Epic Battlefield System (EBS Module)

[granQ 293]

My friend wanted me to help him with the "Ambient_Combat_Manager" to work with our addons.. it didn't seem to work. So I had a look and it seems its hardcoded to work only with bis factions.. :/

So i decided to do my own.. and now its late but I got the first things rolling as I wanted.. for now the video will do the introduction and I will add more.

Release will be stand alone.. probably next week sometime, this is just too great to "try" some new mods and addons

ZrGksiuFdig

[katipo66 94]

:ok: very Very cool, thanks for this!

will the intensity option work? example [0.6, BIS_ACM] call BIS_ACM_setIntensityFunc;

Can you do the same for Warfare :p

[ArmAriffic 10]

cool, i'll be using this alot

[kremator 1064]

Hey GQ,

Liking the look of this !

Will definately be up to using this !

[granQ 293]

:ok: very Very cool, thanks for this!

will the intensity option work? example [0.6, BIS_ACM] call BIS_ACM_setIntensityFunc;

Can you do the same for Warfare :p

still considering which values should be able to et.. primary it should be fun, easy straight out of the box, but I will keep it in mind.

Yeah I was thinking of warfare aswell, but that would be a later project.

[aidas2 10]

Epic battles are epic. Can't wait for this.

[R0adki11 3945]

awesome module idea, this has so much potential :)

[kremator 1064]

So GQ, is this an extension of the system that I played with you a LONG time ago? Where you would have bases resupplying etc etc? or has that idea been ditched - which would be a shame!

As an aside could the module be added into something like VTS or MMC (or even on top of MSO!)?

[granQ 293]

yeah that project somewhat died.. been thinking of turning it into a module and who knows, maybe this will become somewhat that :)

Think the old "mastermind ai" project had 36 different combinations of "ai personality", i guess could try merge this systems, but the MMAI was kinda dependent that there had to be a transport plane.. and all that.

The biggest difference between the two systems (unless I merge them), is that the EBS is built to just make epic battles.. meaning it will spawn all sort of vehicles and just "throw them on the map", while the MMAI was built around like a recon UAV patrolled, jeep's secured strategic points and artillery, armor was only called as an "respons" to the enemy.

The mmai of course also had a "supply" stuff to limit the ai's actions.. while the EBS so far just limited by the number of groups and "time"... its more premitive. MMAI made difference between tanks and shilkas, while the EBS will just put any tank unit out.

As an aside could the module be added into something like VTS or MMC (or even on top of MSO!)?

yeah, however right now it might be "too epic", rather than functional. Keep the feedback coming and I will see what I do, perhaps making it into two modules. The EPS and the more slow, strategic MMAI..

Edited May 18, 2011 by granQ

[nodunit 397]

Not sure I fully understand what is going on, does this module 'roll the dice' and generate random units with random objectives?

[granQ 293]

Not sure I fully understand what is going on, does this module 'roll the dice' and generate random units with random objectives?

exactly, i call the variable _dice actually :)

In plain text the code would look something like this

Question: Who is synronized with the module?

A US Marine in desert uniform!

What vehicles do the marines use?

The M1A1 as a tank, the LAV-25 as an transport, the hmmw as recon and ah1 as helicopter.

Which soldiers?

Takes all the soldier in same faction and vehicle class (this to avoid mixing woodland/desert) - the crew from tanks/planes, so you don't get a pilot in a infantry squad.

Which are our objectives?

Takes nearest/all locations on the map, meaning it won't work on some maps.. but 99% of them.

What will we do?

Rolls the dice, a random number, with biggest chance for tanks or an apc with troops moving out, low chance for paratroopers. So it creates one of this "types" and send it to one of the locations.

Next steep.. probably to add support for variables like "no air cover".. and then I kinda was "happy" with it, as a simple version, but perhaps will turn it into MMAI somehow.

[nodunit 397]

That sounds like a blast, amazes me more and more what the community can do with this game.

[katipo66 94]

Which are our objectives?

Takes nearest/all locations on the map, meaning it won't work on some maps.. but 99% of them.

Could it work on custom locations? Game Logic > Locations > City?

[kremator 1064]

Good to hear that MMAI isnt fully dead. The base resupply had real potential - in fact combining it with Wolffy.au's MSO would be brilliant!

[Calthazar 10]

2 questions.

Could this work server side only in Multiplayer or does everyone need to have it?

and

If I sync this with an addon infantry that doesnt have any associated vehicles such as Stormtroopers or a small winter infantry pack, would it just spawn infantry?

Looks awesome all around and I'll definitely play around with it when you release the module.

[granQ 293]

2 questions.

Could this work server side only in Multiplayer or does everyone need to have it?

For just easy to use to explore missions, I recommend download the addon once it get released, like 2 kb.. for use on multiplayer you can just put the scripts in the mission file.

If I sync this with an addon infantry that doesnt have any associated vehicles such as Stormtroopers or a small winter infantry pack, would it just spawn infantry?

yeap, thats exactly what will happen.. it will just use the addons "syncronized" with it.. however you can use as many modules as you want.

Say, one zombie addon, with just zombies spawning, and one bluefor with army (helicopters, tanks what not).. or several on each side.

[hellfire257 3]

Do you have any plans to incorporate unit caching for units further than x distance from any player unit?

[granQ 293]

Do you have any plans to incorporate unit caching for units further than x distance from any player unit?

no plan for that, infact i don't like that.. i want to arrive and see wreakage, hear cannons in the distance and so on :)

[[aps]gnat 28]

Looks neat !

[dcal 16]

Man this looks great. Looking forward to it.

[Wire 0]

I am so going to use this mod to create a lazy-man's hostile environment in my editor :P just plop a guy there, and let the computer do the rest spawning the enemy in that area for them to do whatever they want.

Do the AI's spawn and have a particular waypoint so they just walk about endlessly till they run into a contact? Or do they just spawn and sit there till they see something?

[granQ 293]

I am still working on that Wire.. in current version they just go to one city (location), however my plan is this (or something like this).

Fighter airplanes, attackhelicopters.. just fly around and probably find something without "help".

Recon patrol (Brdm 2, hmmw), moves to a city, from there move to a new one.. just keep patrolling.

Infantry squad.. arrives with helicopter, disembark, helicopter flies away and the infantry squad patrols around the location they landed.

Infantry squad, arrives with apc, drives to location but 700 meter before, disembark. Moves into the city, clear, gets back into the apc, moves to new location.

Infantry squad with truck, same as above, but everyone disembark and the group stays in the first city. Patrolling.

Tanks.. probably just go from one location to another.

Oh sorry, forgot to answer someone with gamelogic cities.. the truth is, i don't know.. i just use the "nearestLocations".

I probably keep this as simple as possible and make sure it gets released rather than adding tons of functions, but then use it as base for merging with MMAI.

[The Hebrew Hammer 10]

Will we be able to modify any variables through the init?

I imagine this is going to be something similar to DAC except instead of random patrolling they're going to be looking to capture objectives? Will there be a way to designate a headquarters for BLUFOR and OPFOR? That could make things interesting, so the player could respawn, recruit more units, and then I could throw in some medevac and chopper transport scripts and you've essentially got a dynamic battlefield mission.

---------- Post added at 01:23 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:23 PM ----------

Will there be a way to win? Or is that something we'll have to do with triggers ourselves?

[granQ 293]

its more like the ambient combat module.

So far the only variables you can set is to disable any of the types (fighterplanes, infantry, tanks, helicopters)

[Ripsipiirakka 10]

I hope this works out well because i would love to see your module finished an operating.