Scenario Review: SoF 4 - Gathering Materials

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Scenario Review: SoF 4 - Gathering Materials

Post by Content Feedback »

(1) What difficulty level and version of Wesnoth 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?
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aure
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Joined: September 14th, 2008, 2:05 am

Re: Scenario Review: SoF 4 - Gathering Materials

Post by aure »

I'm unable to finish this level on medium with just 37 turns! It takes 20 turns just to go to and return with the coal (and miners are the faster units). Is there any trick?
AI
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Re: Scenario Review: SoF 4 - Gathering Materials

Post by AI »

Buy three miners?
Anonymissimus
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Re: Scenario Review: SoF 4 - Gathering Materials

Post by Anonymissimus »

the map is random, i restarted the scenario several times until i was lucky enough...on easy
on the previous trials, i stuck somewhere in the tunnels, fighting again and again new enemies, owning too few villages
recruit the miners (or only one miner) when you're finished with the first enemy leader in his castle...you don't need them until then
let the enemy in the midth fight against your two other enemys, be sure not to kill the leader by yourself...he will be killed too soon...

i just reloaded a savegame from this scenario...i obviously finished on turn 36 out of 40 ;)
it seems that the third enemy leader is usually placed in the midth, but this time he was located in the northwest corner and survived long enough to help me while i was fighting the enemy in the southeast and eventually killing units from his allied leader in the northeast which were moving south

(should i refer to the enemy leaders as "it", neutral ? because trolls are rather like monsters than like humans...)
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lostnumber
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Re: Scenario Review: SoF 4 - Gathering Materials

Post by lostnumber »

Mythological wrote:(1) What difficulty levels have you played the scenario on?
I have currently played it only on the hardest difficulty, and Im not really sure how I can try it on an easier one without replaying the whole campaign?

(2) How difficult did you find the scenario? (1-10)
10++ from my experience so far this map is practically impossible on the hardest difficulty. 34 turns simply isnt enough to get all 3 of the resources and get them back to your starting castle. I have no problem beating the computer but there just seems to be no way to get miners to the gold and coal and back to the base. The map is random so youd think Id get lucky eventually but I have so far played through 6 different permutations of the map and sometimes multiple strategies within one same map and the closest I've come is 3 turns short of the limit.

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

Clear enough although I wasnt sure how much of a race it was when I first started.

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

I havent beaten it yet so there is pretty much nothing in the way of dialogue. I have to say though that the dialogue in most of the mainline campaigns is pretty poor in general and that includes this one.

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

As I said before the turn limit on the hardest difficulty is very unproportional to the size of the map. I had no problem beating all three computers but I simply couldnt get my miners there and back to the starting castle in time.

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

3, I enjoy a good challenge but this one is starting to get frustrating. At least the old Infested caves had the virtue of being both ridiculously hard AND not having enough turns making it a test of skill as well as luck. For this one I can kill all 3 kings easily without losing more then one or two units, but there just isnt enough time to accomplish the objectives.

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

Increase the turn limit by at least 5

(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?
fareley
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Re: Scenario Review: SoF 4 - Gathering Materials

Post by fareley »

(1) What difficulty levels have you played the scenario on?
-> hardest difficulty, 1.5.4
(2) How difficult did you find the scenario? (1-10)
-> 9
(3) How clear did you find the scenario objectives?
-> they are clear, no problem with that
(4) How clear and interesting did you find the dialog and storyline of the scenario?
-> well, it was kind of annoying when suddenly one of my unit said "here is some cole get a miner over here" and the cole was already in my base...
(5) What were your major challenges in meeting the objectives of the scenario?
-> the time and having some minors in position when it's possible to run through
(6) How fun do you think the scenario is? (1-10)
-> 2-7 can be VERY frustrating (it took me more than 6 hours to finally match it!!!)
(7) What, if any, are changes you would have made to the scenario to make it more fun?
-> a limited number of villages. One try i played with between 30 and 40 villages - i had 20, each enemy 10. It was impossible! I may have had the troops to kill them faster but they had the money to build that much units that i had no chance to get through in time. Sometimes, a river blocked my way -> 3 rounds instead of one until my army was on the other side and another round for my minor to get back -> impossible... Maybe there should be some passages between the enemies so they won't all 3 of them battle in the middle where i try to get through. At my final try i was lucky, the river blocked the south-east's way so it became really easy staying there and killing every coming troll with only 4 of my melee-units (all around level 2 or 3) and my last minor made it with his last movement point at the last lap into my castle... that was really close
(8) Was there any event that caused you to lose the game and forced you to reload or restart the scenario?
hm... let's see... the time, the area, the villages, rivers, enemy leader, losing key units, losing high-leveled units, my starting position (if it takes me about 12 rounds to the middle room, how big are the chances to make it back in time with the Materials?...), some bugs (1.5.4 chrashes very often...) and some other stuff i can't remember
(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?
i don't know too much about it but having half of the screen filled with messages "unable to recruit a: scout. Please check [...]" sucks really
WielkiZielonyMelon
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Re: Scenario Review: SoF 4 - Gathering Materials

