Birth of a Lich: SP Campaign Feedback and Reviews

Discussion and development of scenarios and campaigns for the game.

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chak_abhi
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Joined: June 24th, 2010, 3:37 pm

Re: Birth of a Lich: SP Campaign Feedback and Reviews

Post by chak_abhi »

Thanks for the feedback, I really enjoyed the last bits of your post! :D
Spoiler:
I think I should add a note from scenario 9 ("A New Beginning") onwards emphasising recruitment of more dark adepts & skeletons and less ghosts. This will balance things a bit in "Troll Trouble".

Thank you once again for the detailed feedback. Please replay the last 2 scenarios (sorry for the inconvenience caused :( ). Enjoy playing "Birth of a Lich"
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marecki
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Location: Poland

Re: Birth of a Lich: SP Campaign Feedback and Reviews

Post by marecki »

chak_abhi wrote:I think I should add a note from scenario 9 ("A New Beginning") onwards emphasising recruitment of more dark adepts & skeletons and less ghosts. This will balance things a bit in "Troll Trouble".
Yes, I was in fact going to suggest something like that, it would be really helpful - I small hint earlier in the campaign, that Malifor should try and diversify his undead minions. :D
chak_abhi wrote: sorry for the inconvenience caused
Eh, that's quite alright, I like a challenge. I just need a short break to simmer down after this "injustice" and then I'm going to win Nishumbha with only level 1 skeletons and walking dead. You'll see. 8)

As for poor Malifor's soul, I still don't get why "dark arts" should corrupt a person just like that. It's essentially a tool, a means to an end (for example, how is necromancy worse than burning someone to a crisp with a fireball?). What I mean is, as long as a person has control of his actions, it should not matter who or what he is, human, undead, tooth fairy, or tax collector. :wink: Our actions matter.
But then again, I was never that much into Wesnoth lore. Note that in D&D, becoming a lich isn't necessarily a corrupting experience (there are in fact "good" liches, like elven baelnorns), it's just most magicians who decide to undergo the process had been villains before.
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Kanzil
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Joined: June 14th, 2012, 4:09 pm

Re: Birth of a Lich: SP Campaign Feedback and Reviews

Post by Kanzil »

Glad you took my suggestion to add more levels(though it took me four hours to get through the last 3 :( ). I'm working backwards, finding errors in the dialogue and the story, which I'll report here :) .
High over valleys in the red levelling rays -
In din of crowded streets, going among the years, the faces,
May I still meet my memory in so lonely a place
Between the streams and the red clouds, hearing the curlews, Hearing the horizons endure.
chak_abhi
Posts: 347
Joined: June 24th, 2010, 3:37 pm

Re: Birth of a Lich: SP Campaign Feedback and Reviews

Post by chak_abhi »

marecki wrote: As for poor Malifor's soul, I still don't get why "dark arts" should corrupt a person just like that. It's essentially a tool, a means to an end (for example, how is necromancy worse than burning someone to a crisp with a fireball?). What I mean is, as long as a person has control of his actions, it should not matter who or what he is, human, undead, tooth fairy, or tax collector. :wink: Our actions matter.
But then again, I was never that much into Wesnoth lore. Note that in D&D, becoming a lich isn't necessarily a corrupting experience (there are in fact "good" liches, like elven baelnorns), it's just most magicians who decide to undergo the process had been villains before.
I do not claim to understand the finer points myself, but one thing I can tell for sure that as long as a person can keep his ability of thinking & reasoning intact he/she can differentiate between what is right & what is wrong. But there exists some forms of knowledge or ideas or thoughts which if forced into ones brain can truly run havoc within. This infact is the basis of brainwashing. Similarly necromancy is a distorted form of art, where one learns to act in a most perverted way (like disturbing the dead souls who are resting in peace in order to achieve minor gains). So it is like brainwashing yourself, and refusing to open up your eyes to the possible dangers that arise from such irrational acts. However as long as one can keep the obsession under control he/she can use necromancy even in a manner that serves the greater good and can draw the limits. But care must be taken so that the necromancer him/herself does not fall prey to the obsession. In that case the dark arts become a compulsion, and guides the person in such a way that their life & soul is directed by dark magic only & nothing else. Most necromancers are evil from the very beginning, but the few who try to use necromancy for the benefit of the society or community run the risk of being corrupted and destroyed by the dark arts. To prevent this the mage should have a thorough knowledge of necromancy, which Malifor lacked. For this reason he couldn't protect his soul from sinking into the pits of darkness. This is just a theory. Mal Keshar could control his magic more efficiently, so he did not become a mindless killer. But most of the liches aren't like that, and do not care whom they attack.
Kanzil wrote:Glad you took my suggestion to add more levels(though it took me four hours to get through the last 3 :( ). I'm working backwards, finding errors in the dialogue and the story, which I'll report here :) .
Thanks for giving so much time to this campaign. Your criticisms/suggestions are most welcome. Enjoy playing "Birth of a Lich". :)
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Kanzil
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Re: Birth of a Lich: SP Campaign Feedback and Reviews

