DD/Campaign/Campaign file format

From Unknown Horizons

Overview

A campaign file is basically a data file containing references to the scenarios.

A campaign itself is an ordered list of scenarios. The player has to win a scenario, to be able to play the next one.

A campaign is not only a list of scenarios that the player has to win step by step, there should also be the opinion to choose the next scenario, depending of the players decision ingame. As an example: The player has to create 2 settlements of 6 isles, depending on what isle he will build his settlements, the next scenario in the campaign is choosen.

A campaign should be also a file like a scenario file but it contains the following things:

• list of all possible scenarios
  • define her sequence
• a header with basic information, like: duration, difficulty, author, amount of maps etc.
• should maybe be possible to extend finish conditions of a scenario

Behaviour

• For the player a campaign has the same handling as a normal map/game.
• It's possible to store it at every position
• The message will be popup for a specific time, but the player havnt to click for the next step, buts possible to read the old messages
• The player could read the goals for this scenarios in a speical menu, maybe via dipolmacy button ?!

Proposal / Whishes

• IMHO a conditions system like in the scenarios could be useful as soon as we gain support for secondary mission gaols. So you will be able to create a campaign that forces the user to reach e.g. half/all secondary goals to unlock a "bonus" lvl. --Terwarf 10:32, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

• Proposal of a yaml style file format:

- # Level 1
  level:
   - testcmp_01.yaml
  conditions: 

- # Level 2
  level:
   - testcmp_02.yaml
  actions:
   - goal[1]:
     set_var [xy], [1]
   - goal[2]:
     set_var [za], [5]
     do_something_other ["for further ideas..."]
  conditions: 
   - testcmp_01_goal [1]

- # Level 3
  level:
   - testcmp_03.yaml
  conditions: 
   - testcmp_02_goal [1]

- # Level 4
  level:
   - testcmp_04.yaml
  conditions:
   - testcmp_03_goal [1]

- # bonus 1
  level:
   - testcmp_b01.yaml
  conditions:
  - testcmp_02_goal [1]
  - testcmp_01_goal [2]

- # bonus 2
  level:
   - testcmp_b02.yaml
  conditions:
   - testcmp_04_goal [1]
   - testcmp_04_goal [2]
   - testcmp_01_goal [2]
   - testcmp_02_goal [2]
   - testcmp_03_goal [2]

difficulty: easy
author: somebody
description: |
 Sample Campaign.

where xy_goal [1] is the primary goal, xy_goal the secondary (so everything keeps open for more goals in the future), actions are triggered if the goal is reached, to make it possible to create complex campaigns with multiple branches of a story, depending on the players behavior. --Terwarf 19:27, 8 November 2009 (UTC)

Questions and Answers

Open question: Should people could make campaigns via the editor later? So that you create a map, define special conditions so thats a scenario and add map + scenario to a campaign ? kili 08.11.2009