[interface] Change "Defense" to "Evasion"

[Mawmoocn]

Summary of the Issue

TLDR: True attribute of X% defence is confusing when it’s actually X% evasion.


I. Preface

When I was a beginner that started playing Wesnoth, I encountered a problem, How do I defend units? I looked inside the game and thankfully, I saw what I was looking for, terrain affects defence. No problem, is what I thought.

So basically this is what happened...

Me: There’s no way, this elf won’t die, hah! I have 70% defence, NOTHING COULD KILL ME NOW!!!
[Turn 14] Level 1 Elvish Archer died.
Me: What happened? Defence glitched? oh well~ time to restart...
(Many games later...)
[Turn 7] Level 1 Elvish Archer died.
Me: NOOOOOOOO!!!! WHY DIDN’T70%DEFENCEWORK, THISGAMEISHORRIBLESS!!!
(Many gruelling restarts later...)
[Turn 16] Level 1 Elvish Archer died.
Me: ..?????

Change the word defence to evasion, and please, kindly read it again.

II. The Issue

Fundamentally speaking, it should be simple. Defence should defend something, even in a worse case scenario. In my optimistic arrogance, I thought cheerfully, I could do something to reduce damage, after all, most RPGs and fantasy games follow this rule.

Wrong!, I was fooled to think that, there are tanks (damage reducer) in this game. To be precise, few selected races or units, have resistance to use as a defence. In short, all races except for the select few, are wearing no armour that decreases damage, also known as glass cannon or paper leaf defence.

Now here’s the real problem. It took, months, before I learned what defence truly does, that was, evasion.

All hardships to improve on how I should play the game, would’ve been faster if, I knew what it truly does, which was to evade or dodge damage. This wasn’t expressively stated on the game’s manual, it was implied to do Defence X% which may explain nothing. Other documents and parts of the game, also don’t state this fact clearly.

Most RPGs and other games use evasion as a [MISSED] attribute and not [0 damage].
[0 damage] may mean that an attack was blocked or defence reduced the damage to [0], however, evading usually will show either a [MISSED] or nothing, but a sound indicating that you avoided the attack.
Technically, both of them, might completely nullify or reduce incoming damage, evasion however, if it fails, will allow damage to take effect without any damage reduction.

III. Suggestion

Why should you change the wording of defence to evasion/another chosen word?

It can make things clearer, simple and easier to comprehend.
Defence has many properties, that may include and not limited to elemental or physical resistance, block, parry, movement, prevention, reduction, delay, reflect, absorption, healing, terrain advantage, insurance, compensation, nullification, evasion and many more.
Defence can’t be a defence, without any hypothetical or visible effect. Current defence implementation can already be classified as an evading action, besides the the name of the action.

IV. Potential Challenges

Here are some potential setbacks:
Changing the word def (Defence) to eva (Evasion), dex (Dexterity), dog (???)(Dodge) or another chosen word to name a few. It can be hard to pick a correct word, and potentially impractical.
Translated versions of Wesnoth, will take time to implement any translation changes, and may potentially face localization issues on their own languages, that may or may not be present in the english version.
Things that refer defence and def, may need to be changed to corresponding pages, user interface, and, it may take more time to find, replace, create, remove, change texts that are linked to it.
Additional explanations about evasion, might be a necessity. It also may impede on what will be implemented.
The new chosen word may potentially cause confusion.
Official campaigns and UMC might be affected on dialogs and other features that may need to update manually, a lot of texts, references and features.

V. Closing remarks

If you have any questions to any points in this topic, I willing to elaborate.

Thank you for reading. Have a nice day~

[The_Gnat]

First of all I would like to say thank you for a very thorough and detailed post! It is well written and I believe outlines the key issues.

I have a few thoughts of my own which may or may not be helpful. (also please note that I started playing this game so long ago that I can't quite remember if I was confused by defence or not)

The main point of you post is entirely correct. Defence does not fully explain he mechanic of wesnoth and in fact applies reduction in damage.

However, the term defence is so deeply rooted I believe it will be hard to convince people to change it. In particular I will reference a thread that has gone on for about a year about how 'marksman' is a bad word to describe that special. No change has amounted as of yet about a very insignificant change in wording.

