FHQ Coop Mission Pack 1

[maddogx 13]

Any progress on the Black Box bug? :)

I was playing this mission yesterday with a friend. We finally got to the wreck on our second try, only to find that we couldn't recover the black box.

[Alwarren 2765]

Any progress on the Black Box bug? :)

I was playing this mission yesterday with a friend. We finally got to the wreck on our second try, only to find that we couldn't recover the black box.

I'll have to admit I was playing too much World of Tanks lately :o

I'll see that I fix the bug over the weekend, I know what the problem is and it should be relatively easy. We also need to finally get the second pack out, it's been in the work for some time :)

[maddogx 13]

I'll have to admit I was playing too much World of Tanks lately :o

I'll see that I fix the bug over the weekend, I know what the problem is and it should be relatively easy. We also need to finally get the second pack out, it's been in the work for some time :)

Sounds great. :)

I have to say the overall quality of the missions in the first FAQ pack is outstanding. They have played a big role in "converting" one of my friends into an Arma player, and I'll be using them with the same intention this weekend on a small LAN. :D

Very much looking forward to the second pack.

[Variable 322]

We also need to finally get the second pack out, it's been in the work for some time :)

Looking forward to it!

[olegreyghost 14]

Just found your mission pack yesterday. Only got into two missions so far..

"Zargabad Dawn" was intense and a tough fight out. I enjoyed it very much.

The other mission "Black Box" was a real treat. It kept me fully immersed. Just enough of the enemy to keep you aware of your surroundings.

I liked having to fight the enemy to gain control of the wreckage. Retrieving the black box was not a problem.

There were one or two stragglers that had to be taken out on the way to the extraction point. That was a nice touch. Not just a walk in the park.

Can't wait to try the rest. Will be trying these on a small LAN with my son next week.

Keep up the great work. I am looking forward to mission pack #2

[strac_sapper 1]

Great bunch of missions. "black box" is great, not too many enemies for your small team, "general mortars" is a great long range slug fest in the mountains; I did have to rearm once though given the amount of ammo the ai was firing. "Needle in a haystack" was a standout to me, similar to "general mortars". Tough but fun. "insertion" has been too tough for me to complete yet; the enemy ai is viciously accurate in the woods! Thanks and looking forward to pack 2.

[Alwarren 2765]

Thanks for the feedback, guys :) Glad you liked them.

[Variable 322]

Just a reminder for keep track purposes since I already discussed that with Alwarren:

In "insertion", after we destroyed the AA battery, we went to "purple" point, lased the target, but none of us had the option to call the airstrike in his radio. Great mission up to that point!

Played on the CiA coop dedicated server.

[Varanon 892]

Thanks, Variable. Sorry about the problems, I will definitely test more carefully in the future on dedicated servers.

[gnarly_rider 0]

Only played Zargabad Dawn thus far, will give the rest a go ASAP, good work on the atmosphere in that one!

Apologies if already posted, but Zargabad Dawn, the extraction chopper 'bounced' its way towards us at low level, then mysteriously crashed 500m away.......

[Alwarren 2765]

Apologies if already posted, but Zargabad Dawn, the extraction chopper 'bounced' its way towards us at low level, then mysteriously crashed 500m away.......

The extraction chopper fly-in and extraction are pre-recorded. Under certain circumstances, this can get choppy (no pun intended :)), especially if the server machine is bogged down or slow. Problem is that the AI pilot will likely screw up - it either suffers from attention deficit ("Ohh... APC over there") or flies in so high that it gets shot down immediately, that's why we went with the recorded approach.

What kind of machine was the server running on?

[maddogx 13]

If the extraction is pre-recorded, why not disable the pilot's AI? That way it shouldn't get distracted. :)

[Varanon 892]

The AI is disabled, but there's sometimes issues with replaying recorded animations in multiplayer. In a single player match, it's not a problem, but in multiplayer, it will sometimes jump around like crazy. In any case, in the next version, I've disabled damage to the extraction chopper so it never happens.

I think it might be an actual Arma bug. I should probably investigate.

---------- Post added at 10:59 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:57 PM ----------

Problem is that the AI pilot will likely screw up

The AI is disabled, the BIS playback functions do that automatically.

[Alwarren 2765]

I once tried a mission with three MH-6 pre-recorded, and they would not play smoothly, even at 10 FPS recording. I don't know why.

[gnarly_rider 0]

The extraction chopper fly-in and extraction are pre-recorded. Under certain circumstances, this can get choppy (no pun intended :)), especially if the server machine is bogged down or slow. Problem is that the AI pilot will likely screw up - it either suffers from attention deficit ("Ohh... APC over there") or flies in so high that it gets shot down immediately, that's why we went with the recorded approach.

What kind of machine was the server running on?

Dedicated server:

Intel i7 860 Core i7 CPU, 2.80 GHz, 8MB L3 Cache, Socket LGA1156

Sony AD7240SGB 20X SATA

Kingston HyperX DDR3 4GB

In "insertion", after we destroyed the AA battery, we went to "purple" point, lased the target, but none of us had the option to call the airstrike in his radio. Great mission up to that point!

