It’s a similar issue for Arma 3. You can do all sorts of neat things in the editor, if you’re willing to learn the scripting language. Simple meeting engagement between two forces in a field? Easy! Plop down some units and give them a couple waypoints towards each other. Something that you think should be just as simple, like create a unit HERE when the PLAYER does X? Oh, boy. Get ready to read and watch a zillion tutorials.
Oh God yes! Years back Sonalysts mentioned they’d very much like to make FC2; I believe they also mentioned it was their most profitable game. Somewhat tangential to the whole “fall of the casual sim” history, other games like Dangerous Waters was/is played religiously by a small group of dedicated fans, but was a financial disappointment. Speaking of finances, however much I’d want Fleet Command 2 (and it’s a lot!) it would also - all others being equal - be a greater investment than Fleet Command was in order to make a really good and financially viable game. It worked really well in small engagements (like, say, frigate vs. frigate) but had its fair share of problems with larger scenarios.
Command looks interesting at least. Not sure if I’d want to delve into something much more complex than Harpoon 1, and definitely sure I don’t have the time for it.
AirLand Battle/Red Dragon meets Fleet Command? Yes, please.
There was at one point a Ticonderoga cruiser sim in development by Sonalysts following Jane’s 688(I): Hunter Killer. However once they did all the research on the ship, the Aegis Combat System, the SPY-1 radar, and the armaments they realised the resultant game would be too complex for even the most hardcore simmers out there, and what eventually came of it was Fleet Command.
Let’s see: it is not my review: it is Herman’s; it is a video-review, so there is no need to read anything; and, right now, we have 820+ viewers of the whole review (which is 1h+ long) and counting.
But don’t worry. You failed all your attempts at crystalballing in this thread - so failing a few more wont cause many much damage.
Yes, I’m enjoying my quiet :)
There is “Global Conflict Blue”, a hobby project who recently went open source. IMHO their mistake was to go for a 3D representation of the world (with the inherent loss of time every time you do a 3D model of a platform).
Anyway, the page where they formalised their going open source is here:
http://www.gcblue.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1120
…Maybe something good will come out of it.
Like I said, you guys are welcome to participate in this forum if you’d like to talk about other things. You’ve both made your point about whatever issues you have with Matrix’s game and employees, but now you’re making yourselves look like trolls by belaboring the point. So if you’d like the stick around, how about finding some other topic to participate in, just so I know you didn’t register here simply to antagonize someone. Because if that’s the case, you’re not welcome here.
-TomIn an attempt to get this thread back on track, I’ll ask a question:
What’s the save file format like? Is it open? Human readable or at least editable if we knew the binary format? I ask because having a third-party tool to automate the scenario randomization strikes me as a particularly cool feature. Eg: I select the units I want, I select and assign the units (and probability) of units the OPFOR will have, then I select a region of the globe to fight in.
Having watched a few reviews/demos of C:MANO on youtube, this is an area that seems unnecessarily convoluted from a user point of view and I suspect being able to mod in a degree of automation to that aspect of scenario design would be a blessing. Thinking about it further, this could pretty easily allow a meta game/campaign to be wrapped around a number of battles. Which, to me, was always a glaring omission in the old Harpoon 2 scenarios I played.
We are currently beta-testing something that will ultimately be very close to what you are describing in terms of automation/scripting.
You are trying to randomize the selection and appearance of different units. From what I’ve seen, MNO and H3 scenarios must have every unit present. For example, if you want a BCGN in the scenario (or at least the possibility of an appearance), the scenario designer would have to place that unit somewhere within the scenario map. In MNO, that unit could be initially placed on the other side of the world and randomly appear within the battle area via use of the Event Engine. (The unit teleports into the battle area.) H3 doesn’t use teleportation, but the unit must still be initially placed somewhere within the scenario map and randomly selects appearance via pre-selected/assigned reference points. Harpoon Classic probably had the best system for randomization of units whereby each unit had an appearance probability percentage that could be assigned by the designer.
What about the file format?
I think I generally grasp that now, thanks. However, the question I was trying to ask (apparently poorly) was specifically about the save file format. If it’s open-ish and we know how to manipulate it, then we simply don’t need to use the UI to spawn specific units because we’d be able to dynamically generate the save file itself. Further, understanding the file format would allow for additional mechanisms (such as my meta/campaign afterthought).
I think it is at least intepretable. That seems to the the point of Baloogan’s Geoscape Campaign Plugin, which supposedly will dynamically generate MNO scenarios based on stuff happening in the external campaign manager.
Not sure if that includes being able to write randomisation elements into the scenario file as well.
I am sure Dimitris will clarify.
