Aces High Bulletin Board
Special Events Forums => Scenario General => Topic started by: jordi on May 16, 2005, 03:51:00 PM
-
While I was in the CM team the idea of a Scenario Pilot Database concept was brought up about once a year or so. Due to all of our other commitments we never seemed to get past the "Thats a good idea" Phase.
So how about us the Scenario players ourselves create one ?
Here is my concept - what do you think ?
1. A Scenario table
This table would hold basic scenario information fields.
Name of the Scenario
Start Date of the Scenario
Side A CO Name
Side A XO Name
Side B CO Name
Side B XO Name
Designer Name
Lead CM Name
What other fields do we need to track ?
2. A Pilot table.
This would hold basic pilot info that would be usefull for each SIDE CO to look at and get access to to help recruit pilots to each new scenario.
Pilot AH Name ( In game ID )
Pilot AH BB Name
Pilot MA Squad Name
Pilot Email Address ( optional - but would help to keep active pilots informed of new scenarios )
Is the pilot interested in any Command postions ( Y/N )
Is the pilot an ACTIVE Scenario participant ( Pilots can be asked to be mad INACTIVE if they do not want to be informed of new scenarios )
What else ?
3. A Frame Table. This would hold the final confirmed Roster before Frame 1 ( would be listed as Frame 0 ) plus info on if htey showed up for each individual frame for that scenario )
Scenario Name ( tied to the Scenario Table )
Pilot AH Name ( In game ID ) ( Tied to the Pilot Table )
Frame #
Side they flew on in that frame
Scenario Squad the flew with in that frame
Position ( Pilot, GL, XO, CO )
Status ( Regsitered or Walkon )
Any other fields ?
-----------------
Here is a rude and crude sample page from Coral Sea.
http://www.geocities.com/mikebowman-ah@sbcglobal.net/scenario/pilot-by-frame-CS.html
---
Ideally it would nice if it were a mysql database on a server people can access and a select few can go in and administer and change information and upload information.
It would also be nice if it were set up so individual pilos can go in and change thier own data and a way for NEW Pilots to add thier data to the database.
---
Comments, ideas, suggestions, ect . . .
-
Jordi....
Come back.
We are currently brainstorming on a new Reg Page and that is an excellent Idea.
-
U da Man :)
culero
-
Make sure the email address can't be read by a bot or casual snoop.
-
Originally posted by Nefarious
Jordi....
Come back.
We are currently brainstorming on a new Reg Page and that is an excellent Idea.
I would gladly help as an outside consultant if somehow my access to the CM Forum was magically turned on.
Really.
-
Hey, Jordi back in? Now that sounds like a good idea ;)
-
Lead Ballon ?
No other ideas or suggestions ?
-
:D It's a great idea but I don't have any way to help if that's what you mean.:(
-
Trying to drag you into the "other" discussion Jordi :)
-
Originally posted by Easyscor
:D It's a great idea but I don't have any way to help if that's what you mean.:(
Just curious if someone thought of other things to have in it, other thigns to track, ect . .
Rgr ROC - np
-
Well . . . you asked for it! :)
1. I think it would be good to save, for each scenario, a database of player participation (like Jordi suggested: name, BB name, AH handle, e-mail address, which frames participated in on which side, what role, such as pilot, GL, XO, CO). It would also be nice to keep track of which frames signed up for and which ones actually participated in (so that we now can just run a database search to find all the flaky deadbeats and know not to count on them).
2. It would also be good to archive: the design (i.e., rules, maps, etc.); info on who designed it and who CM'ed it; dates it ran; the AH terrain file and settings used; all BB content related to the scenario (each side's BB contents); the SEA log for each frame; and the Webtreatz log for each frame.
#1 is a database. #2 is an archive of files.
I do much (but not all) of #2 myself. For example, I can't get BB contents easily, so I don't get that.
This way, we have all the data anyone would want to mine on player participation; and we could have an archive of scenarios anyone could draw from to rerun or to modify into a new scenario. The archive should be available somewhere easily accessible to everyone.
