What scenarios are the easiest to design?

Kevin Kenneally

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All,

What scenarios for ASL are considered the "easiest" to design?


Assuming all of the scenarios are in the daylight, and no wind, please elaborate on what you feel might be the answer. The examples below are not catagories, but where scenarios maybe occur.

City fighting?

Fighting in the forest?

Deep snow?

Steppe terrain?

Desert?

Please explain what you feel may be the easiest to design. Thanks.
 

witchbottles

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From an entirely 2 efforts and counting standpoint ( my initial flubbers and the now SS- ND pack).

The most difficult scenario I've tried to design is the "failed attack" scenario. Historically, the losing side lost, and lost hard, but had the proper foresight for the proper tactics existed, they could/ should have won. This is by far the nail biter of "will I ever get it off the drawing board" designs for me.

Some other items that have been along in my very narrow design path....

1. Difficult terrains rule wise, such as Steppe / Broken or Snowing / Drifts, seem a bit easier overall to incorporate well into a scenario of small or mid range size, and not necessarily well placed for large OoB or large map size scens.

2. Typos get you revisions, there will be too many of these. The latest was Somewhere in the Narva Bridgehead , Nov 32nd, 2012. oooops.

3. small designs are harder to schieve than a mid - size design. Large OoBs are easier to balance than small OoBs. Seems to be the rule so far for me.

4. research, research, research..... the key to all designs. The more you know, the more you know how little you really know.

5. A good design will incorporate a mid size or small OoB, well balanced, in an interesting or intruiging situation , with a variable mission to achieve in just enough time to do it against a defender with unique or seldom seen toys to utilize in his defense. This type of scen is what makes a "classic".


my $.02

KRL, Jon H
 

chris_olden

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"None".
Some scenarios seem to assemble themselves, while others have a
gestation period longer than a blue whale's.:laugh:
(I know, bad comparison!)
:smoke:
 

MrP

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Big ones are the hardest.

Finding playtesters is a pain, because they take more than one through....
 

DPreston

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The easiest scenarios to design are also, by definition, the most ordinary in terms of SSRs, VCs and environment. Unfortunately, these also tend to fade into the woodwork as being simply ordinary. "Wintergewitter" is one of my all time favorite scenarios, but is pure meat and potatoes. The most unusual thing about this scenario is that the Germans only get 3.5 squads. It must have been very interesting to balance. The hardest scenarios to design are those with unusual twists built in. Deep Snow, variable reinforcements and victory conditions look great on paper, but tend to come off horribly unbalanced sometimes in playtesting.
 

Kevin Kenneally

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The easiest scenarios to design are also, by definition, the most ordinary in terms of SSRs, VCs and environment. Unfortunately, these also tend to fade into the woodwork as being simply ordinary. "Wintergewitter" is one of my all time favorite scenarios, but is pure meat and potatoes. The most unusual thing about this scenario is that the Germans only get 3.5 squads. It must have been very interesting to balance. The hardest scenarios to design are those with unusual twists built in. Deep Snow, variable reinforcements and victory conditions look great on paper, but tend to come off horribly unbalanced sometimes in playtesting.
Thanks Dan.
 

jwb3

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Just because it's ordinary and thus easy doesn't mean you shouldn't give it a try, though. Tell yourself it will probably never get published but it will still be a learning experience, and you will indeed learn from it. You can always work up to the less ordinary ones later.


John
 

prymus

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Hey Kevin, while I have no experience in designing scenarios I have to ask if you have ever tried Marks scenario designers handbook? Or the other work on scenario design,sorry don't recall the title but wasn't it Michael Dorosh that wrote it? I have no experience with either work but it seems they might be helpful. Apologies if this is all redundant info. Good luck though.
 

ASLSARGE

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I would say that the "easiest" ones to design are set in rural terrain with large OB's for both sides and simple Victory Conditions. A run of bad DR's won't break one side or the other if there are plenty of units still in play, rural terrain generally provides some good room for manuever, and simple VC's that are well spelled out are always a plus. So why is it I like 5 turn small city fights with multiple VC's? :)
 

Kevin Kenneally

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I would say that the "easiest" ones to design are set in rural terrain with large OB's for both sides and simple Victory Conditions. A run of bad DR's won't break one side or the other if there are plenty of units still in play, rural terrain generally provides some good room for manuever, and simple VC's that are well spelled out are always a plus. So why is it I like 5 turn small city fights with multiple VC's? :)
Thanks Big Sarge....
 
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