The Rise of Wesnoth 8 - Clearwater Port

Feedback for the mainline campaign The Rise of Wesnoth.

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jonwat
Posts: 1
Joined: June 15th, 2007, 4:24 pm

Re: The Rise of Wesnoth: Clearwater Port

Post by jonwat »

scott wrote:(1) What difficulty levels and game versions have you played the scenario on?

Medium
(2) How difficult did you find the scenario? (1-10)
9
(3) How clear did you find the scenario objectives?
Fine
(4) How clear and interesting did you find the dialog and storyline of the scenario?
Well, all the dialogs in this one are a bit lame compared to HTTT
(5) What were your major challenges in meeting the objectives of the scenario?
Balancing defense (keeping the Lt. alive in particular) and offence (getting eh enemy leaders) is a challenge even after playing it a few times. Definitely good to to have one good person (Royal Guard, Master Bowman) up at the north east point, but they'd be useful in the West, too. After getting all messed up playing purely defensively I managed an attempt where I got the two closest orc leaders by taking all the good troops down to the southwest, but getting haldric back in time to use the gold for new troops to fight off the orcs flooding in across the narrows. That was starting with 100 gold. On a later try, with more like 170 gold, my raiding party got surrounded and slaughtered down in the south-west.
Helping out the allies in their silly charge along the northern side of the island works well defensively, particularly if you can block of the south route with some troops (like Burin and a white mage and one other).

Getting someone to the southern island is good too. Wait for the nagiri to attack you, and get rid of them before you start swimming.
(6) How fun do you think the scenario is? (1-10)
Good. Changes every time I play.
(7) What, if any, are changes you would have made to the scenario to make it more fun?
Lone_Isle
Posts: 60
Joined: November 2nd, 2006, 2:36 am

Re: The Rise of Wesnoth: Clearwater Port

Post by Lone_Isle »

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

1.3.6 Hard

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

To kill all the leaders, 9. The first time I attempted I realised halfway through on turn 20 that I was never going to be able to kill all the leaders in time, so I went back and replayed it. Using outlaw units proved to be the key.

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

Very. Although we should be told what rewards are in store for killing the leaders.

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

Not letting precious units die, keeping all my units healed, managing my unit positions. Very hectic management and luck required. I loaded many times.

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

Definately a 10. Warranted me to spend almost 4-5 hours on it.

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

More rewards killing the leaders than just gold. The early finish bonus is like 46 per turn... I could have just went on the first boat and collected heaps of gold?
Attachments
Clearwater_Port_replay.zip
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Roland de Ronceveaux
Posts: 18
Joined: June 24th, 2007, 9:47 am

Re: The Rise of Wesnoth: Clearwater Port

Post by Roland de Ronceveaux »

(1) What difficulty levels and game versions have you played the scenario on?
Hard, 1.2.5

(2) How difficult did you find the scenario? (1-10)
7 - Fairly tough. I had a lot of money when I started, which enabled me to recall all my units and recruit a lot. Without this, it might have been very, very difficult.

(3) How clear did you find the scenario objectives?
I'd like to have it clarified that if you kill all the enemy leaders, you don't need to take the third boat. I decided at the very beginning to go for a heroic wipeout strategy, and was in constant fear throughout the scenario that I would lose because of not being able to bring back Haldric to the port in time

(4) How clear and interesting did you find the dialog and storyline of the scenario?
Good, but I missed a stirring victory speech at the end when I killed all the enemy leaders. The dialogue I got felt the same than what I would have had if I evacuated on the 3rd boat. It would have been nice to get a thank you from the Lieutenant (i.e.: "Thanks to your valiant men, we will last a while longer. These orcs have not seen the end of us yet! Farewell Prince Haldric, if any of us survive you will be remembered forever!" etc, etc...)

(5) What were your major challenges in meeting the objectives of the scenario?
Keeping my leveled units alive. The assault on Clearwater was brutal.

