Missions Depot > OFP - Reviewed Missions
(Review Completed) [SP] Darkness Before Dawn
DarkAngel:
Hi folks.
I've been checking out the OFPEC site for a while but this is my first shot at a decent, postable mission and I'm really keen to get it as good as possible, so all beta testing would be appreciated! It's a Black Ops mission set on Nogova with two objectives, the first to destroy a Shilka near the town and then to clear a communications facility up the top of the hill. Stealth is really important as there are a hell of a lot of Soviets in the area. You start off as a lone wolf and join your patrol later in the mission.
It's all created using Resistance v1.85 and no addons are used. It's quite a small ZIP (18.5k). Currently there is NO intro or outro, also no picture for the overview as I'm gonna use a shot from the intro. I'm looking for comments about gameplay, realism, bugs, really anything you guys can think of - all criticism is good as I'm pretty much a beginner!
Thanks folks.
DarkAngel
Edit: This mission has been reviewed and is available from the Missions Depot.
macguba:
Hey, congratulations on your first mission DarkAngel! :)
Don't have time to play it now but the download is ok and the mission starts fine.
Ace:
Yes I too have downloaded it but due to computer problems (this thing is running slower than my dead aunt Gladis!) I can't play it.
When everything is back to normal I'll give you some feedback.
:)
Uberminch:
Now I'm no expert but it seems to me that this is a very good mission. It gets more interesting as it progresses, and it has (i think so anyway) a good amount of challenge.
However, there were a few things. I think you should expand the breifing a bit. Special Ops breifings, i think, need more information on enemy positions, situation, and details like enemy awareness. It seemed a little like i was just tossed in by the collar. Include some recon photos of key enemy positions, maybe, and add more about the circumstances in which the mission takes place.
Second, I think the Shilka was well placed. The boats patrolling off shore was a cool touch. However, I would take out the BMP patrolling the penninsula road and put in more soldiers instead. I think it would be more realistic considering the short scale of the road and the small width of the area.
Third, and not so important, I would reconsider the insertion point. It seemed a little....frank. Plop, there you are, right on the beach. The insertion must have been by boat, I assumed, and with Russian boats patrolling off shore with huge searchlights it would be hard to sneak in in that short amount of time and small space. Maybe it's not as important, but I would suggest starting further up near the main land.
Fourth, the tanks come after you when you are sighted. It don't think, though, that they would send their heaviest armor out if they spotted a couple of Black Op soldiers. They would probably send several patrols or Spetz Naz out to hunt them down. Maybe have a couple of truckloads of troops come out and look for you, or a mechanized infantry group.
Other than that, it looked really good. Again, like I said, i'm no expert. But this is my opinion. :D
macguba:
I'll write this as I go along.
Briefing. Make the Plan slightly longer: put the Objectives on the first page and then link to one or two other pages for the background (which is very well written btw.) The link to the RV in the Notes section doesn't work. What is the significance of the red shaded area on the map? The Briefing should indicate whether you are going to lead or be a member of the squad. It should also tell you the composition of the squad, since you don't get it in Gear.
How did I arrive at the insertion point? I would suggest a boat disappearing into the darkness, timed so that just as it disappears the patrol boat arrives. They shouldn't meet though.
If you're after realism then this phase shouldn't be done alone. I would suggest that the whole squad lands togther: you and one other move (of course it should really be a 4 man team) off to do the Shilka, while the others patrol quietly and successfully to the RV.
No green tick when the Shilka goes, though I did get some titletext. In fact I got no green ticks at all, so that needs looking into. (The problem is in briefing.htm, the objectives are not numbered.)
Make your hillpatrols smaller: it makes them harder to detect and more fun to take on if you see them. With 9 loons there you aren't going to shoot - it's very hard to drop 9 before one of them drops you, if only because you'll probably have to change mags.
You need to make it clearer in the Briefing what has to be blown up at the Comms centre. I placed a satchel between the building and the tent and got lucky, but you should mention that the critical stuff is the computer equipment in the tent.
Lose the fire at the exfil point, its unnecessary since you have the boat there to identify the place. Make the trigger area smaller so that you get a little closer. Link the trigger to the player (F2 drag and drop) otherwise you can complete the exfil by sending one of your loons over there.
All this stuff is just nit-picking, overall this mission is great. Couple of other thoughts:-
I would consider an outro or ending cutscene (I know they are a real bore to make) showing the choppers landing successfully. It would help with the sense of achievement.
The RV base is no good, its far too substantial for the circumstances. If you want to have one lose the fire and make the ammo crates specific to the mission, i.e. you can't pick up any new weapons or anything, just replace ammo that you have used. Better still would be to have no base at all: have 4 men land from the boat, one going with you to the Shilka and the other two heading off to do a recce. They would "check out" the Comms base and when you met they would report some stuff like the number of sentries or the fact that the computer equipment was in the tent next to the building.
Timing is I think a little tight: 30 minutes does not give you enough time to do proper recces of the targets or to move tactically across the ground. I did it with 5 minutes to spare, but only by relying on savegames (which I use a lot when beta testing)
There is no medical treatment available for the player. I would suggest that one of the squad is a medic, or if that creates addon problems make a little script to fake a medic at the RV. Alternatively have a hospital at the Comms base, or halfway along the road from the Shilka to the town. (To be fair I'm just sore because I had to crawl most of the way to the exfil ....)
No bugs. Realism ... well each task would have taken a 4 man team who would have been inserted one or two nights previous to the assault.
Oh yes, tanks .... well once I was halfway up the hill I wasn't bothered by them because I knew they couldn't follow me, at least not in time to be relevant. I would be much more concerned by a couple of Spetz Natz teams in UAZs. Also, if you happened to have a battle in the middle it would be virtually impossible to meet the deadline.
Now that I've read Uberminch's opinion I'd agree with everything he said except that I'd leave the insertion point where it is. He is right, it is a bit direct, but I hate long boring marches in so in the interests of fun gameplay I'd leave it.
If you want to improve replayability put placement radii on the patrols' waypoints.
Excellent first mission. Well done.
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