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Chapter I: Dark Dawn


ATTENTION!

This map is now available as part of a larger, updated and enhanced Campaign file. The campaign includes the conclusion to this epic, so it is strongly recommended you play the Campaign instead of this slightly outdated version of the standalone Chapter.

You can find the campaign on Hiveworkshop here:
http://www.hiveworkshop.com/forums/maps-564/bitter-end-202289/


To the Bitter End
Chapter I: Dark Dawn
Version: 0.7.05
(Beta release)

Single Player Action RPG/Campaign

The immortal warrior Soul Reaver awakens to find himself imprisoned upon a foreign, hostile world. His memories lost, his equipment stripped from him, and his companions gone, things are looking bleak. But fate is often fickle, and can be quick to turn...

********


Map description:
----------------

Take control of Soul Reaver to sneak and fight your way out of Greyholm prison in your greater quest to reunite with your companions and take your revenge upon the evil sorcerer, Morganem.


Installation instructions:
--------------------------

Put the .w3x file into a folder named "To the Bitter End" (without quotation marks, obviously) in your Warcraft III "maps" folder.
You can play the game by starting The Frozen Throne, then selecting 'Single Player', 'Custom Game', and then navigating to the map and selecting it.
It helps to have your video settings for Warcraft III set to high quality, or some custom skins in some of the campaign might look a little... weird.


Difficulty:
-----------

To the Bitter End is supposed to be very difficult. However, for those finding it simply too tough, as of version 0.7.04, I have added in variable difficulty levels. Once in-game, press Enter to bring up the chat window, then type in "easy", "medium" or "hard" (without quotation marks) to change the difficulty of the current Chapter. The default difficulty is "hard". Note that the only thing this modifies is the HP of enemy units, and enemy hero units are less affected than normal units are.

Remember though: real heroes play on hard!


Other Notes:
------------

For further info and an extensive manual, check www.familykrieg.com/tothebitterend

This is the first of a series beta releases, it is suggested you play this one before Chapter II: The Dream of Blood.

The other releases in the series thus far are:
Chapter II: The Dream of Blood
Chapter III: Juggernaut
Chapter IV: Heart of Ice
Chapter V: Reunion
Chapter VI: Harbingers of War
Chapter VII: Grim Harvest

They can all be found at the official site at http://www.familykrieg.com/tothebitterend/.

To check the version number of any of your TTBE maps, type "version" (without quotation marks) into the chat text in-game and it will display (or if nothing displays, then your version is definitely out-of-date). The newest versions are always available on the official site.

Although I am solely responsible for creating this map, the central characters featured in this campaign, as well as the Multiverse in which it is set, were envisaged by the writers at The Administorum (http://theadministorum.yuku.com/) and its newest incarnation, the Administorum 2.0 (http://nerdramblingz.com/starforums/index.php).

This was my first serious attempt at a campaign map, and my first release. I was going to wait until I had completed the campaign in its entirety before releasing anything, but at the request of one of my Administorum friends, I decided to release the completed Chapters here. Since the campaign itself not complete, this classifies the maps as beta releases. Unfortunately, with all my current commitments, it may be some time before I get all the maps done.


Some known bugs or issues (with suggested workarounds):
-------------------------------------------------------

- The map sometimes begins to slow down significantly near the end, although this doesn't happen to everyone. This may be due to a memory leak which, despite huge efforts on my part, I've still not been able to find and eliminate. (Workaround: if/when things start getting a bit laggy just save the game, quit the map, and then re-load the game.)
- Sometimes, even if you win, the final battle does not end the map immediately, although this does not always happen. (Workaround: wait for a minute and you'll still win. And make sure all of the enemy are dead.)
- Does not automatically start Chapter II on completion (Workaround: start it manually - your character from Dark Dawn should transfer into it fine.)
- Some of the characters' textures look strange. (Solution: set the texture quality in the video settings to the highest available setting).


