Author Topic: Mission making  (Read 2973 times)

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Offline Lonestar

  • Fred Zone Guru
  • 27
    • United Gamers Coalition
As creator of Fred Zone and avid creator/tester/debugger ive come across many hints and tips that are helpful but not always known to all.

What do i look for in a mission?

Well, thats a hard question to answer really.

Most times i look for fun factor, Lag problems, choppiness, fairness, and originality.

I do not like mission made from another mission, or someone using templates of other missions.

Simplicity is sometimes the best course. There are thousands of different missions possible in FS2, but i mainly recieve the kill this, or protect that type deals.

All good.

Just i see more potential, i want creativity.

So when you make a mission, what should you do?

Make a story outline before creating your mission. Try to picture yourself in this grande universe, and pose every possible question.

Put yourself in the roles of the commanders of each vessel. Every detail counts.

A ship that is sitting protecting a node, and is at 25% is not likely to sit there and protect the node any longer.

The commander will move away, and possibly jump. If his nav is out he cant jump, so evasive maneivers are required. Engines are out, they will repair them atleast enough to maneuver.

Those kind of little details is what makes a mission come to life.

They are all things anyone can muster up, but most times rushing the mission out is more important then testing, retesting, and so on.

So when you make a mission, put your life on those ships, make them alive.

Dont send Alpha on a kill this or that mission, that looks impossible.

Command is not stupid, they dont send people on suicide missions. They always leave a chance for survival. So should you.

Be one with the mission i say, kinda deep in a way, but when it comes to creativity, and designing every tiny little aspect matters.

In Vega's War, i made sure alot of details were present. And to this day i still tweak it.

The hecate Destroyer will leave when two engines are dead, no matter which two, any two it dont matter. But thats not the only time, when the orion that jumps in defecting to the NTF jumps out succesfully or is destroyed the Hecate will leave then too.

I made it as real as possible.

Creating missions is alot like creating a book, it has to make sense in every aspect.

Bosch wont send the Iceni into a situation that is likely to fail, he would send his minions first.

The GTVA wont send Alpha and beta only to take out a destroyer and a cruiser.

It will send a cruiser with them, and maybe more. It is war, and in war the numbers usually make the difference.

Unless its a SOC mission, then its different, but it has to look sneaky. You have the element of surprise.

I amy be rambling but i hope my message is heard, i am not preaching nor am i saying that no one is doing anything right.

I have recieved a great many Great mission worthy of praise. Many designers in this community deserve more credit then they recieve.

This message is here to inspire, or teach a newbie.

This is the greatest Space sim around, and has a great editor anyone can learn.

Now get off the editor, and make a mission, a story so enticing so enthralling, and realistic that it blows your socks off everytime you play it.



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Creator of the Fred Zone
Vice Admiral of TCA

 

Offline Setekh

  • Jar of Clay
  • 215
    • Hard Light Productions
Those are certainly some useful tips, Lonestar. Gonna need a skilled designer to do all of that, though  
- Eddie Kent Woo, Setekh, Steak (of Steaks), AWACS. Seriously, just pick one.
HARD LIGHT PRODUCTIONS, now V3.0. Bringing Modders Together since January 2001.
THE HARD LIGHT ARRAY. Always makes you say wow.

 

Offline Lonestar

  • Fred Zone Guru
  • 27
    • United Gamers Coalition
Yes, but remember you dont learn by not doing.

By all means do your best, dont let my post discourage anyone.

I just want your creative sides to show its full potential.



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Creator of the Fred Zone
Vice Admiral of TCA

 

Admiral

  • Guest
I think that a good storyline/plot is very important, but it can't just be told in the briefs then left out for the mission.  On the other hand 75% of the mission can't be your wingmen having a conversation.  Also, what they say has to seem probable, not them just spouting off storylines that they wouldn't 'realisticaly' discuss.

Overall, the most important thing is for what happens in the mission to make tactical sense for both sides to risk maintaining the engagement.

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"All empires Fall. You just have to know where to push."

 

Guardian

  • Guest
 
Quote
Originally posted by Admiral:
I think that a good storyline/plot is very important, but it can't just be told in the briefs then left out for the mission.  On the other hand 75% of the mission can't be your wingmen having a conversation.  Also, what they say has to seem probable, not them just spouting off storylines that they wouldn't 'realisticaly' discuss.

Overall, the most important thing is for what happens in the mission to make tactical sense for both sides to risk maintaining the engagement.



That is how my campaign is going.  I am telling a story but I am making the missions fun. http://freespace.volitionwatch.com/bandits/Without


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