to change it other than realism?

If you're going to make the defenders harder, then please give us a small keep, a little closer to the objective. Maybe one keep and one castle hex? Though, honestly after my initial wave of recruitment I never had (or needed) enough gold to recruit again.

I'm guessing that had I left the lieutenant live, I would have been warned about the you-know-what towards the end? I guess the skulls should have been a red flag.
You'll need to use FAI if you want the orcs to try harder to take the ships. But I don't think they're capable of it anyways. They serve their purpose just fine (tying up green?).

Basic WML has a [protect_location] tag.

[artisticdude]

Yeah, I guess the fog stuff is good as it is. I won't change the difficulty for the first scenario right now, maybe do that in the balancing phase. My idea for the next scenario is as follows:

The ships have only a few day's worth of provisions on them, so Vix and his troops land at an island to try and provision the ships. The island they land on is full of wild boar/rabbits/any other wesnoth wild animals that you can eat, but is also full of undead. You must hunt down x number of animals and bring them back to the ships in order to win the game. So when a saurian kills an animal, he/she gets an overlay that signifies they are carrying the carcass. If the carrier gets the carcass (this line sounds really weird) back to the ship, your amount of provisions rises by 1. When the amount of provisions gets to the required number, you board the ships and leave. But you have to hunt the animals while also fighting the undead who infest the island. I know this scenario is enough to give the Human Society a heart attack, but it's worth a shot.

[Gambit]

Another excellent non-linear idea.

How will you balance it across the different difficulty levels?

Higher difficulty = more needed provisions and same undead?
Higher difficulty = same needed provisions and more undead?
Higher difficulty = more needed provisions and more undead?

Also if you're not completely set on the undead, why not try yetis? Or some other wild critters (suped up version of default wolves?) that considers this to be their personal hunting grounds. Throwing undead in just for the sake of needing an enemy seems a little cheesy. Yeti slap impact and wolf teeth blade would bug saurians just as well as undead blade and fist.

On top of boars and the other prey you had in mind, TSI did some really nice (I guess with TSI, the "nice looking" part goes unsaid) feral cattle a while back. The only wesnoth rabbits I am aware of, are very cartoonily drawn.

And if you need any help with coding, I'd be glad to.

[artisticdude]

Throwing undead in just for the sake of needing an enemy seems a little cheesy.

I totally agree, there's no real reason for them to be there. Hmm, wolves might be a good idea, Yetis seem a little far fetched as they would probably live where it's much colder, and I kind of pictured this island as being right on the equator of whatever world wesnoth takes place in (since the saurians are leaving the southern hemisphere and entering the northern one, where I assume wesnoth & the surrounding lands are located). But there are also ogres, spiders (could be jungle spiders)... better make a list:

-Wolves
-Ogres
-Spiders
-Yetis (doubtful)
-Nagas
-Mudcrawlers
-Griffins (doubtful)
-drakes (doubtful)

Or perhaps a combination?

And if you need any help with coding, I'd be glad to.

Thanks for the offer. I think my biggest coding problem right now is storing each of the saurians that makes it to the ships in the first scenario so that they can be recalled in the second. I've never attempted something like this before, so if you could help out in this area especially that'd be great.