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=Frequently Asked Questions=
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{{Translations}}
 
 
 
== General ==
 
== General ==
  
 
===What is Battle for Wesnoth?===
 
===What is Battle for Wesnoth?===
Battle for Wesnoth is a fantasy turn-based strategy game.
+
Battle for Wesnoth is a turn-based tactical strategy game with a high fantasy theme, featuring both single-player, and online/hotseat multiplayer combat.
  
 
===What license is the game distributed under?===
 
===What license is the game distributed under?===
The project is distributed under the [http://www.fsf.org/copyleft/gpl.html GPL]. All contributors retain copyright on the portions of the project that they contribute.
+
The project is distributed under the [http://www.fsf.org/copyleft/gpl.html GPL]. All contributors retain copyright on the portions of the project that they contribute. For more information, see [[Wesnoth:Copyrights]].
  
 
===How to get informed about new releases?===
 
===How to get informed about new releases?===
Subscribe to new releases at [http://freshmeat.net/subscribe/38720/?url=%2Fprojects%2Fwesnoth%2F Freshmeat].
+
Check the front page of the website.
 +
 
 +
===A new version is out, but where is the download for [Windows, OS X, etc.]?===
 +
 
 +
The packages provided, other than the source code tarball, are <strong>not</strong> part of the official project.  The BfW team only releases the game's source code. Binary executables or applications are always contributed by community volunteers. If not for these volunteers, there would never be any downloads for us to enjoy. The volunteers compile the game and upload it on their own time, and sometimes they cannot do this in a timely fashion (or at all, at times). Although there are usual packagers designated for each operating system, there are times when other members of the community are asked to step in and contribute when the usual people cannot.
  
===A new version is out, but where is the download for [Windows, Mac OS, etc.]?===
+
Every time a new version is released, the usual volunteers are notified by the project leaders<strong>Please refrain from making forum posts asking where your download is</strong> because it doesn't help anything - the packagers already know, and they will get to it as soon as they canIn the past, the Windows and Mac communities have come together to produce home-grown unofficial builds for the community to use, and the renewed interest in the community and learning how to compile is generally a good thing.
The downloads are NOT part of the official project.  The BFW team only releases the game's source code.  Binary executables or applications are always contributed by community volunteers.  If not for these volunteers, there would never be any downloads for us to enjoyThe volunteers compile the game and upload it on their own time, and sometimes they cannot do this in a timely fashion (or at all, at times)  Although there are usual packagers designated for each operating system, there are times when other members of the community are asked to step in and contribute when the usual people cannot.
 
  
Every time a new version is released, the usual volunteers are always notified by the project leaders. '''Please refrain from making forum posts asking where your download is''' because it doesn't help anything - the packagers already know, and they will get to it as soon as they can.  In the past, the Windows and Mac communities have come together to produce home-grown unofficial builds for the community to use, and the renewed interest in community and learning how to compile is generally a good thing.
+
===Why doesn't Wesnoth have my favorite feature?===
 +
The answer to this varies from case to case. Although it is not always readily evident, Wesnoth was designed with a few base goals present from the very start of the project. To give an example, the simple gameplay and pixel art style are part of Wesnoth's design and we will never replace them with overly complicated rules and 3D models. Some people may not like this or find it disappointing, but such is life.
  
===Why does Wesnoth not have my favorite feature?===
+
There are other cases where the community would like to see something implemented but we simply don't have the human resources to do it right now, primarily because we are unpaid volunteers with our own jobs and families to care for. That is where you come in. The beautiful thing about our game being open-source software is that, if you want a feature badly enough, you can take our game's source code and modify it yourself, and then [[PatchSubmissionGuidelines|submit your work]] to us. The same principle applies to art -- if there is something you feel is missing and have the required skills (or will to learn), you can submit it to our [http://forums.wesnoth.org/viewforum.php?f=9 Art Contributions forum] for review.
Because we are building this game for ourselves and for our preferences, not for you. If you like the game as we like it - that is good. If you hate the game - that is also fine.
 
So what is the point of asking for ideas? Because the developers are just common people, although we come up with many ideas, our players certainly do as well, and often ones we don't think of ourselves. If a player comes up with an idea we like - we might implement it. Not because you asked for it - we do it because we like the feature.
 
