1.12 SP Naga campaign, Return of the Monster

[SkyOne]

Hi again,

Version 0.6.2 is on the server.
Finally, Naga Ninja has been installed on this version. So Naga Fighter on this campaign no longer advances to Ambush/Forager. He currently advances to either Naga Warrior and Naga Stalker who advances to L3 Naga Ninja. The Stalker is almost the same as previous Ambush/Forager, but a couple of new abilities has been installed on the Ninja unit.

1. ABILITY_STEAL: this is just to hide deep water and swamps. (so Saurian Champion has not had the ABILITY_SWAMPER anymore since this edition.)
2. ABILITY_SHADOW: this is to spawn an illusion-unit when the unit moves. (in fact, the idea is from one of ninja arts that has been told although the real ninjas used dead animals, instead of using illusions.) However, if players cancel to move after clicking him, it seems that the illusion-unit doesn’t show. Fixing it will be a future development...

The unit equips the steel nails as his melee weapon, called tekkou kagi (from a result of my research). I think it makes the unit possible to raise up his mobility in forest and mountains. By increasing the movement_costs on the unit to forest=2 and mountains=3, the movement costs on mountain terrains of Naga Royal/Lord is back to a normal naga now (mountains=4).

On this edition, some of minor bugs, including bad unit-images, also have been fixed, and the hard difficulty has been balanced on 1st to 9th scenarios.

Crossing with version 0.6.1 or before is still possible because I left files of Ambush/Forager in the folder. They are going to be removed on the future version, 0.7.0. Another word, I will keep them during version 0.6.x. But Naga Fighters advance differently in the case with crossing version.

This version still does not include everything what I want, yet, but obviously, there are some improvements from the previous version.

----------------------------
EDIT:
Version 0.6.3 went to the server on Apr. 17, by modifying scenario 10, The Escape and scenario 13, Orcish Wizard. Also, the game difficulty has been adjusted on the 1st scenario. Some bugs, including bad unit images, also have been fixed on this edition.
----------------------------
EDIT:
Version 0.6.4 went to the server on Apr.27.
- some frames have been added on some naga units
- some scenarios have been balanced slightly
- some bugs, such as Naga Ninja was unable to pick up the sword, have been fixed
- the most of the carapace units have been reset or adjusted to balance the game
--> Hunting Carapace (a crab-like one) has been replaced to a different turtle-like one, so he is a scouting unit, now, as Foraging Carapace.

This version is still possible to cross with 0.6.x (although it is getting messing around to do it). So I keep it version 0.6.x at this time, instead of jumping up to version 0.7.0. However, avoiding to cross with 0.6.3 is actually better honestly... In the case, the crab-like unit is possible to be replaced to a turtle-like one...


Thanks

[taptap]

The changed starting scenario plays fine. The additional hexes to break through really improve the situation... now it isn't very hard anymore, but it shouldn't be as the intro of an easy campaign. (I guess you can try to give the AI back the income and gold it had earlier.)

[taptap]

Nagas)
There is a mistake in the naga fighter help files. It shows a non-existent naga forager as level up. The other naga units are pretty convincing - although the default nagas do most of the work (after the 1st scenario that is). Some scenarios are very easy even on hard (e.g. scenario 2 and 4). Nagas rock.

Saurians)
I am not as much convinced by the Saurian guard line - they play so differently from normal saurians too resilient, but never mind. When you add saurian augurs (I am in the scenario where I get one.), the haruspex as featured in the roar of the woses is a fun alternative level up option. But that the first augur auto-levels to oracle with no option to the player looks like a bug to me (or is it meant to reduce available healers?).

[SkyOne]

Oh, thank you, taptap, for retrying and posting.
I did not realize that you had posted here already (I mean the first one, sorry..).

The changed starting scenario plays fine. The additional hexes to break through really improve the situation... now it isn't very hard anymore, but it shouldn't be as the intro of an easy campaign. (I guess you can try to give the AI back the income and gold it had earlier.)

There was no choice for me to balance the first scenario without modifying the map, anymore, after I tested several times, so I did it.
Balancing the first scenario has been much harder than I expected. If the hard difficulty was balanced, the normal difficulty turned too easy. If the normal got balanced, the hard was too frustrated. It is kind of fine on both difficulties currently, but the scenario may still need some more works as you mentioned.

There is a mistake in the naga fighter help files. It shows a non-existent naga forager as level up.

Yes, it is a bug. Thank you.
The file of Naga Forager is still in the folder due to be available to cross with older version. It will be fixed on the next version.

The other naga units are pretty convincing - although the default nagas do most of the work (after the 1st scenario that is).

Basically, default nagas are the main units on this campaign, and the others are just variations to enjoy it, especially in first 5 scenarios. But naginis will definitely help you on the later scenarios, and ninjas are supposed to help you on a couple of escaping scenarios that are scenario 9 and 10 (I personally like to use them ).