Another thing worth considering is also that many games do have their own terminology which is part if the learning curve. Perhaps it is okay to have a unique term and instead it may be worth arguing about improving the toturial to explain this issue properly. That would be a much smaller and easier to implement change, potentially with the same effect.

[Mawmoocn]

Any opinion counts! no worries~

Wesnoth is quite complex when I was a beginner. Only the basics of basics of strategies are laid out. I had a hard time on trying to use attack and defensive measures. Most of the knowledge given in the manual, doesn’t align with my aggressive strategy.

Not knowing what attack or defence is, made this game really hard.

To give you an example..........

TLDR: It took to long to learn ZOC, I learned(???) a lot of things as a result of save scumming....


-------- Beginning of a story(???)

Zone of Control

I played in the beginning without knowing this method. I can win the first few stages decently on Hard scenarios but, unsurprisingly, I got stuck.

I had a decent amount of veterans, and enough gold. I still got stuck. Sacrificing units meant a bad start so I avoided it, and well I tried to lessen most of my losses. I didn’t have enough gold... to keep all my units safe. I resorted on going back a few stages, to get greater advantages. Didn’t work. The problem? What is Zone of Control?

To make the story short, Few weeks pass and I tried to see walkthroughs. It kept mentioning, "use your ZOC to protect your troops!". I didn’t understand what it meant till another 2 weeks came, of extensively trying to decipher this "Magical barrier of ZOC" or whatever that is. By that time, I was already save scumming... Why? I didn’t know this magical barrier... and I am trying hard to activate it’s effect but... nothing happened. So I read that you can achieve 0 losses if you can use this "ZOC", or so they say.

I spent more weeks to figure out what this magical powerful barrier this is. Still didn’t figured it out... By that time, I had thought that it’s impossible to do it without sacrifices. I don’t like sacrifices though, but I still don’t know what is this defence that doesn’t work??? Either way, I used save scumming to confirm if my strategy could work. It did work... felt pointless, since, what is defence? Where is ZOC...?

I tried thinking terrain adds defence, apparently not, then this elusive ZOC still didn’t show itself, got frustrated, tried the tutorial to see if there’s something I missed, long story short, I still didn’t understand ZOC no matter how I much redo it again...

So it took many more months of save scumming, thinking there’s 0 strategy, that ZOC still isn’t working, no matter how far I look for it, I gave up.

Few more months has passed, on a random save scumming day, I was trying to lessen losses, tired of save scumming, so I let my units die... well they didn’t die, now I tried to play normally, expecting to lose. I won with really few losses.

Now long story short, I replayed that stage a lot of times to see what happened, without any save scumming. Maybe it was luck, apparently no. By that time I replayed that stage, I restarted it if I lose any veterans. Long story short, It took many weeks to replicate a better play... Guess what?

Few more months have passed, I forgot trying to learn this ZOC, another long story short, another few weeks have passed, reading the walkthrough by that time on that stage, implied sacrificing more than what was listed. Fortunately (???) I had a better standing than what is said on the walkthrough. I don’t understand what happened, ...long story short, I learned that it was evasion... and not defence few months back. It made me change on not attacking units while using melee units.

By that time... I finally learned ZOC.... when I learned that you can trap units, it soon followed... You guessed it right! It was after a few more weeks! .... long story short, I was trying to lessen unnecessary loss and then my enemy moved weird... after .... few more weeks I luckily(?????) found out Ctrl+V produces an enemy range... that made me understand that... It was ZOC... It wasn’t a pretty magical barrier...

-------- End of story

Basically all of this would be shortened, if there are proper documentation about what are your possible choices and options...

Main reason why I want defence to change to evasion is that, It can help you think of one less complicated thing on Wesnoth.

CTH or CTK, I also didn’t understand what they mean until many... let’s not talk about it. But, once I understood what evasion is, It was easier to decipher most of the threads you can read here.

Implementing it on a tutorial, that is a nice idea.