At the moment there will be no features added because of the feature freeze in preparation for the release of v1.0. But after the release, there will be many new things again.
 
You are free to re-use any work in Wesnoth, as long as you follow the rules of the [http://www.fsf.org/copyleft/gpl.html GPL], to build the game that you like. Don't expect us to build that game for you.  Building this game is our hobby, not our profession - you did not pay us to make it; rather, we are the ones who have paid for it, in time and labor.
 
  
 
===Do you want help making this game? How can I help?===
 
===Do you want help making this game? How can I help?===
 
Yes, we want your help. Whether you're a programmer, artist, musician, writer, translator, level designer, playtester, or just have some great suggestions, you're welcome to contribute. How?  You can:
 
Yes, we want your help. Whether you're a programmer, artist, musician, writer, translator, level designer, playtester, or just have some great suggestions, you're welcome to contribute. How?  You can:
* join the [http://www.wesnoth.org/wiki/Project Project]
+
* join the [http://www.wesnoth.org/wiki/Project project]
* share your point of view at the [http://www.wesnoth.org/forum/ Forum]
+
* share your opinions at the [http://www.wesnoth.org/forum/ Forum]
* talk with us on [irc://irc.wesnoth.org/wesnoth IRC]
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* talk with us on [[Support#IRC|IRC]]
* report bugs you find at [[ReportingBugs]]
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* [[ReportingBugs|report]] bugs you find with Wesnoth and its mainline content
 
* update the wiki
 
* update the wiki
* play against us via the Multiplayer menu
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* play against other players via the [[GettingStarted#Multiplayer|Multiplayer]] menu
 
* vote for Wesnoth at your favorite gaming web site
 
* vote for Wesnoth at your favorite gaming web site
* Spread the word!
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* spread the word!
  
 
=== What are the system requirements? ===
 
=== What are the system requirements? ===
 
+
'''outdated!'''
We are not completely certain, but an x86 running at 600MHz with 128MB RAM should be adequate. Slower machines will have trouble scrolling large maps or processing AI turns with many units.  See the [http://www.wesnoth.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7384 forum thread] about minimum and recommended system requirements.
+
We are not completely certain, but an x86 running at 400 MHz with 128 MB RAM should be adequate for versions 1.0.2 and below. For versions 1.1 and up we recommend a computer with at least 1 GHz and 512 MB RAM if you run KDE or Gnome as Windowmanager (The game itself needs about 100 MB RAM). Slower machines will have trouble scrolling large maps or processing AI turns with many units.  See the [http://www.wesnoth.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7384 forum thread] about minimum and recommended system requirements.
  
 
=== I'm bored; how do I speed the game up? ===
 
=== I'm bored; how do I speed the game up? ===
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=== My computer is too slow; how do I speed the game up? ===
 
=== My computer is too slow; how do I speed the game up? ===
  
First, turn off the music and sound effects. Turning off the color cursors will make your cursor respond faster. If scrolling the map is slow, run the game in "Full Screen" mode, not in a window.  Turn off combat animations via the "Show Combat" option on the Advanced tab. You can try turning off halos and combat results, but this might make gameplay more difficult.
+
First, turn off the music and sound effects. Turning off the color cursors will make your cursor respond faster. If scrolling the map is slow, run the game in "Full Screen" mode, not in a window.  Turn off combat, map, and standing unit animations via the "Show Combat", "Animate Map" and "Unit Standing Animations" options on the Advanced tab in the game Preferences. You can try turning off halos and combat results, but this might make gameplay more difficult.
 
 
=== Post more questions here ===
 
 
 
Is there an FTP YaST repository?
 
  
 
== Gameplay and Controls ==
 
== Gameplay and Controls ==
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=== How do I learn to play? ===
 
=== How do I learn to play? ===
  
If you just want to jump right in, start the game and play the tutorial.  If you like reading documentation, see [[WesnothManual]], which is also distributed as a PDF file.  At any time while playing, you can select help from the menu button (or hit F1). The online help is quite extensive and provides information on terrains, weapons, traits, abilities, units and a good overview of how to play.
+
If you just want to jump right in, start the game and play the tutorial.  If you like reading documentation, see [[WesnothManual]].  At any time while playing, you can select help from the menu button (or hit F1). The online help is quite extensive and provides information on terrains, weapons, traits, abilities, units and a good overview of how to play.
  
