Dynamic Force Balancer (DFB)

[P.Denton 10]

Dynamic Force Balancer

06/26/2011

Ver 1.2

Screenshots:

Description:

Decrease enemy unit number to balance the mission difficulty.

Features:

Detect BLUFOR and OPFOR units number and calculate its tactical point.

According to the tactical points and ratio you define,

the number of units to be deleted is calculated.

Delete OPFOR units until the condition of what you defined in the set proportion column and tweaked in the OPFOR column.

You can stop units which have name in the editor from deleted by selecting PROTECT button and activating it.

In every mission, including any single player mission, multiplayer mission, or campaigns whatever, you can launch the GUI.

So you can control enemy unit number even in the BIS made missions.

Installation:

Download @DFB.zip and unzip it.

Move the folder in your A2/OA folder and launch it with MOD launcher.

Included files:

dynamic_force_balancer.pbo

dynamic_force_balancer.pbo.dynamic_force_balancer.bisignKeys

Required Addons:

No addons required.

Usage:

1. DFB's GUI access limitation
   The action menu will be added depending on which environment you play, MP or SP.
   In SP, player can have access to the GUI(which means the action menu will be added) though, in MP, only admin can , not every player. So if you want to control unit number in MP, someone needs to log in as admin.
   
2. Firepower of player
   2.1 Detect firepower:
   You need to know how many tactical points of player on your side have.
   This is especially for MP, for the player number is important and I don't count AI units. In the future version, I consider implementing counting AI or not function. Anyway, select 'Detect firepower' button to get player number in each category and calculate tactical points.
   Tactical points are defined following:
   Infantry:1
   APC:25
   Tank:100
   Transport Heli:100
   Gunship:700
   Aircraft:1200
   In the future version, I also consider implementing change these values by user.
   These values are the same as OPFOR.
   If all player disembarked from vehicles, all tactical points will be assigned to Infantry only. So if you want to know the actual points, get players in the specified vehicle or edit the text box in each section manually. On your typing number to the text box, the units number and tactical points are automatically recalculated.
   2.2 Set proportion:
   After you set the player number, you must set firepower ratio between player force and OPFOR. At first the button is not selectable, you need to select an enemy side on the right of your GUI in the OPFOR info box. There is pull down menu available. Click it and select the enemy side. Then you can select set proportion. Left text box is BLUFOR(player) and the right is OPFOR. Default value is BLUFOR : OPFOR = 2:1.
   You can set these to any value, 3:4, 5:1, 100:3 whatever. After the decision, select set proportion button. On the right side, recommended enemy units number will be calculated and be shown.
   
3. Firepower of OPFOR
   3.1 Tweak enemy number:
   You can change the number displayed in the OPFOR info box, by typing number in the text box manually or move the slider from left to right. The text box next to the slider works together. If you change one, another will respond to it.
   3.2 Delete protection
   After you satisfied with the enemy number, you can choose whether you want to protect the units which have name in the editor (means the units are important in the mission, such as enemy commander to capture). If yes, then select the black PROTECT button and activate it. The button will turn to red.
   
4. Apply
   When you think you have done all the setting, press apply button.
   The delete process will start. After the delete done, action will be removed.
   

Note:

• In MP, only the server itself and admin are enough to have this addon valid, because in MP only server admin can launch the GUI. Not every player needs to have it.
  
• The enemies are deleted at random.
  
• The DFB module the last version 1.0 has is deleted because of the alternate prevention system that can stop the units who have name in the editor from deleted.
  

Future version plan:

1.x:

*Add detection of AI on the player side.

*The automatic delete prevention of the units and the groups which have name in the mission editor.(Complete)

*Multiple selectable enemy sides.

2.x

*AI skill setting.

3.x

*Work with DAC or UPSMON to generate enemy units which is realtime and dynamic during mission using GUI.

(I have not made any contact with DAC/UPSMON creator though)

Download Link

You can download the addon on Armaholic.

http://www.armaholic.com/page.php?id=13558

v1.2 uploaded on gamefront:

http://www.gamefront.com/files/20484063/%40DFB_v12.zip

changelog:

02/27/2011 1.0 release

06/11/2011 1.1 release

• Added new delete prevention system
  
• Deleted DFB module
  
• No more CBA required
  
• Some other minor fix
  

06/26/2011 1.2 release

• GUI was modified a little bit.
  
• bikey included for six updater.
  

Edited June 26, 2011 by P.Denton
images replaced with under 100kb

[P.Denton 10]

The download link is changed.