(6) How fun do you think the scenario is? (1-10)
8 - I really liked it. I would have loved it if there had been a "reward" speech, such as above. As it stood, I felt a little cheated at the end since I had done such a good job.

The key for me was that I implemented a strategy that worked very well (on this scenario). I had a lot of money so could recall/recruit a lot of units. The first three castleloads, I sent directly west to advance aggressively and take a defensive position on the villages and at the edge of the snow. The fourth castleload was a veteran cavalry force I sent north across the shallow water and via the light house. The fifth was a force of fast brigands/outlaws to take the island (by that time the nagas had been cut to shreds when they assaulted my level 1 units guarding the villages and the forts on the shore).

In the center, the fight was intense. Two or three turns after the fight was joined, I could not hold the line and retreated to the outer fortifications. Three turns later and the fight was in Clearwater itself. Those HI/Iron Maulers (yes, I had saved them) really came into their own here. I usually try not to use too much a unit that is 8 to 10 xp short of levelling. This enables me to commit them where the fighting is fiercest to take advantage of the hp restoration when gaining a level. This saved several of my experienced units in that fight. By the time the orcs reached Clearwater, I had bled them white and was able to go back on the offensive.

In the north, I was greatly helped by the fact that the black orcish general had sent virtually all his units through the bridge to join the main assault on Clearwater. This enabled me to reach within striking distance of him before he started recalling his units. My knights took him out and held the bridge against the returning black units (which also lessened the pressure on Clearwater).

In the south, the brigand force took the island and inched west to the southernmost orc stronghold. By the time they reached it, they were joined by some infantry who had made a breakthrough and the fort was surrounded and taken.

The last orc castle to fall was the center one, who coudn't resist a combined attack from the north, east and south. I finished the scenario around turn 20.

(7) What, if any, are changes you would have made to the scenario to make it more fun?
A better victory speech. Other than that, the scenario is great.
Baerdahl
Posts: 3
Joined: September 7th, 2007, 11:47 am
Location: Hamburg, Germany

Post by Baerdahl »

(1) What difficulty levels and game versions have you played the scenario on?
1.2.6 Medium

(2) How difficult did you find the scenario? (1-10)
8 - if you go trying a heroic objective. i did not manage to kill the leaders, but defending the port from oncoming hordes was also a challenge. i think i could have killed the leaders if i were not so anxious about losing nearly levelled or levelled troops.
escaping on the first ship would be a 4 i think

(3) How clear did you find the scenario objectives?
defend - escape - or kill...
roger that
(4) How clear and interesting did you find the dialog and storyline of the scenario?
oh brave, brave lieutenant Aethyl. i somehow hoped he would follow me the whole scenario. liked the idea of actually having another leadership-leader-hero-whatsoever
(5) What were your major challenges in meeting the objectives of the scenario?
find a good troop alignment.
it was in this scenario that i first realised the Guards of Eldaric were loyal :oops: helped me to minimize losses as they were all lvl2 and took huge amounts of damage. support them with 1-2 white mages and you can hold the walls while levelling some (actually many) other troops. i had 4 knights (including the free knight from the midlands) that all levelled. i moved the free knight Sir Lodric to the north across the bay and he fought the northern troops basically alone by hit-and-run tactics (that worked because the northern leader focused his army on the attack in the middle)
(6) How fun do you think the scenario is? (1-10)
my first attempts were very frustrating and i began to hate it.
then i really tried to win this battle and i loved it. holding the wall, advancing at daytime, retreating in the night...levelling MANY units - i LOVE levelling units :D
(7) What, if any, are changes you would have made to the scenario to make it more fun?
This level CAN be frustrating. Make Aethyl and his troops a bit more useful and its ok even with small moneybags. Or deploy Eldarics Guard for the start of the scenario as Wall-Defenders
Bircoph
Posts: 59
Joined: October 5th, 2007, 8:23 pm

Re: The Rise of Wesnoth: Clearwater Port

Post by Bircoph »

(1) What difficulty levels and game versions have you played the scenario on?
Hard, 1.3.9

(2) How difficult did you find the scenario? (1-10)
10, the hardest scenario I've ever seen.
I started it with at minimum money level: 100. So I was suffering from lack of units. I recalled all my bravest units and got 5 (including prince) at the start of game.

