Dark Space Campaign - Brainstorming Settings/Missions

[Sky_216]

Well now I've got a cheap (use up less file size) and dirty (more files than usual, messy) way of making simple maps, and semesters over in a few days, I figured I'll open this up to suggestions.

Dark Space version 2 is (probably) getting a campaign. The actual missions will be pretty simple, but they'll be lots (got a cheap and dirty way to reduce mission count too though!), and hopefully "branching paths" if I can get my head around some messy scripting. Not sure how the actual campaign interface will go, depends on whats possible and feasible.

The setting for this campaign is the Clone Wars time period, obviously, on many different planets, mostly non-canon, some canon too. Missions will be short (typically only about 10-15 minutes each) and generally simple (will make a few puzzle ones to make things more interesting though).

As for the actual characters and plot of the campaign, you'll have to wait and see. There's an overarching plot already set out, but how linear/connected it is and how it works again depends on scripting and interface. Will tell you this though - none of the playable characters fall into the clones/droids/jedi order categories.


Anyway enough rabbling, here's the brainstorming bit of the thread:

Need two things:

-original Setting ideas. Can be original environment/planet ideas, or canon planets (yes even stock ones). Obviously for small missions don't want something that'll require large amounts of new custom models specific to it.
Also please don't suggest making a mission out of a clone wars episode or comic. not happening.

-Mission ideas. Nothing too complex, but doesn't have to limited to go here kill that either. Max a couple of objectives per mission. Eg1. Capture a cp from enemy forces, Hold it until reinforcements arrive. Eg2. Steal battle plans from enemy base, return them to our base. Eg3. Infiltrate an enemy bunker system, sabotage power generator.

[Nihillo]

I always liked beachhead missions, with a team invading from the sea and trying to make their way through a heavily fortified beach, these can be very intense and exciting.
The objectives would be kinda like...
1.Make your way through the beach and secure command post X and/or Y.
2.Destroy enemy gun emplacements to allow reinforcements to land.
-plot twist: an unexpected threat appears (such as a Homing Spider Droid or some very powerful hero support class from your mod) and starts decimating your team-
3.Eliminate new threat.
-enemy forces retreat-
4.Take down X number of enemies while they are on the run.

The planet could be anything you want, although personally I think it would be cool if it looked very exotic and alien (like Felucia), just to make things look fresh (since the mission idea itself isn't all that original).

[Maveritchell]

Dark Space version 2 is (probably) getting a campaign. The actual missions will be pretty simple, but they'll be lots (got a cheap and dirty way to reduce mission count too though!), and hopefully "branching paths" if I can get my head around some messy scripting. Not sure how the actual campaign interface will go, depends on whats possible and feasible.

This is a big warning sign to me. I think you have both the capability and tenacity to follow through with whatever you plan, but if you don't have a working implementation (or at least a small-scale mock-up), you may end up grinding your gears for a while and wasting time and effort.

I know I've talked with you in PM about some of my plans, and while I am still working on that, my first step was getting done the "how" of the actual setup. After I took care of that, then I moved on to everything else.

I'm not saying you can't do it the way you are doing it now, but I don't think it's necessarily wise to create the body of the car before you make the engine.

[Sky_216]

Dark Space version 2 is (probably) getting a campaign. The actual missions will be pretty simple, but they'll be lots (got a cheap and dirty way to reduce mission count too though!), and hopefully "branching paths" if I can get my head around some messy scripting. Not sure how the actual campaign interface will go, depends on whats possible and feasible.

This is a big warning sign to me. I think you have both the capability and tenacity to follow through with whatever you plan, but if you don't have a working implementation (or at least a small-scale mock-up), you may end up grinding your gears for a while and wasting time and effort.

I know I've talked with you in PM about some of my plans, and while I am still working on that, my first step was getting done the "how" of the actual setup. After I took care of that, then I moved on to everything else.

I'm not saying you can't do it the way you are doing it now, but I don't think it's necessarily wise to create the body of the car before you make the engine.

No I certainly see your point. Talked to Zerted about it a bit, said he might be able to help out with the scripting stuff june-july. If not I'll simplify it, either to a linear campaign or just a set of campaign mission playable from IA grouped together.
But yeah wanted to get started on making the actual content as well... no matter what happens with the interface stuff it should still be (with adjustments) useable.

I always liked beachhead missions, with a team invading from the sea and trying to make their way through a heavily fortified beach, these can be very intense and exciting.
The objectives would be kinda like...
1.Make your way through the beach and secure command post X and/or Y.
2.Destroy enemy gun emplacements to allow reinforcements to land.
-plot twist: an unexpected threat appears (such as a Homing Spider Droid or some very powerful hero support class from your mod) and starts decimating your team-
3.Eliminate new threat.
-enemy forces retreat-
4.Take down X number of enemies while they are on the run.

The planet could be anything you want, although personally I think it would be cool if it looked very exotic and alien (like Felucia), just to make things look fresh (since the mission idea itself isn't all that original).

Like beachhead maps too...one of first maps i made (didn't release) was a beachhead map. Objective set sounds good and easy to do, so that's nice. As for setting idea...hmmm. Just a random question, agree with exotic, but any particular colour theme you'd like to see?

[Nihillo]

Just a random question, agree with exotic, but any particular colour theme you'd like to see?

Hmm, maybe tones of blue, and for the artifical structures you could use a sterile color; beige or white, something like that.

[Fluffy_the_ic]

I've always loved a sabotage-style mission in video games. Like, take down a few key points in an enemy defensive grid or summin to open up the battle to the rest of your troops or to allow entry to a certain point. Maybe in some sort of space station style place.
Like,
1: Infiltrate Point X
2: Blow up generator/whatever
3: Rinse and repeat a couple times, but with enemy and location variation
4: Infilrate main base and destroy it from the inside out (or) Capture main base and hold the position until reinforcements arrive, then destroy enemy forces.

