Source-first reverse engineering of a mainline Battle for Wesnoth campaign

Utility & Macro Catalogue

All six campaign utility files: journey maps, the distract ability, AI helpers, shared death behavior, unit-construction macros, and quest-order narrative events.

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Six-file utility surface

FileDefinitionsPrimary responsibility
bigmap.cfgGreen Isle and Great Continent background/track wrappers plus the journey macro familyStory-map rendering and route history, including branch-aware Scenario 04 and Ka’lian quest paths.
trow-abilities.cfg1 macroDefines the Wesfolk distract ability.
trow-ai.cfg7 macrosGoal injection, attacking toggles, AI resets, and invisible movement limiting.
trow-deaths.cfg1 macro containing 9 event handlersCampaign-wide required-character defeat and companion death behavior.
trow-macros.cfg5 unit-construction macrosHeroes, guardians, intelligence units, and raised former allies.
trow-nlmsg.cfg6 active narrative eventsQuest-order and fleet-progress reminder dialogue.

Core construction macros

MacroParameters / behaviorTypical use
HEROType, ID, name, side, coordinates, portrait; loyal hero trait; no random traits.Named permanent allies such as Lord Typhon.
GUARD_UNITCreates a named loyal unit with ai_special=guardian.Wose defenders, spiders, scorpions, tentacles, and fixed cave guards.
UNDEAD_INTELCreates a named undead loyal unit with portrait.Jevyan, Familiar, Midnight Queen, and intelligence scenes.
LIVING_INTELCreates a named living loyal unit with portrait and no random traits.Temporary or scripted living intelligence characters.
RISE_UP_RISE_UPCreates a loyal enemy corpse at the fallen unit’s hex, preserving undead variation; Soulless on Hard.Temple in the Deep and the final battle.
Stale source comment. The header comment says “So Far: #LOOT,” but the current file contains no LOOT macro. The actual live definitions are the five listed above.

AI helper macros

MacroResponsibility
GOAL_LOCATIONBuilds a target-location goal from arbitrary criteria and a value.
MODIFY_SIDE_AIWraps an AI modification inside [modify_side].
DISABLE_ATTACKINGDeletes spread-poison, high-XP-attack, and combat candidate actions.
ENABLE_ATTACKINGRestores those three standard candidate actions.
RESET_SIDE_AIRebuilds goals, avoid region, grouping, aggression, caution, and leader value.
SILENTLY_LIMIT_LEADER_MOVESRestricts a leader only while on a keep and re-applies the limit after returning.
SILENTLY_LIMIT_MOVESRestricts any filtered side units at turn refresh.

Shared death contract

CharacterResult
Prince HaldricImmediate defeat.
King Eldaric IVImmediate defeat in scenarios where the macro is active.
Lady JesseneImmediate defeat.
Lady OutlawDoes not die normally: have_lady=0, store in lady_store, remove from map.
Burin, Ruddry, Ladoc, EdrenCharacter-specific final dialogue; campaign continues.
Lord TyphonImmediate defeat because the fleet becomes vulnerable.

The macro centralizes stable death behavior while scenarios add local exceptions and additional protected leaders.

distract ability

The campaign’s sole custom ability is implemented as an ally-affecting skirmisher effect. The unit itself does not receive the effect; every adjacent ally may ignore enemy Zones of Control.

#define ABILITY_DISTRACT
[skirmisher]
    id=distract
    affect_self=no
    affect_allies=yes
    [affect_adjacent]
    [/affect_adjacent]
[/skirmisher]
#enddef

Journey-map architecture

bigmap.cfg defines two base maps and route macros from the opening through the epilogue. Important architectural features include:

  • Green Isle and Great Continent background-layer wrappers.
  • NEW_* versus OLD_* markers for the current and completed route.
  • Scenario 04 route selection through escape_choice.
  • Ka’lian branch rendering through the four completion flags and last_done.
  • Return-to-hub routes that combine all completed quest journeys.

Narrative reminder events

ConditionTurnPurpose
last_done="Dragon"6Haldric still wants the “Dragonbane” title.
last_done="Hole"3Jessene and Burin recall the Troll Hole.
last_done="Isle"2Haldric comments on avoiding undead.
last_done="Beach"5Haldric misses the beach.
num_done=07Reports the first fleet departure to the Green Isle.
num_done=32Reports the returning fleet and another outbound third.

Source files

bigmap.cfg · trow-abilities.cfg · trow-ai.cfg · trow-deaths.cfg · trow-macros.cfg · trow-nlmsg.cfg