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Fire and Rubble Preview: The Anatomy of What Goes Into a Stock Campaign Release


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5 – Campaign Briefing and Narrative (Making Me Care)

“Words are how we think; stories are how we link.”

Christina Baldwin

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Campaign briefings are a unique part of a designer’s arsenal to provide additional information and narrative to the player. Campaigns are fundamentally larger affairs either in units, terrain and/or time. There should as a result be more information to impart to the player to provide them with context, purpose and information.

The only physical difference between a campaign briefing and regular scenario briefings is that a campaign briefing will always be viewed first and can be accessed throughout a campaign by a player to go back and reference information.

I’m structuring this part of the series similar to a normal briefing itself to explain what I feel needs to go into each section. Of all the sections of this write up, this is certainly the most subjective. A briefing’s design and content can be as simple or as detailed as you want, and as we’ve seen from the community over the years, they can range from official military writeups through to personal first-person accounts. It’s a narrative. What I’m trying to say here is it is largely up to you.

For Tukums, I was in a little bit of a bind because the overall commander of the forces involved is actually on the field for most of the campaign. Therefore, writing a briefing that was very formal, like it was a well thought out and planned operation seemed to be a bit off. For a little while I was actually considering a first person briefing for this campaign from the perspective of Strachwitz, however opted against this eventually given it would be part of a stock release.

Situation

I believe this part of the briefing is the most important, particularly for a campaign where the broader state of affairs around the battle is likely going to play an influence on the player’s experience.

The first thing I do is provide the narrative for how we got the starting point of this campaign. Why is the player and his forces being asked to undertake this mission? For historical scenarios like the Tukums work it’s pretty easy since history is your guide. For Tukums, it’s to break through the Soviet lines and reconnect a land bridge with the cut off Army Group North. For a fictional scenario, in particular the modern era titles, it’s a touch more difficult but imagination is a great tool. Don’t be scared to create a little but plausible story to get the player invested.

Given the slightly larger scale of most campaigns and the type of content that needs to be conveyed I’ve always tended towards writing campaign briefings from the one command level higher than the units going into battle. So, for example if the focus of the campaign is the operations of a battalion, then write the campaign briefing from the perspective of the regiment/brigade level headquarters providing a briefing to the battalion commander (ie. the player). If the focus of the campaign is at the company level, the battalion headquarters is giving the orders. This does mean reducing the scope of the situation to suit the audience. A company commander is only going to need to know what the rest of his battalion is doing and where his force fits into their goals. A company commander doesn’t need to know every detail of Ike’s plan for crossing the Rhine. A battalion commander likely knows what his regiment/brigade is tasked with undertaking and perhaps a dabble in the Division’s overall plans if it’s a prepared operation.

The graphics should help visualise the overall objectives of the Campaign. Help position where the player’s force fits into the wider picture. Some general level intelligence on the enemy and high-level formations the player has at their command.

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All stock scenarios and campaigns follow the same graphical design with the Operational graphic (the middle sized one) outlining broad unit movements and support elements available. This also makes it clear to the player which units are perhaps more important to keep alive given they carry across to more scenarios.

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A campaign briefing doesn’t have access to a Tactical Map.

Mission

With the narrative set up in the Situation part of the briefing, the Mission part can then be used to provide overall goals of the campaign. Outline the end goal of the campaign, what will be different after all battles are completed successfully. It’s very easy to slip into the trap of expanding more details that should be outlined in the Situation part of the briefing.

Campaign end points may not always be designed to end in a state as intended at the start of the campaign. The multiple path dilemma. The “ideal outcome” or the “planned” outcome is usually what needs to be presented at this early point in the campaign. If a planned out campaign has multiple phases, or a briefing via a “step by step” approach may be warranted. This will give the player an idea about how much of the heavy lifting specific forces of the player is expected to carry out.

As an example, the Tukums campaign briefing Mission part is provided below and in full. Keep it short, keep it sweet, keep it clear.

It has just gone 08:30 hours. Your mission is to occur in two phases over the course of the morning:

Phase one - move your panzer and panzergrenadier force north to capture and occupy the town of Tukums, including the rail station to the west of the town.

Phase two - pivot part of your force back to the east and progress towards Riga to affect a linkup with Army Group North. The remainder of your force is to remain behind and hold Tukums.

Soviet opposition should be dealt with quickly and efficiently when encountered. You are operating largely on your own with little in the way of other friendly forces close by in most directions. Most importantly is to deal with any armour that is encountered. The 52nd Security Division is following in trail to hold the ground taken; however, it lacks any significant heavy weapons of its own to fend off any Soviet armour that may move into the area.

This coupled with the strategic map (as above) demonstrates to the player what his forces are intended to do across the whole campaign.

Friendly Units

A campaign briefing will be available to players throughout the campaign (via the menu) so it’s good to take this opportunity to provide them with a detailed run down of all forces, especially Core Units, in a tidy format that can be used as a ready reference. Also take some time to present some recent unit history to help explain why the force is the way it is. Has it just come out of another battle and 70% strength? Are the leaders particularly good/bad? Provide some context to the player so they are not surprised when they enter the first battle and are still missing half the story about what they are commanding.

For Tukums, my research had provided a pretty good understanding where most of the force had come from before forming only the day before the start of the operation around the area of Saldus in Latvia. The briefing will provide some of this information and some of the relative strengths and weaknesses to look out for as a player.

For displaying the Order of Battle itself, you are limited by the game only allowing raw text files to be imported so will need to be a little creative with keystrokes to make it easy organise. I’ve used different asterisk symbols to help distinguish the levels of the player’s order of battle.

This is how it will appear in the briefing for Tukums (excluding the surrounding briefing text):

Legend

**** Parent Unit (Higher headquarters not present on map)

** Battalion / formation level command (or equivalent)

- Element under the command of higher battalion/formation

 

East Bank Force

As is his style, Generalmajor Graf von Strachwitz has decided to lead the assault on the east bank personally.

