(Review Completed) [SP] Operation Backstab

[mathias_eichinger]

Hi here is another SF mission from me, this time on the SLA side. 

Mission Info:

Mission: Operation Backstab
Version needed: ArmA 1.08
Type: Single Player only
Teamswitch : No
Island: Sara
Mission by: Mathias Eichinger
Mission Version: 1.1 (Final)


A little about the mission:

This mission is a SF mission where the player takes the role of a Especas soldier. Alternatively to the original campaign,
the RACS manage to make a stand and stop the SLA offensive at Corazol by throwing everything they have. This is the oppurtunity for the SLA to exploit weaknesses in the rear area and wreak havoc behind enemy lines...



Update

Mission has been updated, incorporating all of Glieovic`s helpful suggestions. The helicopter should not be a showstopper anymore, so any testers are free to discover the twists and turns of the mission. 
Many thanks to Glie for his most helpful criticism!

Update 2

Mission has been updated again, incorporating most of the suggestions from Relikki and Bardosy.

Update 3

Reworked with Johnnyboys suggestions, Objective #1 is now much harder to me. Corrected the missing Addon, Mission is addon-free.

Update 4

Further refined the mission, using LCDs suggestions.

Update 5

Took care of the potential showstopper that Bardosy pointed out and cannot think of another one. Missing link is working too. As the mission has been well liked in its Beta stage I hereby ask for a review. 



Thank you!

Mathias

[Gielovic]

Hey mathias, my opinion about Operation Backstab

Package
Contains everything i need

Overview
good

Intro
try to preload the camera as i missed a lot of textures
the idea and story is clear

Briefing
You aren't that DEEP behind the frontline
typo: then --> the (next enemy gun)
Ranks are all private ( i'm special force)
my teammates are recruits (should be experts)
weapon selection is good

Mission
First of all, I miss a kompass and watch. I started flying around, some music would be nice untill the moment you touch the ground. I moved in on the boats and me and my team simply shot the guards which are a bit too static. Let them walk around a bit of keep them talking. Also the searchlights can be moved (there is a script for this from mr murray). I layed down two explosives and moved away to the south (bad choice). My team got killed by the reinforcements from the town (i thought everything was put at Corazol, so there are a bit too much reinforcements in my opinion). The first objective didn't tick off. But because the game did save i assume i made it. I called the chopper some times which was shot down. Then i got this crazy idea of swimming north again and call the chopper there.
I was even further north than the insertion-zone so i called the chopper. While it was landing (worked, quite slowly though) i was shot at. When i entered the chopper didn't want to lift off. Here the chopper started to annoy me and i decided to write down my thoughts.
I still saw the mission update which is cool, so i know i wasn't at the end.
The chopper really messes things up right now, i got a few solutions
1. Make it work correct (obvious)
2. Why not calling a boat (the enemy boats are down anyway)
3. If the chopper is down there has to be an alternative, like hide somewhere in a shed or move back to the base by yourseld (steal a car or whatever). Right now i got stuck because the M113's (two of them that also didn't move to Corazol) shot my chopper from +500 metres.  You could still activate the General objective so if someone wants to walk he can still do it (should not be based on entering the chopper maybe??). But if you decide not too you hide somewhere.

Outro
Didn't complete the mission

Conclusion
I enjoyed the mission idea and backgroundstory. The insertion could use some ambience, and so is the base. The reinforcements however (who have too many men in my opinion) are well done. You can see them searching and so are the M113's. The chopper messes things up a bit. And even if you do make it to get in, the M113's shoot you down too easily so you don't have much of a chance. The mission definitely got potential, with some twists in the plan, but needs some other escapes when the chopper failes, and needs some overal ambience (night setting is great though).

Looking forward to see a new version, keep up the good work!

[mathias_eichinger]

Hi Gielovic, thanks for your very extensive feedback! 

But I have a few further questions.
- Did the game save when you entered the chopper? The second objective (General) was activated as you write.
- Do you think the responsibility of choosing your own evac place and landing place is too complicated and frustrating?

I cannot let the chopper out of the mission because it is central to the second objective which is a race against time, so to speak (don`t want to spoil the rest of the mission).

Many thanks

Mathias

[Gielovic]

Okay i understand your chopper point.
In that case you're right on the second point, because when you walk north too evacuate you almost certainly get shot by the armor.
When you go south it's possible the chopper gets shot down even before landing. So perhaps it's easier to have a fixed position and less air defence, or mark a kind of 'safe' zone where you have little chance the chopper gets shot at.

 The game did save when the second objective activated.

