Here is a first draft of the final mission with the obvious bugs and issues cleaned out. It still feels very easy. I'll look at those other missions and see. I have not touched any AWOL debriefings yet.
I can't play that right now because I'm not on a computer with FS installed, but here is a quick jot down of ideas on how to re-vamp the final mission and preserve the premise of it's storyline,while making it more difficult:
Mission narrative:
-Make only Alpha wing's loadout customizeable. Place Beta in Erinyes fighters, and Gamma in Perseus interceptors. Give them decent loadouts.
-Russik's Argo, Comm Node, and Ravana all located in close proximity at beginning of mission. Ravana at full hull integrity. Warlock not yet present in area.
-One wing of Maras guarding the Argo; one wing guarding the Ravana.
-Alpha and Beta wings jump in as advance recon and strike teams. Report position of Ravana and arranged forces to Warlock (this is a little more realistic, I think, than the strike teams arriving with the Warlock). Alpha ordered to destroy primary beam cannons, Beta to engage fighters.
-Warlock jumps in within beam range BEHIND the Ravana, opens fire with its primary beam turrets. Ravana fires with aft beam turrets at the Warlock. Ravana begins turning to attack the Warlock.
-The Ravana should be engaging Alpha wing with anti-fighter beams, flak, missile turrets, and laser turrets at all times during this mission to make it difficult. The only weapons on the Ravana that should ever stop firing are all the beam cannons (read below). We could also have the wing of Maras reappear from the fighterbay every minute or so after the previous one is destroyed.
-Alpha must destroy the primary beam cannons on the Ravana before it completes its turn and can engage the Warlock. We could script something so that the aft turrets of the Ravana damage the Warlock, but if the primary turrets fire on it, the Warlock gets destroyed. In the FS2 retail campaign, a Ravana is a huge threat to any destroyer. In the original of this mission, it's a large red lump to be rolled over. These types of events would change that.
-When the primary beam turrets are destroyed, script a message and event to destroy all the beam cannons on the Ravana (excuse it as an overload or something). At this point, the Ravana should begin launching bombers (from its fighterbay, not through subspace) at the Warlock and Alpha/Beta ordered to defend the Warlock. Fighter launches by the Ravana should stop at this point; make it so Alpha/Beta/Gamma just have to deal with several bomber wings trying to destroy the Warlock.
-The Warlock should not launch bombers at the Ravana.
-When the Ravana is destroyed, bomber waves should stop. At this point, the maximum hull integrity of the Warlock should be about 50%, and the minimum around 25%
-Russik taunts included here.
-Russik should call in two Molochs which should warp in several kilometers out, accompanied by a wing of Maras each. The Warlock should then deploy two bomber wings (1 Boanenerges, 1 Artemis), epsilon wing (Perseus interceptors), and send them along with any surviving fighters from Beta and Gamma wings after the three capital ships. Allow the Warlock to engage the Molochs when within range. With the combined power of the Warlock, bombers, and fighters it should be scripted and timed so that it is possible for the Warlock to survive the corvettes if it has 40% or more hull integrity after the Ravana and the Shivan bombers.
-Alpha wing should be sent after the comm node, not the corvettes. If Alpha hasn't destroyed then node by the time the Molochs are within range of the Warlock, two Rakshasa's and two wings of Seraphim jump in behind the Warlock and, along with the Molochs, destroy it. If Alpha does destroy the comm node in time, then the Rakshasa's never arrive, and any Shivan forces left continue against the Warlock and the bombers until they are destroyed, but no reinforcements arrive. This will require careful timing of the events, but it gives an importance to destroying that comm node.
-In other words, if the player helped the Warlock hold off the bombers and destroyed the beam cannons, and then later destroys the comm node, the mission should be a success. If the player fails to do these things in a timely manner, the Molochs should destroy the Warlock, or (if the comm node isn't destroyed in time), the Rakshasa's and bombers should ensure its destruction and the mission should be a failure.
-If the Warlock survives and the Molochs and node are destroyed, then the end of the mission should carry out as before - Russik surrenders, and then self-destructs. Otherwise, the mission should be a failure and Russik should jump out after the Warlock dies.
What do you guys think? It'll take some serious work, and serious balancing, but I think it preserves the intent of the original mission and ups the difficulty. Give me some feedback.
