Scenario ideas (put it here!)

[De Savage]

I think the hardest thing in scenario making is creating a idea. Put your scenario ideas here, share it with others and hopefully someone will make it for you.

Right now I'm brainstorming idea for next scenario.

I'm thinking it would be neat to play red side and defend against US attack. I like infantry and small battles (up to few platoons and few vehicles included). Maybe small town/city map with airborne forces.

So... What they are defending in the city/town? Any ideas?

What kind of scenarios you like best? Night, day or dawn/dusk time?

[hcrof]

I have been kicking around an idea for a MOUT scenario around a major roundabout or a park, basically you have loads of tight streets (maybe the old town) and 1 or 2 big open areas (100x 100m) surrounded by bigger, wealthier housing.

The map should be big enough to force the defender into a dilemma. He cant defend everything at once so needs to out maneuvre the attacker and hit and run a lot. To help him do it he should have some sort of intelligence advantage (spys? a load of good OPs?) and plenty of space to move undetected.

The attacker should have loads of artillery and armour and rules of engagement that allows him to use it. By the end of the game, the city should be pretty shot up. I have been working on other project so I never had the time but I think it is a pretty cool idea.

What do you think?

[handihoc]

There've been a couple of jungle-style, inf based scenarios released (sorry, authors. Can't remember the designers' names), which I found really enjoyable and quite different from anything else out there.

SF lends itself well to this kind of terrain, with a feel of the Pacific and Nam. I'd love to see more.

[kosta]

When the Brits Module comes out: British paratroopers and SAS soldiers have rescued hostages taken by an african gang in Sierra Leone in 2000. Theres good material on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSWshpKnzJc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0bCht2dJq8&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_dT8ReckhI&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYdwZ0vO9o0&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_b419opiFo&feature=related

It happens in the jungle and you can see a map in the video. There are only British soldiers and insurgents with AK-47s, both use mortars.

[Dietrich]

"Scenario ideas", you say? Well, okay... you asked for it.

I have been developing in mind my mind (nothing on paper or in CMSF yet) a strategic-level concept that would encompass multiple potential campaigns and at least a few dozen potential scenarios. The concept: Operation Syrian Freedom.

The implicit Blue strategy for invading Syria and capturing/killing those responsible for planning executing the multiple simultaneous "dirty nuke" attacks (as described in the introduction of the CMSF manual) involves an MEU invading Syria's Mediterranean coast and driving inland to Damascus, while Army forces (spearheaded by an SBCT) invade from Syria's border with Iraq. I know the strategy outlined by BFC describes only some of the forces involved in the coalition invasion of Syria, but still these forces seem insufficient to the task.

An outline of my strategic-level concept:

late summer 2010:

Baathist extremists, in conjunction with Islamic militants, assassinate President Bashar al-Assad and execute a coup d'etat, taking control of Syria, the same day that terrorists detonate "dirty nukes" in major cities in several Western countries including the US, the UK, Germany, and Spain.

early autumn 2010:

USA deploys a Marine Expeditionary Force (comprising three MEUs) in the eastern Mediterranean and a Joint Task Force (centered around the 1st Armored Division) on the Iraqi border with Syria.

early October 2010:

USA launches Operation Syrian Freedom. SOF teams (including SEALs, MARSOC, Green Berets,

et al

) infiltrate Syria from the Mediterranean, from Iraq, as well as from Turkey. Rangers and Airborne troops capture airfields and transportation hubs. 22nd MEU attacks ashore at Hamidiya. 24th MEU captures Latakia. 1st and 2nd HBCTs (1st Armored Division) attack across border at Abu Kamal. 3rd HBCT (1st Cavalry Division) attacks across border to At Tanf. 4th SBCT (2nd Infantry Division) attacks along Highway 715 to Jisr al Shaddadah.

mid October 2010:

US forces find their advancing slowed by determined defenders and some technological surprises. 24th MEU slogs its way inland to capture Hama. 22nd MEU bypasses Hims, turning south toward Damascus. 1st and 2nd HBCTs smash their way through Palmyra on their way to capturing Hims. 3rd HBCT steamrollers through Sab'Biyar and deploys for attack into Damascus. After capturing Dayr az Zawr, 4th SBCT rolls through Sabkha along the M5 (Highway 4) toward Halab.

From there it's anybody's guess.

Basically it's the Syria equivalent of Operation Iraqi Freedom, but with the lessons learned from that earlier campaign and making full use of the relatively new brigade structures and technologies. On the whole it's not that different from the concept as described by BFC, but it involves a more real-world degree of variety in units (pretty much all branches of the US Armed Forces are involved, and their receive support from the British Army and special detachments from NATO countries) and in their missions and experiences. This strategic concept allows for the full range of possible scenarios possible in this region and with its corresponding geography and demographics.

