[jg18]

Since I'm learning to FRED in order to be able to help modders in the future, I thought I'd try making a real mission. Feedback would be much appreciated.

The background is borrowed from The Romans Blunder, since it takes place at the same location (Deneb near the Sirius jump node). The mission takes place around the time of Feint! Parry! Riposte!.

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[mjn.mixael]

As a simple mission it works well. The mission logic seemed to work as expected. Not bad for a first mission.

My main feedback would be that it is a pretty simply mission all around. I didn't really have to think strategically or consider how my enemies might react. It was very much a "shoot what you are told to shoot" mission. That's not inherently bad, I just prefer more complex missions. That also seems to be the way the community is going with mods like WiH. There is a thread I was just reading that was talking about capships acting like capships and not just deathboats. I try to take that logic all the way when I create a mission. How would pilots react? Transports? NTF command? Would they just send a few Medusas to destroy a transport they had left hostages on? Even more so, would they have left hostages on a boat that still had engine power at all?

I don't want to say your mission was bad. It was better than a lot of missions out there because it had premise, it had a twist, and I always knew what I had to do. Props for that! Now I want to encourage you to take it another level. Start asking those questions and think of FREDing more like being a military strategist. This will help you to take your obvious ability to FRED a solid mission to the next level.

Definitely keep working on FREDing.

EDIT: One other thing. Also try to consider how to make the player essential to the mission. In this mission, Alpha 1 is kind of a nobody. Stupid AI aside, my actions wouldn't have really altered the fate of the mission much. So also think about ways to make the player much more important.

[jg18]

Thanks, mjn! That's really helpful, and it makes a lot of sense. Definitely gives me a fair bit to think about. Also reminds me that I need to get around to playing AoA and WiH both to enjoy playing them and also to get a broader sense of what kinds of missions people have made.

One thing about capships acting like capships, since I couldn't find the thread you mentioned: do you mean capships as actually leading their comrades (that is, taking a position of command), rather than just being big ships aimed to destroy other ships?

[mjn.mixael]

More that capships are a strategic tool for battle. They have advantages and disadvantages. Vanilla FS tended to have capships play the role of floating targets that you either had to destroy or defend. Sure, they might shoot at other capships, but for the most part it was uninteresting.

Consider that capships have a huge number of persons on board. They have limited and/or specific weaponry that is effective in only specific situations. Capships rarely turn the tide in a battle with just blob lasers and a few slash beams. Capships should have a role more specific than 'warp in and shoot stuff' because they have very clear disadvantages.

So when you are thinking through the military strategy of your mission, think about why the capship (or any ship for that matter) is necessary. Consider if it would be worth the risk to the the lives of the crew to use the ship in this way.. is there a way to do the same thing with less risk.. how might an enemy respond to using a ship asset in such a way... etc.

EDIT: As a further thought. Here's some things I might think about if I were to be the one designing your mission. If the NTF had hostages in order to barter safe passage for the gas miners, I might have the Argo disabled and surrounded by.. remote mines.. or mjolners.. or maybe its rigged to self-destruct.. or something that the NTF can trigger if they think the GTVA is pressing the advantage. That would prevent the GTVA from basically doing anything. Then you also get an interesting character to dialog with, an NTF command leader.

So then how would the GTVA respond? Perhaps they need to destroy the ship the leader is on in order to render the remote detonation harmless? Maybe the player needs to be a distraction while another GTVA force hunts down the ship the leader is on? Or perhaps the ship is in the battle area but far out and the player has to fly out there? Whatever the case, the destruction of the NTF command ship would have to be pretty quick.. or maybe the GTVA uses a jamming device instead?

So say that happens and the hostages are safe or soon to be safe. The NTF would probably sortie some wings and/or cruisers in a ditch effort to kill the hostages or protect the gas miners. Would the GTVA anticipate that and have reinforcements ready? What's the player's role here?

Just some thoughts as an example to a mission with an interesting premise. Hopefully that helps communicate my design process.

[jg18]

Yeah, that helps. Good things to think about. Thanks again, mjn.