A New Order (ANO) campaign - version 1.1.6

[wesnothfeedback]

Just some feedback - I really enjoyed this campaign.

I did however get stuck in the "Scouting Near Barnon" area. I did everything I could think of but never managed to find a way out. Somehow I managed to do all the connected scenarios without getting the news of orcs. It was really really frustrating, especially since it eventually dawned on me that I probably failed to properly interrogate the leaders and by then I couldn't easily go back and try any of the scenarios again.

Finally I just took a look at the source .cfg files and discovered the ano_found_news_orcs variable and after a little reading about the debug mode and set_var / show_var commands simply set that to "yes" and then was able to make headway. After that I was much more careful to follow the interrogation instructions.

My recommendation here is to add some kind check to see if the scenario can be completed and either add a game event to let them move on or otherwise tell the user that proceeding further has become impossible. At the very least some kind of statement that it's possible to get stuck would have made me take the whole interrogation thing much more seriously.

[Rhishisikk]

(blink)
(blink)

You're ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. I won't be doing that today (holiday plans), but I'll post the fix as soon as I have it. There IS a way to detect if all available scenarios have been done.

[edit]
Okay, not only did I patch the problem, I tried to test it. Sadly, Lorin bagged herself a leader. Argh.

In the process of testing, I decided to play all the way through. NEVER do this in one sitting without ample sleep and soda - both are needed before starting this one. There are a few new bugs I noticed, but nothing that breaks the game. I think I've dealt with all the 'cannot recruit' problems, plus one that leaves you able to recruit Aragwaithe Swordsmen when you shouldn't.

I *think* I fixed a problem with the extended AMLAs; each should now produce a full-heal as well. I started the campaign on bad WML code, so I'm not sure. I'm really burned out on the campaign after 14 hours. It's safe to say I won't even read this forum for the rest of the week.

My current plans are to let the soda wear off and sleep until tomorrow. But all the work I've put in these past three months? It was WELL worth it. More needs done, but it's come a long way from crashing at the fourth scenario.
[/edit]

[TheGreatRings]

well I still can't play past that level either. Simply because I can't enter any of the places I'm told to go to search for news about the orcs. So my leader just wanders back and forth across a map unable to do anything.

[Rhishisikk]

Has anyone else encountered this problem on the 'Scouting' map? I'll work on that soon, I'm just swamped with ANLU right now. Need to add nine or ten factions in just three days, combined with moving apartments.

Haha. Stress? I eat it for breakfast. The rest of the time it just lounges around like a stale potato chip.

[Turuk]

Rhishisikk, I am starting to worry for your sanity buddy.

Too much Wesnoth is getting into your head. But I admire your work ethic.

[Cheshire]

Just finished the campaign without critical error. I'm totally new to these forums (not really to Wesnoth, though, I think I finished every official and more-or-less-achieved unofficial campaign...), but I enjoyed this campaign so much that I decided to register just to post some feedback

I hope this post doesn't sound too much like criticism (despite its "unachieved" feeling, I found it really great, maybe my second favourite campaign after Invasion from the Unknown), but I assume positive things don't really need to be changed/fixed...

First, I had a hard time "getting in" the campaign at first because of the sprite graphics - I don't know exactly what's wrong, maybe a little blurry (I don't care about animation), but it doesn't give this campaign justice. About Aragwaith, would it be possible to use the images from Invasion from the Unknown?

About Akladians units, I was a little surprised by the absence of ranged units, but with time, I find this specificity quite interesting, and I fear that introducing ranged units would turn this faction into a "plain" one. That said, even taking in account the disadvantage of not getting ranged attacks, I find their units much too powerful - mainly because of their resistances. For example, the level 0 unit is incredible for only 10 gold and 0 upkeep, about as good as a pikeman! High piercing res is OK to make up for the fact that they have no ranged attack, but blade and impact should be reduced a little bit... And the damage they do is quite high too. OTOH, the wiseman looks very weak, even with healing (we get shamans quite early in the campaign anyway).