Damn, I should have just googled for something like that. Question mostly answered then :)
Ah, I get the gist of your question better, now. A perfect example of what you are seeking is Naval War: Arctic Circle. For all its faults, NWAC did a pretty good job for scenario creation because everything was saved to an *.XML that a user could manipulate easily with Notepad or other editor. The NWAC system would certainly allow you to do as you describe, switch and randomize the individual units. Here is a partial sample of an NWAC scenario file:
<?xml version=“1.0” encoding=“utf-8”?>
<GameScenario xmlns:xsi=“http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance” xmlns:xsd=“http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema”>
<Alliences>
<GameScenarioAlliance>
<Id>NATO</Id>
<ScenarioPlayers>
<GameScenarioPlayer>
<Id>NATO</Id>
<CountryId>no</CountryId>
<GameDescription> In disputed waters of Barents sea claimed by both Russians and Norwegians new mining facilities have been opened by Statoil. Despite Moscow’s opposition mining operations were launched and first oiler (Sirius Star) departed back to Norway with full belly. As tension grew, assets of naval might have been redirected to vicinity of disputed area by both navies. Now… Russians have intercepted Sirius Star claiming it’s cargo to be their own. Northern Fleet battle groups has been spotted heading northwest from Murmansk to enforce the blockade.</GameDescription>
<GameObjectives>Protect freedom of the seas</GameObjectives>
<IsPlayableAsHuman>true</IsPlayableAsHuman>
<IsCompetitivePlayer>true</IsCompetitivePlayer>
<InitialRulesOfEngagement>FireOnClearedTargets</InitialRulesOfEngagement>
<IsAutomaticallyEngagingHighValueTargets>true</IsAutomaticallyEngagingHighValueTargets>
<IsAutomaticallyEngagingOpportunityTargets>true</IsAutomaticallyEngagingOpportunityTargets>
<IsAutomaticallySettingHighValueDefence>true</IsAutomaticallySettingHighValueDefence>
<IsAllUnknownContactsHostile>false</IsAllUnknownContactsHostile>
<InitialCredits>0</InitialCredits>
<Groups>
<GameScenarioGroup>
<Name>Group 0</Name>
<Units>
<GameScenarioUnit>
<UnitClassId>seaport</UnitClassId>
<UnitName>Sortland</UnitName>
<CarriedUnits>
<GameScenarioCarriedUnit>
<UnitClassId>aw159</UnitClassId>
<UnitCount>4</UnitCount>
<SkillLevel>IncludeAlways</SkillLevel>
<ReadyInSec>0</ReadyInSec>
<WeaponLoad>Naval Strike</WeaponLoad>
<WeaponLoadType>Undefined</WeaponLoadType>
<WeaponLoadModifier>None</WeaponLoadModifier>
</GameScenarioCarriedUnit>
I actually have a maybe 10%-done NWAC random scenario generator. A lot of what I got done was learning spherical geometry and how to pick good starting locations. I back-burnered it because NWAC is much guiltier for not having in-mission saves than, say, Planetary Annihilation (Brian Rubin :P).
This.
Miguel Molina has released a new revision of the Command community scenario pack, the compendium of Command scenarios crafted by the user community. The new release contains nine brand-new scenarios:
DACEX-14, 2014 : Each year the Spanish Air Force organize a multinational air-to-air combat exercise in the Canary Island. In addition to the local fighter squadron based in the Islands and others Spanish squadrons deploying fighters and support assets, several allied and NATO air forces send different aircrafts. You are the Joint Forces Air Component Commander (JFACC) of the Iberian Coalition and have full authority over a complex combined air component to fulfill just one order: to gain air superiority over the Canary Island. Are you up to the task?
Northern Fury 5 – Bardufoss Blues, 1994 : Day two of a new global war. As commander of Allied Forces North, you are re-grouping your surviving units and bringing in new reinforcements as fast as you can get them. Your available aircraft are severely depleted, your pilots are tired, your ground crews are exhausted, your stock of AAW missiles is draining rapidly. Your grudgingly considering a further withdraw of forces to the South. The situation on land is stable, Soviet ground forces have linked up with the airborne forces at Banak but have not proceeded much beyond that. You must inflict damage and slow the Soviet progress.
Northern Fury 5.5 – Trondheim Express, 1994 : The war has already gone badly. You are commander of Allied Forces North, and the situation went from being bad yesterday to disastrous this morning! You staff have focused on re-grouping your surviving units and bringing in new reinforcements as fast as possible. A major Soviet push this morning has forced your air units South, effectively closing Bardufoss, and Tromso, Evenes is still open but barely. Your heavily depleted air units have scrambled back to Bodo where 3 Norwegian and 1 Dutch F-16 squadrons with the F-15s of the US 493rd FS are attempting to hold back hundreds of Soviet A/C. The one bright spot is the arrival of a British Jaguar and 2 USAF F-16 squadrons. The situation on land is equally bad, Soviet ground forces have linked up with the airborne forces at Banak. Airmobile operation NE of Bardufoss this morning seized the passes and dislocated the units there - Bardufoss will fall in the next few hours, it is already under artillery fire. The Maritime situation is improving marginally, the Norwegian Navy has put to sea and STANAVFORLANT is moving to assist. You need to prevent the Soviet amphibious force from reaching Trondheim.
