Inky's Quest - The Cuttlefish Campaign

[homunculus]

are the giant clams and the squids necessarily on the same side?
the squids could be raiding, say, the bay of pearls.
and then use the clam shells as armor, as they do in real life.
if you don't have a good idea how the player should manage the almost immobile giant clams, this might remove the problem.
scenario like: harvest x giant clam shells from the boringly immobile giant clams.

atm the spare time that i spend drawing is spent on dead trees and treehouses that i started doing recently.
maybe i could try some geometry things for the giant clam, like guides (i get the impression that other people don't want to do this boring part), if someone else feels like doing the shading?

i did the glossy lips more like a joke as you probably could guess.
maybe the lips version would be better suited for this more humorous campaign, but there are other campaigns featuring bay of pearls where a more conventional (and more boring) clam might be more fitting.
so, i think shell and the edge of the shell might be better kept as much replaceable as possible if the lips version is preferred here at all.

anyway, i don't think it is a good idea to force yourself to discuss the appearances and lineups and things if it feels like an effort rather than entertainment.
a break might be better in that case, and continuing when you do want to develop those things further.
you know, people being involved, and having opinions and ideas, etc, might work better if it feels more like having some fun.

[Telchin]

i did the glossy lips more like a joke as you probably could guess.

Well, I intend to refer to the clam character as female, so I figured those lips are supposed to denote feminity .

a break might be better in that case, and continuing when you do want to develop those things further.

Well, I don't know when I'll have a break, as I study law and that isn't a easy as I expected . I'd like to make the clam scenario as soon as possible because adding a new scenario and a new recruitable unit might change campaign's balance (I expect it to make the campaign easier, so it probably won't be a problem.)

[Telchin]

Breaking news! Version 0.4.1 was released, bringing some huge changes:

• New scenario (A Mussel in Distress) between "A Water Struggle" and "Inky Goes Fishing".
• Giant Clam avaible since "Inky Goes Fishing" including one loyal (if you lose her, you lose all Giant Clams).

These changes should make "Inky Goes Fishing" much easier, thus leaving "Old Lich and Sea" as only hard scenario in the campaign.
EDIT: Thanks to homunculus for the Giant Clam sprite and to Maiklas3000 for ideas of the Giant Clam character.

[Mountain_King]

Oh, I just realized I never wrote back about that unfinished "sea head" sprite. Yes it's from the vendeeni in Galactic Empires, but it was originally planned to be the "head" for the tentacles of the deep.

And also, I'm playing through the campaign (about half done), and I'm truly enjoying it thus far. Have a great day.

Best Regards,
Mountain_King

[Telchin]

Once again I haven't done anything new in two weeks. That said I looking forward for responses to the new scenario (A Mussel in Distress) before doing any new changes. Do you like the gianta clams and the sharks? I have some ideas for more fish if there is interest.

Spoiler:

• Lamprey - drains in melee
• Anglerfish - magic in melee and/or distract (from TRoW)
• Electric fish - magic and/or stun (from DW and UtBS) in ranged
• Some posionous fish - stonefish? pterois? scorpaena?

However, I am considering adding another scenario between "The Haunted Ford" and "Old Lich and Sea", but I want some opinions about this idea first.
Reasons to add a new scenario:

• More time to level up Magic Tentacles before "Old Lich and Sea".
• Ravyan simply telling what his weakness is for no reason is stupid. A new scenario might provide some more sensible way for the molluscks to get to know where the source of his invulnerability is.
• A place to use aforementioned fish ideas if there is interest from your side.

Reasons against adding a new scenario:

• I have no idea who could tell the cephalopodes about the Onyx Egg or what such a new sceanario could be about.
• My general lazyness and lack of time

Well, you can't help me with the latter, vbut you can help me with the former. I'm looking forward to reading your ideas.

[stegyre]

Although I've not yet completed it, I've been enjoying this campaign. (I have a tendency to restart the whole campaign when I lose a valued loyal unit.) I've made it up to Old Liche . . . twice now. My experience is on the Kraken (highest) level of play. (Playing BfW 1.8.5 & .6.)

Once again I haven't done anything new in two weeks. That said I looking forward for responses to the new scenario (A Mussel in Distress) before doing any new changes. Do you like the gianta clams and the sharks? I have some ideas for more fish if there is interest.

Spoiler:

• Lamprey - drains in melee
• Anglerfish - magic in melee and/or distract (from TRoW)
• Electric fish - magic and/or stun (from DW and UtBS) in ranged
• Some posionous fish - stonefish? pterois? scorpaena?

Those sound like fun ideas. I just wonder how they fit this scenario? As it is, the scenario is quite manageable. I tend to enter with a lot of gold and leave with even more. Typically, the merfolk or sharks are wiped out, and then the remaining leader is farmed for experience. I think it's a reasonably-balanced, second-scenario build opportunity. (Analagous to Isle of Alduin in HTTT.)

