Scenario Review: (UTBS) 9. Blood is Thicker than Water

Feedback for the mainline campaign Under the Burning Suns.

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UnwiseOwl
Posts: 510
Joined: April 9th, 2010, 4:58 am

Re: Scenario Review: (UTBS) 9. Blood is Thicker than Water

Post by UnwiseOwl »

1) Version? 1.13.7, Challenging (new elves)

2) Adequately difficult? Yes, I think so. Probably a shade easier than the surrounding levels in terms of enemies, but the timing of the first half means you can't really make it harder without extending the time to save the mermen.

3) Reloads? On the first attempt I couldn't save the enchantress.

4) Dialog? Who the heck is Tanstafaal, again? Maybe the player should be reminded. I for one have no idea.
When Eloh's rebels rejoin you, it would be nice if their villages became yours too.
When you kill all enemies, that probably ought to end the level as well.
The merpeople talking about their master when Melusand appears to be female is a bit odd. Either they should talk about a mistress or Melusand should be a male.

5) Fun? It might a little nicer if to fords out to Eloh's island were a little shorter, as it's a long and boring process to get all your troops over there just to get them back again. Apart from that, this is a nice little tactical battle.
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Maintainer of the Imperial Era and the campaigns Dreams of Urduk, Epic of Vaniyera, Up from Slavery, Fall of Silvium, Alfhelm the Wise and Gali's Contract.
But perhaps 'maintainer' is too strong a word.
Thrash
Posts: 223
Joined: June 25th, 2010, 1:54 pm

Re: Scenario Review: (UTBS) 9. Blood is Thicker than Water

Post by Thrash »

1) What version and difficulty level did you play the scenario on? Please do not submit feedback from pre 1.4.

1.12.6, Challenging (medium)

2) Do you think the difficulty is adequate to the level? If not describe the issue that made the scenario to easy/hard.

The challenging aspects were saving the Enchantress in the first phase and then the heavy-hitting necromancers in the third phase. Otherwise not too hard.

3) Was there any event that caused you to almost instantly loose, or made the scenario unplayable without reload?

No.

4) Do you like the storyline and the dialogues? If not what part/character lags behind or what would you like changed?

Good.

5) Do you think the scenario was fun? Please write down some thoughts about gameplay, mood etc.

Another scenario with a number of nice twists. Good in general, I few things I noticed:

In the first phase, if you kill all the leaders before turn 16 and before you save all the mermen, nothing happens which is odd. Just a simple "hurry, we still need to save the mermen" dialog would seem appropriate.

I don't see how saving the Enchantress is reasonable without knowledge where she is hidden. Going in there with just one merman is iffy with the two undead so you really need to have a couple to reliably save her which seems unlikely without intent (one time I played, they undead and the rng managed to kill a single merman). Even knowing, I had to replay a few times to manage it. Maybe a hint from one of the other merman when you save them?

"By turn 16" could be more clear - I interpreted as by the end of turn 16 not the beginning as that is more typical for other Wesnoth scenarios.

They elves mostly rushed south (to grab villages? kill Kaleh?) and let my main army stroll in from the west.
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LordWolfDan
Posts: 216
Joined: September 30th, 2018, 7:31 am

Re: Scenario Review: (UTBS) 9. Blood is Thicker than Water

Post by LordWolfDan »

1) What version and difficulty level did you play the scenario on? Please do not submit feedback from pre 1.4.

- 1.14.5, Normal

2) Do you think the difficulty is adequate to the level? If not describe the issue that made the scenario to easy/hard.

- It's hard if you rush ahead, so step by step and by the time second day comes (Turn 16), you waste the enemy leaders and rescue all merfolk

3) Was there any event that caused you to almost instantly loose, or made the scenario unplayable without reload?

- I left Kaleh exposed to one of humans...

4) Do you like the storyline and the dialogues? If not what part/character lags behind or what would you like changed?

- The grim and darkness of the previous one continues. Meeting the Iron Council, humans worshipping the ultimate evil? I can see how many times have changed from the latest storyline. I will say that I could be the only one feeling bad for Tanstaafal. Being blind to "Eloh" made me terribly sad for his destiny.

5) Do you think the scenario was fun? Please write down some thoughts about gameplay, mood etc.

- Not as fun as the previous one, but it does suit things up
Konrad2
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Posts: 3333
Joined: November 24th, 2010, 6:30 pm

Re: Scenario Review: (UTBS) 9. Blood is Thicker than Water

Post by Konrad2 »

1) What version and difficulty level did you play the scenario on?

1.14.7, Champion (Nightmare)

2) Do you think the difficulty is adequate to the level?

Yes, I think so. You certainly have to get used to the 'new' terrain.

3) Was there any event that caused you to almost instantly lose, or made the scenario unplayable without reload?

No. (But I played it before, so...)

4) Do you like the storyline and the dialogues?

I like them.

5) Do you think the scenario was fun?

