UnDynamic Dynamical MP Campaign

[dmakatra 1]

I've been working on countless versions of a vision I've had for at least a year, if not more, now. They all involved huge-scale entire-island scenarios where the player was the CO of the entire battle force of the island. All of these were SP projects.

Of course, all of these involved an extreme amount of heavy scripting and anyone who knows me can say that I know how to script the bleeding thing it's just that I lose interest too fast for it to be completed.

But then it came to me, what if I'd just ditch all that heavy scripting? What if I'd let the player, no, the players control just about everything?

All players signing up will be divided into two teams - NATO vs. Russia. Yes, we're going to use standard BIS units, at least in the first campaign. The only addon required is JAM3, since we're going to use it's HD mags for the AI units.

Each of these teams will then divide however they wish. Preferabley into a staff section and a combat section, although that is entirely up to them to decide. The only thing I demand is that they have an official CO, and he gets the last word in every discussion.

Every Friday evening or so we'll get round playing. Unless we can snatch a better server we'll probably play on mine. The number of seats in each mission will be 10 per side, we can alter it if we can get hold of a better server. The other players are held in reserve and the CO will decide who shall go into battle each game session. Every hour each of the COs on either sides will be given the question if they request a cease-fire. If they want to, then the game session will end. The game session can also end if both sides agree on a cease-fire.

After each game session the frontline will be updated and will stay that way until the next game session. Things such as ammunition left, vehicles destroyed and players killed will also be updated, meaning that if a player is killed he will be out for the entire campaign.

What makes this a little more interesting is that, since we're not going to use barely any scripting, nearly all stuff such as planning and reinforcements will be done during non-playing time, using forums, IMs and the like. Therefore, staff players will hold a greater responsibility and will be needed to spend much more time. Reinforcements will be held in the form of Reinforcements Points, which is some kind of money. For every hour spent playing, each side is given an X amount of RPs. These will be spent on new recruits, vehicles and ammunition.

It may sound a little complicated but I am confident that it will work since we virtually have no technical restrictions due to the fact that we're using almost no scripting. Basicly everthing is up to you, the player.

In fact, the only scripting that will occur are a few tools for collecting data (for me to update the front line after each session), my own difficult aiming script for longer and more realistic firefights and my own injury script for more realistic injuries.

The campaign we will be playing will be set on Malden and the winning side will be the one that beats the crap out of the other.

If you are interested, don't hesitate to sign up here in this thread. I will put up a forum so you can start discussing tactics.

PLAYERS SIGNED UP:

dmakatra

UNN

Xawery

[.kju 3245]

hi dmakatra

check out Turn Based Everon War

http://85.214.19.233/everon_war/index.html

your ideas sound very similar to what they are doing

[dmakatra 1]

Hey Q,

Yes, it sounds quite the same and it looks very interesting. However, where Turn Based Everon War takes on to more of a standard C&H feeling, my projects aims to be more realistic. In my, so far unnamed, project there are no victory locations, no flags to be taken or any pre-set objectives. I've always felt that OFP has concentrated too much on villages that really have no strategic value. In my project a strategic location like a hill is much more important than a flag "that just gives points".

[xawery 0]

Hey Dmakatra,

Is telepathy possible? I've just posted a thread in this very same forum about my vision, or game concept if you will, that is practically identical to yours. Especially the idea of using no to very little scripts and the heavy emphasis on out-of-game planning are similar. The difference is, my concept is just that, a concept You are actually putting things in motion!

What you have described sounds very cool indeed. I'm certainly interested in joining up. One thing I'm wondering about though: wouldn't keeping track of ammo spent etc. require resource-heavy scripting, just the thing you are trying to avoid?

Regards,

X.

[dmakatra 1]

Yeah, I just came to think about that. I'll solve it by making a small dialog, nothing fancy at all, where you can take and withdraw ammunition from a pool.

Teleporting sort of works. The staff reports where they want their units' positions before the game, so they can be "teleported" to any friendly area at the start of each game session. Once the game has started, teleporting is no longer possible.

I've also thought of another thing. I could be the main administrator of this thing, but that would mean I wouldn't be able to play because then I'd know everything about the opposite side, their positions, ammunition shortage, etc. What I need is another administrator who I can trust to play on the other side. You up for the job, Xawery?

[xawery 0]

So there will be an actual deployment phase? Excellent. I don't know whether you have ever played Combat Missions, but what you are proposing bears an uncanny resemblence to CM's gameplay. And that is a good thing!

Furthermore, I would be more than glad to play the role of administrator for the other side. However, as no game roster has been published yet, I cannot say whether I will be available for all games. The enthousiasm is there, mind you

Regards,

X.

[UNN 0]

Quote[/b] ]Things such as ammunition left, vehicles destroyed and players killed will also be updated, meaning that if a player is killed he will be out for the entire campaign.

Sounds interesting, certainly adds an extra element to the game.

