Designing Campaigns
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Dragoon 45
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Designing Campaigns
Has anyone written a good nuts and bolts of how to design a campaign? Not the historical background research or map design, but how to actually put the campaign together in the campaign editor. I have looked through the game manual and there is little actual help there.
Artillery always has the Right of Way
RE: Designing Campaigns
I have a very good document Warhorse wrote on editing campaigns.
perhaps it may be of some help
if you would like to see it
let me know I can email to you.
perhaps it may be of some help
if you would like to see it
let me know I can email to you.
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Dragoon 45
- Posts: 434
- Joined: Tue Aug 10, 2004 2:57 am
RE: Designing Campaigns
Please do. Dragoon_45@cox.net Thank you.
ORIGINAL: Alby
I have a very good document Warhorse wrote on editing campaigns.
perhaps it may be of some help
if you would like to see it
let me know I can email to you.
Artillery always has the Right of Way
RE: Designing Campaigns
"No other troops in the world but German paratroops could have stood up to such an ordeal and then gone on fighting with such ferocity" — Field Marshal Alexander.
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FlashfyreSP
- Posts: 1192
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RE: Designing Campaigns
The toughest part of designing a campaign, from my experience, has always been the layout of the scenarios themselves. Plotting and planning the sequences, debating whether or not to have any branches, deciding on the core force and what types of battles to design for, these are all preliminary steps before you enter the Campaign Editor. Once I have a basic outline of the campaign "thread", I usually start designing the introductory scenario. Using the core force I intend to recommend, I build the first map and battle. Once tested and refined, I move on to the rest of the battles. In each case, I always use the same core force structure, even if it means changing the date to purchase "older" equipment. This keeps the same "unit structure" consistent, and prevents any accidental adding of units to a scenario.
Once all the scenarios are done and tested for individual playability, then comes the task of "plotting" them into a campaign structure. This is the easy part; open an empty campaign slot in the editor, select each "node" and pick the scenario to fill it. Then set the "node paths", the way in which the scenarios will flow; here is where you have to make some decisions as to what level of victory will move the campaign forward, and whether or not to penalize the player for a poor performance by repeating a battle or ending the campaign prematurely. This is where your pre-build outline comes into play; if you have plotted out the sequence on paper, you'll already know where to make the branches and loops.
After laying out the flow, the next crucial step is to set the Purchase Points. The Build Point column sets the purchase/repair ability; for the 1st battle, it's the amount the player has to buy his Core Force. For succeeding battles, it's the amount of post-battle rebuilding points. This is a critical spot, because the amounts you set here will determine how easy the player can rebuild his core force and/or upgrade to new equipment. There are times when you may decide that two battles happen too close together, time-wise, to allow re-equipping or repair, so the Build Points should be low or even none; other spots in your campaign timeline may allow for a complete refit of the force involved, so the Build Points should be high. The Support Point column sets the amount of pre-battle support available for each node. Finally, the Reinforcement Points column allows you set an amount of reinforcement points for in-game replacements for the player.
The last steps involve setting the Victory Level points; you decide what each end-result is worth, and what totals will give the various campaign end-results. I usually set the campaign Decisive Victory level to about 3/4ths of the total number of scenarios x the Decisive Victory points for a battle. So, for example, if each DV battle gives 5 points, and there are 12 battles in my campaign, I would set the Campaign DV level to 45 points. This allows the player to have some MVs or Draws and still win a DV for his overall performance. Of course, if there are branches, where additional battles would be played, you may need to increase the Campaign Result levels accordingly.
Then comes the tesing of the campaign as a whole; this is where you will discover whether the point levels are correct, and if the flow works. Also, you may discover that the player's core force improves enough that battles towards the end of the campaign become too easy, and those scenarios will need to be "beefed up" to account for it. I sometimes "boost" the EXP, MOZR, and Skill ratings of the "test core force" units during the individual scenario testing stage, simulating the advancement that occurs during real campaign play.