** Heer Panzerverbande Headquarters Company

- Adhoc Panzer Company – 10 x Pz IV

- Armoured recon elements (attached from Waffen SS Brigade Gross)

**** Heer Panzer Brigade 101

** 2101st Panzer Battalion

- Headquarter element, including mobile flak (4 x Möbelwagons)

- 3 x Panzer Companies (11 x Panther Ausf G each)

Note: The planned delivery of a fourth company consisting of JzPzIV(V) as initially promised has not arrived from Germany.

** 2101st Panzergrenadier Battalion (armoured)

- 2 x Panzergrenadier Companies (armoured)

- 1 x Heavy Company (armoured)

- 1 x Pioneer Company (armoured)

** Waffen SS Ersatz Battalion [-] [dismounted] (detached from Panzer Brigade Gross)

- 1 x Rifle Company (dismounted)

- 1 x Heavy Company (dismounted)

 

West Bank Force

SS-Sturmbannführer der Waffen-SS Martin Gross commands this adhoc force from the mixed Panzer Company.

****Waffen SS Panzer Brigade Gross

** SS-Panzer-Abteilung "Gross"

- Adhoc mix of outdated Panzer III and Panzer IV variants and a single Panther Ausf D

- 1 x Tiger I. A detached company from Schwere SS-Panzer Abteilung 103 was scheduled to join the Brigade with its seven Tiger I’s, however as of this morning they only have one running vehicle, which has been delayed. The Tiger will also join SS-Panzer-Abteilung “Gross” once it arrives in the area of operations.

** SS Ersatz Infantry Battalion [-] [dismounted] (elements detached to east bank force)

- 2 x Rifle Companies (dismounted)

** SS-Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung "Gross"

- Equivalent of two platoons of armoured cars. (Some elements detached to Panzer Brigade 101).

** SS-Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung

- 1 x StuG Company (12 x StuG III)

 

Though not an issue for Tukums, keep in mind other Core Units that may show up half way through the campaign. Depending on the overall narrative, as a designer you will need to determine if it’s best to inform the player in the Campaign Briefing about these units or not. Core units that arrive later or unplanned is something a commander isn’t necessarily going to know about before they set off on their planned operation. Again, this is why I personally like to imagine campaign briefings are the equivalent of a pre-planned meeting taking place with the player’s higher command.

The campaign briefing…

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Enemy Units

Narrative will heavily drive this part of the briefing. What works in one campaign will be different for every other campaign. Below is only some broad level advice given the sheer range of possibilities.

For historical campaigns your research should outline what one side knows about the other’s dispositions prior to launching an assault. Campaign focused research should help you considerably here as many historians will outline what one side knows about the other at key points in a campaign. Though it maybe tempting to mention things like King Tigers being a part of the enemy force, dig deeper early in your research to find out if the forces your player commands actually knew about their presence at the time the operation kicks off. Knowing who knew what when is a great way of determining what should go into a campaign briefing.

If you need to fill in the gaps, a formation that has manned the line for weeks will know at the least what enemy division(s) is in front of them from general patrolling and intelligence gathering. This may provide a general sense of factors such as armour being in the area but won’t include a lot of specifics. General high-level statements like that. A more rushed campaign without planning would be another matter.

A fictional campaign will allow a lot of freedom with how much information you give the player but all I can provide in advice is to keep it realistic. A modern military launching an operation against a non-conventional force, (such as what is possible in CMSF2) isn’t going to go in completely blind not know estimates of numbers and equipment of the enemy.

Plans

How the player should ideally go about hitting all objectives. Not going to try and touch this one at all. Will vary across every campaign. The historical direction/outcomes of the campaign you’re a designing or the intended direction of the same historical campaign are likely the best places to get an idea about where to start. Just don’t get carried away and provide all the answers to the player.

Notes and Final Tips (Make Me Care)

A Campaign Briefing doesn’t negate the need for individual scenario briefings. Keep in mind the first thing the player is going to see once they hit continue (besides a loading screen) is another whole briefing detailing the first mission. This second briefing is the last chance you as a designer will have to know exactly where and in what situation the player will be in. Once they hit the big red button the range of possibilities starts growing. What units the player of your campaign will use, lose and what branching pathways they go down will be up to them (and the game) and outside of your hands.

As a result, with every individual briefing you will have to provide some information but be a touch more general than if creating a single self-contained scenario. For example, under the Friendly Forces section you can’t outline ever unit that the player will command in that battle since you as a designer will not know what has survived and what hasn’t when the player reaches each point. Focus on more general statements for scenario briefings such as names of high-level formations that are taking part rather than details. Remember the campaign briefing is always available for the player throughout the campaign via the menu screen so the detailed information is best included in that briefing to provide ongoing information throughout the play through.

If you’ve read this far then as a wargamer you’ll probably read a longer briefing. So as a final piece of advice: Make me care! As a designer you’ve likely poured many hours, days and weeks into this piece of work and you are asking your players to do the same. Having them open up a campaign ten scenarios in length and the campaign briefing is all on one page, there’s no briefing graphics and a lack of content about why the operation is taking place they are likely not going to commit. (I haven’t in the past). The Campaign Briefing is your main narrative tool to set the scene and tell the player why the battles they are about to play are important. Telling a player to go take that hill, then move to the village and then win is not inspiring for what could be weeks of commitment on a player’s part to play through your work. If you’ve done your research and planning (especially for historical battles) then writing up the briefings should be straight forward.

Next up… campaign scripting. :D

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  • 2 months later...
47 minutes ago, Ithikial_AU said:

Select 1945 date and look for "Panzer Company (ad hoc)" under formations. It's an vehicle option for that unit.

Which reminds me: Thanks for the company units in the editor, BFC! And the uniform wire frames! (Wouldn't mind them for more types, hint, hint.)

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6 – Campaign Script Creation

“So it begins.”

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Théoden, King of Rohan

 

Campaign scripting has clearly been the biggest barrier for the Combat Mission community from taking up the mantle of campaign creation. It’s time to put all the planning into action and join your scenarios together. If you’ve been following the steps listed earlier in this write up and have an organised, logical system then this section should be a doddle!