A word on cinematics:
---------------------

- It is possible to skip any of the cinematics, just press ESC.
- One 'bug' that occurs if you skip the cinematics is that any items or abilities that might have 'cooled down' and become available over the course of the cinematic will now not do this. This means that if you want to use those items/abilities often, you may have to wait around more... and if there's a timer counting down while you wait, that might not be advisable. This isn't a major thing, but it does mean that the game might be more difficult if you skip the cinematics.
- You are advised to watch the cinematics at least once. They will often give you instructions as to what to do next and offer clues as to what to expect. Making sense of the game plot without them would be pretty difficult.
- If you want to be sure to experience the game how it was meant to be played, then don't skip the cinematics. That's how I planned the level out and how I spent the most time testing it.


Hints/Notes:
------------

- Use your quest log if unsure of what to do next... that's what it's there for.
- Read the tooltips if you want to know what an ability or item does. In fact, this is strongly recommended.
- Your items are re-usable. However, they have long cooldown times... and you have to find them first. Save them for when you need them, and then unleash hell.
- Your items are a lot more powerful than your abilities this early on.
- When you gain a level but your skill points don't seem to have increased... well, it's probably because your "Master of Battle" skill has levelled up automatically. Don't worry, it's a point well spent.
- You will not reach your maximum experience level in Chapter I. Obviously.
- Your quest is likely to be quite tough. SAVE OFTEN.
- Don't expect to find Raziel from the Legacy of Kain series in this game. I've been using the name Soul Reaver for my RPG alter-ego since long before even the first Blood Omen came out. The Soul Reaver in this map is an original character.


Storyline FAQ:
--------------

Q: Why is the main character called Soul Reaver? It's a bit of a strange name.
A: In terms of his background, Soul Reaver's powers come from his control over his own souls, and to some degree, over the souls of others. He actually has the power to absorb the souls of his fallen enemies, but he does not usually do so. However, I decided not to include this power in the campaign. Besides, 'Soul Reaver' isn't his given name - he chose it as his name when he left his mortal life behind.

Q: If Soul Reaver is an 'immortal', why can he be killed?
A: In the Multiverse, immortality and invulnerability are two different things. Immortals are individuals who cannot die of old age. They usually possess incredible resilience and regenerative powers that maintain their bodies at a certain age and in a state of good health (and conveniently replace lost limbs, worn down teeth and such over time as well). However, if they are killed, they will usually stay dead... although thanks to their formidable powers, even that isn't always the case.

Q: Who's this 'Slayer' guy?
A: Slayer is a character from the stories in The Administorum. He has sided with Soul Reaver and the rest of the companions in the past, but he tends to do so only because it also happens to serve the goals of his enigmatic and unseen 'master'. He usually tends to show up, interfere slightly in the current state of affairs, and then vanish again. Don't expect to see him helping you out directly in the campaign - it's pretty typical of him to come offer a hand temporarily and then forget about the companions for a year or more at a time.

Q: Wait, wasn't there once a character called 'Clutchfiend'? Why is he called 'Cameron Aileron' now?
A: Ah, retcons, the bane of my existence. The guy who invented the character of Clutchfiend recently retconned his background (and name). Since I liked the changes he made though, I incorporated them into To the Bitter End. Thus, all references to 'Clutchfiend' have been changed to 'Cameron Aileron' from version 0.7.04 onwards.

Q: What's the name of that cool song you used for this map?
A: "The Wretched", by "Nine Inch Nails". Buy the album, it's worth it.


