Let's Rip Off Something Awful - Dark Omen or No Love For 56K

[Sovy Kurosei]

Gods, can you imagine how impossible this game would be if they never allowed you to replace troops? The campaign is pretty god damn long Sovy, by the end you'd almost certainly be facing down the armies of the damned with only a single crossbowman.

I was just wondering why there were 16/16 cavalrymen yet it said one died on that one screenshot.

 

[pkt-zer0]

Gods, can you imagine how impossible this game would be if they never allowed you to replace troops?

*twitch*


*snap*


*cackle*

 

[Jasede]

I got some free Camtasia trial and had math and physics stuff to do all Monday, so no update as of yet. Got the shots, but just not updated yet.

But speaking of Camtasia, should I get that to work well while keeping decent FPS, any interest in seeing a video mission for a change? It's kinda nice to see the Bright Wizard burn dozens of undead Terminator-style. And you'd get to hear my fagz0r voice.

 

[sqeecoo]

I'd be very interested in a video, mostly because the game is *hard* (or because I suck, or both). I seem to have a lot of trouble (I win, but with very bad losses) with every single mission after, say, the first five.

I also never seem to use the wizard so much.

So I'd be very interested in some general tactics.

Btw. is it necessary to replay missions until you know exactly where the enemies will come from? I dislike that.

EDIT: So, anyone up for a Dark Omen Ironman :D

 

[dragonfk]

Inspired by you Jasede I decided to once again fight off flows of undead...And in mission 6 I lost 13 of Bernahard cavelery men(at least they were the only casualties ). God how I hate and at the same time love this game...

 

[Jasede]

So... how do I make Camtasia record the whole screen? Apparently it can only record windows, but the game runs in fullscreen... I tried recording another game, but it cut the framerate in 1/10th. x.x

 

[Jasede]

Stay tuned, switched from Camtasia to FRAPS. I want to make a video of ye famouse church battle. Let's see if I can do it with less than 5 men lost (Grudgebringer Infantry ideally, since I never use them except as cannon fodder to hold up regiments while my real troops do the real work. THere's many Dark Omen playstyles and mine absolutely shuns infantry unless it's made of three big... oops, spoilers.)

 

[Jasede]

Making a video is a lot harder than I thought. I got a decent (=> the commentary is :gonk video but even with some DivX magic it's over Daily-motion's 150 MB... I am working on it.

Also, I lost 12 men in it, so I might make a new one where I don't lose so many archers. (I lost 10 in my screenshot attempt, but that mission can be won without losing more than, say, 4)

 

[Sovy Kurosei]

You might have to use a real video editor like Adobe Premiere and either edit out any boring bits or speed the footage up 1.5x or 2x.

 

[Jasede]

Ah, but I can't afford software like this, Sovy, so I must instead make the video again and again and again until it's good. I don't mind, I can practice my English and eventually will surely get through that tough mission with no losses this way.

Edit: Is there a way to simply dub a video with subtitles? That would make me a lot easier to understand. What freeware program can do this? VirtualDub?

 

[Marsal]

Ah, but I can't afford software like this, Sovy, so I must instead make the video again and again and again until it's good. I don't mind, I can practice my English and eventually will surely get through that tough mission with no losses this way.

I believe there is a trial for Adobe software. There are some freeware software good enough for you needs. I'll let others do the recommendations, as I have no experience with any of them.

Even if you pirate it for this kind of amateur use, it's really not a big deal. I would say Adobe even profits from such practices, as it helps spread its software and educate future paying customers. If you've been "working" (better said messing around) pirated (let's say) Photoshop for years and you get a chance to do some "real" (as in paying) work, which software will you choose (recommend) to buy at your workplace? It's not the same thing as pirating music or games (in terms of profit loss to the owners), at least I see it that way. You really need to have the original to earn money (professional use).

Also, replaying missions is not what REAL MEN do :D I see that people like to jab you about your furrysm (is that a word?), so show them who you are on the battlefield! Play it ironman (kind of). If you don't get beaten heavily (as in win the mission, but lose the whole regiment or something like that), don't play the same mission again. You are wasting too much time on perfection and we'd like to see more updates!
[the above paragraph is not intended as an insult or a provocation, just to be clear]

EDIT: http://www.adobe.com/products/premiere/ (there appears to be a free trial, although it might be an overkill for this kind of use)

 

[pkt-zer0]

Ah, but I can't afford software like this, Sovy, so I must instead make the video again and again and again until it's good.

Eh? Just capture the video into a farking huge file once, with little-to-no compression, then fiddle around with the settings for recompressing it in VirtualDub until it looks decent. From my limited experience, a half-sized video usually produces better results with the same bitrate. Anyway, filesize shouldn't be an issue, since you can simply calculate that beforehand from the bitrate and time. Or do a two-pass compression, if you're so inclined.

