Scenario 6: The Siege of Elensefar

[mal]

I finally got through - amazingly, by turn 14. I took some of your advice and went back a couple of spots, through the Island instead of the peninsula, this enabled me to finish with more gold (not as much as you though). I could then do more recruiting and recalling. I also had a merman at level 3 with the storm trident so that helped - a bit with the river crossing but more so holding the bridge to stop the skeletons getting across whilst everyone mopped up the orcs.

I still think that the orcish assassins are overpowered for level 1 with their high dodge, poison and both ranged and melee attacks - I'd like to see them come down a bit!

I actually went back and did it again after that, just to prove I could - this time I triggered the extra skeletons in the cave, just to give me the chance to level up (the first time, the boss came out and I zoc'd him). That was handy.

So, thanks for your help, it kept me in the game!

[monochromatic]

Nice! It's good to hear that you didn't give up Wesnoth!

As for orcish assassins: yeah they have high dodge and marksman poison, but remember that they have only 26 hp and only advance to lvl 2. When not carefully placed, they die in just a couple of strokes from any decent fighter.

[Noghbaudie]

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

Medium

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

First time: 10
Second time: 6

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

Pretty clear.

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

Interesting enough to replay.

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

This was the first scenario that forced me to consult the forums and strategy guides to restructure my game play. Previously I was recruiting more, and leaving Konrad at home. After several failed attempts I restarted the entire game and focused on leveling a strong core group. which greatly improved my overall game.

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

6

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

None.

[Sam-Lloyd]

(1) What difficulty level and version of Wesnoth have you played the scenario on?
Challenging 1.8.1

(2) How difficult did you find the scenario? (1-10)
10 (among the hardest of the campaign)

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

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

(5) What were your major challenges in meeting the objectives of the scenario?
Defeat the orcs and prevent the undead from storming into the castle. Luck plays quite a major part when there were only 3 lvl 2 orc warriors whom were summoned. Next is the part where the thieves did an excellent job.

(6) How fun do you think the scenario is? (1-10)
8

(7) What, if any, are changes you would have made to the scenario to make it more fun?
None, I am satisfied with the current one.

[roman_sharp]

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

Normal, 1.8.2. & 1.8.3.

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

9 or even 10. One of the hardest so far.

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

Crystal clear.

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

Good.

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

It's very hard to overcome. The first enemy, orcs, come with some level 2 units with about ~60 HP, and the second, undead, are hard to beat. You have to combine good army of powerful veterans, strategy, readiness to sacrifice a few units and some good portion of luck.

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

6, because of its hardness that gave me some pains.

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

1) I think it could be eased a bit to not look "show-stopper" after first more easy scenarios
2) Maybe, some words could be added to dialogs in previous scenarios to make player more used to sacrificing and emphasize role of veterans a bit more.

[BubbleScreen]

(1) What difficulty level and version of Wesnoth have you played the scenario on?
Medium, 1.6

(2) How difficult did you find the scenario?
10 - hardest scenario, hands down. Not impossible or unreasonably difficult, just the hardest scenario in the campaign.

(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?
Is the necromancer related to Muff Malal?

(5) What were your major challenges in meeting the objectives of the scenario?
Ugh. Not getting killed by the Orcs? The undead aren't a big problem, but the Orcs are just so tough to handle with so little gold. It's difficult to hold the area south of the moat, because of the punch of the Orcs. And this is with a pair of Knights, a White Mage and various leveled Elves.

(6) How fun do you think the scenario is?
8 - Hard, but rewarding. Thieves valiantly holding off the Undead and paying with their lives was a poignant, redeeming moment. All the stuff with the thieves - the options, the dialog - was great. Taking the city was a thrilling feeling.

(7) What, if any, are changes you would have made to the scenario to make it more fun?
As previous posters stated, SoE is quite beatable, but the ramp-up should be harder, to acclimate first-timers. Maybe everyone should have to go to the Isle.

[kea]

(1) 1.8.3., Normal.

(2) 10 (again... )

(3) "Suffer and then die !" How much clearer can you get ?

(4) Nice. Liked the thieves bit. (but the line from zombie king could be a bit more developed. "Mwaaahahaaa... I made a pact with an orc so I can kill more elves" is a bit straightfoward, even for a zombie, I think.)

(5) I arrived from the isles of the damned quite exhausted, broke, and weak, hoping for some reward after my hard time and pain...Guess what ?
Actually, I could do it, even with these NASTY orc warriors. but I'm definitely too weak to rush straight in. The undead come way too soon in the city and I get wiped out, any way I try this.