As I meant to imply earlier, this concept is not yet fully thought out. Feel free to point out inconsistencies and holes in the "plot" and to make suggestions.

[hcrof]

Dietrich - I think that is a good plan you have there - one minor suggestion is that I don't see Baathists allied with Islamic militants because:

a) Bashar al-Assad is a Baathist himself, albeit a bit of a reformist

the Baath party is strictly secular

I might be wrong but that is how I see it

I have in my head another war in Syria - one where the west does not intervine directly because of troop commitments elsewhere and a fortunate set of circumstances inside the country but I will announce it when I am ready...

[BlackMoria]

I would like to see a 'Desert Storm' compilation of scenarios. CMSF is well suited to portraying the two Gulf wars.

I like the idea of a compilation of scenarios as opposite to a campaign because one can include the Brits (one the Brit module is out), and the Marines.

Scenarios like the Battle of 73 Eastings (2 ACR), the Marine push through southern Kuwait, the Battle of Al Khafji (Marines/Saudi/Qatar), the battles for Objective Norfolk, etc. Quite a cross section of high intensity battles could be done and I think, would be well accepted by the CMSF community.

[Dietrich]

Good points, hcrof. In the course of the limited research I've yet done about the politics of Syria, I did notice that al-Assad is a Baathist. That's why I specified that the non-Islamist elements which helped execute the coup d'etat were Baathist extremists -- they considered al-Assad not enough of a Baathist (i.e., too much of a reformer) for their tastes. Also, as regards the Baath party being strictly secular, in my opinion that wouldn't necessarily prevent extreme elements in said party from clandestinely allying with Islamic militants so as to achieve their own aims; as far as the public could discern, the Islamists were not working with the Baathists but were simply taking advantage of the unrest resultant from the coup d'etat.

This backstory is meant to give the player a clear and detailed sense of things operationally as well as tactically, as well as a compelling reason why battle must be joined. Not that I have the time to devote to such a project, but if I did, each campaign would come with a many-page .pdf with plenty of intel for the player-commander to work with (rather like Task Force Panther), and each scenario therein, as well as each separate scenario encompassed by this Operation Syrian Freedom [working title], would have a briefing approximately as long and as detailed as that of "USMC 3:10 to Yuma".

[De Savage]

Great ideas guys!

I started yesterday working on new map for my coming scenario. Objective in on high hill (with old castle ruins). Actually I build a large prison there on the hill (several high buildings surrounded by stone walls). Nearby the hill there is also "military town" of several high buildings. Surrounding also contains small village, farms, highway, mosque and lot of forests. The map looks nice, but it have still a lot of tweaking left.

I think assaulting old castle hill with prison on the hill overlooking the surrounding will be challenging. Probably mission will be freeing some political prisoners or even US prisoned soldiers. Probably blue Delta Force etc. special forces are included and from red side special forces or paratroopers.

Red's have perfect observation posts on the hill and (lower) guardhouse. Only one road is leading to the hill, so assaulting it will be quite hard. I think laying smoke screen, arty support and timing will be essentilly important for blues to reach the hill prison.

Kosta, it was a great document. After watching it I was eager to start making prison rescue mission.

[De Savage]

Here is two preview screenshots from my coming Prison-scenario.

[mike_the_wino]

I have map I was working on but never around to finishing. It featured my attempt to recreate a stadium. If anyone feels like taking a crack at finishing it, shoot me an email.

This is after a bit more tweaking:

The black surface off behind the 'stadium' was set to be the parking lot.

The one thing I have discovered from CMx1 and CMx2...I suck at scenario design.

[A co]

Dr. Strangelove 2009

How about a blue on blue based on the scene in Dr. Strangelove where the Army has to take a SAC base from the renegade USAF commander? You could just beef up the forces a bit- or a lot- to make things lively.

I like the stadium idea. All you need is a soccer goal net that explodes in flames when you crash into it, like in the Simpsons.

[Clevinger]

Dr. Strangelove 2009

How about a blue on blue based on the scene in Dr. Strangelove where the Army has to take a SAC base from the renegade USAF commander? You could just beef up the forces a bit- or a lot- to make things lively.

Actually I'm playing the scenario "The War room", which is loosely based on Dr. Strangelove. It's a Marines Vs US Army scenario. Very good stuff, I can finally plink some Abrams with Harrier-borne GBUs

[LongLeftFlank]

Actually I'm playing the scenario "The War room", which is loosely based on Dr. Strangelove. It's a Marines Vs US Army scenario. Very good stuff, I can finally plink some Abrams with Harrier-borne GBUs

Animals vill be bred und ZLAUGHTERED!!!!!!

