Chapter IV: Heart of Ice

[Soul Reaver]

Well, Chapter IV: Heart of Ice has finally been released here. Sorry for the long delay in getting it uploaded here - it's the first time in a long time I got my hands on a stable enough internet connection.

Make sure you play the updated versions of Chapters I-III as well. Get them here:

Chapter I: http://www.wc3sear.ch/?p=Maps&ID=5678
Chapter II: http://www.wc3sear.ch/?p=Maps&ID=5680
Chapter III: http://www.wc3sear.ch/?p=Maps&ID=6362

I would welcome input and would love to hear what you think of my maps.

 

[Vampiriac]

I have enjoyed playing these so far, im upto chapter 3 i died at the big fight at the end its getting late and ill try again tommorow hehe.

I noticed a bug when fighting Fei Serumen for the last time in chapter 2 i used Soul Reaver's sword ability and i killed Fei Serumen instead of trigger cutting in and playing the cinematic, it played the whole cinematic as if Fei Serumen was still alive but at the end of it the game failed since Fei Serumen died. I would assume the same thing would happen if you used Soul Reaver's ultimate ability.

 

[Soul Reaver]

Vampiriac: Yeah, I know about that bug. I'm STILL trying to think of a way around it... although oddly enough it never happens to me unless I use the cheat codes.

Well, even so, I'm going to have to keep trying to get that to work how it should.

Incidentally, you can't use Soul Reaver's big explody ultimate against Fei. Try it and you'll see what I mean.

Good luck finishing Chapter III-IV!

 

[Vampiriac]

So far im upto the big boss in Chapter 4, i have been doing fine in all chapters so far but this one just seems impossible. The part with the constant waves of mobs and tenticals its almost impossible to rest, then when you get upto a boss the waves don't stop .
Im not trying to cause trouble im just wondering if anyone else is having trouble with this fight, and if you have managed to complete it could you offer some tips.

 

[Soul Reaver]

Vampiriac: Yeah, I've managed it, although it was a close one and I haven't tried it with all possible skill combinations. Here's some advice though...

1) When you beat the Void Growth guards BEFORE fighting the Void Growth, your HP will get restored... but your MP won't. So try to save as much MP as you can for the final fight - even if it means getting very low on HP first. That'll give you a chance at a good start. I might actually even change that in the future to make it a wee bit easier.

2) AoE attacks are your friend. Darkbolt Barrage, Lightning Storm(!), Mass Fireballs, Meteor Shower(!), Abyssal Mass, Dark Tendrils etc are all great if there's a lot of tentacles around. The tentacles aren't that tough, and a hit from a high level skill like that might kill them. Ultimates shouldn't be wasted on tentacles unless it's a Psychic Onslaught, which is probably one of the best tentacle-supressing ultimates available.

3) Meteor Shower works a charm when fired directly at the Void Growth, because its large size means almost every meteor will hit it.

4) But the bottom line is: the Void Growth itself must die as quickly as possible! You'll win as soon as it dies, so hit it as hard as you possibly can with as many people as possible.
- Attack it with as many heroes as you can spare!
- If available, use your items. They're not useless and can sometimes help dish out a lot of damage... only Blooddrinker is risky to use, and even it is a possible option if used early on while Soul Reaver's HP is still high.
- Use as many abilities on it as you can... especially those that target individual enemies specifically. Soul Reaver with an active Iron Will while attacking will put some real hurt on it. Blood Plague will do a LOT of damage if active for its full duration. Psychic Blast is exceptionally powerful at weakening the Growth's armour and thus making it very vulnerable to other attacks, and Dark Lash does some really serious damage. Focus those attacks on the Void Growth and it'll really suffer.
- Every ultimate you have should be cast if possible. If you can Summon Daemons to help then that's great, although the gate will probably need serious protection and thus might not be a feasible option. Other ultimates though, such as Sphere of Annihilation, Blood Corruption, Celerity, Cataclysm, Psychic Onslaught, Unbridled Rage and Sandstorm all work great. Just don't get caught in your own AoE attacks.

 

[Arcanon]

Finally the IV is out!!!! I've just dl it and i can't w8 to play. Thx for all ur previous work Soul Reaver, I'm sure this chapter will be as good as the others!

PS: I'll tell u if I find some bugs [/i]

 

[Soul Reaver]

Arcanon: Great, hope you'll enjoy it. Write a post to tell me what you think even if you don't find any bugs.

 

[ArchEnemy]

hi soul reaver

have played the new versions of the first 3 maps again
and have now started the 4th
check the outro of the first map
i think when soul reaver summons his portal the -> , <- is in the wrong place
at least i think it was
sorry if im wrong
and i know its not a big mistake but nevertheless
have u increased the difficulty of the 3rd map?
i got all 7 acorns and the endfight was still tougher than the last time when i only got 5 acorns

and the 4th map:
puh
its by far the most difficult imo
i havent even reached the camp yet and im not sure if im managing it
the void children just come too often for my taste

but the map itself is great just like the others before
maybe a bit too hard but great

ArchEnemy

 

[Soul Reaver]

ArchEnemy: I'll check that comma... don't THINK it's wrong, but it's possible. The 3rd map's difficulty hasn't been increased (to my knowledge) but the difference might lie in random factors (such as the random damage rolls etc).

