Shadows of Deception v0.5.3

Version 0.5.3 is out!

It's been approximately 15 months since 0.5.0, when I released the first big batch of scenarios. Since then, there's been only two interim releases, neither of which constituted much. In the meantime, however, I have realized several things about map design, scenario design, and gameplay. I wasn't satisfied with most of the last in regards to several of the scenarios I released in 0.5.0, specifically Gathering Storm (E1S3) and Pursuit (E1S4). A few scenarios also had maps which were direct or semi-direct frankens of maps taken from other add-ons.

This release features no new scenarios, but fixes many issues instead. Brand new, hand-drawn maps for E1S0, E1S3, and E1S4 are complemented by updated gameplay and presentation. E1S1 and E1S2 have had their maps improved as well. Dialog has been improved across all scenarios and storytext screens.

Unfortunately, I haven't gotten to improving Ambush in Wesmere (E1S5.1) yet. I am aware of the critique of it being too short, and I personally don't know what I was thinking when I made the map. It will be fixed in 0.5.4.

IMPORTANT: two changes were made in this release relating to saved games:

• The Dark Castle and Keep (Ydc/Ydk) have been removed. This breaks any existing mid-scenario saved games of Awakening - Part I (E1S6). I'm sorry for this, but I expect the number of players with affected saves is small enough.
• Three game-crucial campaign-specific WML tags have been renamed. This will eventually break all current and start-of-scenario saved games. However, I have added a compatibility layer for this and several future releases, which will allow all your current save games to function normally for now.

The full changelog for this version is as follows:

* Scenarios
  * Rhaen has been renamed Dravar
  * Fixed a border case where Mind Controlled unit wouldn't be able to attack
  * Improved storytext for all playable scenarios
  * E1S0 - Descry
    * New original map
    * Various dialog and presentation improvements
  * E1S1 - Seer and Outlaw:
    * Various aesthetic and presentation improvements
    * Balancing changes
      * Reduced size of all keeps for fewer recruits per turn
      * Reduced enemy AI gold
  * E1S2 - Dwarvish Trail
    * Reworked several areas to alleviate bottleneck and drudgery
    * Removed final objective to move Anathryis and Dalen to the bridge, which
      more often than not involves trudging mindlessly across 3/4 of the map
    * Improved presentation of the final cutscene
    * Fixed player not getting bonus carryover gold
  * E1S3 - Gathering Storm
    * New map
    * Some gameplay changes were made to go along with the new map, the most
      drastic being side 3 is now comprised of orcs as opposed to trolls, and
      side allegiances have been changed somewhat
    * Improved dialog and presentation
    * Fixed player not getting bonus carryover gold
  * E1S4 - Pursuit
    * New map
    * Completely revamped gameplay and dialog
  * E1S5.2 - Change of Plans
    * Improved presentation

* Lua
  * Imported new lua-based spawner code from AtS
  * Renamed several custom WML tags for clarity
  * [take_item] no longer needs an 'event' key. The item id will be used in absentia
  * Fixed 'Cast: [spell]' menus showing up on invalid locations

* Graphics
  * Removed terrains: Dark Tiled Floor, Dark Castle, Dark Keep
  * New terrains: Lamppost
  * New or updated unit graphics: Northguard Nightshaft
  * Removed many unused images

* Units
  * Use human names for the Northguard
  * Fixed Northguard Silverbow advancing to itself
  * Added 'Northguard' prefix to all applicable units type names
  * Port balancing changes for the Leech from AtS

* User interface
  * Custom terrain editor group name displayed as 'Shadows of Deception'
    instead of 'NX-RPG'

Shadows of Deception v0.5.2

Version 0.5.2 is out!

Once again, I have gotten busy, and this release contains no new scenarios, only mostly internal bug fixes and improvements. It is, however, the first release on the 1.12 add-on server, which was started and became the default server in Wesnoth 1.11.10. It is noted that this campaign requires 1.12 or later, but it will work on the 1.12-beta versions (1.11.10 on).

I also didn't have time to address the main complaint, that which being E1S5.1 was too easy. However, I'll try to have that in the next release, along the more scenarios, though I'm not sure how many as the rest of those slated for E1 are more complicated than those previous. I'd also like to go back and give E1S3 and 4 some tweaks, since they really don't satisfy me right now.

