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The Silver Age Project

Автор DV, ноября 09, 2016, 20:43:56

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DV

That's topic for english-speaking users which represents our Silver Age Project (russian-speaking users can just go here http://forum.wesnothlife.ru/index.php?topic=1623.0). From now and on i'll duplicate our progress reports in this topic.
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DV

#1
So, it's main developer of the project a.k.a DV here. On the moment Silver Age Project includes two add-ons: Silver Age MP Era itself and SP campaign based on the era. You may download bith add-ons from 1.13-version server (due to newest methods which we used in our WML-code add-on wouldn't work with 1.12 version) - they named ''The Silver Age Era'' and ''The Shadow of Death'' respectively (see on the screen below). ''The Shadow of Death music'' is resource pack, which you can download or not as you wish - it includes music for the campiagn, but you may don't like it's size. Campaign should work even without it.

Our current progress is:
1. Silver Age Era - 2 of 8 scheduled factions are ready (with some cosmetic work - as attack icons and spell-choosing menu - still in progress), playable and primary balanced (we thank Рубака - famous russian player and participant of international tournaments - who have agreed to help us with the balance tests, but we'll still be glad of any high-skilled MP players help). So, you can download the era and enjoy playing with The Royal Army (a.k.a Loyalists a.k.a Wesnoth) and The MFNU (a.k.a Military Forces of the Necromancers Union a.k.a Undeads). Some graphic work is still not finished - so we haven't portraits and animations for most of the units (and weren't planning to draw them soon, as they'll take to much of our time and resources so we want to finish all factions before). We belive it wouldn't prevent players from enjoying the game as many of us still remember years when Wesnoth hasn't animations at all (and it still hasn't for some units such as mermen or fire dragon).
2. The Shadow of Death - work on campaign is in very beginning, so we have 2 completed scenarios, but it's not bad beta-version yet. Campaign use only Silver Age units, so there isn't any default units here. Therefore, there is the same problems with portraits and animations which main era has - as we're using temporary version for the scene characters.

On the moment project needs:
1. Help with checking of english localisation (as we aren't speaking english at worthy level).
2. Funds to pay artists for new unit's sprites and other graphic (yes, there aren't unpaid wesnoth-style artists among russians. We have very skilled artist, but he is poor student who need to pay for electricity and internet, so he refuses to work for free). Our current artist demands 200 rubles for each sprite (it's about 3.5 USD) Currently main developer pay him out of his own pocker but it isn't boundless.
3. Free graphic - such as portraits and attacks' icons and terrain graphic for the campaign's scenarios (but we still want to create high quality product, so we wouldn't take your works if your skill is worse than our artist's).
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DV

#2
There is inctruction for non-russianspeaking players of how to sign up on the forum (pics i1-i3) and how to write messages in topics (pic. i4):

after you have followed the instructions from pics i1 to i3, you'll receive an e-mail (see pic. i5). click to circled hyperlink and so you on pic. i6. type in your password and press key ''Вход''. subsequently you can sign in via mini-menu in top of the page (see pic. i6, in top) - you just should type in your login, password and pres key ''Вход''.
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DV

#3
There is full completed unit-tree of the Royal Army faction and some portratis we've already finished:

all units made by z5x1 a.k.a ZeXa
archer and apprentice mages portrarits by topazice
light pikeman and heavy infantryman portraits by z5x1
(i attach also sprites of these units, so you can make sure how our portraits match appropriate sprites - with much similarity of topazice portraits and more creative works of z5x1):
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DV