 
=== My unit leveled up but didn't improve. What happened? ===
 
=== My unit leveled up but didn't improve. What happened? ===
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This is called "After Maximum Level Advancement" or AMLA for short. While most level 0, 1, and 2 units can advance, some cannot.  However, some level 3 units can advance to level 4, or even 5. You can see whether a unit can advance further by right clicking and selecting "description."
 
This is called "After Maximum Level Advancement" or AMLA for short. While most level 0, 1, and 2 units can advance, some cannot.  However, some level 3 units can advance to level 4, or even 5. You can see whether a unit can advance further by right clicking and selecting "description."
  
After a unit reaches the highest level it can get, every time it gains 100 experience it gains 3 hitpoints. It does not heal when this happens. This is a minor bonus so that experience gained by maxed out units is not altogether wasted. It is generally better to give experience to lower level units, rather than continue to advanced units that have reached their maximum level.
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After a unit reaches the highest level it can get, every time it reaches a new experience threshold (which increases with each advancement) it gains 3 hitpoints and is restored to a state of full health. This is a minor bonus so that experience gained by maxed out units is not altogether wasted. It is generally better to give experience to lower level units, rather than continue to advance units that have reached their maximum level.
 
 
If the unit in question is the Necrophage, this is not a bug.  The Necrophage eats the corpses of the dead, allowing it to periodically completely heal.  Leveling into itself is how this is carried out.
 
  
 
=== I tried to trap an enemy with several weak units, but it still escaped. What happened? ===
 
=== I tried to trap an enemy with several weak units, but it still escaped. What happened? ===
  
Most units exert a zone of control (or ZOC).  IF an enemy moves into one of the six adjacent hexes, the zone of control will prevent it from moving any farther.  However some weak units are level 0, meaning they are so weak that they do not have a ZOC. You can still surround an enemy unit entirely with level 0 units to keep it from escaping, but if there is any gap in your ranks, it could escape.
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Most units exert a zone of control (or ZoC).  If an enemy moves into one of the six adjacent hexes, the zone of control will prevent it from moving any farther.  However some weak units are level 0, meaning they are so weak that they do not have a ZoC. You can still surround an enemy unit entirely with level 0 units to keep it from escaping, but if there is any gap in your ranks, it could escape.
  
Also, some units have the "skirmish" ability, which allows them to ignore ZOCs.
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Also, some units have the "skirmish" ability, which allows them to ignore ZoCs.
  
 
=== How can I see where an enemy unit can move next turn? ===
 
=== How can I see where an enemy unit can move next turn? ===
  
During you turn you can click on an enemy unit. Wesnoth will highlight all the hexes the unit can move to in the next turn. This is useful when trying to arrange your units to block an enemy's movement.
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During your turn you can click on an enemy unit. Wesnoth will highlight all the hexes the unit can move to in the next turn. This is useful when trying to arrange your units to block an enemy's movement.
  
 
=== There's too much luck in this game! ===
 
=== There's too much luck in this game! ===
  
Sooner or later, you will become frustrated when your archmage with four 70% attacks misses all four times.  This does not mean that the AI is cheating or the random number generator is futzed.  It means you are noticing negative random events more than positive ones.  During the development of the game, many mathematicians have done sophisticated statistical analysis of the combat system.  Likewise, programmers have examined the random number generator.  Wesnoth has been deliberately designed so that the streaks of "bad" and "good" luck are part of the gameplay.
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Sooner or later, you will become frustrated when your archmage with four 70% attacks misses all four times.  This does not mean that the AI is cheating or the random number generator is futzed.  It means you are noticing random negative events more than positive ones.  During the development of the game, many mathematicians have done sophisticated statistical analysis of the combat system.  Likewise, programmers have examined the random number generator.  No flaws have been found, so streaks of "bad" and "good" luck should just be accepted as part of having randomness in Wesnoth. A more detailed rational and discussion of the role that randomness plays in Wesnoth can be found [http://www.wesnoth.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=21317&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a here].
 
 
Note that saving your game right before a combat, and restoring and trying again, will often generate the same result. This is expected, because the random number generator is "seeded".
 
