Taking Sharqi

0mikr0n · Post by **0mikr0n** » 2006-06-04 15:52

A great map idea I had: Taking Sharqi. Come on, you really didn't believe the USMC just appeared there, did you? That they just happened to have the peninsula? Well, actually, according to game coding, they did... but... yeah...

There should be a night op where you have to assault the city and take it (for its TV station), just like the MEC did the day after. Maybe it can be from ground level, or it could be from the air. Imagine: a night op with helicopters storming over the TV station, troops landing on top and clearing the building downward, SWAT style, and then two more Blackhawks landing on the ground and dropping more troops out in the courtyard.

The level could be done from sea-inward to the peninsula...

With the prefabs of the TV Station and the large office right across the street (not the one down the ramp) modified, they could hold host to multiple rooms and areas for enemies to hide, meaning it would be relatively easy to hide and then retake the flag once the USMC moves on to some other flag. This would incite realistic room-clearing tactics and movements, including (possibly) smoke grenade advances through large rooms and pulse-pounding hallway movements.

The gatehouse could be capturable, as well.

And the rest of the level, just in case the MEC are pushed back and pose a heroic rush back to the TV Station and want to defend it with renewed vigor.

The storyline could be as follows:

The US military has discovered radio chatter of a small peninsula, holding host to a TV Station. Mindful of the MEC cause and their persuasive propoganda, a Marine Expeditionary Force has been dispatched from the U.S.S. Essex during nightfall, to take the TV station and its military inhabitants by surprise. But the MEC has been catching radio chatter of their own, and won't give up their prized gem so easily...

The inspiration: the MEC come to take the TV station the day afterward... why not depict how they lost it?

BlitzQuick · Post by **BlitzQuick** » 2006-06-04 15:59

thats what i always thought when they first made the map they should have made it where the USMC come in and take over...

0mikr0n · Post by **0mikr0n** » 2006-06-04 16:04

Exactly. There's a plot hole in there, they didn't say how the USMC got the place.

six7 · Post by **six7** » 2006-06-04 16:05

Would be a fun map, but maybe too similar to the origional? you would have to focus the fights to areas that do not usually see action (like the flatlands to the NW of the city, maybe?). There would also have to be alot of helicopters to make it fun.

Malik · Post by **Malik** » 2006-06-04 16:25

I imagine the battle would be very similar to the existing Sharqi battle in the sense that normally on that map the MEC end up battling the USMC in the middle of the map. Having the USMC push the MEC back to where they start in standard Sharqi would require thoughtful map creation in order to make it possible, without being a pushover.

I like the idea of the TV Station static being modified to include small side rooms in the doors that are currently closed so it can have more than one flag in it, and more importantly involve better internal battles other than nades flying down the stairs with claymores.

I guess the best way to do it would be to throw an aircraft carrier just off shore, and have the MEC spawn a short distance from the TV Station. The TV Station would hold two flags (at least) and be neutral, so the USMC must rush the rooftop flag with their Little Birds while the MEC rush to take the ground floor. Like Muttrah (a successful map

), the MEC have no air support, and the Little Birds will be the main feature designed to push the MEC back. Like Muttrah, the good spacing of CPs will mean the battle is designed to fall in favour of the USMC where there are enough MEC CPs to give them a fighting chance , but in the event that the MEC are strong enough to successfully hold the TV Station, the USMC can lead a successful assault on the land due to the shear amount of entry points available coupled with their air advantage. The fences around the perimeter of the TV Station could, for example, be removed to simulate the fact that the USMC put them up themselves when they occupied the area.

I think ideally the map would be set at dusk, similar to the timing of Steel Thunder. It's not dark enough to need night vision, but dark enough for it not to be daylight. Night maps are controversial, some love them, some loathe them, having a twilight map would please everyone and wouldn't detract attention away from the map itself, and it can simulate the USMC attacking during a prime time broadcast.