I think I'll concur that Chapter IV is by far the toughest. It's not impossible though. It just requires very careful strategy and a lot of save/loading.

And thanks for the comments, they're appreciated.

 

[ArchEnemy]

at the end of the 1st map after the last fight is won the outro didnt start properly at first even hector was alive just like soul reaver
i ran around a bit and after i killed one of hectors men randomly the cinematic started
found that strange

as for the comma im really really sorry if it is right
but in my memory at least its wrong

and in the 4th map i still didnt make it to the camp
that is with clutchfiend i reached it but only with teleport and leaving the others behind
i dont think i can do it
when i defeat one wave of the void children the next comes immediatly
i`ll give it another try this afternoon but i beg you: dont make the 5th map tougher than this one

 

[Soul Reaver]

ArchEnemy: To win Chapter I, you have to kill all of Luthor's men. Just killing Luther alone isn't enough. I didn't really know much about AI stuff when I made Chapter I so I might have to work on that a bit still to make sure that all of Hector's men get in the fight, rather than waiting around when they can't see anyone nearby.

I'm not really 100% sure which comma you're talking about. If you mean the one included in the spell incantation, then it's definitely right.

Here's some tips for beating Chapter IV and getting to camp in one piece:
- Don't leave Kitharsis behind. He can't beat anything alone, and all the Void Children are out to get him specifically. So make sure he's guarded, and stay close to the other heroes. What I usually do is have Kitharsis right-click on either Soul Reaver or Clutchfiend, so he'll follow them, and then have Fei right click on Kitharsis so Fei follows HIM. That way, I can move forward with Soul Reaver and Clutchfiend, but guard Kith at the same time. If Kitharsis gets attacked from behind unexpectedly, Fei can hold off the attacks long enough for Soul Reaver and Clutchfiend to come and help. And since Fei is the fastest-moving hero, he can run to help Soul Reaver and Clutchfiend quickly if they're in trouble. Alternatively, summon some Daemons or an Abysall Mass to guard the rear and serve as early warning in case of trouble.
- Don't keep Kitharsis TOO close to the heroes. His AI will get him into trouble otherwise, and the Shadow Lightning that the Void Child Fears fire will damage him. Keep a respectable distance from any fighting if possible, and don't get surrounded. If you do get attacked and no help is in sight, use the Bag of Sand and/or the Rage Axes and hope for the best.
- Learn when to move and when to rest. The 'random' Void Children attack in waves, but at first these waves appear quite some time apart. When a wave attacks, and you're ready for them, you should be able to beat them and then rest. This is your best bet for getting HP and MP back. Don't wait too long after a wave to rest, or you might get attacked while sleeping. Just don't spend TOO much time resting, since the random Void Child waves will start appearing faster and faster as time goes by... eventually you won't be able to rest at all anymore. So if you're still in acceptable health and mana, keep moving forward...
- ...EXCEPT if there's a huge fight ahead. Learn where the spots are where you get attacked by massive forces of pre-placed Void Children. In those cases, it's best to wait before the fight for the random wave of Void Children, beat them, rest (if needed) and THEN attack. That way you'll be able to fight the pre-placed Void Children well-prepared, and won't suddenly have to deal with random Void Children reinforcements.
- Finally, use your abilities. The Void Children aren't just Dharuk. They are very, very tough. The random groups should be enough to beat with just 'normal' abilities if they attack alone, but large groups will call for one or even more Ultimates. You have 6 at your disposal now - use them! And don't forget your items either - they're not as great as they once were, but they still pack a wallop... and without costing you any valuable mana.

And no, I don't plan on making Chapter V harder than IV.

EDIT: Screwed up some of the names earlier. Geeze, I can't even remember my own characters now. I guess it must be because it's late and I was tired.

 

[ArchEnemy]

i hope i didnt get the names confused but when i said hector (referring to chapter 1) i meant the hero of the imprisoned who help soul reaver
and i definetly dont want to kill him
the unit i killed when the cinematic didnt start was one of my allies (one of the surviving thugs)
the enemies where all down at this time
and thats why i think its a bug

most of ur tips for chapter 4 i tried on my own (im not that dumb ) except the right-click-follow thing
and i have some trouble with the skills i. e. sometimes i forget to use some of them or i use them at a time when another skill would be better

 

[Soul Reaver]

ArchEnemy: Hmm. Sorry, I didn't pay enough attention to the name. And yes, that DOES sound buggy, and plausible too. It's rather annoying since it means that something I tested actually doesn't work right ALL the time. Looks like I'll have to take another good look at the victory conditions. Thanks for letting me know.

