SP:Mission Considerations?

[NightJay0044]

Hi I need help, ideas and concepts on all the things you need to consider for an SP mission. Isn't there some basic guidelines and concepts that can get you to better think of a mission and how to create one? For example:

1) If you wanted to create a search and destroy mission or an offensive mission from scratch. How do you consider how hard it could be. Such as how many units could you make for the west and east.

As in say if you have only 1 squad for the west side. How many enemy units and considerations are you saposed to think about?

Pretty much all ideas like that and considerations. Also things such as line of sight, or locaiton.

If people could reply with there ideas and possibly some description of each one if you wanted to add more thought to it. Thanks.

[bedges]

this may not offer specifics, but it certainly points editors in a more sophisticated direction. when in doubt, it's the document i return to.

[NightJay0044]

Bedges~
Hi, thanks but that's not really what I'm looking for. You know I guess to put it in as black and white as possible. I want to make my missions interesting, suprising, supsense, danger, a little harder, for me and as well the user who's playing it if I decide to release it to the public.

Also I'm not much of a scripter either. Just a little more advanced mission maker of the basics and such. I mean like I was talking with MacGuba before about the "editors block" thread. He talked about a meaningfull mission or something like that.

Say an idea pops in your head to create a search and destroy mission. Then you say to your self, well maybe I could create a mission to take a town. Well then you think, how many of those have been made and what would make it interesting for you and the player? Just stuff like that gets me stuck in a rut. Because it's not appealing to me with the thoughts and ideas that pop up and i try to create. I have this desire to make missions but not suitable ones come into mind worth making.

So I think that about clears up what I mean. So please reply on your thougts anyone who would like too. Thanks..  

[456820]

I have this desire to make missions but not suitable ones come into mind worth making.

Well even the basic hold the town mission can still be worth making its all about how you make it. If you make it with no suprises just hold the town and mission complete isnt worth making but You must hold the town and push on once the Russians have started to flee and attack there base would add that extra something to a hold the town mission

Same with attack the town instead of actually taking the town you are unable and are forced to retreat and hold your fall back position from the enemy who start to chase after you once you start fleeing.

Etc etc things like that make boring missions worth making and playing

[NightJay0044]

All right, I hear what your saying. When making missions, make sure you have the player expect the unexpected. With suprises and different twists.

For example: You don't want just a sniper mission like I thought of that the player just goes and kills an enemy officer and returns to base or some place, that wouldn't be too much fun.

Yeah it's like now a days you have to be more creative with mission making because there are so many missions out there that have been made, even ones that haven't been released to the public.

I like suprises or even deadlines in missions that make you feel like this is the most important thing in the world. Of course I'm not the best at commanding a squad because I usually get most of them killed. I'm a lot better on my own if I can be. Or atleast part of a sqaud.

Anyway, thanks for the tips...

[456820]

also it may be a good idea to hold a poll about what people prefer as in
I prefer to be commanded in a squad but only for infantry work.
I prefer to be in command of a tank platoon or a chopper squad.
However i like to work on my own in sniper missions aswell as black op mission

Just to find out some info on how to please the reviewer that way the mission appears better then it is to them as they dont get frustrated by their men dying if they dont like comminding an infantry squad. Or there fellow black op always gets you killed.

[XCess]

I find a good way to keep an idea going is to write it down. From there you can expand upon it immensely. If you take the time to write your mission ideas down you can improve the mission in ways you didn't previously think possible.
The mission will, almost certainly, become more structured and understanable, you will know which way to go in your mission design. It's harder to get bored of the mission yo are making because of a loss of ideas, as re reading the design document will almost always throw more ideas into your head. And ofcourse, you won't ever forget the great ideas that pop into your head at 2am when you're trying to get to sleep.

Notepad is an editors best friend, and not just for scripting.. it's also good for, well.. scripting.. the other kind.

[macguba]

If it won't make a good short story, it won't make an interesting mission.    

And how will you know if its a good short story if you haven't written it down?

If you need ideas, read some real life military history.   Accounts of battles, medal citations, anything.