work which we've just finished - creation of sprites to represent every faction and race. On picture below you can see (from left ro right):
1. Bannerman representing The Royal Army (which is official name of wesnothian army).
2. Ku'man'dan representing The MFNU (which is official name of necromancer's aliiance army).
3. Forest Warrior temporarily representing The Eldahosse (which is elven-language name of the elven army) until sprite of 2nd level ''Master of War'' unit would be drawn.
4. Mountain Warrior temporarily representing The Knalgan Home Army (which is official name of main (not mercenary) knalgan military) until sprire of 3rd level "Jarl" unit would be drawn.
5. Strongman temporarily representing Three Hundred Tribes (name of orcish facrion) until sprite of 3rd level ''Сhieftain'' unit would be drawn.
6. Dragon Fang temporarily representing The Imperial Army (The Dragon Empire is official name of drakes state). We're still working on this faction concept so we even don't known which unit would represent it.
7. Theif temporarily representing The Blackwater Syndicate (wesnothian criminal organization) until sprite of 2rd level ''Filibuster'' unit would be drawn.
8. Explorer temporarily representing Swamplings - faction of creatures, inhabiting swamps in springhead of the Great River, such as nagas, saurians etc. We're still unsure about which unit would represent the faction in final version.
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DV

Some screenshots from 3rd scenario of our new campaign (which now in progress). Scenario is named ''Siege of Aethenhold'', so it's not hard to deduce which events it'll describe. So, you'll assault these huge castle (castle graphics by DV). There are also some ancient elven architecture in the neighborhood... what does it hides?
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DV

#6
some work we just have finished: variations of zombies and plague carriers.

Trivia:
* there are 13 variations of zombies and plague carriers, 4 variations of ghouls and devourers and only one flesh golem. When zombie becomes flash golem, it loses specific traits of its variation, but you still can see in the encyclopedia something like ''Flesh Golem Orcish meat''
* not only MFNU (a.k.a undead) faction will be able to use zombies in the era. One 2nd level unit of saurian augur line - Voodoo Mage - will also be able to create zombies from killed units. Saurians are part of the Swamplings faction.
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DV

#7
So it's time to represent fully completed tree of MFNU units.

Trivia:
* due to great number of zombie's variarions MFNU is the most numerous faction in the era (but technicaly all variations of unit is still the same unit).
* the unit in in the upper left corner is variation of Ku'man'dan unit, which represents the faction in the faction-selection menu. This variation isn't playable in the multiplayer, but appears in the campaign. Original Ku'man'dan is the 3rd level of Skeleton Spearman line (one with shield and golden armour).
* zombie costs only 5 gold coins. It's 2 times cheaper than Vampire, 3 times cheaper than Skeleton Archer and 4 times cheaper than Dark Adept or Ghost. Repeated recall of killed Ilk'kha'ya'leth (unique ghost which you obtain in the beginnig of each game) costs 25 gold coins, so if you look at this sum as its cost, you may say that the MFNU has both cheapest (though Zombie shares this ''title'' with goblin-raider) and the most expensive 1st level units in the era.
* the faction has the largest number of skirmisher-type abilities at its disposal as Night Hound and her upgrades have "skirmisher" ability (the same Shadows have in default era), Black Vampire and Dread Wing have "wraith" (which allows to ignore living units' ZoC through visual hallucinations), Legion (4th level skeleton) has "testudo" (which allows to ignore ZoC and increases physical resistance in defense by 20%) and Ku'man'dan has "forgotten tactic" (which doesn't allow him to ignore ZoC by himself but temporarily provides such ability to all adjacent allies).
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DV

#8
this presentation shows The Royal Army 1st level unit Light Pikeman with some statistics, trivia and possible upgrades. if you like the idea. we'll made similar presentations for each unit line in the era. Ideally, it should help experienced players of the Default era to estimate innovation of our project, as well as help beginners to deal with all of ~350 scheduled units.




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DV

#9
In order to increase the variety of magic in our era, we've chaned the system of upgrades for mages, dark adepts and shamans.
While mage of 1st level looking like ordinary unit, but with each levelup he or she gains 1 additional spell - and he or she still upgrades to new unit type. So, every mage has two types of spells - basic spells, which all unit of such type have (like fireball for red mage and his upgrades) and modular spells, which individual unit can choose from a spellbook (he has 3 or 4 variants to choose).