That type thing. A good environment for that would be on some sort of droid production facility in the middle of a desert, forest, or city or on a space station.

[Sky_216]

Not a bad idea, space station is possible if i get a certain modelling project (modular space station components) done.

Btw guys, you seem to be assuming the characters in this will be fighting for the Republic.

[sim-al2]

Droid missions? Honestly, I've never seen campaign missions that you play as a droid. But I like the idea of infiltrating a base and sabotaging it or stealing data of some kind and escaping.

Edit: I just noticed the little bit in the first post about the not falling into any categories, so no droids I guess.

[Nihillo]

I was assuming we would play as mercenaries working for either the Confederacy or the Republic. If we are mercenaries working for the Confederacy, then that's awesome, I love it when games let you play as the 'bad guys'; and if we are working for some unknown third party (pirates?) then that's also great.

Either way, I'm sure it will be interesting.

[DarthD.U.C.K.]

i agree with the "bad guys"
however playing as such wouldnt have much impact on the gameplay, you shoot at pretty much everything that moves anyway

i would like to see a "fresh" (not meaning that nobody may have done such campaigns before) camapaign like:
a "big" natural envirnomant you have to discover alone
a big battle between two fractions but you are in none of them and have objectives like steal smething in the heat of the battle
or a battle where you are in the gunner position in the vehicle and have to kill enemys while it walks/flys/hovers

[GangsterJawa]

Well, as a 3rd party idea here, since I really don't play anymore, what if in the first few missions, you play as a band of mercenaries fighting for the Republic, until a traumatic event (attack of home planet, loss of team to friendly fire, dissension in the group, etc) happens, and they defect to the CIS? That way you get to play as both.

[Nihillo]

a "big" natural envirnomant you have to discover alone
a big battle between two fractions but you are in none of them and have objectives like steal smething in the heat of the battle
or a battle where you are in the gunner position in the vehicle and have to kill enemys while it walks/flys/hovers

Good ideas! A vehicle based mission where you must clear your way through a battlefield and steal something would be neat, but the featured vehicle would have to be a light walker (meaning not an AT-AT, AT-TE or Homing Spider Droid) or maybe a speeder of some sort... maybe a starfighter!

[Sky_216]

or a battle where you are in the gunner position in the vehicle and have to kill enemys while it walks/flys/hovers

definitely doing that, only difference is it'll technically be an animated turret rather than a vehicle.

[Deviss]

maybe kill a VIP kept by magnaguards?

[DarthD.U.C.K.]

good idea, or you would have to save the vip from the guards after you've freed him/it/her
(just like in RC)

[inky]

or a battle where you are in the gunner position in the vehicle and have to kill enemys while it walks/flys/hovers

definitely doing that, only difference is it'll technically be an animated turret rather than a vehicle.

You could do something like Mav did in that second Rebel Ops Mission where you have to neutralize? 4 thingies in this reactor or something like that. I havn't played that in a while.

Maybe you could play as pirates in the campaign? Andsteal spices for various Hutts?

[Eggman]

or a battle where you are in the gunner position in the vehicle and have to kill enemys while it walks/flys/hovers

definitely doing that, only difference is it'll technically be an animated turret rather than a vehicle.

I was going to make that suggestion as well. I've wanted to make a mission like that for a while, but haven't gotten around to it. It would be pretty simple in the basic setup, but the end result would be much more cinematic than normal gameplay since so much of it would be controlled through animations.

As for environments, one idea I've had bouncing around my head recently but haven't put together would be a map centered around a large waterfall (or multiple large waterfalls) in some way.

[lucasfart]

maybe kill a VIP kept by magnaguards?

That seems like a bit of a copy off Mav's one, and although Sky can use it if he wants, i don't really enjoy things that aren't unique, besides it was Mav's idea first

What i'd really like to see would be an assault map where you have to take over an enemy base bit by bit. Eg. take out communications/other stuff, move in, finish off the enemy. I always find stuff like that really fun...

[Sky_216]

maybe kill a VIP kept by magnaguards?

That seems like a bit of a copy off Mav's one, and although Sky can use it if he wants, i don't really enjoy things that aren't unique, besides it was Mav's idea first

While I'd be the first to admit I've "borrowed" quite a few of Mav's ideas, calling that Mav's idea is just plain silly. "Kill an elite unit defended by other units" is hardly original, me and several other people suggested it (think I reffered to it as assassination), Bf0 uses it for the zero squad missions. Mav is just (afaik) the first one to implement it as a seperate mode.

[SAMofBIA]

a big battle between two fractions but you are in none of them and have objectives like steal smething in the heat of the battle
or a battle where you are in the gunner position in the vehicle and have to kill enemys while it walks/flys/hovers

i have always wanted to be in an LA-AT's passenger area while its flying and have a mounted, extremely powerful chaingun (or like the z-16 or whatever its called) on the side that you could enter or exit whenever you wanted. your objectives would be raining absolute hell onto thousands of battledroids (literally) that are shooting at you from several different points on an upgraded Utapau or something. (like one with more than just one level of buildings). you would be flying in the passenger position the whole time while an (expert) AI flies you to several possible landing zones. when you land you get off with several elite AI partners (meaning they wont die instantly) and your ship takes off behind you and is shot down (or just randomly explodes). you fight through some waves of enemies and eventually assualt a grevious thats better than the normal shipped one.

and if nothing i just said is even remotely possible, just totally discard everything i just said.
(this would be kind of like Maverithell's WAVE mode)