Post by Kanzil »

Nishumbha the terrible:
Now he whad lost
should be "Now he had lost".
Whats more
should be "What's more"
in the hands of the dragon
should be "at the hands of the dragon".
do after months of trying, was produce
should be "do, after months of trying, was produce".
the fear
should be "fear"(no "the" required)
The orcish aggression needed to be eradicated for once
doesn't really make sense-perhaps replace aggression with menace?
Moreover not
should be "Moreover, not".
right hand person
it's normally right hand man, though it doesn't matter too much.
camped at
you can't really camp in a castle-perhaps "made his abode" or "established his headquarters". Should be "in" not "at".
slayed
should be "slain".
must be
probably should be "had to be" rather than "must be".
the place from where
should be "a place from where".
Oh, its nice to see the green world after such a long time! Feels really great! And for the current adversaries, ughh!
should be "it's nice", "It feels really great" and " as for the current".
This won't be easy. Just look at the size of their army, its huge!
Same. Should be "it's". It's is "it is", "its" is possessive.
Matters little. We have cut through stronger hordes of orcs in the past. But the dwarves haven't turned up; this will somewhat complicate matters.
should be "It matters little." and "that will complicate".
suffer the same fate like the orcs
should be " suffer the fate of the the orcs".
Just see, those puny midgets haven't even found out a strong leader to lead them!
should be " found a strong leader" not "found out a strong leader".
Now, the great Khazg Black Tusk will face our wrath soon!
should be "Now the great Khazg Black Tusk will face our wrath!"
Most of these are small mistakes, and despite them all, the dialogue and story is very strong :D .
High over valleys in the red levelling rays -
In din of crowded streets, going among the years, the faces,
May I still meet my memory in so lonely a place
Between the streams and the red clouds, hearing the curlews, Hearing the horizons endure.
chak_abhi
Posts: 347
Joined: June 24th, 2010, 3:37 pm

Re: Birth of a Lich: SP Campaign Feedback and Reviews

Post by chak_abhi »

Thanks for the meticulous review of the scenario "Nishumbha the Terrible". I am really humbled by the tremendous effort which you have given in order to correct the minor errors.
I will soon make the necessary changes, except the one mentioning "right hand person". I have deliberately stopped short of writing it as "right hand man", because the concerned character wasn't a human! "Right hand orc" doesn't sound that good!