We tried some of this back in the late 1990's with the Scenario Masters' Guild (SMG)-- an organization I helped to found that was devoted to regular running of high-quality Air Warrior scenarios. This was after the days when Dok and his contemporaries were regularly running scenarios, when there was a dearth of good scenarios. There were a couple other organzations that stepped up, too, and did some damned good scenarios. The SMG eventually died out, unable to maintain a critical mass of volunteer effort and as a result of the not-uncommon clash of salamanderly personalities. In its day, though, it put out some good scenarios.
Being able to play in regular, good scenarios is an important thing in my life. I'd love it if there were Aces High scenarios running 4-6 times a year (one every 2-3 months).
-
Thanks Brooke.
Ex SMG Member her too - for a while - then went off with Culero to form the Futile Dweebs scenario group !
I think it was 1999 there was some sort of Scenario frame going on 11 of the 12 months that year from 2 or 3 diff scenario groups.
I think we need a Scenario site of some sort - just like there is for Squad OPS - to save, archive and track pilots and Scenario info.
Someone could say - I liked the settings in Coral Sea - what were they so I can tweak them a little for my new scenario.
And for better or for worse I think the ability for a CO or GL to look back at a pilots Scenario career attendence is a good thing. Yes real life does intrude in peoples lives that make them miss frames or whole scenarios. But one can spot a trend in some peoples attendence or lack there of. One can also see who has stepped up and helped out in a command positition so that down they road they know who they can ask to help out again.
-
Originally posted by Brooke
snip
We tried some of this back in the late 1990's with the Scenario Masters' Guild (SMG)-- an organization I helped to found that was devoted to regular running of high-quality Air Warrior scenarios.
Great job, that. After a period of time during which scenario play had declined almost to the point its very existence was at risk, SMG made critical efforts that resulted in the successful resurgence of scenario play at Air Warrior. I am still grateful for that. ~S~
Originally posted by Brooke
snip
The SMG eventually died out, unable to maintain a critical mass of volunteer effort and as a result of the not-uncommon clash of salamanderly personalities. In its day, though, it put out some good scenarios.
"salamanderly personalities?" LMAO! What a diplomatic understatement :)
Yanno, salamanderly or not, it'd be great to see some of those guys back "in". RM, Cookie, DD, GE, LW, etc....lotsa talent there.
Originally posted by Brooke
snip
Being able to play in regular, good scenarios is an important thing in my life. I'd love it if there were Aces High scenarios running 4-6 times a year (one every 2-3 months).
Brooke, give me an opinion about a brain fart I'm having, please (it kinda ties in with that last remark of yours).
One of the things I've noted about Aces High scenarios is the relatively short duration compared to what we're used to from Air Warrior.
It occurs to me that perhaps this may affect scenario community development in terms of relationship building. I remember the days when 6 frames was a minimum, with some events longer. One of the things I remember from those days is the coherence and solidarity that would develop amongst team members, with the result that relationships were forged that then could be drawn upon as future events developed.
I'm thinking we might want to consider how to put together something here that will attempt to build some longer-living teams, to see if perhaps we can't experience some community-building benefit from that.
Given the attention-span problems that have been cited in explanation of shorter frame duration, perhaps a scenario that is structured like a campaign? That way we could assemble a couple of teams for the duration of a 2 or even 3 month long event, who would play "phases" of the event that each only consist of 1-3 frames.
Think about this in terms of its implications.
We could get multiple designers/teams involved, each of which would be responsible for its own "phase" in order to split workload and add diversity to the talent pool involved.
But we'd have teams of players who, instead of forming for a short time and then disbanding, would sign up "for the duration". They'd stick together from phase to phase, giving them the opportunity to bond and become more effective organizationally over time.
Perhaps having a constantly changing set of conditions and objectives would help to avoid the ennui that we see set in for the later frames of events now. Even if a team gets blown out in a 1 or 2 frame phase, they can look forward to an entirely different battle for the next phase.
I'm thinking something ETO-centric. Rocketman's old Operation Longbow concept where the 8thAF bombing campaigns develop over time is perhaps a great possibility. Think how many MA squads/players already have skills and interests that would tie right into that - the "Luftweenies" would be able to "defend the Fatherland" through the evolution of the various 109/190 types we have, the "bomber dweeb" crowd could do what they do well in an immersive setting.
