(Review Completed) [SP] Vietnam S&D: Hammer and Anvil.

[The-Architect]

I've just completed my latest mission. Its a Vietnam mission which uses only the most necessary addons. Its full of nice scripts and has been play tested to death on my computer. Its much better quality than a lot of my old missions. Have a go, tell me what you think.

Here are some of the features of the mission:

You play Lieutenant James Gastovski, a young marine fighting in the Vietnam conflict. A VC force has been spotted moving into an area of Ia Drang. Along with two other squads, you must go in and destroy the enemy.

Full weapon selection.
Tank support.
Gunship support.
Intellegent VC snipers.
VC spotters use flares.
Minefields.
Audio for all radio messages.
Intro.
Outro.
Hardcore enemy engagements.
and much more.

All addons have working links in the readme.

They include,

Editorupdate102
SEBNampack2
Sigma6's US Tank pack
Inquisitor's Nam M113
Footmunch's Skyraider

Hope you enjoy it.  ;D

Its available here.

http://www.freewebs.com/ofpbob/untestedmissions.htm (Below Land Grab).


Edit: This mission has been reviewed and is available from the Missions Depot.

[OrangeLeader]

how about some links to the addons?

[The-Architect]

There in the readme, and they are direct links.

[The-Architect]

I've noticed that Freewebs does indeed take ages to upload and download files. Please don't be put off as this mission is definatly worth the wait.

Here is a list of the addons with links.

Inquisitor's Nam M113 pack ~ http://ofp.gamezone.cz/index.php?showthis=6131

Footmunch's Skyraider ~ http://ofp.gamezone.cz/index.php?showthis=5663

Sebnampack 2 ~ http://ofp.gamezone.cz/index.php?special=articles (Mods Section)

Editorupgrade (Editor's edition) ~ http://ofpec.com/editors/browse.php?browsewhat=3&category=3_5

Sigma6's US Tanks pack ~ http://ofp.gamezone.cz/index.php?showthis=5818

[DarkAngel]

Hey Architect,

Nice idea! Have got all the addons apart from the tanks addon so will download this and give it a look. Might be a little while before I can get back to you though (a week plus?) so hope you don't mind waiting...

Dark.

[DarkAngel]

OK, had a quick look. Overview is OK, the NV light in the Intro is quite interesting but not very historically accurate - might be better to move the time to first light/last light and show the VC moving along then...

Unfortunately after the Intro the mission crashed to desktop, am going to check I've got all the addons but am fairly sure I have. Using v1.96b so you would've thought it'd be OK...obviously not.

[The-Architect]

My only clues as to why its crashed are that,

1. I'm using 1.96 (Not Beta). However, this should be the same as the beta, so it can't be that.

2. Check that you're editor upgrade is the exact one mentioned in the readme.

The NVG issue. The US forces did have NVG capabilities in the conflict and I only use it so that you can see what's going on. If I change the time of day then the incursion would seem to hasty. The VC wouldn't have had enough time to dig in.

I hope you get the crash issue sorted, this mission really does rock.

Cheers Dark Angel dude.  ;D

[The-Architect]

This mission is also listed over at BI forums.
Munk has kindly provided a mirror for those who have trouble with Freewebs.

Here's the link,

http://www.flashpoint1985.com/cgi-bin/ikonboard311/ikonboard.cgi?s=b705f0fda221db056824e7ed9eb3d68e;act=ST;f=55;t=41889

[Blip]

Hey All-

Just finished playing -Hammer and Anvil-

Intro:
-I agree with Dark Angel about the whole Night Vision thing.  Not historically accurate, but it looks good.  Since you can use it, might as well.

-Could the prisoners, or civs in the enemy camp start standing instead of lying down, possibly make them have there hands over there heads before they get executed.  Just a thought.

-There is one extra addon you missed.  :-\  Its the CoCMine Pack.  No problem though, I jumped online and picked it up.  ;D

Briefing:
-Looks good, can't see units under group but that just means i start in a vehicle.
-Thank you for the weapons selection.  I chose the Stoner.

Mission:
-I could be wrong but the music sounds like the same music as in the intro, just started over again.  If its not, just ignore this comment.