However, I am considering adding another scenario between "The Haunted Ford" and "Old Lich and Sea", but I want some opinions about this idea first.
Reasons to add a new scenario:

• More time to level up Magic Tentacles before "Old Lich and Sea".

Leveling the magic tentacles has not been a problem for me, although this is a focus in the Haunted Ford. (And may I just say how much I love the respawning undead, as well as the fact that most of them start submerged. What fun surprises! If I ever get around to designing my own campaign, all non-player undead will respawn like that by default.)

[*]Ravyan simply telling what his weakness is for no reason is stupid. A new scenario might provide some more sensible way for the molluscks to get to know where the source of his invulnerability is.

Ravyan's stupid dialog is quite strained. Why not put this information into the mouth of Old Sea Head: he has learned it over the countless ages of his life, or perhaps he divined it using his new tentacly-magic abilities. Then the Liche may respond (after OSH's new speech) with something like, "Oh no! They have divined my secret weakness. Get me more undead defenders."

[*]A place to use aforementioned fish ideas if there is interest from your side. [/list]

My suggestion for the new fish ideas would be to scatter one or two instances of them throughout the scenarios, giving them the "guard" status (or whatever it's called - my WML is weak), so they only move to attack a unit, any unit, that gets within range.

Not sure how much you're still checking in, after three months. But at least the compliments were warranted.

[Telchin]

Not sure how much you're still checking in, after three months.

Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about this campaign, I just didn't have anything new to post. I didn't have much time for Wesnoth lately because of school exams, but maybe I will try something during summer vacations. Or I will wait until new stable version is released and then I will upgrade the campaing to it.

[Telchin]

New version is on the 1.8 add-on server (probably last update for 1.8. branch)! So if you still have 1.8. version and liked this campaign, try it out. What's new:

• New scenario "The Divining Pool" added between "The Haunted Ford" and "Old Lich and Sea".
• New custom fish units. They appear as enemies in that new scenario and have horrible graphics.
• Ravyan should appear less stupid (still pretty stupid though).

Addition of a new scenario should make "Old Lich and Sea" easier (that or I got better at playing as I managed to beat "Old Lich and Sea" with no loses without save/loading for the first time ). Tell me if there are any bugs or if you have anything to else to say about this campaign.

[stegyre]

I'll have to try out the updated version. (I have now finished the previous version.)

A word on difficulty: I'm playing at hardest difficulty, and the only real challenge I have is making sure that I keep all loyal units alive. In my complete play through, I lost one loyal triple tentacle in the second-to-last scenario, but only because I was being sloppy and thought I was at the end. Things definitely don't need to be made any "easier."

In fact, I would suggest lowering starting gold. I find I'm usually rolling in it. I think that the received wisdom is that the player should almost always have less gold than the AI. Especially in later scenarios, the AI must recruit high-level units at full cost, while the player is recalling 2nd and 3rd level units for a mere 20. Plus, the player is (or should be) playing smarter than the AI. (At least until such time as they program Deep Blue for BfW.)

[Telchin]

@stegyre: I'm rather bad player (I play mainline campaigns on the easiest difficulty and with save-loading and even then I didn't get far in Northern Rebirth and SotBE ), so I wanted my campaign to be easy enough for me to finish. I marked it as intermediate because it uses lots of custom units and weird surprises (e.g. changing terrain), not because of difficulty. I might change gold on hard, but I'm not sure about easy and moderate difficulty. What amount of gold do you suggest?

@ everybody: I'd like to note that I might be without Internet connection in August because of house reconstruction , so I might not respond to your suggestions. Keep posting, I will get to it, but it might take time.

Finall, some random thoughts:

• The Anglerfish (version 0.5.0) should have the Distract ability from TRoW, but I think it doesn't work. The ability is not necessary (it already has magic attack in melee), I just thought it fits anglerfish's luring of prey.
• What do you think of giving Ravyan the "dim" trait (and perhaps Eternal Slave the "inteligent" trait)? It wouldn't affect gameplay (they cannot advance further), it would just emphasize their characters.

[stegyre]

(I play mainline campaigns on the easiest difficulty and with save-loading and even then I didn't get far in Northern Rebirth and SotBE )

I laughed. I've yet to succeed in the second scenario of NR and have never won even the first scenario of SotBE. (A disaffection for Northerners means that I seldom attempt SotBE, except when one of my sons insists.)

[Giraffemonster]

@stegyre: I'm rather bad player (I play mainline campaigns on the easiest difficulty and with save-loading and even then I didn't get far in Northern Rebirth and SotBE ), so I wanted my campaign to be easy enough for me to finish. I marked it as intermediate because it uses lots of custom units and weird surprises (e.g. changing terrain), not because of difficulty. I might change gold on hard, but I'm not sure about easy and moderate difficulty. What amount of gold do you suggest?