Is there a way to simply dub a video with subtitles? That would make me a lot easier to understand. What freeware program can do this? VirtualDub?

I found this, though never used such programs myself. After you create a subtitle file you can add it into the video stream in VirtualDub. That would only be needed if you're going to use a YouTube-like service, most media players recognize subtitle files just fine (and the subtitles are optional that way, too).

Anyhow, if you need further assistance regarding VirtualDub, feel free to drop me a PM, it'd probably be better than filling up this thread with such posts.

 

[Jasede]

Goddamnit, I just made the best run of Bogenhafen 1 ever (lost 4 men -total-) and the .avi is corrupt.

Edit: Oooh, Virtual Dub seems to be able to restore it. Let's hope. I can't see this mission anymore. x.x If this continues I'll start using less and less regiments until I win it using only Grudgebringers and Bright Wizard. (Wait, there's an idea!)

Edit: Botched attempt #3, ( http://www.dailymotion.com/Jasede_Codex/video/5450130 ) this time I figure out that Dailymotion makes everything blur horribly. This damn fine attempt at the mission doesn't deserve this low quaility, but I submitted it to see how things look on Dailymotion. Expect a real update with commentary at the weekend or so, a watchable one.

Hmmm, how about subtitles? That would keep them small.

 

[pkt-zer0]

this time I figure out that Dailymotion makes everything blur horribly. This damn fine attempt at the mission doesn't deserve this low quaility, but I submitted it to see how things look on Dailymotion. Expect a real update with commentary at the weekend or so, a watchable one.

Wikipedia says: Dailymotion converts videos to 640x480, while Youtube uses 320x240. Meaning that resolutions other than those will result in stretched and possibly blurred videos. So, you could convert to the desired size with VirtualDub beforehand, hopefully resulting in better image quality. You could also try other video upload services, Google Video or Veoh (doesn't recompress your videos, but there's a 20 minute limit on their length if you want to avoid installing their shitty video viewer), for instance.

 

[Jasede]

This is more difficult than would have imagined, and for a change, it's not the game itself. Watchable video at the weekend then. Hang in there. Maybe I'll actually make a Bright Wizard / Cavalry only video for it.

 

[Jasede]

YouTube is too dark. x.x
Gee, I'll just do screenshots, maybe. I kinda want to get to the cool battles!

 

[puppyonastik]

The screenshots worked perfectly fine. Your synopses of events were pretty amusing as well...or in other words... MOAR NOW!

 

[Jasede]

Okok. Give me two hours.

 

[Jasede]

Holy shit, I did it. Not quite "Using only the Bright Wizard" but damn close. Give me 90 minutes at the most.

 

[Jasede]

Update #3 - I am even more awesome, and damn lazy to boot

Hello everybody, welcome back to Jasede's Let's Play Dark Omen! Last time we and our strong, well-trained men with glistening abs that would make King Leonidas look like mama's boy were faced with a tough choice- To defend Bogenhafen from the imminent attack or to screw them folk and ride on to Helmgart.

You, my esteemed readers, made that choice- and throw me into one helluva mission! First let's see what our good pal Morgan says when faced with the same choice-

:evil: I'll not allow the countess to come to harm! I gave her my personal word on that. We stay! Prepare to fight!

Battle 5 - Defending Bogenhafen

Our objective? Destroy all undead that swarm the town. You might want to crank up the gamma, this is a very dark mission.

We begin in the centre of the map, near this creepy church. Speaking of the map, let's take a look.

Well, shit. It's hard to see, but the town has entrances to the north, the north-east, the east, the south, the south-east, the south-west amd the west. And we're right in the middle. Oh joy! Also, some bad news-

Morgan! The infantry-men and the cannon-crew got drunk in the pub and can't aid us in this battle! You, the crossbowmen and that queer wizard are all alone!
:evil: ...
I am -so- delighted to fight so very close to you, commander. And my what broad shoulders you have!
:evil: & ...

Oh well. Let's start the battle! Right at the start a necromancer whispers:

:twisted: You should have left when you had the chance!

Not only that, he also raises two regiments of slow-moving zombies at the north entrance.

Brains!

We aren't impressed and the Blast spell of the wizard, the Grudgebringer sword and the crossbows (my very favourite unit in both Warhammer Fantasy games) slay them quite easily before they can come too close for comfort.

If you noticed, I am using the Bright Wizard as bait- I move him around while the zombies chase him, occasionally setting some on fire, but mainly so the crossbows can decimate them while the cavalry kills those zombies that survived the first waves of ranged attacks. When the zombies are finally killed our wizard spots more advancing from the south-east! We turn the cavalry to attack them and-

Oh shit.

-spot another unit of zombies very damn close to the crossbows and cavalry- they snuck up on us! Not a problem though- we charge them as fast as we can with the cavalry while the crossbows and the wizard attack the south-eastern unit of zombies.