  
Since Wesnoth is GPLed, it is possible that, after the 1.0 release, a new development team will "fork" the source and produce a version more like Heroes of Might & Magic, with no randomness.  Until then, don't charge with your horsemen against rock trolls at night...
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Since Wesnoth is GPLed, it is possible that a new development team will someday "fork" the source and produce a version more like Heroes of Might & Magic, with less or no randomness.  Until then, don't charge with your horsemen against troll rocklobbers at night...
  
 
=== The (random unit) is overpowered/underpowered! ===
 
=== The (random unit) is overpowered/underpowered! ===
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=== What do the different difficulty levels do? ===
 
=== What do the different difficulty levels do? ===
  
(So far all I have noticed is that it seems easier to get gold on Easy. Could someone else please provide a comprehensive answer? --Tap)
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That depends on the scenario. Usually, the opponent will get more money and be able to recruit higher-level units at higher difficulty levels, and you will have fewer turns available.
 
 
=== Post more questions here ===
 
  
 
== Maps, Scenarios and Campaigns ==
 
== Maps, Scenarios and Campaigns ==
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=== How do I beat scenario _______ ? ===
 
=== How do I beat scenario _______ ? ===
  
If you are stuck on a scenario in a campaign, you'll probably find a walkthrough at [[MainlineScenarios]].  Or check out the "Strategies and Tips" forum at http://www.wesnoth.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=3
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If you are stuck on a scenario in a campaign, you'll probably find a walkthrough at [[MainlineCampaigns]].  Or check out the "Strategies and Tips" forum at http://www.wesnoth.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=3
 +
 
 +
=== How do I download user campaigns? ===
 +
Choose "Campaigns" in the main Wesnoth menu. Then scroll down to the bottom and choose "Get More Campaigns..." or since 1.1.5 there is a "Get add-ons" button in the main menu. This connects you to the campaign server. In the campaign server you can view a list of all available campaigns and download them, as well as posting or deleting your own campaigns.
 +
 
 +
If you are behind a firewall you may not be able to connect to the campaign server. In this case try to download the campaign directly from the campaign server at http://addons.wesnoth.org/.
  
 
=== Are there any tools to help me create maps and scenarios? ===
 
=== Are there any tools to help me create maps and scenarios? ===
Yes, there is a tool called wesnoth_editor. It is a normal map-editor that should be a good help for creating the plain maps. For creating the scenarios there already is a scenario-editor included in the mac build. But this editor is rather outdated and it exists only for MacOS X. At the moment some community members are working on creating a nice and working scenario editor. You can have a look at the [http://www.wesnoth.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=6925 forum post] about this tool. You will also find more info at [[CampGen]].
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Yes, the game includes a built-in map editor, that you can use to build the terrain maps for your scenarios.
 +
 
 +
Unfortunately, there's no simple solution for creating the rest of what constitutes a complete scenario or campaign, which is the [[ReferenceWML|WML]] code. There have been some abandoned attempts at creating complete scenario editors such as [[CampGen]], but they are no longer maintained, nor do they work with the latest stable versions of the game.
 +
 
 +
You should take a look at the [[Create]] section for information and guides that can help you build your own scenario or campaign. Taking a look at how existing content works is also a good idea.
 +
 
 +
=== What are the .cfg files and how can I edit them? ===
  
=== How do I download user campaigns? ===
+
The .cfg files are plain text files, saved with the file extension ".cfg". You can create and edit them using normal text editors; just save the files in correct format.
Choose "Campaigns" in the main Wesnoth menu. Then scroll down to the bottom and choose "Get More Campaigns...". This connects you to the campaign server. In the campaign server you can view a list of all available campaigns and download them, as well as posting or deleting your own campaigns. If you are behind a firewall you may not be able to connect the the campaign server; in this case try contacting the author of the campaign via the forums to see if there is another way you can get the campaign.
+
 
 +
Please note that some Windows programs like to add a ".txt" extension, so the file is instead of "my_scenario.cfg" saved as "my_scenario.cfg.txt". And then the Windows Explorer will hide the ".txt" extension by default, so you may not notice it.
 +
 
 +
'''Notepad''': After you create a document, click "File", "Save as..." and select "Save as type: All files". To open the document, click "File", "Open..." and select "Files of type: All files (*.*)". If you open someone else's document, and the end-of-line symbols are displayed as small rectangles, you have to use another editor.
 +
 
 +
'''WordPad''': After you create a document, click "File", "Save as..." and select "Save as type: Text Document". After the document is saved, close WordPad and remove the ".txt" extension from file. To open the document, click "File", "Open..." and select "Files of type: All documents (*.*)".
 +
 
 +
There are also some additional editors with plugins offering support for WML [https://forums.wesnoth.org/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=13799 here].
  