And well... I’m hopeful that people can change, I think based on what you said, starting at small things like the tutorial may work. Though tutorial isn’t really small....

Thank you for your feedback!

[The_Gnat]

Hello, and thanks that is a good story and I totally agree about your assessment of ZOC. It is almost as if the developers are trying to pretend to new players that the game is simple when it in fact is a very complicated strategy game.

I do remember having trouble understanding what ZOC is for a long time and I definitely agree it needs to be better documented. But actually your story about ZOC has further convinced me that we don't need to change the name of 'defence' but merely document the game better. In fact even if defence was changed to evasion it still could confuse players without a background in RPG and of course ZOC (a fundamental principle of the game) would still remain mysterious.

You have, very accurately pointed out these two confusing issues that the game doesn't really explain to beginners ZOC.

If I recall correctly the tutorial does not even attempt to explain either issue. As I said before if the tutorial explained these two things (as it very easily could) then there would be no problem at all.

An example could be a message by the character in the tutorial that says 'Every unit has a Zone of Control. No enemy unit can move passed your units without first battling them. Use this zone to block enemy movements and protect your units.'

And then it could demonstrate with something like' 'there is an enemy wolf rider. Put your 2 units in place such that that the wolf can't move past and kill your character'

What do you think? Something like that would have really helped my understanding when u started the game.

A similar thing could also be done for defence.

[Ravana]

Though then problem is that not every unit has ZoC, and not every unit follows ZoC rule.

[Mawmoocn]

The_Gnat

Glad that you had some fun with it!
Well sadly this idea wasn’t about ZOC XD

The tutorial for Z0C is there. The problem though is that, ZOC is broader and fit for large and mid scale battles. The example there, may induce confusion on how ZOC works... since most campaigns rarely have favourable choke points.


" And then it could demonstrate with something like' 'there is an enemy wolf rider. Put your 2 units in place such that that the wolf can't move past and kill your character' "

I prefer to make people think, rather than make them follow on how they should think! Well I think that’s doable if it’s made to appear, once triggered.

I think most things about the tutorial should be triggered by events.
It may be easier to control user triggered actions rather than trying to control how the user acts...
In my opinion though, how the tutorial works must be left to the higher ups. This may show competence and interest.

Defence is really complex if you didn’t meant terrain evasion. Since I think that would need a whole new campaign.... Villages, Recalls, Keeping units safe... to name a few, that feels long. Some current campaigns are partially tutorials...

I recommended to change (terrain) defence since it does nothing more than (terrain) evasion.

Yeah it would’ve help if you can experiment with ZOC if you’re beginner! It can introduce you faster to work with it.



"Though then problem is that not every unit has ZoC, and not every unit follows ZoC rule. "

It could still be taught on other options that they are able to do to surround a unit. Unit isolation can work as good tactic.

[Pentarctagon]

Maybe I'm just biased from having known about how ZoC works for so long, but is Wesnoth's Help unclear about it? There's a paragraph about ZoC in Help > Gameplay > Movement.

[Mawmoocn]

When I was a beginner, that time, the description is there, I didn’t understand how it works though. Hence, I learned it after a few more months...

As an example.....

TLDR: It is lacking on examples, it didn’t help me envision that it is a shield wall made from your own units...

------ Long story starts here...

When I was a beginner.

I had a very aggressive gameplay when I started the game. Sacrificing 1 unit to kill 3 or enemy more units. It didn’t last long. I became attached on units living...

Soon, I tried finding a way to defend units in order to put things in my favor. After deliberating on what I can do, I encountered a new problem. If I want to win quick within the turn limit, on hard mode, I need either higher number of units, disregard day and night advantage, High attack units, but all of them, didn’t delay how I lose units when my enemies have superior number as an advantage.

I tried killing my enemies as fast as I could, unsurprisingly, I was overwhelmed. Sacrificing my troops may work, It didn’t favor how I want to play my game... What did I do?

I aimed to take advantage of the day and night cycle, It didn’t work. Why? While retreating works in your favor, your enemies also retreats, In other words, a waste of turn limit, without an equivalent exchange.