Some scenarios are very easy even on hard (e.g. scenario 2 and 4). Nagas rock.

Could you tell me that scenario 2 and 4 should be more difficult on hard or they are acceptable enough?

Saurians)
I am not as much convinced by the Saurian guard line - they play so differently from normal saurians too resilient, but never mind. When you add saurian augurs (I am in the scenario where I get one.), the haruspex as featured in the roar of the woses is a fun alternative level up option. But that the first augur auto-levels to oracle with no option to the player looks like a bug to me (or is it meant to reduce available healers?).

Yes, it is for reducing available healers to cheer up nagini healers.
Saurian Soothsayer (actually Augur) used be a recruitable unit after scenario 5, but he is L2 with +8 healing, so I thought no-one would use Naga Diviner if he was available to recall (as a naga campaign).

Saurians (and Ogres) will be unable to recruit by the story-reason after scenario 9, by the way.


Thank you, taptap.
I hope that you can enjoy the rest of it.

[taptap]

Scenario 2 and 4 ended with my ally surrounding the enemy keep and I rarely could finish any enemy leader myself, only the first one in scenario 4 because I rushed him. They (2 and 4) are somewhat too easy, first scenario is fine, third scenario is fine too, but the hardest among the scenarios I played. If you by chance trigger the ships blocking the recruiting space of the second castle the player is in real trouble. Scenario 5 was funny --- you really caught me be calling the opponent trolls but then you threw all impact resistant units at me.

[SkyOne]

Thanks!
I will touch slightly on hard difficulty of scenario 2 and 4 (maybe, 3 too) after touching up troubled Brave Wings probably.

Scenario 5 was funny --- you really caught me be calling the opponent trolls but then you threw all impact resistant units at me.

I forget mentioning some Trolls there. Nagini’s ranged attacks are effective to them, so it is better that players have some Dowser or Sorceress at the point.

By the way, this is fully animated ninja unit that is supposed to be for the next edition. If you don’t care, dragging them into the appropriate folders makes them work as well. But I know that you don’t usually like to change anything in the middle of campaign. So it is up to you.

ninja-unit.zip

(40.56 KiB) Downloaded 338 times

Thanks for playing.

[taptap]

In the second running scenario the first objective is misguiding. It is much easier to move the ship on target only the same turn you reach the tunnel entrance without any recruiting whatsoever - and a good gold bonus.

I didn't understand the ninja ability. What do I miss? (If I can trigger it when I wish it would be quite cool.)

After levelling the first augur, I got a new augur in the next scenario that could reach soothsayer. I am not sure whether this is intended.

The monster looks best as green L1. The coloured experienced versions aren't as convincing.

[taptap]

Although it is painful to see the ally use L0 goblins against deathblades the second to last scenario is reasonably easy due to mobility advantage and awesome veterans. Spent all my gold, got negative income, but after killing all leaders end up with 354 gold in the next and final scenario.

Overall I have only 20 losses so far - before the final which probably features endless hordes of undead - which means the campaign is pretty easy. (I had nearly 150 in Panther Lord for comparison.)

The final was a good end to a nice campaign and in my case ended suitably with Sapient backstabbing Vevyan to death, although I managed to lose cecily, all my flankers, the loyal sorceress and the slurbow most of them when hastily breaking through to the main plateau.

Story)
I feel Mr. Zooke is very relaxed given the fact that you are responsible for all this mess. (When Vev asked to move the ogre I in fact guessed what happens next, but had no choice.) At least there should be some visible tension between the nagas and the orcs even if they team up after all what happened. This campaign feels more like a fairy tale than anything else I have seen in Wesnoth so far, maybe it is the almost complete absence of humans.

AI leaders)
AI leaders jumping out to be assassinated are bad. But when you have a lich able to strike without retaliation without even moving he should do that.

Ninja)
If I had the choice when to use the shadow ability it would be much more useful. So it is often blocking critical spots even slows down your recruitment etc.

Gameplay)
What I missed was a scenario where you fight a serious battle but where you can't throw veterans into battle but have to use your mobility to control the map (=income) and work hard to gain the upper hand. But such a scenario would have been possible only against merfolk (not featured) or saurians (allied) I guess.

[SkyOne]

In the second running scenario the first objective is misguiding. It is much easier to move the ship on target only the same turn you reach the tunnel entrance without any recruiting whatsoever - and a good gold bonus.

Uh-oh, I just have found out that it is possible to happen.
It should definitely be fixed. The scenario is too easy in the case.
Thank you so much.

After levelling the first augur, I got a new augur in the next scenario that could reach soothsayer. I am not sure whether this is intended.