A checklist to ensure you don’t start this process too early:

-          Are all your scenarios created with core units, non-core units applied? (See Part 4).

o   Are opfor AI plans all added in those scenario files?

-          Do you have a mapped out plan visibly showing how each of the scenarios link to each other? (See Part 2)

-          Have you got all of your individual Scenario files and the Core Unit File (.btt files) in the same folder location within your Battlefront Game Files folder. <C: Drive / Documents Folder> (See below)

-          Have you got a consistent and easy to follow naming structure for all the files?

 

The first picture below is an example of all the components in the one folder just prior to creating a campaign. The red arrow points out it’s location on your C Drive Documents folder. (Battle for Normandy remains slightly different). As long as you create any folders inside the respect game family’s sub folder structure under “Game Files” you should be able to enter all documents via the in-game scenario editor. The blue files are the individual btt files you need. All of the individual files plus the Core Unit File you’ve worked on before. We’ll need them all. Finally, the green arrow is the text document which is the Campaign Script we’ll be creating. Remember, the campaign script is the ‘glue’ that is telling the game how to piece together all of the ‘blue’ scenario files.

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In setting up a campaign script open a new text document. This can be done in any word processor from notepad through to MS Word, however just ensure you are able to save in a raw text format (.txt file). You can copy an existing campaign script as a template and replace all the values, so feel free to copy the text below as a base starting point. The order and structure of the text is what is important as the game will seek to pick up this information and create the campaign from these instructions as they are written.

The first details of any campaign script is actually mostly the end of the campaign while also telling the game what side the player is taking command of.

/* Campaign Header */ - Campaign title or leading comments. Any value between a “/*” and a “*/” value will be ignored by the game when it compiles your campaign. This is a good way to insert comments and break up the components of the campaign into easy to identify sub-groups within the text document.

[PLAYER FORCE] – Which side the player will be commanding throughout the campaign. A binary value that is either Blue or Red. Across all game families, Blue Force is the Western Allies or NATO with Red Force being the Axis, Warsaw Pact or Syria. The only exception to this setup is in Combat Mission: Red Thunder, where the Axis are considered the Blue Force with the Soviet Union being the Red Force.

[HUMAN OPPONENT ALLOWED] – A redundant part of the script that was meant to tell the game if the campaign could be played multiplayer with one side always being the opponent instead of an AI. Sadly, this was never enacted as part of the CM2 engine. Simply leave the value as “no”.

[BLUE VICTORY TEXT] or [RED VICTORY TEXT] – An exact character by character statement the player will see on the AAR screen for the whole campaign if they have an overall campaign victory. Place the text in the corresponding line of the script for the side the player will control – otherwise it won’t be seen!

[BLUE DEFEAT TEXT] or [RED DEFEAT TEXT] – An exact character by character statement the player will see on the AAR screen for the whole campaign if they have an overall campaign victory defeat.

Note that with these end of campaign statements that only one can be written for a victory and one for a defeat. You cannot tailor the text to change based on the degree of the victory.

From the top, the first part of the campaign script should look like this.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

/* Campaign Header */

[PLAYER FORCE] Blue

[HUMAN OPPONENT ALLOWED] no

 

[BLUE VICTORY TEXT] You’re awesome. You took all your objectives.

[BLUE DEFEAT TEXT] You suck. You got everyone killed.

 

[RED VICTORY TEXT] unknown

[RED DEFEAT TEXT] unknown

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The remainder of the campaign script looked complicated and long, but is a copy and paste set up equal to the number of scenarios in the campaign. Each copy and paste is a unique scenario variant in the campaign.

[BATTLE NAME] – The name of the .btt scenario file in question. This is as the file name appears in your Windows or Macintosh desktop. The game does not work well in identifying punctuation in file names so avoid the use of dashes, commas and other symbols in the file name to avoid errors alerts later in the process.

[WIN THRESHOLD] – The minimum degree of victory, as determined by the standard victory point calculation, that the player needs to achieve to move down the ‘win path’ after the scenario. Any result below this degree of victory will push the player down the defeat path. This needs to be manually entered as per the usual Combat Mission degrees of victory ranging from “Total Victory” through to “Total Defeat”. By assigning the Win Threshold at “Total Defeat” will mean the player will always proceed down the ‘with path’.

[NEXT BATTLE IF WIN] – The next scenario the player will experience if they meet the win threshold of the current scenario. Enter the file name of the appropriate .btt scenario file as it appears on your desktop.

[NEXT BATTLE IF LOSE] – The next scenario the player will experience if they do not meet win threshold of the current scenario. Enter the file name of the appropriate .btt scenario file as it appears on your desktop.

If the battle you are entering the values for is the last battle or the player is to be exited from the campaign for losing, then replace the name of the next battle with one of the following in the “Next Battle if Win” and “Next Battle if Lose” lines of the script. This includes the underscore.

_total defeat

_major defeat

_tactical defeat

_minor defeat

_draw

_minor victory

_tactical victory

_major victory

_total victory

This tells the game that the campaign has come to an end and the desired degree of campaign victory or defeat you want to express to player. Make sure you get the right statement for the appropriate situation in your narrative! There’s nothing as heart breaking for a player to have 10 back-to-back victories and then be told they’ve suffered a campaign total defeat by mistake.

The following factors also need to be applied for each battle. It is likely to be a touch redundant for the first battle. Keep in mind these values will only effect Core Units that are part of the Core Unit File that have then been imported into each scenario. (As described in Part 4 of this guide).

[BLUE / RED REFIT %] – The percentage chance that a unit will experience a replacement / headcount increase to replace losses before entering this battle. Entered as a number between ‘0’ and ‘100’. There is no need to enter the percentage symbol. This is perhaps the most important value, particularly for infantry, given the high degree of casualties they are likely to experience across multiple engagements.

[BLUE / RED REPAIR VEHICLE %] – The percentage chance that a vehicle unit will have sub-systems repaired before entering the battle. Entered as value between ‘0’ and ‘100’.