[MattMulder]

i have tons of ideas for scenarios, however I'm quite new on CMSF, and I have a limited knowledge of the editor.

1. (map already done) Prison attack

(okay, i've seen upper that somebody has already done a prison-scenario, but that's pure coincidence

A group of militants has successfully carried out a suicide attack on the Prison gate. A neighboring US patrol is diverted towards the scene and arrives when the militants are seizing the prison.

For this scenario, I put a XL crater where the "gate" was supposed to be, and

put holes in the surrounding buildings. I scattered debris everywhere around to make it look like an actual explosion...

2. The dead river

A US SpecOps force is tasked with destroying an insurgent hideout, located near the remains of a former water retaining building. They come from the muddy bank of a river and attack the position by night.

3. Seize Rama Al Jazaar :

A US stryker platoon has to capture a small village and destroy any resistance. The Red force has a dangerous amount of RPGs and the Blue force will soon learn how to run and hide, using the terrain to attack on two sides and crush the entrenched enemy.

4. Live from Hell !

An Al Qaeda informant has been busted by his "friends", and is being questioned in a heavily occupied small town. The US forces in the vicinity have to silence him by destroying the supposed hideout of the militia leaders.

( yes, no artillery or air support,only Bradleys and a couple RPGs...hehe)

I got tons of ideas, but I suck at scenario designing. I'd rather create maps, let my imagination run. I tried some "forest" maps and a couple of them are pretty cool.

If you have scenario design tips, I'd be glad to trade them for any map you want. Just tell me what kind of general idea you want, and I'll come up with a playable map. I hope so, anyway

HOO-HAH

[meade95]

I would like to have a few more differing maps on the small to medium scale. That allow for MOUT / Urban combat. Either smaller sections of citities (say like in Syria / Iraq)......and likewise in places like Stan.......but would be more "town-ish"...not city type maps.

[cabal23]

Dr. Strangelove 2009

How about a blue on blue based on the scene in Dr. Strangelove where the Army has to take a SAC base from the renegade USAF commander? You could just beef up the forces a bit- or a lot- to make things lively.

I like the stadium idea. All you need is a soccer goal net that explodes in flames when you crash into it, like in the Simpsons.

It's been done by me. It's called USMC vs ARMY No Fighting in The War Room

I will be doing a V2 to clear up some issues. There were complaints of too many tanks, so I will scale them down a bit so it appears less like "command and conquer". It is challenging because Army and Marines have such high tech equipment. Check it out.

[Sivodsi]

Have just watched Episode 4 of "Ross Kemp in Afganistan" and in the first half there is a perfect setup for a Taliban clearing scenario. It starts by showing a map of the plan, in which two platoons go through a village setting, with a fire support crew on the hill (mortars and 50 cals mounted on WMIK, snipers and javelins).

They get fired on from lots of different sides, fire off javelins and call in air strikes from F15s (Ross gets confused and identifies them as "F16s").

Although they suffer no casualties in RL, the potential for an interesting scenario is nicely laid out.

As a bonus, you get to see a brief shot of the handheld mortar in action near the start.

I'm not a scenario maker (no time for it, though I'd like to give it a go sometime), but let me know if you are interested, and I'll see if I can get the necessary info to you.

Haven't seen the last episode of this series yet, but there's a final big sortie in there, so maybe more good stuff.

[theFightingSeabee]

Sivodsi, I've gone through the same thoughts and even checked out the area with google earth. But, I haven't been able to spend time on scenario making. The Ross Kemp series is great. Be sure to watch his return to Afghanistan, although it's a bit more heartbreaking.

[GLynn41]

I too have found I am not so much when it comes to secn making but I try at least for my self-- One can also do any --most any of the Iran -Iraq war-- I have made a couple of them and have one I might post in the big R-- with this you have history and can lots of infantry or arty or Helos air or armor, mass wave charges-- anyway just a thought- personally I like the smaller maps as I did in Close Combat and in the cm 1 series-- there is so much going on that I want to see I still use the wego just to watch-- this is a good game

[Combatintman]

I think the problem is not a dearth of ideas - I have a shedload of them - its the amount of time it takes to nail the map.

[Lethaface]

@combatintman,

Thats exactly my cup of tea. Hell if I would start to make a map for cmx2 it would be finished when cmx3 has arrived

However I have some ideas for Red vs BLUE missions with Hezbollah & Special forces using hit and run and other guerilla tactics. Perhaps ill try to work out something, maybe if all the persons without time combine their efforts something can come out of it... MAYBE

[MattMulder]

any CMSF scen-designer who wants a map, ask me, I like creating maps.

However, I suck at scen designing with the IA and stuff...can't find the time / will to get into it, unless I break a leg or something.

so any of you who want a map ask me, i'd be glad to help you out !