Being cornered on lack of time and lack of options, I wanted a superior defensive measure, that can provide me advantageous attack conditions, without losing too much on turn limits.

I looked around and saw terrain advantage. I didn’t think much of it when I was starting, being out of options, I read all possible defensive measures about terrain... At that time, I mistakenly thought that it reduces damage... It wasn’t clear on what it does...

Desperate and equipped with this new... err faulty knowledge, I became stuck... How? I isolated my units thinking, It reduces 70% of damage! Wow that’s very advantageous if it does work that way, fortunately(??), it took me, months, to understand that... It doesn’t work that way...

Unfortunately, none of it will work, without being able to control how your enemies moves around. Thus, I resorted on trying, to understand the manual...

A few months have passed, I learned nothing. No matter how much I read it throughly, I failed to understand what is says. In my desperation, I thought, "ZOC is an item you can get from the game!"..., "Zone of Control is different from ZOC!!!", "Zone of Control, is a magical shield!!!!!!"..........

After trying all things, to prove my suspicions, I came to a lengthy conclusion that can be summarized with a few words, It doesn’t exist.

I gave up learning anything about it, Why? I had used up a lot of time learning obscure techniques.

Why is it obscure? For a game that claims to simple, I needed a lot of time to learn facts that wasn’t documented clearly. At most, If it was really simple, learning how to make things go as I do now, should require no effort to learn. Basically, this game is simply, complex like Chess.

I wanted to play, and use all possible options to win in any way I want, not to think on how things truly work without a definite explanation.

After a few months have passed after I gave up learning. Amongst all the things I learned that time, I learned save scumming on my own, it works, it was simple and it was, very pathetic of me. I finished a campaign this way, with some strategy that involves less save scumming.

Bored and not knowing what to do, I replayed campaign stages that interest me when I was a beginner. At that moment in time, I read online documentations on how to finish that campaign, out of interest. In particular, I read a stage, which I performed better before I even learned to save scumming.

Gasped about how it should be, I reread it again. Nevertheless, It didn’t change on how different I approached that stage. Which sparked little interest of what, little I have left.

Trying that stage for the last time without save scumming, I used my past strategy for this stage, I let my units die, they didn’t die, which was really weird for me, I who relied on save scumming. After being struck with this fact, I started playing seriously, not minding any losses, expecting to lose with my enemies overwhelming me with numbers, I won with very few losses. Eh, What happened? I didn’t know... I disabled recording replays long time ago... which forced me to retry and see if that strategy is fool proof.

After few weeks have past, I was able to get a better play using that strategy. It shocked me, thinking, "How is it possible?". Thinking it’s just luck on finding a good strategy for that level... I delayed on trying to make sense of ZOC, for the last time. Some other time have passed...

Still being bitter not knowing what this "ZOC" and "Zone of Control", I read the walkthrough for that campaign and it interchangeably referred ZOC and Zone of Control. I tried to make this nonsense work in my brain, and maybe they’re the same thing all along. It didn’t take me long....

After few more weeks have passed...
Hellbent on replaying that stage and losing no units without save scumming, proved to be a futile effort. At most, I was able to reduce my losses to 2 units, which baffled me greatly. Thinking that it can’t be done... I searched besides the wiki for more information.

There I found out something greater than what I thought.
It was possible to finish that campaign on hard with no losses at all!
In fact, that was what I was trying to do when, I was a beginner.
So, how did they do it?

ZOC... Yes that’s right! The one thing I tried, so hard to understand.

Experimenting on how to achieve this ZOC, after few weeks have passed, I learned that you can trap units, which made no sense, but look, it works!

After few more gruesome days have passed...

In the past, one of the few things I learned was Ctrl+V, which stated the range of enemy movement. Trapping units reduced my unit lost to 1... Now I’m slumped, just what is ZOC...? In my fury, I thought it’s some faulty game mechanics, a magical barrier that appears when all units come together, some other jumbo of knowledge... So what did I do? ... I gave up... or so it should’ve been.

My enemy moved very weird, which was a first... or at least a first for me due to how I don’t understand why it did what it did... I didn’t understand what to do. I memorised unit positions and .... I restarted the stage. I placed the units the same way, and they didn’t do the weird movement... After many attempts... I tried using CTRL+V to gauge enemy movements.