I'm sure there are a number of things in the design process I've missed, and others will have their own methods and tricks to share as well, but I hope this helps somewhat in explaining the campaign design process.
Once all the scenarios are done and tested for individual playability, then comes the task of "plotting" them into a campaign structure. This is the easy part; open an empty campaign slot in the editor, select each "node" and pick the scenario to fill it. Then set the "node paths", the way in which the scenarios will flow; here is where you have to make some decisions as to what level of victory will move the campaign forward, and whether or not to penalize the player for a poor performance by repeating a battle or ending the campaign prematurely. This is where your pre-build outline comes into play; if you have plotted out the sequence on paper, you'll already know where to make the branches and loops.
After laying out the flow, the next crucial step is to set the Purchase Points. The Build Point column sets the purchase/repair ability; for the 1st battle, it's the amount the player has to buy his Core Force. For succeeding battles, it's the amount of post-battle rebuilding points. This is a critical spot, because the amounts you set here will determine how easy the player can rebuild his core force and/or upgrade to new equipment. There are times when you may decide that two battles happen too close together, time-wise, to allow re-equipping or repair, so the Build Points should be low or even none; other spots in your campaign timeline may allow for a complete refit of the force involved, so the Build Points should be high. The Support Point column sets the amount of pre-battle support available for each node. Finally, the Reinforcement Points column allows you set an amount of reinforcement points for in-game replacements for the player.
The last steps involve setting the Victory Level points; you decide what each end-result is worth, and what totals will give the various campaign end-results. I usually set the campaign Decisive Victory level to about 3/4ths of the total number of scenarios x the Decisive Victory points for a battle. So, for example, if each DV battle gives 5 points, and there are 12 battles in my campaign, I would set the Campaign DV level to 45 points. This allows the player to have some MVs or Draws and still win a DV for his overall performance. Of course, if there are branches, where additional battles would be played, you may need to increase the Campaign Result levels accordingly.
Then comes the tesing of the campaign as a whole; this is where you will discover whether the point levels are correct, and if the flow works. Also, you may discover that the player's core force improves enough that battles towards the end of the campaign become too easy, and those scenarios will need to be "beefed up" to account for it. I sometimes "boost" the EXP, MOZR, and Skill ratings of the "test core force" units during the individual scenario testing stage, simulating the advancement that occurs during real campaign play.
I'm sure there are a number of things in the design process I've missed, and others will have their own methods and tricks to share as well, but I hope this helps somewhat in explaining the campaign design process.
RE: Designing Campaigns
since a campaign can be thought at least as a serie of linked scenarios, I remember Daddy Wild Bill - one of the living legends in Spwaw community - wrote a very interesting tutorial that somehow also puts the standards about designign scenarios.
Unfortunately I am not sure where I can find out links about this.
But I am sure someone else could help.
Unfortunately I am not sure where I can find out links about this.
But I am sure someone else could help.
Italian Soldier,German Discipline!
RE: Designing Campaigns
Thanks Alby.
Francois
Francois
RE: Designing Campaigns
Thanks Ruxius! How nice to see you here!
The manual itself offers good instructions both in scenario and in campaign design. Flashfyre has done a good job of laying out the details of choice.
Designing a good campaign is not easy. It requires many hours of research, editing and testing of the scenarios. You really should try to make it a team effort. Find you some folks who can help you with the testing.
You will learn as you go. My advice now as always is, START SMALL. Whether a scenario or a campaign, start small. Your first effort should be a campaign of three or so scenarios.
Once you have done that, you should have enough experience to begin doing branching scenarios that can take the player in a number of directions.
As has been said, each one has his own way of doing things. My ways may differ in part from others but do it the way you feel the most comfortable.
Wild Bill
The manual itself offers good instructions both in scenario and in campaign design. Flashfyre has done a good job of laying out the details of choice.
