Simple sandbox mission concept = badly needed for success of this game in long term.

[acrh2]

Just like in Arma2, this is simple and brilliant. Almost infinite replayability.

This is how it works.

It's called Single Mission/Combat:
1) You choose a drop point location on the map. You choose weather/time of day/date. You choose ambient combat intensity and difficulty[optional].
2) You are dropped into the location by a helicopter with your squad/team. Ambient combat happens around you. Your squad isn't targeted by default, only if you engage the enemy[optional].
3) You receive a radio transmission from hq to accept a mission.
4) If you don't accept or decline, another mission is offered after about a minute or two.
5) You finish the mission and you receive another mission and an artillery support. If you fail the mission, you aren't punished for it.
6) Rinse repeat. Lots of fun to be had from the gameplay of combat alone.
7) If you finish a number of missions or a timelimit is reached, you win. If squad members are killed, they will respawn at mission completion. Or, as in Arma2, new ones can be sent as reinforcements by a helicopter - could be a separate mission offered.

Missions from hq are random from a set of, say, 10 different kinds.
Here are examples from Arma2:
a) Attack location - a random enemy fortification is spawned nearby (400-1200m). Kill all hostiles in and around the fortification. Get in range of the fortification while no enemies are in range.
b) Defend location - a random friendly fortification is spawned nearby with a squad of friendlies defending it. A squad of random enemy units is spawned nearby set to attack the fortification. Kill all enemies attacking the fortification. If the friendly squad is killed, the mission is failed.
c) High value target - a random enemy fortification is spawned nearby. Destroy a high value target inside the fortification.
d) Escort - escort a squad of friendlies (spawned nearby) to their endpoint. An enemy squad is spawned nearby to attack the friendly squad. If the friendly squad is killed, the mission is failed.
e) TRAP - get in range of a spawned downed aircraft nearby. An enemy squad is spawned to patrol near the crash site.
f) Rescue - enemy fortification and an enemy squad is spawned nearby. Save a prisoner inside the enemy fortification. If the prisoner is killed, the mission is failed (not like in Arma2, where the prisoner doesn't matter).

This kind of a game mode allows to utilize the sandbox features of the game, which should be the best selling point of this type of a game.

I image that a single programmer can code and test this in a month time.
Therefore, I suggest CM does this in a patch.

Thanks for you attention.

[Spacemanc]

They've given us the editor, which has endless mission possibilities. In fact the campaign missions only show a tiny part of what its capable of.

Over the coming months, as mission makers get to grips with it, you'll start to see some really cool stuff

[Philljc]

Originally Posted by Spacemanc

They've given us the editor, which has endless mission possibilities.

Endless? Endless until you want to create something on a large scale with a lot of units.

[The Chlorinator]

Originally Posted by Philljc

Endless? Endless until you want to create something on a large scale with a lot of units.

If you prefer large scale battles you should try ArmA2. Dragon Rising focuses specifically on small-unit combat and tactics.

[USMC_RONIN1]

I like the idea. If I had any knowledge on how to do any on that, I would give it a try.

[Philljc]

Originally Posted by The Chlorinator

If you prefer large scale battles you should try ArmA2. Dragon Rising focuses specifically on small-unit combat and tactics.

Only because it has to due to limitations of you know what. If it really wanted to focus on CQB's then there wasn't much point in creating an entire Island was there? Have you played OFP1 before? Try any of the missions on it, especially some of the non campaign ones. The battles are epic. That is Operation Flashpoint at its best.

[Lamandus]

why no big scaled attacks? the "blocker" of the unit-amount should be vamporised soon enough...

eh ok I just checked it:
There is no "blocker" inside, but, if there are too many units together, the game won't load up correctly. So it is posible by it's meaning but for now, not doable. But "respawn" is actually posible, what is kinda ok. When you move from one objective to another, then those units will spawn. Because... before that, you don't really need them, right? Perhaps there will be some... help soon enough

[The Chlorinator]

Originally Posted by acrh2

Almost infinite replayability.

This is why Codemasters developed the mission editor. The mission editor rocks!

[Philljc]

Originally Posted by Lamandus

why no big scaled attacks? the "blocker" of the unit-amount should be vamporised soon enough...

Well you can speculate on that if you like, but I'm going off what they have released and what I've tried with the editor.

[The Chlorinator]

Originally Posted by Philljc

If it really wanted to focus on CQB's

Dragon Rising's mission editor is also perfect for creating long-range battles.

Originally Posted by Philljc

there wasn't much point in creating an entire Island was there?

Once again for the dummies. You can create missions anywhere on the Island, you are not restricted to playing on the same old boring maps.

Originally Posted by Philljc

Have you played OFP1 before?

My favourite game of all time, but haven't you heard that Bohemia Interactive created OFP1? Different game, different developers.......