Special Thanks/Credits:
-----------------------

- Me, for being insane enough to make this all by myself.
- Cameron, Kitharsis, Fei and all the other writers, past, present and future, at The Administorum. That place wouldn't be what it is without you guys.
- Larc for helping me with some weapon models. You were quick, efficient and extremely helpful in resolving a major map issue. Thank you!
- Thanks to all the folks at The War Center map making forums (http://www.thewarcenter.com/forums/index.php?showforum=11) for helping me in my early days and inspiring me to keep trying. Special thanks to 1)ragonspawn for helping teach me how to deal with memory leaks.
- Everyone who submits their custom abilities and spells freely for use at www.wc3campaigns.net. You helped teach me how to do this stuff and provided a lot of inspiration.
- Warnicro from war3.incgamers.com. You put a lot of work into getting my map links working and then even put them up as featured maps, not to mention all the other help and comments you've been prepared to offer. I really appreciate all your efforts.
- Filefront for offering me the chance to host my maps there.
- NIN for creating the music I used. I don't claim to have written this myself.
- Everyone who play-tested the maps and gave me feedback. Thank you for taking the time to play.
- All the fans. It means very much to me to know that you enjoy my work.
- Everyone who gives me constructive feedback or takes an interest here. Thank you in advance.


Screenshots:
------------

120812-albums4230-picture40043.jpg

120812-albums4230-picture40044.jpg

120812-albums4230-picture40045.jpg


******

Tell me what you think! E-mail me ([email protected]) if you have comments or questions about 'Dark Dawn', the 'To the Bitter End' campaign, the Multiverse, or Soul Reaver.

******

Please do not redistribute or modify these files without my permission. These map files are not to be sold for profit.

Keywords:
Action, RPG, Single Player, SP, To the Bitter End, Multiverse, Soul Reaver, Fei Serumen, Cameron Aileron, Kitharsis, Sera Poi, Morganem
Contents

Chapter I: Dark Dawn (Map)

Level 14
Joined
Jul 15, 2005
Messages
351
Just thought I'd let people know - there was a slight hiccup in the first download. If you were one of the first 14 people to download this, then you got a slightly older version, but it shouldn't make much of a difference overall. The main difference is that I applied a custom minimap image, so that posting the map here won't give away the layout of the level.

Have fun! And read the .txt file!

-Soul Reaver

Edit: Chapter II is now uploaded - look for 'The Dream of Blood'. I personally think it's somewhat better than 'Dark Dawn', but that's just my opinion. However, due to an odd bug in the upload routines on this site, I have had to change the filenames of Chapter I and Chapter II slightly by removing a space (the uploader was only reading the text before the first space of the filename... which meant that it thought both maps were the same file). This change shouldn't have any noticeable effect on people who downloaded this file before the change though.
 
Level 1
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Mar 16, 2005
Messages
1
man all files that i download here is corrupted why ?? :( many campaings the names look cool and corrupted :( im donwloading ur campaing now then i doensnt know if are corrupted or not :] the name look cool
 
Level 14
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Jul 15, 2005
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seruk: If you read the .txt file, it will explicitly state that, because the cinematics are unskippable, you are STRONGLY encouraged to save after every one. I know the unskippable cinematics are a problem, but with the way that the game is triggered, making them skippable is a massive amount of work - actual game-relevant events occur during the cinematics, and making them skippable might have bad consequences for the game. The map is fully playable, even though it's a beta version... just save, like it says in the .txt file. Oh, and the people who downloaded it after the change definitely won't have any ill-effects.

lcc_cabessa: I know that some files on this site are downloaded as corrupt. This is a server issue, particularly when downloading large files like this one. I know that my map CAN be downloaded (I tested it myself), but you may need to try a few times if it doesn't complete properly the first time... and it helps to have a relatively fast connection (since I spent years with a 56k only, I know how annoying that is). If you end up getting a corrupt file and then can't re-download it without getting the same corrupt file again, you may have to go to your Temporary Internet Files Folder and delete the corrupted download from there.

I wish to re-iterate: read the .txt file, people!

Edit: In response to seruk's comment, I've been further working on the map to see how much work it would take to make the cinematics skippable. Although the workload is significant, I have at least confirmed that I AM capable of doing it. I will upload a newer version with skippable cinematics when I get one finished.

Edit: New version now up! The cinematics are skippable (read the .txt file for more about this), and the button for the Master of Battle skill has been changed to reflect that it's a passive skill. And send me some comments! Let me know what's good and what could be changed!
 