My concept is that if we get it going then KEEP it going for 2 or 3 months, maybe we could work on community building during its course by using the MA "buzz" between frames to encourage more walkons to show for each frame.
Maybe even have an ongoing registration between phases? Make the orders of battle flexible, so that group sizes are increased and even new groups added to allow new registrants to join as it builds?
culero (just brainstorming here)
-
If I may . . .
When I first heard of this concept ( Something like Longbow - or as I called it - TOO LONGBOW ) I felt that attendence would dwindle down to nothing after a while.
BUT . . .
The way you explain it here it might just work.
The biggest problem is COMMUNICATING any sort of coherent message with the MA Masses that do not regualry visit the AH BB Forums.
I know we tried putting info into the MA MOTD - but people tend to click right through that.
I know we tried to send emails out to MA Pilots and or MA Squads but getting those email address is very hard to do.
One thing we can try is to have like a group meeting in the MA and talk about it on a all country text and VOX channel so people can pop in and out of hte conversation and get more info about Scenarios and other special events.
Any other good ideas ?
-
Or a BYBTS day . .
Bring
Your
Buddy
To
Scenario
Day
Either your MA buddy or a squad buddy who has not flown in a scenario before.
-
Originally posted by culero
Great job, that. After a period of time during which scenario play had declined almost to the point its very existence was at risk, SMG made critical efforts that resulted in the successful resurgence of scenario play at Air Warrior. I am still grateful for that. ~S~
Thanks, Culero! You did good work in that same area, too, as did Jordi. Are there more folks around involved with Aces High who were in that crowd?
"salamanderly personalities?" LMAO! What a diplomatic understatement :)
Heh! Well, I can be diplomatic at times. :)
Brooke, give me an opinion about a brain fart I'm having, please (it kinda ties in with that last remark of yours).
I like your ideas on this, Culero.
One of the things that comes to mind for me was a scenario run by Try Harder in August, 1995: Saga of the 5th Air Force. It was a series of scenarios (each a 6-frame event) that simulated development over time (as time progressed, newer aircraft became available in larger quantities) and where results of the previous scenario affected the setup of the next scenario. I think it was the first scenario to try a concept like that. I was CO of the Japanese side in that one, and I remember it as one of the most-fun scenarios ever.
In the Air Warrior days, the player base was more committed and involved. We had no trouble with 6-frame scenarios and some longer than that. However, I always keep in mind that, while the percentage of devoted players was larger, the size of the player base was smaller. So, some of those Air Warrior scenarios had much less than 100 participants in total -- and it was still a blast.
What we have in Aces High are folks like us who want basically three things:
-- more scenarios per year
-- more player devotion
-- longer scenarios
We want it all! :) While we don't have it right now and while I don't think it can all happen quickly (such as over the next few scenarios), I do think we, the Aces High community, can build toward it.
More scenarios per year will probably happen. It is helped by more folks getting involved and willing to pitch in (for administering, planning, running, and perhaps designing scenarios), which might be happening now. Right now, it seems like there are plenty of designers and would-be designers, so the other areas might be where more folks are needed to pitch in.
More player devotion will happen over time, too, I think. It is helped by everyone promoting scenarios -- speading The Word when in the main arena -- to those who don't know about scenarios. All we need to do is grow the base of players like us who love scenarios, not win over everyone. So, when you are in the main arena, strike up a conversation about how great scenarios are and what they are -- especially when a scenario is getting ready to run and signup is open.
Longer, more-involved scenarios -- this is what you were talking about specifically. And you thought I was off into the weeds and wouldn't come back, eh, Culero? :) I agree with you 100%. Right now the best way to get a longer scenario would probably be to have a string of 4-frame scenarios that are related, where the outcome of the previous one affects the start of the next. The string of scenarios then is like a longer scenario, but it has the advantage that signups refresh the player base in between. I love the idea.
So, what do we need to make it happen? Who is in charge of scenarios in Aces High in terms of giving the OK for one to run?