MCAGCC 29 Palms (Public Beta)

[phaeden 0]

ChrisB, thanks for checking on the AI in buildings and the screenshots! I'll go back in and look at the roadway/paths and see what is different and why they only seem to be working in the MOUT buildings.

astast, there are a few dedicated teams/servers out there that do this sort of thing already (such as ShackTac (http://www.youtube.com/user/Dslyecxi?feature=g-all-u)). Perhaps, I can work on some missions where the main purpose is MP training.

Sabre, thanks! I appreciate the feedback.

Toothbrush, I am glad you've stepped forward into this great community. Everyone is always helpful and I'm sure you'll be glad you're now a participating member. As for the Non-OA version - I can go back in and see what I can do to remove such dependencies. I can't guarantee anything yet as I'll have to find every instance that requires the newer data but I will look. As NouberNou states, I also recommend picking up OA - it is worth it.

kklownboy, what type of CQB are you after? or is it just that you want it in the town of Joshua Tree?

Has anyone had any time to create or convert any missions that they'd like to share? I'd be happy to link them on the first page of this thread.

Edited August 30, 2012 by phaeden

[astast 12]

There are a number of communities already like that. ;)

Okay Thank you just thought i was the first to have this great idea :D

[miller 49]

Thanks Phaeden

ArmA2Base.de Mirror:

MCAGCC 29 Palms by Phaeden Public Beta

Kind regards

Miller

[phaeden 0]

Awesome - thanks Miller!

[noubernou 77]

Phaeden, the northings are still messed up (well not really, but they are A2 style, aka reverse northings).

If I might suggest a grid config for you...

class Grid : Grid {
offsetY = 20480;
offsetX = 0;
class Zoom1 {
	zoomMax = 0.00001;
	format = "XY";
	formatX = "00000";
	formatY = "00000";
	stepX = 1;
	stepY = -1;
};
class Zoom2 {
	zoomMax = 0.0001;
	format = "XY";
	formatX = "0000";
	formatY = "0000";
	stepX = 10;
	stepY = -10;
};
class Zoom3 {
	zoomMax = 0.075;
	format = "XY";
	formatX = "000";
	formatY = "000";
	stepX = 100;
	stepY = -100;
};
class Zoom4 {
	zoomMax = 1;
	format = "XY";
	formatX = "00";
	formatY = "00";
	stepX = 1000;
	stepY = -1000;
};
};

This is nice because it will show up to 6 digit grids when zooming in, but it will allow GPS units to see 10 digit grids. Also the northings will go the correct way. :)

[phaeden 0]

Thanks, NouberNou! I just updated the config to include your data.

[Raptor 10]

Hi phaeden,

really really awesome island, thanks for your fantastic detailed work.

[PuFu 4600]

Congrats on the release phaeden mate. Great job indeed!

[Robster 11]

:D

Amazing work!

Thank you Sir!

[phaeden 0]

Thanks, gents! If you have any recommendations or missions you'd like to share - I am happy to listen and link your missions. :)

[Meatball0311 79]

phaeden.. happy to see you got her released.. Semper Fi!

[phaeden 0]

Thanks Meatball - now lets call in some of your F18s!

[PeteWaddell 1]

Thanks for the beta!!!!! This map looks awesome, been looking forward to running it !

[lao fei mao 21]

@phaeden，

I feel that the sky texture and ground surface texture seems having lower quality than your previous version, am I right?

[phaeden 0]

Lao Fei Mao, I don't think so - I have made several versions and I may have inadvertently switched them out with lower versions of the files - I'll look back at my backups to see if I can find that.

[katipo66 94]

This map is stunning! and huuuuge! and fps friendly! i love the buildings to, i could imagine some great PVP in some of those built up areas... really nice man, thanks :)

[phaeden 0]

Thanks Katipo66! It hasn't been fully tested but I tried to make the buildings so that concealment does not necessarily mean cover - some of the walls are not thick enough to stop bullets (esp. large caliber).

As for the scale of the map, I encourage people to get in a vehicle and just drive. There are a ton of little areas scattered throughout the map that have received special attention to make them particularly good for one type of mission/fighting or another. For example, areas that look flat on the map are actually gently undulating terrain where entire platoons could walk by without detection. I spent a lot of time trying different configurations and densities of various vegetation to create different situations for mission makers/players. For example, the vegetation in the north central region (west of the mountains) is quite different than the vegetation in the southeast region of the terrain. Some areas have very little plant-life while other areas have quite limited visibility due to the way plants have been placed.

I am still working on placing more walls (especially around the civilian areas) and could use your input.

Also, if anyone can help me figure out why AI aircraft land successfully at the main airfield but pull off and get out shortly after landing (instead of following the assigned taxi in/out coordinated), I would great appreciate it!

[panimala 25]

I have missed a realistic map that actually feels massive, and this one is just vast man. I love it, and I would love to see it added to sixupdater so we can add it to our community's server preset!

Also even though you throw beta in the title and I know it's not a finished map, I'd love to see more detail and ambient clutter and stuff surrounding and in the small villages that are found throughout the map. I know it's based upon a location in California but I wouldn't mind more buildings from the Takistani environment you know.

Keep up the good work man.

[panther42 52]

Also, if anyone can help me figure out why AI aircraft land successfully at the main airfield but pull off and get out shortly after landing (instead of following the assigned taxi in/out coordinated), I would great appreciate it!

Have you followed the setup of the airport as described in the following?:

Defining Airstrips and Taxiways Version 2.0 By Marksman

What version of the game are you using? Any beta?

[nikiforos 450]

Fantastic map and the lights in the city looks so realistic !!!

Amazing map with great buildings and very very cool atmosphere.

