[Campaign] Darkness Returns

[Daffa]

DOWNLOAD LINK AT PROGRESS SECTION! MAIN CHARACTERS Zalamus Whitesky A new commander of the Grand Coalition. Paired with Alliara Lightstar, his capabilities to command the light and his swordsmanship will lead him to victory. Alliara Lightstar Another new commander of the Grand Coalition. Paired with Zalamus Whitesky, her magical prowess and advanced knowledge will allow her to fulfill all of her superior every command. However, she must be prepared, when her emotion and loyalty is put to a test. Karizen Whitesky Young brother of Zalamus who was thought to be killed during one of the Barbarians pillaging at a village, he survived the onslaught and was rescued by Okta Raxus from the Revolutionaries. Now trained to combat directly, Karizen is ready to show how strong he had become. Sir Edward His knowledge led him to become a leader at a small coalition under Grand's banner. When he realizes something odd is happening in Grand, he started an initial spark that caused his exile. His deeds however, has not gone unnoticed and invoke curiosity of one of the four great mages in Hazam. His spark is what drives Revolutionaries' actions today, after several years of Revolutionaries' disappearance. Vadrazus An elite assassin and agent, he is tasked with the impossible missions for his master, Fallen. With all of his prowess and capabilities, he is more than willing to die to see his master's reign. Fallen A powerful lich revived from the dead by The Dark Lord himself. As a servant, he do his job right and without question. However, he does have some plans of his own, when time comes that is. Features Custom Lore. Difficulty System ; play from the newbie-friendly "Beginner" to the challenging real-story of "Mastermind". This campaign offers seven difficulties consisting of Beginner, Novice, Easy, Normal, Hard, Chaos, Mastermind. Keep in mind that "Mastermind" GREATLY INFLUENCES A CHAPTER. 'New' Factions ; play as the deceiving undead of fall, the corrupt coalitions, the shadowy elves, the mysterious phoenix flames and much more. Plan, Manipulate, Conquer ; each map plays with your forces at major disadvantage throughout the game. Only through strong will and manipulative plays you can send the enemy to the graves. Difficult Battles ; No matter what difficulty you choose, the gameplay will give some challenge for you. For those who like to laugh in face of their own demise ; try playing on Mastermind, it will be SO MUCH FUN /sarcasm. Unique Mission per Side ; Each side goes with their unique style. Some plays directly, some plays covertly. Each side missions goes with unique traits. Factions : Grand Coalition : The major superpower across the continent of Hazam, the biggest of three continents at Hazamus. This coalition composed of humans dwarves and some elves alike with vision of ruling the entire Hazamus with prosperity and peace that they seek about. They utilize a combination of weaponry and magic in battle. Currently led by Annaira the Amazing. Revolutionary Coalition : No men wants to remain in the dark when the Grand seems to act up on something. With their limited weaponry and arsenal, with Revolutionaries as their common name (formal : Revolutionary Coalition), they declare war against them. Revolutionaries arises few years back, forcing the Grand Coalition to make brutal steps of appointing a sadist, brutal and merciless Supreme Commander to silent them up. Since the former commander no longer in charge, Revolutionaries once again start to make their move. Currently led by Commander Ozaras. New Coalition : Having been dumped from the central world for decades and a small scale rebellion they do only turn to the worst, the shore cities of southeast Hazam decided to merge themselves under one banner. Aided by an unknown man, they decided to play part in destroying Grand Coalition and secure the central for themselves. Currently led by Sir Edward. Fallen's Undead : Not much known about them, these menace of the past are pretty dangerous foes for any oppositions to deal with. Claimed by Phoenix Flames' Supreme Commander as non-existent anymore, they're actually still existing and continues to grow in the shadow. Currently led by Fallen. The Phoenix Flames : The shadowy power that secretly plays in the upcoming war. Phoenix Flames has been a major threat to Darkness' upcoming invasion. With their supreme powers and intellect, these fire loving soldiers are a force to be reckoned with. Whom lead this dangerous army? Nobody knows for certain at this point... The Demonic Legion : Darkness always has his personal troops appointed for his