Something special

[Trapper]

Lately I've stumbled about this homepage http://www.jonas-kyratzes.net/
He offers four freeware adventures over there.

Why am I posting this on OFPEC?
The games are short and simple but extraordinary in my opinion. Mostly because of the script. I believe they're very interesting and an inspiration for sophisticated OFP mission designers. They show how much immersion is possible with a simple engine over the duration of an average OFP mission.

Well, these games are even more polished than ARMA 1.02...   

[macguba]

I haven't had the chance to follow up these games but it sounds interesting, Trapper, so I'll call this thread on-topic and let it run.

Keep it related to OFP/ArmA please people.

[Baddo]

Hi friends

Just finished Last Rose In a Desert Garden and I must say wow! I was sucked right in so that I just had to finish it to hear the whole story. Simple but very effective indeed.

Yes you are right, this is what we should see in OFP/ArmA scene too. I am rather disappointed with the single player missions I've played in ArmA 1.04, they are far, far away from Last Rose In a Desert Garden when it comes to immersion and to the will of completing the mission.

Anyone is able to slap objects into the playground in OFP/ArmA and write a few lines of scripting code to make a mission. I think most of the missions people have published are exactly that kind of missions; quickly made with not much deep thoughts about the story. Nothing wrong with many of such missions, sometimes it's good to just go there and shoot around without having to think too much about it but those missions lack something to create a unique experience. There are only a very few missions made for OFP which I have truly enjoyed and I think most of them are FDF Mod missions. It's no wonder because that's where I can relate myself the best, weapons are what I have hold in my hands, when I fire RK-62 I feel like it's the real thing etc., it all adds up hugely to the immersion factor. The reader of the story must feel that he is part of the story, he must be able to relate himself to the story or to the characters in the story. Must be able to "feel" what the characters feel in the story. Then we might have a superb mission at hands. The best books I have read have been exactly like that, they take me to such an emotional imagination ride that time and pages just flows by when I'm reading. Dostojevski as one example of such writer, with his masterpiece Crime and Punishment. That book takes me so deep into the main characters mind that it's almost scary.

Thanks for the link, Trapper.

Baddo

[Trapper]

We should take into account that this guy is a writer, too. Still he would have to addapt to the ArmA engine like every mission designer here.
After you've had a fair look at the borders and freedom of the engine with the creation of your first shoot-out-missions, you're ready to write down the plot for a high-quality mission. Sounding out what's possible to implement within the borders and what ideas to change while maintaining the overall idea of your creation.
I think your own original, "overall idea" is the key. Not forcing something that inspired you exactly into the engine without considering what is challenging fun when playing OFP/ArmA. I think that's the reason why it's never the Black Hawk Down Mod's which are successfull, while beeing eagerly awaited and pushed by peoples not knowing much about the designing for a any game.

ArmA Spoiler:
Beside all the bugs and flaws, cheating through and depboing reveals the same superb script of the previous two BIS Campaigns:
Death of the interviewed soldier, war crimes of the EDIT:RACS and their hushed attack on US units, hints about the final reaction of the US goverment (assassination of the King IIRC).
It's a shame that BIS only cared about their payed Beta test phase this time, ignoring everything else.