Played on the CiA coop dedicated server.

Ditto here, we did have our squad team leader disconnect before we got there, was the option with him only(?)- if so, needs to be in the initial role description.

. "insertion" has been too tough for me to complete yet; the enemy ai is viciously accurate in the woods! Thanks and looking forward to pack 2.

Has always been our complaint with Chernarus, getting pinged from 300m away through thick foliage/trees by AI we couldn't possibly see.

However, after 1.60s massive improvements, we had the most awesome forest firefight last night. The AI seriously seemed to struggle to see us well, leading to engagements at less than 25m, where literally we and they (the AI) seemed to almost stumble across each other!! One AI actually got between me and the rest of the team (30m separation), and didn't even know I was there (I wasn't shooting, was trying to find him as he suppressed my mates). I am not kidding you, as I saw him, he had just turned around and spotted me, at perhaps 15m range! GOD-DAMN intense, lucky I was a fast draw!!!! ;D

[Varanon 892]

Ditto here, we did have our squad team leader disconnect before we got there, was the option with him only(?)- if so, needs to be in the initial role description.

I fixed the problem yesterday. The airstrike is called via radio trigger, but triggers are local to each machine, so they have to be activated on each machine, not just the server :| Sorry for that, I'm in the progress of assembling a new machine here for dedicated server testing, that will help tons with getting those missions dedicated server proof.

Has always been our complaint with Chernarus, getting pinged from 300m away through thick foliage/trees by AI we couldn't possibly see.

However, after 1.60s massive improvements, we had the most awesome forest firefight last night. The AI seriously seemed to struggle to see us well, leading to engagements at less than 25m, where literally we and they (the AI) seemed to almost stumble across each other!! One AI actually got between me and the rest of the team (30m separation), and didn't even know I was there (I wasn't shooting, was trying to find him as he suppressed my mates). I am not kidding you, as I saw him, he had just turned around and spotted me, at perhaps 15m range! GOD-DAMN intense, lucky I was a fast draw!!!! ;D

Yeah, 1.60 did a lot in that respect. I also made a Chernarus version of Needle in a Haystack which we were playing recently, and we had similar experiences. In dense forests, the AI literally steps on you before they spot you. Makes for awesome stealth approaches through forests which wasn't really possible before...

[Alwarren 2765]

A new version of the pack is up at our web site. Changes include:

1. New Mission: Needle in a Haystack (Chernarus)
   
2. Black Box fixed for standalone server.
   
3. Insertion fixed for standalone server (radio trigger not showing)
   
4. All missions now use preload manager.
   

Enjoy! As usual, feedback welcome!

[maddogx 13]

Sweet! Will test very soon. :)

[Variable 322]

A new version of the pack is up at our web site. Changes include:

1. New Mission: Needle in a Haystack (Chernarus)
   
2. Black Box fixed for standalone server.
   
3. Insertion fixed for standalone server (radio trigger not showing)
   
4. All missions now use preload manager.
   

Enjoy! As usual, feedback welcome!

Updating on the CiA coop server! Thanks!

[gnarly_rider 0]

F#ckin-A!!! :o

We'll be giving it a burl in the next couple of nights, great work and much appreciated!

A new version of the pack is up at our web site. Changes include:

1. New Mission: Needle in a Haystack (Chernarus)
   
2. Black Box fixed for standalone server.
   
3. Insertion fixed for standalone server (radio trigger not showing)
   
4. All missions now use preload manager.
   

Enjoy! As usual, feedback welcome!

Edited February 22, 2012 by gnarly_rider

[gnarly_rider 0]

Ran Blackbox tonight on dedi, the player who got the Action menu for acquiring the Black Box indicated they got a hint once the action was used, but I don't believe anyone else saw the message.

We then all moved to the extraction marker, but no action menu option or radio (0-8) option presented itself, nor any chopper. Oh we also chucked smoke in case! No dice...

Possibly the Black Box task initiated as complete on client side only? Hence mission not complete on dedicated, therefore no evac option?

Nevertheless had a ball yet again in the Chernarus forests. God its great in 1.60!!!!!!

Edited February 22, 2012 by gnarly_rider

[Alwarren 2765]

Ran Blackbox tonight on dedi, the player who got the Action menu for acquiring the Black Box indicated they got a hint once the action was used, but I don't believe anyone else saw the message.

That's weird, I tried it on dedi myself and it worked. I did notice thought that sometimes the SHK_TaskMaster doesn't properly propagate all targets (you might end up not having a target at all in your journal), or it might be a generic ARMA issue. Maybe that was the case, because the extraction chopper is only triggered when the goals are accomplished.

Nevertheless had a ball yet again in the Chernarus forests. God its great in 1.60!!!!!!

