What makes a story based arma 3 mission good?

[Crimson Mage 2]

I have always been curious about this, if it is even possible.

[zagor64bz 1225]

I guess it comes down to this, at least for me: don't let the mission get OBVIOUS!!!

I meant... I like to think about a mission like it's a movie. Get the primary character,  let the player knows where he's been and where he wanna go with this mission. Add a twisted plot and make the bad guys seem not so bad after all... until he does something REALLY bad. Make the "hero" do his job, but remember the murphy's law. Let something screw-up. It makes him more human, not "RAMBO" so much. But most of all, GIVE THE PLAYER FREEDOM.  I hate pre-determinate choices, scripted paths, forced actions. Let the player choose his fate (or at least let him believe that..hahaha) and the way he wants to play. Maybe he likes "guns-blazing-gunning n' running" or maybe he's all "tactic-cool-navy-seals" kind of guy..or Sam Fisher it's his hero.

Like I said, at least for me.

[wogz187 1086]

I just answered this on reddit,

Quote

 

"Good writing and compelling game mechanics for starters. But consider how to deliver the good writing. Does the player find notes laying about that outline the conditions of a world lost? Do you voice dialog and make cut-scenes that transcend the stilted and mundane? Or leave it up to the environmental design to tell a story?

 

And what keeps the player at it? We've fired every weapon and driven every vehicle. What's left to explore? Come up with something that's fun to do over-and-over-- easy to play, difficult to master-- and then make them feel rewarded for a job well done.

 

It doesn't have to be something we've never seen before but it does have to be something we want to see again.

 

Have fun!"

 

erm... have fun!

Here on the forum there's more to say.

Don't work alone. A team of people dedicated to the task will always produce better results. I bemoan this issue on the forum because "I'm not even supposed to be here today.". What I mean is that I'm not a script writer! The only way I know python from C+ is one bites me and the other tastes like oranges. I'm a designer. And if left to design with a team of asset artists and programmers, we'd release all eight gates and BI would be forced to pay mind.

Instead we fly planes for catharsis.

So what'cha workin' on?

Edited September 8, 2019 by wogz187
I guess technically pythons constrict

[zagor64bz 1225]

4 minutes ago, wogz187 said:

"Good writing and compelling game mechanics for starters. But consider how to deliver the good writing. Does the player find notes laying about that outline the conditions of a world lost? Do you voice dialog and make cut-scenes that transcend the stilted and mundane? Or leave it up to the environmental design to tell a story?

 

And what keeps the player at it? We've fired every weapon and driven every vehicle. What's left to explore? Come up with something that's fun to do over-and-over-- easy to play, difficult to master-- and then make them feel rewarded for a job well done.

 

It doesn't have to be something we've never seen before but it does have to be something we want to see again.

 

Have fun!"

Damn..that's a nice way to put it!! Well said WOGZ!!!

[zagor64bz 1225]

16 minutes ago, wogz187 said:

Don't work alone. A team of people dedicated to the task will always produce better results.

[Crimson Mage 2]

20 minutes ago, wogz187 said:

So what'cha workin' on?

 

My favorite part about Arma is making missions. I wish to make a story based campaign with my friend but they really aren't into mission making. My most recent mission was in an editor competition: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1853561504

[wogz187 1086]

@Crimson Mage,
Looks like you're right on track.

One thing that I've learned is that we often produce better results for others than ourselves. In your case you were tasked by your crew to make a mission so you had their expectations in mind. That sets a precedent for quality. You don't want to be the guy who ruins the play session by making a glitch-filled level that simply isn't fun. Nobody wants to be that guy.

It raises another point about general design which we've talked about before, contingencies. Consider this: If I make a mission for myself that would be utterly ruined if I walk over there (imagine a gaping whole in the world) it doesn't matter because when I am playing my mission I just won't walk over there. But you know the millisecond somebody else plays that mission the first thing they will do is walk over there. And so, contingencies.

I just wrote this one today,

if (alive player && speed vehicle player !=0) exitWith {
systemChat "You tried to exit while the vehicle is in motion.";
};

So another answer to your initial question: thoughtfully designed contingencies.

Edited September 8, 2019 by wogz187
and yeah that means I'm designing missions outside the vehicle in FTA

[wogz187 1086]

@Crimson Mage,

Check this out,

Have fun!

[johnnyboy 3797]

17 hours ago, Crimson Mage said:

I have always been curious about this, if it is even possible.

Of course its possible (but not easy).  A few examples are:

• @lexx's Call Sign Minotaur.  Awesome armor and combined arms missions, fully voiced, and uses vanilla assets with maximum effect
• @AZCoder's campaigns.  Excellent character development, story arcs, and cut scenes.
• @Undeceived's campaigns.  Again, Excellent character development, story arcs, and cut scenes.
• I know I'm forgetting many others, but forgive me, I'm barely awake yet..

16 hours ago, wogz187 said:

So another answer to your initial question: thoughtfully designed contingencies.

This is important.  Players will break your mission every time if you don't think about this.  Sort of related to this, is you can surprise and amuse players by anticipating potential player actions, and have AI react to them. Examples:

• Civ reacts if player shoots his goat.
• Friendly AI react if player points raised weapon at their face.
• AI or player react when player looks at some object (like in cool video wogz posted).
• AI chatter relevant to current situation.

About 10 years ago I was playing a WWII game (I think it was Medal of Honor), I was walking through an active base of friendly ai that were talking to each other.  I spent too much time looking at one AI soldier, and he stopped what he was doing, and turned and looked at me and said "Are you ok Sarge?".  That impressed the hell out of me.

 

I love making missions, but just don't have enough time for it.  Sigh.

[zagor64bz 1225]

35 minutes ago, johnnyboy said:

I love making missions...

And you make some of the finest ones, ma' man!!...

 

35 minutes ago, johnnyboy said:

but just don't have enough time for it.  Sigh.

😭