Spell aren't necessarily new attacks - ir may be abilities or bonuses for previously obtained attacks. Sometimes (especially for 4th level) list of available spells depends from spells you've chosen before.

Let's try to sort it out at an example of Royal Army Mages.

1st level Apprentice Mage has only one spell - energy stream with 10-2 arcane ''magical'' damage. Damage of the spell increases by 2 points per unit's level.
White Mage has the same spell (which inflicts 12-2 damage since white mage's level is 2), but also heal (spell-ability which heals 8 hitpoints of adajenct units and cures poison and bleeding. Healing powers increases by 2 per level) and one modular spell of this:

1 - lightbeam is new attack which replaces energy stream. Inflicts 8-3 arcane damage, so total damage is the same 24 points as for energy stream, but instead of ''magical'' special it has far superior ''unavoidable'' (90% accuracy) - it has speed of light, after all. Damage increases by 3 points per unit's level (so in 3rd level it would inflict 11-3 against 14-2 of energy stream).
2 - purification is new melee attack, which works against undead only (0 damage against non-undead units). Inflicts 7-3 arcane damage, so it's make your mage over-effective against any undeads, especially against ghosts with their low HP. +2 damage points per level.
3 - style of willow isn't a spell, but rather an martial art of white mages. Unit, who learn it, able to fight with magic staff in the right hand and morning star in the left (do you remember Gandalf with staff and sword from 3rd LoTR film?). So, staff melee attack (which inflicts 7-2 impact damage) replaces with staff-and-morning-star attack (12-2 impact damage). Maybe good against enemy mages (who are vulnerable for physical attacks and usually can't fight back at melee combat).
4 - relic is possibility to become a holder of the holy relic, but mage should abandon all his attacks forever. So, he loses his melee attack and ranged attack and even possibility to obtain new spells in the next level. In return, mage becomes invulnerable to any non-arcane damage, obtains ability to inflict 4 points of damage to all adjacent undead units every turn and ability to increase damage of adjacent lawful and neutral mages by 20% (like leadership but for mages only). And he or she is still able to heal allies, so you have neraly-immortal healer and leader without any damage. Not so bad!
3rd level Light Mage has all spells which he had on 2nd level (which power of spells increased respectively), and can choose one of this:

1 - Magical Shield is ability which increases cold, fire and arcance resistance by 25% (in defense only). BTW, Paladins have it as their basic spell.
2 - Light Aura is default era's illuminates ability.
3 - Seer is ability to foresee the future. To obtain it mage should completely abandon any other magic, so he or she loses all spells and even ability to cure(but keeps attacks of staff or staff-and-morning-star). In return, mage obtains ''seer'' special (Unit:+20% accuracy Opponent:-20% accuracy) for its melee attack and 50-hexes vision range - you'll see everything! Especially good with style of willow (14-2 damage of 3rd level).
4 - mages who have lightbeam can also learn sunlight - new attack which replaces lightbeam. Inflicts 12-3 arcane damage (whilelightbeam inflicts 11-3 on 3rd level), which specials ''unavoidable'' (90% accuracy) and ''flash'' (opponent's accuracy decreases by 20). One of most effective spells, which allows you to attack without receiving counterattacks and make it very hard for enemy archers and even mages(70% accuracy of magical attacks turning into 50%) to attack your mage.
Note: mages who have holy relic can't obtain any new spells.

So, it's how it works. Considering that apprentice mage have 3 variants of upgrade (red, blue and white mages) and each of 2nd level mages have 2 variants of upgrade, you have almost inexhaustible number of combinations of attacks and abilities. Find the desired combination and obtain ultimate spell on 4th level (there are also some secret spells, which aren't documented in unit descriptions).
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DV

#10
We haven't received any negative comments of our Light Pikeman presentation (although we haven't received any positive comments too), so we make new presentation - it's about Archer now.




