[Fergus]

Heres my basic rundown of mission 4.  Depending if Black Wolf has any specific plans.



Mission 4 - The NTR has attacked and boarded the Adur research installation (Black Wolf suggested Robin Varleys Acheron (With weaker weapons of course) for this. If we decide to use mods we'll add them in but until now just use an Arcadia). The player arrives too late to prevent their transports from escaping, but the NTR are trying desperately to eliminate the installation and the science vessels around it, apparently to cover up what exactly they stole. The NTC Perilous should escape with the transports here as a set up for the next mission.

Alpha Arrives
-Arcadia insight under attack by bombers and fighters.  Perilous, 2 Argos, 2 or 3 transports and 2 wings of Hercs jump out before alpha gets near.

GVCv Renenet under repairs in Ring 1.  Need to defend until it repairs engines so it can provide fire support. (No beams till out of collar)-Primary

2-3 Faustian- MUST defend, if crippled transport sent to pick up scientists and pull out. -Primary

Other civilian craft nearby-Primary

Damocles is on opposite side to Renenet.

2 Wings (tops) at start attacking—no bombers.  When fighters down, bomber wave and fighter wing arrive.  Damocles also starts to get into new fire position to destroy Renenet.  

Alpha and Beta must defend station + Renenet (civies and scientists have evaced by now-providing they are alive) against bomber and fighter attacks.  (Epsilon can be called on [Artemis or more fighters? If NTR extra cruiser turns up maybe Herc II’s?] At this point-or earlier)

Before Damocles in position home ship (whatever it is-if not any GVD/GTD) arrives and fires 1 beam salvo (Dam needs to survive so it pulls out).  Finish off remaining opposition and go home.

All very spontaneous, lots of holes but I’m tired.

[karajorma]

Sounds pretty good to me. I'll leave the fine details to BW.

[Black Wolf]

While it's my personal opinion that an Arcadia is too big for a pure research installaion, I respect the no mods decision. I hadn't finished the mission 4 extended description, so I'll go through yours, which looks workable.

• You probably don't need the Civvies. The Remnant will have more important things to do than chasing down inoffensive civillians in the middle of a battleground, and you risk splitting the player in too many directions to be practical.
• I'm not sure a ganymede is appropriate for a research installation. However, since we're not using the Acheron after all, it might be possible to modify the mission to include it (eg. Possibly it's just a standard station, but he scientists are performing research on it. Your call on that.)
• It might be an idea to insert a section about covering the escaping transports as well. Remember, the NTR need to silence all witnesses to what they stole.
• Home ship is the GTD Messana, it's all in the campaign description Karajorma linked to.
• Gah, gotta go to class. Err, final thing to remember - an Arcadia is a big pile of steaming mission unbalancing weaiting to hit you in the face. Having FREDded missions both defending and attacking an Arcadia, I know how irritating they can be. The more specific the objectives the player is given are, the better. Keep him moving around with something to do at all times. You're somewhat limited by the lack of hostile capships here, so make sure you use the Damocles' ability to rip into the installation to its full dramatic (and mission balancing) effect. Bleh - you should work much of this out for yourself once you get into the meat of the issue anyway . Good luck.

[/color]

[Fergus]

What kind of size was the Acheron going to be, because I don't mind if you would rather I use that.

[karajorma]

I don't mind. Since you're the only one who needs it, if you're comfortable using it and altering the tables to include it go ahead

[Black Wolf]

I have altered tables, the acheron, an uberloki and a multi communications subsystem Iceni just waiting to be VPed if you're going to let mods in you know

[karajorma]

Go ahead and post them. I'll add them to the list.

[Black Wolf]

Here - untested I'll admit but there shouldn't be anything wrong with it.

[karajorma]

Looks good to me.

[Fergus]

I'm gonna need to stick to the Arcadia because the Archaron cannot take a single volley from the Damocles before it goes flat line.  Pity, because it is a nice model.

[karajorma]

We can bump up the hitpoints if that is the case.

Can you post the mission as you've got it and I'll give it a try.

[Fergus]

Okay, I've had a long think (and numerous test missions) and come to the conclusion that my current set up idea is not a good.  So I have started from scratch again, different set up using the Acheron (the Damocles is of less importance now).  I've more or less got the balancing right, on paper.  So it should be finished for testing in a day or two.

P.S. I feel so much more sympathy for people making missions with stations.

[Black Wolf]

Stations are evil to FRED with but integral to plot to. Just be glad you're not working with the Arcadia.

[Fergus]

YES!!!!

I have finished it.

Click for my wonderful(ish) mission

You need to right click and save as.

Okay a few things.
1)  I'm not too sure if the mission is long enough.  I can add a section where you evac crew no problem.
2)I cheated a bit with the Merc's.  I dont think the NTR are meant to have bombers so I used them-same with the Bedford, and it means the Damocles doesnt completely un balance mission.
3)The Bedford is more for any of my fellow FREDers who are doing missions after this incase they need a smaller cap-ship as there is basically only Damocles and Perilous.
4)Alpha 2 is the pilot all campaings have.  The one with more than 2 messages, so if any other FREDers in retail section have a important wing man we can standardise him/her.

phew.  That was very hard to balance at first.  But once it's been thought through it was fine.  Thanks for the advice people, and hopefully I'm gonna get lots of nitpicking.

[magatsu1]

Originally posted by Black Wolf
Here - untested I'll admit but there shouldn't be anything wrong with it.

famous last words..

[karajorma]

Originally posted by Fergus
1)  I'm not too sure if the mission is long enough.  I can add a section where you evac crew no problem.

I've never been of the opinion that a mission should have a set length. It should be as long as whatever works to tell the story that mission is supposed to tell. The mission works fine for me

Originally posted by Fergus

2)I cheated a bit with the Merc's.  I dont think the NTR are meant to have bombers so I used them-same with the Bedford, and it means the Damocles doesnt completely un balance mission.

I figure the NTR would have some bombers left seeing as how they've managed to keep lots of hercs and lokis. That said I've got no problem with the merc angle

Anyway, now for the nitpicking

1) The goal that appears on screen for the 2nd Secondary goal is Mission goal text. I'm guessing that this was an oversight

2) Juno wing has no delay between the two waves arriving. I'd probably say the the other values are a little low too but then again the player has a lot of friendly craft to help him so I can forgive it.

3) Personally I wouldn't bother with the Key press directives. Even [V] didn't bother with them much after the first few missions. We all know how to jump out by now

4) In the mission briefing there is no real need to reserve a stage. You could easily insert one if you need it.

Apart from that I didn't spot much wrong with the mission at all. I'll take a look at the mission when I'm more awake but it's pretty close to finished as far as I'm concerned

[Fergus]

After I have finished tinkering with the mission (what can I say I'm a perfectionist) can I move over to Open?  Before there were certain issues which would have made it problematic but now those issues have been solved.

P.S.

I can still help out with Retail though if you want-or need.

[karajorma]

I have no problem with you moving over to open. Personally I think everyone should develop for Open.

Wait to see the tricks you can do with the new SEXPs

[Fergus]

Done.
Mainly small changes, but time to upload this puppy. Everything needed is(should), be in the folder.
This is it

[karajorma]

Link no workee.

I seem to remember that tripod won't let you download from them. Try changing the file extention to .txt