Guest Morfeo Posted August 18, 2000 Share Posted August 18, 2000 Hello XWA Fans. I didin't knew what to make of it when I saw that word for the first time in one of the XWA's game previuws. As a former player of Desc^*#t:Fr#%@*ace, Desc@#@t:3, and a real time strategy game, Total Annihilation, I know just how...how...hard it is, was, and will be, to create missions using those editors. Sure, once all the condisions were meet, you will probably end up with a kick-butt mission. I didin't find that out, however, those editors always endeed up busting my brain. Then, I finally got the game. I took a closer look and it didin't took long before it came and hit me like a space bomb; at last, a mission builder for the rest of us! Its like a wizard; first you select if you want a melee or a combat engagement. Needless to say, Melee Mode is for FFAs mostly, like in XvT, only more flexible, of cource. Select any ship and weapons you want. You can have a 1 vs 1 dogfight or a fight involving..., well, you get the point. For beginners is a great training arena, to check out the fighters, the weapons, the style of the game. For advance players, you can do any kind of dogfight style conflict in multi-player, and battle it out with human opponents. It is however, in Combat Engagement where the gravy is. More options are avaliable here. How many teams, number of space crafts (FGs). A goal for each FG and a main goal for each team, just to name a few. But why? Why a Skirmish Mode and not an editor? Im I saying here that the staff at Totally Games and LAs concluded that the gaming comunity will prove to be enable to learn how to use a 'complex' editor? No, LOL! What I am saying is that those folks created the Skirmish Mode mainly because of one reason above all others; MULTIPLAYER. The idea of having some kind of a tool to use, while you are playing againt humans (in the Zone on these case) to create, on the spot, a descent mission with a basic goal, and then play it. Sounds good to me. Of cource, as I keep exploring this 'useless' Skirmish Mode, I realised that the whole turn out to be more than just the sum of its parts. To created a really good mission you have to do it in advance. Mission balance, is a surpricing challange if you plan to create a good mission. I never get it right the first time. You are still required to have skills, if you want a good mission. I have taken full use of all these capabilities and have endeed having a great time in both single player and multi-player. I feel people are not giving good 'old' Skirmish a chance! While its true that it will never, ever be a fully armed and operacional mission editor, I dont think that is a good reason to dump this into the garbage. I put it this way, because as a Zone member, I just can help to notice just how rare it is to see any games other than FFAs! This is more than just that, folks. In one of my missions (Tour:2, Mission:10), the location of your Rebel Base DS 11 is evensually discovered by the Empire. And ISD and a Interdictor make their sudden appareance (distance set to 9). The IMP ships are arranged and a specific maner so that the Interdictor is the fardest away, but at the same time, withing range of the ISD guns which is closer. They are protecting each other, but only in the inisial phase of the battle. This attack could not have come at a worse time. Your flag ship the CRS Hope, is undergoing repairs from its earlier missions and its shut down, parked next to the Base. So its up to the CRS and Base' fighters and a Light CRS to save the day. An avalanche of T/Fs and T/Is are launched from the ISD (60 standard complement) with the idea to keep the X-Ws and A-Ws(You) busy. To maximise your success against them you use the TAB key and begin designating a target (T/Is: more deadly) to each individual wingman rather than have your entire flight group consentrating on only target at a time, like in XvT. Some of the TIEs will aid the Interdictor when it comes under attack by the B-Ws. However, because of the great danger of the TIEs and the proximity of the ISD to the Interdictor and the fact that you just cannot be in two places at the same time, it is recomended that you signal the B-Ws and give them hold position orders when the mission opens (at least to the Green group) until things ease up a bit. Carefull, some TIEs may notice this and attack the B-Ws. You then discover that the ISD is moving away from the Interdictor, and starts heading in a direct cource to the Base, and its primary target, the CRS Hope. In responce, the Light CRS moves in to intercept it with the idea of slowing it down and buy you more time. The Interdictor of cource keeps maximun distance from the battle and much to your dismay it starts launching T/Bs armed with AVD Torpedoes heading towards the helpless CRS Hope! You try to stop them but you got TIEs all over you. Hopefully, youll decide you run away from these TIEs rather than assume that hero attitude, in an attempt to get closer to the Light CRS (at this time she might be getting the heat from the ISD), so that her guns can cover you. You might want to drop a flare or two while you are in route. Thanks to your skillfull use of yourself and your wingmen the T/Is are gone. This might be a good time tell the B-Ws to continue their mission, or else the ISD will have a party if it gets whithing range. You then pump all the juice into you engines and head towards the remaining T/Bs. Some of them where destroyed by some X-Ws. The