[0rph3u5]

... or better for FS1 Port!

I'm currently working on a campaign with the working title "Operation Home Visit" (as mod to FS1 Port) which will pick up some of the questions "Rain On Ribos 4" left unanswered...
The story is yet a great secret (TrashMan, please be silent!)  but the entire campaign will be centered around 3 pilots of GTI who operate deep behind the enemy lines without backup and logistical support (just to prevent that comment: they will get the prototypes of the intersystem drives...) ---

now the great questions is how to design the missions (Once that is done it will be easy - belive me);
my idea is to create the missions in way that you have do sneak around most of time, trying not to get detected by hostiles and not taking the fight to anyone

after reading various comments of the difficulites players had with the stealth missions of PI I'm hesitant - and now I rely on your feedback...

[Vasudan Commander]

It'd certainly be interesting, but a question.......would shivan ships be stealthed? you'd have to create shivan stealth fighters too 

[Snail]

VC, all Shivan ships are stealthed.

[Vasudan Commander]

VC, all Shivan ships are stealthed.

erm......no they're not?

[Snail]

They have an advanced sensor array or type of hull material that makes them initially invisible to FS1 sensors. An upgrade to these sensors made Shivan ships able to be targeted later in the war.

[CP5670]

Don't make it like Sam Fisher. His latest game, Double Agent, has good content but there are more bugs and technical problems than anything I've seen in years. You can't even complete the game without taking advantage of other glitches. This game is an insult to the rest of the series.

Anyway, I like stealth missions and think they add a lot of new gameplay elements to FS2. A campaign of stealth missions only would probably become repetitive, but I wouldn't mind seeing them every few missions. They require a very different approach to the game and take some getting used to, but are great fun after that. Some of the most intense, hair-raising moments I've had in FS2 have come in stealth missions.

Many people found the PI stealth missions hard (there are basically only two), but some of the same players went back and said that they were quite a bit easier when they tried them again later on. It seems to be a matter of adapting to a different gameplay style.

[Deepstar]

Generally i don't like "Playing Judas" style Missions where you have to target every fighter to show how far this enemy is away.

I mean, a few missions like this in a campaign is okay, but every mission in this style is a little to hard for me. Every Mission where you've to see that every enemy fighter is 300+ meters away.

"Monster in the Mist" in FS2 was an easier stealth mission, you're only to have hold your fire to complete the mission, sometimes i need those kind of Stealth Missions, too. Where you haven't to care about enemy fighters.

But i think i need more "Action" Missions than Stealth Mission in a campaign.
I think i would play a campaign with, for example, 30 Missions, when 10 of them consists are only stealth. But those 10 Missions shouldn't be all in "Playing Judas" style. Some "Monster in the Mist" should be there, too.

So, completely stealth: No
Partly Stealth: Depends.

[CKid]

I wouldn't mind 100% stealth missions but it would have to have a extremely damn good plot and storyline. Something on the line of PI. That campaign has a great storyline. It made me want to complete the campaign so I ended up stayed up until 3 am because I got so into it.

[DarkBasilisk]

I kinda hate playing the inevitable stealth mission in a campaign, but I think more of it is just implementation. PI had it a lot better with the escort list showing nearby fighters. Without that it's kind of luck in missions with more than a couple fighters:

"Alpha 1 you are getting too close to the patrols."
"Which patrol? H-H-H-H-"
*Shivan blaster fire
"CRAP!"

*restart mission

[karajorma]

You're meant to use the hotkeys to multi-target all the enemy fighters you know. Once you do that it makes things a lot easier.

[jr2]

What hotkeys??  This I need to know!

[karajorma]

Press F3 in game to set them up.

[jr2]

Erg... this prolly would have made things easier..

[TrashMan]

My lips are SEALED!

Edit - I hope there won't be too much avoiding patrols..never did find those missions too enticing.

[0rph3u5]

I will use the target hotkeys and there will be few "invisible" patrols -- but in that case you either MUST be detected (otherwise one or the other story matter makes no sense) OR you will have something like a distance alert via training msg ("Object detected. Distance: 700m" or something)

but maybe I'll give you an impression of what I'm thinking of (I won't bother you with technical details):
1 - "Cossing"
Alpha wing has to cross an area of space where to fleets are pounding another with everything they have got. You are supposed to slip through the lines without taking agressive actions against anyone. All fighters (both hostile, neutral and friendly) will ignore you until you attack them.
2 - "Camuflage"
Alpha wing is flying throug a asteroid/debris field which is partoled by hostile forces. Alpha has to avoid these patrols from getting too close. But compared with "Playing Judas" you will have chance to evade detection by simply cutting your engines and playing dead as the partols close in.
3 - "Fleeing"
Alpha wing is being persuit by fighters an as to gain distance in order to vanish from their scaners. The distance is about 2000m but can get way smaller with Alpha decides to take shelter in Asteroids or Debris (if avalible) floating around the scene.

[Deepstar]

I will use the target hotkeys and there will be few "invisible" patrols -- but in that case you either MUST be detected (otherwise one or the other story matter makes no sense) OR you will have something like a distance alert via training msg ("Object detected. Distance: 700m" or something)

but maybe I'll give you an impression of what I'm thinking of (I won't bother you with technical details):
1 - "Cossing"
Alpha wing has to cross an area of space where to fleets are pounding another with everything they have got. You are supposed to slip through the lines without taking agressive actions against anyone. All fighters (both hostile, neutral and friendly) will ignore you until you attack them.
2 - "Camuflage"
Alpha wing is flying throug a asteroid/debris field which is partoled by hostile forces. Alpha has to avoid these patrols from getting too close. But compared with "Playing Judas" you will have chance to evade detection by simply cutting your engines and playing dead as the partols close in.
3 - "Fleeing"
Alpha wing is being persuit by fighters an as to gain distance in order to vanish from their scaners. The distance is about 2000m but can get way smaller with Alpha decides to take shelter in Asteroids or Debris (if avalible) floating around the scene.

Hm.. i don't think about "killing engine" before (combine this with "fleeing", killing engines behind an Asteroid like in different sci-fi shows/movies ). That's a good idea, but i think this shouldn't be work in every mission, because then it's too easy

But when the campaign is balanced between this three mission types, then it's possible that you can convince me. I doesn't expect this before, but your concept looks interesting

[Harbinger of DOOM]

I wish the thrust actually disappeared when you stop........

[0rph3u5]

But when the campaign is balanced between this three mission types, then it's possible that you can convince me. I doesn't expect this before, but your concept looks interesting

there will be other missions... I don't want the player sneak around without achiving anything but getting past partols

[Mongoose]

Personally, I'd be all for this idea.  Stealth missions are always rather intense and nerve-wracking (even if they do require the occasional restart), and I'm interested to see how a whole campaign's worth of them would play.

[Mustang19]

I say, why not? If you're enthusiastic about the idea, then my criticism is only going to prolong the release date. 

The stealth missions of PI were considerably better than those of the main FS2 campaign. Considering your work so far, I think you would do well at this. I find it odd how campaigns always have to have just one or two little stealth missions, just like every campaign has to have pirates and ship-guardianed wingmen. Not natural for a fighter/bomber squadron to make a few random stealth runs. Making a whole campaign of you in a recon squadron would make more sense.