Level 2
Joined
Oct 31, 2004
Messages
19
A very Challenging Campaign Start. Many will probably be frustrated and give up. But the ending is worth it, and leads into the second part which is Just as good, if not better then the second one.

Spells are well thought up, though you'll be relying more on your items come the big fights. They're much more powerful, but have a long recharge.

A Good Campaign Start though. You fit alot into such a tiny map, and the Music compliments it.. Despite the size.

Great job, one of the more enjoyable campaigns i've played.
 
Level 14
Joined
Jul 15, 2005
Messages
351
kumoblade: Yes, I know the map is quite hard, but on the other hand, it is quite possible. It helps to save often, though. And the item recharge times are a balance issue, but as long as you use them only when you actually need them, you should be fine and shouldn't have to wait around for them to recharge that often. Thanks for the useful comments! I appreciate it!

canaan34: If the problem you're having getting other files from this site is caused by you downloading corrupted archives, then it might be a server issue - this happened to me before too. I solved it by deleting the corrupt archive (also from my temporary internet files folder), and trying to download it again. It obviously also helps to have a fast internet connection, and maybe a download manager program. And please, leave a comment here to let me know how it went!

Edit: Yet another update, albeit a small one. Iron Will now has a shiny new button that shows it to be an autocast spell, and a lot of very small changes and fixes were implemented. No ground-breaking alterations though.
 

kby

kby

Level 1
Joined
Jul 27, 2005
Messages
2
i tryed loading, and it says,

The map file is to big. Please try a different map.


hmmm, gonna try something... but dont know.
 
Level 14
Joined
Jul 15, 2005
Messages
351
kby: That's strange. When did it say that? When you tried to start it from the Custom Game menu in Warcraft III?

Are you sure the file downloaded completely? It works on most computers I've tried it on... maybe try downloading it again?

I'd be glad if you would let me know if you manage to solve this problem.
 

kby

kby

Level 1
Joined
Jul 27, 2005
Messages
2
Downloaded it Completely, Extracted it. Put it in Custom Games folder, and in the "To The Bitter End" custom folder, that you suggested to make, if you wanted to save, or w/e.

Dont know, maybe the fact that its 6.6megs for a Tiny map, have any effecT? ive see maps that are 3.3megs, run fine, and have no problem loading.


Well, what was the size before you updated it?Maybe too much Animations(movies). but ur the pro.

------------------

Edit: The Screen of players/Team Select, where you can choose color/team and talk, before the Countdown(5,4,3,2,1,started).

It says as it loads it.. but i i can't see how to get rid of that, other then lower the map size... but i dont make maps. If there is something i need 2 change, to make it work, i will.. but im stumped.
 
Level 14
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Jul 15, 2005
Messages
351
kby: Ah, I think I know what the problem is. You mentioned the countdown timer... it sounds to me like you're trying to play my map in multiplayer mode on Battle.net. If I remember right, Battle.net only allows maps that are under 5 megs.

But my map isn't meant to be played on Battle.net. It's single-player ONLY.

To play it, when you start Warcraft III, don't select 'Battle.net' or 'Local Area Network'. Instead, select 'Single Player', then 'Custom Game', then browse to my map and run it.

Let me know if that helps. And if it does, let me know if you like the map. ;)
 
Level 14
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Jul 15, 2005
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Anonymous (who I assume is kby): Glad to hear it's working now. :)

Incidentally, I'm making preparations for Chapter III: Juggernaut at the moment. That includes doing some rebalancing of some skills, which will be applied to Chapters I and II eventually. But I still need to do some playtesting before committing myself to these changes. I'll upload a new version when they're done. The changes affect later chapters more than they affect Chapters 1 and 2, so if you have an older version, it shouldn't be a big deal.