[BLUE / RED RESUPPLY %] – The percentage increase in ammunition stocks that all units will have receive prior to starting this battle. Entered as value between ‘0’ and ‘100’. Leaving this value at or around zero for an extended period will likely mean players reach a point where their pixeltrüppen have nothing but harsh language to hurl at the enemy.

[BLUE / RED REST %] – The percentage recovery in their stamina and morale between engagements. Entered as value between ‘0’ and ‘100’. A value of zero will mean unites that are tired/fatigued etc will continue to be in that state at the start of the next engagement.

If you have researched your campaign as described in part 2 of this guide then you should have a good idea of what has happened to your core units between engagements and be able to apply the above values appropriately to reflect history. For fictional campaigns you have a bit more freedom to apply what values you want but as with all things Combat Mission for best results keep them realistic.

Some general tips:

-          If two scenarios occur directly alongside each other then remember to use values of zero for all categories.

-          If two scenarios occur concurrently remember to use values of zero for all categories.

-          If there is a small amount of time (a few hours) between scenarios, even if there is no historical reason to suggest units were replenished, it’s always wise to add small values of <20% in the refit, resupply and vehicle repair categories to reflect soldiers tending to injuries, scrounging for ammunition from the fallen or trying to do field repairs on their vehicles.

-          Apply the values to the correct side that the player is commanding. The values will affect enemy forces just the same as the players forces if those forces are also Core Units.

For the Tukums campaign there was no reason for there to be any value other than zero to be applied for all of the parameters listed above. This was due to all of the battles occurring either concurrently or directly after one another with no chance for either side to rest and regroup. Easy for me as a designer! However, for the sake an example let’s assume that by winning “Battle 1 – Planes, Trains and Panzers”, the player narratively would be provided a reprieve for a few hours to rest, regroup and try to fix their vehicles. This would be reflected by the player moving to “Battle 2A - Tukums” or the green box on the flow chart below. Losing the first battle would not provide the same opportunity so they follow the red box. The player would be at a disadvantage moving into the same second battle or “Battle 2B – Tukums”.

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In campaign script form, Battles 1, 2A and 2B would be set up as below:

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

/* Battle #1 */

[BATTLE NAME] 1Planes Trains and Panzers

[WIN THRESHOLD] total victory

 

[NEXT BATTLE IF WIN] 2ATukums

[NEXT BATTLE IF LOSE] 2BTukums

 

[BLUE REFIT %] 0

[BLUE REPAIR VEHICLE %] 0

[BLUE RESUPPLY %] 0

[BLUE REST %] 0

 

[RED REFIT %] 0

[RED REPAIR VEHICLE %] 0

[RED RESUPPLY %] 0

[RED REST %] 0

 

/* Battle #2 GREEN BOX */

[BATTLE NAME] 2ATukums

[WIN THRESHOLD] total victory

 

[NEXT BATTLE IF WIN] 3AUnleashed

[NEXT BATTLE IF LOSE] 3BUnleashed

 

[BLUE REFIT %] 20

[BLUE REPAIR VEHICLE %] 20

[BLUE RESUPPLY %] 50

[BLUE REST %] 100

 

[RED REFIT %] 0

[RED REPAIR VEHICLE %] 0

[RED RESUPPLY %] 0

[RED REST %] 0

 

/* Battle #3 RED BOX */

[BATTLE NAME] 2BTukums

[WIN THRESHOLD] total victory

 

[NEXT BATTLE IF WIN] 3BUnleashed

[NEXT BATTLE IF LOSE] 3CUnleashed

 

[BLUE REFIT %] 0

[BLUE REPAIR VEHICLE %] 0

[BLUE RESUPPLY %] 0

[BLUE REST %] 0

 

[RED REFIT %] 0

[RED REPAIR VEHICLE %] 0

[RED RESUPPLY %] 0

[RED REST %] 0

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Once you have repeated the process for each individual scenario and variant of each, you have finished creating your campaign script. Save your text document in the same folder as the Core Unit File and all the other scenarios/components that go into the campaign.

Will it work? We’ll find out next time when we finish this Campaign Design AAR with information around compiling and testing a campaign, and how the latter is different to testing individual scenarios.

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Finally, here is a second campaign script example and in full, this time from CMSF2 Dutch Campaign rework from a few years ago. This is a complicated script with concurrent battles and distinct sections over a much longer time period. It will also provide a good template for future campaign designers.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

[PLAYER FORCE] blue

[HUMAN OPPONENT ALLOWED] no

 

[BLUE VICTORY TEXT] Congratulations Commander. You have led the Dutch Battlegroup through the heart of Syria, completed all operation objectives and linked up with US Army forces from the south. Through your efforts the country is effectively cut in two, isolating remaining Syrian forces in the east. NATO command is very pleased. Hold position, rest, refit and await further orders.

[BLUE DEFEAT TEXT] A difficult task Commander. For now, we will consolidate NATO forces around the city of Ar Raqqah while alternative plans are worked out. As US forces push up from the south, we are monitoring enemy forces in eastern Syria streaming through the gap towards enemy held positions in the west. This setback may have lengthened the ground war.

 

[RED VICTORY TEXT] unknown

[RED DEFEAT TEXT] unknown

 

/* Battle #1 */

[BATTLE NAME] Dutch Cmpn 01 Dusty

[WIN THRESHOLD] minor victory

 

[NEXT BATTLE IF WIN] Dutch Cmpn 02 NorthA 1900hours

[NEXT BATTLE IF LOSE] Dutch Cmpn 02 NorthB 0230hours

 

[BLUE REFIT %] 0

[BLUE REPAIR VEHICLE %] 0

[BLUE RESUPPLY %] 100

[BLUE REST %] 100

 

[RED REFIT %] 0

[RED REPAIR VEHICLE %] 0

[RED RESUPPLY %] 0

[RED REST %] 0

 

/* Battle #2 */

[BATTLE NAME] Dutch Cmpn 02 NorthA 1900hours

[WIN THRESHOLD] tactical victory

 

[NEXT BATTLE IF WIN] Dutch Cmpn 03 SouthA 1900hours Recon Forward

[NEXT BATTLE IF LOSE] Dutch Cmpn 03 SouthB 1930hours Recon Back

 