will. These are the enigmatic and chaotic beings that serve the evil himself. They take no prisoners and will slay all living existence, until there's nothing but ashes remains. So obvious that Darkness would lead his elites by himself. Elves of Hazam : These peace-loving creatures won't escape the upcoming war. Threatened by Revolutionaries and hunted down by Darkness' army and Phoenix Flames for their own reasons, they will fight side to side with the armies that will throw away their threats. Their main leader is Nagan the Great and they comprise of Holy, Shadow and Nature Elves, each with their own leader as well. Hive Empire A powerful empire that arrives from the West Sea... Lightning Blades An army of legendary soldiers led by a mysterious person named, LegendzKing... And get to meet more (minor) factions in the story! Characters : Progress : DOWNLOAD LINK TO ALL VERSIONS ARE LISTED BELOW! Version 0.10 Version 0.20 Version 0.21 Version 0.30 Version 0.31 Version 0.40 Media : WARNING : OUTDATED Spoiler Spoiler Chapter List DARKNESS RETURNS I General Prologue : Historical Thread (N/A) Grand Coalition Arc Chapter Zero : Final Training (Completed) Chapter One : Blood Hounds (Completed) Chapter Two : Heaven and Earth (In Progress) Agent of Fallen Arc Chapter One : Firestorm (Completed) Chapter Two : Zero Hour (In Progress) Revolutionary Coalition Arc Chapter One : Flames of Rezhan (Completed) Chapter Two : The Devil King (N/A) New Coalition Arc Chapter One : Against the Currents (Completed) Chapter Two : Zephyrs (N/A) Phoenix Flames Mini-Arc Chapter One : Flames in Feralia (On Progress) TIMELINE Notes : 1. The campaign doesn't use cinematics, rather they use subtitles. The triggers should enforce them automatically, but it's recommended to use Subtitle ON setting. 2. The real story is kept in Mastermind Difficulty, other difficulties are significantly toned down to ensure the gameplay much more easier. This is intended, and I won't change this one. The difference includes : some optional quest changes, new enemies and most of all : new dialogues and characters present. 3. Chapter is ordered based on the real story, but unlocked by their own arc (this means, to unlock a New Coalition chapter, you need to finish the last available New Coalition chapter) 4. Chapter Zero and Phoenix Flames Mini-Arc are set to Mastermind by default. These should help giving a general idea of why Mastermind is not set as default Credits -THE CREDIT REFLECTS THE CURRENT DEVELOPMENT PROGRESS- -SOME MATERIALS MIGHT NOT BEEN USED IN PUBLISHED DEMOS- -IF I MISS ANYONE, PLEASE INFORM ME- Map Terrains : (2) Tirisfal Glades by @Blizzard Entertainment (2) The Two Rivers @Blizzard Entertainment (8) Garden of War by @Blizzard Entertainment (8) Feralas by @Blizzard Entertainment (8) Friends by @Blizzard Entertainment Grand Coalition 01 by @ThinhHo Agent of Fallen 01 by @ThinhHo (6) Silverpine Forest by @Blizzard Entertainment Models : Royal Captain By @Tranquil Phoenix Mage by @General Frank Phoenix Archer by @General Frank High Elf Chronomancer by @Deolrin Human Lumber Mill by @Ujimasa Hojo Hero Death Knight by @Alastor War Mage (Kirin Tor) by @Ujimasa Hojo Dalaran Blood Mage by @Ujimasa Hojo Blood Mage by @Stefan.K BETA Footman by @Blizzard Entertainment Blood Elven Warrior by @General Frank Phoenix Crusader by @General Frank Human Bishop by @Tranquil White Wizard by @Direfury King by @Tranquil High Elf Archer by @Himperion Rocket Rain by @ILH Human General by @Direfury Human Spell Breaker @Hermit High Elf Spell Thief by @Himperion Nobby Mansion Townhall by @Ujimasa Hojo Nobby Mansion Blacksmith by @Ujimasa Hojo Nobby Mansion Farm by @Ujimasa Hojo Power Lich by @HappyTauren Human Paladin by @Direfury Nobby Mansion Workshop by @Ujimasa Hojo Nobby Mansion Arcane Academy by @Ujimasa Hojo Nobby Mansion Altar of Kings by @Ujimasa Hojo Nobby Mansion Barrack by @Ujimasa Hojo Skins : Royal Mage by @~Nightmare Nobby Mansion by @Pyroproctos Icons : High Elf Chronomancer by @Deolrin Phoenix Archer by @General Frank Phoenix Crusader by @General Frank Lieutenant by @Tranquil Chaplain by @Blizzard Entertainment @Pyraeus Nobby Mansion Townhall by @Ujimasa Hojo Nobby Mansion Keep by @Ujimasa Hojo Nobby Mansion Castle by @Ujimasa Hojo Power Lich by @HappyTauren Nobby Mansion Workshop by @Ujimasa Hojo Nobby Mansion Arcane Academy by @Ujimasa Hojo Nobby Mansion Barrack by @Ujimasa Hojo Name Recommendations : @Leo Akastenix Beta Testers : @Wildfire @MasterBlaster Reviews : @Rheiko @WarcraftLiterature -IF I FORGOT TO CREDIT ANYONE OR- -IF I CREDITED WRONG PEOPLE- -PLEASE SENT ME A MESSAGE- -THANK YOU FOR ALL CONTRIBUTORS-

