Battlezone 1

You already know this, but I should probably post it here too.

BZ installer (BZ98 v1.2) has been released on 11/30/09. You can get it here, by clicking on a flag, which leads you to installer in chosen language. Yes, all BZ files are translated (audio, text), not just installer's menu. All 6 installers are basically the same, new language versions are made for those whose English is not very good.

If you are unsure what version you already have (1.0, 1.1 or 1.2), you can check that by clicking on the properties of downloaded exe.

US English installer is called BZ98_US.exe and the difference from v1.1 (released on 04/21/09) is minor, but I suggest you to upgrade anyway because new version has 18 new MP maps. Like that you will avoid annoying "mission multxxxx not found". Be sure to uninstall previous BZ version you might have, but not before saving old settings, if you don't wanna lose your custom keys configuration and such (explained in installers readme).

1.2 version also has built in separated shortcuts for HW, SW and window mode, for both RO and BZ. Like that you can isolate your techincal issue with an ease.

RO window shorcut also allows you to sit in 1.4 lobby with it, while doing something else (surfing, checking email...), then when you want to play you simply clcik on BZ HW mode shortcut (main shortcut) and start playing. Like that you will never miss a GG again. More about that here.

http://www.battlezone1.net

You all like to play IA missions but I got 0 suggestions which missions to put into installer. That's why I only chose those that seemed though at the time. Now I see I made a mistake by doing that, cause some of those missions have modified units which is not acceptable in my installer's policy. Not on IA maps, not on DM maps, not on strat maps. Installer has to remain as stock as possible. Beside, IA map is supposed to prepare you for multiplayer strat, and modified units will only do the opposite. As said few times before, the same deal is with DM maps. DM is practice for strat cause in a game like BZ, you need DM skills in strat. You can't improve your skills by testing ships and weapons that you won't find in a strat game.

I understand that AI can't make grizzly and then arm it with dual SP's, using Armory, so it's ok for AI factory to produce dual SP Grizzlies. But what's not acceptable is human getting miners with less mines than normal, just to make the mission tougher. Example of that is Hell's Gate 2. It will be removed from v1.3.

Any other examples of that?

Don't do that! That's what makes Hell's gate 2 so good. It isn't stock. If you made Hell's gate 2 Stock, you'd have all the mortars back which is exactly the point of them being removed, to make the game harder. I don't think anyone here thinks it's a normal MP preparation, it's a challenge.
if you wanna make it clear that some aren't stock levels, put them in a separate folder. Don't outright ban them.

Sorry, it's not debatable, I made "stock rule" clear when I started making my first installer, BZ1.4M (check page #1). Putting that map in BZ98 was a mistake from my side.

And that map is not challenging, it's stupid. I'm sure you can't pass it, even on medium. If you would know anything about making IA missions (I know a bit), and if you would understand how BZ strategy functions in details (I know every detail), you would see that even simple IA mission is more challenging than that one with custom ships.

That map, and every other like it, is out. However, I could make BZ98 expansion with dumb maps, if I receive enough dumb map requests.

Well, Raves don't prepare one for strat, and a few missions have raves:
(not on tanks, but sitting as powerups)

Undiscovered
Easy mission even without raves. Has rave powerups.
Downhill
I can't ever seem to win unless I grab the raves that the mission objective box tells you about as "high energy weapons", and kill 1 of the recyclers and 1 of the factories over the top. There's more than 1 of each. The AI builds like crazy, and uses a lot of Stolis, and has ridiculous amount of scrap.

Tunguska (Download)
I found a decent IA mission to add, but it has a hidden rave somewhere on the map. I think I will edit it out or replace it with SP-Stabber or some other weapon and give the modified version, you don't need a silly rave gun to beat the mission.

EDIT: Nevermind, you can choose not to use it.

I can't beat Downhill without killing a few CCA production units over the top with dual Raves. The AI builds too many units otherwise, and have practically infinite scrap. I spent hours on it, there is constantly too many units to kill and not enough flat ground to build much away from base. I even tried base sitting, waiting for the AI to run out of scrap, luring AI units from their base over to my base to destroy them. How long does it take for AI to run out of scrap? I'll never know, but it definitely takes many hours. You think I want to sit for hours playing like that? It's horrible. I don't blame anybody for including it in the installer, I blame the creator for making it.

I understand there was not much feedback about IA missions in the past, and nobody wants to test and screen them all when making an installer. Hopefully that will change now, maybe everybody can help decide which IA missions improve skills and which are just silly.

