Map-specific briefings.

[Comassion]

I'd be nice if mapmakers could also associate a textual briefing with their maps. That could give maps a lot of character and a little preview of what the player is in for. Make it optional, so if there's no .txt briefing file then the default briefing loads.

[Gorlom]

That would take a large chunk of the randomness away from the map and also severely diminish the point of the black FoW.

Mission specific briefings are ok. Map specific briefings would imo be counterproductive for creating that X-com feel of dread.

[Gauddlike]

Depends on the briefing.

'This ship landed in an industrial area containing many structures and few open areas, caution is advised when moving through the narrow streets between buildings' gives little away but tells you how the level was designed to look.

[Gorlom]

Yes, but unless that briefing is given for multiple maps players are going to start recognizing it after a while. If the same description is on multiple maps the briefings wouldn't be map specific anymore, right?

Tileset specific works.

[Gauddlike]

A level specific briefing could indeed be used for multiple different levels if the message was accurate to all of those levels.

My above example could be used for any number of tightly packed industrial levels.

You could also have a couple of different messages available for your level if you wanted to vary it a bit.

People may well recognise the level description after a while if it doesn't vary and the map comes up a lot.

The submaps used would still be different and could change the feel of the level considerably.

Tileset specific descriptions could be kind of pointless.

The only things those levels would have in common would be that they use the industrial tiles to build their submaps.

It is possible to have a huge sprawling industrial complex on one map and lots of open tarmac areas with a single building and some storage crates on another.

[Gorlom]

OK to clearify: I'm not against the vague map briefings (although I'm not sure I understand how they would work without a specific working example). I am however opposed to unique descriptions to individual maps.

[Gauddlike]

Yeah that would be more than a little annoying.

[Commissar Pancakes]

Plus it's supposed to be a quick reaction deployment. There's no time to gather intel on the surrounding area of the crash/landing site.