The only way to change the difficulty of campaign maps is by editing the maps
Seriously, you *can* start the campaign with a newly created squad, that's what c1 was created for. Some people seem to find it hard to play. Well, it can't be any harder than a random battle with even odds, since it was built in the following manner:
SLIGHT SPOILER
The campaigns are, in order (buying some time here, in case you want to rethink the spoiler warning)
c1 : Savannah
c2 : Android Rebellion
c3 : The Metaborator
Each map has a difficulty level, shown right after the map's name in the map selection screen. That tells you which player squad average rank the map was designed to be played with.
The map editor allows to either set individual AI jocks to a specific rank or to make the AI's average rank match the player squad's average rank.
The campaign maps were designed combining these 2 options, setting the mandatory AI titans of each map to the map's difficulty level, and any others to match the player. So, for example, c1m1 (map 1 of campaign 1) has say 2 or 3 AI titans set to rookie recons and the other 5 or 6 set to random - this allows you to play this map with your rookie squad but also with any squad of any rank, in which case the 'random' AI titans will match the player's rank.
Now, if you start c1m1 with 3 rookie recons, the AI will face you with 3 rookie recons. So all you have in c1m1 is the same as in a random battle with the AI set to the same rank and with the same tonnage. If you can beat the AI in a random battle, why not in c1m1?!
About making c1 easier, how? The AI is already set to easiest level (there's nothing below rookie...). Unless balance was set to give the player a weight advantage, or editing the AI's titans to make them crummy (it is possible to do both with the map editor, and Eric did the latter in his Deep Core campaign), it is already as easy as it gets.
Plus, the terrain in c1m1 is all in the player's favor. The river is there for a reason. So are the hills.
My advice is the following. Get confortable with the game first (tutorial, random battles). When you are, start a squad of 3 jocks. Start c1 (Savannah). Do not recruit a 4th jock until at least c1m5, or later if things are not going too good - this is assuming a "playing it safe" approach. c1 does have some "room" for 1 or 2 random battles played before or in between the first 4 maps or so, if you want. After finishing c1, play some random maps until your squad gets to c2's required rank. Same for c3.
Remember, keep your eyes on the map's objective. Some maps do not require you to disable all opposition, but rather use speed and/or cunning.
As to the mission maps, they are loose maps, which you can play whenever you feel like it (between campaigns), and the squad matches their required rank. They may or may not have the same AI definition style as the campaign maps - meaning, an elite map may have all 8 AI titans set to elite or only a few and the others set to random for balancing purposes in case you use a squad with a rank different from the required.
Now, the problem may also be one of strategy, or tactics. There are a few threads in this forum that address these.
Just as a finishing note, it's perfectly possible to recruit a 4th jock for c1m4, and not worry about money. A veteran player can do this. A rookie player may not, but let's remember that veteran players will also want to play the campaigns. And rookie players will eventually become vets. IMO it's better campaigns being a little difficult than being too easy - in this case, their replay value is greatly diminished.
Comments/oppinions? Sorry for the long post.