=== I already created a campaign and published it on the campaign server. How can I get translations for the campaign? ===
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=== I already created an add-on and published it on the server. How can I get translations for the campaign? ===
Just have a look at [[WesCamp]]. This project is the easiest way to get translations for your campaign. All the info you need you can find at [[WesCamp]].
+
See [[GettextForTranslators#For_add-ons]]
  
 
===How do I place an object or unit on my map with the map editor?===
 
===How do I place an object or unit on my map with the map editor?===
You can't.  You need to make a multiplayer scenario file.  There are more details on the [[BuildingMaps|maps]] page.
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You can't.  You need to make a scenario file.  There are more details on the [[BuildingMaps|maps]] page.
 +
 
 +
== Multiplayer ==
  
=== Post more questions here ===
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===How do I connect to a multiplayer server, when I sit behind a restrictive firewall?===
  
== Multiplayer ==
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You have to open outgoing TCP port 15000 - 14997 (depending on the version you use) to play multiplayer games over the internet on the official servers.
  
 
===How to find players for multiplayer game?===
 
===How to find players for multiplayer game?===
Hang around for a while on multiplayer servers and you might find someone to play with. If you observe other people playing you will get informed when someone joins the servers. Maybe you find someone willing to play in the irc channel dedicated to mp: #wesnoth-mp at irc.freenode.net.
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Hang around for a while on multiplayer servers and you might find someone to play with. If you observe other people playing you will get informed when someone joins the servers. Maybe you find someone willing to play in the [[Support#IRC|IRC]] channel dedicated to Wesnoth, #wesnoth at irc.libera.chat.
You can also join #wesnoth at irc.freenode.net.
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 +
===How to save and load a multiplayer game===
 +
 
 +
Save the game. Give it a good name, so that you can find it among the other saved games.
 +
 
 +
Create new game. (Give it a name like "private game for X and Y", so that other players will not try joining it, and you do not have to explain or kick them.) The first item in the map/scenario list is "Saved games", select this. Choose the saved game. Wait for the other player(s) to connect. Start the game.
 +
 
 +
===How can I make my computer into a dedicated Wesnoth server?===
 +
 
 +
To setup a dedicated Wesnoth server, you have to compile the game with the "--enable-server" flag, and after you install, simply run wesnothd from the console.  This will start the server, listening on TCP port 15000.  To compile the server only you can use the flags "--disable-game --enable-server".  If you aren't using a linux or mac operating system, there are a few ways you can compile on Windows... [[CompilingWesnoth/CrossCompiling|here is one way]].
 +
 
 +
'''Note:''' Packages for Wesnoth 1.4 and later include wesnothd by default since it's required by the "Host a network game" option from the Multiplayer menu, which is the preferred option for temporarily hosting a server instance to play in a LAN or privately through the Internet.
 +
 
 +
===Which versions of Wesnoth can play together?===
 +
 
 +
You only need to make sure you are using the same minor version number (6 in "1.6.x", 8 in "1.8.x" and so on) corresponding to stable branch releases. If you are using a development release (odd minor version numbers), you must be using exactly the same version number as other clients, to avoid out-of-sync (OOS) issues in multiplayer.
  
=== Post more questions here ===
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If you are using user-made eras or MP scenarios, all players should make sure they are using the same, latest version of the add-on.
  
 
== Translations ==
 
== Translations ==
  
===I selected an asian translation and am not able to see the letters correctly. What happend?===
+
===Where can I find more information about translating Wesnoth?===
 +
See [[WesnothTranslations]] for a list of currently maintained projects, and methods for contacting their maintainers and volunteering for help, and instructions for starting your own translation if it isn't included in the game already. [http://gettext.wesnoth.org] shows the current progress translations for different game development and stable branches, mainline campaigns and user-made add-ons.
  
