Flight to Freedom (drake campaign)

[MadMax]

Nova: All of the patches up to this point are incorporated in the version on campaigns.wesnoth.org:15004 , although I haven't officially changed the version number (although I probably should to alert people of the bugfixes).

I would have no problem with FtF going into an official Wesnoth release, although I can't be depended on to make timely maintenance (because of real-world commitments).

[Jew unit]

On the level caravan I was in for a supprise. I was attacked by elves. I always thought that elves were a peaceful people opposed to slavery so i was suppirsed. I'm not saying its a bad thing the elves attacked you I'm just saying that you should know that they will....

[MadMax]

On the level caravan I was in for a supprise. I was attacked by elves. I always thought that elves were a peaceful people opposed to slavery so i was suppirsed. I'm not saying its a bad thing the elves attacked you I'm just saying that you should know that they will....

The elves are defending the caravan. To this effect, I might put in some extra dialogue between Haloran (the elf leader) and Malakar.

[MadMax]

FtF 3.3 uploaded.

NPC AI should be fixed
naga, saurian animations are working, graphics from Marsh Era
two attack icons added, one by Xan, the other from the Extended Era
balancing changes to Manor, Underground, River of Skulls and Blockade
Rockfall fixed with RedLTeut's patch
other fixes and tweaks which I have forgotten about

[Warhangel]

Also updated on warhangel.ru
New URL is http://warhangel.ru/Wesnoth/Campaigns/F ... om_1_x.zip

[Warhangel]

I think, River of Skull needs some balance changes.
On Easy difficulty level I just try to run through the map, but Dwarfs kill me and nine my 3-level units on 37 turn.
I think, Drakes must be some faster in Caves - Malakar move only one hex per turn in Caves, so he needs about 40 turns just for run through the map...
Or, may be, less money for Dwarfs...

[zookeeper]

32 pages and no proper title, so I went and changed it. Please also update the first post with something relevant about the current status, since that's obviously what the newbie who doesn't know what this is about will look at.

[MadMax]

32 pages and no proper title, so I went and changed it. Please also update the first post with something relevant about the current status, since that's obviously what the newbie who doesn't know what this is about will look at.

Done.

Warhangel, how many dwarves did you face? If the problem is the size of the army, then I could reduce the money available to the dwarves. If the terrain is too restrictive, I can make the roads more complete.

Also, the copy on the svn campaign server has been updated.

[Warhangel]

Warhangel, how many dwarves did you face? If the problem is the size of the army, then I could reduce the money available to the dwarves. If the terrain is too restrictive, I can make the roads more complete.

I run to the center of the map and after this Dwarfs start attacking me from all direction. I kill VERY MANY of them, but one village (20,24) was not enough to heal all my units and Dwarfs fight VERY GOOD in caves, so they kill me. If road will be more faster, may be I burst through Dwarfs to the Lava River and defend there enough time to end the mission...

[hadrian11]

I too find this map to be extremely difficult on the easy setting. Running out of time on a 100 turn map is frustrating and made me want to stop playing this campaign. There are many things that made it so hard, but mostly the fact that so many of the passages were only one tile wide which made fighting through take many turns. This is compounded by the dwarven units' resistantances to many of the drake attacks and being in the caves also made the drake attacks weaker. Lack of healing points also made it hard because the drakes also have no units capable of healing. The worst is how slow Malakar moves. since apparently he is required at the very end to finish.

I would suggest:
Increasing Malakar's movement with some kind of item.
More roads so that 5 movement drakes aren't completely useless on this map.
Wider passages so that you don't spend so many turns slogging through a line of dwarfs that go beyond sight.
Move villages away from Dwarven generals because they will often run onto them which then makes killing them almost impossible without losing many high levelled units.
Take out the random instant death pit area.
Less money for dwarves to start or something that they have to fight through to get to you because being rushed by so many dwarves to start is extremely challenging.
Maybe give some kind of healing unit to Drakes, like finding a medallion that gives the heal ability in the storeroom.

[MadMax]

I'm working on the map, but it'll probably be a few days, since I've been fairly busy in real life.

[Warhangel]

Maybe give some kind of healing unit to Drakes, like finding a medallion that gives the heal ability in the storeroom.

Or, may be, add some Saurian healers to the army. For example, Saurian may fight with Dwarfs and may ask Drakes for help.

[MadMax]

Try this, which places more road along the correct path to the river, moves a village and opens up part of a one-hex-wide passage.

The problem with adding saurians is that they are already featured, later in the campaign (there are several extra Saurian units in the campaign for that purpose).

[Warhangel]

Try this, which places more road along the correct path to the river, moves a village and opens up part of a one-hex-wide passage.

The problem with adding saurians is that they are already featured, later in the campaign (there are several extra Saurian units in the campaign for that purpose).

Thanks!!!
I will test it soon...

[Nova]

Flight To Freedom
Dissident Level

All right, I'm back. My friends decided to focus on Enemy Territory, instead of Wesnoth, but I'd still like to see Flight to Freedom polished and included in the canon. In that spirit (remember, the spirit is I like this campaign and want to help), I offer my comments.

(Incidently, I'm playing at the Dissident level.)

