Dead Water 1.0 for BfW 1.8

Discussion and development of scenarios and campaigns for the game.

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beetlenaut
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Dead Water 1.0 for BfW 1.8

Post by beetlenaut »

This campaign is complete, and fully playable. It still needs more graphics here and there.

Description:
You are Kai Krellis, a merman king, but only a child. A necromancer has appeared and is turing your subjects into undead slaves! Lead your people on a mission to convince a powerful mermaid to help you repel the invasion. The oceans near the Northern Lands are perilous, so you will need cunning and bravery to be survive, but first you need to gain the respect of your troops!

Style:
I used only small or medium maps with a wide variety of enemies: undead, saurians, drakes, orcs, and more. As the name suggests, the story focuses on an undead enemy. (There are no nagas in the campaign, because naga vs. merman battles are boring.) There are only 10 battle scenarios, so it's not too long.

New Features:
There are two new merman units, including a level-0 citizen, plus a four-level merman leader (though the last level is not animated). I added overlay icons for items like holy water and the storm trident so units with those items stand out. There is also a marker for loyal units. I used a couple of ideas for objectives, constraints, and story lines that I've never seen in any other campaign.

Graphics Help:
I would love some help on graphics. I need portraits and attack icons, and I would love a merman castle. Right now I am using the sunken ruins so they are in the water, but the mermen shouldn't have to use someone else's ruins. I also don't have the skill to make story graphics, and my background map could use some help (or replacement). If someone wants to animate my level-3 merman king, get the base frame from the first post on page 10 of this thread. I keep not getting to it.

Note: This campaign requires Battle for Wesnoth 1.4.3 or higher. A macro bug in earlier versions will break the first scenario.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Changelog:
Version 0.9.0: First release.
Version 0.9.0a: Fixed a bug that kept the Uncharted Islands scenario from ending.
Version 0.9.1: Updated some graphics, replaced swimming soulless sprites, and added a level-3 Cuttle Fish: the Kraken
Version 0.9.2: Rebalanced to make the last scenario easier to win on the hardest two difficulty levels. See the discussion near the bottom of this page for details.
Version 0.9.3: Added new images for swimming corpses and soulless swimmers (based on work done by Eternal). They should be in a future version of Wesnoth, but you can see them here first!
Version 0.9.4: Created all new (and much better) graphics for the merman leader! You can see them on page three of this thread. Also fixed a couple minor mistakes found by zookeeper.
Version 0.9.5: Changed the behavior of the bats in The Mage: They now come out at night, and go back at dawn. I am also allowing undo everywhere I can.
Version 0.9.6: Rebalanced several scenarios for higher difficulty levels. Added a different bonus for each leader killed on the second scenario.
Version 0.9.7: Redesigned the last level, moved to the new gold carryover system, and much more. See this post.
Version 0.9.8: Cleaned up the code a little. Save files should be smaller now. Also ported the campaign to 1.5!
Version 0.9.9: Introduced one bug in the code clean up, and several in the port to 1.5. Hopefully it's all fixed now. Apologies to everyone who downloaded a buggy campaign.
Version 0.9.10-0.9.12 for BfW 1.4 &
Version 0.9.10-0.9.13 for BfW 1.5: A few small bug fixes each.
Version 0.9.13 for BfW 1.4 &
Version 0.9.14 for BfW 1.5: Fixed a problem breaking the translation files.
---I'm no longer supporting BfW 1.4---
Version 0.9.14: Tweaked the "slavers" scenario, and made cosmetic changes.
Version 0.9.15: Really fixed the translation problems (hopefully).
Version 0.9.16: Fixed a music problem that caused a freeze in BfW 1.6 if the music was on in some later levels.
---I'm no longer supporting BfW 1.6---
Version 0.9.17: Ported to BfW 1.8. Made some levels a bit harder on hard.
Version 0.9.18: Text greatly improved by ESR.
Version 1.0: New sprites and portrait for Kai Krellis. Also, now that it's going to go mainline, many small improvements have been made by many people.
Version 1.0.1: Portrait for leveled Kai Krellis.
Last edited by beetlenaut on April 8th, 2010, 8:41 pm, edited 30 times in total.
Campaigns: Dead Water,
The Founding of Borstep,
Secrets of the Ancients,
and WML Guide
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Mica
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Re: Complete merman campaign: Dead Water (0.9.0)

Post by Mica »

I found the first scenario fairly difficult on both normal and easy. I don't really think I don't play that badly, but I can't ever beat it. The ai always can swarm me from everywhere.
Mica says one who cheats, cheats himself.

