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Author Topic: (Review Completed) Stand Fast! (Xbox mission)  (Read 3844 times)

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Offline Andreas Ludwig

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(Review Completed) Stand Fast! (Xbox mission)
« on: 22 Sep 2006, 17:40:25 »
Ok folks, here's the next mission that is part of a story that begun with Deadly Shadows. If you want to review/play this one, I strongly suggest to do it after you played the "Deadly Shadows" mission first.

Name: Stand Fast
(Mini Campaign „Debates Are Over Now!" Scenario #2)

Player Profile:HFC

Mission Description: The Russians take revenge and attack a resistance fort which they believe to be responsible for the sabotage act (done in Deadly Shadows mission).

Mission Info:  

Map: Kolgujev
Date: January 10th, 1981
Time: 6:30 a.m.
Weather: sunny; Forecast: stormy
Type: SP
Model: Mini Campaign
Template: Defender
Duration: appr. 15 min
Player's Side: Resistance
Player‘s Unit: Heavy Squad


Short Notes: Please make sure you take the time to read the Mission Briefing.

I have the mission file (zip) and the Mission Briefing (pdf) both attached to this request for review, so you should have no problems to get it over on your box. The mission file can be transferred to the Xbox via Action Replay or ftp connection (modded boxes only), the briefing needs Acrobat reader.


Cheers,

Andreas

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« Last Edit: 19 Aug 2009, 22:15:01 by hoz »
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Offline Cheetah

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Re: Stand Fast! (Xbox mission) Please review...
« Reply #1 on: 22 Sep 2006, 17:45:22 »
Andreas Ludwig,

If you include please review in the title of the thread, you tell us (reviewers) that this version is the final one, without showstopper. We will then review it and give it a mark (officially it would be (review please)). I'm not sure if that's what you mean?

If your goal is to let people take a look at your mission, play it and report any errors (if they are there in xbox missions?) to you then you shouldn't include the "please review.." in the title.
Like missions? Help with Beta Testing! or take a look at the OFPEC Missions Depot for reviewed missions!

Offline Andreas Ludwig

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Re: Stand Fast! (Xbox mission)
« Reply #2 on: 22 Sep 2006, 18:00:12 »
Hi Cheetah,

ok, sorry, I've changed that. Will try to find some time at the weekend to read all this "how to stuff" - am a bit busy at the moment. There shouldn't be any errors, since the Xbox missions usually work quite well (technically that is). I hope there are no showstoppers either, but more playtesters would be fine to make this sure of course  :)

Andreas
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Offline hoz

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Re: Stand Fast! (Xbox mission)
« Reply #3 on: 24 Sep 2006, 15:32:44 »
Andreas

This mission was a lot tougher. I played it about 10 times on vet mode before switching to easy mode so I could complete it.  :)

Intially I thought this mission was slow getting started but by the time I moved some of my men into place, the action had begun. The first couple of times I didn't bother to position my men and therefore it seemed a bit slow getting going. Once it did get going I didn't feel it lasted enough. I didn't take up any positions in the .50 or the big bunkers. i mostly stayed to the entrances of the bases. I didn't feel there was a enough pressure on the base but that again could be my playing style. It would of been nice while defending the one entrance, the west was slowly leaking into the other entrance this wold cause me to break my squad up and provide a bit more action.

Otherwise a great mission.

Thanks
Hoz
Xbox Rocks

Offline Andreas Ludwig

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Re: Stand Fast! (Xbox mission)
« Reply #4 on: 24 Sep 2006, 20:25:22 »
Hi Hoz,

thanks for your comments.

I suppose we simply make different missions then, I don't like "press start and you're into action mode missions", but try to have it in a realistic way. The camp is under attack, that's the information someone gave them and now they have some minutes to prepare to the unknown threat. The mission is possible to beat on vet mode (I don't like unbeatable missions, either) but that requires some troop management. I had good results with me standing on one of the towers and simply coordinating the fight from there without firing one single shot! The enemy is coming from different directions and heading towards all entrances - at least that's what I told them to do :scratch:

Thanks for playing!

Andreas
« Last Edit: 24 Sep 2006, 21:28:23 by Andreas Ludwig »
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Offline Denny Koch

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My playtesting impressions
« Reply #5 on: 25 Sep 2006, 11:55:58 »
Hi Hoz,

thank you for your interesting comments! Here are my playtesting impressions, maybe it's interesting to compare them with your experiences.

I was the first playtester for this mission within the HFC (I'm the second HFC staff member besides Andreas) and I beat it a number of times on veteran, using different approaches. My favourite way is to position myself on the roof of one of the bunkers (I prefer being a sniper, so this was the most comfortable place for me) and direct my men from there. I then distributed them to the different houses within the camp; soldiers with LAW covering the different directions close the walls and entrances, myself supporting them from above by directing fire and killing infantry. This worked pretty fine; I repeated it a few times, just to be sure it wasn't luck  8)

The second approach was to stay on the ground with them, equipped with LAW, but this was a bad experience for me... we were overrun. I guess this depends on my personal (sniper) playing style, because I also watched Andreas fighting with his men on the ground, equipped with heavy weapons - and it worked fine for him.

Another good idea was to enter one of the watchtowers in the corners of the camp. It took a few attempts to chose the right one, but once I positioned myself in the watchtower (again as a sniper) we defended the camp quite easily and the enemy didn't break through as they did when I laid on the roof.

