Build your own faction - How to proceed?

[JustNatan]

Hey,
I have created a few custom made units so far (mostly by altering the existing core units) and now I would like to create a faction.

I have some problems because the wiki is not ideal (in my opinion: Minimal working examples, explaining general concepts and general visual tutorials are missing).

But I know that it is alot of reading, but by creating this thread I hope to get some information about what to read first. But don't worry this is not another: Uh! Help me! Thread. I will try to give as much information about what I know and what I think I need to know, but please understand that what I think I need to know might be wrong.

1. What is the definition of a faction?
My answer: A faction has a leader and units that said leader can recruit.

2. What is the definition of an Era?
My answer: An Era consists of multiple factions.
https://wiki.wesnoth.org/Factions_and_Eras

3. What do I need to do to create a faction?
My answer: That you cannot simply download a faction indicates that a faction only exists in the context of an Era. Therefore you need to create an Era in order to create a faction.
3.1.1 How do I create an Era?
My answer: Just create a ERANAME.cfg top level and use the [era] tags (like it is done in bloodlegacy and Bob's RPG Era). There you define a multiplayer_side where you define possible leaders, recruitable units and other stuff.
3.1.2 Events/Other code defined here, will they be always present when said Era is used?

Now in the very theory we have defined our faction. What's left is to define units, images and animations.
4. Are animations necessary?
4.1 Are there people here who help out on animations if the rest is already done?

I am pretty sure I will enjoy working myself through building the faction, but I am not that much of a graphic designer.

---
I gave my answers to the questions above so you might easily see where I still struggle or understood something entirely wrong. If so, please let me know

[ghype]

The best way to approach creating a factions is to download an existing addon which only has an era and then just use that as a template, best make a copy of that so you can always compare to that.

Then pretty much what you have to do is to replace all the namings with your custom what. Like replace the old name of the era, factions, files,unit with that of yours and if you struggle with coding units files, you might as well change a unit's file according to your wishes and go on from there.

[JustNatan]

@ghype
I tried something like this and searched for a minimal working example era online, but most I found have a lot of additions that I do not feel comfortable using yet (like included lua scripts and stuff). Can you recommend a very basic Era to start with?

[Helmet]

1. What is the definition of a faction?
My answer: A faction has a leader and units that said leader can recruit.

Sounds good to me.

2. What is the definition of an Era?
My answer: An Era consists of multiple factions.
https://wiki.wesnoth.org/Factions_and_Eras

Also good.

3. What do I need to do to create a faction?
My answer: That you cannot simply download a faction indicates that a faction only exists in the context of an Era. Therefore you need to create an Era in order to create a faction.

In multi-player, that sounds right to me. But not for single-player campaigns.

3.1.1 How do I create an Era?
My answer: Just create a ERANAME.cfg top level and use the [era] tags (like it is done in bloodlegacy and Bob's RPG Era). There you define a multiplayer_side where you define possible leaders, recruitable units and other stuff.

I never created an era, but if I did, I would do what ghype said, to get the ball rolling on a proper course.

3.1.2 Events/Other code defined here, will they be always present when said Era is used?

If you have specific ideas for events that sometimes occur, but sometimes don't, I imagine that you could write code to accomplish your idea. But yes, the code would always be present, but that doesn't mean it always does something. You could have a unit that does extra damage if their opponent is an elf, for example.

Now in the very theory we have defined our faction. What's left is to define units, images and animations.

And playtesting. You may change a unit's stats many, many times as you realize the unit is too powerful or too weak, or the cost is too low, etc. This step can actually take a long time, much longer than inventing stats.

4. Are animations necessary?

If you want to animate a unit but don't have much time, one defense frame usually isn't hard to do. One attack frame usually takes a while, depending on the unit's appearance. Having one defense frame and one attack frame can add some pizzazz to a unit during a battle, but, no, animations are not necessary. Some players turn-off animations, anyway.

4.1 Are there people here who help out on animations if the rest is already done?

Some people have helped other people. It never hurts to ask.

I am pretty sure I will enjoy working myself through building the faction, but I am not that much of a graphic designer.

---
I gave my answers to the questions above so you might easily see where I still struggle or understood something entirely wrong. If so, please let me know

In single-player, you don't need to make an era to make a faction.

