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Starting a Game Session
Starting or joining a game is one of the most basic gameplay functions in Steel Battalion: Line of Contact. The available session setup options are fairly simple in their function, but their meaning can be somewhat cryptic as the definitions given in-game and in the game manual are not very informative.
As a quick review, Steel Battalion: Line of Contact offers two primary gameplay modes, Campaign and Free Mission. Additional information about gameplay modes is available on the Gameplay Overview page. The objective for each side involved in a mission battle is to deprive the other side of Sortie Points. Sortie Points are determined by a combination of factors, including VT selection, mission selection, participating player rank and optional parts. Most of the controls available for session setup are present to help control Sortie Point settings through mission, rank and VT selection and filtering. A more detailed explaination of Sortie Points is available here.
Most of the settings available for session setup are common across both Campaign and Free Mission modes. Free Mission adds two additional settings that give additional control over the intial Sortie Points available to both teams, as well as some environment/weather controls and session length.
Common Settings
The following settings are common to both Free Mission (Conquest) and Campaign modes.
- HOST'S REQUEST 1 (VT) - specifies the VT generation allowable for use in the session. Note that this is a REQUEST and will not prevent pilots from either team bringing in VTs outside of the requested type.
Available Options: 1st GEN, 2nd GEN, 3rd GEN, 1st & 2nd GEN, 2nd & 3rd GEN, ANY
- HOST'S REQUEST 2 (PLAY LEVEL) - specifies the play type intended for the session. This setting is purely informational as it does not limit playing styles or pilots by any sort of filter.
Available Options: ANY, CASUAL, HARDBALL, NEWBIE
- OWN BASE - specifies the starting base positions for the session host team. On the overview map, Defender position bases are shown in green and Attacker position bases are shown in orange.
Available Options: ATTACKER, DEFENDER
- ATTACKER - specifies the Attacking side faction if OWN BASE is chosen as Defender. Values available will depend on the currently availble factions in Campaign, based on Turn.
Available Options: dependent upon Turn of Campaign and session host faction, possible values include: Hai Shi Dao (HSD), Pacific Rim Forces (PRF), Right Brothers (RB). In Free Mission mode only HSD and PRF are available.
- DEFENDER - specifies the Defending side faction if OWN BASE is chosen as Attacker. Values available will depend on the currently availble factions in Campaign, based on Turn.
Available Options: dependent upon Turn of Campaign and session host faction, possible values include: Hai Shi Dao (HSD), Pacific Rim Forces (PRF), Right Brothers (RB). In Free Mission mode only HSD and PRF are available.
- MAXIMUM NUMBER OF ATTACKERS - specifies the number of Attacker side pilots which may join the session. For Campaign and Conquest sessions both sides tend to be set identically for balance purposes.
Possible Values: In Campaign the minimum number is 3 and the maximum number is 5. Free Mission allows a minimum of 1 pilot per side. Connection Issues tend to limit maximum teams to 3v3
- MAXIMUM NUMBER OF DEFENDERS - specifies the number of Defender side pilots which may join the session. For Campaign and Conquest sessions both sides tend to be set identically for balance purposes.
Possible Values: In Campaign the minimum number is 3 and the maximum number is 5. Free Mission allows a minimum of 1 pilot per side. Connection Issues tend to limit maximum teams to 3v3
- HIGHEST RANK - specifies the highest player rank allowed to join the session. Players exceeding this rank will be unable to successfully connect to the session.
Available Options: Based on room host rank, options are presented in terms of ranks above and below, ie. "3 ranks above mine"
- LOWEST RANK - specifies the lowest player rank allowed to join the session. Players that do not meet this rank will be unable to successfully connect to the session.
Available Options: Based on room host rank, options are presented in terms of ranks above and below, ie. "2 ranks below mine"
- TIME LIMIT - toggles a time limit for the pre-sortie briefing and VT configuration screens of 3 minutes apiece.
Available Options: YES, NO
- LANGUAGE - an informational setting to let potential pilots interested in joining the session know the room host language preference
Available Options: ENGLISH, JAPANESE, SPANISH, GERMAN, PORTUGUESE, FRENCH, ITALIAN, (default for NA and EU release game discs is ENGLISH)
- XBox Communicator - specifies whether the XBox Communicator is to be used for the session. This control does not actually enable or disable the functioning of the XBox communicator for the session. Rarely changed from ON but setting to OFF may assist in bandwidth connection issues. I tend to set this to OFF by default "just in case"
Available Options: ON, OFF
- ROOM STATUS - specifies the permissions need to join the session for others players. If set to OPEN all players meeting the faction and rank requirements may join the session freely. If set to RESTRICTED, the room host must approve each joining member.