Edit: New version uploaded. This one includes an important bugfix - one of the cinematics would stop playing part way through due to an incorrect trigger command... the only thing the player could do was skip it. I'm a little surprised nobody noticed that and posted about it here, but oh well, it's fixed now. Also, I've put in a custom button for Darkbolt Barrage and made some balance fixes - the changes will probably make this chapter slightly easier, although it's still tough. Also made a few other small, probably not noticeable changes.
 
Level 14
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Major news! Chapter III: Juggernaut is now complete!

Along with the release of Chapter III, this map has also been updated, with a few aesthetic changes and improvements to some skill triggers.

Make sure you download the sequels that continue this campaign:
http://www.wc3sear.ch/index.php?p=Maps&ID=5680 - Chapter II: The Dream of Blood
http://www.wc3sear.ch/index.php?p=Maps&ID=6362 - Chapter III: Juggernaut

Please leave some comments - I would like to hear what people think about my maps.

Edit: New version uploaded. As well as some grammar fixes, a bugfix, and some very minor terrain changes, there has been a major overhaul of the ability triggers. Bottom line: the map should now be a lot more memory efficient, hopefully reducing the slowdown bug that sometimes occured in the past.

Because this was such a major overhaul, it is possilble that some bugs crept in. If anyone notices anything happening that shouldn't be happening, please let me know.

Edit: Another efficiency-related update, and some minor changes to the map in other areas as well.

Edit: A new update. Most significant change is an improved trigger for the Blooddrinker Possession ability, making it slighty better than it used to be.
 
Level 14
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Jul 15, 2005
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351
UPDATE: There's an official site now, which includes tons of stuff including a huge manual with background on the setting and characters! Check www.familykrieg.com/tothebitterend/ Note that the site's bandwidth is limited but I'm not sure HOW limited, so please don't download from it unless necessary or I will have to take the downloads down.

master of disaster: Thanks. I know it's tough, but it's meant to be. It IS possible to finish (even without saving at all), but I acknowledge that it's a pretty hard slog. You might have to give it several goes before you struggle through to the end.

Edit: The map has been updated! The newest version features various bugfixes and skill balance changes, as well as a really stylish new loading screen! Lightning Storm is now faster and cheaper, and an issue with winning at the end of the map has now (hopefully) been addressed.
 
Level 3
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Nov 10, 2008
Messages
49
Glad to see that there are follow-ons in the series, and that it wasn't dropped as with so many maps/campaigns :)
 
Level 14
Joined
Jul 15, 2005
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351
How in the world did you get a complete 5/5 rating on every single one?!? I got to download this.

A great deal of effort combined with some very kind raters/commentators, I think. I hope you enjoy it! Send me an e-mail or something once you've given them a try.

I tried over and over again. Then, alarm?? Im not going to try over again. -_-

You have to play the map too many times because theres time and the map is maze...

Your best bet is to save often, and reload if things go pear-shaped. As long as your hero survives, it's not usually possible to mess things up too badly as long as you keep moving forward, use your items effectively, and rest when you really need to.

But even so, it is true that To the Bitter End is very difficult (and gets progressively more so), and thus isn't for everyone.
 
Level 3
Joined
Jun 22, 2009
Messages
108
I really like the game. My only problem is that I'm not skilled at handling 4-6 heroes well so i end up getting killed alot. But its a very awesome map and I commend you for all the hard work you put in it. Like I said, it's awesome just a bit frustrating to me because I can't effectively manage more than a few heros. =/
 
Level 14
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Jul 15, 2005
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351
Mike7742: Thanks for the praise, I'm happy you enjoy TTBE. Dying a lot is pretty standard, but practice makes perfect! I actually know of one guy who finished all the Chapters without saving even once, so it's possible (though not necessarily recommended!)
 

Red

Red

Level 26
Joined
Dec 10, 2008
Messages
156
Great opening chapter! In a masochistic way, the difficulty actually adds a lot to this. Having finished it gave me a huge feeling of accomplishment. Mysterious bits and pieces of story hint at a much bigger adventure to come, I'm rushing through typing this because I want to move on to part 2 so badly! Damn fine work!
 