Giel

[mathias_eichinger]

Hi folks!

New version is up, please check the first post.

Cheers

Mathias

[Rellikki]

Package
It has everything it needs. The promo pic looks kinda stretched though and readme lacks of contact details.
Otherwise it seems fine.

Overview
Again, the picture looks kinda stretched, but not as much as the promo pic in the package. Otherwise the overview
is fine. Nice and short description of the mission.

Intro
Nice fighting scenes. For some little eye candy, you should add some little covers for the soldiers - jeep wrecks,
etc. You should also use the prepareCamera command to avoid the LOD bugs. Those appeared at every scene on the
intro.

Briefing
Pretty straightforward briefing, my favorite format. No spelling mistakes or grammar issues found. Also some good
weapon options in the gear selection, but you should have told more about the Coastal Armada in the briefing, so I
could have known how to prepare myself.

Mission
I armed me and my team with AK-74 PSO's AKSU's and RPG's. I also took a few satchel charges with me.
We landed and engaged an enemy landrover who came to our position. I took the landrover, drived it north of the
docks and shot all the enemy personnel with the M2 MG with the help of my team mates. I then destroyed the boats
with the MG.
This part was kinda confusing. I first thought I could set the LZ at this point for the chopper to pick us up,
but once I did it, I couldn't set it again to ambush the officer... So I had to retry and call it to the
excraction area and then I set a LZ ahead on the general's path. Took me a few tries. I ambushed him on the windy
road in the desert part of Sahrani. I first thought I had to capture him, but then I found out that I actually
had to kill him. You should be more specific on the objectives.
After I had eliminated him, I didn't get any additional objectives. I boarded the chopper but nothing happened.
I couldn't go on.

Summary
It seemed like an alright mission so far. You should be more specific in the objectives though. Also, some difficulty
around the first objective wouldn't be bad. Maybe add 1-2 M113's around there patrolling?

[bardosy]

Nice intro

Briefing is enough. Thanks for the weapon selection.
I choose silenced AK for every soldiers (medic too). And I filled up their ammo.

The parachute was enemy vehicle (I suggest you to change it east one). We inserted normally and then sneak closer. A jeep come, but we silenced it.
We found a light guards... and we finished them. Maybe one of them recognise us and alarmed the others, because a few squads run for us. We handle them and I put 5 satchels near the boats. In that time I ordere my men to closer to the extraction point. And they found more and more RACS guys.
I sneak at the shoreline and detonate the bombs. An immediate saveGame occured... It got back the enjoy of firework.
A few man was injured, but medic heal them. So I call the chopper. And we secure the LZ. We call it earlyer and I didn't go the green area, sorry. The chopper is come and land normally, but I need a quick extract, but the Mi turned off his engine.

SPOILER!!!

I was lucky, because I had no time to read the other betatest, so I was suprised with the new objective. But me and my men was almost empty. But there is no ammo in the chopper...
So I modified the target of chopper and I try to locate the target of general... Finally I found a good ambush spot next to Somato. And chopper landed (engine still on and Mi was hooverin in the air 1-2m above the ground). My men was stopped and I rent an extra satchel from my men. I put it at the road and when the jeep come, I blow it up. But I can't enjoy the moment, because saveGame stopped the game.
Huh, it was an easy objective and I was happy, because we had no enough ammo.
But I expected a new objective...
When we take off with Mi, I found a new marker on the map, but there is no new objective... So I sent chopper to the base. But a few seconds after, I got the expected order... So I turn where the marker was.
First try: when we are close to the LZ, I order the chopper to land and it started lost his altitude but they turn into a mountain... ((
Second try: we land normally.
I was affraid from the action, because I had only to clips and my men also had no too much. We detect a few soldiers, but they was friendly. I went next to the shed to the officer and he told me the story (absolutly nice: it's completly different, than in Ghost Recon fist episode, when the local guys captured the pilots...)
Fortunately, this action spent for two bullet: one for the left one and one for the right one. Mission complete.

Short outro

Overal:
This is a good mission, if you have not too much time to reload a lot of times. It was not too hard and absolutely enjoyable! I like the surprise too... Good job, Mathias!


Problems:
1., Once the chopper is landed completly (engine off), it was weird, because I needed a quick extract... Then, when I tried to stop the general, the chopper not turn off the engine...
2., Link to Bajo Valor not works in the Briefing
3., Mark Bajo Valor apeared earlyer then the order...

