So just how hard *is* it to make a scenario?

[NoxSpartana]

My only mission editing experience in games was in Operation Flashpoint, (basically the FPS version of the CM series, realism wise), which featured an extremely powerful editor, but also was quite difficult to learn as creating a mission worth its salt meant first learning the specific scripting language of the game and commands (not nearly as difficult as learning an actual programming language but still very time consuming).

In short, you could create almost ANYTHING you could imagine in the game (and I mean anything, I remember one guy creating a mission that revolved around X-men like super soldiers throwing tanks around and teleporting), but it took a LOT of time and a LOT of work. One mission that I was working on (but never completed) featured a company of rangers parachuting out of a large group of black hawks. As miniscule a part of the mission as that actually was (just the first minute of it), it took roughly 5 hours to set up (after just as much time spent reseaerching HOW to do it) as I had to write an individual command for every single soldier.

So what will creating mission in CMSF be like? Time-wise, will it be a project that takes a week, or something that takes several months? Obviously, it's not an FPS which simplifies things in many ways, but you still have to create terrain, which could be quite time consuming. Could someone give me an idea of how long it will take? Also will scripting be needed for certain things?

[Michael Dorosh]

Originally posted by NoxSpartana:

My only mission editing experience in games was in Operation Flashpoint, (basically the FPS version of the CM series, realism wise), which featured an extremely powerful editor, but also was quite difficult to learn as creating a mission worth its salt meant first learning the specific scripting language of the game and commands (not nearly as difficult as learning an actual programming language but still very time consuming).

In short, you could create almost ANYTHING you could imagine in the game (and I mean anything, I remember one guy creating a mission that revolved around X-men like super soldiers throwing tanks around and teleporting), but it took a LOT of time and a LOT of work. One mission that I was working on (but never completed) featured a company of rangers parachuting out of a large group of black hawks. As miniscule a part of the mission as that actually was (just the first minute of it), it took roughly 5 hours to set up (after just as much time spent reseaerching HOW to do it) as I had to write an individual command for every single soldier.

So what will creating mission in CMSF be like? Time-wise, will it be a project that takes a week, or something that takes several months? Obviously, it's not an FPS which simplifies things in many ways, but you still have to create terrain, which could be quite time consuming. Could someone give me an idea of how long it will take? Also will scripting be needed for certain things?

I remember not so fondly that you needed a PhD and a working knowledge of Czech to make missions for OFP using their so called "tools".

CMSF will be much easier.

Does that help?

[Michael Dorosh]

Ok, but seriously - all the scripts in game are done with drop down boxes and menus. It is all point and click. And you have a whole forum of native English speakers to ask questions of, in addition to a tutorial that was put together by some of the lads and available for free. Rune just had an entire thread on it, with downloadable pdfs walking you through the process.

http://www.battlefront.com/discuss/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=52;t=001607

Here is the link.

[Moon]

You can create the framework (map, units, briefings) in a few hours. From then it depends on you how much time you'll invest into testing and finetuning, especially the AI plans. The latter is basically an endless time sink. You can take a week, or a month. You can create one AI plan or five, and you can give orders to whole groups, or (almost) each individual unit.

Having worked with the OPF editor myself (years ago) the CMSF editor will definitely be MUCH quicker to work with in comparison (while in some ways being just as flexible, and in others less so).

Martin

[JonS]

I can play chess. I assume you can too - the functions of the pieces in that game are childishly simple.

I can't play chess very well though, because the subtleties of the game are beyond my patience to learn.

The Scen editor in CMSF is similar. The tools are all easy enough to use and understand, and everyone should be able to make playable scens immediately, and with a little practice able to make reasonably good scens. However, just like CMx1 - actually, to a greater extent than CMx1 given the greater sophistication of all elements of the editor - the real good scens will be produced by those who:

* have the knack for good story telling,

* have the ability and gumption to do good research,

* spend the time getting to know the intracacies of the editor,

* spend the time testing their scenarios,

* have the spark to pull it all together into something gripping.

Erm. Hmm. That's a rather long way of saying that creating scens is part science, part art. The science part is easy, and BFC have provided some great tools to do better science. The art part is completely out of BFCs hands, and totally in yours.

Regards

JonS

[Michael Dorosh]

Scripting is not possible, by the way, for 2 player scenarios, obviously. You can't control some forces and have others computer controlled.

[NoxSpartana]

Originally posted by Moon:

Having worked with the OPF editor myself (years ago) the CMSF editor will definitely be MUCH quicker to work with in comparison (while in some ways being just as flexible, and in others less so).

Martin

That's good to hear

[Salkin]

If I have a few hours to spare (say four), will it be possible to make a small but complete scenario with a simple but fairly interesting AI plan ?

//Salkin

[JonS]

Yes.

[Salkin]

Cool .

//Salkin

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