[BLUE REFIT %] 0

[BLUE REPAIR VEHICLE %] 0

[BLUE RESUPPLY %] 100

[BLUE REST %] 100

 

[RED REFIT %] 0

[RED REPAIR VEHICLE %] 0

[RED RESUPPLY %] 0

[RED REST %] 0

 

/* Battle #3 */

[BATTLE NAME] Dutch Cmpn 02 NorthB 0230hours

[WIN THRESHOLD] tactical victory

 

[NEXT BATTLE IF WIN] Dutch Cmpn 03 SouthC 0230hours Recon Forward

[NEXT BATTLE IF LOSE] Dutch Cmpn 03 SouthD 0300hours Recon Back

 

[BLUE REFIT %] 0

[BLUE REPAIR VEHICLE %] 0

[BLUE RESUPPLY %] 50

[BLUE REST %] 0

 

[RED REFIT %] 0

[RED REPAIR VEHICLE %] 0

[RED RESUPPLY %] 0

[RED REST %] 0

 

/* Battle #4 */

[BATTLE NAME] Dutch Cmpn 03 SouthA 1900hours Recon Forward

[WIN THRESHOLD] minor victory

 

[NEXT BATTLE IF WIN] Engagement 4 Prep

[NEXT BATTLE IF LOSE] Engagement 4 Prep

 

[BLUE REFIT %] 0

[BLUE REPAIR VEHICLE %] 0

[BLUE RESUPPLY %] 100

[BLUE REST %] 100

 

[RED REFIT %] 0

[RED REPAIR VEHICLE %] 0

[RED RESUPPLY %] 0

[RED REST %] 0

 

/* Battle #5 */

[BATTLE NAME] Dutch Cmpn 03 SouthB 1930hours Recon Back

[WIN THRESHOLD] minor victory

 

[NEXT BATTLE IF WIN] Engagement 4 Prep

[NEXT BATTLE IF LOSE] Engagement 4 Prep

 

[BLUE REFIT %] 0

[BLUE REPAIR VEHICLE %] 0

[BLUE RESUPPLY %] 100

[BLUE REST %] 100

 

[RED REFIT %] 0

[RED REPAIR VEHICLE %] 0

[RED RESUPPLY %] 0

[RED REST %] 0

 

/* Battle #6 */

[BATTLE NAME] Dutch Cmpn 03 SouthC 0230hours Recon Forward

[WIN THRESHOLD] minor victory

 

[NEXT BATTLE IF WIN] Engagement 4 Prep

[NEXT BATTLE IF LOSE] Engagement 4 Prep

 

[BLUE REFIT %] 0

[BLUE REPAIR VEHICLE %] 0

[BLUE RESUPPLY %] 50

[BLUE REST %] 0

 

[RED REFIT %] 0

[RED REPAIR VEHICLE %] 0

[RED RESUPPLY %] 0

[RED REST %] 0

 

/* Battle #7 */

[BATTLE NAME] Dutch Cmpn 03 SouthD 0300hours Recon Back

[WIN THRESHOLD] minor victory

 

[NEXT BATTLE IF WIN] Engagement 4 Prep

[NEXT BATTLE IF LOSE] Engagement 4 Prep

 

[BLUE REFIT %] 0

[BLUE REPAIR VEHICLE %] 0

[BLUE RESUPPLY %] 50

[BLUE REST %] 0

 

[RED REFIT %] 0

[RED REPAIR VEHICLE %] 0

[RED RESUPPLY %] 0

[RED REST %] 0

 

/* Battle #8 */

[BATTLE NAME] Engagement 4 Prep

[WIN THRESHOLD] minor victory

 

[NEXT BATTLE IF WIN] Dutch Cmpn 04 TrialA

[NEXT BATTLE IF LOSE] Dutch Cmpn 04 TrialB

[BLUE REFIT %] 0

[BLUE REPAIR VEHICLE %] 0

[BLUE RESUPPLY %] 0

[BLUE REST %] 0

 

[RED REFIT %] 0

[RED REPAIR VEHICLE %] 0

[RED RESUPPLY %] 0

[RED REST %] 0

 

/* Battle #9 */

[BATTLE NAME] Dutch Cmpn 04 TrialA

[WIN THRESHOLD] tactical victory

 

[NEXT BATTLE IF WIN] Dutch Cmpn 05 HeartA

[NEXT BATTLE IF LOSE] _major defeat  // campaign end

 

[BLUE REFIT %] 0

[BLUE REPAIR VEHICLE %] 0

[BLUE RESUPPLY %] 100

[BLUE REST %] 100

 

[RED REFIT %] 0

[RED REPAIR VEHICLE %] 0

[RED RESUPPLY %] 0

[RED REST %] 0

 

/* Battle #10 */

[BATTLE NAME] Dutch Cmpn 04 TrialB

[WIN THRESHOLD] tactical victory

 

[NEXT BATTLE IF WIN] Dutch Cmpn 05 HeartB

[NEXT BATTLE IF LOSE] _total defeat  // campaign end

 

[BLUE REFIT %] 100

[BLUE REPAIR VEHICLE %] 20

[BLUE RESUPPLY %] 100

[BLUE REST %] 100

 

[RED REFIT %] 0

[RED REPAIR VEHICLE %] 0

[RED RESUPPLY %] 0

[RED REST %] 0

 

/* Battle #11 */

[BATTLE NAME] Dutch Cmpn 05 HeartA

[WIN THRESHOLD] tactical victory

 

[NEXT BATTLE IF WIN] Dutch Cmpn 06 ArrowA

[NEXT BATTLE IF LOSE] _minor defeat  // campaign end

 

[BLUE REFIT %] 0

[BLUE REPAIR VEHICLE %] 0

[BLUE RESUPPLY %] 0

[BLUE REST %] 0

 

[RED REFIT %] 0

[RED REPAIR VEHICLE %] 0

[RED RESUPPLY %] 0

[RED REST %] 0

 