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Mellor
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Dead Water--Uncharted Islands won't end

Post by Mellor »

Well-designed campaign. The first bug that I have noticed, however, is that upon the killing of Growloff and gaining the new friend (not to spoil for anyone) the scenario will not end. It merely returns to Growloff with a couple of HP. One other question: Might there be a level advancement in the works for the Brawler line? I'm enjoying the play. Thank you.
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Re: Complete merman campaign: Dead Water (0.9.0)

Post by beetlenaut »

Mica wrote:I found the first scenario fairly difficult on both normal and easy. I don't really think I don't play that badly, but I can't ever beat it. The ai always can swarm me from everywhere.
The key is controlling villages so the AI can't make too many bad guys. That's why you have some free units right from the first turn. Don't let any bats get behind you, or it's all over.
Mellor wrote:Well-designed campaign. The first bug that I have noticed, however, is that upon the killing of Growloff and gaining the new friend (not to spoil for anyone) the scenario will not end. It merely returns to Growloff with a couple of HP.
Ouch! Sorry about that. It's fixed now. I changed something at the last minute, and forgot to retest the level. I'm afraid you will have to play the level again or cheat.(You can enter debug mode to give yourself the gold you would have gotten, then advance to the next level.)
Mellor wrote:One other question: Might there be a level advancement in the works for the Brawler line? I'm enjoying the play. Thank you.
I'm very glad you like it! I don't plan on a more-advanced brawler. He's about level 1.5 already, and it only takes a few brawlers to decimate a line of skeletons. I do plan to allow you to advance the "new friend", though you can't yet.
Campaigns: Dead Water,
The Founding of Borstep,
Secrets of the Ancients,
and WML Guide
Phr0stByt3
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Re: Complete merman campaign: Dead Water (0.9.1)

Post by Phr0stByt3 »

So far I am enjoying this campaign, although it seems just a bit tough. And hey, where's my slashing alternative? :)
Theodore Roosevelt: "Don't hit at all if it is honorably possible to avoid hitting; but never hit soft."

Ecclesiastes 10:2: "A wise man's heart directs him toward the right, but a foolish man's heart directs him toward the left."
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beetlenaut
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Re: Complete merman campaign: Dead Water (0.9.1)

Post by beetlenaut »

Phr0stByt3 wrote:So far I am enjoying this campaign, although it seems just a bit tough.
Hmm. Maybe I should rename the difficulty levels. What difficulty are you playing?
Phr0stByt3 wrote:And hey, where's my slashing alternative?
Huh? I don't get it.
Campaigns: Dead Water,
The Founding of Borstep,
Secrets of the Ancients,
and WML Guide
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Akkarin345
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Re: Complete merman campaign: Dead Water (0.9.1)

Post by Akkarin345 »

I have played the campaign and i love it!
I always love seeing campaigns which follow smaller races e.g. mermen, nagas, gryphons etc.

I thought the storyline was good. Nice idea with the merman citizin and the brawler. However, maybe a lv 2 brawler is needed, as although i liked the stun ability ( on the odd chance it hit due to bad luck) it wasn't enough to make me evolve more than 1 or 2 of my citizins into them. Also being a lower level they ended up being the units of if i need to sacrifice someone who is it. Civilians and brawlers came first sadly :(

Liked the new graphics and the new ideas. Good luck with the future of the campaign as it is a good one!
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Re: Complete merman campaign: Dead Water (0.9.1)

Post by beetlenaut »

Akkarin345 wrote:I have played the campaign and i love it!
I always love seeing campaigns which follow smaller races e.g. mermen, nagas, gryphons etc.
Wow, thanks! I do too.
Akkarin345 wrote:...it wasn't enough to make me evolve more than 1 or 2 of my citizins into them.
Actually, I kind of agree on the stun ability. It didn't turn out as useful as I had thought it would. However, I found them quite useful in general. They are extremely effective at taking out skeleton archers, and no other units can do it without getting killed in return. (Except Krellis, but there is only one of him.) A lot of the skeletons are level two and three, so the brawlers would amla fast too. Most of mine ended up with hitpoints in the high 40's. They also have low upkeep, and leadership helps them a lot. I had seven or eight of them at the end. I used fighters as cannon fodder, never brawlers. I don't think it makes sense to have an unarmed unit level up anyway.
Campaigns: Dead Water,
The Founding of Borstep,
Secrets of the Ancients,
and WML Guide
Phr0stByt3
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Re: Complete merman campaign: Dead Water (0.9.1)

Post by Phr0stByt3 »

I'm playing on "normal" and I'm only on the 4th scenario and haven't lost too much yet, but I have found myself loading more than I do in other campaigns (yes, I'm trying to keep my higher level units alive). The last campaign I played I didn't care if I lost higher level units and just kept going... well, later on in THAT campaign I had real troubles :roll: .

