Scenario Designing: The Basic Principles

[Achilles]

Gentlemen,

Here we should discuss the principles of scenario designing.

The Basic components of a scenario are:

1. Game engine
2. Two or more opposing forces
3. Battle map
4. Time length
5. Visibility
6. Objectives
7. Type of engagment
8. Location of Victory Point flags
9. Balance of Forces

The advanced parameters of a scenario are:

10. Advanced Tactical plan
11. Related objectives
12. Linear events
13. Decision events
14. Logistics
15. Special Victory Conditions
16. Critical Timing of events
17. to be filled...


I will update this post as we speak about the subjet.

[hoplitis]

I hope I'm not recking the thread!:upset:
but how about this:

End-game situations and scenario design.

I think that most solitaire players have a tendency to accept only a Decisive Victory as a “real” victory over the AI. On the other hand, it would be “proper” for a designer to have a good estimation of what it takes to achieve various victory levels in a new scenario and do some necessary “fine tuning”. Many designers do all these by instinct and some are darn good at it. But it does no harm to try to put it down in numbers. After all, it seems that the universe and certainly the SP “world” are based on numbers!

Attached you’ll find and EXCEL workbook. The first worksheet has the “algebra” of the victory level equation but more importantly the definitions of variables and parameters that are used for the calculations. The second worksheet is used for the calculations per se. In essence, it is a calculation of victory levels for a user defined end-game situation based on predetermined “design parameters” which are: R (enemy to friendly force ratio) and P (ratio of friendly force value to total objective hex value).

To perform a calculation, do the following:
1) Input end game situation parameters. These are: A (enemy loss ratio), B (friendly loss ratio), C (ratio of friendly occupied objective hexes) and N (ratio of neutral objective hexes).
2) Input friendly force value.

The calculation will output the following:
a) Victory Levels for predetermined R and P combinations (in a “matrix” form),
b) Objective hex mean value (if this is highlighted with red color it means it has exceeded a limit (which is user defined) and therefore the whole row of the matrix must be disregarded).
c) The enemy force value. If this is highlighted with red color it means it has exceeded a limit (which is user defined) and therefore the whole column of the matrix must be disregarded.
d) The kill ratio (enemy to friendly losses). If this is highlighted with a levander color it means it has exceeded a limit (which is user defined) and therefore the specific column of the matrix is “questionable” from a design point of view (unrealistically (?) high kill ratio).

When entering values and viewing the results remember the following:
1) Use logical values. A, B, C, and N are ratios which must be limited between 0 and 1. Additionally C+N must never exceed 1 (C+N=1 means that there are no enemy occupied objectives hexes).
2) Usually N will be set to 0, as it is generally difficult to have neutral objective hexes in the last turn (but who knows?)
3) Avoid setting B=0 (representing zero friendly losses) as “division by 0” errors will occur.
4) Be aware that R is enemy to friendly forces ratio. So R=1/6 represents a friendly assault while R=6 a friendly defense
3) A logical (!!!) “total victory” situation variable set would be:
A=1 (total destruction of enemy force)
B=0.05 (5% friendly losses)
C=1 (total friendly occupation of objective hexes)
N=0 (no neutral objective hexes)
What is interesting is that for a friendly force of 1200 points and R=1/6, if the objective hex value was set as low as ~9 the above situation would produce a marginal victory!

What does all this lead to? Well,
a) the determination of objective hex value as an additional tuning mechanism of scenario difficulty
b) an assistance in the final determination of force ratio.

I look forward to your comments, corrections and suggestions and above all if you think it is actually any help at all!!!!

[Achilles]

Baggelh,

It is extremely difficult to make a formula for force balancing in scenario designing.

For sure if you wish to do such a formula you must fulfil a very important condition:

You must know how the human players think and play on a game.
This can only be achieved by playing PBEM games against other humans.
For this scope I invested 2 years of my life and I developed several tactics for human vs human games.

In a battlefield there are several parameters that are very important and are not connected with the total number of points of both forces.

The most important factor for a battle (and this is what I used to do in order to achieve decisive victories while playing against other humans) is the density of the force.

The ideal balance is defined by a map of 1x2 clear terrain hexes, with two opposing units (of the same type) on it and a turn length of 1.

If you step away from that ideal balance condition you will notice that you will create chaotic conditions with every increment to the followings:

1. size of map.
2. length of game
3. diversity of terrain
4. quantity of forces
5. quality of forces
6. diversity of VP flags
7. diversity of positioning of units
8. availability of units (reinforcement status)

A force of size 100 may easily win a force of size 5,000 if the game length is 90 turns, the 100 points are tanks, the 5,000 points are low level infantry distributed in a huge map and the VP flags are concentrated in one point.

Anyway, we shall discuss it later, when I find some free time. :smoke:

cheers,
Pyros

[Achilles]

Baggelh,

Perhaps one parameter that could define the balance of a scenario is the following:

What is the balance of active forces that are engaged into fight per turn of battle.

Since both of us are engineers think this as a derivative value:

dBalanceForces/dt

Example on turn 1: 100 points of sideA is engaging 20 points of sideB (forceB may have another 500 points of units inactive in other places of the map).

This will probably result in a decrease of the points of forceB.

This will continue as long as these forces are active.

If now the sideB will receive an additional 300 points on turn 5 then the sideB will start to inflict more casualties on sideA that sideA is inflicting on sideB (for meeting engagements).

Now forceA will decrease its points.

If now 2 turns before the battle stops the forceB receives 2,000 points what will happen?

ForceB will have full superiority (in points) but will not have enough time to contest the VP locations.

In other words, if you manage to create a mathematical model that will integrate the multiple small balances (derivatives) in a sense of time and place, then you may have developed a model that could somehow calculate a basic scenario balance. :ogre:

cheers,
Pyros

[Achilles]

I hope I'm not recking the thread!:upset:
but how about this:

I look forward to your comments, corrections and suggestions and above all if you think it is actually any help at all!!!!

Btw, I will have a look at your formula tonight.

cheers,
Pyros

[hoplitis]

Of course you're right Pyro.
This is not a final design solution or whatever! And if I presented it in such a fasion ... well the blame is on me! Just exploring if there is some "room" for designing backwards!:nuts:
... and playing with the victory equation a bit...
And BTW you must already have a completed scenario design at hand. This is supposed to be a "fine tuning" aid (if an "aid" at all!!)


...
Anyway, we shall discuss it later, when I find some free time. :smoke:

cheers,
Pyros
Αμάν και πότε! Και από κοντά ε!... :)
edit: This is an answer to your initial answer! You're to damn fast!!!!!!!

[Achilles]

Baggelh,

As an alternative way to develop a balance model we could adopt a simple "scientific" approach toward the 3rd Newton law!!! :angry: :laugh: :nuts:

If we try to see the forces as an elemental mass "m" and their momentum as an acceleration "a", then we may assume that a condition of Σ [m(i) x a(i)] = 0 may turn to be a valid condition for balancing issues.

What we need to define is the

1. m(i) mass of force
2. a(i) accelaration (momentum)
3. (i) define the various (multiple) phases of the battle in terms of events and time.

the variable "m" could include not only the total (available) number of "active" points per (i) phase of the battle but also it could include a mass drop from the previous (i-1) phase, and other parameters that I am not in position to think at the moment...:nuts:

the variable "a" could include some coefficients for the combability between forcesA/terrain, forcesA/forcesB, forcesB/terrain, fortification coefficients, type of mission, possesion of VP locations etc...

Anyway, πρέπει να τα πούμε από κοντά! :D

cheers,
Pyros

[hoplitis]

It was not my intention to "describe" overall scenario balance.
Actually it started as a midgame assesment tool, when you are asking yourself " with my x points of casualties and y occupied hexes do I have a chance for a decisive victory?". I was also thinking of applying it per turn. But it was what you wrote in another post about "trap scenarios" in a branched campaign that made me wonder about "designing" based on end-game situations. As success and "branching" in a campaign is jujded on victory levels achieved on individual battles why not try to "control" or "tune"the victory level? Or maybe adjust it in an already designed scenario?
Chaotic behavior? Stable or unstable scenarios? Time evolution of operations? Plus, do we have enough ammo? We really should go out for a coffee some day!

Newton seems OK, Heissenberg is better! Avoid determinism, this is war(game)!;)

[Achilles]

I just saw your excel formula.... Its extremely well made!!!:vegguitar: :broccoli: :redapple: :coolban: :banana:

I liked it a lot but I haven't yet found enough time to play around...

I will do it this weekend.

cheers,
Pyros

[hoplitis]

Ok! Although it's obvious that you like the "smilies" more than the formula! :shock: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

[hoplitis]

And while you're playing around with the formula,try the set
A=0.9, B=0.1, C=0.9, N=0 and check the R=1 column (movement to contact). Interesting? check the kill ratio, too! And take into account that if there were no V hexes victory levels would probably based on kill ratios. Underlying math, θVl/θP=0

[Achilles]

Baggelh,

I played a little with the excel formula and it runs very well!

You did a very good (& scientific) work and I think that this may prove handy for scenario designing!

well done,
Pyros

[hoplitis]

Actually my main concern is if I have done something terribly wrong in the algebra or the EXCEL formulation! It's difficult to try to do such things with 2 babies crying ... simultaneously! :crosseye: :eek: :nuts: :scream: :argh: :hurt: :dead:

[Achilles]

I will check it in the near future.:bite: