Mission making roadmap.

[Tankbuster 1747]

Eeeek. I'm going out on a limb here because I've looked around here all morning and not found quite what I'm looking for. I'm quite new to this, so please, be gentle.

I've downloaded and read dozens of FAQ's and tutorials, some are better than others but most of them are huge! This leads me to the following question.

Basically, what are the fundamental steps to mission making?

I'm currently working along the following lines. (This is for my Co-op mission, by the way)

1) Storyboard your mission.

1.1) Decide who starts where.

1.2) Decide what the objective(s) is/are.

1.3) Decide what might happen to waylay them.

2) Assemble your addons.

2.1) Test them (grrrr)

3) Put freindly units on the map.

4) Put enemy units on the map.

5) Add scripts, inits and triggers to 3 and 4.

6) Make briefings and intros.

7) Test, test and release.

[victimchild 0]

I have to say you pretty much have it.

I don't see what you want us to do. I can test a mission for you but other than that I can't see how to help you.

[Tankbuster 1747]

Yeah, sorry. I got so caught up in constructing my own series of events, I forgot to ask a question.

I suppose I just saying - is this the widely accepted order of things and would like any other input from those who've been doing it longer than me.

[mattxr 9]

well what i do is...

:get an idea for a mission

:start to make in editer

:add the enemy

:test

:add all the objectives/scripts so on

:test

:touch up the bugs

:test

:check though everything

:get opec and friends to test and review

:touch up

:release

that sums it up for me  

it gets boring testing so many times and sometimes makes me start a hole new mission instead.. then i end up with a folder full of half made missions    

[Tankbuster 1747]

Cool! Just the sort of viewpoint I was hoping for.

More please!

[victimchild 0]

I do pretty much the same as Matt, exept I like to put it on my server and then constantly update it till I like it. I hardly do SP. I find them boring. I do about two hundred tests. I like to use Xcam to spectate.

Here is what I do...

1.Get an idea for a mission or take a template and modify it to fit my param.

2.Place my friendly units.

3.add waypoints for my friendly units and make triggers if needed.

4.spectate and test.

5.add enemy units.

6.add waypoints for them and make the triggers.

7.Make all my scripts and new actions.

8.test and spectate...again

9.modify it how I think it is bearable.

10.publish it to the site and update it with small tweaks daily.

11.Have some friends test it.

12.When the good guys go and the bad guys go and all scripts activate properly, then I publish online and other places.

Hope it helps. I belive this should be pinned if it takes off.

[Balschoiw 0]

I spend surprisingly much time driving around with a jeep or flying with a ah1 to find nice and suitable spots for missions once I have a general mission setup in mind.

[victimchild 0]

Balschoiw has exactly what I forgot to add. I have a map set up with game logics in every fifteen meters. I cycle through the game logics using Xcam and find a good spot. I usually don't have a mission in mind at that point but I make a mental image of the spot I think would make a good battlefield.

Awsome thinking on his part.

[Tankbuster 1747]

Actually yes - I forgot to mention that. I spent 2 days reccying the island (malvern) in my case, for good places to have battles, land troops, place waypoints, start/resoawn points.

[mattxr 9]

I do pretty much the same as Matt, exept I like to put it on my server and then constantly update it till I like it. I hardly do SP. I find them boring. I do about two hundred tests. I like to use Xcam to spectate.

hmm thats a good idea.. place it in the Mp dir and then its easy tested and modified then i know if all scripts properly work in MP

[thobson 38]

A few things I would add to the lists so far:

- Decide on the faces, voices and pitch for the key units

- Decide on a date and time

- Decide on the weather

- Create cheats that enable me to test different parts of the mission without playing all the way through.

- Develop the scenario for the Intro and any final scene or Outro.

- Write the script in full

- Record the voices

- Find appropriate music

Oh yes … and in my experience when I think it is 80% done I put it on the ofpec beta site and find that in reality it was less than 50% complete in terms of time spent and quality of product.