Modding generic chapters

This page walks through the method of describing chapters in the generic campaign. It includes small examples of the required code, and a listing of all the existing chapters. This page is halfway between a guide and an inventory. The description are current as of June 2021, release version 1.0.

Overview

The generic campaigns now require registration of chapters, including the intro mission of chapter one. The game currently contains a set of "first chapters", a set of "mid chapters" and a set of "last chapters". When you start a generic campaign, the game selects an initial threat faction randomly. Then it selects a first chapter from candidates that have either that threat listed, or no threat listed.

In a three chapter generic, there is one middle chapter; in a five chapter generic, there are three middle chapters. The game selects each chapter from candidates that either have the matching threat, or no threat. Then the last chapter is selected the same way.

First chapters

This is the syntax to register a first chapter. The threatFlavor is optional.

"genericCampaignInfo": {
	"chapter": "first",
	"threatFlavor": "cultist",
	"plotId": "C_generic_clearSites",
	"capstoneEventId": "your_end_event_id"
}

Here are the existing first chapters. It happens that all of them use the same plotId, but I assume that other plotIds can be used also. The middle chapters show more examples of plotIds.

New Blood: Defend the cottage from deepists.
Old Blood
threatFlavor: cultist
plotId: C_generic_clearSites

Scythewinds: Drauven ambush in the woods.
Gorelord: Do battle with a Drauven Gorelord.
threatFlavor: drauven
plotId: C_generic_clearSites

The Hunt: Couple deer running round the place.
Bitter Battle: Gorgons in the forest.
threatFlavor: gorgon
plotId: C_generic_clearSites

Unburied: Tomb or treasure-house? Or... just a couple grumpy spectiks?
Clockyard: A yard full of scrap, and a busy, busy piece of furniture.
threatFlavor: morthagi
plotId: C_generic_clearSites

Nightmare's Eve: Town's not what it used to be...
Tomb of a Star: It stinks of eggs!
threatFlavor: thrixl
plotId: C_generic_clearSites

The following are the former generic campaign introductions. All of them now result in the same mission at the end of the chapter, "Fire with Fire".

Omens: How it began...
Fire with Fire: Fight in a burning ruin.
plotId: C_generic_clearSites

The Rings of Story
Fire with Fire: Fight in a burning ruin.
plotId: C_generic_clearSites

They Came in the Night
Fire with Fire: Fight in a burning ruin.
plotId: C_generic_clearSites

What Danger Demands
Fire with Fire: Fight in a burning ruin.
plotId: C_generic_clearSites

Mid chapters

This is the syntax to register a middle chapter. The threatFlavor is optional.

"genericCampaignInfo": {
	"chapter": "mid",
	"plotId": "C_generic_keystone",
	"threatFlavor": "gorgon",
	"keystoneEventId": "your_start_event_id"
	"capstoneEventId": "your_end_event_id",
}

There are three plotIds which are used by the middle chapters.

C_generic_keystone
C_generic_clearSites
C_generic_timeLimit

Here are the existing middle chapters.

Shrine of the Prophet Keystone: A standard Deepist lair (not the deepest one). Shrine of the Prophet: A maze of corridors with alcoves for lights and shrines. Slay the thing that rules here...
threatFlavor: cultist
plotId: C_generic_keystone

Royal Arms Keystone: Drauven earth-house. Royal Arms: Raid a Drauven base, where the staff and shield of an ancient drauven hero are on display. Defeat the warden.
threatFlavor: drauven
plotId: C_generic_keystone

Potionry: Here's a real old idea. A potionry that will be used to slowly petrify a nearby town via the water supply. A converted distillery with environmental hazards - gas that slows you down! Break through to kill the trio of gorgons while more beasts rush in to the trap to kill you threatFlavor: gorgon
plotId: C_generic_timeLimit

Ringstone: A ring of frozen wild and farm animals in a circle, around a wand on a pedestal. No monsters! You want the wand.
threatFlavor: gorgon
plotId: C_generic_clearSites

