Public Zeus Community

Gamemaster Guide

Table Of Contents (Links)

Introduction 3

The Gamemaster System 4

Useful Tools 5

Keybinds 6

Creating your Scenario 7

Parameters 8

Simple Missions 9

The Sides 9

Mission Preparation 10

Markers and Intel 10

Briefing the players 11

Giving Assets 12

Basic modules 12

Loadouts 13

Missions (advanced) 14

Introduction to storylines 14

Music 15

Eden Editor 16

How to set up a basic mission 16

Setting AI as playable characters 18

Creating a respawn position 18

Exporting a Custom Scenario 19

Creating a Campaign 20

Brainstorming an Idea 20

Creating a Storyline 20

Selecting the Factions 21

Making it awesome 21

Why make a campaign? 22

Introduction

In ArmA 3, the “Master Zeus” game mode is one of the most popular game

modes in the game. It has changed the Milsim scene drastically, as now anyone

could easily create missions for their players without having to use the Editor.

The Master Zeus game mode is so much fun, there are communities solely

focused around it - most of them, however, are focused on accurate military

simulation. There is a small set of people more interested in semi-casual

gameplay though, which is quite popular for newer players or simply people who

prefer casual gameplay.

Public Zeus first began with Bohemia Interactive launching their own Official

Servers in which anyone could take the Master Zeus slot and use it to create a

mission.

Over time, drastic changes have shaken the Zeus community, with the removal

of tools such as the debug console the public style has suffered. It stayed alive,

but mission quality has been degrading and many of the more active players are

surprised if they actually have fun.

Our goal in the Public Zeus Community is to change that. Our servers are public

and open for anyone to join, no matter their experience. We have important

tools on our server such as the Achilles Mod and various immersive mods such

as Blastcore.

This guide will attempt to teach you what we expect from our gamemasters, the

most important part of our community. This does not teach you the basics of

Zeus, but there are already many tutorials out there for that specific purpose.

Still, we all hope you will enjoy this guide.

- Northgate

The Gamemaster System

We have four tiers of Gamemasters in the Public Zeus Community. Here, we will

explain what they do and what their responsibilities are.

First, we have the Zeus, Tier 1.

This rank is our publicly available position for everyone who’s interested in the

Master Zeus Gamemode and wants to help create missions or receive help

themselves.

Zeus does not need to be applied for, anyone can become a Zeus through the

#become-a-zeus channel! Just read the message in the channel and follow its instructions.

As a Zeus you don’t have any responsibilities, you should, of course, represent

the Public Zeus Community the best you can but you are not forced to host

regular operations. It is a volunteer role anyone can get.

You will receive access to the Zeus Category on our Discord server, in which you

can discuss the game mode. As a small bonus, you also have access to the

#community-operations channel. You can announce operations you host here.

Keep in mind, there are some rules that must be followed when hosting these

operations;

- All operations must be public and not restricted to only a few specific

people.

- You may also not use this channel to advertise for a community (other

than our own or Bohemia’s Official Zeus servers).

Second, we have the Trainee Gamemaster, Tier 2.

The Trainee is the first step to become part of the gamemaster team! Even

though it barely has more than the simple Zeus, this rank can now discuss with

other Gamemasters in their own category. They can also be helped directly to

become a better Gamemaster. You carry more responsibilities with you though:

- You not only represent the Public Zeus Community, but you also are being

trained to become a Gamemaster.

This training is mandatory to progress and to become a Gamemaster.

While you cannot yet host official operations as a Trainee, you will soon progress

after you have learned more from our current Gamemasters!

You will have to apply for this rank, Once your application has been reviewed,

you will be notified informing you of the outcome of your application

Third, we have the Gamemaster, Tier 3.

This rank gives you access to host official operations and gives you a lot more

trust along with new responsibilities. As a Gamemaster you will have to regularly

host operations, these operations can be announced with a mass ping in

#official-operations. Operations are recommended to be hosted on our own server but you can always use Bohemia’s Official Servers if you prefer them for

your mission.

As a Gamemaster, you are also expected to host quality missions and use your

experience from the training you received as a Trainee Gamemaster. It’s also

highly recommended you frequently host operations on Official Servers to make

the community more known.

