Scenario Review: South Guard 8a - Return to Kerlath

Feedback for the mainline campaign The South Guard.

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Britannicus
Posts: 57
Joined: June 25th, 2017, 8:04 pm

Re: Scenario Review: South Guard 8a - Return to Kerlath

Post by Britannicus »

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

Version 1.12.1, Challenging

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

1. Literally too easy to be any fun whatsoever.

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

Perfectly clear, get Deoran North.

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

Pretty alright, nice to be encountering another one of the bandit leaders.

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

Nothing.

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

1. It's just way, way too easy.

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

Make the bandits stronger. Either give them a lot more gold, or a second keep further North, or an ambush next to the border fort... something to spice things up and keep people from falling asleep.

Edit: I was just wondering, is there a reason this thread says "Scenario Review: " before the normal title?
Konrad2
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Re: Scenario Review: South Guard 7a - Return to Kerlath

Post by Konrad2 »

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

Version 1.14.0, Soldier (Normal)

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

1

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

Clear, but not perfectly clear. It's not hard to guess that Kerlath is North, but you aren't told in the scenario objectives that it is north. :D

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

Positive checks. I'm just wondering where the rest of the bandits might be.

(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)

2. Too easy.

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

Add a second keep further south, so I don't go uncontested for half of the map. Also, add an ambush close to Kerlath, to punish the player for sending Deoran ahead by himself.
TSG-Return to Kerlath replay.gz
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EDIT:
Updating because of the new TSG.
Mind you, it's probably not exactly the same as the TSG online because the replay is from the playtesting phase.
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Last edited by Konrad2 on March 1st, 2019, 11:01 pm, edited 2 times in total.
LordWolfDan
Posts: 216
Joined: September 30th, 2018, 7:31 am

Re: Scenario Review: South Guard 8a - Return to Kerlath

Post by LordWolfDan »

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

- 1.14.5, Beginner

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

- 3

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

- Easy, just move to north across the river

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

- Nothing special, just run of the mill scenario.

(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

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

- Maybe make this more like a cutscene scenario? Such as revealing the trouble in Kerlath?

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

- None
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Tom_Of_Wesnoth
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Location: Wesnoth 2020 and Wesnoth 2007

Re: Scenario Review: South Guard 8a - Return to Kerlath

Post by Tom_Of_Wesnoth »

(1) What difficulty levels have you played the scenario on?
1.14.7 on Soldier/Normal.
(2) How difficult did you find the scenario? (1-10)
2. A bit of a cakewalk.
(3) How clear did you find the scenario objectives?
Get Deoran to the far end of the map. Got it.
(4) How clear and interesting did you find the dialog and storyline of the scenario?
Clear enough. I liked the negative portrayal of elves, who are all too often, in Wesnoth and in the wider genre, portrayed as perfect. I found it odd that no reference was made to the elves fighting on my side.
(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)
4. A bit too easy, and I went into it expecting more of a fight. I probably would've enjoyed it more with some more lower level units to feed, but I went in with strong units as I expected more enemies.
(7) What, if any, are changes you would have made to the scenario to make it more fun?
Add more enemies.
(8) Was there any event that caused you to lose the game and forced you to reload or restart the scenario?
No.
If presented with the opportunity, I would take great pleasure in becoming a world ruler.
Konrad2
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Re: South Guard 7a - Return to Kerlath

Post by Konrad2 »

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

1.15.6, Soldier (Normal)

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

3, some lone enemies

(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 like how it sets up the next scenario.

(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)

6

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

-

Scenario stats:
Spoiler:
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Sandsculpture
Posts: 21
Joined: February 20th, 2021, 2:55 am

Re: Scenario Review: South Guard 8a - Return to Kerlath

Post by Sandsculpture »

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

1.14.15, Soldier (Normal)

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

3, few enemies, but they can gather quickly and shouldn't be overlooked

(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?

Clear.

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

Deoran the leader gets shot by elvish marksmans

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

5

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

No, but...