The changelog for this version is as follows:

* Scenarios
  * E1S2 - Dwarvish Trail
    * Update Micro AI syntax for 1.11.8 and later
    * Allowed the Mind Control spell to restore full movement
    * Use goto MAI for moving Dalen to the bridge
  * E1S5.1 - Ambush in Wesmere
    * Fixed a typo preventing the orcs from ever giving you their troops as
      allies at scenario victory
    * Update Micro AI syntax for 1.11.8 and later
  * E1S5.2 - Change of Plans
    * Some dialog tweaks

* Lua
  * Mitigated an issue with [fade_out_music] briefly playing a short burst
    of the previous track before the switch to a new one

* Graphics
  * New or updated unit graphics: Northguard Fighter, Northguard Warrior, 
    Northguard Deathblade
  * Removed blank ellipse images. Units can now use ellipse=none

* User interface
  * Cutscene themes now use the 1.11.10 [theme] id attribute on 1.11.10 and
    later.

Shadows of Deception v0.5.1

Version 0.5.1 is out

This is a mainly bugfix release for an issue discovered by SpoOkyMagician while playing E1S3, and for several improvements I made to the same scenario while subsequently testing it.

The changelog for this version is as follows:

* General
  * Displayed the music pack's name as "SoD Music" as opposed to "NX-Music"
    in the campaign menu music note

* Scenarios
  * E1S1 - Seer and Outlaw
    * Made side 2's leader passive
  * E1S3 - Gathering Storm
    * Increased turn limit
    * Some work on balancing difficulty
    * Many improvements to ai behavior
    * Fixed several issues that caused some events to fire at the wrong time
      or not at all
    * Some aesthetic map tweaks

* Lua
  * Fixed an accidental broken implementation of [store_direction]
  * Prevent [hidden_unit] from clobbering clobbering existing 
    on-map units (ported from AtS)

Shadows of Deception v0.5.0

Version 0.5.0 is out!

After more than a year of work, here's the yet-again revamped version of the campaign! It features a new name (again), five new scenarios, a revamped plot, revamped RPG stuff, and tons of updates!

During the long break since the last release, I came to realize that the campaign did not have a clear direction to the story, which resulted in me and my "team" sitting down and actually planning everything out. The result was one quite different from what was planned a year ago, but I feel that is a much more solid and interesting one than what was originally planned. This allowed me to finally make five new scenarios.

Among the many updates were updates to the Inventory, which is now, as far as I can tell, bug-free. I also designed a new spellcasting system, showcased here:

The (very-long) changelog for this version is as follows:

* General
  * Gave campaign a new official name: Shadows of Deception
  * Dropped support for 1.11.4 and below
  * Removed Nightmare difficulty
  * Made character units cost no upkeep
  * Fixed an issue in E1S6 causing savefile corruption
  * Removed Character Development
  * Removed Norethial and Althugor

* Scenarios
  * E1S0
    * New cutscene scenario
  * E1S1
    * New scenario
  * E1S2
    * New Scenario
  * E1S3
    * New scenario
  * E1S4
    * New scenario
  * E1S5.1
    * New scenario
  * E1S5.2
    * New cutscene scenario
  * E1S6 (This scenario was formally E1S1)
    * Reworked scenario and map for cleaner, simpler gameplay.
    * Improved dialog
    * Some balancing changes

* Lua
  * Huge overhaul and bugfixing of lua code, both to the GUI and custom tags
  * Made use of many functions from 8680's lua pack
  * Added several new custom WML tags
  * New Spellcasting system

* Sound and Music
  * Added new track: "Lunar Cage" by AngeloB
  * Added new track: "Gathering Storm" by Blake Ewing (Ewing)
  * Added new track: "Ambuscade" by Mattias Westlund (West)
  * Added new track: "Through the Gates" by Mattias Westlund (West)
  * Added new track: "Frantic Sketch" by TreizeCouleurs

* Graphics
  * Fixed duplicate terrain IDs
  * Fixed bug where walls were drawn over gate corners (ported from AtS)
  * New or updated unit graphics: Villager
  * Removed show weather images
  * New Northguard race icons for the editor's unit tool
  * Terrain
    * New terrains: Carpet, City, City Arsenal, Earthy Rockbound Cave
    * Removed terrains: Campfire (mainline in 1.11), Glowing Dark Flagstone

* Units
  * New units: Caravan, Dwarvish Miner, Dwarvish Outcast, Elvish Spellbinder, 
    Elvish Apprentice, Northguard Archer, Northguard Silverbow, Northguard Nightshaft,
    Northguard Direwolf, Shadow Regent, Wanderer
  * Minor balancing changes
  * Force a shroud/fog refresh whenever a gate is destroyed.

Special thanks to shadowm (@shikadilord), Zerovirus, 8680 (@8573), bumbadadabum (@bumbadadabum), Jetrel (@rkettering), and lu_zero for their help with graphics, code, and playtesting.

NOTE: this campaign requires Wesnoth 1.11.6, which has been released but not announced. For more info, refer to this helpful tweet by our own shadowm: