Thinking about starting up a small forum game but trying to narrow down the actual game to use for the battles.
What I would basicaly like to do is either run something with parallel scenarios, where all players play the same missions/battles, in succession but their results carry over into what becomes their own custom campaign. The other option is a cooperative campaign where each player is part of a larger force and their "group results" determine the overall units campaign course.
Next, the big question is what game? Some are easier with scenario design than others and some I have not played in a long time so it would take a while to get back up to speed. Another factor, who is actually playing what games and is there a big enough player base to warrant the efforts needed to make it happen.
Some game engine considerations, my thoughts . . .
- Flashpoint Campaigns: Red Storm (Lack of custom maps, editing/cropping existing maps limits the operational area that can be used. The AI is good enough so that it can be played solo by each commander and be challenging. Relatively easy to design scenarios when using existing maps).
- Combat Mission (At the moment I only have CMBN and CMSF but would be willing to get CMBS or CMRT if there is more interest in something using those. I am really out of practice with scenario design in CM, its been a really, really long time but the level of detail makes for good storybuilding, imho. Playing solo is harder on the designer since the AI has to be 'programmed').
- Steel Panthers (Its been a while since I really designed anything for SP but I think I have enough memory to quickly pick it back up. The AI is good enough for playing solo and still be challenging. Large range of dates and OOB's make it open to most any period from 1930 to 2020). Random map generator, that really reduces design time. It's an older system so not many still have it on their Harddrive BUT its free so anyone interested can pick it up and play without any investment and delete it when the campaign is over).
Would people prefer playing vs the AI or pbem/online against each other? The game engine chosen will have some influence this.
Winning the game? Should the scenarios be 'balanced' and there be a way to determine a winner or should it be more focused on a fun, story building game, with your in game character hoping to survive to the end?
This is quite a big issue to deal with with. I have seen it done - at least on the forums - of another gaming site The Few Good Men where they are/were doing a Combat Mission Normandy Campaign - it looks an excellent idea, but must be a lot of work to run and keep up with it - http://www.thefewgoodmen.com/thefgmforum/forums/cmbn-operation-overlord-campaign.173/
Battle Academy 2
Tactical turn based, with cooperative multiplayer and cooperative skirmish.
Don't judge this game from the screens - its basically a turn based version of Close Combat
Quote from: Boggit on May 02, 2015, 04:18:58 PM
This is quite a big issue to deal with with. I have seen it done - at least on the forums - of another gaming site The Few Good Men where they are/were doing a Combat Mission Normandy Campaign - it looks an excellent idea, but must be a lot of work to run and keep up with it - http://www.thefewgoodmen.com/thefgmforum/forums/cmbn-operation-overlord-campaign.173/ (http://www.thefewgoodmen.com/thefgmforum/forums/cmbn-operation-overlord-campaign.173/)
I used to run these using Steel Panthers many, many years ago and even did something using SASL. The bookkeeping was the hardest part to keep up with.
I found the FGM men site a while back while researching new games in that format and that what piqued my real interest in trying it again. I will need to go through their stuff and see how they are doing it in the latest go-rounds. They certainly seem to have system down for doing it using CM but my laptop is at the low end of the minimum requirements, hopefully that wouldn't be a problem, especially if the maps, scenario's are kept on the small side.
Quote from: Apocalypse 31 on May 02, 2015, 08:56:02 PM
Battle Academy 2
Tactical turn based, with cooperative multiplayer and cooperative skirmish.
Don't judge this game from the screens - its basically a turn based version of Close Combat
Hadn't thought of that one. I will check it out see if it would work in the format I'm thinking of.
Quote from: Double Deuce on May 03, 2015, 12:29:11 AM
Quote from: Apocalypse 31 on May 02, 2015, 08:56:02 PM
Battle Academy 2
Tactical turn based, with cooperative multiplayer and cooperative skirmish.
Don't judge this game from the screens - its basically a turn based version of Close Combat
Apoc31 makes a good suggestion, plus plenty of people on the forum have the game.
Hadn't thought of that one. I will check it out see if it would work in the format I'm thinking of.
Ok, for anyone still reading this thread . . . My interest is growing about trying to use Battle Academy 2 with this concept mainly because the editor seems pretty robust and its looks like a fun beer and pretzel sorta game (meaning I would not have to track excruciating unit details like individual weapon ammunition, vehicle fuel and and so on each time i go to build a mission).
Couple of things I need to know first though for those who have the game and may be able to answer.
- Is there an end game save screen/option so that commanders could save and send that file to the GM where he would be able to review all units in the mission so that a master OOB (probably using Excel) could be updated and used as a guide to build the next missions?
