Flashpoint Campaigns - Meta Campaign Idea

[RobertCrandall]

Hi, I'm the guy most interested in all this since I'll likely be the one programming it, lol.  This is another case of the power and usefulness of these forums to us developers.  Mad Russian was talking this thread up to the rest of us Monday night.  I have bookmarked it and I was reading printouts on the train today going in to work this morning. 

DD, you have some great ideas here.  Now I just need to find a few more hours in the day to implement them.  Let me think on this and figure out how I can do all this efficiently....

Keep it coming please!

Cheers, Rob C

[Tinkershuffle]

I think I'm going to shoot for working up a Team vs AI game, something not too big as far as total units involved and see if I can recruit some victims to playtest it, maybe 4-6 with one being the overall commander.

Sign me up!

[Double Deuce]

Sign me up!

Do you want command of A or C Troop?

[jomni]

Can I still join?

[Double Deuce]

Can I still join?

Sure can. Both A or C Troop are available and depending which Troop Tinkershuffle wants, you can have the other. All 3 have identical OOB's I still need a few days to get the rules to paper, just wanted to see what kind of interest there was before putting in too much legwork.

[jomni]

Great!

[Double Deuce]

Hi, I'm the guy most interested in all this since I'll likely be the one programming it, lol.  This is another case of the power and usefulness of these forums to us developers.  Mad Russian was talking this thread up to the rest of us Monday night.  I have bookmarked it and I was reading printouts on the train today going in to work this morning. 

DD, you have some great ideas here.  Now I just need to find a few more hours in the day to implement them.  Let me think on this and figure out how I can do all this efficiently....

Keep it coming please!

Cheers, Rob C

Thanks Rob C. All I am looking for atm is a way to dump the end game save information to a text file for importing into a spreadsheet or even just printing out. I would need each unit's end game status for both sides. Mainly the Force Roster (so I know who was is still alive, killed, etc) and the Reported Kills and Claims information so it can be used for overall campaign tracking.

Since I'm assuming that the OOB information is saved directly in the scenario file when its created on the user's machine (that's how the user OOB info gets carried over without having to send a player the custom user spreadsheet) the information should be in that file somewhere???

I think MR may have brought this up but it would really be nice to have a way to import that end game data into a new scenario to carry over to the next battle in design mode. Essentially, I or another person running something like this can receive the end game save file for a battle, re-open to view the information, then export the unit information that would be needed to carry over. Then create a new empty scenario for the next battle and just import that text data (to build the OOB) into the new scenario file. This way you don't have to rebuild the OOB information for one or both sides as the campaign continues. This would be very useful for someone to run a single player (or even 2 players in a pbem game) through a custom campaign building it on the fly as you build the "story".

Hopefully, the above makes sense. I will try to write out a situation later with the steps I think would be involved.

[Double Deuce]

Great!

Sounds good. Will wait for Tinkershuffle 's response and we can go from there.

[Double Deuce]

For those following along who might want to jump in,  I just need 3 players for this go round. Theoretically though, I think I could run more groups of 3 through this same "campaign" using the same starting setup it would just be that anyone already playing or having played through the game  and posting AAR's on the forums would sort of spoil it for the succeeding groups should they happen to follow those AAR's as they are posted.

[Double Deuce]

Also, there will be no overall commander in this go round. I have basic story fleshed out and will follow that script's triggers for reinforcements and such so we can test the concept of carrying information over to build follow on scenarios/missions

[Tinkershuffle]

I'll take C Troop, "A" sounds too responsible. :)

[Barthheart]

I'll take C Troop, "A" sounds too responsible. :)

Ha! That's why I took B.  ;D

[Double Deuce]

The defending forces are 3 Troop elements of 3rd Squadron, 175 Armored Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Cavalry Division and each Troop Command will consist of the following;

Troop Headquarters

   
• 2x M113 ACAV
• 2x Headquarters
• 1x M577 C2V

Line Platoons (3x)

   
• 1x M113A1
• 4x M113 ACAV
• 3x M551 Sheridan [m]
• 1x M113A1 [m]
• 1x Scout
• 1x M106A1

Support Platoon (these units have special significance in succeeding missions. Make sure to keep them close to your Troop HQ BUT also, out of harms way)

   
• 1x M113A2 (Medic)
• 1x M113A2 (Mechanic)
• 1x 2 1/2 Ton Truck (Supply)

Extra Squadron and Division assets such as Air and Artillery will be added in on a per mission basis depending on how the story unfolds and the missions you draw during the game. Once/if I add in an overall force commander, in future games, they will control how the assets are allocated.

You will also be able to use Victory Points after each missions to purchase some of those assets (you will accumulate these even if you technically lose a mission). Primarily though, the Victory Points are to be used for replenishing your Core Force (personnel and vehicle replacements and spare parts for repairs and so on).

The enemy force is expected to be comprised of the Soviet 5th Motorized Rifle Regiment (BTR). In most cases you will only see a portion of that force in your mission but as their attack develops the MRR Commander will adjust as needed to keep the pressure on and add forces to exploit a soft spot in the Squadron's lines. ;-)

Also, the starting map we will use will be the Red Storm 2 mapsheet. Even though you are all really in the same area, you are not able to see or  support each other so focus only on your specific mission. I am building individual scenarios for each command and these will be limited to a certain sectors of that larger map.

Please note that if you get overrun while your flanking troop holds, it can result in them being hit from their flank or rear in the next mission so while you are working separate areas of the same map, your results can and will likely have an impact on your follow commanders. ;-)

[bayonetbrant]

DD - you might want to throw in the M88s or M578s in the support platoons.  If you're going to have this be a campaign that needs WSRO ops, you'll need the recovery vehicles, too.

[Double Deuce]

DD - you might want to throw in the M88s or M578s in the support platoons.  If you're going to have this be a campaign that needs WSRO ops, you'll need the recovery vehicles, too.

Yeah, will do that at some point (I don't think those are in the stock OOB's and I had created the M88 and Fuel/Ammo HEMMT's in my custom User file but think I somehow overwrote all that work as I can't find any of that stuff on my HD).

For now, most of it will be simulated so I can test the crunchy stuff with real players to make sure I can process the flow of information. That and to make sure my rules cover what they need to so people know WTH is going on when they ask about how this all works. Right now, most of its in my head and that's a dangerous place for recalling important information should it be needed.  :'(