While you carry far more responsibilities, you also have access to an entire

community eager to play your missions!

Finally, we have the Trusted Gamemaster, Tier 4. The “Trusted Gamemaster” is the final rank one can get in our community. They

have all the rights from all previous ranks, but carry far more responsibilities:

- They will help oversee the Game Masters and Zeuses.

- Trusted with handling Storylines and working together for our Public Zeus

Campaigns.

- They are not allowed to share any information out of their private

channels (to avoid spoiling campaigns).

Trusted Gamemasters can still host operations like normal, but are expected to

give the best possible quality of missions to the community members.

Useful Tools

When entering a Zeus game as a Gamemaster it is always useful to understand

the tools that you have access to. These tools can enhance the scenario you are

creating, making it far more compelling.

Achilles

First of all, we will start off with one of the best tools, Achilles. Achilles is a mod

which improves the options that a Gamemaster has available to them. Some

examples of additions this mod makes are better modules, more effective control

of AI behaviour and a lot more. Unfortunately, this tool is only accessible in our

Private servers and is not available in public bohemia run servers.

Eden Editor

Another extremely helpful tool is the Eden editor. The editor can save a lot of

time that would otherwise be spent on quickly making details or map design. In

the editor your tools are much more advanced, making map and terrain design

much more immersive. Map design is a very important part of becoming a great

Gamemaster and the Eden editor makes it 10x easier.

When deciding on what story you want to create the editor can be very useful,

as it gives a Gamemaster more time to plan out the mission.

Debug console

Keybinds

Camera Movement/Control

W - Camera moves forwards

A - Camera moves left

S - Camera moves back

D - Camera moves right

Z - Camera moves down

Q - Camera moves up

Shift - Camera moves faster in the direction of travel

MMB - Moves the camera to the position of the cursor on the map

Space - Goes to the player’s position after they Zeus ping

Object Manipulation

LMB - Selects an object

LMB (Hold) - Selects objects in a selected region

CTRL (Hold) + LMB - Selects multiple objects specifically

ALT - Moves a selected object up/down with movements of the mouse

CTRL + LMB (Hold) - Allows manipulation of squads on selected objects

LMB (Hold) + SHIFT - Allows for rotation of objects (Not vertical)

DEL - Deletes an object

END - Kills an object

E - Opens the EDIT menu

Creating your Scenario

When creating a game of Zeus you must set up the server. On official bohemia servers,

you are able to run 4 types of Zeus game for every map. These four game types are:

- 16+2 Blufor (16 Blufor players and 2 Gamemasters)

- 16+2 Opfor (16 Opfor players and 2 Gamemasters)

- 16+2 Independent (16 independent players and 2 Gamemasters)

- 48+2 (This is 16 players of all 3 factions and 2 Gamemasters)

1) In order to get the ability to do this you must be logged in as the server admin,

you can do this by doing #vote admin “Your name” or, you can do this in-game

when double-clicking j and then selecting your name. After this, you must press

vote admin.

2) Once you have completed this, you should get a message (Logged in as admin)

This will only happen if you have 80 per cent of the votes in the server (Public

bohemia servers).

3) Type #missions into the chat and wait.

4) A screen the same as the one displayed below should show up. If so, select a

map. The maps are displayed in the screenshot.

5) Next, you will need to choose one of the 4 game modes we have already been

over. (If your a new Zeus don't go for 48+2, it's a lot harder to manage).

6) After completing this you will have to set the parameters to have an actual

operational map (Instructions listed below the image).

Parameters

The option to select parameters is located at the top right of the screen after the server has been

reset. (Location of the parameters box is specified in the screenshot below)

Here is a list of the different parameters and what ones we

recommend you run:

God mode - If active it allows the Zeus to place endless amounts of objects without a limit

(Always have this active).

Game moderator rights:

‘Cannot create objects (Editing allowed)’ - This is the default setting, if you wish to not have a game mod then do not choose this one, as it is possible to troll.

‘Can create all objects’ - Allows the game mod to have the same power as a Gamemaster ‘Cannot create or edit objects (Spectating only)’ - If you don't want a game moderator then use

this option.