Designing a good campaign is not easy. It requires many hours of research, editing and testing of the scenarios. You really should try to make it a team effort. Find you some folks who can help you with the testing.
You will learn as you go. My advice now as always is, START SMALL. Whether a scenario or a campaign, start small. Your first effort should be a campaign of three or so scenarios.
Once you have done that, you should have enough experience to begin doing branching scenarios that can take the player in a number of directions.
As has been said, each one has his own way of doing things. My ways may differ in part from others but do it the way you feel the most comfortable.
Wild Bill
In Arduis Fidelis
Wild Bill Wilder
Independent Game Consultant
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DoubleDeuce
- Posts: 1236
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RE: Designing Campaigns
One of the hardest parts I have is finding the best setting for the purchase/build points in between scenarios of the campaign. Newer players benefit from higher # of points but it makes veterans feel it makes the campaign too easy. [&:]
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PimpYourAFV
- Posts: 581
- Joined: Thu Sep 29, 2005 11:49 pm
- Location: Japan
RE: Designing Campaigns
We need more custom campaigns cause there are so few compared to the many scenarios. Well, the scenarios are very good of course but it's fun to put together our own battlegroup and try and get some experience. I like playing the same campaign twice using the units of a different nation which is allied to the one recommended.
RE: Designing Campaigns
It's better to say ME, I am happy to still find you around here Daddy WB!!!!
[&o]
Not sure about this but some voices talk about the idea of giving Spwaw a new birth, with many more features....and that only means new chances for your wonderful campaigns!
[:D]
Hold on and if you can talk to David Heath, don't forget to ask for many many new features for a campaign designer.
Your ask by your experience should become a must!
[;)]
TokyoBoy there is a gap between campaign and scenarios in my opinion that is yield to concept of core forces. I tried so far to advice for splitting units from maps. That would allow to manage the same core force importing it from battles to battles. Simply introducing Percentage Modifiers for classes (arty,armor,infantry etc.) could have helped designers to influence the player how to pick from a starting core force throurough the whole campaign.
Unfortunately there were so many things to do, and Spwaw was so intricated that Combat Leader was thought to be a new game from scratch.
The project was stopped and now we only have voices. Once a new project starts again we may hope for enhanced feature in designing campaigns which would help growing user-defined campaigns.
Who designed campaigns in the past knows the many issues that could be improved.
In the meanwhile Tokyoboy.....there are not so many campaigns from Japan side...
being Wild Bill a mile stone of knowledge in the Pacific war.....why not start studying about that ?
[&o]
Not sure about this but some voices talk about the idea of giving Spwaw a new birth, with many more features....and that only means new chances for your wonderful campaigns!
[:D]
Hold on and if you can talk to David Heath, don't forget to ask for many many new features for a campaign designer.
Your ask by your experience should become a must!
[;)]
TokyoBoy there is a gap between campaign and scenarios in my opinion that is yield to concept of core forces. I tried so far to advice for splitting units from maps. That would allow to manage the same core force importing it from battles to battles. Simply introducing Percentage Modifiers for classes (arty,armor,infantry etc.) could have helped designers to influence the player how to pick from a starting core force throurough the whole campaign.
Unfortunately there were so many things to do, and Spwaw was so intricated that Combat Leader was thought to be a new game from scratch.
The project was stopped and now we only have voices. Once a new project starts again we may hope for enhanced feature in designing campaigns which would help growing user-defined campaigns.
Who designed campaigns in the past knows the many issues that could be improved.
In the meanwhile Tokyoboy.....there are not so many campaigns from Japan side...
being Wild Bill a mile stone of knowledge in the Pacific war.....why not start studying about that ?
Italian Soldier,German Discipline!
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Korpraali V
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RE: Designing Campaigns
need your address...LOLORIGINAL: Korpraali V
ORIGINAL: Alby
all emails sent
[:)]
Me too, please. [:)]
[:D]
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Korpraali V
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- Location: Finland