Since the size of the necessary fonts is too large, you'll need to download them separately (if you don't already have them). After that, simply copy the font to the '''fonts/''' directory in your wesnoth installation.
+
== Other Questions You Have ==
* Chinese font: [ftp://cle.linux.org.tw/pub/fonts/ttf/unicode/Arphic/gkai00mp.ttf gkai00mp.ttf]
 
* Japanese font: [http://cvs.sourceforge.jp/cgi-bin/viewcvs.cgi/sqs-xml/sqs-font/sazanami-gothic.ttf sazanami-gothic.ttf]
 
  
If you got futher questions have a look at [[WesnothAsianLanguages|this]] page.
+
The best way to get answers to less-frequently asked questions is by visiting the official [http://forums.wesnoth.org Battle for Wesnoth forums]. There are plenty of people willing to help.  Make sure you read ALL of the forum sticky notes and announcements before posting!
  
=== Post more questions here ===
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[[Category:Troubleshooting and Bugs]]

Latest revision as of 15:11, 19 September 2023

Contents

General

What is Battle for Wesnoth?

Battle for Wesnoth is a turn-based tactical strategy game with a high fantasy theme, featuring both single-player, and online/hotseat multiplayer combat.

What license is the game distributed under?

The project is distributed under the GPL. All contributors retain copyright on the portions of the project that they contribute. For more information, see Wesnoth:Copyrights.

How to get informed about new releases?

Check the front page of the website.

A new version is out, but where is the download for [Windows, OS X, etc.]?

The packages provided, other than the source code tarball, are not part of the official project. The BfW team only releases the game's source code. Binary executables or applications are always contributed by community volunteers. If not for these volunteers, there would never be any downloads for us to enjoy. The volunteers compile the game and upload it on their own time, and sometimes they cannot do this in a timely fashion (or at all, at times). Although there are usual packagers designated for each operating system, there are times when other members of the community are asked to step in and contribute when the usual people cannot.

Every time a new version is released, the usual volunteers are notified by the project leaders. Please refrain from making forum posts asking where your download is because it doesn't help anything - the packagers already know, and they will get to it as soon as they can. In the past, the Windows and Mac communities have come together to produce home-grown unofficial builds for the community to use, and the renewed interest in the community and learning how to compile is generally a good thing.

Why doesn't Wesnoth have my favorite feature?

The answer to this varies from case to case. Although it is not always readily evident, Wesnoth was designed with a few base goals present from the very start of the project. To give an example, the simple gameplay and pixel art style are part of Wesnoth's design and we will never replace them with overly complicated rules and 3D models. Some people may not like this or find it disappointing, but such is life.

There are other cases where the community would like to see something implemented but we simply don't have the human resources to do it right now, primarily because we are unpaid volunteers with our own jobs and families to care for. That is where you come in. The beautiful thing about our game being open-source software is that, if you want a feature badly enough, you can take our game's source code and modify it yourself, and then submit your work to us. The same principle applies to art -- if there is something you feel is missing and have the required skills (or will to learn), you can submit it to our Art Contributions forum for review.

Do you want help making this game? How can I help?

Yes, we want your help. Whether you're a programmer, artist, musician, writer, translator, level designer, playtester, or just have some great suggestions, you're welcome to contribute. How? You can:

  • join the project
  • share your opinions at the Forum
  • talk with us on IRC
  • report bugs you find with Wesnoth and its mainline content
  • update the wiki
  • play against other players via the Multiplayer menu
  • vote for Wesnoth at your favorite gaming web site
  • spread the word!

What are the system requirements?

outdated! We are not completely certain, but an x86 running at 400 MHz with 128 MB RAM should be adequate for versions 1.0.2 and below. For versions 1.1 and up we recommend a computer with at least 1 GHz and 512 MB RAM if you run KDE or Gnome as Windowmanager (The game itself needs about 100 MB RAM). Slower machines will have trouble scrolling large maps or processing AI turns with many units. See the forum thread about minimum and recommended system requirements.

I'm bored; how do I speed the game up?