‘Can create only modules’ - This one is dangerous and useless, allows for the Gamemaster to have

the power to end the mission. You may as well give them full power.

Distance at which Zeus cannot edit (M) - Always have this set to zero, as it stops the Zeus

from editing within a certain range from a player (Default is set to 100m).

Independents are friendly to - Changes the allies to independent units (This changes depending on how your scenario will go).

Admin Debug Console - Allows for the admin console to be active or inactive (Does Not work on

bohemia servers).

Revive Mode:

Enabled for all players - Allows all players to revive each other. Disabled - Disallows revive mode for players.

Revive Duration - Amount of time in seconds it takes to revive someone.

Required Trait:

Medic - Only players with the medic trait can revive people. None - Anyone can revive players.

Medic Speed Multiplier - Changes the speed at which a medic revives someone.

Required Items:

None - Everyone can revive players. First Aid Kit/Medkit - Only players with first Aid Kits/Medkits can revive people. Medkit - Only players with medkits can revive people.

Incapacitation mode:

Basic - If a player is shot enough they will go down (Always). Advanced - If a player is shot enough they will go down but only if they were shot in a non-fatal location E.G (Headshots will instantly kill the player).

Bleed out duration - How long it takes for a player to bleed out when incapacitated.

Force respawn duration - Amount of time it takes to force respawn when incapacitated.

Simple Missions In this section of the guide, we will look to give you an understanding of basic

parameters and functions available as a Gamemaster. We will also try to give you some

insight into how you should prepare and execute your missions, teaching you a

technique to brief your players and when to use certain options available to you.

The Sides

BLUFOR: Blufor is the most developed faction out of all 3. Blufor, specifically NATO, has a lot more assets and vehicles than its counterparts in Opfor and independent, making it a lot easier to

create missions with. This does not mean that Independent and Opfor are not good options, it is

just easier to start off by doing Blufor missions.

When having your players play as Blufor it is important that you try to keep the mission fairly

difficult, depending on if you allow the players to have the full power of NATO and such. If you do

choose to give the players all of this power you must enforce a well-organized squad on the

ground to operate the assets properly. Giving the wrong player’s artillery and CAS can ruin the

mission for other players, so make sure you restrict those assets somewhat.

Make sure you remember who your players are playing as if it is NATO don't have them doing

huge numbers of war crimes openly. Stick as close as you can to a realistic scenario and your

mission will surely be enjoyable.

GREENFOR (Independent): Independent factions are usually a lot more unstable and dangerous in scenarios, opening up the realm to military cover-ups of war crimes and other more compelling

storylines. These missions can be hard to master, as you need to be able to effectively convey a

story to the players, while also allowing them to shoot up the map to enjoy themselves. Finding a

middle ground for this can create some of the best operations.

OPFOR: Opfor factions are commonly used in well funded smaller operations, such as spec ops. Opfor has very good equipment and can be used on a larger scale like Blufor, although they have

fewer options when it comes to certain equipment. In terms of placeable objects for Opfor, they

are not nearly as extensive as they are for Blufor.

Opfor is also slightly less credible as Blufor factions, meaning they do sometimes perform war

crimes and atrocities publicly. A common scenario is a Blufor faction coming down on the Opfor

faction due to war crimes or illegal activity.

Mission Preparation

When in the process of preparing an operation it is wise to follow the steps below, especially if live

Zeusing:

1) Give the players a small task to complete to buy you some time (If you are live Zeusing) This

task can literally just be a few patrols walking around a town.

2) Mark out the mission on the map

3) Create details

4) Place an accurate number of troops that makes sense with the enemy's strength

5) Have the players begin organising themselves to tackle the mission after they have finished

their small task.

6) Once the players are ready to brief them on the mission

After you have completed this your players should be organised and ready to start the

operation.

Markers and Intel

Markers

First, we will go over how to place and use map

markers. To access the markers tab you must click

on the marker menu displayed by the top arrow,

then you can select markers which are displayed by

the lower arrow.

Once you select a map marker after placing it you

have the option to change the colour and writing

within it, by simply double left-clicking on it.

When using markers you should always try to use

the correct ones for the specific task, this makes

your map look more realistic.

