[Tue] 30 Dec 2014 (Bye and thanks for all the boolets)

[Tigershark]

Missions:

• Citadel
• FA Sandbox (Wolfenswan and Head as Zeus)
• Swept II

Our last session of the year and there were up to 17 brave and loyal comrades on the frontlines, fighting for the Party.
Our intention was to play some of the hits of 2014...and we did that...for one. But then we got sucked into the new Fa Sandbox in which Wolfenswan and Head crafted missions for us on the fly. Was very enjoyable and we certainly behaved more tactical knowing there were meatballs controlling the parameters of the mission.

Thanks to all that came and most of all...

Have a Very Happy New Year

and looking forward to seeing what 2015 brings for FA.

[boberro]

Citadel (A2 FTL) went reasonably well. Of course we died, but that's what this mission is about. I'm sure it has something to do with pink smoke that was released inside our IFV.

As for Sandbox, while regular Zeus is tempting, it was too chaotic to my liking. I believe we need to establish some rules about respawns / time of mission etc. Arma 3 is infuriating by itself, not knowing if I'm dead for sure or not, nor how long mission can take is not a good thing.
On the other hand, slow paced convoy stuff was great, and things like that can happen only in Zeus, where you don't know if mission's stupposed to be about EID or about something else. And there was this hellcat crashing on a tower.

Swept II Coop (A2 FTL) - walked right into the trap, didn't we?


Strange pink smoke and it's effect on cognitive functions (Citadel)


Slow paced, careful first part of zeus mission.


Carnage part of zeus mission.


Tigershark is somewhere in this picture.

[Lynche]

As always, thanks to the hosts for running the session.

I really enjoyed the Sandbox session and would love to have more. The atmosphere and tension at the start was great!
However, I do agree with Boberro that if they were to become regular that we'd need a more solid framework of rules in running them. But aside from that - more please!

Also, congratulations to Grumpy who, through his skill and bravery, was the last man to die in 2014! He truly is an example to us all.
I'm sure the party will soon be investigating the cowardice you showed in taking so long to die for the cause

[Tigershark]

As always, thanks to the hosts for running the session.

I really enjoyed the Sandbox session and would love to have more. The atmosphere and tension at the start was great!
However, I do agree with Boberro that if they were to become regular that we'd need a more solid framework of rules in running them. But aside from that - more please!

Also, congratulations to Grumpy who, through his skill and bravery, was the last man to die in 2014! He truly is an example to us all.
I'm sure the party will soon be investigating the cowardice you showed in taking so long to die for the cause

Congrats Grumpy!

Also...I'm with Lynche. I used to play a lot of MCC missions with Tier1 before folk (MCC was precursor to Zeus). I loved the tension and atmosphere that was built up. The civilians we met along he way...the unexpected. Because we knew a human was controlling the mission we played it a lot more realistically knowing anything and everything could happen. This is the real beauty of a Zeus mission. You also can see your ideas through without being an actual mission maker...just become excellent at using Zeus which is about as difficult as using a RTS (ie...pretyy easy).

boberro is right. It could use some parameters...and some tweaking. In my experience these types of missions get better over time as people use the technique more and collect feedback.

I invite everyone to give their feedback on what these parameters might look like. It's one thing to say "it needs parameters". It's a more constructive thing to actually put finger to keyboard and begin crafting the basics of how Zeus missions should play out. This is your community as much as it our people so help out where you can. You can start with helping build the future of Zeus missions.

[Pickers]

Citadel - A2 AAR

Mission went well until we entered the town and the infantry got wiped out leaving the tank and IFV to take and hold the town.

FA Sandbox (Wolfenswan and Head as Zeus)

Really fun, this is the second game I've had with Zeus, and the fact that the mission isn't quite as "scripted" as normal missions are, creates some great tension (is that car crash up in front an accident or an ambush?). We got wiped out on the hillside by EI in the woods and along the ridge line. I missed the next round of respawns and came in 'leading' a fireteam, by the time we landed I found out that I was in charge, and that we were doing something, eventually myself and my team arrived at the FOB and not long after (and in no small part to my leadership) we achieved 'mission ending 1'

Swept II - A1 FTL and CO

High on the sweet taste of victory, I stepped forward and answered when the party called for a leader (re: I was "volunteered"). I laid down a simple plan, a familiar plan, one that would surely result in glorious victory. With an inspiring speech we moved off into the woods. It was around waypoint 3 I realised something - hmm...we should be further north on the ridge above us. Moments later the AT team reported EI danger close, and as A1 moved north across the road to support A2 and MAT we came under HMG fire to the the south.

Swept II Coop (A2 FTL) - walked right into the trap, didn't we?

I prefer to think of it leading the us into 2015 - confused, sheltering behind cover, under heavy fire, your team mates dying around you, and the plan and all semblance of leadership falls apart - leaving a handful of survivors (Grumpy ) to be hunted down.