The ogre did nothing after he said he would eat us.
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mal_shubertal
Posts: 93
Joined: December 1st, 2018, 6:58 pm

Re: Scenario Review: South Guard 8a - Return to Kerlath

Post by mal_shubertal »

(1) What difficulty levels have you played the scenario on?
1.16.2 Soldier/hardest
(2) How difficult did you find the scenario? (1-10)
1. ridiculously easy.
(3) How clear did you find the scenario objectives?
Not very. Ethiliel gives some dialogue that you should avoid killing the elves, but it doesn't show up in the objectives, and it's not clear whether there is any in-game consequence for killing the elves, or reward for getting past them without killing them.
(4) How clear and interesting did you find the dialog and storyline of the scenario?
Interesting, but not clear. Again, Ethiliel's instructions are very confusing. I do think it's an interesting twist that the elves are now your enemies, and there's more interesting development of Ethiliel's character and her relationship with Deoran, as well as adding to the complexity of human/elf relations and internal elf politics.
(5) What were your major challenges in meeting the objectives of the scenario?
None, I think. It would've been hard to get through without killing any elves, but it wasn't clear whether that was even the intended objective.
(6) How fun do you think the scenario is? (1-10)
1. pretty boring and simple. I think it's intended as a 'breather' scenario to level up some troops after the incredibly difficult last scenario, and it does its job in that way, at least.
(7) What, if any, are changes you would have made to the scenario to make it more fun?
I actually think it would be a MUCH more interesting scenario if the objectives were changed so that you lost if any of the enemy elves died. It would also make much more sense with the storyline, as Ethiliel is trying to be diplomatic and prevent a war between humans and elves. That objective would also depend mostly on positioning and managing ZOC and line of sight, so it would still be winnable even if all your high level troops got slaughtered in the last scenario. You could then get some loyal high level elves as a reward at the end, saying you've "proven yourself a friend of elves" or something like that.
(8) Was there any event that caused you to lose the game and forced you to reload or restart the scenario?
no
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JL42
Posts: 66
Joined: December 9th, 2023, 11:19 am

Re: Scenario Review: South Guard 8a - Return to Kerlath

Post by JL42 »

What difficulty levels and game versions have you played the scenario on?
v. 1.16.10
Soldier / Normal
How difficult did you find the scenario? (1-10)
2
How clear did you find the scenario objectives?
Very clear.
How clear and interesting did you find the dialog and storyline of the scenario?
The dialogue and storyline are very well done.
What were your major challenges in meeting the objectives of the scenario?
None.
How fun do you think the scenario is? (1-10)
2
What, if any, are changes you would have made to the scenario to make it more fun?
This scenario helps advance the storyline, but otherwise it just feels pointless. There aren't enough villages to do much recruitment, so basically you just wander through the forest with your top loyal units, slaughtering a few random low-level enemies. Including a single lost ogre who seems to have no purpose but to randomly stand there in case you want to kill him.

I guess this is another "rebuilding" scenario since the player might not have many units left after the previous map; but even as such it seems kind of poorly done and uninteresting. This is real disappointment after the last couple of super-awesome maps. Seems like something could be done to make it more interesting. Perhaps make the ogres into an actual faction and have them fight against the stupid elves too. Or maybe just cut the scenario completely.

Another minor thing that bugs me here is how the city of Westin and surrounding terrain in the north looks very different compared to the other Westin maps.

About the Overall Campaign:

In general this campaign is really well done. The story and writing quality are notable here; it draws me in right from the start, gives Deoran some background and character, and creates a sense of urgency and mystery about what is going on in the countryside. You can really see the hero developing across the scenarios as new realizations emerge and as the challenges he faces continue to become more significant.

Most of the maps are excellent as well, very thoughtfully designed, and the battles feel engaging and meaningful. The early scenarios are mostly simple and easy but then they become solidly difficult around #5 and #6. Nearly all of them have some kind of interesting happenings or combat complexities. Really just enjoyable to play.

The only thing that brings this down for me is the final two scenarios. (I'm reviewing the elf branch – never played the bandit branch since they are clearly scum and siding with them seems like it would be out of character for Deoran.) In the elf branch, the last two scenarios feel like a total afterthought and waste of time; you could wrap this up with an epilogue after scenario 6 and be better for it. The story aspects continue to be good in those final scenarios, but the actual gameplay is a massive letdown from the previous maps.

For me the campaign is 4 out of 5 stars; the only reason it doesn't get full marks is the boringness of the final two scenarios.
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