Sharing is caring, the community and addons

[celery 8]

Fact of the matter is that missions that are dependent on single addons will not be played. If I made a mission that used someone's urban camoed M4 with a tactical grip instead of vanilla M4s, only the maker of that addon and a couple of people who already (and still) have it might check it out. I agree that addon making is an unthankful hobby in terms of how many missions ultimately use them, but that's very much the fault of how the game handles addons, i.e. unlike other games they cannot be disabled for servers that don't allow them and they cannot be downloaded and activated on the fly either.

[sickboy 13]

Fact of the matter is that missions that are dependent on single addons will not be played. If I made a mission that used someone's urban camoed M4 with a tactical grip instead of vanilla M4s, only the maker of that addon and a couple of people who already (and still) have it might check it out. I agree that addon making is an unthankful hobby in terms of how many missions ultimately use them, but that's very much the fault of how the game handles addons, i.e. unlike other games they cannot be disabled for servers that don't allow them and they cannot be downloaded and activated on the fly either.

Fully agree and recognize this issue, im working on tackling some of these issues with SU.

But at least the need for game-restart will remain until BIS changes up their config/addon loading system. Dunno if that will ever happen, next game perhaps?

[mr burns 131]

Myke;1856428']Great' date=' so i can stop doin what i'm doin. Finally someone said it: addons are worthless.[/quote']

Hey, if you´re just searching for a reason to quit, that´s fine.

Other than that: Don´t interpret too much into my posting, specially not things i havent implied ;)

Addons are great - don't listen to the anti-addon society Myke! :D

New islands, vehicles, weapons etc, features, add a lot to this game incl the longevity.

And i haven´t stated the opposite.

It´s just that many mission makers seem to have a voice in their brain that tells them to "use as many addons as possible & mishun will be great!" - which is, as we all know, painfully wrong.

[concurssi 11]

Fact of the matter is that missions that are dependent on single addons will not be played. If I made a mission that used someone's urban camoed M4 with a tactical grip instead of vanilla M4s, only the maker of that addon and a couple of people who already (and still) have it might check it out. I agree that addon making is an unthankful hobby in terms of how many missions ultimately use them, but that's very much the fault of how the game handles addons, i.e. unlike other games they cannot be disabled for servers that don't allow them and they cannot be downloaded and activated on the fly either.

What do you mean by single addons?

And couldn't you make an addon that changes the default M4 to something else, so that even if you play a mission that doesn't require it per se, it would still affect it?

Edited February 15, 2011 by Concurssi
fixed typos

[gossamersolid 155]

Fully agree and recognize this issue, im working on tackling some of these issues with SU.

But at least the need for game-restart will remain until BIS changes up their config/addon loading system. Dunno if that will ever happen, next game perhaps?

Yeah I have abad feeling it won't happen, but I wish it would

[concurssi 11]

It´s just that many mission makers seem to have a voice in their brain that tells them to "use as many addons as possible & mishun will be great!" - which is, as we all know, painfully wrong.

Too bad it doesn't work the opposite way :(

[mosh 0]

Fact of the matter is that missions that are dependent on single addons will not be played. If I made a mission that used someone's urban camoed M4 with a tactical grip instead of vanilla M4s, only the maker of that addon and a couple of people who already (and still) have it might check it out. I agree that addon making is an unthankful hobby in terms of how many missions ultimately use them, but that's very much the fault of how the game handles addons, i.e. unlike other games they cannot be disabled for servers that don't allow them and they cannot be downloaded and activated on the fly either.

I know that topic has been beat like a dead horse, but that's really my only Arma wish, mainly the dl on the fly.

I do make an effort to play missions with addons, I download every addon I can anyways to try, so chances are I already have it.

And I also agree most won't go through the effort...

[[frl]myke 14]

Hey, if you´re just searching for a reason to quit, that´s fine.

Other than that: Don´t interpret too much into my posting, specially not things i havent implied ;)

I don't search for a reason to quit, i just dislike to be spit into the face.

I agree that an addon itself can't make a good mission but addons add content that might add to immersion and how the mission plays.

But at the end it's up to the missionmaker to create a good mission.

And then it is either a good mission or it isn't, regardless if it needs a dozen addons or none at all.

But there is another problem: what is the best mission for (using 3rd party addons) when no server hosts it?

[Darkhorse 1-6 16]

@GossamerSolid - Please don't drag this thread in that direction. This thread is more about closed groups and clans not releasing their addons/missions, not addonmakers in these forums "threatening"not to release, which is their decision anyways. They don't "owe" the community addons.

