Kelvintaph Defiler Feedback

I finally passed the level, watched some replays and noticed some different strategies.
For example, some people, including myself, just used their hero to defeat the extra ogres, which is much easier than using troops. nick was hardcore because he used a single archer. And how did his paladin survive for so long? Another difference is I didn’t kill the yeti.
Overall, the level required a lot of trial and error.

@ChronistGilver Don’t use self to find enemies through walls. Your allies can also find enemies.

2 Likes

Note that this was not possible in the first few days when this level was released for play testing (see [1], [2]).

Good question. I wonder if there was some rebalancing here or a secret besides shield+heal.

2 Likes

@zuf @UltCombo The paladin can survive for 100 ~50 seconds (I think) if she shields. Otherwise, only about 15s.

paladin.maxHealth = 600
paladin.shieldDefenseFactor = 0.5
paladin.spells['heal'].health = 150
paladin.spells['heal'].cooldown = 5
nalfar.spells['drain-life'].dps = 72

Note that when healing the paladin takes full damage for 0.5s.

600 + (-0.5)(72)t + ((150-36)/5)t = 0
t = ~45.45s
m (slope) = -13.2 hp/s

600 + -72t + (150/5)t = 0
t = ~14.29s
m (slope) = -42 hp/s

Basically shielding extends the paladin’s life by a factor of 7 3.18. (Once again, I think.)

Also, I didn’t make my hero attack; mostly because I completed the level before the change. Though I liked the challenge of using only my minions.

2 Likes

Help please I’m stuck on this level. I manage to get my hero to a safe place away from the fireballs and my paladin survives by use the shield command.

I try to command my friends to move to a certain location, with no luck. And as above in some other posts it sounds like I’m not suppose to attack anything, because then all my friends stand still.

Please give some advice/hint what to do.

2 Likes

Unless you post at least the relevant parts of your code, it will be hard for others to find the problem. For possible solutions and useful posting tips, please see the FAQ.

2 Likes

As Nick has said before:

2 Likes

I can detect hazards near my friends, although they slide on the ice and my code doesn’t protect them.

I get no missiles near my friends.

I am using this code to try and move my friends:

For now friendsPoint1 = Vector(23, 58), but I have tried different positions as well.
Here is the code:

def commandFriends():
#--------------------
    distance = 5
    friends = self.findFriends()
    
    for friend in friends:
        goalf = friendsPoint1
        action = 'move'
		
        goalf = Vector.subtract(goalf, friend.pos)
        goalf = Vector.normalize(goalf)
        goalf = Vector.multiply(goalf, distance)
        
        hazard = friend.findNearest(self.findHazards())
        if hazard and friend.distanceTo(hazard) < distance:
            vectorToH = Vector.subtract(friend.pos, hazard.pos)
            vectorToH = Vector.normalize(vectorToH)
            vectorToH = Vector.multiply(vectorToH, distance)
            goalf =  Vector.add(vectorToH, goalf)
        
        missile = friend.findNearest(self.findEnemyMissiles())
        if missile and friend.distanceTo(missile) < distance:
            vectorToH = Vector.subtract(friend.pos, missile.pos)
            vectorToH = Vector.normalize(vectorToH)
            vectorToH = Vector.multiply(vectorToH, distance)
            goalf =  Vector.add(vectorToH, goalf)
        
        if friend.type == 'paladin':
            self.command(friend, "shield")
        else:
            moveToPos = Vector.add(friend.pos, goalf)
            self.command(friend, action, moveToPos)
2 Likes

I tried two strategies so far;

  1. Send the paladin to nalfar and make it survive until the ritual ends expecting this might release the friends from the spell. My paladin dies before any change can happen.
  • shield+heal : paladin dies eventually
  • try to kill nalfar: no luck
  • run away from nalfar: paladin dies
  1. So I thought, the paladin survival might not be feasible solution. For my second strategy, I stopped every friends at yeti’s grid (by shooting arrow and shielding). Then, I found one soldier can move, and I had it lure the ogres to yeti’s grid to kill all the orges (except warlocks). On his way to lure the ogres, the soldier killed the shamans. Anyhow, I succeeded to kill all the ogres except the warlocks, but my time runs out.

After reading the thread here again, I guess I have to go back to the first paladin survival strategy thinking my shield + heal code might have not been optimized. Any advice on how paladin can survive long enough?

My seal + heal code for paladin
   //paladin heal or shield in front of nalfar
   this.commandPaladin = function() {
        var paladin = globals.paladin;
        var nalfars = paladin.findEnemies().filter(function(e) { return e.type === 'necromancer';});
        if (nalfars.length > 0) {
            if (paladin.canCast('heal') && paladin.health < 0.5 * paladin.maxHealth) {
                this.command(paladin, 'cast', 'heal', paladin);
            } else {
                this.command(paladin, 'shield');   
            }
        }
    };
1 Like

You do need to get your other troops free of the shamans to help your paladin; Nalfar will just drain her forever if she tries to endure solo.

1 Like

Ok, it sounds like I have to find a way to free the units from the spel of shamans. Would you please hint me if I can free them within the yeti’s block or I need to something after they been all summoned to each shaman? I tried many things, but I can’t move them due to the zero friction (except ‘Scott’); my hero cannot dispel them either because warlocks just kills my hero instantly. I commanded units to move or to attack all to be no effect. Btw. awesome game!!! :grinning:

2 Likes

It’s really hard to give hints without “spoiling” anything, but your units can attack in mid-air, though you do not want to attack the first shaman too early .

4 Likes

Thanks. I finally beat the level. It was fun!!!

3 Likes

Are you sure our friends can attack while flung? It doesn’t work for me…

2 Likes

flung yes, in fear no.

2 Likes

Huh. Well. What I do not understand is how I am supposed to defeat the yeti that Nalfar swaps with after he sustains a couple hits from a different player. Additionally, Nalfar’s fireball does not kill all the warlocks. Is this intentional?

2 Likes
Spoiler So far, I know of two strategies that work:
  • Leave an archer behind to deal enough damage to the Yeti, then after Nalfar swaps with the Yeti you will just have to land the killing blow.
  • Run away as soon as Nalfar starts chanting the teleportation swap spell. The Yeti will not be able to follow you through the narrow passage. It is not necessary to kill the Yeti.

Looks like a bug to me.

2 Likes

I would like it if this bug was fixed. The ritual doesn’t technically end until all the warlocks are dead, and this has broken my code for a while now.

2 Likes

Hmm, checking it out now, it looks like you beat it and the warlocks were killed by the fireball after all–did something change?

2 Likes

Three of them were killed, and so I chain-lightninged the last one and won that way.

2 Likes

Frustrated user here:

  • either: friends get stuck mid-air, in fear (if they get close to the shamans)
  • and/or: paladin dies after ~50 sec of shielding + healing (if he faces Nalfar)
  • or: yeti (and optionally first shaman) is killed, but friends get stuck forever and/or slide off to the bear traps

Reading the comments here doesn’t help either.

:confused: :rage: :sob:

2 Likes