Intel

The use of intel in operations can be extremely useful when

conveying a storyline to your player base. Intel can be

anything from a laptop you are able to pick up, to a document

that you are able to collect.

In Zeus you're able to double click on some pieces of intel

and edit the text it contains, a useful tool for documents and

messages.

Briefing the players

Giving a compelling and engaging brief to your mission can

decide whether people will take you seriously, or just mess

around during your mission. In this section, we will teach you

a solid format to stage your briefings before your mission

begins.

Starting off you should always give a general description of

your troop’s current situation. This should probably include

the following:

- Where the players currently are based.

- A general report of activity in the vicinity.

- The activity of the opponent faction.

- The activity of friendly forces.

Doing this will give your players their first taste of the scenario you're trying to create.

Giving backstory and an idea that other confrontations are happening around them will

really engage the players. Next, you will brief them on their mission, this will include:

- Where the mission will take place.

- What type of mission they are doing.

- What are the details specific to the mission.

Break down your mission so they understand their task, this will help them to further

engage. After this, you will tell them how they will execute this mission. (This part can

be taken over by the ground commander or leader on the ground). This should include

the very specific ways in which the troops will execute the task, with exact positions to

move to. Imagine this as the plan, that's what it is.

After completing this we can move onto what assets they will be assigned. This part is

fairly simple, just tell them what assets they will receive. You must also specify any rules

for using certain assets here. If you are running with a logistics section is your mission

where you can explain what exactly they will be doing again. Logistics is very important

if being used and must be understood thoroughly.

Finally, you must detail the communication methods and rules. Communication is vital in

a mission if it is to be organised and fun. These rules can be made up by you for the

mission, but if you’re on an official bohemia server without mods we recommend this

system;

Global - Only Zeus and ground command

Side - Emergencies/Announcements by ground command

Command - SL communication (Squad leader)

Group - Anyone can use it, up to the squad leader how strict it is

Vehicle - Anyone can use it, just don’t mic spam annoyingly

Direct - Anyone can use it, just don’t mic spam annoyingly

If you do a brief like this for your mission it should take a good few minutes to do. Don't

spend too long briefing everyone because they will get bored. Following this format will

surely get people engaged and ready to play your mission, they might even roleplay with

each other if they think it is that engaging.

Giving Assets

When giving assets to the players you must keep in mind that you don't want the players

to steamroll the mission with no skill involved. If you give the troops just about what

they need they will use those assets carefully in order to not lose them.

It's also important to note, when you give the enemy assets it should be realistic.

Keeping it close to a real scenario will further enhance the scenario for the players. If

you send an infantry section of players again 5 tanks it doesn't make sense, that would

never happen. Just use your imagination and try to match up the forces so the players

have a level playing field with the enemy.

Basic modules

This part of the guide is on modules! These ones specifically are essential to a mission.

We will go from top to bottom on the image on the right side of this page, only going

through the ones that are relevant.

Environment

1) Skip time - This module, when placed

anywhere on the map, allows for the

Gamemaster to skip to a different time. It is

very useful if you would like to set a certain

ambience to your mission

2) Time acceleration - This module, when placed

anywhere on the map, allows the

Gamemaster to speed up time. This can go

up to 60x speed, making days go through on

the game in 24 minutes. This module is very

useful if you want to accentuate the long

battle to complete a certain task.

3) Weather - Obviously this module allows you to change certain aspects of the

weather. It can also be used to create fog.

Objective Modules

1) Control sector - This module will create a sector, either 100m or 200m in

diameter from its placement location, that the players and ai can take control of.

NOTE - This objective commonly glitches and stays on the map after its deleted,

ruins the map a lot.

2) Custom objective - Used to create custom mission titles for players. These can be

set to multiple different states when double left clicked.

3) Get in vehicle - Creates a task to get into the asset the module is placed on. It

will automatically complete once someone enters the vehicle.

4) Neutralize - Creates a task for the players that will tell them to neutralize

whatever the module is placed on. Once the object is in the killed state the

objective will automatically complete.

Respawn

1) Loadouts - This module allows for you to give the players different load-outs,

these can be custom made arsenal load-outs or just normal Arma 3 preset ones

that the AI use.