Few more weeks have passed.
I learned ZOC... because of spamming CTRL+V.
My hunches on what I need to learn as a beginner, became reality as I started winning without any losses, after learning.

Till then was the beginning of how I can skilfully use Zone of Control as a true beginner.

------ The End

I learned from intensive trial and error, not from explanatory words. Which may be the real issue.

Zone of Control facilitates an artificial wall, the problem?, It can be misinterpret on what it really does.

Things it can do are:
Control the flow of enemies.
Facilitate damage control.
Creation of a temporary wall.
Unit support system, by refreshing which units will face your enemies.
Placing unit reinforcement inside of ZoC and deploy units when needed.
Delay the advancement of enemies. While retreating skilfully or achieving other goals.
Fight in disadvantageous terrains.
And possibly more.


Things it can be misinterpreted to do are:
Adds additional defence or evasion.
Creates a shield that nullifies damage.
It doesn’t need a formation of units to work.
Can be activated at will.
Possibly more...

Things that make Zone of Control weak are:
If there’s no unit adjustment, every turn. Why? ZOC can be breached if there are stagnant movements, which makes it possible to attack a unit more than 2 times.
To block skirmishers, you need a solid wall of units.
Any unit that dies, that’s is placed on the middle of the ZOC, will make destroying ZoC walls, an easy task. Not unless there are bulk of units to cover for that.
The end parts of ZOC, makes it harder to defend those points, and susceptible to a breach, that can incur large damages.
You can offensively use ZOC, but that rarely happens, due to few units to take advantage of this and other conditions.
It can delay 1 turn of demise. If there are no any unit replacements, you need to retreat immediately. Which may not be possible at all times.

As you can see, the help files at those times, can’t be understood without knowing how the game works. Which means, It may be harmful to any beginners.

Basics of war is to control your enemies and control your troops.

Not all beginners are beginners in their skills. Still, it needs a simplified way to be understood easily.
I tried doing that as a beginner of this game. I was troubled for months, looking for the basics of the game. Which hampered any progress until I learned them with persistence to pursue knowledge.

I consider the help files lacking in information.

I found it surprising that this topic devolved to ZOC... XD

Thank you for you’re feedback!

[The_Gnat]

Well sadly this idea wasn’t about ZOC XD

Sorry!

I recommended to change (terrain) defence since it does nothing more than (terrain) evasion.

Yes true. I definitely can see where you are coming from, I just find it unfortunately unlikely that any change like that is actually made, so was trying to think of alternative options to help the players.

I consider the help files lacking in information.

I do as well. Only new players or people who are confused are going to look at the help files, so they should be written as an attempt to explain. Not merely a summary for everyone who already knows what they are doing

[Tad_Carlucci]

Marking this post for a deeper dive when I have less headache and more time. First impressions: yes, ZoC might need a bit better documentation, I'd even suggest a Tutorial scene devoted to it, and, yes, there might be a better word than "defense" but I'm not sure "evasion" is it.

Joke: The teacher turns to the class and says, "Today, we will use these three words in a sentence. Defense, detail, and defeat." Timmy replied, "Defeat of de cat went over defense before detail."

[James_The_Invisible]

For the record, part 2 of tutorial mentions zone of control (at start of turn 3):

Can’t we just move around the orcs?
No. Once you move close to an enemy unit, you are in its <i>Zone of Control</i> and cannot move further that turn. To move your troops onto that island without wading slowly through the water, you’ll have to kill the Grunt.
The hexes immediately around a unit constitute its <i>Zone of Control</i>. When an enemy unit enters those hexes, they cannot move any further that turn. (An exception are units with the <i>skirmisher</i> ability, who are unaffected by zones of control.) This can be used to create a blockade to prevent stronger enemies from reaching key locations, such as villages, even if you have limited manpower.

I do not know if it is enough for a first-time player but at least it is something. Also it has been in place for quite a while.

[The_Gnat]

Joke: The teacher turns to the class and says, "Today, we will use these three words in a sentence. Defense, detail, and defeat." Timmy replied, "Defeat of de cat went over defense before detail."