CRS Hope has been hit, but shes ok. You start making short work of the T/Bs. Logicaly, you first disrupt their formacion and them concentrate on each T/B. Your wingmen are all dead by this time, the light CRS got blasted and the B-Ws are being hit by the ISD as they make their way towards the distant Interdictor. More T/Bs are launched but you soon start aprecciating the A-Ws good missile stock and your ability to use them well. The T/Fs (hopefully) were defeated by the X-Ws but not without extreme losses. Finally the B-Ws start torpedoing the Interdictor with good results. But they better hurry because you then hear the message that your flag ship who was already been hit is under starship attack! You then take out the last few T/Bs and pump all the juice into the engines to join the B-Ws in their attack against the Interdictor. You then soon, find yourself wanting to teleport into one of these B-Ws because you notice the your CRS is dying at a quicker pace! All you can do at this point is to trust in the Force and hope those gravity well projectors are disabled first, so that the CRS Hope can jump to safesty... Morfeo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nute Gunray Posted August 18, 2000 Share Posted August 18, 2000 I actually like making interesting skirmishes, but you it's nearly impossible to make a descent campaign with the thing or a very big mission. It's well suited to a mission that you fly TIEs since you're limited to a single region. ------------------ I don't need a fancy title. I'm better than you and you know it. redstormvfa87@icqmail.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K_Kinnison Posted August 18, 2000 Share Posted August 18, 2000 I find SKMs are good for CO-OPs and missions testng... right now i am trying to figure out what is needed to take out a CORT (NOt too easily) and yet provide a challenge to the pilot of an A-wing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SGSmitty Posted August 18, 2000 Share Posted August 18, 2000 I have a question. Where can you find SKM files that people have created that might be cool? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Marril Posted August 18, 2000 Share Posted August 18, 2000 I've mad WAAAAAAAY too many skirmishes (read: 51) for testing before I get ALLiED. Pfft, [some of] you people don't like skirmish because you're too used to ALLiED... Anyway, the only limitation is that sometimes the AI makes you the primary target and suddenly half the other side is shooting at you... >_< ------------------ Why is it that whenever someone says SOL I am always in trouble... whether it be Standards of Learning or (the other version). I'm always screwed. --Tyais Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cid_MCDP Posted August 19, 2000 Share Posted August 19, 2000 i have to say that AlliED is better, but the skirmish ed isn't bad. the one thing i always hated about the skirmish ed was the fact that in a game with more than two teams, you can't have any teams allied. other than that, its not too bad. ------------------ Come get some @ www.mcdp.net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nute Gunray Posted August 19, 2000 Share Posted August 19, 2000 The skirmish thingy seems to have been built for making MP missions. I wish TG had had the sense to put a real mission editor in like the ones in all those Jane's games. ------------------ I don't need a fancy title. I'm better than you and you know it. redstormvfa87@icqmail.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Cloud Posted August 19, 2000 Share Posted August 19, 2000 Yes I wish the skirmish mode was more advance.... I would like to see an R2 unit icoin at the bottom of the screen that said "advance" which takes us to a map screen where we position ships, make hyper space points, change ship colors (actually thats basic...), customize the Ai (if you play the Rogue Squadron campaign with me on the zone, you see that the AI ALWAYS gang up on me and if it's ace I"m toast, than they gang up on another craft), etc. All in all, it's a nice idea but could had been so much better. By the way, if you ever played Rogue Squadron campagin with me on the zone, you'll see why's it's so limited.... and hard.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Marril Posted August 19, 2000 Share Posted August 19, 2000 You can actually create some hard missions on the skirmish editor. I know, I've made one. Basically, 6 SPCs gamg up on you, and you have to save an Assault Frigate and a Lancer Frigate from an onslaught of varied craft. All the while avoiding Top Ace SPCs and Super Ace GUNs. You get to fly a TIE Defnder with 5 Super Ace wingmen, but that doesn't help matters... Or another one where it was IMPOSSIBLE to not die. You have a Golan station like 4 klicks away and an Assault Frigate that dies in the first minute from Gunboats, a Vicstar Deuce, two Carrack Cruisers, and some nearby laser batteries that prove more bothersome than they should be. My point is that you can create wonderful one-region missions that are just as hard as the real thing, and without having to shell out extra dough for ALLiED. Besides, let's compare times to create good missions: Skirmish: about 10 minutes ALLiED: if you want it to be real good, you have to work on it for days on end. The you have to worry about texts and briefings... ------------------ Why is it that whenever someone says SOL I am always in trouble... whether it be Standards of Learning or (the