I uploaded zip to armaholic FTP.

http://www.armaholic.eu/public/@DFB.zip

[Guest]

Just drop me a PM, or submit a new file ;)

Release frontpaged on the Armaholic homepage.

Dynamic Force Balancer v1.0



Community Base addons

BTW, remove your pics, they are to big and a moderator might come in and shake you up a little when he sees it :)

Create smaller sized pics or use thumbs.

[.kju 3240]

Looks pretty good and surely a lot of effort has gone into it!

[Alex72 1]

Images over 100kb replaced with url's in the original post. Denton check our forum rules here.

And thanks for a useful addon. Good work. :)

[ffur2007slx2_5 11]

Good job.

[pauliesss 2]

Hm, great addon, thanks! :)

[maturin 12]

Yeah, we should definitely be able to change the values of unit classes in the future.

A single Su-25 can do little but watch as 12 tanks take over Takistan.

And perhaps an IFV category could be added? A Bradley or BMP can steamroller dozens of ordinary BRDMs and Strykers.

[P.Denton 10]

BTW, remove your pics, they are to big and a moderator might come in and shake you up a little when he sees it :)

Create smaller sized pics or use thumbs.

Thankyou Foxhound and sorry for the massive pics :D.

I replaced pics with smaller ones.

Yeah, we should definitely be able to change the values of unit classes in the future.

A single Su-25 can do little but watch as 12 tanks take over Takistan.

And perhaps an IFV category could be added? A Bradley or BMP can steamroller dozens of ordinary BRDMs and Strykers.

Yeah, I can do that.

But what is the differnce between APC and IFV?

I don't clearly understand it.

[maturin 12]

Thankyou Foxhound and sorry for the massive pics :D.

I replaced pics with smaller ones.

Yeah, I can do that.

But what is the differnce between APC and IFV?

I don't clearly understand it.

They're not precise distinctions, but an APC is designed to carry troops into combat and then support them, whereas IFVs sacrifice troop capacity for better armor and an array of heavy weapons that can threaten tanks.

In game terms, the firepower and protection of BMPs, the Bradley, and the BTR-90 far outstrip that of the LAV, AAV, BTR-60, BRDM, BTR-40, Vodnik and Strykers. So I would call the former IFVs and make them worth more points than APCs.

The latter five are probably incapable of defending themselves against the latter four. HQ variants of the BTR-90 and LAV-25 are weaker still.

Specialty APCs, like the BRDM with ATGM launchers, the autocannon Vodnik and the linebacker Bradley are special cases.

[P.Denton 10]

They're not precise distinctions, but an APC is designed to carry troops into combat and then support them, whereas IFVs sacrifice troop capacity for better armor and an array of heavy weapons that can threaten tanks.

In game terms, the firepower and protection of BMPs, the Bradley, and the BTR-90 far outstrip that of the LAV, AAV, BTR-60, BRDM, BTR-40, Vodnik and Strykers. So I would call the former IFVs and make them worth more points than APCs.

The latter five are probably incapable of defending themselves against the latter four. HQ variants of the BTR-90 and LAV-25 are weaker still.

Specialty APCs, like the BRDM with ATGM launchers, the autocannon Vodnik and the linebacker Bradley are special cases.

OK, I got it.

The next problem is how many points should be given to IFV.

50or75?

Any suggestion?

I decided tactical points by myself but I wonder what you guys think about how many points should each category has, not only IFV but also all categories.

Of course I will introduce changeable tac points by users, but I have to decide default values anyway.

[TOTAL22 0]

HeyHo Denton

Congrats on the release.

Talking about the default values of units as in its category is unknown,,, but I did mention before that you could perhaps ask the missions makers who makes warfare type missions.

Because it's also a never-ending arguing point for them calculating/predicting how much each unit should cost when buying those units.

One reference I can think of is WarfareBE(the most popular, and also got ace version iirc) made by Benny.

[P.Denton 10]

Oh, I almost forgot that the discussion goes endless.

WarfareBE. It's too much of a bother but I have to unpbo it and look for the cost column.

Edited February 28, 2011 by P.Denton

[Guest]

Thanks for the headsup :cool:

Release frontpaged on the Armaholic homepage.

Dynamic Force Balancer v1.2

Edited June 26, 2011 by Guest
updated version

[TOTAL22 0]

DFB seems to be lacking a valid .bikey in the keys folder, it only has a .bisign

Could it be provided?

quote by Sickboy @ http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?t=98609&page=39