This is actually undecided thing, yet. I would like to hear your opinion.
There could be two healers with the royal trait, Rialia and Divaloss, at the end. In my figure, 3-4 healers are enough in this campaign. So I thought only one Soothsayer may be okay (only on EASY, the first Augur is able to be advanced to Soothsayer).

But as I mentioned before, cheering up Nagini healers is necessary on this campaign. So another option is to remove the healing ability from Divaloss, a turtle like one. But in the case, 3rd and 4th scenario turns a bit harder. Well, you said 4th scenario is easy, so maybe, using this option is a right way? Or making second augur advance to only Oracle also is better?

possibilities (something like):
1) keep the current set-up.
2) both Augur should advance to the way of default set-up
3) remove the second Augur out of the campaign
4) remove the healing ability from Divaloss

The monster looks best as green L1. The coloured experienced versions aren't as convincing.

Yes. I still keep the bat wings for its L2 and L3.
I will redraw them when my mouse-hand-wrist is healthy.
She was supposed to be more like the Phoenix, but I haven’t been able to draw her right as a none artist.

Although it is painful to see the ally use L0 goblins against deathblades the second to last scenario is reasonably easy due to mobility advantage and awesome veterans. Spent all my gold, got negative income, but after killing all leaders end up with 354 gold in the next and final scenario.

Good. It is like what I planed.

The final was a good end to a nice campaign and in my case ended suitably with Sapient backstabbing Vevyan to death, although I managed to lose cecily, all my flankers, the loyal sorceress and the slurbow most of them when hastily breaking through to the main plateau.

Ya-y!
I am glad to hear that you use the Sapient unit to end up the scenario.
He is only available when players defeat all enemy leaders on the previous scenario. His movement is cool, isn’t is?
I like Celicy to pick up the holy water on the scenario, by the way.

I feel Mr. Zooke is very relaxed given the fact that you are responsible for all this mess.

Yes, his role is a very important in this campaign, like zookeeper in BfW, and his relaxed character (he prefers peace) is from my point of view of zookeeper on the forums (although Zooke is much older than zookeeper in my set-up). (thank you, zookeeper, for the acceptance.)

The game leader is obviously a royal naga, Amailoss, but the story leader is almost like the little monster, Kózmo, and Zooke is the best supported unit of the whole story.

(When Vev asked to move the ogre I in fact guessed what happens next, but had no choice.)

Aaa.., okay.
Not a big problem, is it?

At least there should be some visible tension between the nagas and the orcs even if they team up after all what happened.

Hmm, a good point.
I (and Sneezy) should think about it.
The polishing up the second scenario may do the job...

This campaign feels more like a fairy tale than anything else I have seen in Wesnoth so far, maybe it is the almost complete absence of humans.

Oh, thank you.
I researched what Nagas are before creating this campaign. There were actually not many things to follow in BfW, but there were many to read about them in Hindu and Buddhist mythology. So I put some Asian tastes in it. (Asian style dragon, Naga Ninja, the design of Naga Lord, etc...)

Ninja)
If I had the choice when to use the shadow ability it would be much more useful. So it is often blocking critical spots even slows down your recruitment etc.

Exactly. In general, it makes the way of playing change slightly. So I should polish up some scenarios more for that players can use the ability more effectively.

Gameplay)
What I missed was a scenario where you fight a serious battle but where you can't throw veterans into battle but have to use your mobility to control the map (=income) and work hard to gain the upper hand. But such a scenario would have been possible only against merfolk (not featured) or saurians (allied) I guess.

I got what you mean. This campaign includes some escaping (moving units) scenarios, but the enemies are not fast on them. (I imagined Lizard Beach of TRoW.) Those are probably parts that I have to polish up on this campaign. Thanks for the experienced opinion.

I really appreciate that you played it through the end, and posted effective feedbacks.
Playing a campaign with nagas are more fun than playing it with drakes, isn’t it? That was actually what I felt after creating this one.

[taptap]

Playing a campaign with nagas are more fun than playing it with drakes, isn’t it? That was actually what I felt after creating this one.

Well, Nagas are pretty cool. And they do better in caves than drakes

I levelled Divaloss very late in the game, so I used plenty of diviners or almost diviners, though I played some scenarios without healers at all or only with +4 healers hoping to level them up which made some a little harder. Rialia went sorceress in my game and actually died too in the final (pretty reckless play, but L3 enemies you know...). I understand concerns about cheap healer spam (giving too many soothsayers). It leads to a strange way of campaign play, if I ever make a campaign it will be probably without healers (which isn't viable in your campaigns for obvious reasons).

[SkyOne]

Thank you for responding my question, taptap. Your opinions are always effective.
On the new edition, 0.7.0, both Augurs advance to Oracle only, but on EASY, there is another Augur who advances to both Oracle and Soothsayer.

