War for the Overworld

War for the Overworld

Keepers Comeback Campaign
97 Comments
Padelboot  [author] 7 Feb @ 10:14am 
@ComGaunt: In that case you are missing the level keys. Similiarly to the original Dungeon Keeper 2, the bonus levels are unlocked by finding certain artefacts in the previous levels. If you do, a message will appear telling you that you gained access to a hidden realm.

Hint: Take a good look in Level 6 and Level 14. ;)
More specific descriptions can be found in other comments.
ComGaunt 6 Feb @ 11:43am 
I have finished the campaign including level 18 but the two bonus levels (Caradrico and Freetown) are not unlocked. Am I missing something?
Padelboot  [author] 11 Sep, 2024 @ 7:10am 
@Blink: The Underhill only shoots banshees at enemy cores, however, there is no enemy core in this level. The underhils have different effects, which only activate in levels 19 and 20 as reward for those who are thorough. In level 9, you only have to KO the lord of the land, who is in the north (it's a atronghold with two entrances). The underhill and the magical girls are optional.
The gateways can be stopped as shown in level 2, although admittely this level makes it difficult due to them being out of the way and waves spawning quickly. If possible, try to stick on one side of the map until you deactivated the gatway. Alternatively you can put earth on the small tunnels leading to the gateways, but that won't stop the gateway from spawning more units, which can lead to performance issues if kept too long.
Blink 10 Sep, 2024 @ 1:31pm 
I must be missing something screamingly obvious! What do you do with the Underhill to launch balls at the enemy? I'm stuck on level 9. I have explored everywhere but there are two gates at the top that just poor enemies, so It must be the underhill thing on the right that I claimed, but I can't work out how to activate it. Thanks.
BoogieMan 20 Jun, 2024 @ 5:31am 
That worked, thank you.
Padelboot  [author] 18 Jun, 2024 @ 6:57am 
@BoogieMan: It has been some time, but I do recall it's possible to get him out by possessing him through the menu. So rather than using the spell on him, you click on him in the menu. This does get tricky with the one challenge, where two units are hidden though.
BoogieMan 18 Jun, 2024 @ 6:42am 
What do I do in KCC11 with the possession door near to the dungeon heart? I cleared it of all enemies (no traps found) and rescued the Auger at the end. However, I can't get him out because it stays under fog of war and he won't leave through the door on his own even if I open it for him, and since it under fog I can't posses him to walk him out.
5chneemensch 8 May, 2024 @ 6:38am 
Congratulations. Truly well deserved.
Padelboot  [author] 19 Apr, 2024 @ 7:26am 
@BBC: Glad to hear it! Hope you can enjoy the game without issues now. :)
IAMSMITHJOHN 17 Apr, 2024 @ 9:24pm 
hey padel its bbc no worries i did end up reinstallin the game and it worked out thanks for the help
Padelboot  [author] 17 Apr, 2024 @ 11:15am 
@themightydog: Thank you, I'm glad you liked it, even though you ran into bugs. For the possession challenge: I haven't added a script to destroy the door as I was worried of breaking something. I'm currently working on a new campaign, but once that is done I will update this one, so the doors are destroyed or at least the wall breached.