Quote[/b] ]It may sound a little complicated but I am confident that it will work since we virtually have no technical restrictions due to the fact that we're using almost no scripting. Basicly everthing is up to you, the player.

You think thats complicated, there is a similar game being run for Combat Mission. It's a giant campaign that's taken years to prepare and execute. The time spent playing Combat Mission must be trivial compared to the logistics. I think they were way to ambitious.

This sounds much more managable. They did have a nifty software package for planning and recording deployment\reserves e,t,c:

http://www.combat-campaigns.com/cmaktfa/tfa_cocat.htm

It's free, can be tailored for any map and battle group. Plus you can merge all the individual team orders into one main map. For the administrators.

Well anyway, if all we have to do to sign up is post here. Then count me in.

[dmakatra 1]

Well, I have played Combat Mission (Barbarossa to Berlin is the only one I got) and I enjoyed it very much. Actually, I'm more of a Close Combat person but I like 'em both. Ah, the age-old CC vs. CM debate.

I didn't really think of it but now that you say it, yes, it does sound a bit like the deployment face in Combat Mission/Close Combat.

Furthermore, I would be more than glad to play the role of administrator for the other side. However, as no game roster has been published yet, I cannot say whether I will be available for all games. The enthousiasm is there, mind you

Oh, that's alright, you don't have to be in every game. You just have to edit the start positions and start parameters in the editor and send the files to me. I'll merge 'em with my side's and then I'll put 'em up on the server and we'll play. I don't want to do it myself because then I can see the enemy's starting positions and their Resource Points, etc.

UNN: That sounds neat. I'll take a look at that. Oh, and welcome aboard!

[Mr. Cheese 0]

Telepathy is indeed possible. Myself and a few others have got a project exactly like this in the works and it is, if all goes well, a week or two from official opening with strong interest from a good number of squads/clans and secured a powerful server to play it on [Zeus].

[re-reading, it's exactly as you state lol. I'll PM you a link, as well as anyone else who's expressed the same idea]

[UNN 0]

Quote[/b] ]I didn't really think of it but now that you say it, yes, it does sound a bit like the deployment face in Combat Mission/Close Combat.

CoCats, the program I linked to, is a stand alone application. It's not linked with Combat Mission, it can be used by any game system, table top e.t.c.  It's just a program to help organize large military campaigns.

Quote[/b] ]That sounds neat. I'll take a look at that.

There is not much in the way of screen shots for it, so don't be put off. The one I did find, looked awful. The map they used in that example, is for a hex based game. You can import the large OFP map images that come on the Flashpoint CD, into it. Along with all the ingame map icons, OFP uses.

Quote[/b] ]Oh, and welcome aboard!

Cheers

[dmakatra 1]

Seeing as how Mr. Cheese has basically already made this, I'm scrapping this project.

[Jinef 2]

Well ... Dkmatra and Xawery should join up to OFPCC.

I will most definitely finish the OFPCC mission now .... :P

What we need is a strong player base and some leadership from Mr.Cheeeeeeeeeese.

*Jinef runs from Mr.Cheese*

[Mr. Cheese 0]

You ginger feck. We did the 4.0 template on Saturday and it went well, no problems [from what I hear] although a better casualty script could be implemented. I'll prod you about that.

As for strong player base, it's called 'prodding the clans I prodded previously' and advertising. I will begin providing strong Cheeeeeeeeeesseeeyyyy leadership when everything is ready i.e. mission template 100% which will result in me shoving the website up.

[xawery 0]

Welp, I've registered at OFPCC. I like what I've read! I only fear that if the games will be held on thursday and saturday, I won't be able to play as often as I would want... Saturday is significant other day

[Mr. Cheese 0]

Welp, I've registered at OFPCC. I like what I've read! I only fear that if the games will be held on thursday and saturday, I won't be able to play as often as I would want... Saturday is significant other day

Probably not, Saturday and Thursdays are just normal Zeus nights. If anything, we'll try to slightly avoid those times. Although, depending on interest, other server/server hosts can host games on separate timezones or we can just fire up the Zeus server at those times. And just had a look about CoCat - nice little program to make our lives easier, could be used.

[Jinef 2]

Well, sunday is a good time to do it. Nice lazy day.

I fixed up the briefing and shizzat, and now all the adjudicator has to do to get casualties is type 'WCas' or 'RCas' and click 'Monitor Variable' in the console. It will give him the % of BLUFOR/REDFOR killed out of all the forces on the map.

In combination with the count units thingy you can see roughly who is worse off.

E.G.

REDFOR has 100 guys and 20% casualties.

BLUFOR has 40 guys and 20% casualties.

... don't hit me.

I will upload it using this lovely file attachement thing I found on the OFPCC forumszors.

[Connors 0]

i'm in when it starts

[Jinef 2]

I will soon be back online with a nice fast net connexion. Unfortunately I am finding it harder to be in front of my computer at the time of the game nights.