irdyansages / for_power

Campaign series for Battle for Wesnoth

For Power

User-made campaign for Battle for Wesnoth. Development started at 20 May of 2012. First version released at 29 October of 2012.

It is a multi part campaign. All chapters share the protagonist and some important characters. This is the tale of a young mage Clare and her path to power. It starts in the Northlands during The Age of Fear. Most of its scenarios take place in the Northlands but you will also get to visit Wesnoth and lands to east from it.

A short time ago, Clare completed her studies at the Great Academy and returned to her village. After some time of peace she must face orcs' assaults. She starts only with her childhood friend Lemyr and some fellow villagers but throughout the campaign, various kind of folks will join her (both regular recruits and heroes). Over time, all heroes become more powerful and they will even have a lot of advancements. Though some of them will have to pay for it. After completing each chapter, your army is stored and is available in the next one but at certain points you lose some its parts (as the campaign lasts much longer than hundred years).

Chapters one to five are completed but may be unbalanced, some scenarios from Chapter 6 are also present. This add-on is available on 1.18 server. There are also a few multiplayer scenarios/campaigns somehow related to the campaign here.

for_power's Issues

Make sure that Amiwen is level 4 in Chapter 3

The current code in scenario of Chapter 3 is a bit inconsistent because Amiwen can advance into Elvish Seer even if she is level 3. This should be fixed finally. Note: this can happen only if the player completed second chapter. When starting from scratch, she is always level 4.

Recruit list in Chapter 2 (post The Countess)

Let the player recruit Heavy Infantryman and maybe also (a few) level 2 units (instead of giving some ones for free).

Rename scenario An Exercise

The scenario's name is not really good, as it was pointed on the forums. After a better name is found, the name attribute of [scenario] and filename of the scenario and map should be changed to that, id should stay the same for some time (to keep compatibility with older save files). Ideas for the new name are welcome.

Recruit list in Chapter 5

Let the player recruit also level 1 units in fifth chapter. They could be used as a cannon fodder.

Tinry's speech

It would be nice to have Tinry make some spelling mistakes in his lines (during first 2? chapters). After all, he has never received proper education. After spending a few years with Clare, he could learn proper grammar and maybe even use better wording at occasions.

Glacyn's title/position

His current title/position is somehow weird. He should rather be a mayor/militia leader.

Fire Wisp on Wesnoth 1.19

In Wesnoth 1.19 a new unit type Fire Wisp was added. But we already use that for multiplayer scenario Gauntlet and it has different stats. Probably the id will have to be changed but we might be able to use [base_unit] to get rid of some code.

Warn about losing units from Chapter 1

At the end of Chapter 3, the player loses the units that they have recruited in Chapter 1. Story wise, this is done because a lot of time (several decades) have passed between end of Chapter 1 and start of Chapter 4. But the player is not aware of it when they are playing the series for the first time so they do not know that they have to level up more units in chapter 2 and 3 or else they will be at an disadvantage at the start of Chapter 4.

So the player has to be told of this at start of Chapter 3 so they can prepare. The warning should be of course shown only if there are any units from Chapter 1 (those have from_chapter_1=yes in their variables).

Yswniver in More undead

Make it completely impossible to hit her in the scenario. And think up an (story) excuse for that.

Modify enemy spawns in Besieged (Chapter 5)

On normal and hard, spawn as many enemies as on easy but add a chance that player's and ally's killed units will become hostile (and undead). The probability of this is to be determined.

Hidden defeat condition in Chapter 6

In the currently present scenarios of Chapter 6, there is a defeat condition not mentioned in the objectives - killing too many enemies (exact numbers vary by scenario). Only the first playable scenario hints that the player should not focus on slaughtering enemies (just moving to the signpost) but it is never explicitly said. So in the very least, it should be mentioned in the objectives.

If anyone wants to work on this, the number of kills that triggers defeat can be found in the scenario in the call of macro BLOODBATH, so e. g. {BLOODBATH 20} means that killing 20 enemy units result in defeat. The number could be explicitly spelled out in a defeat condition in objectives but it could be something as vague as "Kill too many enemies".

This was originally reported on the forums.

Companions in evil path of Chapter 1

In the good one, multiple heroes accompany Clare during her quest so she should also has someone by her side in the other one. Good candidates are Death Knight (who would be recruited in scenario Skeletons) and a ghost (maybe with some special abilities).

Illuminates ability in March to the East

The initial dialogue in scenario March to the East hints at Jolla and Lemyr having the illuminates ability. As mentioned on the forums, this is not necessarily true.
Either the dialogue should be changed or Jolla and/or Lemyr should be given the ability for this scenario.

Unlimited movement in Dwarven Doors

As there is no fighting in this scenario, it would be better to let the player freely move around the map and trigger all events in one turn. But it should apply only after Clare is told where they should go.

Recruit list in Chapter 3

Let the player recruit Bowman and maybe also level 2 units (if he/she will be able to do it in second chapter).

Place fog in A Troubled Forest

It would fit story-wise and and would make the scenario a bit interesting (at least in first play through) as the player would have to find the enemy. It might be also a good idea to slightly change the map in the process.

Rename entangle and gossamer

In Wesnoth 1.19 (wesnoth/wesnoth#8737), the entangle/gossamer attack for Elvish Enchantress and Elvish Sylph was renamed to "ethereal web" so we should also rename that attack for Amiwen as Elvish Seer. Clare can also learn that attack after Amiwen join the party but that might use Elvish Shaman's way of doing it (it was not renamed for them and Amiwen would obviously know it too) so renaming that is not necessary. We can change just the attack's description, just like in mainline, but it should be probably done only for Wesnoth 1.19. Descriptions of corresponding advancements also have to be changed.