The global difficulty of the campaign was rather uneven : I found the first scenarios (especially Barnon and Hired Swords) extremely difficult and frustrating (I had few gold and veteran units, but I don't know how I could have done better in the 2-3 previous scenarios). But after this, I don't think any scenario gave me much trouble ; the fact that I had quite a lot of loyal advanced units helped for sure - not to mention hundreds of gold pieces. I was playing on normal, btw.

My suggestion would be to grant more gold/veterans units before Barnon (adding a rather large scenario just before to gain experience and money?), and decreasing the overall number of loyal units in the campaign - a team of 10 level 3 loyal units is really a killer.

About specific scenarios, I was a little bit disappointed by Barnon : the treason came much too soon to be really a surprise. Maybe wait for the first engagement - there are enough warnings to let the player see what's coming... OTOH, the only way I was able to save Lorin and Reme was to move them right from the beginning, even before the treason: after this, the southeast units get really close and block the way. There could be some moutains/rivers/something to keep a more-or-less safe passage to the right or left even after a few turns.

The next scenario with saurians was really easy: for some reason, the two leaders left their castle and engaged my units in the middle of the map. 2 units killed, end of scenario...

The last scenario was nice, but a little disappointing, I would have expected something more spectacular (not just in term of number of units, though it would help) from the lich. Maybe forbidding recruiting, and bringing reinforcements to keep the challenge once the first wave of undead is destroyed (and give a feeling of "endless huge undead invasion").

A few times, we're required to keep only a few units. I think that's a great idea to limit the overinflation of experienced loyal recallable units, but there sould be a warning that non-recalled units will be lost (like in Barnon), it's a little bit frustrating otherwise...

I had a dialog problem with Lorin interrogating a defeated leader (unfortunately, I can't remember which...), where she talks about a "secret", quite frustrating not to see what the leader was talking about

On the first (I think) "large scale map", I had a problem with the middle village, when I enter it, the peasant greets me, then the game hangs for a minute or two, then the dialog ends. I don't know what was the dialog about there...

The idea of interrogating leaders is interesting, but, I don't like the fact that it relies too much on luck (finishing with your leader, enemy stupidly dying in attacking a random plain unit...). Maybe turning leaders into "agonizing leaders" when they are killed, a unit that has 1 HP and stays for only 1 or 2 turns, and which talks when "killed" by one of your leader?

The scoring system at the end is great, but it would be nice to have an idea if we performed well or not (I had 22, no idea wheter it's good or not...), and if we could see which points we didn't get (in other words, learning what we missed in the game).

I hope this feedback will be of any use to you; if you need more information on a specific point, don't hesitate to ask.

Anyway, congratulations to all those who contributed to this campaign, I'll definetly recommend it around me!

[Rhishisikk]

Unit balance of the Akladians is WAY off - this campaign was made in Wesnoth 0.8! That said, I have to look at how the CAMPAIGN balances, not just a single faction. After much agonizing, I've decided to both leave them as they are for this campaign and create a more balanced Akladian faction for my own campaign.

The graphics, especially for the Akladians, are in need of an overhaul. I'll gladly look at what Invasion from the Unknown has for the Aragwaithe.

Barnon has to hit the treason early, for EXACTLY the reason stated - Lorin and Reme need to escape. How much more impossible is that when surrounded by the armies of your 'allies'? Also, experimenting has shown that positioning two loyal L3 units in my allies' castle enables a double-kill, and TOTAL win by killing all enemies. Yay, the credits roll... NOT the way to allow the campaign to end.

I've given some thought to modifying the scoreboard, ESPECIALLY listing the number of points achievable.

YES, that village in Scouting annoys me as well. It's on my list of things to fix. Right now, I'm looking into a possible error that makes the campaign stuck on the Scouting map. Do you know which version of the campaign you were using?

Yes, choke points need to be documented better. When I thought certain errors were scenarios MEANT to have no recruiting, I was prepared to document that.

And ALWAYS feel free to provide feedback; I only have the one set of eyes to see with.

[edit]
LOLOL,

Okay, in fixing an omission by szopen (Rob Roe, when hired, is supposed to become part of your army), I have made my own error (Rob Roe becomes LEADER). I know how to fix this; it's just more of a thornier issue than I thought it would be.