2) Players (Faction) - This module is a respawn position that the players can select

to spawn at.

3) Vehicles (Faction) - Placing this module on a vehicle at a certain location will

make it respawn thereafter it is destroyed.

Zeus

1) Arsenal - Gives Zeus the ability to change the loadout of an ai when the module is

placed upon them. (Does Not work on players)

2) Remote control - Gives the Zeus control of the ai that the module is placed upon

3) Lightning bolt - Spawns a powerful bolt of lightning that instantly destroys most

objects. (Useful for removing trolls)

Loadouts

Loadouts are very good for missions. Having the normal base

loadouts upon spawn is boring and everyone would prefer to

have more choice.

To access the loadouts section you must do the following

- Module section (Middle option)

- Respawn

- Loadouts

After this it will bring up another screen, which should look

like the image right here ----------------------------------->

When this screen appears you will see filled in boxed and unfilled boxes. The boxes

below that are ticked mean that the players can respawn with that loadout. If the box is

not ticked it cannot be accessed by the players through the spawn menu.

You are also able to use custom loadouts, this can be done by accessing the arsenal

section at the top listed on the 3rd image. Once you have accessed it then you're able to

allow and disallow loadouts. NOTE - If the other zeus used the loadout module after you

have placed it in custom loadouts, then the loadouts will give you a normal rifleman class

when you try to use them. This is fixable by just setting the loadouts and only having the

Gamemaster who set them changing the loadouts.

Missions (advanced)

Introduction to storylines

When creating a compelling story it is important to have an enemy. Even if the players

don't even know who this enemy is you will still need one. Focusing on a specific theme

is also very important when creating a compelling story line E.G, War crimes. This can

take a while to master and certainly is not easy, but if you manage to create an

interesting story in your mission it levels it up massively to some players.

Once you have your enemy and your theme you can create your environment, this will

link nicely into your situation briefing we have already gone over. Creating this

environment involves map design and an interesting backstory. E.G A civil war has

divided the two factions, now they are engaging in conflict here, here and here. Doing

this helps the player to understand the stakes to the scenario and gets them into the

story side of the scenario.

Next you will have to decide if you want to put your players straight into the action, or

rise into a climax. Putting your players straight into the action is usually far better for

one off missions, but in campaigns it's best to slowly raise the stakes.

Throwing a twist into your storyline is the best part about any well constructed mission

or campaign. When building up to that moment it is important to build suspense and

confusion before a revelation occurs to the players. Conveying these moments to the

players without telling them directly can be extremely difficult, especially when your

players are unknowingly looking for something. It makes it easy to overlook important

plot points in the story.

Ending your story should always tie up as many questions as possible, the best way to

do this is a debrief after the operation is over.

Music

Music can really level an operation in terms of immersiveness. Music

can be accessed by going to;

- Audio

- Play Music

Once you are in the music screen you will get the options of:

- Lead

- Action

- Stealth

- Calm

It may take a while to get used to these choices, but using them in

a mission properly can make it a lot cooler.

Announcing your operation

Making an announcement for your operation is very important, as it

is what will attract players to your mission. We expect a certain

standard when it comes to announcements:

- Mission name

- Brief description of what the mission is

- Time it will take place (BST/GMT)

- Create an operation through the site and ost the link under the announcement

- Have a screenshot for the operation

- Credit any co-creators that assisted you with making the mission

- A @everyone ping

You will unlock the ability to make announcements in official operations when you are a

T3 Gamemaster. But as tier 1+ you have the ability to post your operation without a

ping. These operation announcements will have to include the following:

- Mission name

- Brief description of what the mission is

- Time it will take place (BST/GMT)

- Create an operation through the site and ost the link under the announcement

- Credit any co-creators that assisted you with making the mission

Eden Editor

The eden editor is a very useful tool that can be used to prepare missions in

advance to much higher quality. The eden editor is also a lot more malleable in

terms of tools you have access too.

How to set up a basic mission

Firstly we will start with getting our ‘parameters’ correct, setting up a spawn, name for

the mission and other important aspects.

Name

To set up a name for your mission you must click on attributes at the top left side of

your editor, then go to general. After this you will open the presentation tab and that is

where you can change the author and mission title.

