Opf user mission creating competition...

[Major Fubar 0]

I'd be happy to be a coop judge...but I supposed you'd need multiple judges for MP missions?

[MrZig 0]

I think we should add a "sub-award" thing, say for a coop/sp mission, add "immersion" for it.

[m21man 0]

Due to various changes among the patches, we should also agree on a standard OFP version to use. I say we use 1.96 .

Quote[/b] ]Yes, make a list of what addons you can and CAN NOT use for your mission's eligibility.

Aircraft

BAS Air Weap Pack

BAS Blackhawks

BAS Littlebirds

BAS MH-47E Pack

BAS Pavehawks

DKM Mi-28

Infantry

BAS Delta/Ranger Pack

EDG Resistance Soldiers

HYK US Infantry Pack

Marine Assault Pack

RHS Crew Pack

Miscellaneous

BAS Tonal/OPFOR Pack

CoC Mines

CoC Unified Artillery 1.0

JAM 2

USMC Markers Pack

Vehicles

BAS OPFOR Pack

DKM SA-19

DKM T-12UM1

RHS T-55 Pack

RHS T-64 Pack

SIG Russian Tank Pack

SIG US Tank Pack

VIT APC Pack 1.4

[Harnu 0]

IMO it should all be fair game. A mission is about good gameplay, and not so much about what fancy looking weapons/units are used.

[benu 1]

Well, a mission competition to promote the use of more/all addons is not the best way i think. Either you limit the addons to be used (in which case it will most probably be the addons most mission makers use anyway) or you don't, then you will get most probably 50+ mb of addons to download for each entered mission. Although i don't think anything bad can come out of this idea.

What i'd like to see better were a site where you (as a mission maker) can send your missions to to get them hosted. I know there are some sites already doing this, but none of them has what i consider crucial for this: you have to be able to do complex searches via the webfrontend and it would be good to get direct download links instead of cgi redirections. I'd like to be able to activate all mods/addons i have on my server in the web frontend and see all missions containing only that addons/mods. Or to see all missions using eg the marpats and see which additional addons i need, either as direct download or at least with a direct download link.

From the point of a server administrator i would say most servers have many missions using their addons (would be pointless to have the addons on the server else) and would like to get even more. But it's really a pain to find missions containing no addons you don't already have large amounts on the server. We have around 900mb of addons on the server and i often find missions containing addons we do not have. I am not willing to install that much more addons, in the contrary i am trying to reduce addons. Any mission fulfilling that criteria would be welcome. OTOH you can be sure to download some 100mb of addons if you want to play any of our missions. So in most cases it is pointless trying to upload them anywhere. Who would download a missions that needs 300mb of addons?

So the most crucial thing imho is a good search function with lots of addon filters. And if the maintainers of that site have too much time on their hands they can even rate the missions like on opflashpoint.org

[One 0]

i think this should be a strictly NO-ADDONS type contest. theres just way too much out there, and we don't need any more "BAS test missions" but i was thinking that if any addon could be used, and i mean ANY ADDON, it should be the BAS Blackhawk. cause really look at it this way, its one of the only addons out there that is actually differentthan the stuff thats already in the game, in terms of features. think about it. i wanna know what people think about that.

If you want addons to be a part of this, reply with some good reasons

[MEDICUS 0]

i think this should be a strictly NO-ADDONS type contest. theres just way too much out there, and we don't need any more "BAS test missions"  

Hmm, i think the contest idea came up, cause of the addons.

Read this:

Ok well as everyone knows their are squillions of fantastic add-ons for us to play with, but very few missions getting released these days to use them in, so we need to do something to get the activity levels back up in terms of missions being made and released, to that end I thought I mission creation competition could be a way forward.

I would really like to use some addons. The "original" addons are fine, sure, but there are so many missions using them in any way i can imagin. So some nice new addons will give this some more "flavor" (is it possible to say it thisway in english? )

Mfg MEDICUS

[m21man 0]

Quote[/b] ](is it possible to say it this way in english? )

Yes.

Quote[/b] ]If you want addons to be a part of this, reply with some good reasons

1. I'm a 56ker, but I'm not the "I have 56k so this should be a no addons contest" type.

2. There are many user addons that look/sound much better than the BIS addons.

3. Many user made addons aren't just replacements of BI units, they are truely new things that add new elements (Weapons, EW, etc...) to gameplay.

4. User-made islands like Tonal add completely new mission types to the game.

5. There aren't many missions for most addons, even for very high-quality ones.

6. Placebo said so, and that's the final word.

[MEDICUS 0]

4. User-made islands like Tonal add completely new mission types to the game.

Yes, you are right, but Tonal? Hmm, It's indeed an awsome island, but in my eys not the best for MP-Missions. You have to be really carfull with the numer of units, cause it starts lagging realy fast (Very much Objects, and a hughe island). I would prever a smaller island like ... hmmm ... i've no idea. Something in the sice of Malden/Everon perhaps (I love Malden for example, so i won't have a problem making a mission on a BIS-Islands   )

Or what about this new, small, very detailed custom islands like Anjou 1939-1944 or Reinhard's Ardennes Island? The Ardennes isn't finished jet but it looks really promising!  

