Khalifate gameplay thread (feedback on balance and bugs)

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Temuchin Khan
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Re: Khalifate feedback thread

Post by Temuchin Khan »

powershot wrote:So, the faction is theirs, which would mean they control it, or, what does this imply?

Like if one of my factions went mainline(will probably never happen), what could I do with it?
It just means that Noy, TSI, Wintermute, and jb helped create the faction, each making his own contribution. It probably also means that one of them is the current maintainer of the faction.

And if one of your factions went mainline, it would probably just mean more work for you, since you as the maintainer would have to make sure it was up-to-date with every change made to every new version of Wesnoth before that new version was even released.
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Re: Khalifate feedback thread

Post by powershot »

Ok, thanks.
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Re: Khalifate feedback thread

Post by Noy »

So this is a VERY rough draft of their initial history. I've shown drafts to other developers, but its still in its infant stages.


The Khalifate emerged in the South Eastern reaches of the great continent. They were originally made up of settlers who moved into the Eastern hills soon after the exodus from the Green Isle. The area was extremely rich in metals, which drew in the original pioneers. These were hardy settlements, which prospered from trade with other fledgling Wesnothian and Dwarvish communities. They were adept at the use of magic, which soon attracted the attention of orcs. Several decades after the settlements’ establishment, a massive horde forced their inhabitants to flee across the hills into the Great Desert.

It was an unparalleled migration as the settlers were pursued deep into the hot unforbidding terrain. They were saved by ancient wells and oasis that existed in the desert. Unfortunately the Orcs destroyed the wells and their shamans made the oasis disappear into the desert, making any return impossible. However the scorched earth strategy weakened the horde’s ranks, and they were eventually defeated by the settlers. They were unable to return north, but the settlers had reached a range of mountains that bounded the southern edge of the desert. The valleys received enough rain and moisture to support some hardy crops, while animals could graze in the small shrublands and savannahs that were found in the steppes and hills before the mountains.

Freed from attacks, the communities started to grow along the southern edge of the desert. Eastern settlements in more arid areas found rich ore deposits and focused mining and metallurgy. Western communities were based in more temperate climates, leading to greater agricultural production. Small kingdoms known as Taifas emerged, usually organized along one or two small settlements or cities. They were mostly led by powerful families that controlled a key part of the city’s trade. Caravans plied their trade between them, trading essential goods.

In general the Taifas were highly independent until a spiritual awakening in 400 YW that swept through the settlements. It created a new, cohesive order organized around a few families and a strong moral code. This became known as the Rahman Khalifate. With the awakening there was a universal rejection of magic, which was considered apostate and seen as the source of the calamity that forced them into the desert. Great discoveries in medicine and metalworking soon followed, launching a golden age in their fledging civilization.

Contact with the main body of human communities was non-existent due to the distance from the Kingdom of Wesnoth, and the violent Orcish tribes that took over the Eastern Hills. However in 500 YW new settlements along the Western reaches of the southern mountain range came into contact with scouts from the recently built Fort Tahn. Reliable contact with the Wesnoth was reestablished through this route, which opened trade between the two empires.
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Great_Mage_Atari
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Re: Khalifate feedback thread

Post by Great_Mage_Atari »

Really stupid question, but are the Khalifate involved in any mainline campaigns (or any campaigns) yet?
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Re: Khalifate feedback thread

Post by Ceres »

No.
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Re: Khalifate feedback thread

Post by szopen »

TheSigil, current maintainer of "A New Order" replaced Aragwaithi with Khalifate, so they will be featured in UMC. I don't know when ANO will be re-released though.

But as I read this, I started to think whether there wouldn't be inconsistencies between Khalifate back-stories and the ANO. Since I don't want publish spoilers, i will send the PM to Noy.
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Re: Khalifate feedback thread

Post by AlaskanAvenger »

Just got back from a summer job, hoping to get back into helping testing this, what matches do you need most atm?
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Temuchin Khan
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Re: Khalifate feedback thread

Post by Temuchin Khan »

Noy wrote:The Khalifate emerged in the South Eastern reaches of the great continent. They were originally made up of settlers who moved into the Eastern hills soon after the exodus from the Green Isle. The area was extremely rich in metals, which drew in the original pioneers. These were hardy settlements, which prospered from trade with other fledgling Wesnothian and Dwarvish communities. They were adept at the use of magic, which soon attracted the attention of orcs. Several decades after the settlements’ establishment, a massive horde forced their inhabitants to flee across the hills into the Great Desert.

