Multi-player campaign mode

[Floyd]

With the released information about new gametypes, I had a thought about the campaign mode.

As BFE and IC and were fairly popular, wouldn't it be nice to have the option to pause the campaign at the end of any given map? And to have the ability to restart the campaign at that point at a later date and time?

Could potentially be a programming nightmare, but an interesting concept none the less, no?

Floyd

 

[Fedorov]

That mode is already like a mini-BFE

If you are thinking about reproducing the BFE with it, it may have some inconveniences. Both systems are very similar, yet incompatible.

In BFE you play 2 maps at a time for 4 hours each, then you play another 2 next week...

In this case you are playing one round in one map and then moving forward...

This also creates the problem of adding custom maps to the campaign.

The only way for this to work would be to make it VERY customizable, and I mean pretty much every aspect of the campaign.

Not totally impossible, but I think it would take a lot of work to make it BFE compatible... we can always count on the mutators though...

BTW, how would the next BFE be called?, BFS? (S standing for Stalingrad)

 

[-[SiN]-bswearer]

i was also thinking IC and BFE when i read about this gametype. it would be perfect to allow server admins control the maps/progression to host a long running tournament, like the past tournaments. also if it could be set that server admins could control the respawn/gametype limits, i.e. whether the play follows the "traditional" reinforcements style, the new countdown, or a strictly one life realism format.

either way this looks very promising to hit home with public campaigns and the realism crowd.

 

[REZ]

Yeah, I can imagine getting geared up to sit down every weekend for a set 3 or even 4 hour game against another clan, complete with consequences for winning and losing areas etc. Tactics really have a chance to blossom when you have more time to work with. Also, having a set amount of resources (men and munitions) helps keep the tactics fluid.

I think this game mode has the potential to be the most popular one for clan play (my opinion, of course). That isnt to say clans wont want to play the short, forced action of Countdown. RO:Ladder could have seperate ladders for each gametype.. seems most logical. The Multiplayer Campaign mode could also be really fun for weekend 'pickup' games between clan members on the ladder.

Saving the game scenario for later play sounds interesting, but I wonder how it would work if you didnt have all of the same guys on the server when you wanted to play the saved game as you did when you saved the game. I guess all you'd be saving is gained/lost areas and resouce counts for both sides. Hrm.

In terms of customs maps being used.. I would think MC (multiplayer campaign) would begin as one very large map that is then sectioned down.. instead of a pile of non-contiguous maps thrown together into a mish-mash campaign, you know? You couldnt take the Erman Workers Settlement and put it next to the Traktorstvia Settlement.. its just too far away and wouldnt make sense. People trying to make custom campaigns would need to keep this in mind.

 

[Reise]

Some sort of elaborate multiplayer "campaign" or linked map system would be excellent. This would be yet another feature that sets RO apart from other war sims.

 

[Xendance]

Some sort of elaborate multiplayer "campaign" or linked map system would be excellent. This would be yet another feature that sets RO apart from other war sims.

Have you even read the news?

 

[Reise]

Yeah yeah lol.

I know games like TF2 and stuff have this, but nothing really comes to mind when I think of games like RO which have this sort of thing.

Heck, Enemy Territory had it to some degree, but it wasn't much more than locations on a map with some vaguely linked areas.

 

[Fedorov]

the best solution would be playing a different campaign map every weekend, so each region, is actually a campaign =P

The problem is that we would need like 200 maps =P

 

[Floyd]

Too many are thinking too literally along the lines of BFE/IC. I used them as examples to get the idea across.

If customizable, the possibilities are endless.
I know its too late into development, but I was thinking along the lines:

• Ability to save and restart:
• Having the same players each restart is not a necessity. That was part of the flavor and fun of IC. Especially for the non-clan types who wanted to get in on some semi-coordinated battles.
• Customizable "hooks" to a large campaign map. ( ie We'll play the following maps as part of the campaign.) Map gets added to the large campaign map.
• Abilty to add "IF/then" to the campaign plan. (If Team A wins Map B, then Map C gets played.)

I think something along those lines would be fun for public tournament play, organized play (BFE/IC) or clan play. I'm not saying it needs to be done by TWI or at game release. But if the hooks were implemented at the start for further development or for custom coders....

I love the multi-player campaign concept and applaud TWI for implementing it.

 

[NoxNoctum]

Just having this on pub servers will be a lot of fun I think. I'm sure we'll see some 24/7 campaign mode servers popping up.