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DV

Some of recent works of our artist, ZeXa:

portrait of 1st level Poacher from Syndicate faction (there will be also another portrait, as unit has two variations: with harpoon and with bow) and icons for attacks:
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DV

#12
Hi all! We have some chronology for the Silver Age. All of this is totally uncanonically, so don't mind to copy, use and create add-ons about this events - we're, russian people, much less fixated on copyright and all that stuff, and you can don't mention us at all)

Silver Age, first third:

627 YW
* after Mal Ravanal was defeated, marshal Gweddry became royal vicegerent of Estmark province. Eastern Division headquarters was moved from Soradoc to Winnerhold, where Gweddry ruled the province, combining with command of Eastern Division, and, formally, the whole Royal Army.
* the country quickly recovered from damage, inflicted by Mal Ravanal. Necromancers-survivors fled the country to northetn mountains or to Kerlath.
* In order to accelerate restoration of the Wesnoth, King Konrad created ''the new nobility'' by transfering most affected lands to the ownership of the most distinguished knights. King also created title of baronet - any citizen who brought a certain amount of gold to the treasury, received the title and land plot. Peasants were mass relocated from Weatern Wesnoth to lands of the ''new nobles''. Those measures were unpopular, but quite effective - during the following years swaps, created by Mal Ravanal on the Horse Plains, were drained and Eastern Wesnoth was filled with life again. Royal chronicler Alfador Sweep wrote: "And so began the Silver Age of Wesnoth".

628 YW - The Estmark War
* the huge army of Mal Ravanal wasn't completely destroyed when he died - many of undeads were created not by lich himself, but by his servants, so those warriors were abandoned by their masters, when latter fled the country. Powerful ghost Phar'hear had united survivors, so he had created ''pitiful remnants'' army of sixty or seventy thousands warriors. So, the ghost decided to take revenge over Royal Army and attacked Estmark.
* Phar'hear had hoped that death of the national hero would demoralize Wesnoth citizens and give him time to preparate operation to destroy the whole country, bur Gweddry managed to survive and gather a small army and begin guerrilla war in Estmark. Eventually, the fact that undead army haven't necromancers and can't replenish its casualties another way but to spread zombie plague, allowed Eastern Division and arrived paladines to won. Phar'hear was destroyed and Estmark was saved.
* Paladines Order reputation, which had suffered befor, because of incapacity of the light knights to defeat Mal Ravanal's undead hordes, was fully restored after Eastmark War. In the following years the Order was very popular and had plenty of recruits.
* glory of Gweddry multiplied even more after his second victory over undeads. Neither necromancer had dared to openly confront the Wesnoth before Grand Marshal died.

629 YW
* Gweddry married Elaessa Griffinmount, youngest daughter of King Haldric VII and sister of King Konrad II. Their descendants, known as Lightson House, ruled Estmark during next sixty years.
* Mal Ravanal's escaped minions had rejected the idea to fight invincible Grand Marshal, so they explored lands outside the country's borders. Two of them who had the greatest influence were necromancer Shear'khaz'ud, who had occupied Mal Ravanal's former capital at Bitter Swamp and lich Ar'Rashen, who had terrorized eastern part of Dragon Mountains. Some of dark mages secretly settled in wesnothian Kerlath province. Most worshipped of them was sorcerer Raxan Blackwater, who had educated many students. The fact that ravanical necromancy traditions weren't forgotten is mostly his credit.

633 YW - Cin Smithson's incident
* well-known west coastal gangster Demyr the Moneybag had bought barinet's title with criminally acquired gold. Many of the Royal Army officers left the service this year, as they were outraged by the fact criminal became nobleman. Among deserters was also assassin named Cin Smithson, although his reasons weren't related to Demyr. As he had left Assassin's Guild, which was the most secret and brutal organization at the country, he knew his actions wouldn't be unpunished. He had conspired with servants of necromancer Menvan Coldcliff, who was imprisoned. An attempt to free the necromancers wasn't successful and Menvan was killed, but other dark mages appreciated talents of Smithson and accept him into their ranks. In course of time he became the most respected necromancer of northern lands and even became lich, taking the name of Mal Radus.
* regarding Demyr the Moneybag, his lands became asylum for smugglers and pirates of all stripes, and resulting in the creation of criminal organization, known as The Blackwater Syndicate.