Available Options: OPEN, RESTRICTED
- MATCH TYPE - specifies the session searchability via the Optimatch menu. If set to PUBLIC the session will show in search results from the Optimatch menu, if set to PRIVATE the session will not show and private invitations will be required to allow pilots to join the session.
Available Options: PUBLIC, PRIVATE
Additional Free Mission Mode Controls and Options
- PLAY TIME - specifies the duration of the session in 10 minute increments (Campaign defaults to 60 minutes and cannot be changed)
Available Options: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60
- TIME OF DAY - specifies the time of day and accompanying weather options for a session. The SAME AS CAMPAIGN setting can often be very similar to one of the other preset times depending on the mission chosen. The default time of day for each mission, as well as a great deal more information, is available in the Mission Information section.
Available Options: DAY, EVENING, NIGHT, SAME AS CAMPAIGN
- FRIENDLY FIRE - specifies whether friendly fire will cause damage to team VTs. Friendly fire is always OFF in Campaign mode and cannot be enabled. Turning Friendly Fire on can create problems for certain combat genres like support (artillery), but it is available if desired.
Available Options: OFF (default), ON
- STRATEGIC PTS (BY FACTORS) - a "multiplier" of the calculated VT Sortie Point total. The result of this multiplier is applied toward the team Sortie Point starting total. This control is explained in much more detail below with examples.
Available Options: 1.0 - 10.0 in 0.1 factor increments. Anything beyond about 3.5 tends to result in a team Sortie Point starting total of 999, the maximum available value.
- SORTIE COST - a maximum per pilot available Sortie Point value for which to "purchase" VTs from. This control is explained in much more detail below with examples.
Available Options: 100 - 999 in 10 point increments
Setting Up a Game - Campaign Mode
Setting up a session in Campaign mode is fairly straightforward. You may wish to review the Gameplay Information page prior to reviewing this section. The text below assumes cursory knowledge of Campaign Turn/Round progression and the release schedule for Vertical Tanks.
For any given Turn in Campaign, there are 3 maps available for team conquest play. Each Turn has a specific mapset associated with it. Maps cannot be played out-of-turn in Campaign Mode. Selection of certain options, like HOST REQUEST 1 (VT), should be made with an understanding of what VTs may be currently available from the Supply Bin. By this I mean, if it is Turn 1 and only 1st generation VTs are available in the Supply Bin, setting up a session for 2nd generation or 3rd generation VTs will seem out of place and cause some players to question whether to join.
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Fig.01
MISSION SELECT |
Fig.02
Create Match |
Fig.03
Select from available missions |
Fig.04
Map Percentage |
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Fig.05
Session Options |
Fig.06
Session Options |
Fig.07
Creating Session |
Fig.08
Session Created, Awaiting Other Players |
Session creation starts by selecting MISSION SELECT from the main campaign menu, as in Fig 01.
To create a session, select CREATE MATCH from the Matchmaking menu, as in Fig 02.
The three currently available maps to select for play in current Turn are displayed (Fig 03). Although it is not available on the screen, pressing the D-Pad on a standard controller will display the current map percentage for each faction for the selected mission (Fig 04). View the mission objectives for both Attacker and Defender and select a map.
Session options are now presented to the session host. These options are explained in greater detail above, but I will highlight important ones here.
HOST REQUEST 1 (VT) - This determines what type VTs other players should be bringing into the session. Although this isn't a filter, most players will abide by the request.
OWN BASE - Which bases you can choose to start from when the session begins. GREEN bases are for Defenders and RED bases are for Attackers.
ATTACKER/DEFENDER - determines which factions can participate in the session. Will also change the OWN BASE setting if you toggle the setting for your own faction.
MAXIMUM ATTACKER/DEFENDER - sets up the maximum number of participants in the room. Usually set to 3v3 due to connection issues. If this is set to 5v5 it will make the connection requirements so high for the session than many people cannot join. Since most North American and European players can't satisfy a 5v5 connection requirement, your room will sit e
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