The brawler (and king) have blunt and the other mermen have pierce, but no-one has slashing (...yet). Since I'm not fighting nagas, maybe they could make good allies :) , but it doesn't matter really. As far as the tail-whip goes, I like it 8) . I've actually found it more useful for times when I need to hit first (to finish an enemy) as each hit does more damage, and "stun" adds a little something to the gameplay. However, I'm confused why only the brawlers would have it... afterall, all mermen (and maids) have tails to use. Maybe you could iron-clad the brawlers tails for that sake :idea: .

On another note, having the brawlers max out at lvl 1 but with the strength of a lvl 1.5 unit is actually kind of nice. Because they now make great units to sacrifice (easy to lvl and not a big loss) and yet they're still very effective because they're stronger than other lvl 1 units... You might be able to make a lvl 2 unit for them but I don't feel it's necessary, and if you do, add a little bonus, such as skirmisher or +1 movement, without changing the unit much otherwise.

But hey, this campaign is really fun so far, so don't change too much :D
Theodore Roosevelt: "Don't hit at all if it is honorably possible to avoid hitting; but never hit soft."

Ecclesiastes 10:2: "A wise man's heart directs him toward the right, but a foolish man's heart directs him toward the left."
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Re: Complete merman campaign: Dead Water (0.9.1)

Post by beetlenaut »

Phr0stByt3 wrote:The last campaign I played I didn't care if I lost higher level units and just kept going... well, later on in THAT campaign I had real troubles
Yeah, you will absolutely need high-level units later in this campaign, too. However, I doubt you will keep them all alive until then. You will just have to keep leveling more.
Phr0stByt3 wrote:And hey, where's my slashing alternative?
Ah. Slashing as in blade damage. Level-3 fighters can get it if you want, but you don't really need it. Pierce is rarely worse than blade, except in the case of skeletons. And for them, you have impact, which is even better than blade. (There is another slashing unit on the fourth scenario too, you know.)
Phr0stByt3 wrote:...However, I'm confused why only the brawlers would have it...
Merman tails are like their legs. Very few humans fight with their legs--only specially skilled ones. The whole point of brawlers is that they are bigger and stronger, with more physical skill. They are more comfortable without weapons or armor.
Phr0stByt3 wrote:On another note, having the brawlers max out at lvl 1 but with the strength of a lvl 1.5 unit is actually kind of nice.
I agree with all of your points there. I also think that it makes for a more interesting unit tree.
Phr0stByt3 wrote:But hey, this campaign is really fun so far, so don't change too much :D
That's very nice to hear!
Campaigns: Dead Water,
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Secrets of the Ancients,
and WML Guide
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WYRMY
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Re: Complete merman campaign: Dead Water (0.9.1)

Post by WYRMY »

Wow! Great campaign!

I played on Hard, and I found most of the levels well balanced and interesting. I like all your new units, especially the Kraken :mrgreen: .
On the last level though, it was a bit too hard (however, I'm not the best player). I only started with 350 gold, and got totally smashed by all the incoming undead. (I didn't manage to finish the level :( ). Some ideas are: reduce gold to something like 500
let the player start with more gold (probably about 600)
have some allies show up (eg. some rebels that were hiding)

Anyway, thanks for making it. I certaintly enjoyed playing it!
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Re: Complete merman campaign: Dead Water (0.9.1)

Post by beetlenaut »

WYRMY wrote:Wow! Great campaign!
Thanks! I put some time into it. I'm proud of the Kraken myself.
WYRMY wrote:On the last level though, it was a bit too hard...
How about this: I can raise the turn limit on the second-to-last scenario. I think two turns more on "challenging" and four on "difficult". I can also have Tyegea give you 50 and 100 gold on the highest two difficulty levels. That would give you 224 more gold (on "difficult") if you finished The Flaming Sword on the same turn. Does that sound about right?
Campaigns: Dead Water,
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Re: Complete merman campaign: Dead Water (0.9.1)

Post by WYRMY »

Sounds good.
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Re: Complete merman campaign: Dead Water (0.9.1)

Post by LemonTea »

I'm playing on easy mode on version 0.9.2.

After beating the Bilheld scenario (07_Bilheld.cfg), pressing next scenario, and saving (or cancelling) the replay, Wesnoth always stops responding.

My version of Wesnoth is 1.4.5.
JW's Wesnoth personality quiz wrote:You are a Skeleton: a lifeless animation of bone controlled by a necromancer. See a therapist.
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Re: Complete merman campaign: Dead Water (0.9.1)

Post by beetlenaut »

LemonTea wrote:After beating the Bilheld scenario (07_Bilheld.cfg), pressing next scenario, and saving (or cancelling) the replay, Wesnoth always stops responding.
This sounds like it might be a problem with Wesnoth and not the campaign. Everything works fine on version 1.4.3. I will download the newer version and test it, but I might not be able to do that for a day or two. I'm working very long days. I'll get back to you as soon as I can though.
Campaigns: Dead Water,
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Secrets of the Ancients,
and WML Guide
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