Mfg MEDICUS

[m21man 0]

Whether or not Tonal works on some people's systems, we shouldn't disallow it. It's a very good island, and no other island has large urban areas. People can use Tonali 1 if they want to make jungle missions on a more modest island.

[MEDICUS 0]

Whether or not Tonal works on some people's systems, we shouldn't disallow it.

Sure.

Will the Moderators "release" an addon-list? It would be also nice to have something like condition, so that everybodey knows what he can do/include/use or what he should'n do/include/use in the mission.

Mfg MEDICUS

[Winters 1]

Addons and Non-Addons missions will both be allowed. They can be judged seperatly from each other if we get enough of each type. I know that just because a addon looks good it will NOT push it ahead of a mission that uses BIS units. This event will not be about who uses the flashiest units, its going to be about the missions and only the missions.

[m21man 0]

Quote[/b] ]Will the Moderators "release" an addon-list?

They could make my list on the last page a sticky topic (Hint, hint ).

[redface 1]

This thread starts from the assumption that there are many addons that don't find a proper usage in a quality mission.

Why then limit the potential list of addons that can be used (sensibly, sparingly, usefully)? For example I have never seen a custom mission making use of the BOH mod, why should want one exclude those or other qualitative addons?

[MrZig 0]

Because people don't want to download 500+ megs of addons to play one mission.

And alot of addons people use are little unknown ones, like misc objects ect.

[m21man 0]

My list is not intended to be a list of what you can or cannot use. Instead, it is supposed to be an easy reference so that people can quickly find and download any addons that they need for a mission. Instead of having to hunt down working download links, they can just use my list. All a mission-maker has to do is provide the addon names in his readme. If a mission-maker wants to use another addon, then he can either post a link in his readme or he can PM me with the addon name and I'll add it and a link to my list.

Quote[/b] ]Because people don't want to download 500+ megs of addons to play one mission.

Then make that part of the mission scoring system. If you use the VIT APC pack just so you can have a BMD driving in the distance, then you'll lose points in the "Addon Usage" category. If you use the BMDs in a frontline role, you'll get more points.

Edit - Spelling and grammar.

[MEDICUS 0]

Why then limit the potential list of addons that can be used (sensibly, sparingly, usefully)? For example I have never seen a custom mission making use of the BOH mod, why should want one exclude those or other qualitative addons?

I think the point is, that it's easyer for the jury to test the missions if there is a list of Addons which is used. If every mission maker uses differnt addons it'll be quite hard for them to test all mission. Like MrZig said .. downloading 500+ mb of addons for 4 or 5 missions isn't the best.

Then make that part of the mission scoring system. If you use the VIT APC pack just so you can have a BMD driving in the distance, then you'll lose points in the "Addon Usage" category. If you use the BMDs in a frontline role, you'll get more points.

Hmm, i think i don't like that idea. For me, a big part of the mission, is the atmosphere. And especially the VitAPCs with their awsome sounds make a big deal with that in my eyes (if they are used in the right way). So i think it could really be a good thing to have some addon-vehicles also used as sourrundng-objects. Sure, i won't use a addon like the BMP3 only as a patrol vehicle far away of the "real" part of the mission. There would be at least another one at the front.  

But for example the USS Ashland LSD. That's one of these addons i really like to use as "objects". For example as a start-plattform for insertation-missions or just as a nice gimmic in a carrier battlegroup.

Mfg MEDICUS

[m21man 0]

Quote[/b] ]But for example the USS Ashland LSD. That's one of these addons i really like to use as "objects". For example as a start-plattform for insertation-missions or just as a nice gimmic in a carrier battlegroup.

Yeah, but the Ashland is something like 1/5 the size of the VIT APC pack. Obviously scores in the "Addon Usage" category would depend a lot on the size of the addons in question. I used the VIT APC pack as an example because it's very large, IMHO it's too large to be just used for atmospherics.

[MEDICUS 0]

Yes, that's right.

[Winters 1]

Guys, this is a mission making event, you will not be rewarded points for addons used or penalized for not using addons.

It is about missions, not addons.

[m21man 0]

Quote[/b] ]Guys, this is a mission making event, you will not be rewarded points for addons used or penalized for not using addons.

GOOD!

Now when does this contest start?

[Major Fubar 0]

I agree - mission creator should be free to use as many or as few (none) addons as he wants.

And, as stated, in the judging, missions should be based on their own merit, not just which has the flashiest eye-candy type addons. If addons are used, it should really be to enhance or add something to the mission. Addons like Teacup's dog addon or the backpack addon would add more to a mission (if used well) than an AKM74 vehicle or BAS troop (IMHO) - not detracting anything from either of these great addons, BTW.

Like I said, I would be happy to act as a coop judge, either online or with my LAN group.

When I get home tonight I will get to work on a potential winner's avatar.

[m21man 0]

Well, it's a start:

[Major Fubar 0]

Here's my submission:

(Looks like Photobucket has crapped itself, here it is on another host)

[MEDICUS 0]

BTW: will there be a limit of the "file-size"? (Custom music etc.)