What makes a good level

[456820]

i was thinking of making a new campaighn i just need ideas on what makes good levels so plz reply as my last campaighn was so bad it was all the same like go attack town and hold it. so any suggestions wud be great.

[dmakatra]

http://www.flashpoint1985.com/cgi-bin/ikonboard311/ikonboard.cgi?s=5e6f4bec89b07032362f55f4fe949412;act=ST;f=7;t=42515

Have a lil' look at that.

:beat: *Gets Shot* :beat:

[BronzeEagle]

alot of people say they like long missions, but with a campaign you'll end up using all your ideas in one shot with a long level, so for you id say make the mission short, and action packed.  Also make it challenging.  If its the first mission at least put in some kind of cutscene.  Voice work I could help you with.  I can record my voice and make lip files.  I still don't know how to do sophisticated camera scripting, well I haven't tried and i'm too lazy is the thing.  But quite simply write down an idea list, don't use up all your ideas, make each level lead into the next somehow, voicework is good, basic camera scripting using the trigger, don't make the mission too hard.

[Lean Bear]

As you're doing a campaign: a good way to start (after you have the idea of the plot/ story etc.) is if you write out the entire plot. That's your basic campaign. Then divide up the segments which you could put action in (however small) and think of how to expand them using the story and trying not to use the same mission structure.

[Fire-Fox]

I think the balance between moving and fighting in a mission is very important. Don't let the player move 3000m without "entertaining" him with some fighting in between. The mission "Tour de Force" is IMHO a very good example of this.
Having the player almost constantly fighting can also be good (the mission "Welsh Embassy" is a good example here), but IMHO it is quite hard to script/trigger it so that the enemies are not all running against the player at once, creating one hell of a fight that lasts for about a minute and then everything is quiet on the map.

[bored_onion]

Having the player almost constantly fighting can also be good (the mission "Welsh Embassy" is a good example here), but IMHO it is quite hard to script/trigger it so that the enemies are not all running against the player at once, creating one hell of a fight that lasts for about a minute and then everything is quiet on the map.

i agree totally - ive made at least 2 missions for the Shadows of the Motherland Campaign where that balance is essential.

as for a campaign plot, when my team were initially designed SotM we thought of the general course of events on a large scale and then invented smaller operations to fit in with the plot. we thought of the types of missions we wanted and then put them in an order to suit our storyline. i then found that the nature of the missions enabled us to make the storyline more dynamic and responsive. in essence, my advice would be:
1) get a jist for your storyline - what is it about and where will it start and end?
2) think of all the types of operation or mission you want and then put them into an order which seems to fit the storyline
3) make the missions and see how the missions can create smaller subplots and sections of the storyline to make it more detailed and variable - this helps to keep things animated and lively IMO

hope that helps

[BronzeEagle]

pace, surprise, volume.     www.dictionary.com

[Sp00nY]

Psyche war is what i most like in a mission.

I know it's only a game but still having a woman with an SkS running toward you can be something that make you hesitating. Also a child olding an old revolver or a grenade these can be painful targets.

Not knowing if the guy is a non-combattant civilian or armed civilian.

Other thing is when you patrol a town and the civilians that you have to protect throws rocks and bottle at your vehicules that can be damaged from these lil threats.

Also cities and villages captured by warlords who use civilians as human shields.

These are what i really like to be confronted to in a mission it goes with mercenaries and evacuations.

[456820]

ok but wat kind of mission do most people like (eg. capture and hold, blackop, being attacked, choppers, tanks etc)

[Lean Bear]

The ultimate mission would combine all of them (so would the ultimate campaign - but obviously not in the same mission )

I reckon you also need something original, like adding a feature similar to what Sp00nY suggested.

Something that perhaps the players wouldn't be expecting to see in an OFP camopaign.