Suggestions:

1., The saveGames occured too soon. Leave 3-4 seconds after explositions and then save the game
2., At the post, is it possible to sign to the player, that the alarm is ringing... I mean, you alarmed the RACS when they detect us, right? It could be grate some alarm ring or a light rocket (you can get it from Mission Capriccio )
3., Is it posible to make simple the heli-command system: I mean to unify the "make LZ" and "Go to LZ" commands? When the player mapClick to designate the LZ, the helo start go there...
4., A light (not too heavy) AA defence for South Sahrani Airport...? I was flyght over it, and it was very peaceful. It's a war man! The player has to make alternate ways and go home over the sea, not over the front... (A shilke could be too hard, but what if, if the chopper is in the 200m radius of Airport and/or Capital, a Mando AA missile will shot down?
5., Add ammo and satchel (maybe weapons) to the chopper...
6., Eyecandy: some repetable explosition at Corazol? From the chopper it could be see like a war...
7., Link the target of the general in the briefing! I was lucky, because I made a mission a few month ago there, but it was a small village and very hard to find it.

[mathias_eichinger]

Hi Relikki and Bardosy, many thanks for your extensive and helpful reports.

But this leaves a few editing questions/comments on my side:

1. There is a prepareCamera and preloadCamera order. How do these work? Do you need them both? If one uses preloadCamera, how do I get the desired X,Y,Z-Position?
2. The Chopper obviously lands with the "LAND" command. Is there a way to keep its engine running?
3. There are 2 empty marker types, neither which is working with "setMarkerType" command, or I am missing something here? I just want to let the Bajo Valor marker disappear in first place and change it to "Target" or something similar once you cross the front.
4. When I fiddled around with the helo command system, I found it impossible to join the "Set LZ" and "Move to LZ" command into one radio command. If anyone is interested, I can post my the little test mission for that system tough.

Thanky mates!

Mathias

[bardosy]

2., If I know correctly.... "GET IN"  Usage:  chopper land "GET IN"
3., Errr... If I remember, Bajo Valor marker was invisible before I kill the general. But I saw it, when Mi was take off with me (before crossing the border): I saw a bold, red arrow pointing down (south) on the map where bajo valor is... Maybe it was changed to objective, when I cross the border.... But I didn't understand what is the bold, red arrow.
4., I trust you...

[mathias_eichinger]

Bump!

Just updated my mission to the second Revision after the helpful comments from Relikki and Bardosy!
Please test it and let me know how you like this little, not-too-hard mission. 

Cheers

Mathias

[johnnyboy]

Hello Mathias, here's my report:

Briefing:  One spelling error:  "cormrade" should be "comrade"

Intro:
- Text very good for explaining background.
- Scenes could be more interesting though.
- One soldier on bridge fires pointblank into armored vehicle immediately in front of him.  Maybe move hiim to his left so he is faiming past the vehicle.

Briefing:
- Very clean and informative.
- Map has just the right amount of markers.  Well communicated, and not to busy.
- I took the default silenced weapon plus an rpg.  Selected PSO for another guy, and an rpg for another guy.

Mission:
- First object seemed a bit too easy.  I hugged the shore, and then sniped away at the enemy with almost no return fire from them.  See first screenshot to see my position.  The soldiers were running around, and some toward me, but they were easy to pick off.
- Searchlight gunners act too dumb.  I know this is not your fault, just ARMA AI.  But I think you should have the searchlight guys abandon the searchlight if you are too close, and their nearby friends are dead.  It seems too dumb for them to point a light at you from 10 meters, and let you shoot them.
- Destroyed all the boats with rpgs and satchels, they burn pretty with NVGs on.    See screenshot 2.
- Drove to extract point and called heli.  It worked fine, but took off too soon, so I had to tell him to land twice.  Note: I have no experience with heli scripts, so I can't offer any advice.
- Liked the second objective alot, with tracking script.  Moved heli past first town, and set it down.  Move to road.  Had an AI place a satchel, but the car was too close, and passed over it before I could react.  We shot them though instead.
- Boarded heli for return trip, and set the final LZ.  Unfortunately the pilot flew to close to airfield, and we took fire.  I bailed out, and chopper was killed.
- I guess the trick here is to direct the chopper to a few different points so you avoid the enemy areas.   It is too late for me to try this again tonight though. 
- I did try to finish on foot.  I ran back to generals car, and tried to drive it home.  I noticed that the map seems completely deserted at this point.  I think there should be a few patrols on the roads and a few soldiers in the towns.  Just in case people (like me) try to finish the mission in a way you did not intend.   A few more sodiers and patrols might also make it more interesting/difficult to complete second objective.  I thought it would be interesting to have to cross the bridge to the north, or steal a boat to get home.  But I wrecked the car and got killed before i got there.
- I really liked the moving marker for the General by the way.