The monster looks best as green L1. The coloured experienced versions aren't as convincing.

Yes. I still keep the bat wings for its L2 and L3.
I will redraw them when my mouse-hand-wrist is healthy.
She was supposed to be more like the Phoenix, but I haven’t been able to draw her right as a none artist.

The new unit-images of L2 & L3 Kózmo unit will probably be on the next edition, instead of 0.7.0 that has just been on the server. Its L2 will be something like this:

new-flying-3.png (2.61 KiB) Viewed 5248 times

On her level=3, I am still not sure what color is the best on her wings (dragon-like or the same as her body, light green).


Now, version 0.7.0 is on the server. We are going to develop this campaign from this edition.
changes:
- old unit, Naga Ambush/Forager, has been removed from the folder
- raised up +5 income for one of enemies on the HARD difficulty of scenario 2 and 4.
- added one more carapace unit on scenario 4 (side=2 only)
- a couple of images have been added (flag and hatched egg)
- the bug on scenario Into Farzi has been fixed (hopefully)
- some codes have been modified


Although the version number raised up to 0.7.0 from 0.6.4, crossing with version 0.6.4 is actually fine to play (but not other older versions).
------------------------------

Now, version 0.7.1 is on the server on Aug.21st.
The changes are all minor.

slight touches on: - scenario 05 The Birth, 06 New Leader, 10 The Escape
- updated the sighted [event]s on the most of scenarios
- image updated on Kózmo unit, Level=2 and 3 (as mentioned above)
- a unit added on race=carapace
- a portraits added for Divaloss unit
- a magic frame image has been added on each of Nagini Maiden, Dowser, Sorceress
-------------------------------

Version 0.7.2 has been on the 1.10 server since Sep. 26th.
The changes have been very minor, just updating some images and fixed a bug on Javelin Carapace's unit file.
The melee attack animation has been added on Nagini Maiden, but it's not so good yet.


Thanks

[SkyOne]

Version 0.7.3 has just been on the 1.10 server (since Dec. 17th).
The recruitment list for players has slightly been changed on and after 12 Into Farzi scenario, so the version number should probably have been 0.8.0. But I keep it 0.7.x at this moment.

Also level=2 Monstrous Carapace unit has been no-longer level=2 (the same as BW). It is now level=3, and a new-named unit, Infiltrative Carapace, has replaced ex-Monstrous Carapace as level=2. So please be careful when crossing with version 0.7.2, although the matter does not make a major error.

other changes:
- removed the random trait modifications on side=1 of 01 A Rule of Naga scenario*
- modified 12 Into Farzi scenario
- modified slightly 13 Orcish Wizard scenario
- installed Neilarmius's drake snowy villages for FoaP
- modified some maps slightly
- installed the orcish flags from FoaP

* when players recruit a Naga, they can manually choose the trait modifications although the choices are only two, strong/resilient or quick/resilient.
Players only can recruit 5-6 nagas on this scenario, so I think it is effective. Well, at least I prefer this way.


thanks

[gooby]

I was offered the Storm Orb in Carapace Guards but didn't get it.

I'll live without it, but where's my Storm Orb?

Difficulty: Normal.

[Feareth]

I was offered the Storm Orb in Carapace Guards but didn't get it.

I'll live without it, but where's my Storm Orb?

Difficulty: Normal.

You have it but you wont get to use it until you level Amailoss to level 3

[SkyOne]

I was offered the Storm Orb in Carapace Guards but didn't get it.

I'll live without it, but where's my Storm Orb?

Difficulty: Normal.

You have it but you wont get to use it until you level Amailoss to level 3

Thank you.
---

Although changes are very few and all minor, version 0.7.4 has just been on the 1.10 server.
Because BG-maps will be replaced on BfW 1.12 (another word, the geography will be changed, especially farnorth area), the development of this campaign has been moved to BfW 1.11. A couple of scenarios will be removed from the middle, and one will be added after Orcish Wizard scenario on the new version of it. Also, another set of nagas who advances from Naga Fighter is planed to be added (because of the need of leadership-ability unit)(*). So this update is possible to be the last time for this campaign to BfW 1.10 server unless a major bug is found. Hope to update one on 1.11 server shortly...

(*) - something like:

lieutenant.png (3.41 KiB) Viewed 4772 times

major.png (3.69 KiB) Viewed 4772 times

EDIT:
- this campaign has been playable on BfW 1.11.2 already, but not sure on 1.11.4 because its Mac version is not available, yet. I mean that I am not able to test it on 1.11.4. So uploading this campaign to BfW 1.11 server has been postponed...

Another EDIT:
- well, now Mac version of BfW 1.11.4 is available, but unfortunately, it doesn't support my OS anymore. So I still need a while to upload this campaign to 1.11 server...


thanks