Eat fire, undead scum!

Just as we think we got things under control...
"Enemy sighted!"

:evil: They're coming from all sides! Back to back we must fight those restless dead!

As you can see we are in serious trouble- undead archers from the south-west are just taking aim at the cavalry and zombie-hordes crawl towards the wizard and the crossbows from the east.

We order Morgan to charge the skeleton archers with his men before they can do too much harm- Luther and Fletcher and his men are on their own!

"Target destroyed!"

And they do well! We keep withdrawing them from the slow zombies and firing at them whenever we can, whittling their numbers down. As you could see on the shot above, Fletcher already managed to kill a unit of zombies with his crossbows. Well done, buddy! You are, after all, leader of my favourite unit.

There's trouble brewing, though- while we keep retreating the crossbowmen and the wizard from the zombies, and while Morgan is busy mowing the skeletal bowmen down-

-we run into a regiment of skeletal warriors! Damnit. Also, the zombies got between the wizard and the crossbowmen and now they're split. We're in trouble! However, the crossbows do get some very clear and devastating shots on the zombies from this position while they chase the wizard.

Just not clear enough- the skeletal warriors and zombies keep chasing Luther. Well, since he's a wizard that bit of running won't do him harm, I guess. Quite some time passes in which Luther leads the undead behind him. We're going to surprise them with the crossbows when they come to the east side of the church, and have the cavalry, that finished fighting the bowmen by then, charge their backs...

At least that's what we'd do if not for those skeletal warriors that come to attack from the north!

Thinking fast, Fletcher orders his men to move further east and meet with the wizard- and *just* as the undead are about to reach them, Morgan charges them from the back! Thank you, Morgan!

This gives us opportunity to move our ranged troops to the south-east- they're, after all, still being chased by that new unit of skeletons that came from the north.

We employ the same tactic: We move our troops steadily away from the undead while, every once in a while, firing a fireball or bolts at them, hopefully killing the unit before they get too close. Morgan valiantly fights skeletons as Fletcher and Luther try to keep the undead that outnumber us heavily as far from their pelts as they can.

Fuck.

Yeah. We were too slow- the zombies managed to get too close- they charge Fletcher! He knows he won't last in melee so he orders his men to flee... Luther, maybe out of being a pussy, or out of solidarity, throws a fit of panic and also runs away from the dead. Only Morgan can save us now!

Thank you, Jesus.

And he does! He charges them just before they can start cutting the fleeing troops down, destroying the zombies and then charging the skeletons, soon joined by the crossbowmen. They may suck in melee, but since they charged the skeletons at their backs they get some hefty combat boni. But what's this?

You got to be kidding me.

You got to be fucking kidding me!

That's right. As we try to destroy the skeletons - a very durable enemy, that - a necromancer and more skeletons come to attack us. What's a necromancer gonna do? Well, for example, kill half a unit in seconds or make even your toughest guys flee with a spell. Yeah, I know. We have to kill him ASAP! Also, if you noticed, Luther stopped fleeing- maybe because he is no longer afraid, but I would rather think he just ran out of breath and hence ceased to run.

Burn! Umm... why isn't this working?

We shoot the necromancer with bolts and magic, but the trouble is- most wizards, necromancer included, can cast a spell that will make them immune to magic... The strange glow on the crossbowmen you can see means that the necromancer tried to use the "fear" spell on them, but luckily, they made their save. Or rather, they're just too badass to be fazed.

Finally the necromancer yields to Fletcher's bolts. Victory is in sight! The Grudgebringer Cavalry fights hard to defeat the last skeletons...

And with a last fireball, it is done... our men peer into the dark, glum, rugged and tired from the battle... it takes a while before the realisation dawns on them- They have won! This time. The only thing that's louder than the triumphant cheers of them and the townsfolk are the fireworks held in celebration of our glorious battle!

Let's get drunk!
Let's!
:evil: Let's!

We are done! Or are we? One of the firecrackers - or at least that's the story the Grudgebringers tell - hit the book-shop of the village by accident... Other accounts of the story speak of a drunken Bright Wizard who found a really rare book inside the shop and burned the shop down because the bookseller didn't appreciate the kind of payment the wizard had in mind. We don't talk much about it.

:Final Fantasy Victory Fanfare:

Grudgebringer Cavalry levels up! Melee accuracy +1!

Not a bad run, but losing 3 cavalry was not really needed. They are- thanks to you bitches who made me buy armour- very expensive to replace and most of the takes of this mission will go to replace the fallen men, leaving us with a profit of mere 500 or so.

The book we, uh, acquired.

After the battle, still groggy from the alcohol, we listen to the major's praise!