(6) Right After the isles of the damned ? Globally as fun as repeatedly smashing my family jewels with a hammer.
Seriously, until this, I was having a massive fun with this game. I fell in love with it, I spent an unreasonable time on it in the last three days...
But with these two scenari in a row, I'm seriously thinking about giving up, before I smash my mouse on the wall. I thought this campaign was for beginners' training, not humiliation.
I'll try Muff Malal's Peninsula, and then come back, but this is definitely no fun.

(7) Put it somewhere else. Specifically, NOT right after the isles... When one arrives with no mage and no money, things get quite painful.
Give the opportunity to slow the undead down. Thieves are nice but get wiped out in two rounds, while my men are still getting slaughtered by the last of the orcs.
At least, as I said, put some warning when the player has to choose his path. (eg : islands = HARD, land = cool.)

[Jozrael]

As a note, your main army and gold supplies are tied to the Bay of Pearls scenario, so performing excellently there before IotD is a great way to have the gold reserves to tackle SoE.

[Schierke]

(1) 1.8.3., Normal.

(2) 10 (again... )

(3) "Suffer and then die !" How much clearer can you get ?

(4) Nice. Liked the thieves bit. (but the line from zombie king could be a bit more developed. "Mwaaahahaaa... I made a pact with an orc so I can kill more elves" is a bit straightfoward, even for a zombie, I think.)

(5) I arrived from the isles of the damned quite exhausted, broke, and weak, hoping for some reward after my hard time and pain...Guess what ?
Actually, I could do it, even with these NASTY orc warriors. but I'm definitely too weak to rush straight in. The undead come way too soon in the city and I get wiped out, any way I try this.

(6) Right After the isles of the damned ? Globally as fun as repeatedly smashing my family jewels with a hammer.
Seriously, until this, I was having a massive fun with this game. I fell in love with it, I spent an unreasonable time on it in the last three days...
But with these two scenari in a row, I'm seriously thinking about giving up, before I smash my mouse on the wall. I thought this campaign was for beginners' training, not humiliation.
I'll try Muff Malal's Peninsula, and then come back, but this is definitely no fun.

(7) Put it somewhere else. Specifically, NOT right after the isles... When one arrives with no mage and no money, things get quite painful.
Give the opportunity to slow the undead down. Thieves are nice but get wiped out in two rounds, while my men are still getting slaughtered by the last of the orcs.
At least, as I said, put some warning when the player has to choose his path. (eg : islands = HARD, land = cool.)

The issue is that HtTT is not a begginer campaing, maybe a novice one, but not a begginer with scenarios such as The Isle of The Dammned, The Siege of Elfensar or The Valley of The Dead (you're gonna love this one). Your first campaing should be Tale of Two Brothers or The South Guard, but is HtTT is first on the list because it's the main campaing.

I'll try Muff Malal's Peninsula, and then come back, but this is definitely no fun.

Trust me, Muff Malal's Peninsula is far, far easyer, there is really no way to lose it and if you play it right you get a lot of experience for your units and a lot of gold in the end, making Elfensar a lot easier.

[hhyloc]

1. Medium 1.8
2. 8
3. Very
4. OK I guess...Actually, I don't care much about dialogs
5. Orcish Warriors kill my elven, even my Grand Knight . First Skeletons wave after I finished the orcs
6. 6
7. Nope

[tutufan]

I discovered Wesnoth a few days ago and have been having spectacular fun with it. Probably the most fun I've had with a game since Zelda Windwaker.

That was up until this scenario, though. I'm getting completely clobbered over and over again--there are just too many bad guys and they're all stronger than me. If there were no undead at all I might be able to make it, but as soon as they arrive it's all over.

Details: I'm playing on medium, starting the scenario with 217 gold and two available level 2's to recall. Reading some of the other notes, it sounds like maybe I'm supposed to have a lot more gold and higher level guys at this point, but this is the first place it's mattered, and it's like slamming into a brick wall.

Guess I'll have to go back to "easy" or go back to mahjongg...

[Jozrael]

Please post a beginning of scenario save, or where you think it has become hopeless (or better yet, both!)

[tutufan]

Here's my attempt at an upload. This is at turn one, where I'm pretty much hosed. (I'm going to see if I can edit this and give myself 10000 gold. That'll help!)

[Jozrael]

If you need a bit of help, type:

:debug
:gold X

I'll try to get to this later tonight.

[tutufan]

Hey, that's pretty cool. Well, I gave myself an extra 1000 and just went for it. Pretty easy until the end, when I was approaching the skeleton lair with about 15 mages. That wasn't enough for me, and I ended up losing anyway. But at least it was closer. Thanks!