Colonial Campaigns Club (CCC)

I would like to see if I can't stimulate some inputs from the members as to what elements in the design of a scenario are most important? What things when present make you want to play the scenario? What things when present turn you off? Topics can range from unit details, to the overall strategic environment. They can deal with the troops, the terrain, the rules, or whatever else is important to you.

To help generate some topics, let me recap some things I've heard before.

In general, I think people expect a good scenario to be "balanced". Now, what constitutes being "balanced" can mean different things to different players. I've heard some advocate that this means two identical armies, facing each other over a mirrored terrain. In the 1812 Tournament, I've been trying to evolve essentially a "points" system that balances forces of different numbers and types of units. I've also heard the term used to describe a situation where both sides have an equal chance for victory ( I will admit, this presents a logical dilema for me - does a game with an chance of victory for both, imply a Draw is the most likely result - are scenarios that frequently end in a Draw, considered good?).

Another factor related to the topic is "historically accuracy". Many want the scenario to be plausible from the perspective of something that could have happened. Related to this are a number of views about the composition of the armies as well as the game engine representation of the weapons. These factors can manifest themselves in views about the standard and alternate .pdt files and about what optional rules make the most sense. So if historically accuracy is on your list, do try to define it in terms of game design elements.

The map and the size of the game are also important. I know some players strongly prefer big maps, lots of troops, and a lot of turns. If these things are important to you, do comment on how big you prefer these things. Your preference could also be for scenarios that are smaller and get into the action quickly. So is it "big is beautiful" or "good things come in small packages"?

Do you expect more then just a game? It's possible some players look beyond the victory conditions to define what scearios they like the best. Perhaps it's a scenario that challenges you to do some research, outside of the game itself.