- Attributes

- General

- Presentation

Once this is completed you will be able to change the missions displayed title and author.

Multiplayer game settings

Now that we have a name, let's move onto the in game settings. To reach the page

displayed below follow this route;

- Attributes

- Multiplayer

Let's focus on the top section. You should always disable AI. Keeping it enabled means

that any AI set to be playable (The ones players will use) will freely roam around even

when not selected to be played.

Respawn

Next up we have the respawn system. Firstly, we need to select a method of respawn.

This should always be set to a custom position, as that is what allows you to spawn on

custom spawn points. (We will get to this soon) Also, don't forget to tick ‘Select respawn

position’, that's what lets the players choose what spawn they want.

You are also able to customise the respawn delay for the mission (How long it takes for

players to respawn). As well as being able to turn off the scoreboard.

Revive

Finally we have the revive system. This should be set up very similar to the parameters

that we have already been over. If you want to know how to set it up, or what the

options mean, go back up to the parameters section.

Making a zeus in the game

Firstly we must select the Gamemaster module;

- Modules

- Zeus

- Game Master

Place this down anywhere on the map, it doesn't matter where it is.

When it's placed down double left click on it and open it. You will

get the option to set the owner of the module, the name of the

module, ‘force interface’ and ‘default addons’.

You can set the owner as whatever you want, just remember what you put. For this

example we will say the owner is ‘NAME OF ZEUS’. For the name section, it really doesn't

matter. The addons section is only important if you're running mods, but just always set

it as ‘All addons (Including unofficial ones)’. Forced interface will lock you in the zeus

camera, making it so you're not able to press ‘y’ and go in or out of your players body

(This is kinda more of a hindrance so i don't recommend using it).

Setting AI as playable characters

Firstly we will need to place down some AI from any faction, it doesn't matter.

After this you must double left click to open their attributes menu (Can also be done with

a right click then pick the attributes option)

Once here go to the control section, where you will be able to change the description of

the character in the lobby. In this category you're able to make the character a playable

entity, allowing you to play as that person in the game.

(Setting someone as the player means they will be the person you play as a single

player).

Creating a respawn position

To create a custom spawn point you must go to the following

route;

- Modules

- Multiplayer

- Respawn

Once this is complete select the respawn and open it. This will

give you the options to name the spawn, set it to a certain faction

and enable/disable the notification. Disabling the notification will

just make it so when players reach the respawn screen they won't be told there is a new

spawn point, (Recommend you turn it off, doesn't make any difference at all).

Setting the spawn to the faction you want to spawn there is really important, if missed

the players can't see or use the spawn point. (Default set to the team with the highest

amount of kills)

Naming the spawn will change the name displayed to players who select the spawn

point. It basically allows you to change the name of the spawn point.

Exporting a Custom Scenario

Exporting a scenario is what you will do once you're ready to upload the mission to the

server to be played. Before being able to do this you have to save your scenario. You can

do this by following this route;

- Scenario

- Save As

Once you have saved a scenario you're able to export it as a

multiplayer mission. To do this you can follow this route;

- Scenario

- Export

- Export To Multiplayer

After exporting the scenario you can find it through this path in

your file browser;

- *Storage drive that Arma 3 is downloaded on*

- Program Files (x86)

- Steam

- Steamapps

- Common

- Arma 3

- MPmissions

- *Name of your mission*.pbo

Once you have completed this you can send this file to whoever is responsible for

uploading the mission file for you.

Creating a Campaign

Brainstorming an Idea

Brainstorming is to collect all your ideas for something and write it down with pen and

paper or using your computer. You usually want to focus around one main theme, what

your campaign is all about in a single word if possible.

Next, you want to add more to this theme - any idea you have, write it down. Don’t be

afraid to write things down as if you don’t like them at a later point, you can just easily

remove them.

Ideas can be anything: plot elements of the campaign, what missions you would like to

make, characters, what map it’ll be on etcetera. If you write these down, you’ll have a

visual presentation of what you want your campaign to be. It’s very important to

carefully look over it all once again and ask yourself : is this good?

If the answer is ‘yes’, then you can now start with making the campaign.