 

[xxdingo93xx]

Okay, this is very vague. Still kinda interested in how this will develop.

 

[Daffa]

Due to difficult implementations, for now I have to scrap difficulties and use the ones Warcraft offers. Also goes for 2P mode.

I will try to release Chapter One and Prologue today or tomorrow, hopefully. Just to give a view of the story.

 

[CY The UnGodly]

A project by Daffa the Mage :0 This is gonna be good.

 

[Daffa]

A project by Daffa the Mage :0 This is gonna be good.

Well, thanks for the kind words
I'll try to make it as best as I can. I have tried creating campaign multiple times and they ended in my can, so I better make this one worth it.

 

[Rheiko]

Hoping the development will turn out great and surprising. ~
Also, Good Luck.

 

[Daffa]

Hoping the development will turn out great and surprising. ~
Also, Good Luck.

Thanks
It motivates a lot to keep moving on

 

[Rex.]

Hope this will be as good as it sounds!

 

[Daffa]

Yeah, I'll try

 

[neo_sluf]

Hmm kinda excited to test out your campaign!.

I will check out for the update.

Hey remember your first campaign here on hive.

About the story of your great great great great great great great great great great great grandfather? Is that your campaign?

 

[Daffa]

Hmm kinda excited to test out your campaign!.

I will check out for the update.

Hey remember your first campaign here on hive.

About the story of your great great great great great great great great great great great grandfather? Is that your campaign?

Thanks.

I will try to get it done.

Nope, I don't recall such campaign.
The one I made is Andromath's Journey, which I cancels.

EDIT :

I have attached the very first version. This offers the first chapter and the prologue.

 

[Lord_Disasthorm]

Good luck with your campaign. I hope this will pleasing. Succeed what is failed. I count on it, Daffa the Archmage!

 

[Daffa]

Kay, back wirh some small updates.

Grand Coalition Chapter Two Status :
>> AI Partially Done
>> Unit Placement Set
>> Triggers Partially Done

Also throw out the entire chapter list I'm planning in a bin.

EDIT :

The list may look long, but those chapters are mainly quick ones, so yeah...

 

[Daffa]

Scrapped the old lore completely due to some reasons. I am rewriting all chapters from scratch.

 

[Daffa]

First Teaser

Good news everyone! Finally get a chapter done and another one in progress (saves the shitty terrain).

As of now, you'll get to see Vadrazus, Agent of Fallen.

Here's an overview!

And yes, Difficulty System is back!

 

[Warseeker]

Any progress so far?

 

[Daffa]

Necromancy

Can't believe I planned to finish this campaign in the past. Well, since this is the campaign with most file intact, I have to get it done then. Uploading the first chapter of Fallen side this week.

 

[Lord Siler]

I will definitely try this out once a demo is available, it sounds pretty interesting

 

[Daffa]

Below is the first demo. It only contains one chapter as that's the only complete chapter available. Please don't mind the shitty terrain as I will consider to fix it after everything is done.

 

[Daffa]

Two months and no feedback?
Guess I need to boost development speed somehow...

 

[Rheiko]

Didn't even notice the update.
One thing I must say, the terrain really needs some work. It's so flat and grass tile everywhere. No doodads whatsoever.
Your hero has a lot of abilities. Not that it's something bad, but it's better to keep it at minimum yet very useful to complete the mission at first. And remove that fake invisibility, I seriously thought my agent was invisible.

