Horn of Faith - Campaign

[GreenScarab]

___


STORY

121 YW

Cold east, far from Wesnoth lands, far from Lintanir forests there is a lasting over two decades conflict bringing havoc to the lives of younglings.

The king of Hoorl, Hor II falls into a trap set by the landarses, the cultists of a long gone elvish traitor. In order to save life he needs to break alongside his most faithful men to the no man's land. Accompany the bold king of horned dwarves and see for your own eyes the inner demon of the bearded folk.

___

WHAT IS IN THIS BAG?

- 8/9 BATTLE scenarios

- EXPERT difficulty

- DIFFERENT objectives

- SPECJAL items

- ...and etc

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CAMPAIGN WAS FULLY TESTED
___


Also Horn of Faith focuses very much on the aspect of recalling veterans acquired in previous scenarios, so try to get as many of them as possible. The first scenario acts as a bit of a butterfly effect one, which affects the level of difficulty in the rest of the campaign through the recalls acquired from it.

Good luck playing it (you will need it, the campaign is hellishly difficult at times but that is what it is supposed to be).

[GreenScarab]

Hi Wesnothians!!!

New update V1.0.4 is here!

[Mechanical]

wow it's my favoutire campaing dude

[Konrad2]

S1
The Runesmith doesn't have the loyal trait, but has a loyal marker. I'm guessing he isn't supposed to demand upkeep, but he does demand upkeep once you level them.

HoF-Avalanche-Auto-Save1.gz

upkeep

(27.6 KiB) Downloaded 16 times

Code: Select all

[village]
	        x,y=27,14
        [/village]

should be 28,13

S1 is also throwing this in the logs:

Code: Select all

warning ai/config: side 2: aspect with id=[attack_depth] lacks default config facet!
warning ai/config: side 3: aspect with id=[attack_depth] lacks default config facet!
warning ai/config: side 4: aspect with id=[attack_depth] lacks default config facet!
warning ai/config: side 5: aspect with id=[attack_depth] lacks default config facet!

[GreenScarab]

S1
The Runesmith doesn't have the loyal trait, but has a loyal marker. I'm guessing he isn't supposed to demand upkeep, but he does demand upkeep once you level them.

Thanks for pointing that out. I just published an very small update to repair that.

[village]
x,y=27,14
[/village]
should be 28,13

Ops... This is some leftover that I forgot to remove. The village is intentionally unoccupied so that the player would stand on it and meet the Runnesmith.

S1 is also throwing this in the logs:

As for that, I don't know myself, this is the first time I've seen it.

[Konrad2]

Dwarvish Miner
Unable to advance to Guardsman.
The portrait can be found in core, and doesn't need to be included.

S4
{GENERIC_UNIT 4 (Goblin Imapler) 8 20 } {GUARDIAN} -> {GENERIC_UNIT 4 (Goblin Impaler) 8 20 } {GUARDIAN}
gore -> ogre(?)

Ancients
This scenario doesn't really 'work' for me, or rather the part with running from the Ghouls doesn't.
My gripes: I tend to be north of the elves when I spot the whole thing. So I need to run even further, even though my mp are probably gone now.
It's unlikely that all my units have already arrived, so I might have 1 to 4 units to contribute to the running away.
If I make it, the units outside do not 'die', they just happen to be still outside.
Ghouls have 5 mp, most dwarves only have 4. With exactly one unit able to cure poison, I'm not getting very far.
I can pretty much only try to make a stand and get overrun anyway.

[GreenScarab]

Hymmm... I played from your save on turn 23 and reached Ritual Chamber on turn 30 (no save reloading)

HoF-Ancients-Auto-Save30.gz

(79.09 KiB) Downloaded 15 times

...but I think I understand what you mean by that.

That the player is not expecting something big and it is difficult for him to break through to the Ritual Chamber while being attacked by surprise.

However, in general, this is what the element of surprise and the associated challenge is all about. The point is that the player has to move his units in a close group from the very beginning, and if he doesn't, he'll be in big trouble later.

[Konrad2]

You need some safeguards vs putting lots of unit on one island. If there are too many, they spawn on a different island.

You made the islands unreachable form the main hall (even for my flying unit), but I can fly from one island to the next. Is that intentional?

The first teleported units speaks about the teleport before it happens / is visible.

Faith
Why the 'Turns run out' condition?

[GreenScarab]

You need some safeguards vs putting lots of unit on one island. If there are too many, they spawn on a different island.

Oooh... quite an unpleasant bug, but quite funny if you ask me. I need to figure out how to fix it.

You made the islands unreachable form the main hall (even for my flying unit), but I can fly from one island to the next. Is that intentional?

No, it isn't intentional. The player should not be able to fly between islands.

The first teleported units speaks about the teleport before it happens / is visible.

