Arc flow
04a Swamp of Esten ─┐
├──► 05 The Oldwood ──► 06 Temple in the Deep ──► 07 Return to Oldwood ──► 08 Clearwater Port
04b The Midlands ─────┘
05: earn access
06: complete relic quest
07: reconcile state and depart
Three different uses of scenario structure
| Scenario | Primary form | What the engine frame is used for |
|---|---|---|
| 05 | Four-side surface battle | Autonomous ally, fog, protect condition, diplomacy, quest unlock |
| 06 | Two-side underground quest | Shroud, compound objectives, item interaction, death conversion |
| 07 | One-turn cutscene | Map continuity, unit animation, stored-state transformation, dialogue convergence |
Map economy
| File | Used by | Production lesson |
|---|---|---|
05_The_Oldwood.map | Scenario 05 battle and Scenario 07 cutscene | One custom map supports two dramatically different experiences. |
06_Temple_in_the_Deep.map | Scenario 06 dungeon | A distinct map is created only when geography and mechanics change substantially. |
State architecture
| State | Created earlier | Used in arc | Cleanup |
|---|---|---|---|
escape_choice | Scenario 03 | Already consumed to load 04a or 04b | Cleared at Scenario 05 prestart |
last_done | Scenario 04 victory | Transition metadata before convergence | Cleared at Scenario 05 prestart |
have_lady | Scenario 02 | Controls objection, storage, reunion dialogue, and recruit repair | Cleared in Scenario 07 |
lady_store | Scenario 02 or 05 | Preserves progression during off-screen scouting and reconstruction | Cleared after Lady Jessene is created |
Have_Ruby | Scenario 06 chest | Joins two victory conditions | Cleared at Scenario 06 victory |
Content reuse matrix
| System | Campaign-specific work | Core/shared reuse |
|---|---|---|
| Forest alliance | Dialogue, scenario arrangement, Rithrandil portraits | All Wose units, fog, shared vision, guardian behavior, terrain and scenery |
| Dungeon | Map, story art, quest scripting, RISE_UP_RISE_UP | Undead units, underground schedule, holy-water macro, chest/statue art, sounds and music |
| Jessene reveal | Portrait, dialogue, state conversion logic | Stored-unit actions, animations, recruit action, cutscene theme, Wose units, map |
Pacing architecture
05 — Social proof through combat
The player earns trust by defending a faction with its own army and leader.
06 — Focused dungeon objective
The campaign narrows from a multi-front war to one enemy and one artifact.
07 — Recovery and redirection
A short non-combat chapter processes consequences before the next siege.
Design interpretation. The arc alternates tactical scale rather than escalating monotonically. A large alliance battle is followed by a compact dungeon and then a pure narrative scene.
Best practices demonstrated
| Practice | Oldwood example |
|---|---|
| Make allies mechanically independent | Treefolk retain their own side, recruitment, gold, and AI. |
| Gate an objective behind story-earned access | The catacomb cannot be entered until the Woses break the seal. |
| Let objectives complete in either order when natural | Lenvan and the Ruby can be handled in either sequence. |
| Use temporary state for local logic | Have_Ruby is discarded once success guarantees possession. |
| Use stored units for long-lived progression | lady_store retains experience and type through absence. |
| Give narrative scenarios real engineering responsibilities | Scenario 07 performs identity, roster, variable, and carryover transitions. |
| Reuse maps when place continuity matters | Oldwood is revisited rather than represented by a generic story screen. |