And nobody noticed, but it also cuts into your option to pick an elf in the Council of Freetown. Both errors should be fixed with the next release.
[/edit]

[multilis]

Last Scenario: Finished off last leader of first wave on turn 12, game ended 'I won', rather than have reinforcements/main army show up on turn 13.

[kele]

Hi,
I tried the campaign. I found two bugs, but reported and fix yet, as I saw (Rob Roe and full healing problem). Now I have a little notice.
This is about of missing body of Gaven.
I think the explain would be better, if there would be a lightning or darkness or any trick when he is gone out of the world. But this is only a little disturbance. The game is interesting, story is very... khm harsh (poor Karen ). So life is life.

[Manwe-the-Great]

Greetings to all other ANO fans!

Just checking in to see if Rhishisikk, Turuk, or anyone else has had time to work on this campaign?
The problem is the same as has been stated:
After "Outlaw Base", if you hire Rob Roe, Gawen disappears & is replaced with Rob Roe! :p
This has the nice effect of not having to worry about Gawen dying, but also cuts all Gawen's dialogue, and, as has been noted, makes the "Scouting" mission impossible, since the events will only trigger if Gawen is the one that finds them.

I can't say I am volunteering to help, as my WML knowledge is very small (so far, just browsing campaign cfg's, and modifying scenarios I felt were too hard :p )
I'm probably going to attempt to dig into the macros & stored-unit functionality around the Scenarios in question, but it probably won't be anytime soon. :p

[Turuk]

Just checking in to see if Rhishisikk, Turuk, or anyone else has had time to work on this campaign?

Not I. I was helping Rhis out with what he needed, but he has all of the modified files and I do not have any of the progress he made beyond whatever is on the campaign server. I wish I could give more helpful direction, but since Rhis disappeared ANO has taken a back seat, especially after he started to work a bit on the sequel.

[Saredi]

Hi there, just was playing ANO for the first time and really like the story that has gone into it so far. Just curious though, is there no music to with it? Sorry if this is a technical question, but all the other Add-on campaigns I've gotten have either the good ol' Wesnoth music or something new, but ANO doesn't run any music at all (just sound effects). Is there a second download for that stuff?

Sorry if the question is a little newbie.

[Turuk]

It's quite alright, that's a fair question. I believe that the files were last uploaded with no music in them as the current maintainer was looking to add new/different music, but never actually changed the files.

If you would like to add traditional music, you can always copy the code from a standard campaign into some of the scenario files in order to have something play in the background while you fight.

[Manwe-the-Great]

/me sighs

It's terrible when real life gets in the way of good fun! :p
Anyway, I haven't had any time to go through this, and looks like no one else has either :/
I guess it's just gonna have to go under abandoned for now.
Hopefully I'll have time to come back to it some day. I really liked this campaign.....

[Malin Keshar]

Did you know that ANO is the Spanish word for "[censored]"?
In spite of its terrible acronym, "A New Order" is the very best campaign I've played thus far (which includes IftU, BMR and everything in the mainline). Heroes like Konrad and Kaleh are never allowed to do anything wrong. Heroes like Malin Keshar are never allowed to do anything right. Heroes like the first Prince Haldric seem to be beyond good and evil. But "A New Order" bets for a fourth way: the player, either in the role of Gawen Hagarthen or Lady Lorin, is allowed to choose his own mistakes. This is both amusing and realistic.

I'll cut to the chase. While playing ANO v.1.1.6 in Battle for Wesnoth 1.4.5-r3 under Windows XP, I've detected a few little bugs.

1) Custom units, such Ruvio, Karen and akladians, doesn't heal when AMLAing. Fixed.
1b) OOPS! Reme still is not healing when AMLAing. Fixed also.

2) If you managed to interrogate Hoyre Ramenari in the "Leaving Raedwood" scenario, then the "Scouting" scenario fails to show the dialog box when Glawen is talking with the crossroad village peasant. Fixed.

3) In the "Abducted Bride" scenario, Lorin fails to interrogate Bark O Skagrrak. Fixed.

You can find the fixed files in here:

ANO116-bugfix1.zip

(14.8 KiB) Downloaded 249 times

In case you are not happy with the fix and wanna undo it, here is a backup from the original files:

ANO116-undofix1.zip

(14.88 KiB) Downloaded 305 times