I know this bug... but I still have to figure out how else to give the dialog after entering the monolith and teleporting.

Faith
Why the 'Turns run out' condition?

My mistake, I forgot to remove it.


Anyway, once you finish, can you tell me about your overall impressions of the campaign? I'd love to find out.

[Konrad2]

The first teleported units speaks about the teleport before it happens / is visible.

I know this bug... but I still have to figure out how else to give the dialog after entering the monolith and teleporting.

How about filtering for the hex the unit arrives on, instead of the hex they teleport from? Would that work?

Anyway, once you finish, can you tell me about your overall impressions of the campaign? I'd love to find out.

As always, will do. I still need to beat the last scenario though. D:

EDIT:
Faith
Why do you spawn my reinforcements as unable to attack?
...and apparently every defender units health is refreshed? Why? (I'm not complaining, just really confused.)

HoF-Faith-Auto-Save24.gz

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Actually, I am complaining, as having every unit actually useable makes the scenario trivial at that point.

Since you win by defeating every unit *currently on the map*, you can win much earlier than intended and without fighting the hardest waves.

HoF-Faith Turn 26.gz

(120.93 KiB) Downloaded 13 times

I'd suggest changing the objectives to surviving until turns run out (47), and change them again when the last wave arrives to turns run out or killing every enemy on the map, with the rationale being the retreating elves perishing in the snowstorm due to a lack of supplies. That could theoretically be hinted on / simulated by having them take increasing damage after the last waves of arrival, the closer you are to the turn limit. (This would need to be supported by dialogue, e.g. the last wave saying they have to take the city or else they'll freeze to death.)

...I wish I had stacked items on that Yeti.

Btw, why the capslock in the achievements? (Same for Rustling in the Wind)

It is unclear why the dwarves were suddenly able to retake the lands they lost. They did not gain a huge amount of strong people, nor some amazing weapon. The elves may have failed in this assault, but there is nothing to imply that this was a critical blow or something. (-> it's not supported by the story you are telling, not by the dialogue, not by the storytext -> preferably amend that?)

Rest if the feedback sometime this week.

[GreenScarab]

How about filtering for the hex the unit arrives on, instead of the hex they teleport from? Would that work?

Sounds nice. I will see if it works.

Why do you spawn my reinforcements as unable to attack?

I am aware of that bug, but... apparently don't now yet how to fix it.

I added this line of code, but it didn't work as intended. Ooops...

Spoiler:

Code: Select all

               [heal_unit]
		    [filter]
		        race=dwarf
		    [/filter]
			moves=full
			restore_statuses=no
			restore_attacks=yes
		[/heal_unit]
		

Maybe the reason it doesn't work is because it's enabled during the Defenders Side turn and I should have included it during the first Arriving Side turn.

...and apparently every defender units health is refreshed? Why? (I'm not complaining, just really confused.)

This is an intentionally made by me. In super short: The defenders seeing reinforcements gained new strength.

However I was pretty sure that I have added the narrator line about it, but I see that I some way forgot about it. Will add it in the new update.

Since you win by defeating every unit *currently on the map*, you can win much earlier than intended and without fighting the hardest waves.

That something I will need to look at more. Thanks for suggestions anyway.

Btw, why the capslock in the achievements? (Same for Rustling in the Wind)

My personal stylistic choice, I suppose.

It is unclear why the dwarves were suddenly able to retake the lands they lost. They did not gain a huge amount of strong people, nor some amazing weapon. The elves may have failed in this assault, but there is nothing to imply that this was a critical blow or something. (-> it's not supported by the story you are telling, not by the dialogue, not by the storytext -> preferably amend that?)

I am convinced that it is quite easy to understand and self-explanatory.

Spoiler:

It was the most important battle of the war. The moment when the main elven/landar forces suffered a huge defeat. In the number of warriors and their commanders. It was a point of breakdown. During wars, there are times when decisive battles occur, where the fate of the war is decided, and that was the case here.

Trak said, "This is the last day and the last night, the last battle, the greatest in our lives! THE FEST THAT WE WILL OFFER TO THE GODS!!!"

I think I implied the importance of this battle pretty well in that quote.

This is from the Epylog: "Trak, who was to be appointed the highest general of the army for devotion, bravery, and heroic defense of the capitol during the war, refused to take the oath and decided, as penance for the loss of his king and other friends who died in the war, to set off to liberate every piece of earth in his homeland from the boot of landarses."

The dwarves haven't destroyed all of the forces of the elves, but they defeated their main army, which means the rest of the war was about winning the controll over the smaller garnissons. No other great battle occurred again.

They did not gain a huge amount of strong people, nor some amazing weapon.