other version). I'm always screwed. --Tyais Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Morfeo Posted August 20, 2000 Share Posted August 20, 2000 Hello XWA Fans A good number of my missions require that you perform some kind of a trick in order to increase your chances of passing it. Its fun because I dont revail it to the other human player, until him/she ask for hints, should they where unable to discover it. In one mission you HAVE to tell a group of 6 Escort Shuttles to hold position, so that you can engage the fighters whitout fear of these vital craft being destroyed. After most fighters are down (the Gunboats are mandatory because they have orders to protect the corvette), or the mission clock hits about 2:45, then you can order them to continue their mission: disable and capture a defecting IMP corvette. You may want all 6 of them in good shape by then, because the corvette puts up quite a fight. However, the fighters on both teams have been placed in a certien manner. If you really want to go deep with this, you may want to be aware of the fighter's speed, and the actual slot in which you place them, while you are creating the mission. If you put yourself in slot one, chances are, you will get hammered right away. Put yourself in a slot further down, to reduce that. I can see that the fact of the AI ganging up against players is proving to be fustrating for some. You can control that, however. Its 2 FGs of 6 T/As and a FG of 6 Gunboats (place on a slot further down) vs. 2 FGs of 6 X-Ws placed on slots on top of 6 A-Ws(you). All craft have Super Ace AI. Starting distance: 9. The T/As are very fast and mix it up with the X-Ws and A-Ws first. Sure they are outnumbered and start getting the worst of it, but they do have the attencion of all rebel fighters. Poor old Gunboats are kind of slow, and do not arrive in the slugfest right away. But, you better do something pilot, because when they do arrive they will kick you friends rears. The T/As have made them open for their attacks. Thus, the trick is, when the mission opens, is for you go at max speed and disrupt the Gunboats formacion and then hit them, and prevent at least some of then arriving into then main fight. It will make a diference. The T/As will not attack you while you are in route, I made sure of that ;-). Of cource the mission is made so that you fly the A-W and not the X-W. Eventually, make sure those Gunboats are all gone. The Skirmish Mode is good for all fighters, not just the TIEs. My campain is a rebel one, so guess whos flying for dinner! It thought about that too, a place where you can upload SKM files an share them with the community. I don't know about sush a place. Can someone tell us if it exist? It would be cool. Naturally am curious about AlliED. It seems, it is the most popular of the fan created editors. That fact alone, that it is fan created, impresses me. I have 0, repeat 0 skills at MOD, changing, shifting, controlling, manipulating, inserting, deleting, teleporting, lifting and improving a game any game. I want to learn more about it, but I can't find the exact place of where to find what this is all about. Skirmish Mode, has made me confident that I can now handle a more complex mission builder. I have created about 81 rebel missions, most, if not every single one of them, diferent from one another. I am pretty sure, I am getting someone's attencion here ;-). Any help will be apressiated. Morfeo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taarkin Posted August 24, 2000 Share Posted August 24, 2000 Yes, I love Skirmish mode. I monkied around with XvT for a bit, made a few missions for a campaign(none of them very good), but found that I was trying to make it more "realistic", basing more stuff on capitol ships. Like one where you have to escord a CRL as it picks up some cargo crates and is attacked by an SSD and 4 ISDs...with FULL FIGHTER COMPLIMENT. Needless to say I never finished making that one. But XWAs skirmish mode was a breeze. The main things I don't like about it are lack of control over capitol ships and lacking he ability to change sheild/hull levels(I ALWAYS have all sheilded fighters at 100% instead of 200%, because 200 just dosen't make sense!) ------------------ Was I supposed to eat the heads too? 'Cause I took nooo prisioners! Official forum Psychic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Morfeo Posted August 24, 2000 Share Posted August 24, 2000 Hello XWA Fan. Interesting! I feel the exact oposite about the shields in Skirmish Mode. You can't have an ISD, for example, with a shield output of 200%. Duuuhhhhh.....ok. Whats more, you are allowed to knock-out ship components (namely, those nice looking shield generators) even before you have taken a ship's shields out. I play the Single Player Campain on the hard dificulty level, and its clear, you can't do that there. I have a few missions, were you get to fly the transports, and it sometimes bothers me when I start at only 100% shields. My suggestion: If you put a ISD, with novice AI, it will appeard with a shield out-put of 100%. Also, you don't have to knock out its shields before you can start destroying its components. On the other hand, put the ISD on Super Ace, and the ship will have 200%, an you have to take them out to destroy components. You get the idea, a cap ship will get harder, on a more advance AI. Morfeo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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