Haldar's dealings with Clare in The Teacher

It was pointed out on the forums that Haldar's reaction to Clare's possible rejection is a bit unnatural and it would be better for him to at least immobilize her (if not wound her). It might be even better to

let us experience that she is blocked on place (we cannot even just move to a nearby cave village to heal), and have her say some words whenever we try.

Leadership abilities

During 1.13.x series, definitions of ABILITY_LEADERSHIP_LEVEL_X were changed. In many cases you want the unit (type) to use leadership on level equal to the unit's level but there are a few cases where you actually want to use a different level (and possibly improve it at some point).
That is actually the case a few times in this campaign so we need to redefine that macros so things work again the same way as in Wesnoth 1.12.

Add dialog for Amiwen when she joins the party

Amiwen is not mean to be very talkative but she should say more when joins Clare.

Orcish Sovereign in Chapter 1

It contradicts mainline to have an orc uniting all tribes at this point and actually even goes against the theme of the campaign itself handling such a big menace so early. Just a powerful warlord (aspiring to become the sovereign) would be fine.

Turn The Path of Revenge into battle

It closes one act of Chapter 1 so it should not be done just in a cutscene, it should rather be a tactical challenge. However Clare still has to "die" in "good" path so she turns into a preserved lich.

Name for Clare's village

As pointed out on the forums (https://forums.wesnoth.org/viewtopic.php?f=8&p=619856#p619852), it would be a good idea to give the village (and the near river) a name.

Campaigns' chronological order

Add start_year and end_year attributes to the campaigns so they can be ordered by them on Wesnoth 1.14.

Recommended soul eater advancement for Chapter 6

In Chapter 6 the player has to rely on outlaw units and one of possible advancement line for Merissa's soul eater is leadership (it unlocks 3 advancements - leadership ability for bandits, improving the leadership ability and improving bandits' resistances). In the selection dialogue it is called "Leadership". It would be nice to tell the player after gaining the ability to recruit/recall bandits that it would come in handy in this chapter. But we might want to check if she did not unlock and/or take these advancements yet.

Remind player the objective in Flight

In scenario Flight (Chapter 1) the player's objective is to move Lemyr to the signpost. They are given 15 turns for that but it is doable in just 5 turns. So if the player is taking their sweet time (do not finish before turn, say, 10), someone (probably Glacyn) should remind Lemyr what he is supposed to do. Just a few sentences said by Glacyn and Lemyr would be enough.

Reorganize heroes' amlas

Lemyr's amlas with sword and lance are duplicated and do not always use max_times, this should be fixed. But we need to keep in mind that this will cause issues with previous save files. That also applies to Clare's amlas with staff, Amiwen's amlas with faerie fire, Jolla's amlas with staff and spells, Merissa and Tinry's amlas with quarterstaff and magic blast.

Enemies' villages in Return of the Orcs

In Return of the orcs (Chapter 1) the enemies have villages that are too far away from their castles. We use macro GIVE_VILLAGES1 to assign initial villages to all sides but here it is not right to give enemies those villages. We should only give them villages near their castles (and possibly give them more income to compensate).

Recruiting in Chapter 5

For some reason, it is not possible to recruit units the usual way in Chapter 5. When one presses the hotkey or choose the action from right-click menu, nothing happens. Only scenarios from 3 onward (except scenario 7) are affacted.
The player's recruit list is empty until certain point in scenario 3 where it is set by [modify_side] recruit= (or [set_recruit] in victory event). While the recruit list is empty, the player is told that they have no units to recruit.

Amiwen's traits

Her traits should be changed. There is really no reason why she should have the intelligent trait, she might have the loyal trait instead. The dextrous trait might be replaced with some other one (though not sure which one) but it can as well stay.

Write down if player paid peasent's debt

It will be (in a later chapter) good to know if the player helped the peasant in scenario Dwarven Doors (Chapter 2).

Update stats for High Paladin

In wesnoth/wesnoth@51bb130, stats for Paladin were significantly boosted so now our own High Paladin (possible advancement for Lemyr) has actually same or even lower stats.

Changes for Paladin:
Hitpoints: 65 => 75
Sword attack: 8x5 => 9x5
Lance attack: 15x2 => 16x2
Cost: 58 => 82

High Paladin's current stats;
Hitpoints: 75
Sword attack: 9x5
Lance attack: 15x2
Cost: 65

Clare's backstory

Her backstory could use some improvements. It might be changed so her talent/intelligence/connection to higher powers was discovered by a wandering mage. It would be also good to elaborate on her reasons for joining the Academy and her hatred of the orcs.
It can be partially done in introduction of Chapter 1, partially in some dialogues.
Some ideas here come from forums: https://forums.wesnoth.org/viewtopic.php?f=8&p=619856#p619852.

The village in Chapter 1

Use different parts of the village for map in different scenarios. In first scenario, the battle should take place in west, behind the river. In second scenario, the player should try to hold the enemy before the river (Lemyr is surprised that the enemy has crossed it when he returns). During the third one, the orcs have broken the defenses and besieged the keep so the player has to push them back behind the river and defeat them there for once and all. (The part for scenario 16a/18b is to be decided.)

Add death speeches for heroes in Gauntlet

While it is not strictly needed, it would be nice if something was said when a hero dies before the final wave arrives.