The Stomach: Oh so this is where all those captured people went. A series of large-ish chambers, each with a different, deadly theme.
threatFlavor: morthagi
plotId: C_generic_clearSites

The Flytrap: A local creek has gone inexplicably dry. Go to the source, then follow that downstream to where the water is swallowed into an ominous tunnel in a hill. Follow along to a grand, weirdly lit underground font.
threatFlavor: thrixl
plotId: C_generic_clearSites

Cavernquarry: Battle in the ore pits.
Earth Temple; Liberate the Earth temple.
plotId: C_generic_keystone

Ghost Town: Who used to live here? Who now knows?
plotId: C_generic_clearSites

Hill Fort: A strategic location with a commanding view, our enemies have been running their operation from here. A somewhat traditional fort layout with a south gate to courtyard, east and west wings, and north hall. Clear it out!
plotId: C_generic_clearSites

Night Altar: A black cloud hovers over the site at all times, making it dark as midnight here. The nightaltar is an ancient place of power.
plotId: C_generic_clearSites

Ancient Wall: Enemies plan to stream into this Yondering through a particular point on the map; an ancient wall is there
plotId: C_generic_timeLimit

The Library Capstone: They must be after some important information, because they've settled into this old collection in great numbers. Let's clear them out, but leave as many books unharmed as possible.
The Library Keystone: Son of the Library.
plotId: C_generic_keystone

The Prison Capstone: We found the prison and were able to sneak in. Rescue prisoners and fight alongside them.
plotId: C_generic_timeLimit

Last chapters

This is the syntax to register a last chapter. The threatFlavor is optional.

"genericCampaignInfo": {
	"chapter": "last",
	"plotId": "C_generic_keystone_last",
	"threatFlavor": "drauven",
	"keystoneEventId": "your_start_event_id"
	"capstoneEventId": "your_end_event_id",
}

Here are the existing last chapters. All of them use the same plotId, which I assume is required in order to give you the end-game choices such as adding and promoting heroes to your legacy.

Volcanic Chasm: Chasm in the volcano.
threatFlavor: cultist
plotId: C_generic_keystone_last

Imperial Palace: Assault the Imperial Palace.
threatFlavor: drauven
plotId: C_generic_keystone_last

Temple of Silence: Who knows why, but it's a huge, dimly lit temple ruin with pools of corruption, adorned by statues of terrified adventurers. The central chamber contains a pit that spews corruption on nearby tiles, lovingly tended by gorgonoids. The heroes need to destroy 4 columns to bring the temple down, burying the pit. And ideally not be standing under it when it comes down.
threatFlavor: gorgon
plotId: C_generic_keystone_last

The Brain: A grid of corridors, with doors here and there, need to hit 2 buttons to open final door. Buttons are in random locations?
threatFlavor: gorgon
plotId: C_generic_keystone_last

Unseen Orchard: Nightmares roost in these unpleasant trees.
threatFlavor: thrixl
plotId: C_generic_keystone_last

Black Castle Ruins: Retake the Black Castle.
plotId: C_generic_keystone_last

Occupied Town: Take back the town.
plotId: C_generic_keystone_last

Soulforge: Long ago, a lostling corrupted this good forge into a bad forge. It's a place people's spirts can be pulled apart into their essences.
plotId: C_generic_keystone_last

The Warrens: Battle among the buried walls.
plotId: C_generic_keystone_last

Combinations and permutations

In which I attempt to count up how many usefully different generic campaigns are possible.

First chapter: cultist, drauven, gorgon, morthagi, thrixl, 4x generic
Mid chapters: cultist, drauven, 2x gorgon, morthagi, thrixl, 7x generic
Last chapters: cultist, drauven, 2x gorgon, no morthagi, thrixl, 4x generic

Suppose you play 5x 5 chapter campaigns, and you have each threat once, and you always get the threat specific chapter if available and new. Then you have seen 5/9 of the first chapters, all of the mid chapters with two repeated generics, and 5/10 of the last chapters.

Then if you play another 5 campaigns and minimize repeats, you will have had one repeat of a first chapter, a lot of repeats of mid chapters, and all the last chapters.