@GranQ -I hope more clans/groups do release their work. One example is (IIRC) a marine realism unit who made an LPD, one of the guys working on it posted screenshots in the WIP forum saying it was one of his groups private addons. I think a couple posts later he said it might end up public, but that was something like 6+ months ago (screenshots were of an almost finished and beautiful ship that was already working ingame) so its safe to assume he was showing off his work and said that to placate the people who didn't like him showing off private only work.

On the other hand many groups wont easily share missions, for several reasons.

#1 - They tend to use a large combo of addons and/or a TC mod like ACE.

#2 - They tend to be geared specifically towards the needs/wants of the group.

#3 - The groups tend to have a dedicated addonmaker, who's not comfortable with sharing his work.

#4 - If the group or a member creates a very popular and successful mission its actually MORE of am incentive to not release it publicly because it attracts more pubbers which leads to several things, like happier members, a larger recruiting pool, and a larger chance for donations to keep the server running.

[mr burns 131]

Myke;1856456']I don't search for a reason to quit' date=' i just dislike to be spit into the face.

I agree that an addon itself can't make a good mission but addons add content that might add to immersion and how the mission plays.

But at the end it's up to the missionmaker to create a good mission.

And then it is either a good mission or it isn't, regardless if it needs a dozen addons or none at all.

But there is another problem: what is the best mission for (using 3rd party addons) when no server hosts it?[/quote']

No spitting from me good sir, you should know that.

In your second paragraph you agree to what i said, so i´ll just go on and pretend this never happened :p

Missions that no server hosts: That´s shite for the mission maker who prolly put around 100 workhours into something that he wanted others to enjoy - not much to say about that other than "too bad". Get over it, adapt, iterate.

[granQ 293]

#4 - If the group or a member creates a very popular and successful mission its actually MORE of am incentive to not release it publicly because it attracts more pubbers which leads to several things, like happier members, a larger recruiting pool, and a larger chance for donations to keep the server running.

this is exactly the point I don't like.. lets say I make granQ's über squad, we play coop on tuesdays..

Now, I start posting awesome video on youtube to find more people to play in my ass kicking squad. We play arrrowhead + ace + lingor island.... and somehow we make this great coop, but refuse to release it because its "granQ uber squad coop", this is what I dislike most.

and addon/missions go hand in hand.. a zombie mission isn't fun without zombies that look like zombies (model+textures) and doesn't die of a single shot (coding).. while a zombie addon without mission with scary music isn't worth much either.

so release, despite quality.. also it lowers the pressure on us guys that can release "decent" stuff.. but now the standard is so high everyone whines if you get one detail wrong :p

[concurssi 11]

so release, despite quality.. also it lowers the pressure on us guys that can release "decent" stuff.. but now the standard is so high everyone whines if you get one detail wrong :p

Hmm..... should I sacrifice myself for the good of the community? That is the question :rolleyes:

If I do decide to defecate my stuff on you guys, is there some kind of dedicated user mission submission thread? Or should I just start my own thread? I am kind of hungry for feedback.

[celery 8]

Hmm..... should I sacrifice myself for the good of the community? That is the question :rolleyes:

If I do decide to defecate my stuff on you guys, is there some kind of dedicated user mission submission thread? Or should I just start my own thread? I am kind of hungry for feedback.

Made a thread for low profile releases such as those described in this thread.

http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?t=114842

[MeIvin 10]

Made a thread for low profile releases such as those described in this thread.

http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?t=114842

I like it! I would've used it if I hadn't made my own thread a couple of hours earlier. (D'oh)

If you have made something you (and your squad/group) enjoy - chances are high that someone else might enjoy it too. And releasing it isn't that much work.

(unless you've made a unit replacement pack in which you play as a cardboard box shooting other cardboard boxes with air. But then again that could attract metal gear solid fans I guess.)

Melvin

[Gunter Severloh 3955]

I think my biggest problem with releasing my missions as what mr Burns had said is the very fact I do not use briefings,

I mean all my mission require no addons, or mods so anyone can play them.

They have many scripts within them that make the mission interesting, but again I have no briefings or anything really

to tell the new player to the mission what you do and where you go ect,.

So i think that will be at least my project for my missions, to at least update what I got, because they are fun missions,

and I have no problems in sharing just the problem of not being able to tell the new guy any info about the mission.

Can any of you guys reccomend a simple to understand briefing tutorial that will work for CO,

I have Arma2 and CO missions but the all work in CO?

