[TopAce]

I am planning on FREDing a new 7-10 missiion campaign without any mods. It still has no plot since I still have not yet decided what style it should have. Should it be a 'War campaign', where 9 times from 10 you receive the 'destroy everything' goal? Or should it be a Serious Sam-like campaign, where you really do not have to pay attention to many things, you can get chance to acquire at least 20 kills in every mission! Or should it have some stealth/reconnaissance elements? All I am certain is that this time there will be Shivans!
Suggestions?

[Singh]

if I want those 2 styles of play, I just go and play MW4.....

No, FS2 isn't just about killing things (even though it pays an integral part), its about drawing the player in, immersing him into your story and making him like the poor, unlucky sob piloting Alpha 1.
FS2 is not just about "HAHAHAHA! DIE SHIVANS!!" its more like "HAHAHA! DIE SHIVANS!!! Wait...WTF IS THAT THING??! A LUCIFER??! YEAARGH!!"

[aldo_14]

Clever storyline / characterisation.  If you want to go for a Serious Sam style kill everything campaign, you'll need mods - specifically, big guns and big explosions*

*actually I've wanted to do an old style shoot-em up type mod for a while - lots of low poly swarming fighters, and a ridculously overpowered player ship with far too many guns.  But with regular FS2 it wouldn't feel right.

[TopAce]

Originally posted by aldo_14
...
*actually I've wanted to do an old style shoot-em up type mod for a while - lots of low poly swarming fighters, and a ridculously overpowered player ship with far too many guns.  But with regular FS2 it wouldn't feel right.

My imagination is the same if I decide to make a mod like that. Only exception would be that I do not intend to use low poly mods and I want to place powerups.

[Jetmech Jr.]

I vote on a mixture between War novel and the plot one. Mostly plot.
I've always hated games like Serious Sam, tbh...

[aldo_14]

Originally posted by TopAce


My imagination is the same if I decide to make a mod like that. Only exception would be that I do not intend to use low poly mods and I want to place powerups.

Well, if you use low poly models you can a) have a lot onscreen at once and b) can convince people to make them (very quick & easy to both model and map).

EDIT;

to clarify, my plan had been to build a cell-shaded mod, based around a set of stupidly over the top weaponry.  Ther would be just one mission, which would use random number generators, etc, to define the events which occured (a FREDer could tell me if this is feasible)... powerups, in the form of shootable cargo containers, would also be included - another idea was to use a support ship as a bolt-on supergun (but which you couldn't, obviously, move with).

  The 'enemy' would be swarms of small ships, which could only take a small number of shots.  Maps for these would be very simple - basically glowy bits - there wouldn't be a need for detail, and it would hoepfully encourage outside contributors.  It's possible there would be large capships - i.e. bosses - with more detail at the end of the mission.

Basically, think about a cross between R-type and the asteroid field missions in Starfox.

[TopAce]

Cruisers with strong flaks and turrets would be bosses.

[Havock]

Originally posted by aldo_14


Well, if you use low poly models you can a) have a lot onscreen at once and b) can convince people to make them (very quick & easy to both model and map).

EDIT;

to clarify, my plan had been to build a cell-shaded mod, based around a set of stupidly over the top weaponry.  Ther would be just one mission, which would use random number generators, etc, to define the events which occured (a FREDer could tell me if this is feasible)... powerups, in the form of shootable cargo containers, would also be included - another idea was to use a support ship as a bolt-on supergun (but which you couldn't, obviously, move with).

  The 'enemy' would be swarms of small ships, which could only take a small number of shots.  Maps for these would be very simple - basically glowy bits - there wouldn't be a need for detail, and it would hoepfully encourage outside contributors.  It's possible there would be large capships - i.e. bosses - with more detail at the end of the mission.

Basically, think about a cross between R-type and the asteroid field missions in Starfox.

if the explosions are neat (and over the top), nobody will make a point of low-poly fighter models.

i'd say a real slugfest campaign, we have enough "immersing stories" already.
"after Alpha-1 didn't make it out of capella, he has been sent to "valhalla", valhalla, freespace-style that is "

[Black Wolf]

As I've recently found out, one of the problems with an immersive story minicampaign is that you rarely have the elbow room you need to establish the subtle story links you want to include. Admittedly, Iwas working with six missions while you'll have ten, but still, I reckon it'll be a challenge.

One of the things I've found is lacking lately is a campaign with any kind of unique mission. I therefore challenge you to make this a campaign which has no bomber intercept missions, whatsoever. Do recon and stuff instead - more fun for the player and more challenging as a FREDder.