Scenario Review: DiD 2 - Peaceful Valley

Feedback for the mainline campaign Descent into Darkness.

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Britannicus
Posts: 57
Joined: June 25th, 2017, 8:04 pm

Re: Scenario Review: DiD 2 - Peaceful Valley

Post by Britannicus »

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

Challenging, Version 1.12.6

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

Ranging between 4 and 8, depending on the goblin spawns. It's a scenario with a big luck component, which is of course not necessarily a bad thing.

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

Perfectly clear, I just forgot halfway through and was confused after killing the enemy leader.

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

Quite nice, the way in which Darken tempts Malin and pushes him towards the darkness is pretty well written.

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

Finding the right balance between grabbing villages and keeping my troops together. Also, keeping in mind that Lvl 0 units do not have a ZoC.

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

8. Like the first one, it's a very unusual challenge.

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

I feel the map might be more interesting if there was a bridge or ford across the river, so it would be easier to open a second front.

(8) Was there any event that caused you to lose the game and forced you to reload or restart the scenario?

Putting Malin and Darken in situations where they were too exposed, causing the enemy leader to rush out and kill him.
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Konrad2
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Re: Scenario Review: DiD 2 - Peaceful Valley

Post by Konrad2 »

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

Challenging, Version 1.14.1

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

5, goblins can hit walking corpses quite hard. Stacking numbers is as always key. ^^

(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?

I like it, it's believable and plays well to Malins desires and weaknesses.

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

Finding the right balance between going zombie apocalypse and overextending. One of them crushes the enemy, the other one makes your army disappear in a matter of one or two turns.

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

8. It's unique.

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

Some goblin reincorcements from an unexpected angle would spice it even more up. Probably. But best leave it as it is, I guess.

(8) Was there any event that caused you to lose the game and forced you to reload or restart the scenario?

Overextending (see (5)).
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LordWolfDan
Posts: 216
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Re: Scenario Review: DiD 2 - Peaceful Valley

Post by LordWolfDan »

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

- 1.14.5, Normal

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

- 5

(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, shows you how to train your undead soldiers and bats

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

- Trying to have as less causalites as possible

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

- 5

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

- Maybe if the goblin leader hides in one of these villages

(8) Was there any event that caused you to lose the game and forced you to reload or restart the scenario?

- None
LienRag
Posts: 127
Joined: September 24th, 2018, 4:03 pm

Re: Scenario Review: DiD 2 - Peaceful Valley

Post by LienRag »

My take on the scenario (played on Wesnoth 1.12, default on Mint 19, medium difficulty) is that one doesn't have enough money to send massive amounts of Zombies, which would be more interesting (at least more original) amha than having to micromanage the Ghouls (micro-managing a few powerful units is what most scenarios of the game is already about).
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Pentarctagon
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Re: Scenario Review: DiD 2 - Peaceful Valley

Post by Pentarctagon »

LienRag wrote: December 13th, 2018, 4:41 pm played on Wesnoth 1.12, default on Mint 19
There are a couple 1.14 PPAs as well as a flatpak available for 1.14, if you'd rather not wait for Ubuntu to package it.
99 little bugs in the code, 99 little bugs
take one down, patch it around
-2,147,483,648 little bugs in the code
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ElvishMystical0
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Joined: September 19th, 2018, 12:15 am

Re: Scenario Review: DiD 2 - Peaceful Valley

Post by ElvishMystical0 »

Content Feedback wrote: March 11th, 2008, 8:22 pm (1) What difficulty level and version of Wesnoth have you played the scenario on?
Versions 1.10, 1.12 and 1.14 Medium and hard.
(2) How difficult did you find the scenario? (1-10)
This is a 5. It's not that difficult by any means, but it's also not a given that you win.
(3) How clear did you find the scenario objectives?
Fairly clear, or so I thought. I was a bit non-plussed when I zombified the Goblin Pillager and nothing happened. It's really all about the villages and Goblins.
(4) How clear and interesting did you find the dialog and storyline of the scenario?
It was okay.
(5) What were your major challenges in meeting the objectives of the scenario?
My issues could all be summed up by one word - positioning. The Goblins aren't great threats to the Undead but you have to be careful not to spread yourself out too thinly and also get the vampire bat, WCs and Ghouls in the right place.
(6) How fun do you think the scenario is? (1-10)
I give this a 9-10. You have all the makings of a complete horror movie in a single scenario - bats, ghouls emerging from swamps, goblins with sharp pointy things who seem most upset and then you have zombies everywhere. Oh and not forgetting the wolves (or is that werewolves?).
(7) What, if any, are changes you would have made to the scenario to make it more fun?
I thought it was amusing enough as is.
(8) Was there any event that caused you to lose the game and forced you to reload or restart the scenario?
Yes I got too much into increasing the zombie population and ran out of time with capturing villages.
Mawmoocn
Posts: 154
Joined: March 16th, 2019, 3:54 pm

Re: Scenario Review: DiD 2 - Peaceful Valley

Post by Mawmoocn »

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

1.12.6, Hard, Bat and loyal units only gameplay

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

8

(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?

I just realized that their leader is a goblin... it was riding a wolf that’s why I didn’t realize the difference.

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

Assassinating their leader and using bats.

(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?

Dunno maybe talking to them? Malin killing goblins doesn’t make sense since even if they’re "made from orcs", Malin should’ve question their existence inside orcish camps. Following orders from your teacher to kill something should’ve made Malin confused on why would his teacher share hatred against the orcs.

It feels like Malin is seeking blood from enemies and having a reason to kill orcs is just an excuse to kill orcs... Otherwise why would he be heartless even if he knew that his sister was alive? (if you managed to do it without walking corpses)

(8) Was there any event that caused you to lose the game and forced you to reload or restart the scenario?

