An Open Letter To Scenario Designers

[Scorpion86]

Dear Scenario Designers:

STOP MAKING SCENARIOS WITH PRE-EXISTING MISSIONS

Nothing irritates me more than when I open up a scenario and it already has pre-existing missions. Why would you do that? Isn't setting up the missions part of the fun? Isn't tallying up your assets, assessing the most probably axes of threat satisfying? It is!
Stop saving us from the mud of mission planning! We are pigs! We love that mud!
Not to mention, whenever I see pre-made missions, I'm also weary of fucking up something in the mission if I remove them!

Thank you for listening to my ramblings!

[thewood1]

Before every scenario start, I go in and remove any missions I don't want. Takes about five minutes, even in large scenarios.

That gives the best of both worlds for the scenario designer because there are some who want missions pre-populated.

What's with the open letter gig? Can't you just put the actual topic into the thread. Seems a little melodramatic.

[Scorpion86]

Not to mention that some scenarios rigidly define what you must do and when and which path you must follow. That completely negates the appeal of CMANO, which is to define your own path as a great commander! (Hopefully!)
Give us objectives, not instruction manuals!

[thewood1]

I am assuming you haven't read the posts with other players saying that the briefings aren't detailed enough in how to complete objectives.

My suggestion is don't play the scenarios that really seem to be aggravating you. There are hundreds of scenarios to choose from. There have to be quite a few that don't raise you blood pressure.

[DWReese]

Scorpion,

Many times scenarios are built to be played from either side. If all of the missions are eliminated from the sides, then you have no scenario.

Personally, as was suggested, I believe that it just might be best to alter/eliminate any missions from the side that you are playing that you want to eliminate by doing it yourself. Face it, it would be a real boring scenario if no units on either side have any orders. <G>

I do understand your original thought, but I don't think that that is going to actually work out too well.

Doug

[thewood1]

"Many times scenarios are built to be played from either side. If all of the missions are eliminated from the sides, then you have no scenario."

Actually, there is an option to automatically delete the mission is side is human. Its just a checkmark in the editor.

[DWReese]

NSS......As I requested before, please DO NOT RESPOND TO ME ABOUT ANYTHING. I DO NOT WANT TO HEAR ANYTHING FROM YOU.

Talk to anyone else that you want, but don't respond to me, or about me. Pretend that I don't exist and we will be fine. Period!

Doug

[thewood1]

How's the weather

[thewood1]

An easy way to avoid the snowflake trauma of engaging me is to stop posting in threads I am in...oops, sorry, I engaged you again.

I think there is already an ignore button also.

[HalfLifeExpert]

ORIGINAL: DWReese

NSS......As I requested before, please DO NOT RESPOND TO ME ABOUT ANYTHING. I DO NOT WANT TO HEAR ANYTHING FROM YOU.

Talk to anyone else that you want, but don't respond to me, or about me. Pretend that I don't exist and we will be fine. Period!

Doug

You know, you could have just ignored his post...........just saying.....


As for Scorpion's OP:

I doubt you speak for the majority on this, because none of us speak for the majority. Some pre-made missions can be very handy, like pre-made AEW missions.

Some scenarios are built off of total freedom of action, while others strive to simulate an environment of limited options as the commander. It all depends on the scenario design, and I really don't think it's your place to demand all scenario designers scrap pre-made missions for the player.

You can certainly make it known that you would prefer scenarios not have pre-made missions, but you shouldn't be so dramatic as to have "open letter to scenario designers" and "STOP MAKING SCENARIOS WITH PRE-EXISTING MISSIONS"

Also, consider this quote of your's Scorpion:

Not to mention that some scenarios rigidly define what you must do and when and which path you must follow. That completely negates the appeal of CMANO, which is to define your own path as a great commander! (Hopefully!)
Give us objectives, not instruction manuals!

Erm, there are plenty of instances of real commanders in the modern world having to deal with being restrained considerably by their superiors (both military and political leaders), so much of the Vietnam War was like this, so it's hardly unrealistic for the player to be constrained like that in CMANO.



Finally, as wood said, just search out other scenarios, or learn to live with pre-made missions, which I am sure you can safely edit or remove 99% of the time. Is having some missions made for you really that bad?

[Rory Noonan]

I understand this can be irritating; on the other hand just open the mission editor and delete the ones you don't want before starting the scen. Don't even need to open up ScenEdit.

Should take about 10 seconds.

[AlGrant]

Scorpion86
Just to ask .... Are you opening up these scenarios in the Editor or normal gameplay?

If in the Editor then pre-existing mission that are set to 'Scrub mission if side is human' will remain in place, but would be removed in normal gameplay.

[thewood1]

"You know, you could have just ignored his post...........just saying...."

I am assuming he secretly likes engaging me. He just can't bring himself to admit it. Like wiggling a sore tooth.

[Primarchx]

ORIGINAL: apache85

I understand this can be irritating; on the other hand just open the mission editor and delete the ones you don't want before starting the scen. Don't even need to open up ScenEdit.

Should take about 10 seconds.

This is what I usually do. And scrub the map of unwanted RPs.

[thewood1]

I guess that was my point. It is just SOP that look at the missions set up prior to scenario start. I scrub a lot, but usually leave some basic patrols up.

...and I'm talking to you Doug.

[BDukes]

This string weird. Don't peoples make scenario for free?

[Death6]

In Reclaimed Might I used three missions as default helpers for newbies. There is no requirement to have them enabled at all. They are just the basic actions and have no risk of you losing anything. I figured if somebody doesn't want the missions they can just delete them?

I want my scenario's to be approachable by new players. That's why I leave the missions there for some guidance on the playable side.

[BDukes]

ORIGINAL: thewood1

"You know, you could have just ignored his post...........just saying...."

I am assuming he secretly likes engaging me. He just can't bring himself to admit it. Like wiggling a sore tooth.

You like engage him. I see you "I'm talking to you post" got delete.[:)]

Please be nice. It best for all and cost you nothing.

[thewood1]

BDukes, I am not sure what you are on about again. No post got deleted.

[KungPao]

ORIGINAL: Scorpion86

Not to mention that some scenarios rigidly define what you must do and when and which path you must follow. That completely negates the appeal of CMANO, which is to define your own path as a great commander! (Hopefully!)
Give us objectives, not instruction manuals!

Tell that to Lyndon B. Johnson. [8D]