It was an unparalleled migration as the settlers were pursued deep into the hot unforbidding terrain. They were saved by ancient wells and oasis that existed in the desert. Unfortunately the Orcs destroyed the wells and their shamans made the oasis disappear into the desert, making any return impossible. However the scorched earth strategy weakened the horde’s ranks, and they were eventually defeated by the settlers. They were unable to return north, but the settlers had reached a range of mountains that bounded the southern edge of the desert. The valleys received enough rain and moisture to support some hardy crops, while animals could graze in the small shrublands and savannahs that were found in the steppes and hills before the mountains.

Freed from attacks, the communities started to grow along the southern edge of the desert. Eastern settlements in more arid areas found rich ore deposits and focused mining and metallurgy. Western communities were based in more temperate climates, leading to greater agricultural production. Small kingdoms known as Taifas emerged, usually organized along one or two small settlements or cities. They were mostly led by powerful families that controlled a key part of the city’s trade. Caravans plied their trade between them, trading essential goods.

In general the Taifas were highly independent until a spiritual awakening in 400 YW that swept through the settlements. It created a new, cohesive order organized around a few families and a strong moral code. This became known as the Rahman Khalifate. With the awakening there was a universal rejection of magic, which was considered apostate and seen as the source of the calamity that forced them into the desert. Great discoveries in medicine and metalworking soon followed, launching a golden age in their fledging civilization.

Contact with the main body of human communities was non-existent due to the distance from the Kingdom of Wesnoth, and the violent Orcish tribes that took over the Eastern Hills. However in 500 YW new settlements along the Western reaches of the southern mountain range came into contact with scouts from the recently built Fort Tahn. Reliable contact with the Wesnoth was reestablished through this route, which opened trade between the two empires.
So far, I like it. It ties them into Wesnoth history, while also including some of the essential traits of real Arabic culture (trade, caravans, disunity until "spiritual awakening" unites them). It also ties in with the fact that what we often call the Middle Ages (or even, at one time, the Dark Ages) were really the Golden Age of Islam, and incorporates some of the actual achievements of Medieval Muslim scholars. At the same time, by only making a general reference to the "spiritual awakening" and not giving specific details, it respects those who want to adhere to the "no religion in Wesnoth" rule.

Perhaps a reference to achievements in philosophy and astronomy and chemistry would also be appropriate, though, if we want to incorporate the Golden Age of Islam more fully.

And since the Era of Myths is also off in the south-eastern part of the continent, and also involves a group of lost Wesnothians, this history raises the question of whether the Khalifate and the Therians are related. Maybe they could be two separated branches of one group of displaced Wesnothians, who took very different paths, the one embracing magic and the other rejecting it. But now I'm just speculating.
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Re: Khalifate feedback thread

Post by Velensk »

Era of Myths is not off the south eastern part of the continent. In as much as it has an official lore, it takes place in its own world (unless it has changed since I was maintainer). This was decided specifically so that mainline and era of myths would never get into each others way.
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Re: Khalifate feedback thread

Post by Temuchin Khan »

Velensk wrote:Era of Myths is not off the south eastern part of the continent. In as much as it has an official lore, it takes place in its own world (unless it has changed since I was maintainer). This was decided specifically so that mainline and era of myths would never get into each others way.
I must be thinking of an older version of Era of Myths, then.
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Re: Khalifate feedback thread

Post by Wintermute »

AlaskanAvenger wrote:Just got back from a summer job, hoping to get back into helping testing this, what matches do you need most atm?
Right now I'd like to see Khalifate on Khalifate matches the most.
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Re: Khalifate feedback thread

Post by Groggy_Dice »

I haven't been following the development of the Khalifate faction, but I'm not in favor of any origin story linking them to the Wesnothian people. I understand that Irdyan humans are not an exact match for our Earth cultures. But I just don't think there's enough time to evolve from the Celtic-like names of the Wesnothians to the Arabic-flavored names of the Khalifate. I'd prefer them to be another branch of Irdyan humans, isolated from the Wesnothians long before they fled to the Great Continent. That seems more in keeping with the language divergence.
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Re: Khalifate feedback thread

Post by TheArtist »

I am curious, Is this a general feedback thread or would like us to focus on just the gameplay of the Khalifate?
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Re: Khalifate feedback thread

Post by Wintermute »

TheArtist wrote:I am curious, Is this a general feedback thread or would like us to focus on just the gameplay of the Khalifate?
I started it originally for general feedback, but I should refocus it I think. It is not useful at all when people post things like "I'm not following the Khalifate at all but here are my thoughts".

I'm going to rename the thread as such and state that from here forward this will be the balance and bug reporting thread (I.E. gameplay). Discussions of flavor and history should probably get their own thread from here forward.
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Re: Khalifate gameplay thread (feedback on balance and bugs)

Post by TheArtist »

Thanks for the clarification! :D
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