It's not that important but at the beginning, why don't you turn on the cinematic?

 

[Daffa]

Didn't even notice the update.
One thing I must say, the terrain really needs some work. It's so flat and grass tile everywhere. No doodads whatsoever.
Your hero has a lot of abilities. Not that it's something bad, but it's better to keep it at minimum yet very useful to complete the mission at first. And remove that fake invisibility, I seriously thought my agent was invisible.

It's not that important but at the beginning, why don't you turn on the cinematic?

Welp, must be bombed out by the other campaigns. Yeah, a newbie's campaign is of no comparison to the masters.
I agreed on the terrain, I'm lacking in the expertise and would be happy to get some help on it. I do try to improve them with each update w/ mah minimal terrain skillz (typo intended).
I intentionally made them a lot for that arc. By far the first one I released is a chapter of the story's second hardest arc (and yeah, that chapter in Mastermind is near impossible w/o all abilities). I do minimize abilities in other arcs though.
He is REALLY invisible, those Priests just cheat you out with True Sight
You'll notice it more in later chapters (and when he's an enemy).

About cinematic, I'm having a hard time when it comes to cinematic so I just use those texts to make it easier

Also, I need opinion about Mastermind difficulty at most. As that one is the main story's difficulty, I would need to ensure that thing is a living hell, to live up to it's duty (and this campaign's annoying feature : making your life hell).

 

[Rheiko]

Darn priests. I'll try playing it at Mastermind difficulty later. Since it's a campaign, maybe it's better to make the difficulty the hardest by default.

Maybe I could help the terraining a bit if I still have the skill to do so.

 

[Daffa]

"No no no, that'll never do. The patient must lie down still for me to drill proper holes into them." - Shadow Naoto (not exact quote, might miss slightly)

Nope, it's just plain hard that it'll gonna scare people away

Sure, would appreciate the help

EDIT :

Plugged an old chapter in the pack (Chapter Zero). Also, if things goes well, an update should be within this month or so. Also changed some descriptions in the main post.

 

[Daffa]

INFO UPDATE :

The new chapters are coming smoothly at least. The Chapter Zero has been implemented. Chapter One just need some finishing touch, and again, sorry for another shitty terrain coming right up in there.
Also modified Vadrazus abilities, don't know if this made AoF 01 easier or not.
Update should be out in a week or so.

EDIT :
Modified Chapter 1, mostly story and some gameplay aspect. Expect tricky battles.

 

[Daffa]

Second Demo Changelog :
Added Grand Coalition Chapter Zero and Chapter One
Added new scene on Agent of Fallen Chapter One (Mastermind Difficulty)
Slightly improved terrain of Agent of Fallen Chapter One
Some minor changes into Agent of Fallen Chapter One

Without further ado! Get it now at the attachment below!

 

[Daffa]

After slight test, I found Agent of Fallen 01 Mastermind is WAY EASIER than I thought. Might need to add more slaughter-fest to it.

Progress report :
Chapter 01 Revolution Starts
Splits the whole campaign into key parts (I, etc)

 

[Leo Akastenix]

Oh dear... i thought it was quite hard enough..

 

[Daffa]

Oh dear... i thought it was quite hard enough..

Not as hard as some other campaigns I can recall in mind though
And the test proves that it's feasible for AoF 1 Mastermind to finish in above 2 minutes mark with minimal casualties. The boss fight is also nothing much of taste as far as I am concerned and doesn't give a solid "boss fight" feeling.

 

[Daffa]

I run a personal test for the upcoming release of Darkness Returns. It will be uploaded to YouTube and shared here

EDIT :

EDIT 2 :
After the next demo release, I will update the terrain for the old chapters. Especially you guys know which ones are pretty bland to look at.

 

[Daffa]

Alright, before the update, I want to introduce 2 new enemy units you will meet at both old and new chapter :
[PHOENIX GUARDIAN]
If anything you will hate, you will hate this guy. Large chunk of health, Spell Steal, Magic Defense, and not to mention the Rain of Fire you all gonna love. Please, just die
[ZEPHYR]
To be fairly honest, I am inspired by Mental Omega for this one. This tank is basically a SUPER LONG range artillery. They even got exclusive chapter

Also, some changes for the old friends :
Footman has new model
AoF 01 now has some more surprises in store
A gameplay change for GC 01, still a work in progress
--------------
Also, kind of need for Testers. Testers will get the map first before everyone and will be the one who do the initial feedbacks to tackle major issues before public release.