I decided not to still villiages from my ally and concentrated at the green orcs at the southwest. That was a bloody mess, but I managed to kill the leader and his troops, than I eradicated the second (violet) group, blocked both bridge and shallow water link, rested a while and destroyed the third leader.

But this is very very heavy to manage with only 100 starting gold.

(3) How clear did you find the scenario objectives?
Pretty clear, but what the difference between coward, normal and heroic behaviour? Are there any bonuses/penalities or so on?

(4) How clear and interesting did you find the dialog and storyline of the scenario?
No objections or proposition. I'm satisfied with current ones.

(5) What were your major challenges in meeting the objectives of the scenario?
Major challenge was to kill first leader and his group, simaltaneously restraining attacks from another two. Elemination of the second enemy group was also a pain due to exhausted and merely wounded units. So I lose one of them (white mage), and my ally lost all his troops unfortunately.

(6) How fun do you think the scenario is? (1-10)
8. Good scenario, but too bloody and brain overloading imho. I spent hours calculating and estimating the best moves in order to save my units.

(7) What, if any, are changes you would have made to the scenario to make it more fun?
Higher bottom money level at the start of scenario.
Per aspera ad astra!
thesoothsayer
Posts: 6
Joined: November 12th, 2007, 2:08 am

Post by thesoothsayer »

(1) What difficulty levels and game versions have you played the scenario on?
Medium, 1.2.5
(2) How difficult did you find the scenario? (1-10)
5 if you have the right troops, 10 if you don't
(3) How clear did you find the scenario objectives?
Clear enough.
(4) How clear and interesting did you find the dialog and storyline of the scenario?
Nice story. I like the sacrifice part.
(5) What were your major challenges in meeting the objectives of the scenario?
Need to have build up the "correct" troops prior to this scenario. I neglected my knights and Eldaric's troops in the first round and found it impossible to win at heroic.
Dumb allies blocking up the path but then again, they do something totally unpredictable and heroic that saves my ass like rushing a mage into a group of orcs and taking all the blows.
(6) How fun do you think the scenario is? (1-10)
9
(7) What, if any, are changes you would have made to the scenario to make it more fun?
More suicidal attacks by the enemy AI to try to win ground from the sea. Currently, the AI seems reluctant to attack in the day time so I can easily hold certain positions with inferior number of troops.
ulissesroc
Posts: 70
Joined: December 28th, 2007, 12:02 pm
Location: Amsterdam
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Re: The Rise of Wesnoth: Clearwater Port

Post by ulissesroc »

scott wrote:(1) What difficulty levels and game versions have you played the scenario on?
Medium, 1.3.13 (by the way, when going to the next scenario, it tells me the savefile is broken. I had to use previous version, load the last savegame of clearwater port, get into the next scenario, save, and then open the savegame with the last one).

(2) How difficult did you find the scenario? (1-10)
8.

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

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

(5) What were your major challenges in meeting the objectives of the scenario?
None, I only wish I hadn't lost some of my advanced thief

(6) How fun do you think the scenario is? (1-10)
10: playing attacking gets you lot of experience and lot of money

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

I attacked him (after killing the other 2) from E and from the bridge. He send some unit E, then he retreats half of them at night since I was crossing the bridge, and so it was to easy to destroy the two halfs.