-Started off good, ran right through the mind field,   fortunately nobody got hurt.  Stonered the sniper as he was trying to get away.  Good placement for that guy by the way.  ;D

-Dropped the listening post no prob.

-See the boats, started wishing for a save, and moved a little farther and got one.  

-Saw the camp, decided against moving right in. Setup perimeter.  A guy and myself move in, clear the hootches, no prob.  Kind of random having one or two guys left in the camp.  Especially since they weren't together.  This might be overboard, but I would either clear the camp except for the prisoner bodies, or setup some kind of intergation thing going on, so that the guys who are there don't feel so randomly placed.  Just a thought.  ;D

-Alright now it gets good.  Called in the tank for back up, had the feeling things were about to get hot.  Tank said it couldn't get there due to the mine fields.  Crap.   Then what do you know they showed up anyway  .
Well okay, start moving.  Wow,  :wow: lots of guys come over that hill.  And the T55 blows my butt have way across the map.

-Retry approach alittle differently, call the tanks again.  Air support as well.
Fought good and long, guys all ran out of ammo. Oh well, beat it though  .

-Stats-

Time: 35min
Score:6620
Kills: 24 total, not bad for a days work.  :gunman:
Casualties: 2 from my team.  :'(

Outro:
-Looked good, except it faded out and since it didn't fade back in, for some reason my screen stayed black even though it kicked me back to the main menu of the game.
-Might just be my computer.

Overall: I like it, definitely a keeper in my mission selections.  Let me know if you update it at all.  :cheers:

BLIP

[DarkAngel]

Sorry to take so long over this  - whaddya know, it was the wrong version of the Editor Upgrade I had.

I've already talked about the Intro - if you want to keep the NV view that's fine, I just tend to think you can get much better atmosphere with colour, maybe a few fires, flares etc. The cutscene at the start of the mission could maybe be incorporated into the Intro - personally I'm very anti-in-mission cutscenes but at least you gave us a retry update...

Briefing very good, atmospheric and detailed. A few extra touches would be good:

- Names of units next to their markers would improve clarity.
- A seperate commo list, detailing group callsigns and radio codes, would help. I note that you use codes Alpha and Charlie - any reason?
- Gastovski's ID reads 1: Actual)(Gastovski - is this intentional?
- The Briefing should also probably include info about the time we're going in - first light? last light? Would enhance realism and maybe help the player plan.
- This time round, I keep the weapons all the same except for taking a Car-15 for myself.

Mission
- As I say, the cutscene could be in the intro.
- Good use of radio voices at the beginning.
- Why is the medic no 8? Might be better to put him in the middle of the group where he's better protected - if I go into Column mode (often a good idea in Nam I find) he'll be the last man and easily picked off from behind.
- We go to staggered and head south. Sounds of contact up ahead but no radio messages - it might provide atmosphere if Bravo squad or whatever were on the radio saying they're in contact, we could then be ordered to assist as an extra objective or something.
- Another squad is advancing with us, I take the left flank.
- 5 suddenly goes down. Mine? Don't know. Real Nam moment here - wtf is going on!
- 3+7 also go down, there's the sound of explosions. This is going seriously FUBAR. We must be in a minefield.
- Just to ease my mind, I call in November. A couple of minutes later it flies over us and starts strafing targets in the distance.
- I've been hit as well so I call up my medic and get him to heal me. As he comes towards me he calls out "Enemy Sniper, 50". There's a sniper right next to me, not doing anything! And I didn't see him either! We shoot him. By rights I should be dead, I have no idea why that guy didn't kill me.
- I patch myself up and we head to what I think is the LP, then realise we've passed the LP and we're in the village. I agree with Blip about the village - what are those charlies doing there after everyone has pulled out.
- I go back to find the LP, can't see it, blunder into it, and die. Silly of me really.

But I do think the listening post is a bit surplus - if you can get past it without contact what's the point? Maybe beef it up a little - a small patrol or even an MG there would make it a bit more of a contact. Or just have one of your guys announce it's nearby incase fools like me walk right past it.

So far a good mission though - I think you just need to keep up with the touches you've already added. More use of radio, contact with other patrols, etc. Will go back and finish it soon. Nice work!

