Warcraft Campaign: Preproduction
I've always had a passion for Blizzard games, and a particular love for the Warcraft series. As such, I was thrilled to hear the new Warcraft III Reforged would come with the editor that the original Warcraft III was so famous for.
Naturally, I went straight to work!
I've already completed much of the preproduction for the level. I have a papermap, LDD, and an objective/pacing map shown below:
The Fires of Hearthwood
Overview
The Fires of Hearthwood is a custom Warcraft III editor campaign map. This will be a single-player experience that centers around Warcraft III’s dungeon-crawling gameplay, such as their Sunken City or Dungeons of Dalaran maps. Rather than focusing on the unit and building creation, the player will be in control of a single hero unit that can find and add lesser units to their roster. Overall, the skillset and audience for this kind of map will be players familiar with Warcraft III gameplay, but it will not require them to have mastered it. The intention is to have a very short but very clean map that reflects the quality of work put into a professional Warcraft III map but in a smaller dose.
Story
Synopsis
The player will be controlling Captain Haynes, a military leader who has just received word that a nearby farming village has come under attack. A marauding warband of orcs under the command of Blademaster Splintershield invaded an undefended village, Hearthwood. Arriving too late, Haynes now must battle through the broken streets of Hearthwood to rally the distraught village militia into a fighting force capable of driving out the orc threat.
Background
This map is a standalone story that will fill in most subplot through dialogue and actions. While further explanation may be added to future installments, the core of the level is the current threat, and should not expand any further than that. The implication from the player’s perspective is that this scene takes place after their character has just arrived and that the city has already been nearly razed. The plot is very deliberately a hero story, as the map itself should be what the player focuses on rather than intricate details.
Gameplay
Objective
The objective of the map is to acquire as many units as possible while making your way through Hearthwood as it is under attack by orcs. Once they have saved as many people as they can find, the player will then lead their forces out of the city for a final confrontation with the orc warband that is responsible for the attack. The enemy forces will be strong enough that the player will require a sizable number of remaining troops and items that they have found throughout the map. Should the player choose not to explore, their fight with the enemy boss will be substantially more difficult- if not impossible.
Map
The entire level will be no larger than a standard Warcraft III dungeon. The focus is on a tight location filled with encounters rather than a far-stretching map that the player must explore. With this in mind, the map should take no longer than fifteen minutes to complete if the player discovers and collects everything it has to offer. However, if the player does seek to find every item in the map, they will be required to move off the intended path frequently—often to dead ends—in order to find loot, crates, and additional reinforcements.
Mechanics
The player’s hero unit will already have all their spells unlocked and maxed out, leaving the rest of the gameplay to the items you can find. This will ensure that players are armed with what they will need for the map. Because of this, the map is going to play out similar to a standard Warcraft III map. Rushing or skipping objectives will hinder the player’s progress dramatically, while methodical and slow pacing will almost certainly end in victory. There will not be any puzzles or secrets that require the player to have prior knowledge of the series, they will only need to know to explore.
Experience
Players coming into The Fires of Hearthwood will need to understand at least the basics of the Warcraft III hero system. They will start with predetermined spells that the player will need to read if they are unfamiliar with the provided ones specifically. They will also need to understand how to navigate the map and equip/use items found throughout. Lastly, players will be expected to know how to handle a small group of units effectively in order to succeed in the map. Concepts will be offered to the player slowly to warm them up, but then will be treated no differently than a Warcraft III dungeon.
Takeaway
The map will be unique to players, as it will star a hero unit that is not found within the main game’s campaign. The unit will also have a loadout of spells that do not come standard with any other hero class, and thus show them an exciting new way to synergize different abilities. Overall, The Fires of Hearthwood is meant to be the hero’s story told in yet another light. Facing against unique enemies and scavenging for units will help the hero feel imperiled but also powerful as they overcome each obstacle.
Aesthetic
Visual
The visuals will reflect many of the already existing Warcraft III villages, and will only be using the available assets found within the editor. However, the assets specifically used will be the human village blocking such as houses, trees, fountains, and fences. The map will take place during midday in the fall, with a heavy smog of smoke choking out some of the available lightings. The fires that burn throughout the city will also leave much of the scene in an orange haze. Only once the player leaves the village in order to confront the orc leader will assets start to turn orcish and decrepit, as well as the smoke beginning to clear.
Direction
While the player will not be directly pushed in any particular direction, they will be given visual clues as to where secrets may be. Villagers fleeing certain directions or an orc patrolling down an alleyway will inform the player that there is reason to be down there. However, the intention is to let the player fight their way through the village to save who they can. If they choose not to follow any signals or clues, nothing will prevent them from moving forward. The ending will be marked very evidently by the change of scenery.
Asset List
No additional assets required outside of what is provided by the Warcraft III editor.
Feature List
No additional features required outside of what is provided by the Warcraft III editor.
Papermap
Objective List
1. The intro to the level will. This will explain the premise of the level as well as show the player what units they are starting with
2. The first orc encounter. Because the player will be using a hero with an abnormal set of spells, they will use this as an opportunity to learn how to use their character
3. This will be when the player finds their first recruitable soldier. Enemies will start becoming more difficult to compensate for the player's larger army
4. The deepest parts of the housing district will start to be full of more enemy varieties and sizes. Items will be necessary to survive some of these fights if the player is ill-prepared
5. Just before the cathedral district, a large force of orc troops will bar the player's way, requiring the player to have collected quite a few troops and items
6. Once the player has reached the cathedral district, their army size will be bolstered and a healing fountain will recuperate any lingering troops
7. The last wave of enemies within the village walls will be a soft cap for difficulty and time spent in the level. If the player has not taken the time to gather a force, they are unlikely to pass this encounter
8. Once all enemies within the village are defeated, the player has a final chance to heal up and check for missing items before beginning the boss fight
9. The final fight at the orc encampment will be the hardest encounter the player has faced in the level. The orcs will have their own hero unit as well as a plethora of troops.
10. With the boss of the orcs defeated, the player will rejoice in victory and watch the ending cinematic
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