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Level 14
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Great opening chapter! In a masochistic way, the difficulty actually adds a lot to this. Having finished it gave me a huge feeling of accomplishment. Mysterious bits and pieces of story hint at a much bigger adventure to come, I'm rushing through typing this because I want to move on to part 2 so badly! Damn fine work!

Thank you Red Shift, I'm happy you've been enjoying it so far!

All the Chapters play a bit differently, but be warned: if you thought this one was hard, just wait until you get to Chapter IV. Good luck! :D

In case you're interested, take a look at the official site at www.familykrieg.com/tothebitterend/ - the manual there gives you a lot of background info on the setting, story and characters.
 
Level 14
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Jul 15, 2005
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351
I don t know if you noticed,but the character has no weapon...It's impossible to finish this level!

Cweener is correct, you don't stay weaponless for long.

Although you begin the adventure unarmed, one of your first quests is to regain your equipment. Explore your immediate area and avoid being spotted by the guards. Try the doors. You might just find someone who can help you out...
 
Level 6
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Jan 3, 2010
Messages
185
kby: Ah, I think I know what the problem is. You mentioned the countdown timer... it sounds to me like you're trying to play my map in multiplayer mode on Battle.net. If I remember right, Battle.net only allows maps that are under 5 megs.

No, I have played Soulchess on battle.net and that is 8MB
 
Level 14
Joined
Jul 15, 2005
Messages
351
No, I have played Soulchess on battle.net and that is 8MB

Back when I posted that post it was accurate - the maximum file size for multiplayer maps used to be 4MB. It wasn't until patch 1.24 that this was upgraded to 8MB.

But the main point of my post in that case was that the person appeared to be trying to play TTBE in multiplayer, which will NOT work - it's single-player only.

I played this whole campaign, one of the best I've ever seen.

Thank you Anachron. Check in on the official site at www.familykrieg.com/tothebitterend occasionally - TTBE is actually nearing completion now so when it's all done, that's the first place you'll see it.
 
Level 2
Joined
Nov 9, 2010
Messages
5
Well, i just downloaded all 7 maps, they look good, hope they are.

Edit: Whoa! this is an amazing campaign, i am not even done with the first level(i just released the crypt dweller people) and i already think it's one of the best campaigns out there. Great Job!
 
Last edited:
Level 2
Joined
Nov 9, 2010
Messages
5
I just finished level 2, and have done a tiny bit of level 3, and.... i am speechless. This is by far one of the best campaigns ever made. There is only one thing i am confused about. How is Cameron Aileron an elemental? he looks like a normal space marine, just with a hero glow
 
Level 14
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Jul 15, 2005
Messages
351
I just finished level 2, and have done a tiny bit of level 3, and.... i am speechless. This is by far one of the best campaigns ever made. There is only one thing i am confused about. How is Cameron Aileron an elemental? he looks like a normal space marine, just with a hero glow

Thank you, I'm flattered and really pleased you're enjoying it so much. :)

If you'd like the background information on Cameron Aileron, check out his entry in the offical manual - you'll find it at: http://www.familykrieg.com/tothebitterend/manual.htm#Cameron Aileron.

But to summarize it for you, he's a hyper-evolved human. His people were spacefaring humans who (due to apocalyptic events on Earth at that time) were unable to return home and instead ended up marooned on another world. Over the millenia (and under the tutelage of the native inhabitants), they developed powers over the elements.

To the Bitter End is not set in the Warcraft III universe, so the Warcraft III definition of 'elemental' doesn't apply.
 
Level 3
Joined
Aug 8, 2009
Messages
43
I'm checking this out, it seems quite nice although the main character isn't really my style. After all these positive comments, one just cannot resist. :p
 
Level 6
Joined
Aug 27, 2011
Messages
305
thank for your great map!
as for me, i'll try to translate it into Russian - may i do it?
and actually in this chapter imho your cinematic text is running too fast
please, check this thing
 
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