Good luck!

[JustNatan]

In single-player, you don't need to make an era to make a faction.

I tried googling "wesnoth single-play faction", but did not find anything meaningful. Can you give me a hint how factions are called in singleplayer? Since I can't find an explanation on that?

Thanks for your answers @Helmet !

(So for example: I wanna design an faction that will be used in a campaign; but regular wesnoth units will be used as well. Having it playable in multiplayer is optional)

[gnombat]

In single-player, you don't need to make an era to make a faction.

I tried googling "wesnoth single-play faction", but did not find anything meaningful. Can you give me a hint how factions are called in singleplayer? Since I can't find an explanation on that?

Factions really only exist in multiplayer. In single-player campaigns you basically just set the recruit list to whatever units you want (including custom units); you can set the units so that it resembles a multiplayer faction, but keep in mind that the recruit list can (and frequently does) change with units being added or removed during the course of a campaign.

(So for example: I wanna design an faction that will be used in a campaign; but regular wesnoth units will be used as well. Having it playable in multiplayer is optional)

If you're just creating a single-player campaign, there's a WML Guide add-on which can serve as a minimal working example of a campaign. If you want to create an Era (again, this is necessary only for multiplayer, it's not actually required for single-player), there isn't really any equivalent to the WML Guide, but you might want to look at the Era of Legends add-on - it's a very simple era with factions that use mostly (but not entirely) core units.

[Helmet]

In single-player, you don't need to make an era to make a faction.

I tried googling "wesnoth single-play faction", but did not find anything meaningful. Can you give me a hint how factions are called in singleplayer? Since I can't find an explanation on that?

Thanks for your answers @Helmet !

(So for example: I wanna design an faction that will be used in a campaign; but regular wesnoth units will be used as well. Having it playable in multiplayer is optional)

Multi-player and single-player are not two heads of the same beast, imo. The are two different beasts that have some things in common.

I'm working on a single-player campaign with 14+ new units and it has no multiplayer functionality at all. I don't know much about how to make something multi-player, either. But I know that in multi-player, balance is very, very important. While in single-player, maybe it is or maybe it isn't; it depends.

With that being said, in a single-player campaign you don't need to formally define a faction to create one. If you decide that a mermaid initiate and a giant cuttlefish are a faction, they are a faction. As the designer, you can decide that whatever you put into a recruit list is a new faction: mainline units, custom-made units, whatever. In single-player campaigns, though, what you are really doing is making a side for a battle.

Single-player is more focused on a story with a hero and sides, and progressing from one scenario to the next.

In my campaign, I have a bunch of new units that all work together. I consider them a faction. But are they really a "faction"? I would say not, not in the traditional sense, as they are not balanced for multi-player. They might destroy their opposition in a swamp, I'm thinking, but lose in other terrains. If I ever want to release them as a multiplayer faction, I will have to do a lot of playtesting and make adjustments. They should win or lose about half the time, if I have the computer fight itself.

Making a faction in a single-player campaign is pretty easy...

Code: Select all

# New Single-player Faction
side=1
recruit="Mermaid Initiate, Cuttlefish"

[JustNatan]

In single-player, you don't need to make an era to make a faction.

Factions really only exist in multiplayer. In single-player campaigns you basically just set the recruit list to whatever units you want (including custom units); you can set the units so that it resembles a multiplayer faction, but keep in mind that the recruit list can (and frequently does) change with units being added or removed during the course of a campaign.

Your entire post (but especially the quoted) helped a lot! I will first try to create a small Scenario/Campaigne after that I might try using those units to create an Era. There are many new things I wanna try and therefore starting small will be the best. But I think the rest of your comment will help me as soon as I want to go on further.

@Helmet
Thank's alot! This coincides with qgnombat's post and helps me as well I think I know now how to start since not a lot actually changes (for me at least). Since I have created those pseudo-factions already for mini-scenarios.

For now all my questions have been answered. Many thanks to both of you!

[Ravana]

3.1.1 How do I create an Era?
My answer: Just create a ERANAME.cfg top level and use the [era] tags

It is good idea to use separate files, but WML works though _main.cfg. If _main.cfg does not include [era] (directly or through preprocessor) then having ERANAME.cfg does not do anything.