Tiberian Dawn - Biolab (single player)

[MattAttack]

Biolab 57x61 Snow theater

 

Mission Description

-------------------

The Brotherhood has bribed a high level GDI scientist into assisting

in the completion of our deadly bio-weapons program.  Word has leaked

of the defection and the GDI forces in the area are throwing everything

they have at us.  Protect the bio-weapons facility at all cost until

the scientist arrives.  Attacks will come by air and land, so be

vigilant in your defense!!

 

My second fully completed mission.  Defend the Biolab from endless waves of GDI forces, but don't get distracted as air attacks are inbound!!  This mission is hard as hell, but it is physically possible to beat it.  Or maybe I just suck at this game, ha ha.

 

**update 9-25-11**

This is version 2 of this map.  I fixed the APC that wins the mission so

it will go to the desired waypoint NO MATTER WHAT, and before the enemy

reinforcements would diminish from 20 to 5 infantry at a time.  Also

made it harder.

 

**update 6-8-2015**

yeah it only took me 4 years to fix the graphical errors...... But it's still one of my favorites I've made!!

 

**6-9-2015**

okay, I know I brag about how perfect I try to make my missions, but I looked at the .ini and I see a couple of teams that probably aren't going to work properly.  Rather than change that here, I think I'll leave the .ini preserved in remembrance to a time when I knew a lot less about making missions.  It still works and is fun as hell imo and I am proud of it.... Anyway, I am going to totally revamp it and make it Nod Mission 9 in my TD for pros campaign-- if I ever get that far... lol

biolab.zip

[Chimas]

... **update** I was playing this mission again and noticed sometimes the reinforcements that end the mission get distracted and don't move to the celltrigger that 'wins' the mission.  In fact they stay 1 cell off the map.  It seems as though engaging the GDI forces causes them (multi5) to stop.  HELP!?

 

Hi Mr. Killt,

I've played BioLab today at lunch time, I was curious about the SNOW map. It's awesome, btw.

I'll suggest fixes and changes, altogether. You should consider also that I don't have the map in front of me right now, I'm imagining from the parameters and the gameplay.

So, It might be innacurate. Try these tixes:

 

- MLT5=Multi5,1,0,0,0,0,20,0,0,0,2,APC:1,E6:1,1,Move:10,0,0

change "7" to "20", although, I don't think this would be the problem. The effect is a more thorough APC (We'll hope so).

 

- Add waypoints AFTER ZND2 - one option is: Nod has to defend the base crowding it, so If you get any unit over WP 10, the lazy APC might stay stuck. And by the time you remove the unit, the APC has already "gave up".

IF there are more waypoints the AI will try to manage it. At least that happens with Chinooks sometimes;

One thing to comment: you could put a LOS trigger for the case the MULTI5 unit gets destroyed or the player will stay there defending the base forever not understanding why the scientist doesn't arrive.

The "#Units dstry" trigger set to 2 (the APC and the scientist);

 

- Test a version of the scientist with CHAN or MOEBIUS, instead of the engineer;

 

- Other way to end the mission is to make the MULTI5 scientist arrive and capture something (I'm not sure the Biolab is capturable). Use "Attack Base" for the engineer.

Use a "Cap=Win/Des=Lose" trigger in the building. IMO, it's a great opportunity to use this trigger.

 

Since you're revising the mission consider these ideas:

- taking 1 RMBO out of the reinforcement and make it less freqüent (what about 200 or 225). Or you could put reinforcements triggers in the GUNS whenever they get destroyed;

- a waypoint closer to the first Nod GUN and set a third platton teamtype to "AREA GUARD". The commands "ATTACK XXXXX" for long ranges make the teamtypes TARGETS, not THREATS.

GDI1=GoodGuy,1,0,0,0,0,7,0,0,0,1,E1:20,2,Move:N,Area Guard:99,0,0. Or at least a path a bit away of the cliffs: although some money constraint, it's very cheap to take out the GDIs;

- make the closer Tiberium field (much) smaller. The point is to make the player manage the harvesting faraway out of sight. Believe me, the players will enjoy this stress;

- I couldn't test the [bASE] section, since I've captured the FACT right away. So, I don't know if it is working. Consider an AGT closer to the FACT anyway eheheheh;

- You could use one or more "CREATE TEAM" trigger since the GDI base is crowded. One of these triggers can be "AREA GUARD" without MOVE. This is way the GDI base is penetrated, a lot of infantry comes for a fight. Tough players might prefer "ALL TO HUNT" also. Resuming the GDI base is a bit out of game but it is easy to change that;

 

Acknowledgements:

- The lack of silos was a wise thing you've done;

- The overture is creative;

- The air raids are cool.

 

I've enjoyed a lot the concept (or the plot, if preferred) of the mission.

Have in mind also that any suggestion you might get is related to the 2% or 1% that could change, not the 99% you have done right.

And I'm saying all that 'cause this mission deserves to be harder, it's a good one.

[tasss]

Nice map. I have not beat it yet haha. Still i like it!

[MattAttack]

Yeah, I originally had the APC going through several waypoints to get to the biolab, but it would get stuck in the middle of the map.  I'm thinking of repeating the trigger several times so if it gets stuck once, like 10 time units later it will get the same command.  As far as the engineer capturing the biolab, I tried that and it just went for my refinery instead.  go figure.  I really appreciate the input and it has encouraged me to upload a couple more maps I've been developing.  I'll try some of the suggested fixes/adjustments and see how it works out.  Thanks!

[MattAttack]

Finally, after much testing, this map is complete.  Had to do a lot of research in the original .ini files to find out how to make my units not get distracted by all the carnage.  Additionally, the enemy reinforcements of minigunners and grenadiers would start to diminish from 20 infantry units to 15,10 and then 5.  No fun.  Noticed if instead of 1 teamtype of 20 units that 4 teams of 5 each seemed to solve the problem.  WHEW! Thanks to Solo for his input, it helped a lot!