M8/M320 · Post by **M8/M320** » 2006-06-04 16:55

Nice idea Malik. The only possible addition to Malik's idea would be a small amphibious landing force of two LAV-25s dispatching from the dry dock of the Essex. Starting from the carrier, the APCs will land at a cleared area near the Beach House, then they will move towards the TV Station where the ultimate goal is to dispatch troops from the LAVs to attack and secure the TV Station. Is that ok?

Malik · Post by **Malik** » 2006-06-04 17:16

The only problem I can see with that is that the forces would be attacking from the mainland if they landed there. It's a shame there are no decent landing areas around the TV station, but I know a semi-secret route round the right side where you land on the beach, climb the cliffs then go round the back against the fence and it brings you right up by the TV station. Putting a LAV or two on the craft would be a novel idea, but I'm unsure at present what'd be done with them as the drivers wishing to use them for combat would be forced to go right upto the hotel to land in which case they'd be cannon fodder for the MEC who'd be concentrated in that area, or they'd end up flanking the MEC forces at the station.

Grapplink hooks would be ideal for the USMC on this map, they could properly scale the cliffs to get the much needed early advantage on the MEC. Attention would need to be drawn away from the two southern most MEC spawn points as it'd important that they're not captured by the USMC for continuity's sake. The nothern MEC spawn point could be their centre of operations and the battle could potentially and eventually be forced across that field. This would be the furthest the USMC would get in the 'night' where it'd be a stalemate and they'd fall back to their already established borders.

The events between this map and regular Sharqi would see the establishment of the USMC's airbase on the helipad, the Aircraft carrier would depart and the MEC would establish a small base at the edge of the city and at the beach house.

It would basically be a true infantry only Sharqi. No attack helicopters, no tanks, maybe an APC for the USMC, but that's it. The situation would see the MEC caught with their trousers down forced to take defensive actions against the TV station. Their forces would enter the area from the North and have to advance towards the TV station using alternative CPs from the original to add diversity.

I hope someone makes this.

0mikr0n · Post by **0mikr0n** » 2006-06-04 17:18

that was very well thought. I agree with you, Malik, in every sense.

OFFTOPIC: It would be cool if we could have midnight jet-vs-jet battles over the sea, wouldn't you think?

Malik · Post by **Malik** » 2006-06-04 17:28

That'd have to be Sharqi day 3. "Taking Sharqi" would occur the night before, "Sharqi Peninsula" would be the second day, "Sharqi Night" would be the second day with the battle going through the night and "Sharqi Finale" would be the third day where the big guns are brought in. The USS Essex returns with some bombers and the MEC have an airstrip established in the North.

0mikr0n · Post by **0mikr0n** » 2006-06-04 18:04

Holy ****, guys, we got a good idea going here! A four part campaign! This is cool!

Taking Sharqi, Sharqi Peninsula, Sharqi Night, Sharqi Finale... wow, one hell of a map rotation, I'd LOVE IT.

I really hope this gets done, I know it's a lot of mapwork but it would be entirely worth it! Maybe open up the backfields a little more, introduce an airfield... bombers would be so cool!

eddie · Post by **eddie** » 2006-06-04 18:18

Extremely good ideas from all of you. I hope we have some amazing mappers and story liners here, it would be excellent on rotation, turning one of my most hated maps into a four part 'campaign'

.

0mikr0n · Post by **0mikr0n** » 2006-06-04 18:22

Heh, you hate Sharqi? Why?

But anyway, it would still own royally. I don't see why it wouldn't work, it's got a really rolling storyline and ideas are churning out like butter... not to mention a whole community of devoted Sharqi players; I didn't notice til recently that one of my top two maps (not counting Karkand) is Sharqi.

eddie · Post by **eddie** » 2006-06-04 18:26

I just don't like Sharqi because (as you can tell) I am a flying man who likes his flying machines, the ones without missiles.

Szarko · Post by **Szarko** » 2006-06-04 18:38

Some great ideas flying around in here.

I especialy love the idea of a night Air battle map, would be so much fun.