:)

[domokun 515]

Last night we tried 2 of your missions:

Operation Hesiod - great briefing and atmosphere (although there are a few spelling mistakes). But we found the "toggle stealth" option confusing (even if I found out what it does afterwards). Above all, the entire mission ended when just 1 of us was killed! Why? I don't think I can remember the last time this happened in a mission. At least give us an option to dis-activate this draconian option (in mission parameter screen?).

War Criminal - again great briefing except that we had some weird issues when it came to equipping. However once we were in-game it played really well. That was until we came to actually find the war criminal. We searched the marked building. We couldn't find him. We searched every body to check that it wasn't him. We couldn't find him. We searched every single building in Kreml. We couldn't find him. So it was with regret that we ended that mission. Any idea where he might be hiding?

We figured that he could have fled (we didn't secure the only road out of the village) during the fighting. In which case, it would be great to offer an option to return home empty-handed, i.e. you have failed but at least get your team out alive. That would give the players a sense of responsibility and bitterness which could provide essential in a next mission.

[Alwarren 2765]

Last night we tried 2 of your missions:

Operation Hesiod - great briefing and atmosphere (although there are a few spelling mistakes). But we found the "toggle stealth" option confusing (even if I found out what it does afterwards). Above all, the entire mission ended when just 1 of us was killed! Why? I don't think I can remember the last time this happened in a mission. At least give us an option to dis-activate this draconian option (in mission parameter screen?).

I don't think it should be that way. It should be possible to end the mission even with only one guy alive. I'll check this.

I guess I can remove the "Toggle Stealth" option, it had a lot of people confused. I just hated it when playing with AI (well not this mission, since IIRC AI is disabled) that everybody is yelling at the top of their lungs when they are supposed to be stealthy :)

War Criminal - again great briefing except that we had some weird issues when it came to equipping. However once we were in-game it played really well. That was until we came to actually find the war criminal. We searched the marked building. We couldn't find him. We searched every body to check that it wasn't him. We couldn't find him. We searched every single building in Kreml. We couldn't find him. So it was with regret that we ended that mission. Any idea where he might be hiding?

He's not on the map initially. I didn't want him to be shot accidentally, so he will only appear once the immediate area is clear of enemies and you approach the house. At least that is how the theory works. But if I remember correctly Variable had the same issue, I need to find a way to make this more bulletproof (literally).

We figured that he could have fled (we didn't secure the only road out of the village) during the fighting. In which case, it would be great to offer an option to return home empty-handed, i.e. you have failed but at least get your team out alive. That would give the players a sense of responsibility and bitterness which could provide essential in a next mission.

Normally, if the war criminal is KIA, you can still extract but the "War Criminal must survive" goal is going to fail (i.e. partial victory). I have no idea why he doesn't spawn, I tried it again and again and couldn't reproduce a case where the trigger didn't work :(

I'll go over it again, I have a few more missions that need to be polished up but the weapon modding has taken most of my time recently :)

[domokun 515]

I don't think it should be that way. It should be possible to end the mission even with only one guy alive. I'll check this.

Thanks because we really liked the mission idea and the first 500M ;)

I guess I can remove the "Toggle Stealth" option, it had a lot of people confused. I just hated it when playing with AI (well not this mission, since IIRC AI is disabled) that everybody is yelling at the top of their lungs when they are supposed to be stealthy :)

I don't know whether it is a mod that we're running or whether it's one of the recent betas, but for us, all the AI were whispering once I'd set their Combat Stance to Stealth (IIRC it's 7 then 1)

He's not on the map initially. I didn't want him to be shot accidentally, so he will only appear once the immediate area is clear of enemies and you approach the house. At least that is how the theory works. But if I remember correctly Variable had the same issue, I need to find a way to make this more bulletproof (literally).

I think that's a shame. If he gets shot accidentally then that's the player's fault. In fact the risk of shooting would only increase the tension and excitement. Maybe the briefing could include a photo of him and/or a description (middle-aged, often wears overalls as he enjoys brewing schnapps). What would be even better would be the ability for him to call reinforcements and/or flee, e.g. if the situation looks bad (X of his men killed in Y mins) he calls for help but if the help does not arrive soon (within Z mins), he mounts in a car with a couple of his best bodyguards and heads for the safety of a major city, port or airport

Normally, if the war criminal is KIA, you can still extract but the "War Criminal must survive" goal is going to fail (i.e. partial victory). I have no idea why he doesn't spawn, I tried it again and again and couldn't reproduce a case where the trigger didn't work :(

That's good to know. Perhaps hint at this in the briefing, i.e. If you fail to locate the suspect, do not stay long as the locals are fiercely loyal and so you risk being quickly overrun and/or collateral damage. Instead head for your EP and get your men out safely.

Also there's another aspect, there aren't enough civilians. I don't know if it's difficult within the editor or a limiation of the RV engine, but I find that it's an aspect that's considerably underestimated. After all, in every conflict there are civilians. Lots of civilians. The injury or death of civilians can be the difference between failure, bitter-sweet success and complete success.

I'll go over it again, I have a few more missions that need to be polished up but the weapon modding has taken most of my time recently :)

Awesome. I can't wait. Vielen danke!