/* Battle #12 */

[BATTLE NAME] Dutch Cmpn 05 HeartB

[WIN THRESHOLD] tactical victory

 

[NEXT BATTLE IF WIN] Dutch Cmpn 06 ArrowB

[NEXT BATTLE IF LOSE] _tactical defeat  // campaign end

 

[BLUE REFIT %] 0

[BLUE REPAIR VEHICLE %] 0

[BLUE RESUPPLY %] 0

[BLUE REST %] 0

 

[RED REFIT %] 0

[RED REPAIR VEHICLE %] 0

[RED RESUPPLY %] 0

[RED REST %] 0

 

/* Battle #13 */

[BATTLE NAME] Dutch Cmpn 06 ArrowA

[WIN THRESHOLD] tactical victory

 

[NEXT BATTLE IF WIN] Dutch Cmpn 07 ResistanceA

[NEXT BATTLE IF LOSE] Dutch Cmpn 07 ResistanceB

 

[BLUE REFIT %] 100

[BLUE REPAIR VEHICLE %] 20

[BLUE RESUPPLY %] 100

[BLUE REST %] 100

 

[RED REFIT %] 0

[RED REPAIR VEHICLE %] 0

[RED RESUPPLY %] 0

[RED REST %] 0

 

/* Battle #14 */

[BATTLE NAME] Dutch Cmpn 06 ArrowB

[WIN THRESHOLD] tactical victory

 

[NEXT BATTLE IF WIN] Dutch Cmpn 07 ResistanceA

[NEXT BATTLE IF LOSE] Dutch Cmpn 07 ResistanceB

 

[BLUE REFIT %] 50

[BLUE REPAIR VEHICLE %] 20

[BLUE RESUPPLY %] 100

[BLUE REST %] 100

 

[RED REFIT %] 0

[RED REPAIR VEHICLE %] 0

[RED RESUPPLY %] 0

[RED REST %] 0

 

/* Battle #15 */

[BATTLE NAME] Dutch Cmpn 07 ResistanceA

[WIN THRESHOLD] tactical victory

 

[NEXT BATTLE IF WIN] Dutch Cmpn 08 HillA

[NEXT BATTLE IF LOSE] Dutch Cmpn 08 HillB

 

[BLUE REFIT %] 10

[BLUE REPAIR VEHICLE %] 50

[BLUE RESUPPLY %] 100

[BLUE REST %] 0

 

[RED REFIT %] 0

[RED REPAIR VEHICLE %] 0

[RED RESUPPLY %] 0

[RED REST %] 0

 

/* Battle #16 */

[BATTLE NAME] Dutch Cmpn 07 ResistanceB

[WIN THRESHOLD] tactical victory

 

[NEXT BATTLE IF WIN] Dutch Cmpn 08 HillC

[NEXT BATTLE IF LOSE] _minor defeat // campaign end

 

[BLUE REFIT %] 10

[BLUE REPAIR VEHICLE %] 50

[BLUE RESUPPLY %] 100

[BLUE REST %] 0

 

[RED REFIT %] 0

[RED REPAIR VEHICLE %] 0

[RED RESUPPLY %] 0

[RED REST %] 0

 

/* Battle #17 */

[BATTLE NAME] Dutch Cmpn 08 HillA

[WIN THRESHOLD] tactical victory

 

[NEXT BATTLE IF WIN] Dutch Cmpn 09 Kameshli AirfieldA

[NEXT BATTLE IF LOSE] Dutch Cmpn 09 Kameshli AirfieldB

 

[BLUE REFIT %] 10

[BLUE REPAIR VEHICLE %] 20

[BLUE RESUPPLY %] 100

[BLUE REST %] 100

 

[RED REFIT %] 0

[RED REPAIR VEHICLE %] 0

[RED RESUPPLY %] 0

[RED REST %] 0

 

/* Battle #18 */

[BATTLE NAME] Dutch Cmpn 08 HillB

[WIN THRESHOLD] tactical victory

 

[NEXT BATTLE IF WIN] Dutch Cmpn 09 Kameshli AirfieldA

[NEXT BATTLE IF LOSE] Dutch Cmpn 09 Kameshli AirfieldB

 

[BLUE REFIT %] 10

[BLUE REPAIR VEHICLE %] 20

[BLUE RESUPPLY %] 100

[BLUE REST %] 100

 

[RED REFIT %] 0

[RED REPAIR VEHICLE %] 0

[RED RESUPPLY %] 0

[RED REST %] 0

 

/* Battle #19 */

[BATTLE NAME] Dutch Cmpn 08 HillC

[WIN THRESHOLD] tactical victory

 

[NEXT BATTLE IF WIN] Dutch Cmpn 09 Kameshli AirfieldB

[NEXT BATTLE IF LOSE] Dutch Cmpn 09 Kameshli AirfieldB

 

[BLUE REFIT %] 10

[BLUE REPAIR VEHICLE %] 20

[BLUE RESUPPLY %] 100

[BLUE REST %] 100

 

[RED REFIT %] 0

[RED REPAIR VEHICLE %] 0

[RED RESUPPLY %] 0

[RED REST %] 0

 

/* Battle #20 */

[BATTLE NAME] Dutch Cmpn 09 Kameshli AirfieldA

[WIN THRESHOLD] total victory

 

[NEXT BATTLE IF WIN] _total victory // campaign end

[NEXT BATTLE IF LOSE] _major victory // campaign end

 

 

[BLUE REFIT %] 0

[BLUE REPAIR VEHICLE %] 0

[BLUE RESUPPLY %] 0

[BLUE REST %] 0

 

[RED REFIT %] 0

[RED REPAIR VEHICLE %] 0

[RED RESUPPLY %] 0

[RED REST %] 0

 

/* Battle #21 */

[BATTLE NAME] Dutch Cmpn 09 Kameshli AirfieldB

[WIN THRESHOLD] major victory

 

[NEXT BATTLE IF WIN] _tactical victory // campaign end

[NEXT BATTLE IF LOSE] _minor victory // campaign end

 

[BLUE REFIT %] 0

[BLUE REPAIR VEHICLE %] 0

[BLUE RESUPPLY %] 0

[BLUE REST %] 0

 

[RED REFIT %] 0

[RED REPAIR VEHICLE %] 0

[RED RESUPPLY %] 0

[RED REST %] 0

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

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  • 2 months later...
On 6/13/2021 at 9:58 AM, Ithikial_AU said:

We’ll find out next time when we finish this Campaign Design AAR with information around compiling and testing a campaign, and how the latter is different to testing individual scenarios.

