Some questions to improve my mission quality

[puzzola 10]

Sorry if I collect different questions in the same topic, but I just finished my first articulate mission and even if it works, some doubts rise.

Is there a editor guide for ArmA2 like the great one in pdf created for ArmA?

How can I create Radio option dinamically in game: I have some units going in different positions and, once there, I get a messagge (alpha, bravo etc. in position). Now with the radio I can order each to attack. How can I display theese radio options only when units are in position?

After theese units are given order, they move to search and destroy, then with another radio trigger I order them to converge at the same point.

Here a squad have the waypoint "join and command" synched with the "move" waypoints of the other 3 squads. I tried even with "join" for the 3 squads and "join and command" for the 4th but they never merge. Maybe because not all 3 squads arrive (probably killed)? How can I merge only who arrive? Maybe with a countdown?

If a unit miss a waypoint (I give the order attack to alpha team before it reach previous waypoint), do it fail to seek other waypoints?

Thank you all for reading, and of course for answering if you please :)

Edited October 5, 2010 by puzzola

[Militant1006 11]

It looks like you want alot of help, but I will answer first editing question.

1. Put down a trigger with Radio Alpha activation, activate once, doesn't matter where you put it, change trigger type to "switch", and in text have "commence attack" or something like that WITH the quotes, and on activation have player sidechat "all squads commence attack" or something like that, make sure you have quotes.

2. Give squad leaders names and give them waypoints to their locations.

3. Put down triggers on the areas that you want your squads to move to, make sure each trigger is grouped to the leader of the squad you want there.

4. Have the extra triggers activation as "group leader", for each one put in the activation box "Squad_leader2 sidechat "Bravo is in position";" (Squad_leader2 and the text in the quotes are variable, you can put whatever you want, and outside quotes aren't part of the line).

5. Then Sync the Radio trigger to the squads waypoints, and give them more waypoints on the place they are attacking.

6. Simply wait for all of the squad to sidechat that they are in position, and use the radio to move them into the town.

This should work, but I am still learning myself, so it isn't perfect.

[puzzola 10]

Thank you for the answer.

It works fine yet with the units arriving on a map point an a trigger that display text on screen (even if i'm intrigued of your suggestion of a side aknowledgement).

My goal was to have the radio trigger for ordering the attack to appear in radio option only when a squad reached its waypoint.

The reason is that often the squads reach their spots at the same time (how disciplinate are they :p) and the messages overlap so I am not sure who is in place (and maybe if I give attack order too early the units don't seek waypoints anymore).

It would be very interesting for other missions too, as you can call for example an air strike only after AA destruction.

Let me know what you think about it.

[Joshii 10]

Trigger conditions

!alive AAgun

Then it will only show up if AAgun is not alive.

Or the waypoint sets a boolean to true

Waypoint sets: reachedwp1 = true

Condition for trigger: reachedwp1

Will only show up afterwards.

[puzzola 10]

Uhm, I suppose I have to give a name to the waypoint, isn't it?

Something like "alphapoint" and then in the trigger condition: reachedalphapoint = true

Or do I need a script?

Or Did I understand very wrong?

Consider that theese are my first attempts and that english is not my own language.

Coloured text may help like green for given names, black for syntax and red for values.

Thank you for the reply

[Joshii 10]

How to:

Waypoint that will KILL YOU WHEN YOU REACH IT

1. Create waypoint put in whatever you want BUT

On Act(ivation): reached == true

So what we do is, that we create a variable called "reached" and we put its status on true.

2. Create a trigger.

Condition: reached

On act(ivation): player setDamage 1

[puzzola 10]

How to:

Waypoint that will KILL YOU WHEN YOU REACH IT

1. Create waypoint put in whatever you want BUT

On Act(ivation): reached == true

So what we do is, that we create a variable called "reached" and we put its status on true.

2. Create a trigger.

Condition: reached

On act(ivation): player setDamage 1

So I create a waypoint "move" for alpha team.

On act: reached == true

Then I put a trigger and don't sync it? Or do I group/sync it with the waypoint?

In the condition field of the trigger I put: reached

So the trigger is active only at the condition reached.

But I have 4 units each with its waypoints and radio trigger

[kylania 568]

Why wouldn't you just put the player setDamage 1 in the OnAct of the waypoint and skip the whole trigger entirely? It's redundant. :)

[st_dux 26]

Kylania is correct about the trigger being unnecessary, but also "==" is a comparison operator, not an assignment operator, so that line would create an error. You would want to use "reached = true" instead. But really you should just forgo the trigger altogether as Kylania explained.

[puzzola 10]

Can I do the same but with a value in the OnAct of the waypoint that give me the radio option as result?

Something like nameofthetrigger = true (do i need ""?)

Where the trigger is the one that allow me to give alpha team the order to attack?