The Gorge is custom and very weird. The Black Dog Grizzlies have dual AT. They are not stock AT, they are longer range. I hate that, I'd rather have BDog tanks with single SP-Stabber, mortar weapon, and Prox Mine, the way a BDog should be.


Hell's Gate 2 is a big challenge, but in preparation for strat, I think it should have not tortured me by removing All Mortars, Comet Cruise, Mag Cannon, and Howitzers. Also your pilot has 100 sniper rounds and a minigun with only 50 rounds. The minigun is useless. I won't be attacking as a pilot that's asking for failure. A good IA mission will make you WANT to play it, right? I killed the first attack wave, and don't find myself ever truly wanting to complete the rest of the mission. I don't mind having 100 sniper rounds in missions like Chinese Mission #7 in TRO, or a nicely designed IA mission with some required sniping and real strategy, i.e. use your rifle to get past enemies and make your way to your recycler. Hell's Gate 2 also has custom blue SP-Stabbers in some enemy units, that doesn't bother me so much. I like challenge, but is there a point when enough is enough? It can be beaten, but it just seems more ridiculous the more I think about it.

I haven't really played The Great Pyramid IA mission yet, but I am turned off to it by the fact that my pilot has no sniper rifle, but has a chaingun. CCA Soldiers with chainguns are best suited to being controlled by AI, no? (APC attacks)

After a while of playing some custom IA missions, I get really sick of having certain things unavailable in missions (Mortars, Howies, etc) and I'd rather have the full technology available and let ME choose what tactics/weapons I will/will not use, if any. In MP strat, you have everything. Players need to have some experience with Howies offline and learn how fast you can destroy things with them depending on how many all shoot at once, how far they can reach, etc. By removing them, it can give false impression that they are taboo.

Side note: I made a program called BZ Config 9000, which configures BZ and TRO and can launch any mission. You don't actually have to worry about ever REMOVING mission entries from instant_action.txt, they won't show up in the program if they're not installed.

If you don't have it yet, wait for v2.4. v2.3 has an error in it.

Hell's Gate 2 is finsihable, It's torturously long, but really makes you focus on multi tasking, You have to keep constant tabs on the defences or you are guarnateed to be overrun. But most of the IA are edited in some way. There's one with no rec but a modified constructor, which is tougher and faster. Cydonia gives the player the tech tree as available during the early SP levels.
I think if someone took the time to put the effort in that's worth letting their work carry on.
I think your compromise is the best way forward. Keep them out of the installer as you want, but make them all available as an expansion pack. That way people will know what they are before they start them. And everybody wins.

Cydonia
Wow.... Don't get me wrong, I like challenge, but taking away bombers and more advanced weapons like SP-Stabber, and giving me a crappy Factory that builds faster turning turrets equipped with single AT? When looking for a good stock IA mission, Cydonia just doesn't cut it. I think it's too modified.

I don't mind the enemy having custom units in IA missions, as long as they have only weapons that the armory can build. Bolt is allowed, BDog armory has it. (I have yet to see a good stock IA mission where the Black Dogs are the enemy.) A few Stolis with blast would be fine, CCA has blast. Go ahead and let the enemy make a few dual SP tanks that are aggressive like a bomber, that would roughly simulate the effectiveness of a human opponent having upgraded tanks on follow command. Combine that with mostly stock units. Have Golems escorted by bombers. The best challenge is something creative involving stock units. Of course, I think it's great to see a few Furies in some missions, even though they will never show up in MP strat.

Talking about Tunguska again, it seems to be a bit different every time. Sometimes I have Golems coming to attack, sometimes not. Sometimes there are more Furies coming, sometimes not. Surprises are good, expect many surprises in MP strat. I made a video of Tunguska, and no Golems came, but I saw Golems the first time I played it, and actually FAILED the first 3 attempts at the mission. That's GOOD, hehe, I learn from failure.

Nobody makes IA missions in TRO? Regular NSDF (instead of Black Dogs) VS Chinese could be interesting. Or how about CCA vs Chinese? CCA vs Black Dogs? Chinese VS Black Dogs?

Also, when making Black Dog IA missions, it's good to have a custom BDog armory made from the NSDF armory file, with all the same weapons as the stock BDog armory. The stock BDog armory in BZ has voices all mixed up.

Some of the IA missions are ridiculous, I remember Hell's gate is. When you can't make the weapons you should be allowed to make, it just causes frustration more than compromise.