Hi Ithikial, hope all is well mate?

 

Just wondered if you had any plans to complete the final part (7) of your Campaign Design AAR please?

 

regards

 

slippy

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Have been slowly reading through this, looking forward to the updates. I've already had a sneak peek of how you operate during the abortive attempt at Arracourt a few years back, but it's worth repeating I love your scenario design philosophy. @Xorg_Xalargsky and myself had just been talking about your JOE's bridge scenario, in point of fact, and how good it was.

Been really enjoying the Tukums campaign as well. I find a lot of the Axis campaigns tend to be mere cartharsis; fun but not necessarily challenging (KG Engel is a prime example), and sometimes a bit too liberal with supporting assets. I've been enjoying Tukums precisely for the opposite reason, you really captured how much of an improvised mess the Wehrmacht was on all fronts by August '44. 

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19 hours ago, Rinaldi said:

Have been slowly reading through this, looking forward to the updates. I've already had a sneak peek of how you operate during the abortive attempt at Arracourt a few years back, but it's worth repeating I love your scenario design philosophy. @Xorg_Xalargsky and myself had just been talking about your JOE's bridge scenario, in point of fact, and how good it was.

Been really enjoying the Tukums campaign as well. I find a lot of the Axis campaigns tend to be mere cartharsis; fun but not necessarily challenging (KG Engel is a prime example), and sometimes a bit too liberal with supporting assets. I've been enjoying Tukums precisely for the opposite reason, you really captured how much of an improvised mess the Wehrmacht was on all fronts by August '44. 

Cheers for the kind words Rinaldi (and @Xorg_Xalargsky). 

I think the secret is, and as written back in part 2, by doing the triumvirate of 1) Timeline, 2) Units/Formation and 3) Terrain at the same time and allowing the three to influence each other that you get this kind of campaign. For the two campaigns I've worked on and completed before Tukums (CMBN Lions of Carpiquet, and the refresh of the Dutch Campaign for CMSF2 NATO), I don't go into the project wanting the collective campaign to be unwinnable. A challenge, yes, the players losing the odd engagement, yes, but not unwinnable. For historical recreations just get as close as you can to the forces that took part and trust in the game to take care of the rest. If the player's side won the historical event then on balance the player should as well. If the player isn't the best at CM and just charges across open fields... well you can't fix that.

As for Joe's Bridge, yeah that one was always a touch experimental with the way the forces come onto the map but I think the H2H crowd has some fun with it if the German player reads the briefing and sticks it out. :P I've since got my hands on some more material for the actions around that area of Belgium between the Guards Armoured Division and the hodgepodge of German forces just prior to Market Garden. Well down the list of possible project but on the agenda is a scenario for the Welsh Guard action at Hectel a few kilometres south of the bridge that occurred around the same time. The chance for recreating a historical engagement between Cromwells vs Jagdpanthers is a rare treat.

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6 – Compiling, Testing and Post-Release

“To improve is to change, so to be perfect is to have changed often.”

Winston Churchill

 

image.png.02c9000730234025ae19b519ab47aaa0.png

 

Compiling the Campaign – Putting the Final Pieces Together

You’ve done all the work. Time to put the pieces together and release it! Well… almost. True, it’s time to compile the campaign but then there comes testing and tweaking to make sure it all works and flows as you intended.

First, lets do the mechanical work and construct a campaign file. This is also the moment of truth to see if you’ve missed something big in your campaign script or the available scenarios. Remember you need to have multiple copies of the same scenario with a different file name depending on the campaign script and if there are more than pathway for a player to reach the same scenario.

Step one is to open your Core Unit File in the editor. This is the file with all the core units for both sides listed out that you have by now imported into each of your individual scenarios. It is also the file that should have the campaign briefing text and graphics. It will also have the small image that will appear from the campaign selection screen. At this point you should also ensure that all your campaign files are in the same folder alongside the Core Unit File. This includes all of the individual .btt scenario files and the campaign script document. Any other files such as individual briefings text documents and graphics can be in the same folder – they won’t stuff anything up but the game won’t refer to them either. These should already be imported into the appropriate scenario.

Step two is to click on the top left menu from within the editor and select the “Make Campaign” option. The image below is what I see when compiling my campaign for the Fire and Rubble release.

image.thumb.png.1c30e6d1567cd8cb3c0099ad42040db4.png

At this point a pop-up with a green background will appear. This is alerting you of the items you need to make sure this process will work and what will happen once you hit continue. Essentially, the same as I have just listed above.

image.png.379cf4fd4a07e8d43c4642d01f27f4d3.png

If you are happy to proceed select the continue button. Something similar to the image below will then appear as the game asks you to select the appropriate Campaign Script file. It will search in the same directory and limit the selection to raw text files. Ensure you select the campaign script file and not a scenario briefing!

This is also a good time to point out that the campaign script text file name (minus the .txt suffix) will be the name of the .cam file, or the name of the campaign as the player will see it in the campaign selection screen. So ensure your campaign script document is not called “Campaign Script.txt” or something similar. In the image below you can see my campaign script highlighted in red text. The campaign title within the editor itself (refer to blue arrow in the image below), will be the name used by the game as the player creates saved games to come back to, so ensure there are no numbers in this title to prevent any funny errors for the player.

image.png.38e5981722f4ae4ecc1a993479f52198.png

When you have located the campaign script click on it within the pop-up window and wait for a second. If nothing happens and you are just staring at the editor screen, then everything has worked successfully. You can now close the editor and from the main menu click on the option to start a new campaign. From this list your new campaign should already by listed as a .cam file has been created and added to the appropriate directory.