True, they did not gain special weapons or super warriors, but they gained something more: faith in victory and internal strength to fight. This is an effect that, in my opinion, could only occur with the dwarves, in whom loyalty and brotherhood are on a different level than with other races. Anyway, one of the main themes of Horn of Faith is, after all, Brotherhood, and the title of the campaign itself refers to the final moment in the campaign: hearing the horn of reinforcements, the veterans that the player himself collected, and advancement during the journey, which is supposed to further deepen the player's emotions with the Last Battle, which is to prevail over the outcome of the conflict.

Hor said after all, "I alongside them will become the Horn of Faith, the ultimate hum destroying the marches of landarses.".

This is the simplest definition of the Horn of Faith that I included in the campaign.

Also the very moment at the beginning when the dwarves enter the Legendary Status is also linked to Hor duel against Mor the Cursed and the awakening of his true power. Which also affected his loyal warriors in the scenario Faith.

Anyway, thanks for all your feedback. I really appreciate it, and I hope my explanations of some parts of the story were helpful to you to better understand the campaign.

Finally, despite the bugs you encountered along the way, I also hope you still had fun and enjoyed the story and gameplay. I tried my best working on it and will still try my best.

[Konrad2]

I am aware of that bug, but... apparently don't now yet how to fix it.

I added this line of code, but it didn't work as intended. Ooops...

Spoiler:

Code: Select all

               [heal_unit]
		    [filter]
		        race=dwarf
		    [/filter]
			moves=full
			restore_statuses=no
			restore_attacks=yes
		[/heal_unit]
		

Maybe the reason it doesn't work is because it's enabled during the Defenders Side turn and I should have included it during the first Arriving Side turn.

You could ask for help on the discord servers.

This is an intentionally made by me. In super short: The defenders seeing reinforcements gained new strength.

However I was pretty sure that I have added the narrator line about it, but I see that I some way forgot about it. Will add it in the new update.

Sorry, no line.
And as I said, it makes the rest of the scenario trivial. :/ How about inducing legendary status instead? It's still a boost, but it's not a full heal.

I am convinced that it is quite easy to understand and self-explanatory.

I'd my (personal?) problem is that too much is being implied, and too little is being said/explained. A lot of those things are only implied by you saying in the aftermath that they did retake those lands and all that. Also, at best, the dwarves managed a rather phyrric victory, leaving their forces just as much if not more depleted than the elves forces, seemingly unable to reatke any lands. If you had added a line about them being able to tap into legendary status again in later battles, it would be more believable. Or that in the aftermath of battle many that were thought dead still hung onto life and made a full recovery after a while.
TL;DR: It feels like you are using the results to imply what must have happened instead of telling what happened to make the results make sense.
Like me saying I'm the fastest person in the world with the implication that anyone that was faster having suddenly died. (If told the other way around, it would make sort of sense, but by only saying the first of information it's questionable.)

Trak said, "This is the last day and the last night, the last battle, the greatest in our lives! THE FEST THAT WE WILL OFFER TO THE GODS!!!"

I think I implied the importance of this battle pretty well in that quote.

It's a very 'common' thing to say during a last stand. So common, that I do think you need additionally information to know that things will make a reversal if you win this.

Anyway, thanks for all your feedback. I really appreciate it, and I hope my explanations of some parts of the story were helpful to you to better understand the campaign.

Finally, despite the bugs you encountered along the way, I also hope you still had fun and enjoyed the story and gameplay. I tried my best working on it and will still try my best.

The explanations did help me to understand, I just want some of them to be in the campaign.

Of course I enjoyed it. ^^ You do a great job.

EDIT:
Somehow forgot to give my feedback. <.<

Highest difficulty

Snowstorm
It didn't feel like I can win this scenario reliably. I can barely send units to attack that red leader to arrive on the very last turn. Due to no villages close enough / on the way I also can't maybe send earlier units to wear them down, it's always go there and win or die.
(I've played it twice, and the same thing happened both times.)
Looking at the code...you give the enemies 6 gold each, for a total of 18 gold per unit I kill? That basically means that kill anything that's not lvl 2 or a scout gives them more gold to spend. ._. Whyyyy D:

Btw, the 'time over' event is you giving them gold, but it would be more obvious and cool if you also made 2-3 more units appear for each enemy side.
(As in, your idea is cool, maybe this would be an additional improvement.)

Btw, did you want the side 3 leader to have 75 gold when they start recruiting, or 93? Because they are collecting 2 gold per turn, even while the leader hasn't arrived yet, meaning they have 93 gold on turn 10.

Avalanche
About the Yeti...he is too strong. As in, if I run into him he can, given luck, just wipe out my units. So, two suggestions.

• Place him in a way that you can more easily avoid him by taking the longer way and add a piece of dialogue to make the player know that one path might be more dangerous. (The placement can also be achieved by making the Yeti have less MP.)
  Add some kind of gimmick that would allow the player to slow/weaken the Yeti, something for them to figure out.

