[Replayability] SOF2 Gold's Random Mission Generator

[Kasey Chang]

One of the features of SOF2 (Soldier of Fortune 2:Double Helix) Gold Edition is the random mission generator.

Basically, you get an overall goal (mission type), like assassination, demolition, escape, infiltration, etc. You pick the overall area (hills, desert, snow, etc.) and the time of day. The game will then randomize a game for you with random placement of buildings, guards, etc.

This is in addition to the single player campaign and the multiplayer component.

I just played through three of them. It's pretty darn impressive, as each of these random missions takes 45 minutes to an hour to complete. It plays just like one of the levels, albiet no puzzles and no key-hunting, and no super-Ospreys.

This got me thinking... Any other game that can generate a random map for you to play on? I can't think of that many offhand, and many of them are quite old.

[Veloxi]

Lots of strategy games have random map generators. Unfortunately it's rare in other genre's, which is one thing that make SOF2 so special (besides the lovely gore and violence, of course).

[O.DOGG]

Well, the Random Map Generator in Heroes of Might & Magic 3 that came as part of the Armageddon's Blade expansion adds to the game pretty much infinite replayability. I have friends who spend most of their gaming time still playing this game ever since it came out in 1997 (I think).

As for random mission/map generators in general, I think they're a great idea, if they're done right. Veloxi is correct - mostly strategy games have them, and I'd love to see some of the other genres try to include them. I don't play much multiplayer and once I've beaten the game there is nothing left for me to do, but if there was some random map generator, I'd still play games I enjoyed long after the single-player portion is finished.

[Kasey Chang]

That's what's so neat about Raven... They know how to innovate.

Come to think of it, not that many strategy games actually have it. Sure they can randomize enemy locations and/or resources, but can they go BEYOND that?

I am talking about CIV's random map generator, which creates a completely new landmass from scratch, then ages them, and adds resources...

There's HOMM3's Random Map Generator.

There's also RRT/RRTD's map generator which re-distributes the resources when you start a new campaign.

How many others can be really name?

[Crowley]

One of the features of SOF2 (Soldier of Fortune 2:Double Helix) Gold Edition is the random mission generator.

Basically, you get an overall goal (mission type), like assassination, demolition, escape, infiltration, etc. You pick the overall area (hills, desert, snow, etc.) and the time of day. The game will then randomize a game for you with random placement of buildings, guards, etc.

This is in addition to the single player campaign and the multiplayer component.

I just played through three of them. It's pretty darn impressive, as each of these random missions takes 45 minutes to an hour to complete. It plays just like one of the levels, albiet no puzzles and no key-hunting, and no super-Ospreys.

This got me thinking... Any other game that can generate a random map for you to play on? I can't think of that many offhand, and many of them are quite old.

I normally go through a SOF2 random mission binge every so odd months. Although the AI is retarded and the balance laughable, its still a fantastic novelty for an FPS. One which tears me up inside is exclusive to SOF2

Couple of corrections though. The hardest missions (escape and infiltration) should take you 20 minutes tops. This implies you dont inspect everyone you kill, in all its dismembering glory Also infiltration makes you search out suitcases and such, and on soldier of fortune difficulty the super osprays spawn just as you make for the exit.

[Kasey Chang]

Oh, that's just f***ing beautiful.

I guess I play even infiltration and escape like a stealth mission. Move from building to building, keep out of sight of potential sniper nests, setup ambushes of my own and nail more bad guys for ammo... and so on. On Amateur level you can use your M4 pretty much like lousy sniper rifle. Use that to pick off the snipers up on those guardtowers, then grab the rifle for a nice long-distance look at enemies.

If you turn OFF "pick inventory" the game gets REALLY harder.

If I can pick weapons I'd pick OICW and the combat shotgun every time. Along with the SOCOM w/ silencer and some frag grenades.

[Crowley]

Pretty much every first shot (in a burst) from a weapon will be dead on accurate. The second shot will suffer from recoil, but you can snipe with any weapon (even pistols) if you limit your shots.

A fun thing to do is play with selectable inv on, and just give yourself a silenced pistol and see how long you can kill without being detected. Or hell, give yourself nothing and just see what you can knife up and scavage.