645 YW - The Unblown Hops War
* that year the hops bad harvest had happened at northern barbarian lands, so barbarians, who were deprived of beer, had launched a war with the orcs. Due to orcish feuds, war was successful for barbarians and they occupied ocean coast between river Bork and Annuvin province. Only Glamdrol castle wasn't captured.

646 YW
* orcish towns Tirigaz and Bitok had made peace to fight barbarians together, but Knalgan Aliance made its move before. Knalgans formed an alliance with barbarians by offering them unlimited beer supply, so northerners became part of Knalgan with all previously occupied lands. United army of dwarves and barbarians defeated orces in River Bork Battle.

647 YW
* after year and a half of siege Glamdrol castle fell. Orces were finally banished from the ocean coast, so life of Wesmere elves and wesnothian Annuvin province became much more peaceful. Knalgans made their territory twice more extensive, but were drawn into an endless war with Bitok and Tirigaz.

A map for better understanding (yes, of course i have glued pieces of other maps - i am not Claudius Ptolemy, after all):
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DV

Another part of the same chronology:

Silver Age, second third:

648 YW
* large deposits of gold was found in the Mountains of Peril, so many of wesnothian citizens went there to mine it.

649 YW
* pirates of the Blackwater Syndicate had discovered sea route to Sleepless sea, so they began to raid against gold miners in the Mountains of Peril.
* miners hired mercenary troops to defend themselves.

650 YW - The Peril incident
* pirate Manry the Reckless, inspired by the success of last year's operations, had collected the fleet of fifteen ships to raid Peril mines. His operation is successful, but a dragon who was awakened by noise of the battle, sank the pirate fleet and gathered all gold.

651 YW - The Peril War
* gold miners hired even more mercenary troops to take their gold by the dragon and free their mines.
* dragon was defeated, but had inflicted substantial damage first, killing three thousands men. Mercenaries survivors declared all saved gold their property (there was about 700,000 gold coins). Gold miners disagreed, so mercenaries occupied mines until their spoils will be returned. Gold miners hired other mercenary troops to recapture their mines. Soldiers of fortune from across the country gathered in the Mountains of Peril, where war between two mercenary armies began.
* in the kerlathian village Northvalley infant boy was found on the porch of a house. The child was later named Hasan.

652 YW
* Southern Division general was ordered by the king to stop The Peril War. The vanguard regiment of colonel Virraent Gingar had defeated thousand and half of mercenaries even before main forces of the Royal Army arrived. So, mine's invaders retreated and freed the mines, while gold miners army lay down arms. Mines were declared state property and its protect entrusted to the Southern Division.
* Mercenaries, who lost their gold and their work, mostly stayed in the Kerlath. Some of them joined local militia or Westin's town guard. Others became farmers, and third became robbers.

653 YW - Mercenaries rebellion
* after two lean years many kerlathian peasants, including former mercenaries, became robbers. Kerlathian bands of raiders were numerous at all times, but now they formed small armies.
* same years were lean in Western Knalga. Government was forced to strengthen guard of granaries and caravans with food, so it allowed orces to recapture southern coast of the river Brok and surrounding lands down to the Jotha bay.

654 YW
* Southern Division torn between duties to protect the Peril mines, caravans with gold and trade roads. There isn't forces to hold back gangs of former mercenaries.
* Kerlathian robbers became more and more restless. At 14th of November 2,000 of them plundered Fort Tahn.