[Nyerguds]

Well. I crashed and burned. This once sure isn't something to play during a short break at work :O

[MattAttack]

Well. I crashed and burned. This once sure isn't something to play during a short break at work :O

Nope, I think it's 600 time units before it's over.  Funny because I was playing it yesterday to see if it functioned right and lived up to my OWN standards and I was barely keeping my head above water... lol!  I was also looking at what to change if I end up using it for the pros campaign.  It's interesting (for me) to look at the .ini and see what I did/didn't understand way back then.

[RC1985]

nice mission - it's tough! definitely tougher than gdi blood beach, though blood beach is more fast-paced and biolab allows for more AI exploitation. took me many trials to complete it, i'll upload a vid the next round (i have a personal rule to play only on alternate days )

 

i did find that the hordes of units come in the same patterns so it's easy to predict...this makes the mission a little repetitive, yet at the same time throwing in something different when the player is already drowning might piss him off more i guess we could leave it the way it is.

 

another thing is the airstrike planes unload and turn around at a random angle, so at times it could really damage the facility and the orcas destroy it completely, which was a tad annoying (since it's something we can't control). it's not a major issue to me though, was just thinking that maybe other players might be pissed heh.

 

it's a good thing that the mammies don't attempt to squish my men - thanks for extending a little help to the drowning player

 

[MattAttack]

yeah upon playing it again after 2 years, I started to worry that the 'winning' apc wasn't coming (I had that problem when I first made it) so if I update for the campaign, it'll be shorter.  I also think that I'll have the commandos reinforced by Chinook instead of APC, as the APC allows for a 'cheese' solution and with trying to be canonically correct, I don't want to give NOD players an APC.  I think since NOD doesn't have APCs in the regular campaign makes their missions a little tougher as well.  AND if it's going to be my mission 9, I'm going to replace the mammys with med tanks.  AND maybe put some AGT's in the enemy base as I think that's the first level in the campaign where they appear, anyways... AND put a comm center in the GDI base, so there's a point to infiltrating their base (flame tanks)  AND making it so if you take the time from your busy base defense and smash the GDI base, that'll reinforce the 'winning' apc, too,  giving added incentive to smash the GDI base.  (will make it possible to speedrun, too!) sorry... flow of consciousness in this post here

 

[RC1985]

Umm...yes you should remove the APCs cos they make this mission 'speedrunable' in some sense (I believe this is the cheesy solution you were talking about). AGTs sound fine. Also, there's one cell of incompatible terrain on the mountain close just north of the war factory. Here's my 'cheesy' playthrough, the video was sped up after the making some crucial buildings which made life a lot easier https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4PfWqMB0AU

[MattAttack]

Also, there's one cell of incompatible terrain on the mountain close just north of the war factory.

Ha! I noticed that after re-uploading it.  It's not incompatible though, it's just a little bit of a messy cliff overlap.  (if that's what you're referring to) But 5 points for noticing! And -5 points to me for being messy!

 

Cool playthrough as well.... I never thought about building the AGTs-- that's a really good idea! I actually put the artys behind the turrets and just force-fire at the base of the cliffs (you just have to watch your harvs)  I really did 'laugh out loud' when it went into techno mode!

[RC1985]

I actually put the artys behind the turrets and just force-fire at the base of the cliffs (you just have to watch your harvs)

 

Damn why didn't I think of this...it makes the job a lot easier.. I actually did a 'non-cheesy' playthrough as well using the same arrangement of units but without doing anything to the GDI base and it worked fine, but with arty force fire it should work a lot better..

 

And that 'techno' music is one of the themes I don't quite fancy but thought it was suitable in this case lol

[Nyerguds]

Umm...yes you should remove the APCs cos they make this mission 'speedrunable' in some sense (I believe this is the cheesy solution you were talking about). AGTs sound fine. Also, there's one cell of incompatible terrain on the mountain close just north of the war factory. Here's my 'cheesy' playthrough, the video was sped up after the making some crucial buildings which made life a lot easier https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4PfWqMB0AU

Hah! I'd personally have made a flame tank or two after that comm cemter.

[MattAttack]

that's what I thought he was going to do and was quite surprised when AGTs were constructed! (they would've gone nicely next to the 'biolab' as well, though)

[Jacko]

I think AGT's were a genius idea.

The splash dmg vs those numbers of infantry is outright brutal!

[MattAttack]

it's a good thing that the mammies don't attempt to squish my men - thanks for extending a little help to the drowning player

mind you any mercy was completely accidental and purely coincidental

[RC1985]

Lol how strange that I made so many flamethrowers yet completely forgot about flame tanks. But looking back AGTs can hit units from afar and they can be repaired so it's a more sustainable solution.

 

And Matt - I still think it's cool that this is Nod's version of Blood Beach. Just remember to not show any mercy in the real campaign

[MattAttack]

And Matt - I still think it's cool that this is Nod's version of Blood Beach.......

 

Blood Beach is a direct descendant of Madness Beach which is the bastard cousin of BIOLAB.  Check out Funky's vid of that, which led me to making the 'hard' version.  Although come to think of it, now that I know how to hex-edit in grass cells that are passible but not buildable (like in Hornet's Nest) I should insert them in the chokepoint, making it impossible to block with sandbags/towers on that map... (I was going to try that on blood beach, but to my knowledge such cells don't exist in the desert theater )

[Grove4life5]

I swear this is the hardest mission I've played yet, at first I failed several times and stopped playing for months and now I got back at it and completed the misson on the slowest speed, good god I'm gonna need a break, oh wiat, already did, time for some easier missions then **