 

[Leo Akastenix]

I think my Crimsonguards suggestion sound much fancier
Anyways, will try out that Zephyr.(Also add that Beacon?)

 

[Daffa]

@Leo Akastenix Not suitable for low class unit
Zephyrs are enemy troops for now. You'll get them on the mini arc though.

 

[MouMou]

Interesting campaign, but sadly the campaign hasn't finished

@Leo Akastenix that doesn't sound so bad actually...
@Daffa the Mage hmm does the word IRON EMPIRE sound good? I'm talking about creating a new faction.

 

[Daffa]

@MouMou
All factions are already existent and the main plot is actually assembled. True that I have no actual plotline but I can guarantee that there won't be any major factions aside all I have revealed (including the two hidden ones). Minor ones do make appearances, but their part would be limited to two chapters at most.

 

[Daffa]

So, I want to inform that I have new terrain layout for the old map and the next chapter is slowly coming. I think it would be better to pending the update until 2 chapters are done so players get to see more.

I have to thank @ThinhHo for his aid in terrain making. I also want to thank @Rheiko for a terrain layout he sent me in the past, as I will use that in an upcoming chapter.

 

[Daffa]

Alright, the new 0.21 is here!

It doesn't add new chapters yet but give some overhaul to the old chapters. I thanked @ThinhHo for the help in improving the terrains.
I also improved the gameplay and have the new unit : Phoenix Guardian, introduced into the story.
Media update will follow later, I have limited quota so I need to consider before doing a video upload.

 

[Cherrymage]

This sounds cool!

But anyways, what's the difference in story between Mastermind difficulty and other difficulties? Why is the Phoenix Flames arc always set in Mastermind difficulty?
And somehow this reminds me very much of Fallen Mage and TMK in the roleplays too... was the old lore based on, or heavily inspired by RACC?

 

[Daffa]

But anyways, what's the difference in story between Mastermind difficulty and other difficulties? Why is the Phoenix Flames arc always set in Mastermind difficulty?

There are many differences. The exclusive characters (eg. ??? in Agent of Fallen) will only appear in Mastermind. Some dialogues are Mastermind only as well.
Phoenix Flames arc is meant to be difficult and only attainable by completing Agent of Fallen chapter related to it in Mastermind difficulty.

And somehow this reminds me very much of Fallen Mage and TMK in the roleplays too... was the old lore based on, or heavily inspired by RACC?

No, it's not. This is part of the old long story I wrote. There are some RACC references, as well as Hive Workshop, in this campaign. By reference, they also have a major appearance here *ups

EDIT :
To be honest, I still try to dig up any files of the old campaigns in relation to this (they are nowhere near completion but might help slightly with the story).

 

[Cherrymage]

So is Mastermind difficulty as hard as Mental Omega Mental difficulty? Are almost all, if not all, of the exclusive characters belonging to the enemies?
Do we get any bonuses for our own side if we pick Mastermind?

never mind, I could just cheat for the story anyways... oops

Wait, RACC got a major appearance??? Yay!
Is it the Shadowridge Empire, or is it just some fancy toys of the TMK? Nekros, no?

Well, sometimes looking once more at older prototypes give you inspirations and ideas, when you compare it to your current version.

 

[Daffa]

So is Mastermind difficulty as hard as Mental Omega Mental difficulty? Are almost all, if not all, of the exclusive characters belonging to the enemies?

They're still being worked on, but last time I tried, I failed even the first mission of Agent of Fallen on Mastermind D: THE FIRST MISSION.
Exclusive enemy characters are the ones being influenced by the difficulty. I mean, if your allies appeared in Mastermind only, that's opposite of hard as the main characters are as OP as it could get Some enemies however, aren't influenced if they're main targets (not secondary targets). But we'll see how it goes.

Do we get any bonuses for our own side if we pick Mastermind?

Yes, mostly items that can only be attained in Mastermind difficulty. Yes, they're pretty powerful and in short, imbalanced.

