MARCH 4 Installment Release Countdown

Alright, some quick news first. We've decided to pare down the February release to just the Human portion; that is to say, the intro, the Human background, the first three human missions and the Act-ending cinematic. We are going to try for releasing the Orc installment at the end of March. The reason for this is that we could only complete both installments for February by compromising quality, and we won't do that. I personally feel that most of you regard our project as vapourware, and pushing this installment back one more month to complete the Orc half would probably be one step too far.

So I am committing us to release the first Human installment of Dawn of Chaos on February 29, or as soon after as possible. Of course I won't swear on my grandmothers' combined graves, because it's hard to coordinate something of this size to an exact date, particularly when there is only one member of this entire team who bothers to dedicate the time required to accomplish his work, and the work of others besides.

But February 29th is, at this moment, the release date for the first Human installment in our episodic release of DoC.

Testing will commence in earnest this weekend; we're going to avoid the bugginess of our previous demo releases. And bear in mind, this is NOT a demo you'll be getting: this is the first quarter or so of the Human campaign.

We're also considering the inclusion of some multiplayer maps along with the release. That's up in the air at the moment.

We're going into crunch mode here, and I would like to personally make a request to anyone who wants to see this project finished: POST! I want to hear from everyone. Start your own threads, answer others, ask questions, ask for updates, talk amongst yourselves. I know we seem like we're dead and just waiting for the coroner, but that's the way we work. I want to get as much discussion going as possible, because honestly, kind words and even criticism keep the blood flowing in our veins. When people respond to what we're doing, it gives us a huge rush, and our work is that much better for it.

Cross your fingers and start the countdown at 17!

I also want to add that I'll be monitoring this forum intensely for the rest of the month. If you want to know ANYTHING, or better, if you want me to show you something in particular, just ask. People are always complaining that the things we choose to show are not exciting enough - so tell me what you want to see! I can't guarantee I'll acquiesce to every single request, but if it's within reason, I'm at your disposal. Count on a prompt response.

Well, I'm very pleased to finally get a taste of anything from this project which is the only reason I'll be playing Warcraft 3 again. I've waited for this project since around its incipience, checking up every once in a while. I've also played the demo (about 2 versions of it) and loved the system you guys made up.

Question: How many levels will there be for a Hero? How many heroes will there be for either campaign?

edit: jesus christ, i only have 9 posts since 2002

Only 9? There must be more, because I remember you.
Not sure what the hero level max is, especially considering that John has created a new system for the heroes that isn't at all like WC3's system.
There will be three main hero positions for each race in the campaigns, although individual characters may be replaced in those positions.

For the Humans, the main characters are Lothar, Khadgar, and Uther. Minor controllable heroes will be Turalyon and Blackmoore.

For the Orcs, the main characters will be Doomhammer, Kilrogg, and Gorefiend. Nekros will replace Gorefiend at one point.

Glad to have you here, by all means ask me anything. John will be around eventually to answer your first question.

you told me to ask, so its your fault, just remember that

can we get some in-game previews of some of the heros in action? little 30 second videos or something of some moves, maybe show them run around the buildings doing their purdeh little animations?

you said awhile ago you were thinking of including a few bonus things (i dont remember exactly, but i got it into my head a secret level or two). any word on those?

will you be my valentine?

will the starters of each campaign coincide, so you get the entire story from 4 points of view, or will they be sequential like warcraft 3 was? you play human, then orc, then bandits, then orc shadow council dudes or something?

will we be able to customize our heros and units more to our play (for instance, i have always preferred lots of little melee units and a melee hero than big melee or casters) or will it be more like warcraft 2 where your choices are stick with the small guys and lose, or go with ogre mages and paladins and obliterate?

will there be hireables? i always liked in warcraft 3 coming upon a merc shack and stocking my group up with things their race doesnt have, like orcs getting some of the troll priests.

can we blow up sheep by clicking them to death? please let us blow up sheep. that was always lots of fun while waiting on building queus.