Post by WielkiZielonyMelon »

(1) What difficulty level and version of Wesnoth have you played the scenario on?
Hardest (Dwarf lord), version of Wesnoth 1.4.5

(2) How difficult did you find the scenario? (1-10)
10! I can't finish it! Either you can storm your enemy and soon find yourself overwhelmed or try to form a line and let your enemies be slaughtered by your dwarfs, when your dwarfs get too much damage, you just retreat them and send reinforcements to the front. But that would take too much turns. I just can't find a way how to finish this chpater.

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

(4) How clear and interesting did you find the dialog and storyline of the scenario?
-. Can't say, since I didn't finish it.

(5) What were your major challenges in meeting the objectives of the scenario?
Too many monsters! Maybe, if you attacked one of your enemies, while the rest of them fight between themselves, maybe then, I would have a chance. But since this map is random... The last time, my fort was near the goblins, which quickly got killed by the other two computer players.

(6) How fun do you think the scenario is? (1-10)
-. Can't say, since I didn't finish it.

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

(8) Was there any event that caused you to lose the game and forced you to reload or restart the scenario?
No.

(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?
No experience, so I cannot say anything about it.
Kavalion
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Re: Scenario Review: SoF 4 - Gathering Materials

Post by Kavalion »

Mythological wrote:(1) What difficulty level and version of Wesnoth 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?
(1) Hard, version 1.5.5.
(2) 10
(3) Crystal.
(4) It's okay.
(5) The time limit was a killer.
(6) 1. The tight passageways and swarms of enemy units make it tedious to get anywhere. The slow pace coupled with the strict time limit make it frustrating instead of challenging. Playing really well, racking up the kills and advances, and never losing any units is still ending in defeat.
(7) It either needs wider passageways to push in with more units and chop down the resistance quicker, or the time limit needs to be lengthened.
(8) The time limit was the only problem. I only lost a single unit despite playing recklessly to try and beat the time limit.
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Turuk
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Re: Scenario Review: SoF 4 - Gathering Materials

Post by Turuk »

(1) What difficulty level and version of Wesnoth have you played the scenario on?
Lord (Hardest) 1.4.6

(2) How difficult did you find the scenario? (1-10)
10. The map is random, I know, but it took me 5 different permutations of the map before I found one in which I could get all the materials and make it back in time.

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

(4) How clear and interesting did you find the dialog and storyline of the scenario?
It's alright, covers the basics and that is about it.

(5) What were your major challenges in meeting the objectives of the scenario?
The map(s). It took a significant amount of playing into the map before realizing that I would be incapable of reaching all of the materials and making it back in time.

(6) How fun do you think the scenario is? (1-10)
3. The idea is fun, but the frustration factor is so high that the initial fun is quickly squashed. Not to mention the sheer number of enemies means they can and will wear you down quickly, despite all defensive postures being assumed.

(7) What, if any, are changes you would have made to the scenario to make it more fun?
I like the idea of a random map, but increase the turns possibly? More gold would help in pushing through some of the harder parts faster to reach the materials, but another 4 or 5 turns would have made the difference.

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

(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?
Looks good, I like the randomization of the map.
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rykus
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Re: Scenario Review: SoF 4 - Gathering Materials

Post by rykus »

(1) What difficulty level and version of Wesnoth have you played the scenario on?
Version 1.4.6
Difficulty - The middle one (forget what it was called... challenging I think?)