Wait, RACC got a major appearance??? Yay!
Is it the Shadowridge Empire, or is it just some fancy toys of the TMK? Nekros, no?

I won't tell for now. It will ruin the fun.

Well, sometimes looking once more at older prototypes give you inspirations and ideas, when you compare it to your current version.

Yes, one of them was very handy with AI too.

 

[Cherrymage]

They're still being worked on, but last time I tried, I failed even the first mission of Agent of Fallen on Mastermind D: THE FIRST MISSION.

lol, even the mission maker himself failed at his very own mission xD

Exclusive enemy characters are the ones being influenced by the difficulty. I mean, if your allies appeared in Mastermind only, that's opposite of hard as the main characters are as OP as it could get Some enemies however, aren't influenced if they're main targets (not secondary targets). But we'll see how it goes.

Well, I remember there was a campaign called Tales of Silventra, and they have somebody called Rem. Maybe make a similar character like that, which only appears after certain conditions are made? And further influenced by difficulty?

Yes, mostly items that can only be attained in Mastermind difficulty. Yes, they're pretty powerful and in short, imbalanced.

So, can these items be carried over to next missions if I choose other difficulties?

 

[Daffa]

lol, even the mission maker himself failed at his very own mission xD

Quoted for truth.

Well, I remember there was a campaign called Tales of Silventra, and they have somebody called Rem. Maybe make a similar character like that, which only appears after certain conditions are made? And further influenced by difficulty?

I also take such things in Legends of Arkain. Decision based results is in consideration, but not for now. I don't want to slow the already snail speed update with other stuffs.

So, can these items be carried over to next missions if I choose other difficulties?

For now, yes. The difficulty scale rises in between levels, so I don't think it would be a matter, unless Mastermind->Beginner like game

 

[Cherrymage]

I also take such things in Legends of Arkain. Decision based results is in consideration, but not for now. I don't want to slow the already snail speed update with other stuffs.

Well, taking some inspirations from others is a nice idea. That'll make your campaign even more interesting and full of interesting stuffs.
Does the idea of putting faction arcs into one big campaign inspired from Mental Omega and MegaCraft? Well, just asking,

But well, it's better to finish with most of the rough basic stuffs before doing anything fancy like that.

For now, yes. The difficulty scale rises in between levels, so I don't think it would be a matter,

Yay!

unless Mastermind->Beginner like game

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
But why? Why? Why are you so cruel here? ;(

I think, if I finished a Mastermind level, I should deserve the items taken from it no matter what, since I would have went through a lot of troubles to finish that damn level and get those items...
Anyways, hope I can get to unleash Mastermind-level artifacts onto those weaklings in Beginner difficulty!

 

[Daffa]

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
But why? Why? Why are you so cruel here? ;(

I think, if I finished a Mastermind level, I should deserve the items taken from it no matter what, since I would have went through a lot of troubles to finish that damn level and get those items...
Anyways, hope I can get to unleash Mastermind-level artifacts onto those weaklings in Beginner difficulty!

You can do that, but it's not a cool thing for me
Oh, and Mastermind hurt mind a lot in getting the job done. *save-load-save-load*

Well, taking some inspirations from others is a nice idea. That'll make your campaign even more interesting and full of interesting stuffs.
Does the idea of putting faction arcs into one big campaign inspired from Mental Omega and MegaCraft? Well, just asking,

But well, it's better to finish with most of the rough basic stuffs before doing anything fancy like that.

Yes, I do have inspiration based on those two thing you mentioned, especially the first (Mental Omega). These campaigns was to be separated per arc but this way it helps me connect the story dots in a much easier way (and making sure of consistency).

 

[Daffa]

FINALLY DONE WITH REVOLUTIONARIES CHAPTER ONE!

Sorry for the caps, just feels satisfied

 

[Daffa]

Here's a gift from the old chapter

 

[Lord Aiden]

Does this campaign glitch with the new patches?

 

[Daffa]

It doesn't, as far as I am aware. Any issues you ran into? @Lord Aiden

 

[Daffa]

Currently uploading a fraction of Revolutionaries first chapter. Also, the next update is due around next weekend, featuring Revolutionaries and if possible, New Coalition as well.

EDIT :
It's a video, not the chapter itself. You have to wait for next week.