But I have to say I had overrecruited, I had something like 400 from the previous scenario, and there was no possibility of being defeated. And I let the heroes near the ship!
Max
Posts: 1449
Joined: April 13th, 2008, 12:41 am

Re: The Rise of Wesnoth: Clearwater Port

Post by Max »

(1) What difficulty levels and game versions have you played the scenario on?
medium, 1.4.1

(2) How difficult did you find the scenario? (1-10)
4 - hold until last ship, 10 - kill all enemies

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

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

(5) What were your major challenges in meeting the objectives of the scenario?
i've initially tried to kill all enemies on hard and failed. replayed whole campaign on medium trying to get here with more gold (~400) and more loyal pickups. still didn't manage to wipe those three leaders in time. failing is usually not an option for me if others succeed^^ so i watched a replay from 1.3.5? from above and here's an important difference - back in 1.3 days (and before) enemy recruited some level 0 chars and mixed groups of l1 & l2. looks like ai has changed in r1.4 and recruits are all level2. that makes quite some difference. since i already downloaded an older version (so i could watch the replay) i played the campain on hard and managed clearwater port with only some l2 losses.

it's kind of easy to hold out until third ship in r1.4, get some veteran guys and new recruited spikeman (~10) and place them on the wall tiles west of the port. but killing all three leaders in time? i'd really like to see a replay from some more experienced player^^

(6) How fun do you think the scenario is? (1-10)
8 - for "heroically" waiting for third ship

(7) What, if any, are changes you would have made to the scenario to make it more fun?
adapt money or recruiting (if this can be done) to reflect 1.4 changes in ai
samjh
Posts: 0
Joined: May 7th, 2008, 12:51 am

Re: The Rise of Wesnoth: Clearwater Port

Post by samjh »

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

All levels 1.3.x
Easy 1.4.1

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

Leave on first ship = 3
Kill all enemy leaders and leave on last ship = 10

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

Clear enough.

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

Good dialogue and storyline.

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

Aethyr was very crap. He needs more baseline income or needs to play more defensively. His army is only good as cannon fodder for the first few turns.

Being massively outnumbered.

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

Quite fun but tedious. Score 5.

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

Give Aethyr more income.
Make the "surprise" bigger. 1 to 3 nagas don't cut the mustard as surprises. :)
More gold bonus for killing the leaders. At least double what is offered now, otherwise they're not worth the effort.
Jozrael
Posts: 1034
Joined: June 2nd, 2006, 1:39 pm
Location: NJ, USA.

Re: The Rise of Wesnoth: Clearwater Port

Post by Jozrael »

As far as aethyr goes, I would be very annoyed if he got more income. I dont like allied forces stealing kills, gumming up the works, etc. I like that he has a couple troops to absorb the brunt of their attack while I setup and then gets the heck out.

In terms of the surprise, agreed, but if u make it considerably stronger you might want to provide some other bonus to the player. Clearwater Port can be a fairly challenging scenario to many players and adding in a huge backdoor attack might frustrate some of them greatly. Also keep in mind if they had to go into the negative upkeep on the last scenario they may be at minimum gold for this scenario (early finish bonus is only 6 per turn on last scenario).

As for adding extra gold, the numbers were great (125, 75, 75) at hard settings. They were just enough to offset spending the troops and the added xp made it a great expenditure.
jethro
Posts: 0
Joined: May 12th, 2008, 12:42 am

Re: The Rise of Wesnoth: Clearwater Port

Post by jethro »

(1) What difficulty levels and game versions have you played the scenario on?
Medium, 1.2.6

(2) How difficult did you find the scenario? (1-10)
9 to kill all leaders

(3) How clear did you find the scenario objectives?
Clear, with one problem: Since the heroic condition means that staying longer is more difficult, it follows that surviving till the last round should be the most heroic (apart from killing all enemy leaders). But then I found out when boarding the ship in the last round that there's a finishing-early bonus, which is sort of backwards for this scenario.

(4) How clear and interesting did you find the dialog and storyline of the scenario?
Not much of a dialog, but excellent scenario

(5) What were your major challenges in meeting the objectives of the scenario?
I sent a skirmish party to the north part through the shallow water link to lure the enemy to attack through the water link. I had to do a few replays because the retreat never worked (the first time because I thought the "light house" was a town).
Instead of defending the town I put my front at the forests in the middle and pushed against both enemies there. Very intense battle. In the end I managed to kill only one enemy leader.