I do not know if it is enough for a first-time player but at least it is something. Also it has been in place for quite a while.

It is not bad, but hardly enough explanation to allow the player to grasp the significance and usage of ZoC.

[Mawmoocn]

Yes true. I definitely can see where you are coming from, I just find it unfortunately unlikely that any change like that is actually made, so was trying to think of alternative options to help the players.

At first, I didn’t think changing the tutorial would work, since, I’m having doubts about it’s implementation. The current tutorial is lacking, on understanding the core aspects of the game.

Another problem, what are those core aspects?
Unfortunately, there wasn’t a definite way to say what is what, since, anything that can be used for attack, can also be used for defence.

I do as well. Only new players or people who are confused are going to look at the help files, so they should be written as an attempt to explain. Not merely a summary for everyone who already knows what they are doing

The help files are okay, if your intention intends to breed a creative mind. It won’t help if you fail to imagine what they could possibly do... It adds another unnecessary layer of complexity for making it the way that it is.

If you do try to teach all possible ways to achieve something, it won’t help on trying to make you create your own strategies.

Both have faults, the important thing is that, It shall do, what it intends to do.

Joke: The teacher turns to the class and says, "Today, we will use these three words in a sentence. Defense, detail, and defeat." Timmy replied, "Defeat of de cat went over defense before detail."

Defence can mean a lot, the problem? I had been confused on how to implement it in real time.

As an example:

"We must defend this land!"

It can mean, stay in this position, this an important position, losing this position may hinder our goals and most meanings may refer to, take advantage of this position or protect it at all costs.
Is mostly refers to a group action, and not something evasion should replace.

Didn’t expect my another example to be ... long...

TLDR: A story about the knight captain being cursed by mercenaries cursing the captain to die to a flying sword.

-------- Another long story....

"....evade that sword!"

A short sword of your enemy is quickly approaching you.

An enemy encampment, has broken through. Confused on how they’re able to broke through, a person suddenly appeared at your back.
A short sword, has been swung upon you, in a blindingly, fast slash. Quick, "....evade that sword!".

A few years has passed, since becoming a captain of your own infantry division.

Successful in your career as a knight, you luckily find an infamous mercenary encampment, known for pillaging villages and stealing lambs.
You managed, and broke through their defences and spared no one, even if they begged for mercy.

In their dying breath, they cursed you to die by a flying sword.
As an accomplished knight, you doubted their words, thinking "It’s been years since the last time, a few thugs said that to me. Nothing happened.".

Suddenly, all swords in the surrounding area, floated, including your, sword.
"This has to be a lie!", you said to convince yourself.

Unfortunately, that curse can be activated, after a death of a vengeful person. In this case? The mercenaries themselves sealed, the fate of this knight.

Without any warning, floating swords in the area, was pointed in your direction.

Someone in your surroundings, in haste, shouted, "....evade that sword!".
Unable to think faster, than what has been said upon you, you decided to trust their words and evade.

*swoooooooooosh*

Thankfully, your trust, helped you avoid that sword, that would’ve pierced your heart, if you missed to evade, even a second late!

All your teammates, that have time to help, was able to fend, all flying swords in the area, by breaking them into pieces.

A person worried in your team said, "Good thing you managed to evade that sword!".
You nodded, and asked who it was.
Another person of your team said, "It was this elusive thief, we discovered after they shouted! Should we kill this person?"
The thief, wanting to live, quickly said, "Sp...a.... m......e...", the thief, out of fear, stuttered their words.

As an accomplished knight captain, you planned to spare, nobody, including this thief. This was your mercy, granting swift, painless death, to all outlaws.

Now, you started questioning your plans, "Do I continue? or...", contemplating the things before you, someone suggested the following.

"Why not ask, if they know something about the curse?", your strategist said to you.
Thinking that it isn’t worth the risk, of that thief, trying to kill you later.
Before you can say, your final decision, another person in your team finally speak up and said.

"Let us worry the about the thief’s death later, we should try to break your curse now." this person worriedly said.

