GCI/Playtesting/Delfadors Memours/Hardest

Preamble

This is a test of "Delfador's Memoirs" on Great Mage (Hardest) difficulty. Due to the fact that I have already playtested this campaign before on Normal Difficulty, this test is being done under a slightly different set of criteria which has been quoted below:

1. What difficulty levels and what version of Wesnoth have you played the scenario on?
2. How difficult did you find the scenario? (1-10)
3. How does the scenario compare to Normal difficulty level?
4. What, if any, are changes you would have made to the scenario to make it more difficult?
5. Were there any particulary good/bad strategic decisions made by the AI?
6. Was there any event that caused you to lose the game and forced you to reload or restart the scenario?

Scenario 1: Overture

1. Windows Build Version 1.9.3. Great Mage (Hardest) difficulty.
2. N/A
3. N/A
4. N/A
5. N/A
6. N/A

Scenario 2: The Valley Belongs to Me

1. Windows Build Version 1.9.3. Great Mage (Hardest) difficulty.
2. Difficulty: 6.
3. This scenario appears more or less the same as the equivilent on Normal.
4. I would suggest making the Normal version easier, as it is currently already a tricky scenario.
5. I noticed that aside from a couple of scouts, the bulk of the AI's units reached me and attacked during dawn which put it at a disadvantage.
6. None.

Scenario 3: The Road to Weldyn

1. Windows Build Version 1.9.3. Great Mage (Hardest) difficulty.
2. Difficulty: 4.
3. Scenario is not significantly harder than Normal.
4. The AI should be given some level two units, perhaps Goblin knights would be appropriate.
5. AI did not attempt to withdraw during day, and sufferent devastating losses.
6. None.

Scenario 4: Leollyn

1. Windows Build Version 1.9.3. Great Mage (Hardest) difficulty.
2. Difficulty: 7.
3. This was moderately harder than on Normal difficulty.
4. No changes are needed as difficulty is appropriate.
5. The AI decided to attack from the water after I set up a defensive position at the edge of the forest. This gave me a considerable advantage which more than made up for the AI's ToD and unit advantage. A human player would likely play less agressively and attempt to attack my flanks which would force me to decide between speading my forces thinly or allowing the enemy to gain ground.
6. None.

Scenario 5: Council in Weldyn

1. Windows Build Version 1.9.3. Great Mage (Hardest) difficulty.
2. N/A
3. N/A
4. N/A
5. N/A
6. N/A

Scenario 6: Swamps of Illuven

1. Windows Build Version 1.9.3. Great Mage (Hardest) difficulty.
2. Difficulty: 7.
3. This level was significantly more difficult compared to on Normal.
4. No changes to difficulty needed.
5. The AI does little to take into account terrain, attacking from swamp or water with low defense units such as thugs, and is reluctant to retreat during the day when they are at a significant disadvantage.
6. Delfador died several times, this was due to me failing an overly ambitious counterattack.

Scenario 7: Night in the Swamp

1. Windows Build Version 1.9.3. Great Mage (Hardest) difficulty.
2. Difficulty: 6.
3. Slightly harder difficulty than Normal.
4. No changes needed.
5. I thought that the AI's targeting algorithm was good at taking advantage of weaknesses, especially my mages.
6. Nothing significant.

Scenario 8: Ur-ThoroDor

1. Windows Build Version 1.9.3. Great Mage (Hardest) difficulty.
2. Difficulty: 5.
3. About the same as the on Normal.
4. I think, rather than giving the woses so much gold at the beginning, they should have a gold boost around turn 4 approximately when you first reach the island. That way, the fight would be concentrated in the forest where the woses would be strongest.
5. The AI should be a bit more cautious and take advantage of the high defense in the forest.
6. None.

Scenario 9: Houses of the Dead

1. Windows Build Version 1.9.3. Great Mage (Hardest) difficulty.
2. Difficulty: 7.
3. Significantly harder than Normal.
4. No changes needed.
5. The AI played well.
6. I had trouble killing the deathknight without Delfador dying on the next turn.

Scenario 10: The Gate Between Worlds

1. Windows Build Version 1.9.3. Great Mage (Hardest) difficulty.
2. Difficulty: 4.
3. Not much harder than Normal.
4. Perhaps give Illiah-Malah a couple of level 2 units.
5. AI played acceptably.
6. None.

