Wesnoth moves too fast!

[Captain Innocuous]

I apologize if this is a repeated topic, but I need to know if anyone feels the same way I do.

This isn't a topic saying that the actual battles need more predictability etc-- there are enough of those already.



Each battle, each engagement, each swing of each unit, and each movement from hex to hex is too fast for my tastes.

I think I would be better willing to sacrifice my beautiful level two elvish marksman if I knew she would put up a great fight holding off those two wolf riders, instead of keeling over after 3.5 seconds of heartbreak. Right now, when one of my units dies, I feel cheated. I expect more.

Is there an easy solution I can work out, such as something by compiling the game myself? Only, I have no experience in anything like that.

This is a great game. It is better than most of the games I have that I pay money for. I know that it might be hard to implement a feature like this, but I would like some feedback on my feedback.

This wouldn't affect the times when skip moves on, obviously.

Keep up the good work!

[Eleazar]

Well, we've recognised that death sound effects would be good, but there's not been much work put into it.

[SmokemJags]

My two cents...
There are two types of strategy games: Strategic and Tactical.

Strategic games deal with larger sums of units and generally includes the ability to replenish your depleted force by purchasing additional troops. A facet of strategy games is their leaning towards large scale engagements with more or less cookie cutter formations of troops. Think Panzer General with it's multiple panther tank units, but they're all pretty much the same after you consider experience.

Tactical games deal with having smaller squads that are significantly more detailed than troops you would find in a strategy game. Good example of this would be MechCommander or perhaps Ground Control. You have a small number of units that cannot be reinforced during a 'mission'.

I'd have to say Wesnoth falls into the former. There are some scenarios that are HUGE in scale. The last scenario of the Rise of Wesnoth campaign comes to mind. That is a ton of units going at it. The trouble with giving individual units exceptionally long and detailed death sequences... you have to multiply that by every unit on the field...

When your level two elvish marksman dies, it's a tragedy. When a million of them have died over the course of a bloody campaign, it's a statistic.
If this game was more focused on smaller, tactical, engagements, it definitely is quick and units do not get their 15 minutes to burn brightly before they are extinguished.
As it is, Wesnoth seems to be more of a strategic warfare game. You may feel cheated by the quick end of your sassy elf girl, but when you consider the ease of replacing her... It wouldn't make sense to have such elaborate fight and death sequences.

[Maeglin Dubh]

I'm not sure what you're requesting... You want it to take longer for your units to fight and die? Large scenarios will take a very long time with such a modification....

[aelius]

Do you mean that Wesnoth is too deadly, i.e. that combat involves too few strokes, or that that the graphics of the combat are too quickly animated?

If the former, then you can modify the game .cfg files (specifically in /data/units/ to either increase the hit points of the units or reduce the deadliness of their attacks.

If the latter, you can make the animations slower too by modifying the .cfg files the game uses.

Both of these undertakings, while they will not require compiling the game, will, however, will be arduous and tedious.

- b.

[Captain Innocuous]

I'm sorry if I wasn't too clear. My original intent was to say that the animations in all of the game just aren't long enough for my tastes. I do understand that the game would stretch out and become unbearable if the animations were as long as I'd like; however, the battles with 100+ units already feel like they are dragged out without having extended animations.

It would also take twice as many frames per animation if the same quality as they are now, which would mean twice as much work for the animators. That's not what I meant to say either.

Changing every cfg file for each unit really doesn't appeal to me. Thanks for your quick replies though.

[turin]

What he's saying makes sense to me. Death animations especially could be longer. I would advise doing it somewhat by unit level. When a level 1 unit dies, no big deal, but when a level 3 unit dies, its a really big deal. Show the difference in the animation lengths.

[Zhukov]

When your level two elvish marksman dies, it's a tragedy. When a million of them have died over the course of a bloody campaign, it's a statistic.

Quoting Stalin in a Wesnoth Forum. Who would have thought...?

If someone thinks the animation is too fast, surely they can just play around with the timing. If they don't wish to do that...well, they can't care that much.

When a level 1 unit dies, no big deal, but when a level 3 unit dies, its a really big deal. Show the difference in the animation lengths.

Certainly not a bad idea. But there is the ever-present art barrier, as you know. But hey, if someone wishes to draw it, why not?

[db0]

When your level two elvish marksman dies, it's a tragedy. When a million of them have died over the course of a bloody campaign, it's a statistic.

Quoting Stalin in a Wesnoth Forum. Who would have thought...?

In context no less

[Sea Elf]

if your worried on a huge scenario about long death animations wasting your time you could always have the option to turn death animations off

[SmokemJags]

Yea I always liked that quote (a bit morbid perhaps) and I thought it fit into this discussion quite well. No matter how well I dress up posts with pictures or colorful quotes though, I'll never attain a mastery of forum postage like my mentor Rasalom possessed.

Quoting Stalin in a Wesnoth Forum. Who would have thought...?

How fitting... this comment coming from someone whose user name is that of the most famous and illustrious of Soviet Generals? Heh.

I like that attitude though; if something really bothered you that much you'd do something about it...

If you would like to see enhanced and lengthier animations, I recommend following these links.
http://www.wesnoth.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9162
http://www.wesnoth.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2014

Personally though, what bothers me is the lack of a vampire bat death animation...

And a note on the toggle idea. Seems to me this is also a reoccuring theme around here. Let's have a feature but put a toggle on it so everyone has a choice...

With few exceptions, such as the idea to assist color 'blind' individuals, I'm thinking an idea is either going to make it into the game or it's simply not. To have so many customizeable features might be interesting, but seriously for the effort that would be required into something that people would just turn off?

[romnajin]

With few exceptions, such as the idea to assist color 'blind' individuals, I'm thinking an idea is either going to make it into the game or it's simply not. To have so many customizeable features might be interesting, but seriously for the effort that would be required into something that people would just turn off?

Going by those standards, they wouldn't have "Accelerated Speed", which, obviously, doesn't turn of animations, but it does make them VERY difficult to see(it does, however, get rid of healing/leading animations).
So a toggle would be possible, some people don't need to wait for 15 minutes every time a unit dies. I, personally, would like it, but, as I said, there would be others that would.