There are several preferences you can change to shorten the time that the AI takes to make its moves. "Accelerated Speed" will make units move and fight faster. "Skip AI Moves" will not show the AI's units moving from hex to hex. Finally, you can turn off all combat animations via the "Show Combat" option on the Advanced tab.

My computer is too slow; how do I speed the game up?

First, turn off the music and sound effects. Turning off the color cursors will make your cursor respond faster. If scrolling the map is slow, run the game in "Full Screen" mode, not in a window. Turn off combat, map, and standing unit animations via the "Show Combat", "Animate Map" and "Unit Standing Animations" options on the Advanced tab in the game Preferences. You can try turning off halos and combat results, but this might make gameplay more difficult.

Gameplay and Controls

How do I learn to play?

If you just want to jump right in, start the game and play the tutorial. If you like reading documentation, see WesnothManual. At any time while playing, you can select help from the menu button (or hit F1). The online help is quite extensive and provides information on terrains, weapons, traits, abilities, units and a good overview of how to play.

My unit leveled up but didn't improve. What happened?

This is called "After Maximum Level Advancement" or AMLA for short. While most level 0, 1, and 2 units can advance, some cannot. However, some level 3 units can advance to level 4, or even 5. You can see whether a unit can advance further by right clicking and selecting "description."

After a unit reaches the highest level it can get, every time it reaches a new experience threshold (which increases with each advancement) it gains 3 hitpoints and is restored to a state of full health. This is a minor bonus so that experience gained by maxed out units is not altogether wasted. It is generally better to give experience to lower level units, rather than continue to advance units that have reached their maximum level.

I tried to trap an enemy with several weak units, but it still escaped. What happened?

Most units exert a zone of control (or ZoC). If an enemy moves into one of the six adjacent hexes, the zone of control will prevent it from moving any farther. However some weak units are level 0, meaning they are so weak that they do not have a ZoC. You can still surround an enemy unit entirely with level 0 units to keep it from escaping, but if there is any gap in your ranks, it could escape.

Also, some units have the "skirmish" ability, which allows them to ignore ZoCs.

How can I see where an enemy unit can move next turn?

During your turn you can click on an enemy unit. Wesnoth will highlight all the hexes the unit can move to in the next turn. This is useful when trying to arrange your units to block an enemy's movement.

There's too much luck in this game!

Sooner or later, you will become frustrated when your archmage with four 70% attacks misses all four times. This does not mean that the AI is cheating or the random number generator is futzed. It means you are noticing random negative events more than positive ones. During the development of the game, many mathematicians have done sophisticated statistical analysis of the combat system. Likewise, programmers have examined the random number generator. No flaws have been found, so streaks of "bad" and "good" luck should just be accepted as part of having randomness in Wesnoth. A more detailed rational and discussion of the role that randomness plays in Wesnoth can be found here.

Since Wesnoth is GPLed, it is possible that a new development team will someday "fork" the source and produce a version more like Heroes of Might & Magic, with less or no randomness. Until then, don't charge with your horsemen against troll rocklobbers at night...

The (random unit) is overpowered/underpowered!

The development team has spent years tweaking the units in the game. Each unit has had its gold cost, attack types, combat damage, defensive values, resistances, upgrade paths, and other stats carefully scrutinized and loudly discussed in the forum. However, the game code and the units were being modified right up until the 1.0 release, so some unbalanced units may have slipped through.

If you have evidence to back up your claim, search the forum for past discussions about this unit, and then try posting.

The (random scenario) is too hard/easy!

See above answer about random units.

What do the different difficulty levels do?

That depends on the scenario. Usually, the opponent will get more money and be able to recruit higher-level units at higher difficulty levels, and you will have fewer turns available.

Maps, Scenarios and Campaigns

How do I beat scenario _______ ?

If you are stuck on a scenario in a campaign, you'll probably find a walkthrough at MainlineCampaigns. Or check out the "Strategies and Tips" forum at http://www.wesnoth.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=3

How do I download user campaigns?

Choose "Campaigns" in the main Wesnoth menu. Then scroll down to the bottom and choose "Get More Campaigns..." or since 1.1.5 there is a "Get add-ons" button in the main menu. This connects you to the campaign server. In the campaign server you can view a list of all available campaigns and download them, as well as posting or deleting your own campaigns.