Creating a Storyline

Creating a storyline is very important for campaigns. For one-off missions, you can just

give it a simple backstory and send the players to an objective. But in a campaign which

spans over multiple missions, you want to create a story.

It’s hard to come up with a good story, and to impress the player base with it is even

harder. But if you make a too complicated story, players will often forget about it. The

key here is to make a simple, but yet compelling storyline focused around at least one

plot element.

For example, let’s use ‘The Eastwind’, Arma 3’s official campaign. In it, the plot element

is the mysterious Eastwind Device, a WMD that causes natural disasters. This brought

the plot forward, without always having to be pushed in the player’s face. It was

mentioned a few times, but still is responsible for all the events that happened in Arma 3

- even in other campaigns it remains the main element to the story.

You could of course use the Eastwind again for your storyline, but the Arma community

has begun to dislike this sort of storyline due to it being repeated over and over. So

you’ll have to come up with something entirely new or you could take something from

the game and add some storyline to it.

A good way to create a storyline is to perhaps add in references, or even base your

campaign off another game. Bonus points if it’s from the Arma series. Even films are a

good way to get inspiration - Black Hawk Down is perhaps one of the most famous

examples of missions done in Arma.

Once you have your plot element(s), you have to answer this question: How and why

are the players affected by this?

When you have answered this question, you can think of missions you want to host and

how they tie into the storyline. Keep in mind that you always want to somehow make

your storyline develop into a climax - it can be done over the span of multiple missions,

but I advise letting every mission have their own climax to keep players engaged.

Selecting the Factions

Factions not only are important for the storyline itself, but can also greatly influence

player interest in your campaign.

Most commonly, the three main factions are used: NATO, CSAT and AAF. They have well

developed storylines and can be used for a variety of purposes. Other factions are the

FIA or LDF and of course Syndikat, Spetsnaz and the Looters.

All of these factions are split into three categories: BLUFOR, OPFOR and GREENFOR /

Independent. Normally people expect BLUFOR to be the ‘good’ guys, OPFOR to be the

‘bad’ guys and GREENFOR to be the ‘good and bad’ guys. This quickly becomes

mundane, and as such it’s important to not always follow the intended faction purpose

and instead add something else like motivation and goals.

The most interesting option is to make entirely custom factions. This is complicated, and

often very hard to adapt. But if you do it right, it can affect your campaign positively.

Fresh content is great, and mods aren’t always necessary.

This is all mostly for choosing a player faction. You always need at least one antagonistic

faction who are against what the players do.

Civilians are an interesting approach to make campaigns more interesting overall. They

can be used for influence, or even for dramatic moments: war crimes are very infamous

in the Arma community, and if a scene like that is done right you could seriously impress

the players.

Making it awesome

Making a campaign awesome can seem difficult. But here are a few basics you should

know, and hopefully this can make your campaign memorable:

Make decisions and have weight. Should they take the shot or not? Let him go or shoot

him?

Add tension - if your campaign will have no climax it will be boring.

Make an interesting, and plausible storyline - if it gets too crazy players get confused.

Think of ‘events’ - what will happen at certain points in your campaign?

Epic Atmosphere and Battles - if you see tanks rushing into combat while a fitting theme

plays and the players rushing to defeat an enemy, this can not only make an entire

campaign, but can add an awesome moment which players will certainly remember.

Player Fun - if players don’t enjoy a campaign because it isn’t fun, or won’t be fun at all,

they will not play it.

Why make a campaign?

Campaigns are great. They increase your own creativity and you can create engaging

stories out of them which can even be remembered for years to come. Campaigns make

Gamemasters become Authors of their own storyline which others can enjoy.

Sure, they are hard to make: but the pride you feel by doing them is always enormous.

You accomplished something great if you complete a campaign from start to finish. It

takes a lot of dedication, and is the ultimate test for any Gamemaster.

Creating a world can be fun. It is never easy and you often can get frustrated - but it will

be worth it.

You have reached the end of the document, you're now ready to go out and make

some high quality missions. For any extra help feel free to contact a fellow

Gamemaster for assistance!

Written and edited by Northgate and LT/C. Tetley 

2020-05-10T09:24:07-0700Agreement certified by Adobe Sign