First, I hope this doesn't sound like I'm expecting/demanding anything; based on the two missions so far, this would be how I think I would proceed, assuming I could get enough time and actually get decent with FRED. On a side-note, you've given me an idea for a spin-off... that I'll never get to make. Anyway, I know this is WIP, and that you may already have explanations for most of this, but here goes with my thoughts...
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- Initial premise is peachy. New system with lots of activity leaves plenty of room for varied combat areas and environment-based plot twists later on.
- Cut-scenes: Big thumbs up, though a couple may last a bit too long at current... whoopdy-doo, I know, but wanted to mention it as the thought crossed my mind while watching. 0rph3u5 made great use of them in The Black Hand TBP campaign and I'm glad to see the technique used more as it's a really cool extension to a mission or intro to a briefing.
- It's definitely on the 'very easy' end of the spectrum right now... On the flip-side, I think the whole pirate stockpile of lokis and ursas (and pilots!) would have been wiped out in the 2nd mission. In my run-through, I didn't lose a single wingman and still ended up waiting 3 or 4 minutes for the ship to jump. Herein lies a conflict between logic and story-telling. Of course the GTVA is going to send in the big dogs with the intent of wiping out the pirates 'yesterday.' This is a brand-new top-o-the-line carrier and it's going to have all the best equipment. Given that, they won't be sending their pilots out with moth-eaten Apollos, HL-7s and MX-50s. IMO, game balancing only works when it fits the circumstances. We've got Erinyes (Erinyi?) and Kaysers as we should. The pirates, seeing this new threat, have the choice of running (no way no how, ya scurvy dog) or sending everything they have at the new threat (Yar!).
So here's my thoughts on possible solutions to this perceived problem:
1. Change the whole background to be
really depressing, using an old and busted capital ship with a washed-up, shell-shocked crew and matching equipment to toughen it up while making the protagonists more desperate. That's too depressing for my liking, but it would 'fit.' That and it would require a major revamp of ...everything.
(Obviously I like this idea better since the paragraph is bigger...)
2. Make the pirates much smarter with much bigger cojones. For instance, you could start the 2nd mission as a red-alert/scramble and have a couple enemy bomber and fighter wings already in-theater with an already mildly-damaged Midway. Maybe they're also disillusioned GTVA vets that deserted, so give 'em a better AI class. Side-note, I like Zeus bombers for pirate roles; it's just a personal taste as Ursas are big, lumbering bulls-eyes IMO. Maybe add in some Vasudan craft to boot. They're pirates after all, so (unless you have pirate shipyards later) they'd likely have a wide mix of craft. To toughen-up the mission in particular while showing the pirates aren't stupid, have one or two bombers drop a couple shots right into the hangar bay just as your wing exits, have the Midway send a message that the hangar is wrecked and that you'll get no more (beta wing) fighter support. Now the total firepower is cut in half so the pirates can be left with much fewer incoming numbers. But have 2x2 fighter/bomber wings jump in at four corners of the ship. Two sets of bombers could, say, try to disable engines while the other two sets start knocking out turrets. Trying to engage/defend/evade over all that distance while prioritizing targets could get crazy and may take a lot of wingman orders to keep the Midway in one piece.
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Whew... Take it as you will (or tell me to STFU as you like
)