(2) How difficult did you find the scenario? (1-10)
11
This is another one where there simply isn't enough time. It takes me at least 2 turns to drop a single enemy, and it's CLOGGED with them!! I ran out of turns, and was slaughtered before I even broke the first enemy line! Additionally, the units are slow and the map is pretty big.

I like a good challenge, but this is beyond challenging.

(3) How clear did you find the scenario objectives?
Okay, so far, but I'm not sure what the gold or coal look like, so I don't know what I'm looking for.

(4) How clear and interesting did you find the dialog and storyline of the scenario?
Not bad. Pretty average.

(5) What were your major challenges in meeting the objectives of the scenario?
As with most levels I play - time limit.

(6) How fun do you think the scenario is? (1-10)
2 - too difficult makes it more annoying than fun.

(7) What, if any, are changes you would have made to the scenario to make it more fun?
More time, or more towns to recruit more troops and wider halls.
Maybe having more than just the bare minimum of coal and gold randomly spawn, too. I managed to win on one of several restarts due to a lucky map, but still had to clear out every single enemy before I could get the last coal, and only JUST barely made it.

(8) Was there any event that caused you to lose the game and forced you to reload or restart the scenario?
Death of leader as well as running out of time

(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?
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zookeeper
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Re: Scenario Review: SoF 4 - Gathering Materials

Post by zookeeper »

Ok, since the balancing in the 1.4 branch is obviously screwed, here's an updated scenario file which makes it a lot easier. I also committed it to the 1.4 branch in svn, but there probably won't be another 1.4 release.
Attachments
4_Gathering_Materials.cfg
(29.85 KiB) Downloaded 1024 times
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Ernesto Manifesto
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Re: Scenario Review: SoF 4 - Gathering Materials

Post by Ernesto Manifesto »

I finally beat it. With the latest patch in place.
The new version 1.5.8, in 29 turns.
It is a very difficult scenario. if you get hung up battling you simply run out of time to get your miners back with the coal/gold.
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Astoria
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Re: Scenario Review: SoF 4 - Gathering Materials

Post by Astoria »

I lust :debug :n'ned it... :D
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Strikur
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Re: Scenario Review: SoF 4 - Gathering Materials

Post by Strikur »

(1) 1.4.4 or 1.4.6 (not sure) Medium (and whatever came with it, not the one in this thread)

(2) 6, I focused on the south/east guy first and killed them without any problems (well... I lost a steelclad, but that was because I got greedy). By the time I healed up in the south east base and regrouped, the two enemies in the north killed off most of each others guys. Got the coal and gold, and xp milked my way to the enemy leaders while the miners were running back to base. Got 400 some-odd early finish bonus too :).

(3) Very clear, and I was relieved that the gold and coal were actually visible items on the map and not just random stuff you have X% chance to find.

(4) Dialog was mediocre overall. And there were my guys that say "Oh lookie here what I found, some gold!" but... um... I had already picked it up... like... 3 turns ago...

(5) None, It was pretty straightforward, kill the leader so they can't recruit, get a miner to the plop of gold, heal the rest of your guys on villages, get miner back to base. Rinse. Repeat.

(6) 9, One of the most fun scenarios I've played in a while. Interesting battles, and a little mining side quest :)

(7) None, I liked it a lot. I thought at first it was weird that the goblins were lead by a troll, and they were fighting trolls, but gameplay wise, it seems right.

(8) Well... it was turn 3, I sent my fighter to attack the troll rocklobber, he got hit a couple times on counter attack. Then I finished moving, ended my turn and... oh shnaap! the bugger had a crown on his head :lol2:. He died, and... well... you know what happens :P.

(9) No comment
829
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Re: Scenario Review: SoF 4 - Gathering Materials

Post by 829 »

(1) I played it on easy difficulty.
(2) Not too hard with the fighting but not enough time to finish, and the 2nd coal didn't spawn. (impossible)
(3) The objectives were clear enough, tho at my first time playing the map it would have been nice to lable the coal.
(4) I found the storyline and dialog; sparse but good.
(5) There was only one coal. Also the first time I got the map I didn't recognize the coal.
(6) I'd give it an 8 on the fun-scale.
(7) I'd make sure the coal spawns twice. I'd put a label on the coal. Lastly I'd add more turns. +15 for easy, +10 medium, +5 hard.
(8) Cleared the map (no shroud) but only one coal.
(9) nope.
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