[Militant1006 11]

Well, it is funny that this thread has come around because I was just about to publicly release about 6 Coops I made for my clan, but we do not have a clan policy of hiding missions, we are normally just too lazy to put them up, but we in AAF did develop the MSO with AEF and I see a lot of people playing that, even clans like U.S. Socom which is good, a lot of hard work and complex scripts went into that.

[mathias_eichinger 64]

Hmmm... as I read that some people still have "technical" issues, like no knowledge of how to make briefings, I can recommend

http://www.ofpec to you.

Now, this site is around since 2001 and admittedly there is some "legacy stuff" regarding the tutorials, but it has got incredible helpful members who can answer most editing questions on the forums, plus there is a missions beta testing section which helps fine-tuning any "low key" missions due to helpful member feedback. Registration is free, and new and friendly people are always wanted - just post your mission on the boards, wait for feedback and do a little beta testing on your own - it helped me tremendously in improving my own missions since 2005.

[celery 8]

Can any of you guys reccomend a simple to understand briefing tutorial that will work for CO,

I have Arma2 and CO missions but the all work in CO?

Briefings are super easy. Just put this in your init script:

player createDiaryRecord ["Diary",["Briefing","We need to kill enemies."]]

player createDiaryRecord ["Diary",["Credits","Mission made by mysterymissionmaker<br/><br/>Dehydration script by realismfan666"]]

[ck-claw 1]

Have to agree with alot of the above.

Most of the time my lot get a warning order as such!

Pointless doing a briefing as such as who is chosen to lead the mission decides how 'he' is going to lead the gang out!

End triggers and conditions seems to norrow the end result down?

Most times its not about completing x amount of objectives but getting home alive in one piece!

We get more outta the mission all getting back alive completing say 3 outta 6 objectives rather than doing em all but losing half the boys! :cool:

[Gunter Severloh 3955]

I'm already a member Of OFPEC, and have been since OFP, I guess for me since I always build missions for my friends and

we play together I never really seen the need to make one as I ended up always explaining what we needed to do.

Briefings are super easy. Just put this in your init script:

player createDiaryRecord ["Diary",["Briefing","We need to kill enemies."]]

player createDiaryRecord ["Diary",["Credits","Mission made by mysterymissionmaker<br/><br/>Dehydration script by realismfan666"]]

Thanks Celery will try it out.

Pointless doing a briefing as such as who is chosen to lead the mission decides how 'he' is going to lead the gang out!

End triggers and conditions seems to norrow the end result down?

Most times its not about completing x amount of objectives but getting home alive in one piece!

I agree, but my friends and I have our own gameserver and of course use respawn

I mean the tactics and trying to stay alive are important and we try to play as realistc as we can.

The only things I need a briefing for is to list all the things in the mission that you do, not in terms of objectives,

but information on features, and basically how you play the mission, thats all I need.

Other then that I have alot of missions where you can go anywhere and choose which objectives you want to take on

first and all the objectives are indicated on the map, and I have it setup that when you complete an objective a hint

will pop up with the objective marker being deleted at the same time, then when players look at the map they can pretty

obviously see what has been completed and what has not.

Edited February 16, 2011 by Gnter Severloh

[lightspeed_aust 681]

come get some sp/mp goodness -

http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?p=1830448#post1830448

over 40 missions released to the Ghost Recon community and now I'm sharing the love in Arma2 ;)

and feel free to dpbo mine and see my formula for briefings - i ripped it from someone else lol

but it works flawlessly and once you figure it out then you just replicated with as many objectives as you like and tweak the text.

enjoy!

Lighty

Edited February 16, 2011 by Lightspeed_aust

[sander 14]

Addons don´t make a mission worthwhile, it´s the mission itself that counts ;)

PS: Personally, i could´nt care less if im running around as USMC, US Army, or Lampukistanischen Special Forces.

Hear, hear.

It takes only minor additional effort to create variants of missions using default content only and greatly extends the appeal of scenario's. Missions originally created for my own addons are all available in default BIS version as well.

Regards,

Sander

[lNTRUDER 26]

Great idea granQ - now I can use this thread as a perfect excuse to release all of my unreleased, unfinished and unpolished coop missions that so far only my clan buddies had the misfortune of spending time with :D

So be warned all! A lot of CRAP coming your way! :)

(and granQ, also some SFP dependent missions among these=) )

/ ]NTRUDER

[concurssi 11]

Hey ]NTRUDER, you could also try the low-profile mission release thread thingy.

[lNTRUDER 26]

Hey ]NTRUDER, you could also try the low-profile mission release thread thingy.

I won't hear of it, there's nothing low-profile about my missions :D

Just kidding, thx for the tip!