The bug with the forces not contactiong you: That's the first time I heard of that. It's not linked to the hero gate, so that one should not cause it. Once the objective required is done, you will get a text message saying they will contact you soon. After one to two minutes a dialog window should pop up asking you to pick a side. What could happen is that the popup dfoesn't show due to possession being used, though usually that leads to the game flatout freezing as I heard.
My suggestion would be to complete the objective and then not use possession until you picked a side. Again: Takes roughly one to two or even three minutes for that.
themightyodog 16 Apr, 2024 @ 2:42am 
Level 10, I meant sorry. And the hero gate I mentioned is the one nearest the dungeon core.
themightyodog 15 Apr, 2024 @ 8:12am 
Congrats on an amazing campaign! I'm encountering a couple of bugs on mission 11 though - The possession challenge just doesn't do anything after completion, the door stays there. Also I think there's some scripting that isn't kicking in after I clam the..... forgot the name of the room lol, spirit chamber? Then the two forces are supposed to contact me. That's just not happening, stopping progress. I've tried restarting the level twice for the same result. Could it have anything to do with me not destroying the nearby hero gate leading to the script not being triggered? I've been farming the heroes for that sweet sweet blood money :) Many many thanks.
Padelboot  [author] 1 Apr, 2024 @ 12:20pm 
@Moatib: Thank you, I'm glad you like the campaign.
That's one way to do it. When I get around to update this, I will make sure the units can leave the possession area without a hassle.
Moatib 1 Apr, 2024 @ 8:57am 
i click in the creature menu list.. sorry
Moatib 1 Apr, 2024 @ 8:56am 
hi and many thanks for this campain. for level 11 i achieve to possess remaining unit by select possess spell then click on the "stuck" creature but it didn't work all time. i gess you rally unit to close to the exit then you go out with your creature and AFTER you possess the inside remaining unit
Padelboot  [author] 30 Mar, 2024 @ 6:11am 
@Big BLACK Cock: That is unfortunate and weird to hear. So does it crash instantly or when loading a level? It's a custom campaign, so it shouldn't do anything unless a level is loaded. Make sure you have all the DLC installed that are shown on the workshop page. If that's the case, perhaps verifying the game files can help fix it.
If neither helps... I honestly don't know what's causing this. ._.
IAMSMITHJOHN 30 Mar, 2024 @ 1:33am 
crashes my game every time i load with only this mod
Padelboot  [author] 24 Mar, 2024 @ 7:06am 
@Antiga II: Making the final fight of a level a challenge is, by itself, a challenge. Just using unit and trap spam is not cutting it and can lead to framerate issues. If someone takes time to train and bulk their units, they will always have an easier time than a rusher. There are tricks I'm experimenting with right now, but otherwise overwhelming the heroes is the reward for training well, I suppose.

As for the hero bulking... yeah. Loved to convert tons of guards, knights and wizards in DK2. That habit hasn't died down ever since my childhood and is one reason I cannot resist doing it here. ^^'
Another example of personal preferences showing themselves in the level making.
Padelboot  [author] 24 Mar, 2024 @ 7:05am 
@Antiga: (That's okay, Steam is a bit limited with that.) Thank you for the reply! It's interesting, because some have expressed the opposite, where they prefer the underlord maps the least. And while I personally also prefer the pure hero maps, especially in the early stages, I do recognize their value. They have the annoying habit of destroying pre-built dungeons, though.

Truth to be told: I don't like timed missions either. The only reason I don't despise Woodsong in DK2 is that it offers plenty of space to built a nice dungeon, as well as endless gem seams. If anything they do add variety and might force a change of playstyle. Grinny Rocks, aka Ritual chamber map, used to have a stricter time limit and even harsher hero respawn rates, when I first tested it.
Antiga 24 Mar, 2024 @ 6:18am 
Then there's the Ritual chamber map where you need to capture it within 30 minutes, and the defense map with the lord coming at you after 30 minutes, but the problem here are the forced timers. I do not like those, even if this did end up making these maps a bit more exciting.

There are lots of ways to add challenge while trying to build up, for example by forcing limited expansion by blocking off areas with defenses as to not feed the player any minions.
Have the heroes be able to bulk up as well, in the form of a hero gate and a locked door, in the same room as the Lord. 2 hours of bulking up for the player should then at least end up in a grand finale fight.
More limits in the veins of evil, forcing different tactics. For example, no Prison means no (free) blood money, no converting units, no spirits.
But in the end, Underlords are what give the most meaningful challenge. And there is a dire lack of them in this campaign, at least for my feeling.
(Sorry didn't fit in 1 comment :))
Antiga 24 Mar, 2024 @ 6:17am 
Maps with only hero gates and a lord to defeat usually end up with me dungeon keeping for 1-2 hours while bulking up, exploring the entire map and then in the end throwing an army of 100+ minions at the lord in a dissatisfying finale.

The hero gate bug is probably the most challenging thing to deal with :) With dozens or 100+ heroes being stuck at the gate, getting unstuck by a single worker passing by.

To try to give an example of what can feel challenging to me, something like level 15 works well because you immediately are exposed to heroes, no choice (Unless you cheat with using replacement earth and block off paths) and because you need to deal with a decently strong Underlord, graveling towards you while taunting you.
Antiga 24 Mar, 2024 @ 6:16am 
I just did level 15 last night and I did like the challenge it offered.
I understand it must be difficult to find a good balance for everything, and I think you did an amazing job.

WtfO base campaigns mostly challenge the player by intimidating them with pressure or even an outright time limit (Often hidden behind timed triggers) which I do NOT like.

This campaign mostly challenges the player by forcing limited expansion or rush to prepare to defend against hero gate hordes. But with the ample building space, limited expansion is a very viable tactic and makes it quite easy. That is, as long as there are no other Underlords and as long as you manage your gold.

Maps with an Underlord are generally the most fun imo. Hero gates are usually what feeds my dungeon (Blood money for example) and are what actually make things considerably easier, even without cheesing a defense (well of souls behind walls and have em circle around em, for example) while the Underlord is what challenges it.
Padelboot  [author] 24 Mar, 2024 @ 5:42am 
@Antiga: Thank you, I'm glad you like it. :)
The pacing and general feel of the campaign was one of my priorities and it's good to hear it worked out. I simply prefere the more relaxedapproach of DK2 and tried to translate it here.

Having levels feel similiar is inevitable to some degree, unless you do a creator mix like Korvek did. One persons style of making levels will stand out. My habit of planting outposts and hero vaults everywhere is... most likely noticed. Was even bigger in the version 1.2/1.4 days.

Level balancing might be the most difficult thing to achieve. If you scroll through the comments, you will notice Level 15 used to be quite notorious until I nerfed it. Wasn't even intentional, it just happened. Additionally there are different player types and skill levels, meaning some people will find levels challenging, that uber-pros breeze through.

Out of interest: What kind of level would you consider challenging? Or what should a level offer to be challenging for you?
Antiga 23 Mar, 2024 @ 4:56pm 
Haven't finished the campaign yet, but I just did the 2nd bonus level and that was probably the most fun I've had with a mission so far. Not necessarily because of being the heroes, mostly because of the pacing, freedom and offering some sort of a challenge. Even if the vaults never send me any gold as they were supposedly going to :)
The entire campaign so far is of high quality, but even though there are a lot of very different maps, they often feel pretty similar. The few tricks we see mostly keep repeating themselves, especially with the hero gates which are easy to manage so there isn't much challenge, but other than that there isn't much to criticize.
Really love the pacing opposed to the official campaigns. We really have time to be a dungeon manager here. Keep it up :)
Padelboot  [author] 19 Mar, 2024 @ 9:22am 
@Dismellion: Not a bug. I don't remember how I got the units out, but it is possible. Making an extra exit is already on my update list, however.
Dismellion 19 Mar, 2024 @ 9:06am 
Level 11 has a bug(?)

Possessed doors do not get removed when you finish the maze and claimed unit gets stuck: you cannot draw it out with a raid or recall it.
Dismellion 19 Mar, 2024 @ 2:44am 
Haha but Karma always comes. Sometimes they gather up in a group of 20-30 units because of me blocking their paths and once I need to proceed they just march on full team all-in. So I still kinda have to deal with them.
Padelboot  [author] 18 Mar, 2024 @ 4:59pm 
@Dismellion: I'm gad you are nejoying it. :)
Truth to be told: The heroes don't have an AI most of the time. They only dig paths in the later levels as part of initial attacks. And I like to keep the replacement earth available, as it fits with the somewhat more relaxed tone. Though I think I have an idea for this for my next campaign and I might add this in an update later.
Dismellion 18 Mar, 2024 @ 12:19pm 
Level 6 and so far I enjoy it.
The only issue I have with whole campaign is that Empire is too stupid to dig anything - you can replace earth around their gateways and they will be sitting there forever.
couscousdelight 8 Mar, 2024 @ 11:57am 
Understood. I used to play Dungeon Keeper, but it's so old I've forgotten all about it.

Thanks for that!
Padelboot  [author] 8 Mar, 2024 @ 9:59am 
@couscousdelight: Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it! :)

The bonus maps are unlocked by finding the secret keys, just like in Dungeon Keeper 2. They take the form of artifacts, though just finding them is enough.
If you want to know where to find them, here is a small spoiler:

Caradrico can be unlocked in Everscream (Lvl. 6). Freetown is unlocked in Grinny Rocks (Lvl. 14). I've posted the exact locations in the comments
couscousdelight 8 Mar, 2024 @ 9:33am 
This was a excellent campaign, many thanks to you Padelboot !


PS : justg one thing, i've finished all 18 levels, but the 2 bonus maps are still greyed. Any idea about how to repair that ?
Padelboot  [author] 23 Feb, 2024 @ 7:23am 
@Trivium: Thank you. ^^
Yeah, I did starting with the fourth entry. El Presidente was supposed to be a side character in the earliest version of this campaign, but I changed that when I wanted to be a bit more grounded.
Trivium 22 Feb, 2024 @ 3:24am 
Awesome campaign, ty for that, and im guessing creator played tropico aswell based on the bonus levels :D
VenomTexas 17 Feb, 2024 @ 7:48pm 
Fantastic!
Padelboot  [author] 15 Feb, 2024 @ 10:18am 
@Spuddnik: Thank you for the kind words, glad you liked it! :)
WFTO doesn't crash too often for me, thankfully, but it can go weird when loading save files during gameplay. There is also the pathfinding issue, that often breaks the hero groups for some reason... but hey. I take it as a win. ^^

And thanks for letting me know about the bug. I will check this when I work on the next update.
Spuddnik 12 Feb, 2024 @ 12:20pm 
Oop, I found a bug in the last (non-bonus) mission. When I select to receive more mana instead of Stan, I do not receive the 500 mana. Very minor thing, but I thought I'd mention it.
Spuddnik 12 Feb, 2024 @ 6:04am 
I've been continuing through the campaign whenever I have time, and I'm loving it. It has a good deal of personality, which a good few other maps lack. The voice lines and events help each mission feel alive. And I've only crashed once, which is actually pretty good for WFTO. All in all, this is a fantastic creation. Thank you!
Padelboot  [author] 9 Feb, 2024 @ 3:47pm 
@Spuddnik: That is indeed weird. First time I heard of something like this as well. My guess is it is either a game issue or the level is too script heavy (someone pointed out dialogue sounds don't play in that level for some reason). Either way, I hope your stubborness pays off and you can play the level properly!
Spuddnik 9 Feb, 2024 @ 3:32pm 
I'm glad I was stubborn and kept restarting to make sure. I restarted the mission a few times just to make sure, and for *most* of them, the stone bridge was not available. But then suddenly it was unlocked. And restarting again it was no longer unlocked. Considering that, it may well be an error on my install. Thank you either way for the prompt troubleshooting. I'll just restart until it's unlocked again.
Padelboot  [author] 9 Feb, 2024 @ 3:07pm 
@Spuddnik: The stone bridge should be unlocked from the get go. Have you made sure it is not in your buildable rooms?
Spuddnik 9 Feb, 2024 @ 2:54pm 
I notice that stone bridges are available in the sin tree... but since I start without sin or any means to acquire it, I still cannot unlock the bridges and escape the lava.
Spuddnik 9 Feb, 2024 @ 2:52pm 
On level 6 I am spawned in the middle of lava with no bridges, terrain, or way to progress. I can only assume this is an accident or some error of level generation?
Padelboot  [author] 8 Feb, 2024 @ 5:06am 
@Tanya/Larry Flame Heart: I'm glad you like it! :)
Not sure how "old" one can consider these levels though. ^^'
🔥Tanya/Larry Flame Heart🔥 7 Feb, 2024 @ 6:39am 
thank you so so much i loved these old levels <3
Padelboot  [author] 17 Jan, 2024 @ 8:16am 
@Kipster: Good luck with the level!

As mentioned: I'm aware that I have overdone it with the attack spawn frequencies. I'm planning to reduce them in a future patch.
Kipster 17 Jan, 2024 @ 1:58am 
Thanks! I'll try that. I triggered both of the spawns in that case, so i was doomed to fail. Challenge accepted!
Padelboot  [author] 16 Jan, 2024 @ 9:34am 
@Kipster: Sorry to hear that. They are technically supposed to attack the dungeon, but some bug occasionally (I have yet to find out what this causes) destroys their pathfinding, so they just stick around the spawn site. One thing you could do is to wall off the area/the tunnels leading to the spawns with replacement earth, as long as the gateway isn't in the way. I had to launch some heavy attacks during testing, because of that bug. Worst case is restarting the level, which... always sucks. ._.
That way you can at least avoid triggering one of the spawns until you got rid of the first one. In level 9 they are activated by reaching certain points on the map, so sticking to eather the western or eastern tunnel will only activate one of them.

I can only assure that I managed to beat all levels fair and square during testing. Though other have pointed out the attack parties spawn a bit too frequently, so I probably will change that in a future patch.
Kipster 16 Jan, 2024 @ 7:05am 
This campaing is impossible. I just lost lv9 because heroes just keep spawning but they do not attack, so i was met with hundreds of heroes. They just patrol back and forth and keep stacking. Absolutely no way to get trough. And they just kept spawning! I met the same problem from previous levels but this was now impossible for me to break trough.