THE SHORT VERSION…

THE LONGER VERSION…

The shortening ‘FCSP’ stands for the ‘Frontline Commander Strategy Playground’-mission concept. The word ‘Commander’ signifies that these missions are centred around the commander which means one player MUST know how to use that role. At game start the different units, both friends (Blufor) and foes (Opfor) are placed on semi random locations and the strategies to complete the tasks have to be built from that. In other words quite many different possible start conditions. The combat map are central and gives info about stuff that can be used creatively during game play. Continuous live intel-messages on the screen creates situation awareness on what is going on in the landscape and are necessary to be focused on so the planing are updated to actual conditions.

» The commander have quite many resources (different kind of units) but note; no vehicles (manned/unmanned) will respawn so combat ‘resource planning’ is central! For example: It may be a bad idea to waste all air units immediately by sending them into a heavily AA-area.

» In most missions the commander are bossing over it’s own infantry group and sometimes another one. Above that attack chopper units, fighter jet units, tank units and you could – by using the options in the support menu also use support functions as artillery (real and movable groups, not virtual = have to be protected from air attacks), call for supply drop and call for helicopter transport.

» An important factor for the ‘Strategy’-aspect is that great concern are also given to save civilian lives. If a certain amount of civilians die the missions will be classified as failure meaning the round will aborted.

» The words ‘Strategy Playground’ are referring to that the mission concept encourage to have fun with testing different strategies each round: How will the game play feeling be and the outcome number of respawns, civilians casualties, downed Opfor units change with other strategies on how to use all resources/units and mission start locations, weather and time of day? The concept is about ‘play-evaluate-experiment’!

» The word ‘Playground’ also refers to that hard core realism isn’t the main aim; instead the feeling of unpredictable ‘adventure’ is using a ‘sandbox’-thinking! For example resources of different kind can be found in the landscape (often marked on map) to prevent things are running meaninglessly hard; It’s not fun if nearest ammo depot or vehicle is 3 hours walk from your current location… Of the same reason, after you eventually are being killed, you don’t respawn at base; instead you respawn at random location not far from the point of being killed. With this respawn concept the death ‘costs’ waiting-for-respawn-time and interrupts what you are doing but not totally disturbs the game flow which respawning at base tends to do.

» Trailer for the “Frontline Commander Strategic Playground”-mission concept using the mission  ‘FCSP COUNTRYSIDE WAR [hostage rescue]’ as example below…

» High Command role (army commander). One player MUST play and know how to use that role.This is the core in these the FCSP-mission and has to be played; single player as well as multiplayer. Demands strategic decisions how to use the army and gives a feeling of overview.

» Group leader role. The Commander combines the High Command role with the Group Commander role. Here you got a band of brothers feeling. Work active with orders what they should do and how they should behave (for example strategic/tactical movements, behaviors as stealth mood)  

» Civilians that have to be protected. A certain amount of dead civilians and the mission abort. Many of the civilians are used as human shields near primary targets but will escape when the Opfor guards are “distracted”.

» At game start; semi-random insertion of both own troops and Opfor targets and troops. A factor that force to active strategic thinking and the demand for recon.

» Semi-random respawn concept. The player don’t respawn at base; instead you respawn at random location not far from the point of being killed. With this respawn concept the death ‘costs” waiting-for-respawn-time and interrupts what you are doing but not totally destroyes the game flow.which respawning at base tends to do.

» Clear goals for the each mission; a handful of tasks, that should be completed. The list is always the same but locations of the task objects can shifting which gives variation and challenge.

» Continuous intel reports what happens in on the battlefield that gives a feeling of situation awareness.     

» The huge transport chopper CH-49 Mohawk can be used to lift tanks to strategic locations.

» Virtual Ammo Box-system; used in ammo boxes but also in many vehicles.

» Artillery (not virtual; real units that have to be protected).

» Possibility to call for supply drop and call for helicopter transport using radio the button menu (both virtual spawned functions).

» Randomized weather and time system (my own design) at game start. Some possibilities to influence weather and time of day during game play using “radio buttons”. [EDIT 2016.06.30: BUG REPORT: Unfortunately my system for “Randomized weather and time system (my own design) at game start”  seems to have stop working of unknown reason. Looking for a solution. You can still influence weather manually using “radio buttons” EDIT 2016.11.00: Much of the problem seems to be solved now. ]