Shocked, that one of them, even suggested this, when they knew your policy for outlaws. You slightly felt betrayed. They cared about some thief, of unknown origins.

Before you can feel more hurt, a person really close to you, said something important, "We must break your possible curse, I can’t bear to see you die, while doing absolutely nothing! Any, thing that can help us, lead clues to your curse, will be very important. As you are to me!".

Feeling unexplainable warmth in your heart, due to their words, you slightly forgot your grudge, against the thief.

While in a momentary daze, taking advantage of this, your strategist quickly said, "We will gather troops to accompany your journey, I will personally come as well!".
Trying to contemplate the words of your strategist, the person close to you said, "I shall help gather troops and begin as soon as we can! No, It shall be now!".

Moved by flow of the surroundings, another person that unintentionally advocated to spare the thief unhesitatingly said, "I will join this expedition!", loud and clear. Cheers, soon followed after and, all of them are moved to join this journey!

But, the knight captain, while feeling joyous in this occasion, felt something strange. "What did I forgot to say?". Swept by the growing cheers to join, the captain, dismissed thinking about this for now.

In the future, no one knew, that the curse, will be bigger than what it is thought to be.

Onwards to a new victory!

--------- The End

"....evade that sword!"
Depending on what is the context, "Quick, "....evade that sword!"." is the true aim of what I want to be changed.
Change it to defend, and see a difference.

For a team of units to perform well, they must excel individually.

For the record, part 2 of tutorial mentions zone of control (at start of turn 3):

Can’t we just move around the orcs?
No. Once you move close to an enemy unit, you are in its <i>Zone of Control</i> and cannot move further that turn. To move your troops onto that island without wading slowly through the water, you’ll have to kill the Grunt.
The hexes immediately around a unit constitute its <i>Zone of Control</i>. When an enemy unit enters those hexes, they cannot move any further that turn. (An exception are units with the <i>skirmisher</i> ability, who are unaffected by zones of control.) This can be used to create a blockade to prevent stronger enemies from reaching key locations, such as villages, even if you have limited manpower.

I do not know if it is enough for a first-time player but at least it is something. Also it has been in place for quite a while.

The tutorial is lacking on all forms of ZOC, which include, ZOC walls, How to breach various forms of ZOC, and the key points to form a well featured ZOC.

As an example...

The tutorial that you mentioned, has at least three ways to kill the Orc Grunt. One is do what it is said, Two get out of range and lastly, lure him in your range.

All of the options, will yield very different results.

ZOC is one of the main focus on how you can defend extremely well.


Thank you all for your feedbacks!

[sergey]

"defense" word may be consfusing, but only before you read the game rules. The explanation is simple and clear.

The same regarding zones of control.

Each unit — except for level 0 units — generates a zone of control in the hexes immediately surrounding it, and any enemy unit entering those hexes immediately ends its movement.

I can't imagine how to explain that better.

I know there are many people who don't like to read instructions, and perhaps topicstarter is one of them. But that is not the way you can learn to play Wesnoth. Learn the rules first, than play and think. Months of save scumming without reading the rules is just the wrong way.

[Mawmoocn]

All of the things you mentioned, took, many months to learn.

When I was a beginner, I’ve reread it to the point exhaustion. It didn’t explain me that, "This plan of yours is possible!", which hindered and strategies that I would easily come up if I, knew it can work that way.

I made my own wrong conclusions, that made things longer to learn.
Clearer things may have help me direct to the right path of learning.

Also, that explanation about ZOC, is incomplete.

"defense" word may be consfusing, but only before you read the game rules. The explanation is simple and clear.

Defence has many, meanings.

The one I truly wanted to change is (terrain) defence, as seen here.
http://units.wesnoth.org/trunk/mainline ... 20Bat.html

As you may can see, search Defense there, in that page. That is what I am talking about.

Each unit — except for level 0 units — generates a zone of control in the hexes immediately surrounding it, and any enemy unit entering those hexes immediately ends its movement.

I can't imagine how to explain that better.

I hope that it can be fleshed out and explained much clearly. If that’s a possibility.

Thank you for your feedback!