Scenario 11: Wasteland

1. Windows Build Version 1.9.3. Great Mage (Hardest) difficulty.
2. Difficulty: 5.
3. Moderately harder than Normal.
4. No changes needed to difficulty.
5. AI played acceptably.
6. None.

Scenario 12: Terror at the Ford of Parthyn

1. Windows Build Version 1.9.3. Great Mage (Hardest) difficulty.
2. Difficulty: 7.
3. Moderately harder than Normal.
4. No need to increase difficulty.
5. AI played acceptably.
6. None.

Scenario 13: The Return of Trouble

1. Windows Build Version 1.9.3. Great Mage (Hardest) difficulty.
2. Difficulty: 10+. I am afraid I was unable to finish this scenario playing as intended.
3. Extremely harder than Normal, the Orcs' ability to recruit Orcish Warriors makes surviving the first night go from challenging to nearly impossible.
4. Difficulty should be decreased. At the very least, the ally should be given access to level 2 units, and perhaps more gold.
5. The AI played extremely well. It was especially good at concentrating its attacks on a single unit to kill it.
6. Yes.

Bugs found

1. DM: Scenario 13 - The Return of Trouble: Chantal's erratic running
2. DM: Scenario 13 - The Return of Trouble: Inter-Orcish feud

Scenario 14: Shadows

1. Windows Build Version 1.9.3. Great Mage (Hardest) difficulty.
2. Difficulty: 5.
3. Slightly harder than Normal.
4. The map could have several more non-forested tiles in the top right to the west of blue's base so it's skeletons could catch up a little faster.
5. AI played acceptably.
6. None.

Scenario 15: Save the King

1. Windows Build Version 1.9.3. Great Mage (Hardest) difficulty.
2. Difficulty: 5.
3. Slightly harder than Normal.
4. I think the south east orc could be given about 50-100 more gold so Garard has more difficulty overwealming the orc by himself.
5. AI played acceptably.
6. None.

Scenario 16: Dark Sky Over Weldyn

1. Windows Build Version 1.9.3. Great Mage (Hardest) difficulty.
2. N/A
3. N/A
4. N/A
5. N/A
6. N/A

Scenario 17: A New Ally

1. Windows Build Version 1.9.3. Great Mage (Hardest) difficulty.
2. Difficulty: 4.
3. Difficulty is moreorless equal to the scenario on Normal.
4. I noticed the dwarves have been given more gold on hard difficulty to compensate for the stronger undead, however I think they should be given less.
5. AI played acceptably.
6. None.

Scenario 18: The Portal of Doom

1. Windows Build Version 1.9.3. Great Mage (Hardest) difficulty.
2. Difficulty: 10.
3. This scenario is marginally more difficult than on Normal.
4. The difficulty of this scenario is too high, I was only able to complete this scenario by abusing the autosave feature (and even then Delfador was the only unit to make it back to the cave). I would suggest increasing the amount of starting gold for the player and spawning Illiah Malah without his nightguant and bloodbat so there is a larger delay before being attacked.
5. AI played well.
6. None.

Scenario 19: Showdown in the Northern Swamp

1. Windows Build Version 1.9.3. Great Mage (Hardest) difficulty.
2. Difficulty: 6.
3. Moderately harder than Normal.
4. No changes to difficulty needed.
5. AI played acceptably.
6. None.

Bugs

1. DM: Scenario 19 - Showdown in the Northern Swamp: Undead veterans

Scenario 20: Prince of Wesnoth

1. Windows Build Version 1.9.3. Great Mage (Hardest) difficulty.
2. Difficulty: 4.
3. Difficulty is roughly the same as on Normal.
4. It seems that after the first wave of enemies, there are no more challenges and it is easy to walk right up to Eldred. I would suggest giving him a gold bonus halfway though to keep up the pressure of the fight.
5. AI played very poorly. It attacked from low defense and at the wrong time of day.
6. None.

Scenario 21: Clash at the Manor

1. Windows Build Version 1.9.3. Great Mage (Hardest) difficulty.

Scenario 22: Face of the Enemy

1. Windows Build Version 1.9.3. Great Mage (Hardest) difficulty.