Deltapooh
25 Oct 03, 10:09
Fact: I really enjoy building scenarios for ATF. Since the release of the Power Tools, it allows me to turn conflicts I once wrote down in notebooks into playable scenarios. I prefer to exploit all the features provided to make realistic and enjoyable games.
In part, I am driven by the belief that scenarios and mods are the life-support system of the game and community. Without regular releases, people will probably loose interest in what is one of the best wargames on the market.
Problem: Unfortunately, this is a time-consuming effort. Worse, I don't have alot of time on my hands. OPORDs are very difficult to design maingly because I try to use the FM 101-5-1 Standard, which incorporates hundreds of people working together. Now, with the release of the Power Tools, as well as Kbluck's Tile Piece Utility, image editing has entered the game. I once planned to release one scenario per month, but this is a goal I no longer feel I can achieve under current conditions.
Solution: My solution is build scenarios that does not incorporate a ton of new features, or extensive Operation Orders. These scenarios would include friendly and enemy units, along with necessary AI scripting (based on what I know as achievable, instead of experiments), a brief description of the mission and your goals, along with other basic info players might need.
The benefits works both for me and the community. I can build and script basic scenarios in rather short order. So the number of games available will increase, increasing re-playability through quantity and limited, but acceptable quality.
The other advantage is it takes alot of stress off of me to race against the clock. I could build small missions, while still working on my more complicated, detailed scenarios.
A third advantage is the training aspect. these simplistic scenarios can be used by players as training tools. In most cases, I will try to keep everything down to the platoon to company combat team level.
The drawback is the loss in quality. Wargamers usually prefer detailed scenarios. They have an eye for detail, which if not satisfied, can lead to disappointment, and discontent.
My own desire to build those detailed scenarios is why I decided to go public with my ideal. If players are willing to accept small, simple scenarios, I'd be more than happy to design them. However, if people prefer detail, I will can this ideal and continure to focus solely on designing the best scenarios I can.
Opinions?
In part, I am driven by the belief that scenarios and mods are the life-support system of the game and community. Without regular releases, people will probably loose interest in what is one of the best wargames on the market.
Problem: Unfortunately, this is a time-consuming effort. Worse, I don't have alot of time on my hands. OPORDs are very difficult to design maingly because I try to use the FM 101-5-1 Standard, which incorporates hundreds of people working together. Now, with the release of the Power Tools, as well as Kbluck's Tile Piece Utility, image editing has entered the game. I once planned to release one scenario per month, but this is a goal I no longer feel I can achieve under current conditions.
Solution: My solution is build scenarios that does not incorporate a ton of new features, or extensive Operation Orders. These scenarios would include friendly and enemy units, along with necessary AI scripting (based on what I know as achievable, instead of experiments), a brief description of the mission and your goals, along with other basic info players might need.
The benefits works both for me and the community. I can build and script basic scenarios in rather short order. So the number of games available will increase, increasing re-playability through quantity and limited, but acceptable quality.
The other advantage is it takes alot of stress off of me to race against the clock. I could build small missions, while still working on my more complicated, detailed scenarios.
A third advantage is the training aspect. these simplistic scenarios can be used by players as training tools. In most cases, I will try to keep everything down to the platoon to company combat team level.
The drawback is the loss in quality. Wargamers usually prefer detailed scenarios. They have an eye for detail, which if not satisfied, can lead to disappointment, and discontent.
My own desire to build those detailed scenarios is why I decided to go public with my ideal. If players are willing to accept small, simple scenarios, I'd be more than happy to design them. However, if people prefer detail, I will can this ideal and continure to focus solely on designing the best scenarios I can.
Opinions?