Scenario Review: South Guard 8a - Return to Kerlath

[Content Feedback]

(1) What difficulty levels have you played the scenario on?
(2) How difficult did you find the scenario? (1-10)
(3) How clear did you find the scenario objectives?
(4) How clear and interesting did you find the dialog and storyline of the scenario?
(5) What were your major challenges in meeting the objectives of the scenario?
(6) How fun do you think the scenario is? (1-10)
(7) What, if any, are changes you would have made to the scenario to make it more fun?
(8) Was there any event that caused you to lose the game and forced you to reload or restart the scenario?
(9) If you know a bit of the Wesnoth Markup Language - do you think that the WML of this scenario is clear and well commented? If not which part would you like to be documented better?

[gruush]

(1) What difficulty levels have you played the scenario on? - Easy
(2) How difficult did you find the scenario? (1-10) - 6
(3) How clear did you find the scenario objectives? - Crystal clear
(4) How clear and interesting did you find the dialog and storyline of the scenario? - Not a terribly involved scenario, but they don't all have to be!
(5) What were your major challenges in meeting the objectives of the scenario? -Time
(6) How fun do you think the scenario is? (1-10) -6
(7) What, if any, are changes you would have made to the scenario to make it more fun? - I think the time restriction on this one was a little tough. My first time through, I didn't exactly run north pell-mell, but I didn't dawdle unnecessarily either. I made it to the bandit fort about 2/3 of the way up, and was at turn 20 before I realized that there was still another 1/3 of the screen to the north. I think that either the # of turns should be increased somewhat, or the text could be changed a bit to make it even more clear that you have to pass the bandit encampment and get to the next thing beyond it.
(8) Was there any event that caused you to lose the game and forced you to reload or restart the scenario? - time

[Rogrog]

1. Hard - version 1.4.1

2. 2 - I went up with a big army expecting heavy resistance - what I got was about five units that I killed quickly and walked on by.

3. Very clear. I would have added one of those marker things to make it even more explicit that touching the north edge of the screen ends the mission, but this worked too.

4. Not terribly interesting, but it made sense in the context of the scenario.

5. None really, it was too easy and straight forward.

6. 4 - not very, just because it's so easy.

7. Bulk up the bandits, they're just way too easy to steamroll over as it is. The time limit is fine (might even be lowered, say you're running out of supplies or something). I completed the scenario on turn 12/18, and if I hadn't built up my forces for a few turn, I could have easily done it on 10/18.

8+9. No problems here, and I haven't looked at the code.

[Turuk]

(1) What difficulty levels have you played the scenario on?
Soldier (Normal) 1.5.6

(2) How difficult did you find the scenario? (1-10)
2. There are only a handful of bandits, and my unit are all level 3 by this point.

(3) How clear did you find the scenario objectives?
Crystal. Head north.

(4) How clear and interesting did you find the dialog and storyline of the scenario?
Short and simple, it covers the point of the South Guard returning to the borders of human lands, and one last effort by the bandits to take them out. But they cannot, as the South Guard that Deoran first arrived at has been transformed from a rabble into a fighting force.

(5) What were your major challenges in meeting the objectives of the scenario?
None.

(6) How fun do you think the scenario is? (1-10)
3. Few enemies, and most of the time is spent moving and fighting off the odd enemy straggler as they trickle down.

(7) What, if any, are changes you would have made to the scenario to make it more fun?
More enemies. Even on this difficulty, the player's force should be fairly strong by now.

(8) Was there any event that caused you to lose the game and forced you to reload or restart the scenario?
None.

(9) If you know a bit of the Wesnoth Markup Language - do you think that the WML of this scenario is clear and well commented? If not which part would you like to be documented better?
Took a look, looks fine as it is.

[podbelski]

(1) What difficulty levels and game versions have you played the scenario on?
1.9.6, top difficulty, 322gp

(2) How difficult did you find the scenario? (1-10)
1

As previously said, a few footpads is not a challenge at all.

finished in turn 10/18, 0 losses 9 kills

(6) How fun do you think the scenario is? (1-10)
4, I doubt bashing footpad children with my veterans can give a ton of satisfaction

(7) What, if any, are changes you would have made to the scenario to make it more fun?
Strengthen the bandits

[Pewskeepski]

(1) What difficulty levels and game versions have you played the scenario on?
Version 1.9.9, Normal difficulty.

(2) How difficult did you find the scenario? (1-10)
2.

(3) How clear did you find the scenario objectives?
Clear.

(4) How clear and interesting did you find the dialog and storyline of the scenario?
I was confused as to who the Trapper was talking to. Especially because I couldn't see the trapper. I suggest adding a [redraw] tag before the dialog starts because Ethiliel causes the shroud to go away far enough for you to see him.

(5) What were your major challenges in meeting the objectives of the scenario?
I had no trouble. This scenario was a walk in the park, and I've got a recall list full of level 2's that I haven't been using.

(6) How fun do you think the scenario is? (1-10)
3. To boring. It was a dull walk up to the bandits castle, and another dull walk up to Kerlath.

(7) What, if any, are changes you would have made to the scenario to make it more fun?
By now, the player probably has a bunch of leveled up units, so enabling the outlaw to recruit level 2s would be nice.

(8) How well done did you find the map for the scenario?
It's good.

[taptap]

(1) What difficulty levels have you played the scenario on?

Soldier (most difficult = normal), 1.9.9

(2) How difficult did you find the scenario? (1-10)

1

(5) What were your major challenges in meeting the objectives of the scenario?

Sadness about this unnecessary killing.

(6) How fun do you think the scenario is? (1-10)

1 - It is murder. (They can't even fight back against my elf army, even when recruiting L2 units.)

(7) What, if any, are changes you would have made to the scenario to make it more fun?

Make the bandits runaway upon seeing my army and let them leave the map on the left.

[podbelski]

(7) What, if any, are changes you would have made to the scenario to make it more fun?

Make the bandits runaway upon seeing my army and let them leave the map on the left.

ahhaha that will be truly non-standard map, I like it though)))

[Gerion]

(1) What difficulty levels have you played the scenario on?
Hardest, 1.8.6

(2) How difficult did you find the scenario? (1-10)
1. These few bandits never posed a threat to an army that just killed a Lich! The scenario was just mindless murder of vastly inferior units who threw themselves suicidal at an Army that just returned victorious from an epic battle.

(3) How clear did you find the scenario objectives?
Very clear

(4) How clear and interesting did you find the dialog and storyline of the scenario?
Uhm... dialogue? the little dialogue that appears could easily fit in the scenario description of the previous or next scenario

(5) What were your major challenges in meeting the objectives of the scenario?
None. There was no challenge at all

(6) How fun do you think the scenario is? (1-10)
1. It is mindless murder and suffers from the same "disease" as "A Desperate Errand": after half the scenario the enemy is dead because he simply is in the way of reaching the goal and the rest is just mindless moving units around. A first player doesn't know that nothing more happens and moves all units just in case some enemy appears. which makes the moving even more tedious.

(7) What, if any, are changes you would have made to the scenario to make it more fun?
Remove the map entirely. The map is completely pointless (much like the "Tidings good and ill" map and the only purpose seems to be that the number of scenarios in the bandit-branch and the elves-branch are the same.
If not removing: make the enemies harder. I actually felt bad murdering these people and it was murder not defense because the enemies were virtually defenseless against the vastly superior army, much like the equivalent of unarmed civilians against armed forces.

(8) Was there any event that caused you to lose the game and forced you to reload or restart the scenario?
nope

[Ninjuri]

Easy 1.10.2
Diffuclty: 4
Objectives: 100% clear
Dialogue: Good
Challenges: None really, there was plenty of forest for me to take advantage of. I didn't even need the ally at the top.
Fun:7
Changes: none
Reloads: none

[Cabrillo]

(1) What difficulty levels have you played the scenario on?
1.10, hardest
(2) How difficult did you find the scenario? (1-10)
1: No kidding, this posed no challenge at all
(3) How clear did you find the scenario objectives?
Very
(4) How clear and interesting did you find the dialog and storyline of the scenario?
Totally clear, not particularly interesting
(5) What were your major challenges in meeting the objectives of the scenario?
I had none
(6) How fun do you think the scenario is? (1-10)
About a 3. I enjoy scouting with my invisible units, so there's that.
(7) What, if any, are changes you would have made to the scenario to make it more fun?
I think players could handle a little more difficulty here. The bandits attacked Kerlath directly! That doesn't make sense with their goals. If they had gone after me alone this might have been more fun.
(8) Was there any event that caused you to lose the game and forced you to reload or restart the scenario?
Nope
(9) If you know a bit of the Wesnoth Markup Language - do you think that the WML of this scenario is clear and well commented? If not which part would you like to be documented better?
Sorry, don't know it.

[Kaiserdrache]

(1) What difficulty levels and game versions have you played the scenario on?

Normal, 1.10.

(2) How difficult did you find the scenario? (1-10)

1

(3) How clear did you find the scenario objectives?

Crystal clear.

(4) How clear and interesting did you find the dialog and storyline of the scenario?

Clear and boring.

(5) What were your major challenges in meeting the objectives of the scenario?

There is a challenge?

(6) How fun do you think the scenario is? (1-10)

1

(7) What, if any, are changes you would have made to the scenario to make it more fun?

Give me some enemies! I played the south guard campaigns a couple of times now and by the time for this scenario the player already has very experienced troops. Recalling a single castle of level 3's is more than enough to deal with the enemies. Either give them more gold or make the starting units tougher.