What a spectacular victory, commander! The folk of Bogenhafen owe you their lives! How could we ever repay you?
How can you repay us? I'll give you a clue. Zey are round, zey glitter and zey fill purses!
Uhm... I am not sure what you are getting at...
:evil: Think about it. But not too long.
Oh yes, yes! You'll be paid in full. Goes without saying.
:wink: As for me, commander... what payment can recompense for saving my life?
:evil: Good question. One I have heard many times before. Perhaps we will speak of it when I return.
:wink: Are you going, commander?
:evil: I am always going somewhere.
We must leave you, countess, and ride to Helmgart. The mayor will protect you with his men.
What? Uh? Er... Oh... Yes...
:evil: Make sure you do. Else I have some advice for you- next time you see me- RUN.
Yes, I will! - Err. I mean, I will give my life for her...
:evil: Good. Klaus! We go!

Tune in next time when we see the consequence defending Bogenhafen had on the next mission!

 

[Jasede]

Ack, I made the stuff for the next mission, but photobucket seems to have some daily upload limit. Go figure. Also, feedback!

 

[sqeecoo]

How do you manage to kill so much with the cavalry? When I fight head on, I always lose quite a few men before I can destroy those skeletons.

Also, how do you turn on the map?
And do you use the "muscle" button when your troops are in melee? does it do anything?

One last question: why are you so afraid of having your units die? It's not *that* expensive to replace them, and you can use the temporary troops as cannon fodder. Or do they lose experience when some die?

:D

 

[Jasede]

How do you manage to kill so much with the cavalry? When I fight head on, I always lose quite a few men before I can destroy those skeletons.

Armor! Those dicks in this thread made me buy armor for my cavalry. Now they cost a whopping 250 gold per man to replace, but are insanely hard to kill. Oh, and soon we'll get an item that will increase their AC even further! Also, that muscle button may or may not have them live longer.

Another thing: Never attack a regiment that is at full strength- this will make it especially hard to make that unit flee. Instead, use the cavalry only to attack troops that have already been softened by ranged attackers when possible.

Another thing I tend to do to avoid having the cavalry die: Use the wizard and the crossbowmen in melee when an enemy regiment is busy fighting the cavalry. It's surprsing how effective the crossbowmen can be in melee if they charge an unit in the back, thus killing the regiment faster and reducint the chance that you lose men in the cavalry.

Oh, and if you're wondering why I am using the cavalry so much- I reckon they should be nigh-unstoppable at level 3, so I want them to reach it as soon as possible because having a super-powerful unit will put my mind at ease quite a bit.

Also, how do you turn on the map?

Tab/Space

And do you use the "muscle" button when your troops are in melee? does it do anything?

This is a religious question. I use the button but if it does anything is a matter of believing. The manual of SotHR says it will make an unit "stronger" so you may or may not give everyone in the unit +1 Strength (chance to damage an unit if you managed to hit them) or even +1 Toughness (chance to oppose the strength check of an enemy).
Just in case it does something I use it.

One last question: why are you so afraid of having your units die? It's not *that* expensive to replace them, and you can use the temporary troops as cannon fodder. Or do they lose experience when some die?

They don't lose anything, just the gold, but it's a matter of gold. I have not actually played through Dark Omen and what will I do if I meet a one-in-a-lifetime chance to hire, say, a regiment of troll-warriors for 5000 gold and don't have it then?
Plus, I look awesome when I finish really hard missions with small losses.

And, well, since I haven't actually played this further than battle number 10 there's always the chance that later missions become insanely hard so I'd rather have, say, 20K in reserve by then. The next missions will pay very well, and we'll get some wicked-cool infantry. (As you may have noticed, I am not a fan of the Grudgebringer Infantry. Flagellants ftw!)

 

[Shannow]

They don't lose anything, just the gold, but it's a matter of gold. I have not actually played through Dark Omen and what will I do if I meet a one-in-a-lifetime chance to hire, say, a regiment of troll-warriors for 5000 gold and don't have it then?
Plus, I look awesome when I finish really hard missions with small losses.

And, well, since I haven't actually played this further than battle number 10 there's always the chance that later missions become insanely hard so I'd rather have, say, 20K in reserve by then. The next missions will pay very well, and we'll get some wicked-cool infantry. (As you may have noticed, I am not a fan of the Grudgebringer Infantry. Flagellants ftw!)

Not trolls,...ogres...nuff said.

I didn't like the flagellants at all. With only 2 armor they simply died too fast. But whatever works for you

 

[Jasede]

Hey, half-naked warriors, sweating? What's not to love!

They DO suck, but not as as much as the greatswords or the Grudgebringer Infantry. (This is a lie, the infantry is pretty awesome. I just don't like them for irrational reasons. Go figure.)

This is the beauty of Warhammer games: You can play any style you like, be it favouring wizards, infantry, archers, artiellery or a combination of that.