Assassination of their leader is quite important, if you avoided going to the the swamp to summon ghouls, which helps a lot. Otherwise I’ll be overrun with units and be killed.

I tried avoiding any loss of units. This proved futile since Vampire Bats have low hit points and this relies mostly relies on luck.
Mawmoocn
Posts: 154
Joined: March 16th, 2019, 3:54 pm

Re: Scenario Review: DiD 2 - Peaceful Valley

Post by Mawmoocn »

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

1.14.8 (1.14.7), Hard, Bats and loyal units

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

7

(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?

No comment

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

Minimizing bat losses, killing goblin leader.

(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?

No comment

(8) Was there any event that caused you to lose the game and forced you to reload or restart the scenario?

Maybe leveling bats efficiently but scrapped the idea, since bats easily die and killing goblin leader is hard without mages luck...


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Konrad2
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Re: Scenario Review: DiD 2 - Peaceful Valley

Post by Konrad2 »

(1) What difficulty levels have you played the scenario on?

1.15.6, Summoner (Challenging)

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

2, it's just a couple of goblins.

(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?

Clear and quite dark.

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

None.

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

6, new shiny units. And a cage.

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

-

Scenario stats:
Spoiler:
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mal_shubertal
Posts: 93
Joined: December 1st, 2018, 6:58 pm

Re: Scenario Review: DiD 2 - Peaceful Valley

Post by mal_shubertal »

(1) What difficulty level and version of Wesnoth have you played the scenario on?
1.16.6 Summoner (Challenging)
(2) How difficult did you find the scenario? (1-10)
5. goblins hit harder than you expect!
(3) How clear did you find the scenario objectives?
very.
(4) How clear and interesting did you find the dialog and storyline of the scenario?
I like Malin and Darken Volk's conversation about the ghouls, as well as their conversation about killing goblins. It nicely fits into the theme of this campaign, Malin slowly turning evil by small steps. The player can see how Darken is manipulating Malin by using his hatred of orcs to justify an escalating series of atrocities. I also like the goblin dialogue showing how terrified they are, and Malin's moment of hesitation before killing them.
(5) What were your major challenges in meeting the objectives of the scenario?
Managing my zombie horde correctly, not getting them killed too quickly, and not triggering too many villages all at once then getting overrun by goblins.
(6) How fun do you think the scenario is? (1-10)
7. I like the very thematic 'night of the living dead' quality to this scenario, even shown in the name, where these goblins are just minding their own business and then a zombie horde and a bunch of swamp abominations swarm over them out of nowhere. The very limited unit list makes the player really maximize the effect of poison and plague abilities.
(7) What, if any, are changes you would have made to the scenario to make it more fun?
The key and cage items on the map are interesting, but the cage just spawns more zombies, and it's so far south through difficult terrain that there isn't much point in taking Malin away from the fight for several turns to trigger it. I think moving the cage somewhere closer to the enemy keep would be better, to encourage some kind of rush strategy as an alternative to the slow and steady zombie advance.
(8) Was there any event that caused you to lose the game and forced you to reload or restart the scenario?
Putting Malin to far out of position, like triggering the cage and then realizing that was a waste of time. Recruiting too many bats and then realizing it's more effective to just recruit a zombie horde instead.
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JL42
Posts: 66
Joined: December 9th, 2023, 11:19 am

Re: Scenario Review: DiD 2 - Peaceful Valley

Post by JL42 »

What difficulty levels and game versions have you played the scenario on?
v. 1.16.10
Summoner / Challenging
How difficult did you find the scenario? (1-10)
3
How clear did you find the scenario objectives?
Mostly clear. The victory condition of taking every village is clearly stated in the "objectives" screen, but it's kind of non-standard, and I actually missed that and was confused when I killed the enemy leader and the scenario didn't end. I figured it out quickly, but it might help to indicate it in the opening dialogue – like "we should investigate every village before moving on," or something along those lines.
How clear and interesting did you find the dialog and storyline of the scenario?
Clear and interesting. It's a simple scenario that moves the story along and expands Malin's repertoire, but enjoyable for that purpose and the writing carries it well. The young lad seems not very bright here in the way he latches onto Darken, but of course that is the point.

One minor issue I noticed: Darken explains that ghouls who "outlive their masters" gravitate toward swamps, which logically suggests the reason we're visiting the swamp is to look for some of those pre-existing, escaped ghouls. But then shortly after that he says, "I have transformed them ..." which seems to indicate that he created the ghouls himself. Seems like a small contradiction. Could just change to, "They were transformed ...."
What were your major challenges in meeting the objectives of the scenario?
Not really any significant challenges, other than being surprised the first time a goblin jumped out of a village.
How fun do you think the scenario is? (1-10)
6
What, if any, are changes you would have made to the scenario to make it more fun?
None.

---------------
About the Overall Campaign:

I was a bit conflicted about how to rate this campaign, because it has some elements that are just completely epically awesome, but other elements that are still glitchy and frustrating. The best parts are the overall story with its nuance and moral complexity, the final scenario concept, and the unique leveling system. A lot of the maps seem to have improved since the last time I played, with more interesting terrain and tactics and new "special objectives"; those changes seem generally great. On the downside though, the implementation of the leveling system has some confusing and frustrating aspects, some of the writing is not up to the story's overall standards, and there are numerous minor glitches, poorly placed objectives, confusing descriptions and events, confusing map clutter, etc. To avoid repetition I'll put the details of leveling issues etc. into the last scenario thread. Overall I'm going to give the campaign 5 out of 5 stars, because I think its awesomeness outweighs the lingering problems. But, it could definitely still benefit from patching up in places.
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