OPENING CINEMATICS

Frankly, you’re going to lose people here. The paintbrushed question mark makes the campaign look amateur, right out of the gate. For the time you’ve put into this, you need to be able to hold their attention longer than the introduction. In fact, just taking the question mark out and showing some drakes standing around would be reasonable.

SURVIVAL – MISSION 1

Another group of people might quit after this one. Players don’t yet have a meaningful bond with the race or the characters, and getting swamped by unbeatable foes is extremely disheartening. I realize that’s probably your goal; but unlike the captured drakes, players can just walk away from a bad experience and never return. I’d suggest either making this a cutscene, or adding some goal that can be accomplished. For example, surviving 10 turns allows you to bury gold for a later mission. Maybe killing 25 units gives you a good idea of humans’ weaknesses and lets you start the next mission with fewer Slaves and more Workers. Something like that.

As is, it’s mostly frustrating. And slow. About half of the horsemen don’t want to cross the mountains and just ride uselessly back and forth. It’s dull to watch, especially when the ultimate outcome is blindingly obvious.

The next cutscene includes another paintbrushed image that needs reworking. I don’t know if that’s supposed to be lightning-blood, or what, but it needs replacing.

Is the boat voyage truly “many weeks?�

If it was the baron’s idea to kidnap drakes, they’d probably be “presented� as slaves, rather than “sold.� In fact, I’d like to see a complete script for the campaign, if I could. I’d be willing to fix a few “your� vs. “you’re� problems and clean things up a bit; with your blessing, of course.

REBELLION – MISSION 2

Shouldn’t the opening map be of Wesnoth, not Morgador?

I like this map – it’s easy and gets things going a little. It’s certainly different from the standard experience, and the killing of the hatchlings is shocking enough that it should be a required event, rather than a triggered one.

Visually, the map is far too open and empty. In the art forums, there was recently talk of incorporating farms as a new graphic. You might want to get in on that, add some variety. Speaking of graphics, perhaps you could replace the villages with wells or something. This takes place on one plantation, after all, and mini-towns seem out of place.

Can the horses be made to wander around?

THE MANOR - MISSION 3

In this map, I first started to get really irked by how Malakar looks the same as everyone else. Some kind of jaunty cap would make a big difference. I begin by dismissing a bajillion units – I will never pay that much to recall a level 0 hatchling. It’s annoying but unimportant.

The castle look takes some getting used to. I was bothered by the dirt walls until after the trapdoor, where I just stopped noticing. The first branch to the left was disappointing. I’d recommend putting a single spear there, or some kind of decoration. Even better would be a village slightly closer to the action. Healing would be nice – as is, there’s nothing for healing and my units tend to die in unlikely hits right before leveling up.

Why is the castle haunted? I’d certainly keep it to one ghost, rather than spawning a second. They’re darned hard to fight. The best match-up I can do is 4-4 (50%) vs. (6-3) (70%) Drains. With a 3-tile corridor, the fight is necessary and often brutally damaging. It’s a tough fight out of the gate, which is fine, but it always leaves me with my workers pretty beat up.

I’d really like to see new pictures for the rebel and the guerilla. After the spears are collected, I’d really like to see them both able to be recruited. Perhaps a box of spears in the corner could act as a keep, with 1 tile for hiring new units. This’d change the balance, certainly, but it’s an uphill battle for the drakes.

The sheer weight of units (from two teams?) that flood out of the northern corridor nearly wipes me out, every time. They’ll almost always go for the hatchlings, which is nice, but enemy first strike combined with absolutely no Drake ranged attack or defense is tough. There’s no way not to take a lot of damage, and there’s no way to heal.

New thought: can you manipulate the code for the Mage of Light to create lamps? Some tiles would have pools of light that make it like daytime. Then, make the northern corridor much, much longer. The result is that ghosts can be tricked into the light and destroyed, while pikemen in the light are a much bigger threat. If the corridor is longer, you can meet groups of 3 or 4 at a time, and actually work to get good positioning (in the dark, probably). You can keep the ghosts coming from the rear, this way, and make the map more visually and tactically interesting.

The guy who carries the “key:� is that coding workable for the guys who carry spears? Might save some artwork time, in the short-run.

It’d be nice if the trapdoor worked when you unlocked it, rather than forcing you to move off and then on again.

There’s a few grammar issues. Again, I’d be willing to help with that type of thing.

Why does Malakar care about money? This is his first real dialogue, and should be used to establish his character, his anger, as much as possible. Instead, we get a confusing demand for gold – not freedom.

CARAVAN – MISSION 4

As Jew Unit said, it’s perplexing that the elves mass out of the forest to attack the drakes. Some dialogue would help. It’s a darned large Elvin force, too, which is strange for an already-guarded human caravan.

I like the wolves, and wouldn’t mind seeing more of them show up nearer the caravan, or in the Elvin woods. They’re a good touch, but could certainly stand to be someone else’s problem, too.

Having trouble beating this one right now. On my closest attempt, a very lucky clasher took out almost all the wolves to level up. Sadly, with no ranged attack, he lasted 2 turns against the pack of elves. It made me sad. I’m going to have to try some new techniques. I will return.