Yes.
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JMichael
Posts: 39
Joined: February 19th, 2013, 4:25 am

Re: Scenario Review: (UTBS) 9. Blood is Thicker than Water

Post by JMichael »

"She claims to be the one who has shepherded us during his journey"

I think it should be "during this journey".
Zrevnur
Posts: 117
Joined: January 11th, 2020, 12:04 pm

Re: Scenario Review: (UTBS) 9. Blood is Thicker than Water

Post by Zrevnur »

Content Feedback wrote: March 20th, 2006, 6:09 am 1) What version and difficulty level did you play the scenario on? Please do not submit feedback from pre 1.4.
1.14.11 Champion/Nightmare no reloading, played several times
Content Feedback wrote: March 20th, 2006, 6:09 am 2) Do you think the difficulty is adequate to the level? If not describe the issue that made the scenario to easy/hard.
Its too easy if knowing the scripting. Otherwise its probably still too easy to win.
Content Feedback wrote: March 20th, 2006, 6:09 am 3) Was there any event that caused you to almost instantly lose, or made the scenario unplayable without reload?
No but there was (and probably still) is an issue in 1.14.9: The turn "16" is actually turn 15 - similar to the tent scenario. Player moves first so enemy script should happen during enemy turn 16 and not during/after enemy turn 15 if it says 16.
Also: The hidden Enchantress is unfairly hard to find. When I first played it I didnt find her because I thought humans couldnt get through deep water so they couldnt possibly have hidden her over the water somewhere. The scenario description should also state how many Mer are there to rescue and not just the dialog.
The way the crabs get triggered only by the player but not the rebels also dont make proper sense. And crabs can land on impassable terrain I think.
Content Feedback wrote: March 20th, 2006, 6:09 am 4) Do you like the storyline and the dialogues? If not what part/character lags behind or what would you like changed?
Not sure.
Content Feedback wrote: March 20th, 2006, 6:09 am 5) Do you think the scenario was fun? Please write down some thoughts about gameplay, mood etc.
The first part (free Mer) is cool, the rest not so much.
The rebel units eating upkeep is also very uncool. You should get rewarded for not killing them and not punished.
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devavrata
Posts: 119
Joined: August 30th, 2012, 8:59 pm

Re: Scenario Review: (UTBS) 9. Blood is Thicker than Water

Post by devavrata »

Content Feedback wrote: March 20th, 2006, 6:09 am 1) What version and difficulty level did you play the scenario on? Please do not submit feedback from pre 1.4.
Battle for Wesnoth 1.8.3, Easy, Battle for Wesnoth 1.10.7 Medium, Battle for Wesnoth 1.12.5 Hard
2) Do you think the difficulty is adequate to the level? If not describe the issue that made the scenario to easy/hard.
The difficulty is right, except for:
  • Killing Eloh's avatar is surprisingly easy. No guards or whatever.
  • Killing the necromancers and their undead is so much easy because they venture carelessly into water.
3) Was there any event that caused you to almost instantly lose, or made the scenario unplayable without reload?
It is quite easy to fail saving the fifth merfolk the first time - you expect it to be on a reachable location, but she is on one of the many islands that are beyond deep waters, where only the other merfolk can reach. You must use the available merfolk to explore early on. Then time is tight to save Kroomph as well.
4) Do you like the storyline and the dialogues? If not what part/character lags behind or what would you like changed?
There is a lot of story going on, and I think it is not bad - Kaleh following Eloh's call all through the campaign, then still questioning Eloh's orders and disobeying her on the grounds of his own principles. But there is way more dialogue than you expect on a videogame. I ended up passing most of the dialogues without reading more than the first line - sorry, but when I am in front of a computer I have not the same patience I have as when I am reading a book. Besides, the Tanstaafal sub-story has not much sense - who is this Tanstaafal anyway? When Garak unexpectedly reappeared, at least he had properly entered and left the story.
5) Do you think the scenario was fun? Please write down some thoughts about gameplay, mood etc.
On one hand, it is fun. The idea of have a big scenario with inactive parts that become active at the proper moment is nice. On the other hand, the fact that the three missions are strictly successive (plan A, B, C) makes it feel like three scenarios put together as opposed to a big, single mission - whenever possible I prefer the scenario divided into smaller scenarios so it doesn't take so much time to play it
Konrad2
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Joined: November 24th, 2010, 6:30 pm

Re: Scenario Review: (UTBS) 9. Blood is Thicker than Water

Post by Konrad2 »

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

1.15.18, Champion (Nightmare)

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

7, the start is difficult, but from then on you have an easier time to stay on top.

(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?

Figuring out how to beat the first onslaught of humans. And how to take down Eloh and Tastafaal without going through their army.

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

9

(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: (UTBS) 9. Blood is Thicker than Water

Post by Sandsculpture »

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

1.17.17, Warrior(difficult)

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

7/6/4 for 3 parts.
Part1:
Spoiler:
Part2:
Spoiler:
Part3:
Spoiler:
(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?

Clear.

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

be passive against the rebel elves.

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

8/6/4 for 3 parts.

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

the crab get triggered by now-loyal elvish traitor units is really strange
In part3 the battlefield is small. maybe add some ships containing human units, to attack different parts of the main island?
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