Battle Ocean ‘64 – Baltic Convoy, 1964 : This scenario assumes that an anti-Soviet rebellion erupted in Poland during the summer of 1964.* West Germany has decided to send a convoy with humanitarian aid to the Polish town of Kołobrzeg, currently the only port in Poland under rebel control.* Not surprisingly, the Soviet Union does not want this mission to succeed.
Battle Ocean ‘64 – North Sea ASW, 1964 : This scenario builds off the events in Battle Ocean '64 – Baltic Convoy. West Germany’s decision in August to send a convoy to aid Polish rebels has had results that concern the international community. While the convoy arrived safely, shots were fired by both West Germany and the Soviet Union, and both sides experienced losses. The Soviet Union has denounced West Germany’s action in the Untied Nations, but its attempt to get a resolution for action in the Security Council was promptly vetoed by the United States and the United Kingdom. Less than a week later, a West German submarine on patrol just outside Polish waters was sunk by Soviet destroyers. The submarine had been in international waters, but the Soviets claimed it had made “threatening manuevers” and has refused to discipline the captain for “considering first and foremost the safety of his ship and his crew, and the interests of his country.” NATO countries have warned the Soviet Union that recent events are forcing them to adopt “zero tolerance” policies.* Soviet aircraft violating the airspace of NATO countries, and surface vessels and submarines violating territorial waters of NATO countries, “will be dealt with harshly.”
Battle Ocean ‘64 – Teesport Convoy, 1964 : This scenario is part of the Battle Ocean '64 series.* It assumes a limited “tit for tat” naval war has erupted between the Soviet Union and some of the nations in NATO. At present, the United States is playing a difficult game of diplomacy, talking with the Soviets to prevent escalation, talking to their allies in NATO to assure them that if a larger war erupts, America will stand with them. The events leading up to this scenario begin with a German convoy sending humanitarian aid to rebels in Poland in August.* The convoy came under attack, but arrived in Poland with minimal losses.* Days later, a German submarine was sunk by Soviet forces.* A couple of weeks later, in September, two Soviet submarines discovered off the coast of Scotland were sunk by British forces, which then came under attack by Soviet ships and aircraft.* Both sides have taken losses; both sides have drawn blood. The Soviet Union has stated that the “vicious and barbaric actions of the West will not be tolerated” and has threated to attack British shipping headed for Germany.* The United Kingdom has declared that such actions will be considered “nothing less than an act of war, and while the Soviets should understand we have no intention of threatening their homeland, neither will we accept any nation’s attempt to deny us the freedom of the seas.”
Operation Sombrero de Copa, 2000 : Tensions are mounting again in the Falklands. A British radar station being built on West Falkland and increasing Argentine economic difficulties leads to clashes resuming. But this time Argentina opts to use more covert means –specifically, submarine-delivered commandos - to accomplish its goals.
Operation Slam Gray, 1957 : The Dominican Republic was ruled for many years by a brutal dictator, General Rafael Trujillo. In history, Trujillo was assassinated in 1960. This scenario assumes that the assassination took place in 1957, and that in the chaos that followed a pro-Soviet government came to power in the Dominican Republic. The new government was immediately recognized by the Soviet Union, and rapidly given significant military aid. In accordance with the principles of the Monroe doctrine, the US government considered this an intolerable situation. A small task force centered on the carrier Intrepid is assembled to interdict all Soviet-backed forces in the area.
Jean Moulin Rouge, 1994 : This scenario assumes that tensions increased between France and Colombia in the early 1990s. The main cause is that a number of French fishing boats have not respected restrictions in Colombian fisheries and that France has not responded quickly or harshly enough to this problem to satisfy Colombia.* The problem took a rapid turn for the worse a few weeks before this scenario takes place when a French fishing boat was stopped for an inspection by a Colombian naval patrol boat; somehow, gunfire erupted and in the ensuing battle two French fishermen were killed and two Colombian sailors were seriously injured. Colombia has clamped down on the number of foreign boats allowed to enter its waters and has started aggressively patrolling the entire Caribbean looking for fishing boats engaged in illegal activities. The French government has decided to keep a close watch on Colombian activities in the Caribbean to ensure the safety and free passage of French citizens living and working in the region.
As always, the community scenario pack is available for download at the WarfareSims download section: http://www.warfaresims.com/?page_id=1876
With the new scenario pack release, the total number of released Command scenarios is now 203!
Hmm, I’m not seeing the discount on Steam. Or is it only going to be active when the Christmas sale starts?
The Lua tease is interesting. Looking forward to more info.