@ everybody: I'd like to note that I might be without Internet connection in August because of house reconstruction , so I might not respond to your suggestions. Keep posting, I will get to it, but it might take time.

Finall, some random thoughts:

• The Anglerfish (version 0.5.0) should have the Distract ability from TRoW, but I think it doesn't work. The ability is not necessary (it already has magic attack in melee), I just thought it fits anglerfish's luring of prey.
• What do you think of giving Ravyan the "dim" trait (and perhaps Eternal Slave the "inteligent" trait)? It wouldn't affect gameplay (they cannot advance further), it would just emphasize their characters.

Just to be clear, I haven't tried out this campaign yet, as I run 1.9.7. I'm also not too experienced in WML.

I think that you should rate your campaign as a "Beginner" one, instead of Intermediate if you want it to be easy. I don't think weird surprises should be that big of an issue. You can always make these "surprises" less invasive on easier difficulties. For example, with the changing terrains, you could use "ifdef/ifndef" to make it so that the easiest difficulty doesn't have as much terrain changed.

Furthermore, you could also do what some Expert campaigns do, adding in a forth difficulty, but that shouldn't be too big of an issue.

Another suggestion would be to sort of take the approach that "The South Guard" or "An Orcish Incursion" uses by giving tips on the easiest difficulty. You could also try a more subtle approach by hiding these tips in the dialogue, which can apply to all difficulties.

Not sure why, but I just think that this would be a good idea for a beginner campaign, despite it using new units and the like. Try what you like though.

[Telchin]

As mentioned above I might have some problems with Internet access, so sorry if I respond late.

@stegyre - with help of save/loading I got to the fourth scenario of NR, then it spawned about thirty ghouls and I left with frustration .

@Giraffemonster - well, UtBS lists its mechanics and surprises as reason why it's not for beginners in its first scenario and my campaign even uses at least one mechanic from UtBS. I'm not opposed to making a beginner campaign, but I would expect a beginner campaign to use some sensble faction (elves in AOI, Loyalists in TSG) rather than cuttlefish (for example, most default units are faster on land than in water, but the opposite is true for the cuttlefish).

@everybody who has played the updated version: I'm considering changing the objectives in "The Divining Pool" so you have to kill Eternal Slave in addition to reaching the Divining Pool, because I figure most players will try to do it anyways. I'm also considering changing starting gold in later scenarios (5-8) as suggested above (probably only a little bit). I'd like to have some responses first though.

[Telchin]

I have birthsday today and I have a gift for you - new version (0.6.0)! The differencies from 0.5.0 are rather small though:

• Killing Eternal Slave in The Divining Pool is mandatory now.
• Starting gold increased for the AI and decreased for the player in scenarios 5-8. The change is rather small and the campaign should be still easy.
• Ravyan has the "dim" trait

I have some additional ideas, but they aren't going to be implemented any time soon (probably not until next stable version of BfW), because of lack of skill and time on my part, so I'd like to know your opinions (as always):

• Changing names of Mystical and Eldritch Tentacles. Words "mystical" and "eldritch" imply arcane damage, but the units do impact damage.
• Inky (but not generic Cuttlefish) might be upgradable to unique level 4 (probably only if you upgrade him to Kraken), because it's easy to get him to the third level halfway into the campaign thanks to the "intelligent" trait. Is it worth the effort? Also, how to implement it?
• I'm considering translating my campaign. I know there is something on the wiki, but it seems focused on mainline rather than on add-ons. I'd like to translate it to Czech myself and give some guidelines to potentional translators.

[Telchin]

I was absent for a while and meanwhile Wesnoth unit tree got a face-lift. Great! The new layout is even better than the previous one. However, cuttlefish's defence on swamp has apparently decreased in new version. Fortunately my campaign doesn't use swamp that much. I might need some help for updating the campaign for nest stable release, as some WML has changed ("removeitem" becomes "remove_item", for example). Does anybody have a list of changes?

Speaking of changes and updates, I present new version - 0.7.0:

• The campaign was rebranded as begginer level as Giraffemonster suggested. This doesn't affect gameplay, however, the easy difficulty now adds some hints for novice players. I'd like some feedback on these hints. Are they helpful? Should there be more of them? Are they insulting your inteligence? Can you write a better one?
• The sprite for the young cuttlefish was made smaller and sprites for level 3 units bigger. However, the mainline cuttlefish sprite is so big, that by making them bigger they have outgrown the standard 72*72 size. They display corectly on the map and in the help, but nort in the unit status bar on the left. Has anybody an idea how to solve this problem or should I return to simple recolors of the original sprite without resizing?
• The Megalodon unit is level 2. If it was level 1 in previous versions, it was a typo on my part.

You may post feedback on both changes in this versions and my ideas in the previous post (like renaming the Mystic tentacle etc.).