Although I have years of experience with Harpoon (dating back to PNP days), I am a mere padawan when it comes to scenario design. I have toyed around with the thought, but lately have begun making notes concerning a series of scenarios. One issue I struggle with is using the mission clock in the design editor. Could one of our resident Jedi Masters provide some insights?

Does the clock work on a scale of the hours in the scenario or does the mission clock trigger the event X-hours after the beginning of the scenario?

Also, when you create your scenario, do you typically script a timelne for the engagement?

I just want to design some realistic situations and not over-engineer the process. Thanks!

Does the clock work on a scale of the hours in the scenario or does the mission clock trigger the event X-hours after the beginning of the scenario?

 

You determine the total maximum duration of the scenario in the Scenario Editors, whether several hours or days.

 

You can - to a certain extent - determine what actions the AI will take (e.g. launch an air strike on a player's airfield) and when (e.g. eight hours after game start). There are other actions that the AI will take of its own accord (e.g. launch an air strike on a newly discovered player controlled ship).

 

Also, when you create your scenario, do you typically script a timelne for the engagement?

 

Yes. With the above comments in mind, you do try and script a timeline for what the AI will do and when.

Thanks for the quick turnaround, Brad!

Don't forget that the enemy has to detect your ships in order to automatically form up attacks against your ships. That likely means sacrificing some sensing platforms to the player. I'm a crude scenario designer so I'll set up E-2 patrols in the expected player path of motion to help get whiffs of the player. They are of course one-shot deals. First one goes to point A, second one X hours later goes to point B and so on. For me that means adding more E-2s to the AI than it would have in real life. The AI is generally not I and needs some help to perform at a near-human level. That's a conundrum of the game, is it more realistic to give the AI extra resources so that it can put up a reasonable fight, or more realistic to give the AI the forces expected in real life and have the scenario not be a challenge? I'm all about an enjoyable experience so my approach leans more towards the former.

That's a conundrum of the game, is it more realistic to give the AI extra resources so that it can put up a reasonable fight, or more realistic to give the AI the forces expected in real life and have the scenario not be a challenge? I'm all about an enjoyable experience so my approach leans more towards the former.

 

Another method is to give the player fewer assets or assets of lesser quality than he might ordinarily want to bring to bear.

Excellent points. Thanks guys!