Desolation
It would be nice if the Ghosts were confined to the city. In my case the Nightgaunt decided to run away to get to a village, so there was no meaningful way I could have chased. Instead I ignored them and let the Spectre do the job. That doesn't quite fit with the narrative.
The rest of the scenario feels a bit too trivial for the time you need to traverse it. Maybe move the end of the map a bit closer to the ruined city?

Awakening

Dwarvish Miner
Unable to advance to Guardsman.
The portrait can be found in core, and doesn't need to be included.

Awakening
{GENERIC_UNIT 4 (Goblin Imapler) 8 20 } {GUARDIAN} -> {GENERIC_UNIT 4 (Goblin Impaler) 8 20 } {GUARDIAN}
gore -> ogre(?)

Just going to quote this in case you overlooked it, as you did not reply to it.

It would be great if there were a small castle/keep at 25,10. That way you can stock up on units before confronting the elves, regardless from where you approach them.

That 'messenger' is way overkill. ._. Maybe at most a Hero makes sense?

Similiar to S1, do you want the side 3s gold to depend on when you attack them? They are quietly collecting 8 gold per turn.

Ftr, I feel quite bad for those miners. D:


Eyes
I'd love a piece of dialogue along the lines of 'lets not enrage the monster too much' to imply that you can awaken the monster by killing off enough tentactles. At first I was trying really hard to figure out in which corner the monster is so I can attack it.
The Ghost unit you have can 'break' walls, pick up and use the key, and open the trapdoor.


Ancients
I've already written down most of my thoughts, but I have some additions.
Maybe drop some item from the Ghast that adds melee poison.
Make the monolith next to the Luck amulett teleport to 4th island instead of back to the 5th one. Otherwise the units I've send to island 5 and beyond are unable to return to the Ritual Chamber. (Storywise as well.)
Kill all units outside of the Ritual Chamber when you close it off, and add a piece of dialogue about being sorry if some of your units are still outside.

Lost
It would be cool if the undead were spawning from some of the fires, as they symbolise the trapped souls (which are the undead attacking me).
I think it would be fitting if there were no Skeleton Archers. Every other unit could more or less have been a dwarf, except the archers.


Children of the Earth
-


Faith
Btw, the 'legendary' status disables the 'illuminates' halo for Torchbeards.
The lack of healers/villages and the number of units I need to have at a time to defend the place...very very hard to do. Feels luck dependend. Tried to feed xp to the lvl 2 units instead of the lvl 1 units to have access to the legendary status as long as possible.
As I said, healing everyone when the reinforcements arrive makes the rest trivial.

After
...btw, that Elvish Captain and his units from 'Ancients' are simply somehow lifelong imprisoned in the Ritual Chamber? -> I don't think they are, but that's what the story/nonmention of them implies.


And, as I said, I liked it.

[GreenScarab]

Update V1.1.3!!!


Changelog:

Spoiler:

Overall

• The Dwarvish Miner can also advance to the Guardsman now.

• Konrad2 has been mentioned in the End Credits of the campaign under the label: Major Feedback.

Snowstorm

• The red enemy leader had no more + 2 income from the beginning.

• Killing a unit doesn’t provide enemies gold anymore.

Avalanche

• Yeti has decreased movement by 2.

Awakening

• An additional keep has been added to the map.

• The red leader has no more + 8 income and has set stable gold for each level of difficulty.

• Messenger is now an Elvish Hero.

• The misspelled Goblin Impaler unit code is fixed.

Eyes

• Optional Ghost unit can’t destroy walls, use the key or open the trapdoor anymore.

• When a player kills an enemy tentacle there is a dialog warning before waking up the monster.

Ancients

• When teleporting from a secret island where is optional, Item player move to the 4 island not 5.

• The optional Ghost unit can't fly between the islands anymore.

• When killing the Oglonon, the player unit which killed the Ghast gets his melee attacks infused with Poison.

• One of the treasure guards is changed from Skeleton Archer to Skeleton.

Lost

• Minor map enchantments.

• The optional Ghost unit can't turn on the Monument of the Banished event.

• Skeleton Archers units were removed.

Faith

• When reinforcements arrive, the defenders have not healed up HP.

• Now, the player can’t win the scenario by killing all the enemies on the map before the arrival of Agol. The last wave of the enemies at turn 34 is still an optional wave if the player kills not all enemy units before it comes.

After

• There are 4 new story windows. The 3 describe what happened after the great battle. The 1 describes what happened to an Elf named Oferis.

[Konrad2]

I do think the story was interesting and well made. I just don't feel like I have the ability to provide useful feedback about it. :c

[GreenScarab]

I do think the story was interesting and well made.

I'm very glad you think so.


Anyway I look forward to see your feedback on grammar/typo in the future for Born to Live and Rustling in the Wind.