Its because of the random mission feature that Ive bought this game probably 3 times since its been released, and still play it on occasion. Take note FPS devs, INCLUDE IT.

[Chaz]

There was a horror themed FPS from about a year ago called Nosferatu: Wrath of the Malachi in which the entire game was randomly generated each time you played ala Diablo. I always meant to pick that up, but never got around to it.

[Veloxi]

There was a horror themed FPS from about a year ago called Nosferatu: Wrath of the Malachi in which the entire game was randomly generated each time you played ala Diablo. I always meant to pick that up, but never got around to it.

Looks like the game got mediocre reviews. They also say the random room generator makes fairly generic rooms.

[Gwar21]

Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic had the ability to generate random maps, for which you could specify all sorts of detail (amount of resources, terrain, etc.). It was a lot like HOMM3 in that respect. That's just another example of a strategy game doing it, though. Some tactical strategy games have it, sort of, in that they generate random landscapes for your fights. X-com was like that, and I'm pretty sure there have been plenty of others, even if I haven't played them. I can't think of any other FPS games that have done it, though.

[Crowley]

Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic had the ability to generate random maps, for which you could specify all sorts of detail (amount of resources, terrain, etc.). It was a lot like HOMM3 in that respect. That's just another example of a strategy game doing it, though. Some tactical strategy games have it, sort of, in that they generate random landscapes for your fights. X-com was like that, and I'm pretty sure there have been plenty of others, even if I haven't played them. I can't think of any other FPS games that have done it, though.

AoW:SM was everything you could ask for in a turnbased fantasy game. There are even some kinky mods out that balance the sides/add units/gameplay dynamics. One of the top gaming pleasures in my life has been playing the undead, and watching the land change around my cities killing off the foliage.

It was a glorious game, when the random map gen didnt put an inpassable mountain around your kingdom

[Beergut]

I'm just getting into Silent Storm, a turn-based war game, and the campaign appears to have randomly generated missions that you can choose to take on. A very good game so far!

[Kasey Chang]

on soldier of fortune difficulty the super osprays spawn just as you make for the exit.

Just experienced it. Was trying assassination on Soldier of Fortune difficulty. With judicious use of OICW's zoom was able to pick off all the guards outside, and with some fancy footwork was able to avoid the inside guards' shots and grenades. Approached the main building, open door, shoot, back off, boom! Those guys cooked themselves in a grenade. Just as I approach the door, it opened again, BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! the combat shotgun roared, and the next guy drops before he clears the door. Next guy runs out, just as the first guy's grenade (the one he never got to toss) cooked off. Boom! Mission objective complete.

Then in the distance I see the Osprey... Ack! I ran for the door those guys came out of. It just opened again, one MORE guy inside! I held down the trigger sending 6 more buckshots ahead of me as I'm only 5 yards from the door... I see the guard flung his hands back as the buckshots tore him apart...

Then everything went dark as I just ran into Osprey's stream of 20 mm tracer fire.

[CeeKay]

Well this thread made me reinstall the game last night I wish developers had used the GHOUL damage system and the radnom mission generator. I love getting the throat shot and listening to them gurgle to death

[Veloxi]

I love getting the throat shot and listening to them gurgle to death

That's one of my favorite joys as well.

[Eduardo X]

I'm just getting into Silent Storm, a turn-based war game, and the campaign appears to have randomly generated missions that you can choose to take on. A very good game so far!

Unfortunately, there are not randomly generated missions in that game. I think that would push Silent Storm into "best game of all time" levels.

[Veloxi]

I thought SS did have randomly generated side missions you could take off the main campaign...am I wrong in this?

[Crowley]

AFAIK all missions in Silent Storm are predesigned. Now the enemy/stash placement might change for the random encounters, but that'd be about it.

But what Silent Storm really needs is Sectoids, laser rifles, "X", and "Com" in its name.

[Kasey Chang]

Well this thread made me reinstall the game last night I wish developers had used the GHOUL damage system and the radnom mission generator. I love getting the throat shot and listening to them gurgle to death

Of course, when your shotgun blast actually took off the guy's head, you shouldn't hear him gurgle...

I got a series of funny screenshots in SOF2. I'll have to post them somewhere...