(6) How fun do you think the scenario is? (1-10)
9

(7) What, if any, are changes you would have made to the scenario to make it more fun?
Change the graphic of that light house to grass or something unlike towns.
Lumaca
Posts: 7
Joined: October 5th, 2008, 11:18 pm

Re: The Rise of Wesnoth: Clearwater Port

Post by Lumaca »

(1) What difficulty levels and game versions have you played the scenario on?
Medium, 1.54

(2) How difficult did you find the scenario? (1-10)
7, for killing everyone. But I started very very rich.

(3) How clear did you find the scenario objectives?
This mission probably has the longest objective text from all the missions I've done so far, but it's pretty clear.

(4) How clear and interesting did you find the dialog and storyline of the scenario?
Excellent. My favourite map so far. I also think the Nagas are a nice effect.

(5) What were your major challenges in meeting the objectives of the scenario?
Only one, getting to the northern leader in time. I finally managed to kill him on the 32nd turn, with my Paladin counterattacking him for the kill

(6) How fun do you think the scenario is? (1-10)
9 (would give it a ten, but I'm new to this game and still haven't seen a lot of scenarios). I got three assassins, and one highwayman (from a fresh recruits) in this scenario alone. Also leveled almost every unit that hasn't maxed yet.

(7) What, if any, are changes you would have made to the scenario to make it more fun?
I wouldn't change anything. Maybe add a little bit of special effects (recruit a loyal peasant by entering a village, some little dialogues), but it's great as it is.
Terrainosaur
Posts: 5
Joined: December 28th, 2008, 3:13 pm

Re: The Rise of Wesnoth: Clearwater Port

Post by Terrainosaur »

(1) What difficulty levels and game versions have you played the scenario on?
Hero/Normal/Medium, 1.5.6

(2) How difficult did you find the scenario? (1-10)
9

(3) How clear did you find the scenario objectives?
Vague. When each ship arrives is unknown.

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

(5) What were your major challenges in meeting the objectives of the scenario?
Lack of gold, and NPCs that were low level and suicidal.

(6) How fun do you think the scenario is? (1-10)
1. I quit the campaign because of this scenario. The Rise of Wesnoth campaign has reduced my interest in this game substantially. I'll try another campaign but if it also has an impossible roadblock scenario, I'll move on to other games.

(7) What, if any, are changes you would have made to the scenario to make it more fun?
Tell the player what turns the ships arrive. Raise the NPC levels to at least 1. Make them defend.

I replayed this scenario more than any other in this campaign or the Heir campaign. I started with 100 gold, four level 3's and five level 2's. In one case I managed to live to the first ship, but most of my higher-level troops had died. I found this scenario an unpleasant disappointment.
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zookeeper
WML Wizard
Posts: 9742
Joined: September 11th, 2004, 10:40 pm
Location: Finland

Re: The Rise of Wesnoth: Clearwater Port

Post by zookeeper »

Terrainosaur wrote:(1) What difficulty levels and game versions have you played the scenario on?
Hero/Normal/Medium, 1.5.6

...

(6) How fun do you think the scenario is? (1-10)
1. I quit the campaign because of this scenario. The Rise of Wesnoth campaign has reduced my interest in this game substantially. I'll try another campaign but if it also has an impossible roadblock scenario, I'll move on to other games.
Here's another suggestion: play on the easier difficulty.

You could have also mentioned how your low starting gold and other troubles aren't just due to the bugs in 1.5.6. As it is it's kinda hard to say whether you know what the development version is for or not.
Terrainosaur
Posts: 5
Joined: December 28th, 2008, 3:13 pm

Re: The Rise of Wesnoth: Clearwater Port

Post by Terrainosaur »

zookeeper wrote:You could have also mentioned how your low starting gold and other troubles aren't just due to the bugs in 1.5.6. As it is it's kinda hard to say whether you know what the development version is for or not.
Huh?
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