But in 95% of cases (reliable statistical analysis of campaign designers) something will go wrong first. In these cases the game will stop what it is doing and a .cam file will not be created. Essentially, nothing will happen. A red background pop-up will appear outlining the problem. Below are some examples of errors that can appear.

The first example below is an error caused by one of the outlined battles in the campaign script not existing in the directory. A common reason for this to occur is that the specific .btt file is in another folder or there is a naming difference between the .btt file and the script itself.  

image.png.d61c99316411507459ea7b59a60a5a97.png

The second error below is somewhat similar to the first except that a battle that the script is trying to make a connection to, (through a Win or Lose pathway) can not be found. A common reason for this is that there is no unique .btt file created for that part of a pathway – common in very long campaigns where the number of variants of the same battle can increase substantially. Alternatively and similar to before, the error can also occur due to a naming problem between the .btt file and the campaign script.

image.png.1def7085cdcc839aa8f386fa6a36d534.png

The final example is caused by some unknown characters in the campaign script the game cannot read. This usually occurs when players add dashes, semi-colons and other symbols into their campaign scripts and .btt file names. For simplicity purposes, avoid the use of these characters completely. The line number presented is where to look in the campaign script for the character that is causing the issue. A program like MS Word or Notepad++, which have line numbering options can help you edit your campaign script a bit quicker.

image.png.e39937e998d081087a443f2f5793734c.png

Note that the game will stop trying to compile the campaign as soon as it hits one error. This means that only one error will be displayed, and you will need to exit the game, fix the error, and then try compiling the campaign again. At which point you may hit another error. You need to fix each error as they appear until none are reported.

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Testing – Scenarios and the Campaign

When it comes to testing a final campaign there are two layers to consider; 1) do the individual scenarios play as intended; and 2) does the campaign flow from start to finish as intended.

Testing individual scenarios can occur as they are being built, like what a designer may do when building an individual standalone scenario. However, there is one very large difference that is difficult to artificially ‘fix’. What the testers are playing will never match the end product that the players will realistically experience. Testers jumping into Mission 5, won’t be experiencing the battle with the results (including unit losses) the player has experienced leading up to that scenario in the campaign.

It’s because of this that a campaign needs to be tested with full playthroughs and ideally by ‘blind testers’, or people who are unaware of the individual scenario designs including the placement of enemies. Also encouraging a tester or two to purposefully lose key scenarios to go down ‘lose’ pathways is also of assistance to ensure each pathway gets a degree of review.

As a designer looking to help out testers, providing a visual campaign tree with small blurbs about what each scenario entails, including friendly forces the tester should have available, will provide them a big help. It’s this way they can identify if the campaign script and the core unit file is working as intended with the correct scenarios and forces showing up and the right time.

This is not to say that individual scenario testing is a waste of time and shouldn’t be undertaken for campaign scenarios. For this type of testing, I advise referring to Jon’s Scenario Design AAR handbook for tips and things to look out for. However, testers moving through a campaign as a player and moving into follow on scenarios in a condition that a player will reasonably be in is the most important additional piece of information a tester requires after each battle.

After Release

When you release your campaign, the player will only require the .cam file that is generated when compiling the campaign. The game will only draw information contained inside the .cam file.

There is an unwritten rule (until now!) in campaign design, and that is as a designer to hold on to all the component files that is within the generated .cam file. This is for security going forward as regular game patching and upgrading cycles may inadvertently break something or make the campaign unwinnable in the future as settings are tweaked. Perhaps the best example for of this was some early designed campaigns from the first release of CMBN when automatic weaponry effectiveness was a lot less than it is now. Playing these same campaigns today will likely lead to very different outcomes than the designers originally intended.

If the designer does not want the responsibility, it is advised to provide the files to the players downloading the campaign files in case someone wants to fix any problems that arise down the track.

Final tips for an enjoyable campaign from the player’s side

And there we are. After just under 70 pages of writing and around 18,000 words that’s about it. Good luck for everyone that decides to take the dive into making a campaign.

Some final thoughts and of course what I provide below is highly subjective.

-          Ensure it is winnable. It’s a game, not a slog!

-          Don’t expect your players to be a tactical genius. This may sound counter to the point of Combat Mission but even the most experienced players will get their ass handed to them from time to time. Ensure that under most circumstances a battle will always provide the player with a chance of ‘winning’.

o   This is not saying every scenario needs to be balanced, if anything most scenarios will need to be balanced in the players favour, especially where core units that need to appear in follow up scenarios are part of the mix.

o   For example. Let’s say the campaign is trying to be a historical recreation of every engagement that Easy Company, 506th PIR fought from Normandy through to Market Garden. There would easily be a dozen or more scenarios here with a real mix of forces the player must go up against. There is also no real replenishment historically available except for the replacements at the end of Normandy and before Market Garden. So, what happens if the player takes Carentan at around Mission 5 but suffers very heavy casualties in doing so? What happens next? The player is thrust into defending against the fresh 17 SS Panzergrenadier Division counterattack with no more than 20 soldiers to deploy? It simply won’t work and I can promise you the player will switch off in anger/despair before even attempting to defend Bloody Gulch.

o   The campaign by design should of pushed the player down the ‘lose’ route in this situation and either kicked the player out of the campaign as a whole or skipped to Market Garden noting Easy Company was not part of the defensive action. Don’t expect your players to be a Lieutenant Winters when the time comes.

o   This is extremely hard to get right and honestly won’t ever be perfect given the wide range of player skills out there and countless combinations of outcomes from each scenario from a game like Combat Mission.

o   As rules of thumb:

§  don’t rely solely on your designated Core Units for every single mission/task the player needs to achieve;

§  follow history as a guide throughout your design as a guide about what your troops could theoretically be expected to achieve;

§  ensure unique units are the backbone of completing objectives later in a campaign. (ie. The player’s core units are expected to fend off an armoured counter attack at some point, but the only has three possible 57mm AT guns at their disposal… and they were potentially lost two scenarios ago).

Don’t ignore the narrative and make the player care for spending dozens of hours with your creation.

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