655 YW - Rise of the Legion
* colonel Virraent Gingar was promoted to general of the Southern Division. On the basis of his former regiment he had created the Kerlathian Legion - originally it was just a rapid response squad which mission was to put an end to rebellion.
* mercenary gangs, which were encouraged by last year's success and lost a touch with reality, so they tried to fight the Legion and some of them were defeated. Since Legion hasn't forces to escort criminals to a hard labor, they just had not take prisoners. Such news had demoralized rebels and some of them went home, while others - mostly former mercenaries - united to fight to the death.

656 YW
* On 9 of March Legion intercepted mercenary army, which had wintered in Kerlathmouth. Rebels strength totaled 5 thousands men, while legionnaires were only 1 thousand. General Gingar himself had arrived to lead the Legion. Mercenary group, which had fought against gold miners in the Peril War, offered to change side in exchange for official ranks in the Royal Army. When general Gingar had accepted the proposal, aspect ratio from 5 to 1 to 3 to 1. Legionaries and their allies won the battle.
* During the year mercenaries rebellion had receded and completely stopped after bountiful crop was harvested.

657 YW - The Earinelhopa incident
* Although Legion's mission was accomplished, General Gingar hadn't disband the subdivision (including former mercenaries), but continued to pay them increased salary in order to they maintained themselves in combat readiness. The fact caused discontent of capital officials and (even more) of Aethen elves. So, the latter send messengers to the Weldin with demanding to disband the Legion, but Gingar get his own way. 
* Aethen elves had performed several raids to Kerlath in response to General Gingar's refusal. They attacked supply routes of the Legion. So, legionnaires passed Blossoming trees mountain pass, invaded Aethen's coastal region, defeated Aetheni Eldahosse army group which numbering a thousand warriors and besieged Earinelhopa harbor city. Elves were not ready for full-scale war, so they paid indemnity and asked for peace in order to prepare for subsequent war, however they not dared to launch it later.
* General Gingar's actions got after the event approval of the court, so Legion was recognized as a permanent unit of the Southern Division and its authorized strength was increased threefold.

660 YW
* Necromancer Raxan was seriously ill, so in order to rich his global plans, he became lich, taking the name of Mal Xan.

668 YW
* Hasan Northvalley entered the Alduin Academy.

670 YW
* Hasan Northvalley was expelled from the Academy on charges of ''using of unlawful practices which led to the injury of another student''.

672 YW - ''The Shadow of Death'' campaign begin here.
* On 8 of June Marshal Gweddry died.
* On 26 of September Mal Xan invaded the Wesnoth with two thousands warriors. Alduin Academy was a goal of invasion, but undead's offensive was stopped at 28 of October near the Carcyn town. Mal Xan was killed, while other necromancers left the country, crossing the Great River near Abez. But the invasion still caused great material and moral damage to the country.
* all those news undermined the health of King Konrad, so he fell ill and died on 1st of January, 673 YW. Royal chronicler Alfador Sweep wrote: "And so the Silver Age of Wesnoth ended". But there still wasn't end of an era, as the Necromancers Silver Age just begun...
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DV

Some of our new works: we made new icons of attacks, so spellbook screens for Witch and High Witch are finished now:

I remind, Witch is 2nd level Dark Adept and High Witch is upgraded Witch. The unit-line has two interesting features: first, male and female units have different names: 1st level male is Dark Adept, while female is Apprentice Witch. 3rd level male is High Witcher, while female is Sabbath Queen.
Second, spells set for level 3 is totally different dependent on specialisation unit had choosen on level 2. Look, if we have Royal Army Red Mage, it can choose "flaming blade" spell on level 2 and he'll have choise between "lightning" and "flaming tomb" on level 3. if he or she choosen "stream of flame" spell on level 2, he or she still has opportunity to take "lightning" or "flaming tomb" level 3. But speaking about witches, if you had choosen flame control specialisation, you'll can choose between fire spells only, and if you had choosen turnskins specialisation, you'll choose between animals you'll transform into.
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