Anyway, this was a fun mission.  But it seems like the first objective was just too easy, at least from the point where I decided to sit and snipe with silenced weapon.

Keep up the good work.  I'll have to try again when I get back from vacation.

Take care,

Johnnyboy

[bardosy]

Link to Bajo Valor still not working (cannot find the typo or whatever).

Bah...    I had the same problem. But I thought it was just in 1.05.... and 1.08 fixed it.
My problem was: in the first link in every briefing was not linked (no syntax error, just didn't work)

Unfortunately the pilot flew to close to airfield, and we took fire.

YEAH! 


OK. I'll try to test it at weekend.
BTW: Johnnyboy, have a nice vacation!!! (by MTB?)

[mathias_eichinger]

Another Update!

Many thanks to Johnnyboy for his extensive test, hope this Update is in time for Bardosy's test.


Have Fun

Mathias

[mathias_eichinger]

Hi again!

Sorry to the people who have downloaded Rev3 already, it had I missing addon which I deleted. Shouldn`t have rushed the release before my final exam at the university.
The mission works now and is ready for testing.

Thank you for your time1

Mathias

[LCD]

hope u did well in ur exam nywayz good luck

now 4 da mision

package

1) shud thank beta testers in da readme

overview
1) add a border 2 da picture

Intro
1) it seems deres a (Very quick) black in effect just some seconds after start of mision
2) same thing b4 da end.. it seems it blacks out nmd returns 2 da cam...

Brief
1) briefing is basic... clear nd informative but no extra info at all... cud have lot more added around if u want (background story/enemy forces/sitrep/everything )
2) da notes part were u explain how 2 use da choper... u say when in veteran mode ? seems 2 work good on regular mode too
3) have da medics starting weapon also silenced... no sense in sending him w/ a regular AR
4) add callsign 2 players group... da radio msgs look beter dat way

Mision
1) at da start we start in paras... but dere is no choper/plane droping us off... u shud have 1 flying away from mision area
2)mebe add a retry point near geraldo as da way towards there is pretty eventless... no need 2 repeart it more dan 1ce if u use vet mode nd is limited 2 1 save
3) have da alarm sound whenever 1 of da searchlights dies (i killed da operator nd no1 cared)
4) da patrols around shud b on limited speed... will look beter (no1 wud run like dat... just 4 regular duty patrol...)
5) u shud lock da boats... right now i cud just climb into em
6) i also used johnnyboys tactic (move on da sealine...) i sniped 3 soldiers nd da rest didnt detect me... but i like it dat deres a sneaky way 2 do da mision
7) some enemies get in da water after da alarm is sound (i went in undetected but was detected on da way out...) shud probably script a script dat will return deir weapon to them
dere shud b some radio between player nd HQ when da boats blow up nd just da tick near da objective in da briefing
9) have some time between da radio chatters when player nd choper talk 2 each other
10) give da choper a callsign
11) u shud give da choper a higher flyinhigh... i was flying on x4 speed nd it crashed into a mountain
12) u shud realy improve da choper script thingy... im not sure exactly wat u can do but w/ some work it cud b awesome
13) mebe have some more stuff goin on in da cities around da island... even if player wont get 2 it... it cud b nice scenery from da choper (cars moving around... civies... soldiers...)
14)dere shud b some beefing 2 da soldiers around da gen... right now its way 2 easy 2 kill him.. we shot da jeep couple of times nd da gen climbed out so i killed him (da jeep driver took da jeep nd run away...) u shud at least have some body guards in jeep so every1 climbs out nd try 2 return fire
15) dere shud b retry pos b4 me goin 2 bajo valor
16) in da brieinfg u shud mention dat da pilots took hostages (reword objective...)
17) da link 2 bajo valor doesnt work (da objective has a link 2 marker)
18) some more scenery in valor cud b nice (mostly civil as u did good job w/ da military vehicles but couple of tractors nd mebe civies crowding checking wats goin on...
19) da officer doesnt really briefs da player.. he just points out da shed... cud use a longer text here
20) mebe u shud have da pilots killin da hostages if p[layer kills 1 pilot nd den it takes him some time 2 kill da next pilot (i shot each 1 from difrent angle around da house)
21) u cud smooth out da mision ending... mebe have da player debrifed by da oficer in valor... or RTB or somin like dat

outro

1) again it seems deres a short blackout effect nd cam gets back 2 were it was b4 ending

dats all

LCD OUT