If you are behind a firewall you may not be able to connect to the campaign server. In this case try to download the campaign directly from the campaign server at http://addons.wesnoth.org/.

Are there any tools to help me create maps and scenarios?

Yes, the game includes a built-in map editor, that you can use to build the terrain maps for your scenarios.

Unfortunately, there's no simple solution for creating the rest of what constitutes a complete scenario or campaign, which is the WML code. There have been some abandoned attempts at creating complete scenario editors such as CampGen, but they are no longer maintained, nor do they work with the latest stable versions of the game.

You should take a look at the Create section for information and guides that can help you build your own scenario or campaign. Taking a look at how existing content works is also a good idea.

What are the .cfg files and how can I edit them?

The .cfg files are plain text files, saved with the file extension ".cfg". You can create and edit them using normal text editors; just save the files in correct format.

Please note that some Windows programs like to add a ".txt" extension, so the file is instead of "my_scenario.cfg" saved as "my_scenario.cfg.txt". And then the Windows Explorer will hide the ".txt" extension by default, so you may not notice it.

Notepad: After you create a document, click "File", "Save as..." and select "Save as type: All files". To open the document, click "File", "Open..." and select "Files of type: All files (*.*)". If you open someone else's document, and the end-of-line symbols are displayed as small rectangles, you have to use another editor.

WordPad: After you create a document, click "File", "Save as..." and select "Save as type: Text Document". After the document is saved, close WordPad and remove the ".txt" extension from file. To open the document, click "File", "Open..." and select "Files of type: All documents (*.*)".

There are also some additional editors with plugins offering support for WML here.

I already created an add-on and published it on the server. How can I get translations for the campaign?

See GettextForTranslators#For_add-ons

How do I place an object or unit on my map with the map editor?

You can't. You need to make a scenario file. There are more details on the maps page.

Multiplayer

How do I connect to a multiplayer server, when I sit behind a restrictive firewall?

You have to open outgoing TCP port 15000 - 14997 (depending on the version you use) to play multiplayer games over the internet on the official servers.

How to find players for multiplayer game?

Hang around for a while on multiplayer servers and you might find someone to play with. If you observe other people playing you will get informed when someone joins the servers. Maybe you find someone willing to play in the IRC channel dedicated to Wesnoth, #wesnoth at irc.libera.chat.

How to save and load a multiplayer game

Save the game. Give it a good name, so that you can find it among the other saved games.

Create new game. (Give it a name like "private game for X and Y", so that other players will not try joining it, and you do not have to explain or kick them.) The first item in the map/scenario list is "Saved games", select this. Choose the saved game. Wait for the other player(s) to connect. Start the game.

How can I make my computer into a dedicated Wesnoth server?

To setup a dedicated Wesnoth server, you have to compile the game with the "--enable-server" flag, and after you install, simply run wesnothd from the console. This will start the server, listening on TCP port 15000. To compile the server only you can use the flags "--disable-game --enable-server". If you aren't using a linux or mac operating system, there are a few ways you can compile on Windows... here is one way.

Note: Packages for Wesnoth 1.4 and later include wesnothd by default since it's required by the "Host a network game" option from the Multiplayer menu, which is the preferred option for temporarily hosting a server instance to play in a LAN or privately through the Internet.

Which versions of Wesnoth can play together?

You only need to make sure you are using the same minor version number (6 in "1.6.x", 8 in "1.8.x" and so on) corresponding to stable branch releases. If you are using a development release (odd minor version numbers), you must be using exactly the same version number as other clients, to avoid out-of-sync (OOS) issues in multiplayer.

If you are using user-made eras or MP scenarios, all players should make sure they are using the same, latest version of the add-on.

Translations

Where can I find more information about translating Wesnoth?

See WesnothTranslations for a list of currently maintained projects, and methods for contacting their maintainers and volunteering for help, and instructions for starting your own translation if it isn't included in the game already. [1] shows the current progress translations for different game development and stable branches, mainline campaigns and user-made add-ons.

Other Questions You Have

The best way to get answers to less-frequently asked questions is by visiting the official Battle for Wesnoth forums. There are plenty of people willing to help. Make sure you read ALL of the forum sticky notes and announcements before posting!

This page was last edited on 19 September 2023, at 15:11.