Sealights · Post by **Sealights** » 2006-06-04 19:20

Sharqi I a great but ***K up map, the map lighting is terrible, ake it 2 o'clock day light. it's hard to see enemies on shadows. The flag placement is horrible, too many flags. the chopper bases are too close from each other. they always end it fighting each other with tv misiles. Theres too many Mec bases. there should be at least 2. the boat trip is too short make it longer, and make better back way to get to tv station throught boat.

I hate EA arcade style of maping

M8/M320 · Post by **M8/M320** » 2006-06-04 20:58

Yeah that seriously sucks about no good landing spots. Malik yeah I love going through the back way.

Post by **Bob_Marley** » 2006-06-04 23:27

Malik wrote: Grapplink hooks would be ideal for the USMC on this map, they could properly scale the cliffs to get the much needed early advantage on the MEC. Attention would need to be drawn away from the two southern most MEC spawn points as it'd important that they're not captured by the USMC for continuity's sake. The nothern MEC spawn point could be their centre of operations and the battle could potentially and eventually be forced across that field. This would be the furthest the USMC would get in the 'night' where it'd be a stalemate and they'd fall back to their already established borders.

I would have thought that the idea behind this map would be that the USMC forces are pushing the MEC troops out of the peninsula, and that the "outer" spawn points (beach house, etc) were estabished when the MEC forces massed to counter attack against the US forces holding the peninsula and the TV station.

So my position would be to have only flags in the city area of the peninsula, possibly with the part of the map east of the city cut off entirely as well as some of the south in order to give the USMC more room to manuver when launching their assault.

Malik · Post by **Malik** » 2006-06-05 17:29

Well I was thinking that the area would currently be in civillian control. After all, the map is described as being a lazy seaside town. It's not got many resources in the area, it's not a very tactical position, but the MEC overlooked the fact that their broadcasting beacon on the shore would become a target for the USMC. They came in the evening with an aircraft carrier and launched an assault on the peninsula. Due to the area being fairly remote (you have to pass through the mountains to get there) the MEC took a while getting there after the warnings had got around about the USMC being in the area and the MEC launched their defense in the hope of getting the TV station under control before the Americans could keep it. The MEC start digging into the city and the US work their way through stopping the MEC. By the time the day is done, the MEC are all wiped out and the USMC can start putting down some defences (artillery, AA, TOWs, heavy vehicles, helipad etc) and the MEC special forces establish their own bases in the night ready for the morning counter attack. The next day's battle rages throughout the day and the night until the MEC or USMC are finally pushed out of the area, but that's a whole different story.

0mikr0n · Post by **0mikr0n** » 2006-06-05 18:26

Malik wrote:Well I was thinking that the area would currently be in civillian control. After all, the map is described as being a lazy seaside town. It's not got many resources in the area, it's not a very tactical position, but the MEC overlooked the fact that their broadcasting beacon on the shore would become a target for the USMC. They came in the evening with an aircraft carrier and launched an assault on the peninsula. Due to the area being fairly remote (you have to pass through the mountains to get there) the MEC took a while getting there after the warnings had got around about the USMC being in the area and the MEC launched their defense in the hope of getting the TV station under control before the Americans could keep it. The MEC start digging into the city and the US work their way through stopping the MEC. By the time the day is done, the MEC are all wiped out and the USMC can start putting down some defences (artillery, AA, TOWs, heavy vehicles, helipad etc) and the MEC special forces establish their own bases in the night ready for the morning counter attack. The next day's battle rages throughout the day and the night until the MEC or USMC are finally pushed out of the area, but that's a whole different story.

Great ideas. But you know what this led me to realize? This mod needs some civilians to scatter around as the battle goes on. If someone shoots the AI controlled civies, they lose 40 points! Yay! Maybe not possible, but it would be better for people so they actually check their targets.

Malik · Post by **Malik** » 2006-06-05 18:47

Yeah the idea's popped up a few times. It'd be awesome if that sort of thing is possible, but I think it would have lag issues on larger maps with lots of players. AI's programmed to spawn inside buildings, exit them, get in their civillian vehicles and safely head to the nearest escape route on the map.