Oh, and skillfully using the right abilities at the right time is at the very core of the game... so my only advice is to adjust accordingly to any situation you might find yourself in.

 

[Ramza]

If u guys cant even get to the camp, u can definetely NOT finish the game, the way to the boss is at least twice as hard

I have problems with it actually. u have to go through the whole blight area in 1 time becuase u cant use rest (cuz of the tentacles) and u can go back and then rest, but those spellcasters keep coming. i didnt make it yet its really hard. i use all my spells at good moments, but without resting u just cant make it to the boss, although i think i almost made it, but then u must even defeat it to :?

 

[Soul Reaver]

The map has been updated! The newest version features various bugfixes and balance changes, as well as a really stylish new loading screen! Lightning Storm, Blood Plague, Abyssal Summon, Psychic Blast and Sandstorm have all been improved, as have the Tirthandaran Mages' Energy Bolts and Minor Shielding spells. Minor Haste has been weakend somewhat - duration and bonuses are both lower and it now has a longer cooldown time. The end section of the map has also been made slightly easier.

Ramza: You'll be glad to hear that the end of the map has been made a little bit easier then. Before you fight the final set of guards befor the Void Growth, every character with HP lower than 60% will get their HP boosted to 60%, and your HP and MP will both be restored completely before fighting the Void Growth itself. That should give you a sporting chance.

As for strategies during the last stretch: keep moving - the tentacles can't follow you, so don't let them slow you down and instead just keep heading towards your goal. Kill incoming Void Children as quickly as possible - using your skills, you should be fast enough to do so well before the next lot arrives.

And for beating the final guards: other than save/loading if things go bad, my advice is to use an ultimate or two. Any powerful Area of Effect ultimates are good here. Yes, I know it's best to save ultimates for the final boss, but you'll never get to it unless you beat the guards first, right?

 

[Ramza]

Good I will test soon
btw... U say u have a new loading screen, but the map is only 3XX byte larger. How do u get such a small loading screen. U just did 25% qquality or sumthing?

PS: a tip for every1 that cant get to the camp: Everytime u pass a cave, use ur summon with the 'demonhunter' so u know when there will spawn enemies, and to slow em down a little

 

[Soul Reaver]

Ramza: The loading screen image was made as a photoshop file at 1024x768. Then I split it into the 4 necessary parts (512x512, 512x512, 512x256, 512x256) and saved each of them as a top-quality .tga file (no compression).

After that I opened each of them in ImageExtractor 2, and saved them as Warcraft 3 .blp files at 75% quality. That 25% reduction makes a HUGE difference in terms of the space used, apparently. It doesn't look quite as good as it should, mind you, but it's good enough in my opinion and doesn't take too much space.

Oh, and that's a pretty good strategy by the way - I'd not thought of that before. Although if you don't HAVE Abyssal Summon it's obviously not an option.

 

[ArchEnemy]

@ramza: thanks for the idea but i used this strategie as well
i think i just have to work on using the skills properly
i dl the new version just now and i will give it another try this afternoon

 

[ArchEnemy]

ok
i made it to the camp
was not that hard to be honest
i rested far too often when i first tried it :?
this time i was twice as fast i guess
and the new loading screen is really nice

 

[ArchEnemy]

JIHAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!
i made it!!!
it`s a great map and the end fight is fantastic
cant wait to see chapter 5 and the 5th character
will we see the one who freed soul reaver in the first chapter?

in the outro when soul reaver speaks about the void children he sais "i seem" instead of "i see"
in one of his first sentences

 

[Soul Reaver]

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.

ArchEnemy: Ok, great that you finally completed it! Glad you liked the last fight and the new loading screen.

I fixed the spelling error... it seems a bit pointless but maybe I'll re-submit it just to fix that.

Chapter V will probably take a while before it's completed - currently looking for a job, which is taking quite a bit of my time (and once I have one, that'll be taking quite a bit of my time too). I have not yet decided whether Slayer will make any reappearnce in the game, but he definitely will not be appearing as a playable character - it's typical of him to just show up, give a bit of help, and then disappear again for months on end.

 

[Soul Reaver]

Just an update...

Chapter V is now nearing completion (I'd say it's 85-90% done). However, it has taken me much longer to finish than expected due to all my other commitments (such as having a job), and I will not be able to finish it before I leave the country...

...however, my newer, better laptop (which I am taking with me) seems to be able to run the editor (even though it is slow and the game itself struggles with the maps), so hopefully I will be able to finish it while overseas. I don't want to give guarantees, but I will do my best to finish it while I'm away and post it when it's done.

 

[Arcanon]

For all Soul Reaver fans: the V chapter can be found here: http://www.familykrieg.com/tothebitterend/download.html
Keep up the good work!