Dark

[The-Architect]

Cheers fpr your input guys, I'm already working on an update and am going to work on some of your suggestions.

Actual)(Gastovski is supposed to be like that so that when you see radio messages from him during the mission it reads,

Alpha 1 (actual)(Gastovski)

All the groups leaders were called actual over the radio so you'd know you were in speaking to the guy in charge.
I know it looks a bit shit in the briefing screen.

CoC mines are not forgotten. They come as part of Sebnampack 2.

You guys are right about the camp. I wanted to keep a skeleton crew there but them being in random locations is a bit silly. Did you guys find the booby trap?


As for the NVGs. I'm sorry to do this guys but I've said that its not historically wrong. Here's a quote from an article from Globalsecurity.org.

Through the 1950's, Night Vision focused on improving upon the cascade image tube, a development of the Germans during WW II. Scientists at the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) were contracted to research and develop a near-infrared, two-stage cascade image tube. Using a new multi-alkali photocathode (developed at RCA), the new cascade image tube performed beyond everyone's expectations. This new system, known as Image Intensification (I2), gathered ambient light from the moon and the stars in the night sky and intensified this light. Night Vision quickly adjusted their plans to improve upon this system. There were certain challenges attendant with this new technology: the gain was limited and the output image was upside down. A third electrostatic stage added to the tube resulted in more gain and re-inverted the image, but the tube grew to 17 inches long and 3.5 inches in diameter to maintain adequate edge resolution. This made the system too large for military applications. However, these developments were a major step forward in the development of passive, man-portable night vision systems.

By the mid-1960's, scientists and engineers at Night Vision fielded the first generation of passive night vision devices for U.S. troops, including a Small Starlight Scope that served as a rifle-mounted sight or as a handheld viewer. Realizing these systems were far from perfected, Night Vision research personnel came to refer to the development of this early equipment as the First Generation Image Intensifier Program. Scientists and engineers would go on to improve upon this technology to deliver a second and third generation of night vision equipment.

The first generation Small Starlight Scope was soon put to practical use in the field. With the United States' growing involvement in Vietnam, U.S. soldiers quickly recognized that they faced an enemy that relied on the cover of darkness to conduct its maneuvers and offensive operations. In 1964, the U.S. Army issued night vision equipment to the troops in Vietnam. The Vietnam War proved to be an important stage in the development of night vision systems.

The website is here,

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ground/nvg.htm

I'll resubmit a new version as soon as its finished.

Cheers again guys.

[DarkAngel]

Fair enough mate...I have no problem with the use of Starlight scopes and agree that they were used in the conflict. I guess my point is that it needs to be justified in the narrative of the cutscene. At the moment we just see the victor charlies walking round through an NV greenscreen - maybe put in a LRRP team or something? They could then be the ones who call in the strike - and, incidentally, the ones using the NVGs.

Anyway, no worries mate, if you want it there, keep it there. Just think about the whys and wherefores.

[Blip]

Hey-

Not sure why I saw that missing addon if the CoC mines are included in the SEB Nampack.  

My apologies about the starlight scope, your right they did have that kind of night vision.  In fact I actually have one and should have known better.

-I didn't find the booby trap.

-Did you check about the tank support saying it wasn't going to be able to cross the mine field and then showing up anyways.  

Also random question.  How did you use the OFP unit voices to do your radio calls?

Later,

Blip

[The-Architect]

All of the radio calls are De-pbo'd from the BIS campaign. I always sift through each mission listening to the file and then choosing phrases, words, even sometimes letters.

If I have the word, say, "we" and I want the character to say "we're", then I find another file with a word that has "re" on the end and I cut it out and paste it onto the end. As long as the inflection is similar then I get away with it.

You'd be very surprised at the amount of messages you can get from fiddling with the BIS files.

What you've said about the Starlight is true and the idea of having a LRRP patrol spotting the VC is a very good one.

I'm gonna change the outro and have the Huey come in, pick you up and then get shot down. It'll allow for another mission to come afterwards. A cliffhanger as it were.

Once again, thanks for the feedback guys.

Did any of you swap the music in the folder?