Thanks again. I will be grateful if you can review the other scenarios too. :)
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Kanzil
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Re: Birth of a Lich: SP Campaign Feedback and Reviews

Post by Kanzil »

because the concerned character wasn't a human!
Oops... :oops: . Glad you found it useful :D .
High over valleys in the red levelling rays -
In din of crowded streets, going among the years, the faces,
May I still meet my memory in so lonely a place
Between the streams and the red clouds, hearing the curlews, Hearing the horizons endure.
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Flameslash
Posts: 633
Joined: December 21st, 2008, 12:29 pm

Re: Birth of a Lich: SP Campaign Feedback and Reviews

Post by Flameslash »

The first level was kind of dull, just swarming across a bridge and struggling to get into a spot where you can fight. The second level, however, was far better once you got the undead. It gave you a good variety of units and more movement options.
chak_abhi
Posts: 347
Joined: June 24th, 2010, 3:37 pm

Re: Birth of a Lich: SP Campaign Feedback and Reviews

Post by chak_abhi »

Oh yes, the 1st scenario is a bit dull, but its purpose is to enable you to level up Malifor to L2, which will be very useful in the next scenario. I usually prefer to keep the 1st scenario on the easy side, giving the opportunity to level up some units before jumping into the main arena.
Hope you will enjoy the next scenarios!
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Flameslash
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Re: Birth of a Lich: SP Campaign Feedback and Reviews

Post by Flameslash »

Thanks. I did indeed level up Malifor and also a Peasent into a Spearman. I also got one of each lv2 Ghost, a Bandit, a Trapper and a Boneshooter in the next scenario.
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marecki
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Location: Poland

Re: Birth of a Lich: SP Campaign Feedback and Reviews

Post by marecki »

I finally sat down to "Nishumbha the Terrible" and finished it on first attempt, (almost) exclusively with lvl1 skeletons, ghouls (poison proved essential) and some zombie fodder. By the end I had tons of revenants and bone shooters. The scenario looks more difficult than it is, especially after the Knalgans show up and crush the orcs' east flank. In my game, more than 3/4 of their recruits had been poachers, so it was pretty much a massacre (even leveled to trappers, they can't really hurt skeletons). The priests should probably recruit more impact units.
I wanted to post a replay, but it shows errors, ironically, because of my only recall - the non-mainline ghast...
Had I known this was the last scenario, I wouldn't have bitched about the previous one so much. :D
Anyway, cgreat job on this one and, as always, I'm waiting for your next campaign.
chak_abhi
Posts: 347
Joined: June 24th, 2010, 3:37 pm

Re: Birth of a Lich: SP Campaign Feedback and Reviews

Post by chak_abhi »

I had considered making the knalgans recruit more impact units, especially dwarvish fighters, but on play testing I found it to be quite difficult. Given the chance the ai always prefers dwarves over humans when it comes to recruiting fighters, and they can make your life a hell on the mountains (due to their high defence and splendid resistance to all forms of attacks). So I backed out and allowed them to proceed normally. (I must add that as I am not a good player myself I try to keep the game play to the easy side as far as possible!)
I feel good that you had liked the campaign. As for now I don't have any plan to write another campaign due to lack of time, rather I will try to make some modifications to my existing projects. You can try them out, you may like them.
Thanks for playing "Birth of a Lich". :)
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Flameslash
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Joined: December 21st, 2008, 12:29 pm

Re: Birth of a Lich: SP Campaign Feedback and Reviews

Post by Flameslash »

I restarted it and got to the seventh scenario. The talk ones are fine. I enjoyed fighting some different enemies for a while in the swamp level, but didn't know I would lose the ability to recruit Outlaws afterwards. That left me with two, but getting Dwarves made that cease to matter.
chak_abhi
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Joined: June 24th, 2010, 3:37 pm

Re: Birth of a Lich: SP Campaign Feedback and Reviews

Post by chak_abhi »

In this campaign managing the recruits & recall list is very important. None of the available unit lineages should be neglected (especially dark adepts). Ignoring any of them can make your going difficult later in the campaign. However there is no need of taking stress; after all these games are meant to relieve stress, not increasing it! :lol2:
Enjoy playing the campaign!
jdr90000
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Joined: December 19th, 2010, 7:09 pm

Re: Birth of a Lich: SP Campaign Feedback and Reviews

Post by jdr90000 »

I'm playing on 1.11.0 and in Last Stand, unless I am experiencing the truly all-time string of bad luck, the Orcish Sovereign Zorlan appears to be impossible to hit. Is anyone else having this issue?
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