1. We're testing this weekend, so I'll see about having someone take some Fraps videos. That's not a bad idea at all. You have to see this stuff in action to believe it.
2. The bonus levels are still in.
In addition to that, some of the Acts will be longer than others by a mission or two, because some of the missions in Orcs and Humans are being spread over two missions in DoC. For example, instead of the Orc mission starting inside of Northshire Abbey, you first have to besiege the Abbey, then the next mission is inside it.
The bonus levels will be mostly things that we know happened, but don't fit into the exact linear play of the campaigns.
3. I'll be your Valentine. Will you be my footstool?
4. The campaigns are parallel to each other, as they were in the original games. However, beating both campaigns will unlock a long bonus cinematic that provides the true ending as per the later games. This two-timeline existence will actually be explained in-universe in the game's opening narrative.
5. We're trying to include more specialized unit abilities you can research than the original games included. As well, you can choose to upgrade your heroes along combat lines more than magic or ability lines, or vice versa, thanks to John's special system. It's possible to field an all-catapult army (Berry2k did so, infamously, in the multiplayer beta testing of yore), an all-Raider army, or an army of Spearmen backed up by a posse of Demon-summoning Warlocks. It's actually a lot more fun, strategy-wise, than the later games, particularly WC3. It's never a case of rush-in-and-annihilate, in team matches; sometimes games can last hours, with huge armies hiding in clearings and frantic defenders rebuilding walls during a siege.
6. Hireables are a maybe. There WILL be natural predators, some of which will be allied towards one race more than another (there are lions, for example, in the later Plains of Azeroth levels that will only attack the Orcs) and there will be neutral or third-party groups in the campaign levels.
7. Of COURSE the exploding sheep are in. Are you nuts?

I haven't followed the project nearly as long as it seems many others on the board have, but I am really impressed with what I've seen. I especially like how you've chosen to use more dark colors to take it back to the Warcraft I style. The Orcs are Orcs once again!

All this talk about heroes, hireables and natural redators is having me worried though. Will multiplayer mode be free for these things for us who likes the classic style of play with armies fighting armies that was so fun in Warcraft I, II and Starcraft?

No matter what the answer for that is, keep up the good work!

All the questions I wanted to ask has been asked by haddon.
but there is one thing I'd like to ask.

I think i've heard this having a wall system, how will the wall system work? Is it only available for the campaign maps or is it also playable on regular melee games? And is it also walkable?

Multiplayer will have an incredible amount of options. Not sure if you got to try the old Misty Forest MP demo, but you'll be able to restrict everything to classic mode if you so wish.


And about walls, they MAY be available in some campaign missions, but that's still up in the air. But MP walls will be walkable once I finish my wall system.

Yeah, you seriously need to play the multiplayer as host to see the ridiculous amount of options you have. You can easily set it to no-hero, and in fact that's how we played before since the hero system wasn't set up yet, and it was awesome fun.

The original game had campaign walls; unless there's a reason I don't know about, we'll have campaign walls too.

Hi guyz, i have been monitoring this forum for a long time, even though i rarely/never post..cuz i lack the time to do so...im glad you will finnaly be releasing a part of the campaign and judging from what i have seen in te pictures, the demo, the cinematic and all the other stuff posted on this forum im sure it will be great.
And btw (this may sound strange) but i understand why u dont want to release all the parts at once...because it is your project and you want it to be perfect. So take your time , don`t worry and i think i speak for all of your fans when i say that whomever has waited so long for this project will have no problem waiting one mor emonth or two whole months or so on...until it is ready
good luck guyz!

those of us who have been with warcraft for ages, and blizzard for ages, have come to learn the wait is almost always worth it.
let us compare:
ff7: dirge of Cerberus. one of the most hyped games that i can remember for a long time. it was rushed out as fast as possible, and was absolute crap
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. demo comes out, the hype is MASSIVE. it is pushed back and pushed back, for a year and a half. when it finally came out, it was almost flawless.

yes, take your time, make the game as close to perfect as possible!

I have a request, could you guys post some video's of some MP tests?
It doesn't have to be the whole thing... Just a couple of minions working, some built-up bases;
and battles which are as destructive as Skullpitters verbal skills...

And I don't mean:
GOD-these-people-annoy-me-destructive (also known as 'Standard-Skullpitter')
I mean:
Come-on-punk-just-misspell-a-SINGLE-word-I'm-WAITING-for-an-excuse!-destructive... (or 'Gibberish + My presence = Blasphemy-Skullpitter')

Are you off your meds again, Afsin?
Anyway, if it's at all possible to get some Fraps videos taken, I shall see that it is done. It's been long enough that you guys deserve to see the game in action, and it's cohesive enough now that seeing it in action won't turn you off.

Also, anybody who wants to get in on the testing, post here and we'll see if we need any extras when the time comes. I can't guarantee anything, but we do want to make sure everything works this time before we release. So. Bear in mind, though, that there will be very, very large file downloads involved.