Undead Strategy Book

[Longbow]

Hi,

In my Elvish Legacy campaign, I plan to include a special "pickuppable" strategy book for fighting undead.

Basically, in one scenario, this book will be placed on the map as a bonus item. If you collect it, it will then allow you to always refer to it in the right-click menu. The book will hopefully provide a fairly concise guide to effectively fighting undead, their units etc, more useful for rookie players, but hopefully interesting never the less.

I am working on the WML for this but just wondered if anyone thought it was a good idea...

[Waterslash]

Brill idea dude!

[Longbow]

thanks

(unless that's sarcasm, I can't tell, Internet and all...)

[beetlenaut]

Good idea. But, since it doesn't confer an in-game advantage, you will really annoy experienced players if they have to go out of their way to get it. Even better, you could also give the unit carrying the book a bonus against an undead opponent (which would be logical as well).

[turin]

I can see why how such a guide would be useful, but I don't see how it would be useful as an in-game item... honestly, I don't see the point of this, nor do I think many people would actually use it.

If you really want to give them advice for how to beat undead, why not just give them the advice, instead of making them pick up an item to get it?

[JW]

I can see why how such a guide would be useful, but I don't see how it would be useful as an in-game item... honestly, I don't see the point of this, nor do I think many people would actually use it.

If you really want to give them advice for how to beat undead, why not just give them the advice, instead of making them pick up an item to get it?

Story reasons? C'mon, you've written a few campaigns in your day.

[Wintermute]

Because information like "undead are weak to impact" and "use fire - it burns them!" must be kept secret at all costs? Unless they find the book that is...

[mameluke]

If you find the book you get the knowledge and due to this you can recruit new units that can make use of this knowledge...
For beginners it would still be usefull to read the book.

[Lord Ork]

If you find the book you get the knowledge and due to this you can recruit new units that can make use of this knowledge...
For beginners it would still be usefull to read the book.

Excellent idea. You could even give new units a new attack, as fire arrows.

[turin]

If the book gives benefits purely because it informs the character about how to fight undead (oh, fire arrows, why didn't we think of that before!), it seems kind of strange to give that bonus to people who pick up the book but not to those who don't - after all, even those who don't pick it up probably know that fire is good against undead, they just can't recruit units with fire arrows for no apparent reason.

[Turuk]

If the book gives benefits purely because it informs the character about how to fight undead (oh, fire arrows, why didn't we think of that before!), it seems kind of strange to give that bonus to people who pick up the book but not to those who don't - after all, even those who don't pick it up probably know that fire is good against undead, they just can't recruit units with fire arrows for no apparent reason.

Indeed, this book is venturing from something that can be picked up for a player to get tips to an item such as the storm trident or sceptre of fire, which grants additional attacks.

[thespaceinvader]

Honestly, the actual hints and tips to the player angle is pretty pointless, since those hints and tips can be found in the main menu screen anyway.

However, if you were talking about a commander who didn't know much about the undead, and DID need to be told all those hints and tips, picking up the book could result in him gaining additional recruiting possibilities, or extra attacks. SO the player wouldn't see the contents of the boook, but its results would be clear...

[Turuk]

However, if you were talking about a commander who didn't know much about the undead, and DID need to be told all those hints and tips, picking up the book could result in him gaining additional recruiting possibilities, or extra attacks. SO the player wouldn't see the contents of the boook, but its results would be clear...

This makes sense, though this would take it from having the book be a random drop a player might pick up to placing it where a player would probably pick it up (or step on that hex). There could then be some dialogue as to what it contains, and a note that the knowledge has allowed the player to recruit new units, or that certain units have new attacks.

[Longbow]

Basically, this special scenario involves moving through a swamp, to get to the other side, with those undead ambushes that we all know and hate.

I have two magical artefacts available in different places: a holy staff (12-3 holy magic) and the strategy book.

I just thought it would add some variety and look cool, even if it is of limited use to an experienced player. (The book image is pretty nice)

Also, if you are clever and kind enough to help with the wml, I have a thread here: http://www.wesnoth.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=24341 about it.

[edit] TSI, the adding extra recruits (probably magi), may be a good idea, however, in the space of 11 scens the player does gain merfolk and dwarf fighters to the elven recruit list, so it may be too much.

Lord Ork: The adding fire-arrows bit sounds quite good, I may try giving that to elvish archers.

[JW]

Why does Gears of War have notes that you can pick up to read that give you no combat benefits?

Why do any games give you items to pick up that have no actual benefit other than to spend time reading them?

The answer is to immerse you in the world more. Sure, you could pick up a book and have it give a unit a 9-3 fire ranged attack, but does that make you feel any more immersed in the story and attached to the characters? No, not at all. You might value the character more because of the benefit he receives, but that's not what I'm talking about.

I think this is a great idea generally. I don't know if how he executes it will have the type of immersive effect that I'm discussing, but to poo-poo the idea as being pointless really surprises me. I thought people would understand that campaigns are about story, not mindless grinding against artificial intelligence.