[st_dux 26]

If you want to make a radio trigger available later in a mission (but not in the beginning), you will need to do two things. First, you will need to make it unavailable at the beginning, as they are always available by default once placed in the editor (unless the player isn't leading his group, in which case they cannot be available until he is). This can be accomplished by calling the following line at the beginning of your mission:

1 setRadioMsg "NULL"

(N.B., This is assuming that you are using Radio Alpha. If you are using Radio Bravo, use 2; Radio Charlie, use 3; etc.).

Now, when you want the radio trigger to become available, just call the same line replacing "NULL" with whatever you want the radio menu to display, e.g., "Commence Attack".

[puzzola 10]

Oh, here's the matter.

I didn't assume that the radio triger was always present.

To block it do I need a description file or can I make it simpler?

To black multiple triggers how do I list them (exact syntax)

1 setRadioMsg "NULL"

2 setRadioMsg "NULL"

3 setRadioMsg "NULL"

or

1 setRadioMsg "NULL";

/2 setRadioMsg "NULL";

/3 setRadioMsg "NULL";

can I call the line: 1 setRadioMsg "Alpha attack" as a result of the reached waypoint?

[kylania 568]

Just use addActions instead of Radios. :)

[st_dux 26]

1 setRadioMsg "NULL"

2 setRadioMsg "NULL"

3 setRadioMsg "NULL"

The above is fine; just make sure that you are separating each line with a semicolon (unless you are using an .sqs script).

can I call the line: 1 setRadioMsg "Alpha attack" as a result of the reached waypoint?

Yes.

[puzzola 10]

Just use addActions instead of Radios. :)

:confused: where? for what?

@ST_Dux: to call

1 setRadioMsg "NULL"

2 setRadioMsg "NULL"

3 setRadioMsg "NULL"

wherw I put this line?

[st_dux 26]

You can put it wherever you'd like. Just make sure that it is executed at the beginning of the mission. For example, you can put it in the init field of any unit. Again, make sure that you are separating each line with semicolons; otherwise, it will not work.

[puzzola 10]

I made it:yay:

i put a trigger on the whole map, blufor present

on act: 1 setRadioMsg "Null"

Alpha unit had a waypoint move inside of a trigger: activation groupleader

on act: 1 setRadioMsg "alpha attack"

effect: text: alpha in position

This waypoint is synched to the radio alpha trigger so:

At the beginning the radio doesn't show nothing, the unit move, a text make me know it's in position, the alpha trigger appear in the radio and activating it the unit procede to next waypoint.

It works with your suggestion of putting: 1 setRadioMsg "NULL" in the init line of a unit present at the beginning (player for example).

Thank you very much.

If I could then merge the 4 units at arrive points with the join and command waypoint it would be perfection

[kylania 568]

i put a trigger on the whole map, blufor present

on act: 1 setRadioMsg "Null"

Put 1 setRadioMsg "Null" in the init field of basically anything. Or set the condition of the triggger to true instead of this then it'll happen at map start without having to have a giant trigger covering everything. :)

[puzzola 10]

I passed all to the real mission.

The 4 unit arrive via eli, go to their assigned points, comunicate their arrival and the radio triggers show up.

Then I can order singularly to attack, they make the cleaning and converge at the same point.

Only they don't merge in a single unit

[puzzola 10]

Solved this too.

It's necessary give a waypoint "move" to the units before the "join" waypoint.

The "move" WP is synched with a radio trigger, the WP "join an command" of a squad is synched with the "join" WPs of the other 3 squads.

And as I am on run, I tought of hide the radio commands for evac of the merged squad till a Radar is destroyed.

I put: 5 setRadioMsg "NULL"

Now put a trigger activated by "vehicle" "present" and grouped with the radar.

In the radar onAct: 5 setRadioMsg "Call for evac"

The Radio message is hide, but once I destroy the radar it don't show up yet.

If I set "non present" the trigger starts on mission start, before the radar is destroyed.

Have I to put 5 setRadioMsg "Call for evac" onDeact or what?

Is a issue with empty objects?

[Joshii 10]

Kylania is correct about the trigger being unnecessary, but also "==" is a comparison operator, not an assignment operator, so that line would create an error. You would want to use "reached = true" instead. But really you should just forgo the trigger altogether as Kylania explained.

Sorry about the == should be "=" of course. However the trigger was just a way of showing how a waypoint is ONLY executed if something else is triggered before thats why I was talking about the boolean in the trigger that the waypoint needs to be activated.

[puzzola 10]

About the trigger on destruction of an object: Solved this too ;)

The problem was the way the object was created and saved in the mission.

If I make a change, I need to group again with the trigger, save the mission and restart.

The trigger is so grouped with a radar Antenna, activated by: vehicle, non present, type: trigger (seams "none" works as well), Condition: this,

onAct: 5 setRadioMsg "Call for evac"; 6 setRadioMsg "specops evac";

Theese radiomessages were previously hidden like the others by the init line of an officer at the base. At the destruction of the Antenna they show up and I can call evac for the merged squads and for the specops (player unit)

Now I should play it myself.

It's not a long mission or original so I don't upload.

But thank you all for helping me

Edited October 6, 2010 by puzzola