In my opinion this mission is quite balanced (and not an easy one), and beatable (I finished it most of the time successfully on veteran). Because I take care of distributing my men carefully and positioning myself, I definitely need some time at the beginning of the mission, so I didn't have the impression of "downtime" - the attack started the moment I finished my preparations and that was good timing.

Denny
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Offline hoz

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Re: Stand Fast! (Xbox mission)
« Reply #6 on: 25 Sep 2006, 15:25:49 »
Denny,

I too gave the mission ago from the guard tower and the top of bunker, I died a few times from these positions.  I gave up and ordered my men around from inside the base. This worked good for me as I used the bunkers for cover.  I tried on several occasions to get the AI to climb that stinking guard tower but to no avail. I found that once the enemy was all dead on the side base, I had to go search for the loons on the other side of the base. It didn't seem to me like they were advancing into the base. They were just hanging outisde entrance and I had a few close calls there.

This is a pretty good mission over all.  I actually like the hold base(defend) type missions.

 :welcome:

Hoz
Xbox Rocks

Offline Andreas Ludwig

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Re: Stand Fast! (Xbox mission)
« Reply #7 on: 25 Sep 2006, 15:41:31 »
Quote
I tried on several occasions to get the AI to climb that stinking guard tower but to no avail

Unfortunately this doesn't work. AI can climb the towers but only if you give them waypoints to do so which is not possible when you command them as part of your squad. They can climb ladders within buildings and stairs without such waypoints, though.

Quote
It didn't seem to me like they were advancing into the base. They were just hanging outisde entrance and I had a few close calls there.

I'll check that, they should try to break into the base. What did the Russian tanks do in your mission?

Andreas
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Offline Denny Koch

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Re: Stand Fast! (Xbox mission)
« Reply #8 on: 25 Sep 2006, 15:49:44 »
Quote
It didn't seem to me like they were advancing into the base. They were just hanging outisde entrance and I had a few close calls there.

Most of the time by base was definitely overrun by Russian tanks and infantry; russian soldiers swarming all over the place. This didn't happen always, though, sometimes there were only tanks rolling through the base while the soldiers where fighting my soldiers at the camp entrances. I never had to leave my position to search for the enemies; they were always coming to me...  :scratch:

Denny

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Offline Andreas Ludwig

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Re: Stand Fast! (Xbox mission)
« Reply #9 on: 28 Sep 2006, 12:45:58 »
Hi folks,

there's now an update to the mission:

1. txt file added with complete Mission briefing (easier to read in the pdf, but there was a request to have it also as a txt file) and mission notes.

2. minor changes to the mission to make sure the AI does what I expect them to do  ;)


Please check it out again and tell me about your experience. I played the mission twice this morning and it works as I want it to work and one can beat on Veteran.

If no major problems come up, this one will be ready for review then.

Cheers,

Andreas

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Offline hoz

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Re: Stand Fast! (Xbox mission)
« Reply #10 on: 04 Oct 2006, 04:07:56 »
Ok I gave this another go and it works pretty good. I fought the battle from the top side of the bunker and did well.

I checked out this mission in the editor, and I noticed two things:

The truck thats supposed to come in I think its the west side, I never see the truck(only once I saw it in the first version), in the mission editor I don't see a unload or getout WP. So even if I did see the truck I don't think it would unload. Not a show stopper maybe you intended this.

You use alot of WP to get the truck to the base. You should only need a couple. I think I counted more then 8 just to get to the base. Also I think sometimes the time runs out before the truck arrives. Have you noticed this?

Anyways good mission over all

Hoz


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Offline Andreas Ludwig

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Re: Stand Fast! (Xbox mission)
« Reply #11 on: 04 Oct 2006, 11:36:27 »
Quote
I fought the battle from the top side of the bunker and did well.

Good - I suppose on vet mode?  8)

Quote
The truck thats supposed to come in I think its the west side, I never see the truck(only once I saw it in the first version), in the mission editor I don't see a unload or getout WP. So even if I did see the truck I don't think it would unload. Not a show stopper maybe you intended this.

I didn't change the waypoints for the truck and it always arrived at the camp. The truck arrives at the open side of the camp (when you start the mission it's on your right side) and the soldiers do get out and join the battle. Perhaps you didn't notice it because the truck will arrive a short time before the Russians attack the camp and the lights go out when the driver gets out.

Quote
You use alot of WP to get the truck to the base. You should only need a couple. I think I counted more then 8 just to get to the base. Also I think sometimes the time runs out before the truck arrives. Have you noticed this?

I used the waypoints the way I did to make sure that the truck uses the road to drive to the camp and to have the soldiers arriving at the right time. In OFP: Elite one has to adjust time with "trigger soldiers" (Russians activate west soldier, he goes to russian soldier, he goes to another west soldier, he goes to Russians to activate a counterattack etc.) or just with using more or less waypoints for a moving unit. As the briefing said the camp commander asked for help and the truck is the first reinforcement to arrive at the location under attack.

Ok, so I'll put a "review please" on this mission announcement and you can review it - Thanks a lot!

Cheers,

Andreas

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Offline rhysduk

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Re: Stand Fast! (Xbox mission) - Review Complete
« Reply #12 on: 19 Oct 2006, 02:05:47 »
Review completed by Hoz, mission can be found here
« Last Edit: 19 Aug 2009, 22:13:36 by hoz »
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