Scenario Design: From the designers

TheBigRedOne · (This post was last modified: 08-19-2010, 10:36 PM by TheBigRedOne.)

A while ago I compiled some thoughts from three of HPS's main SB scenario designers. An edited version of this was released on JZtemple's Fan Site, but with the release of Dien Bien Phu, I can post the full version.

I posed the question regarding how these guys go about the design process. Obviously it could fill several volumes of text, but I just wanted to get a glimpse of how these guys go about their work.

For those of you purchasing DBP, you'll find a PDF file in the folder that describes how to design a scenario from scratch, written by Mike Cox, the designer for DBP. I have included this file as an attachment for those of you who might not fancy a fight in the muddy fields on Dien Bien Phu, but would still be interested in a step-by-step account of how to go about making a rudimentary scenario. Thanks to Mike and Rich Hamilton for allowing me to post this document.

Enjoy.

A
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Mike Cox (SAW, DBP, variety of after-release scenarios)

I get inspiration from reading detailed accounts of the battles as well as other games. Whenever I read I have Post It's handy to flag passages with scenario material. Sometimes seeing a scenario for another game leads to further research on a particular fight. The main thing is that the fight has to be a contest and not a walkover. Is the turning point of the battle able to be modeled in SB?

The first question I ask - is there a suitable map available to use for a submap? (Or do I have to get one done?)

I tend to like shorter scenarios - 1 hour or so. Though if the action is 2 hours, then 2 hours it is. I tend to discount mopping up, but try to gather at what point the action turned.

I love gadgets. Mention of an obscure tank makes me want to work it in. (And I am still trying to get a Japanese tank or old FT-17 into a DBP scenario.)

For OOB's I try to build up standard ones then copy/paste them in. Once in the oob, I tweak them to meet the description. (DBP as an example - the oob's I inherited pretty much had AAT-52 for the French MG as standard issue. My reading has the them often using older equipment, so change those to Brownings or Vickers. For example.)

The other thing I like is a bit of randomness - say with reinforcements. Historically, the tanks saved the day by coming at 1345h. What if they were 10 minutes late? Early? Though I have not used it much I think the alt arrival hexes are a big boon.

Joao Lima (SCW, AoTR post-release)

- The process is quite straightforward, I usually do: idea-research-map-oob-build-test

- Ideas may come from the most amazing sources. In SCW ideas came from interviews, tv documentaries (amazingly on a British channel), books, websites... The tricky thing is not finding what sounds like an excellent idea, the trick is in actually move from the idea to completing enough research to provide an accurate and realistic scenario. The other issue is that sometimes things just do not fit. I had a couple ideas for SCW that would work brilliantly in ASL (because of the multi-hex, multi-level buildings) but when done in SB just did not work. Sometimes a great idea also needs to be slightly stretched when you realize that the research showed things not be quite as you thought, and then, presto, an hypothetical scenario is born...

- OOB's are a very mixed bag. For WW2, for example, you have a wealth of information easily available, however sometimes that information is just too high level yo allow you to transport it to SB. However , don't let the OOB constrict you too much, this where balance sometimes get's in, and even if historical , an OOB might be slightly tweaked to allow a proper balance. Where to find them is too big an answer, but usually specialized internet forums are a place to start. BUT, BIG LESSON, ALWAYS CROSS YOUR INFORMATION WITH ANOTHER RELIABLE SOURCE!!!

- Time for a scenario is highly variable, but I can put together the skeleton in a couple of days, preliminary tuning takes another couple of days, and then, to fine tune, who knows? ;-)

- I started to plan new scenarios focused on too big scenarios, with far too many units , and gigantic maps. It took me a while to understand that what's need is a map roughly the size of my screen , and units that are the size of a reinforced company. For variety a couple of tiny and a couple of big ones.
But the basic principle is a balance between historical and fun. It's a game after all, if you fail to captivate the interest of the players, then it does not matter how historical your scenarios are, nobody will play them.

Ozgur Budak (RV, SAW, WW, A@W, many post-release scenarios)

One thing I find useful is writing down the outline of the planned scenario. A small text containing date, hour, weather, OOBs (co/btn/div/corps) for both sides, info on the topography (if possible copying the map), a summary of the action including reinforcements and key events. I frequently come back to this outline text during the design process. The text provides the framework of the scenario with all needed and accesible data so I dont get lost. Best time for writing down such a text is after reading the various sources and deciding what to focus. Sometimes I am creating several of those texts so I dont get confused about the planned scenarios that awaits. Planning and classifying is especially important when you have to design dozens of scenarios.

general_solomon · 06-08-2009, 04:48 AM,

thanks a bunch for this. One silly question, how do you place new city or village tiles on the submaps???

Mad_Dog · 06-08-2009, 04:50 AM,

Thanks!

general_solomon: you have to modify the bitmap files I think.

jmlima · 06-08-2009, 05:03 AM,

general_solomon Wrote:thanks a bunch for this. One silly question, how do you place new city or village tiles on the submaps???

You cannot add or change the terrain of the game master maps.

TheBigRedOne · 08-19-2010, 06:07 AM,

Wanted to give this thread a bump for the influx of newer players lately.

Good read from the guys who make your scenarios...

cazart! · 08-19-2010, 09:58 AM,

Plus you need to credit Oz with RV!

TheBigRedOne · 08-19-2010, 10:36 PM,

Indeed. Had I done it at the time this was posted, I'd have been in a bit of trouble!

;)

kolc · 08-20-2010, 06:36 AM,

Just curious...The old Talonsoft games had a great map editor...Is the reason it is not available in HPS games due to copyright issues? I like the submap editor, but the TS map editor let you build your own original maps from the ground up...

TheBigRedOne · 08-20-2010, 06:55 AM,

I do not believe this is the case.

The map editor 'controversy' comes up every now and then. Some folks really want one, others don't really care. I fall somewhere in the middle. Unless you're making custom scenarios, a map editor really doesn't add a whole lot to the game. As it stands right now, there are only a small number of folks who make scenarios regularly and put them out for public consumption, and most of these guys are the actual game designers, namely Oz, Mike and Joao.

I've never been convinced that it would increase sales, which would be the main reason for HPS to do something from the business end of things, or increase the number of custom scenarios that would come out. Each game's got a lot of unused map space that is quite amenable to custom work, but you never quite see people utilizing it much.