Mission Types
Submitted by ArgCmdr

Mission maps are a great activity to demonstrate your creativity. But as well, that creativty must adapt to a concept, or a basic line for the mission, that basic line that you will vary to turn it into a storyline (or even use more than one line fudging them in one). In this tutorial (actually more of a document than a tutorial), you will get to know all of those lines.

Base-Building:
Base building missions are the most usual, so at the same time the less original. Its based on giving the player an MCV so he builds a base, and takes out something in special, or even the enemy itself. To be good enough, it must represent a challenge, and making that happen its hard to achieve. So the best way around it, is creating your own AI for each mission map like this, plus adding map spawned patrols and other similar stuff (gifts, traps, allies defending you, etc). You might also want to add building restrictions or give new building options. I usually recommend including new units on them, since most of the original campaign missions are of this type, and their gameplay is really bad, as it puts no challenge. AI must be made almost unbeatable, but at the same time exciting to play against. Just one more tip, be careful on the win triggers. On big maps, using the Destroyed All action (11), not always works, as some unit of that house may have got stuck off the map thus cannot be destroyed, so either you have to seek why that happens (which can take a considerable ammount of time), or use Destroyed All Structures, as if it is a Short Game.

Commando:
This one is the second most used (Actually shares it with semi-base). It consists of giving the player a very limited number of units, which he will use to pass the mission. Additional reinforcements is a usual addition, even a reinforcement MCV, to make a Base-Building/Commando Hybrid. Usually these maps contain lots of patrols, and very detailed terrain, making it play a role on the battle result (remember certain objects hide units from enemy sight, its like making your own Fallout game, or your own Commandos mission, in which every step you take counts. These are as well, trhe favourite ones of good players. Usually objectives are varied, Destroy X building, Rescue X person, etc.

Semi-Base:
Another of the most used in RA2, it is pretty similar to the Base-Buildings. Map gives the player a barracks and war factory (actually, some structure from which player can produce units), and one or two objectives to accomplish with the units he can build from them. Red Alert 2 campaigns have several of these, to name one, the 3rd one for soviets, or in Yuri´s Revenge, the one where you must defend Macroshaft (in Seattle)

Rambo-type / Rage Against The Enemy / One men vs one army
These are the classical missions where you get just one unit, generally Tanya, Boris or Yuri Prime, or often a SEAL or sniper. These use to be the hardest, but at the same time the simpliest to make, having the ability to make a linear development, since according to the units capabilities, player will be forced to do just one thing. (Sniper can only go long range killing, its useless to send him to war right away). Nice accesories are extra units, or allies supporting you, or gathering a team.

Rescue:
These are not very used, though they can be seen often in Tiberian Sun. Basically, its a commando mission type, but with the objective of rescueing an agent or unit, and evacuating him (a clear and easy example is TS GDI mission 5, where you have to rescue Tratos, or RA1 Allied mission 1, where you have to rescue Einstein). Usually another good thing to do is adding additional objectives as the player passes the areas, or having the playerdo something else after rescueing his target, or even put a timer to his duties.

Defend / Ambush:
Another unused genre, the classical 5 AIs attacking a pre-built base. There are no examples of this one in the game but the first allied mission in RA2 and thats just in part. Mission would end, for example, when a certain ammount of time has passed, when something is online, or when a superweapon has been deployed. And mean while, you face a lot of scripted attacks to your base byb different areas.

Convoy:
These are very present in RA1, sometimes in TS and lost totally in RA2. They give you an ammount of time to clear the path for a convoy to pass, or give you control of the convoy itself to pass undetected/protect it. They use to be very funny, and are easy to plan, since all you need are timed enemy attacks. An example is Allied mission two in RA1.

Advance and Add:
These are a mere derivation from Commando missions, in which you start with X number of units, but you constantly receive reinforcements, as your previous teams get slaughtered slowly. An example is Tiberian Sun GDI mission where you have to destroy Vega´s Hydroelectric Power plants, in which you receive reinforcements nearly ten times (i actually think its more) during your way to the target.

Evacuate:
Another lost genre (which i havent done either...). Its based onto making civilians escape on transports before something happens to them. In Tiberian Sun, and Firestorm, they are VERY frequent, but at the same time, hard to plan on triggers (specially civilians loading and unloading conditions, when multiple villages are in role. Its hard, but not impossible though).

Zone Secure / Riots:
Only two have been made of this type, one is in Tiberian Sun: Firestorm, the one which you have to dissipate Civilians and Mutants from killing each other with Riot Control Troops and Mobile EM Pulse Tanks, and one i made for AlertSun (AS 03 - Angry Citizens) in which you use Cop Cars (which works as Riot Troops actually, same method). They are extremely hard to code, as its scripting takes too long if you are not patient. With this kind of mission combined with another one, you can easily get to having 500 triggers in your map.

Finally just a note. Base-Building missions are currently the most made. But they mostly end up being and undercover skirmish (like the ones in the original game) which represent no challenge at all. So remember, if you will give a go at making one of these, youd better put effort on it. Most of the already made, are ALL one more boring than the other one.

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