- Is there a unit list available somewhere? I checked the Slitherine forums for previous inquiries and the answer seemed to be, yes, but it's in the game under the 'blah, blah, blah' directory, implying that yes, the information is available but to see it you need to buy the game first.
I'd be interested if I could get a better grasp on how this will work.
Quote from: Gusington on May 03, 2015, 05:04:31 PM
I'd be interested if I could get a better grasp on how this will work.
LOL, I'm working on grasping it too. Need to find out how 'flexible' the editor is as far as editing units themselves when creating the missions, such as changing morale, experience and starting damage, etc.
^Kewl. I'll follow this thread then. Love me some Battle Academy 2.
Hey DD, I'd be interested in this. It's a great game and easy enough to play.
The scenario editor is very robust but takes a little getting used to. Jomni is the guy here to ask about this as he's doing an extensive mod as medieval Japan.
I'll see if I can dig up the unit info you are looking for as I already own the game.
There is an end game screen that can be screen captured by any software, or even the Prnt Scrn button. Units don't have individual names. The end games screen lists all the units on both side that were killed.
Quote from: Barthheart on May 04, 2015, 07:14:39 AMI'll see if I can dig up the unit info you are looking for as I already own the game.
There is an end game screen that can be screen captured by any software, or even the Prnt Scrn button. Units don't have individual names. The end games screen lists all the units on both side that were killed.
It'll be key to getting that end game info so the OOB's can be updated. I'd also like to keep enemy casualty information if possible, especially if we go with a Player/Team vs the AI format.
For the unit data, I think I found on the Slitherine forums its in a squads.csv file.
I'll probably be picking up this game here soon so I can dig around deeper then.
Found the file... PM yer email and I'll send it to you.
Quote from: Barthheart on May 04, 2015, 08:42:28 AM
Found the file... PM yer email and I'll send it to you.
Thanks, I got them.
Ok, I have the game now and will be poking around and see what can and can't be done.
Cool!
Hmm, not seeing a way to review the end game map, just the casualty stuff. I'll need a way to know what objectives were taken and which weren't. Not seeing that is possible atm.
They should be a Victory banner showing you won .. or lost... overlaid over the final map. In the upper left corner should be a listing of the all the objectives and whether you made them. If you can't SE them there is a hot key to bring them up... Not sure which it is as I'm not at my PC.
Think I found it. Making some progress, just have to learn how the AI scripting works. Having the hardest time getting the # of game turns set. The manual is not much help with the editor.
Having some trouble (errors) trying to add scenario text but have just about completed a test mission bu t can't post it on the Slitherine forums because theirs won't recognize my unified login although all the other Slitherine related sites do. :knuppel2:
Anyway, for those still following along, here is the map. It's a sorta mock up of an ASL mapboard . .
23 June 1941 - The mission, take your Soviet Rifle Company and move south to block German advances north from Lomza. Although it is raining, you should reach the objective road junctions just as dawn arrives. It is raining.
Since it seems that you cannot save an end game results to email to someone and the screenshot will not convey enough end game info, I'll be working up a short 'Post Combat Report' form for submitting that to the GM.
Cool. Seems you've put a lot of time into this.
Hmm, seems you can use the hotkeys to get back to the end game info I need but its not printable so will need to be screenshotted. I'm working on an end game AAR form, probably a basic .txt form for ease of access. On that form I should only need the end game objective (which side each is held by) and individual unit status' (including if the unit is OK, KIA and current Rank).
There will be a custom replacement system for use between scenarios (pirated from SASL and tweaked to fit BA2).
Right now I have a basis for an Operation Order form created. Each player will get this with the scenario file and it'll include more detailed scenario information. I'll post a sample when I get it further fleshed out.
Sounds interesting! Count me in. :)
If you are scripting custom missions, you could use the DebugLog command to output a results dump to the error.log file? Or indeed pop up a dialog with data in it.
Cheers
Pip
Quote from: PipFromSlitherine on May 11, 2015, 11:28:20 AM
If you are scripting custom missions, you could use the DebugLog command to output a results dump to the error.log file? Or indeed pop up a dialog with data in it.
I'll have to check on getting the DebugLog. What's happening is when I use the Scenario Description Exporter all goes well but then when try to open the scenario to play, that's when I get the errors and the game crashes. If I delete the "SCENUI_ related txt file in the \BA2\CAMPAIGNS\SASL_TEST\DATA\UI folder and then run the game, the scenario loads no problems but the briefing text is obviously not updated. I'll see if I can get access the Slitherine forums and report it there.
Ok, here is the draft mission briefing format I am planning to use. If anything thinks more information should be added that would help potential commanders understand the mission and their objectives, even those of you just browsing the thread, please feel free to post.