Scenario: Playtesters wanted

[A_Rude_Gesture]

Hi evereybody! (Don't you lot dare call me Dr. Nick.)
Anyway, I need playtester for my new scenario. Please PM me if you're interested. I won't reveal too much, but here's an excerpt from the scenario description. Hope this catches your fancy!

Scenario name: 01 Beginnings

Date: May 5, 1972

Battle Location: Rural Area, Northern Ireland

Battle Type: Provisional IRA vs R.U.C./British Army

Description: How and when you and your brother joined the Provos is a story best told at another time.

It doesn't really matter at the moment, what does matter is that you both have been sent to a rural area just across the border to meet up with and help organize a few volunteers.

You drove across the border with only a few weapons in the car: A pistol, a shotgun and newly arrived from our friends in the States, an m79 "Thumper" grenade launcher.

Edit: Doh! Forgot to attach the scenario. Thanks, RightDeve!
Oh and an NB: Just want to issue a warning about strong language (well, using curse words) in the description. For all you parents out there.

Edit2: v.2 uploaded. Made some changes based on RightDeve's suggestions.

Edit3: File moved to Scenarios.

[RightDeve]

Hi there!

Better attach the download link here so more people can actually play it and tell you what they think of the scenario.

RD

[A_Rude_Gesture]

Oh, and feel free to give your comments rught here in the thread, dunno why I wrote that you should PM me. I'll blame tiredness...which is what you get when you design a scenario all night long.

[RightDeve]

Wow, reads like a novel, plays like an RPG game... this is unique.

Actually I was a bit confused (initially) at the mission statement. Didn't know what to do except load the grunts and drive 'em somewhere with the old man's chick
But then I figured it out after re-reading the novella. Better re-state the mission in a clear cut order, and put it somewhere after the story. But if that's your style (enjoying the story and know what to do), then no problem.

And then, really it plays like an SP styled RPG game. Controlling single-or-two man units with high cost points put on it (didn't realize this at first) and insert them behind the lines to harass british forces. It needs a bit of patience indeed, hence the long turn.

A bit of suggestion: unit's naming would be good left at stock (i mean the unit's name when you hover the mouse over them). For when I embarked the lads and try to select one of those stacked units, i didn't know which one really to choose (the car, the mg, the hunter/sniper?) as they have names on it (i mean real names). Maybe try putting real names only at the unit info screen's leader name field. But again, if one understands (and remembers) the story, no problem; he'll be able to distinguish between the MG, the Chick, the sniper, the HQ, all by their very real names only.

Overall, it's a nice scen different from most.

Zen

[A_Rude_Gesture]

Thanks for the input!
Well, my thoughts were that since you "are" the HQ unit and it being two guys who have just crossed the border they don't know anything yet. The only name they knew was their contact, "Old Man" O'Leary, so I tried to represent their confusion. After all, they were hurried into action by McGee the very night they arrived (in the original description I had a long dialogue between the brothers and McGee explaining why they had to go into action straight away, but I cut it.

Regarding the "wall of text" description,I tried to cut it down as much as possible (you should have seen the original) but having thought up a story...well...they say "kill your darlings" but it's oh so hard.

When it comes to the unit naming I could perhaps put something descriptive after the name (Like [LMG] after McGee's name, but I really want people to connect to the units (RPG-style) as the story develops.

The RPG-style of the scenario, i.e. small 1 and 2-man units, is actually derived from how the IRA fought/fights. Small, local detachments of about 5 men, evolving into the flying column which consists of a maximum of 30 men. And as mentioned I plan to put out more scenarios (perhaps even make it into a campaign later on) in the future and of course, your resources (weaponry, men and training) will increase as the story progresses.

The long turn was one of the parts I was most concerned about, since first I put it at 20, which was a bit tight even for me, and I designed the bloody thing, so I decided to increase the turns. How did you feel about the balance? To easy, too hard or spot on?

Anyway, a massive thank you for the feedback and the fact that you put time into playing it! Oh, and sorry for this "wall of text" as well..

[A_Rude_Gesture]

Having played through the scenario thoroughly myself, and thanks to the input from RightDeve, I will be releasing it presently. However, I'm working on the second one now, so of course I'll be needing playtesters again shortly.