The lights from the air look amazing like a realistic city..

Thank you mate:)

[chrisb 196]

@phaeden

Regards ai using buildings, ai (as in these pics) use this type of building along with the earlier ones, still no joy with other types though..

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/641/arma2oa2012083021554481.png/

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/441/arma2oa2012083021540942.png/

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/819/arma2oa2012083021495595.png/

Small test mission in spoiler:

Raid style short test mission, a ACR group (ai) not given any waypoints but left to garrison buildings. I am an independent Russian unit, there is also RU group (ai) put on the map with one waypoint to move up towards this set of buildings where the ACR group is garrisoned. Just a single ‘Move’ waypoint given to the RU group. I am there to observe so really do not want to get into the fight myself.

Test mission starts and the ACR garrison a few buildings, the RU group move up to the single waypoint I gave and get spotted by the ACR (which was the idea). A fire-fight begins, which see’s the RU group move in to try flanking the ACR position. Using the surroundings very effectively, they move through the ’camp’,. RU & ACR units get killed during a brief (15-20mins or so) engagement. The flanking proves successful for the RU who finish the raid off successfully but only with two units left (this was only a two group test).

I did the same mission using different factions, there was a mixed outcome during which BAF, US, ACR, RU etc all won either in the garrison position or the raiding position, also obviously each lost as well.. But all did what I would have hoped and that’s use the surroundings effectively, that includes buildings, rooftops etc, so overall a great time had by me testing..

I have reduced these to jpeg, easier and quicker to upload, but quality is lower.

This pic shows a unit at the window of the building top right of my reticule (pos zoom to see) hard to see as he is in the crouched position.

http://img829.imageshack.us/img829/5766/arma2oa2012083012135225.jpg

The same unit is seen here still at the window, another is in a window of the green building and there is a unit on the roof in crouch position.

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/7370/arma2oa2012083012182729.jpg

Oh dear not good, two have seen me.. However..

http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/5493/arma2oa2012083012185550.jpg

Lucky for me, in this shot a friendly unit has deployed a smoke grenade which helps me get off the roof I am on.

To the left of the pic the RU’s are flanking the position of the US units. The RU started to the South and have now worked their way around to the West of the US garrison position, using cover effectively.

http://img717.imageshack.us/img717/7474/arma2oa2012083012201508.jpg

The unit on the roof has been shot and the one here is last man standing(well on his side anyway).

http://img571.imageshack.us/img571/6696/arma2oa2012083012232053.jpg

Couple of shots of the aftermath..

http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/7468/arma2oa2012083012235587.jpg

http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/8368/arma2oa2012083012240380.jpg

Hard to see so zooming up your screen maybe needed (200%), but all are ai apart from me, the way the ai use this type of building is great.

[phaeden 0]

Panimala, I am glad that you are enjoying the map. I will eventually submit it to sixupdater (probably with the next release). As for the general clutter around villages, is there anything you'd like to see specifically? There are a few "villas" in the SW quadrant of the terrain that have already had some additional attention. Have you seen any of these compounds yet? If so, is this what you mean or is it something else? As for Takistani buildings, I have stayed away from those so far (as a lot of other islands already use them (among other reasons)). I 'may' release a separate version of the terrain that includes only ArmA2 buildings (and dependencies) if there is a demand for it. Thanks for the feedback!

panther42, I used that tutorial (and examined a ton of other island configs). I am using the latest patched version (not the beta). The AI lands correctly but turns off the runway at the first taxi and gets out. I have added additional taxi-out positions to start from that point to take them to the far end of the runway but the AI acts like that data isn't there. I am sure it can be done with scripts of somebody's addon but I'd prefer it work without any need of additional work. If anyone has any ideas or solutions, I am eagerly listening!

Nikiforos, thanks! I really enjoy hiking in the hills at night. I toyed around with some ideas to get the lights to "twinkle" but couldn't get it to work and haven't had time to go back and look at it in more detail. If you or anyone know how that could happen, I'd be more than happy to implement it. As far as I know, this is currently the only terrain that has such night lighting - I don't know if others have tried and reject it or not but I think it looks pretty cool (especially from the air).

ChrisB, AI pathing is the highest priority right now. I will be away this weekend but once I get back next week, I will go back into the models and see what the deal is with the paths not working correctly. I honestly am not sure why the AI are not seeing the data. I created most of the paths over 2 days, so they should basically be the same. Again, not sure why some work and some don't - anyone have any suggestions?

On the same note, I will hopefully upload at least all the unbinarized models of the buildings so people can see how pathetic the models really are. :) Hopefully, other, more skilled and talented people can help me get everything fixed up.

Have a great weekend everyone!

[jadehorus 10]

Nice work, finally a map perfectly suited for air operations.

It is the first time I could correctly fly in formation with my squad in Arma 2!

[chrisb 196]

Recommend using ‘TPW_houselights’ on this map/terrain, great effects..

@jadehorus, talking of formation flying..(in spoiler as its off topic a little)

Air combat/flying missions, large scale area, practise formation flying or air combat covering a vast landmass:

These figures are irrespective of the usable ground grid, only usable air distance, usable being waypoints given to ai that will work, using all the landmass area.

Terrain; dbo_afghanistan: example

@ average speed of 865 km per hr takes 35mins to fly furthest usable east to furthest usable west. (T4 in three formation)..

504.58 usable km E/W & 410.50 usable km N/S, approx..

Desert type terrain, open vast plains and huge mountain ranges.

Completely deserted landmass..

Ideal for air use, mountain ranges very hazardous but great training areas, ai cope very well (well my ai does:p).

Terrain may need to be tested, its very stable on the groups pc's, but our group use the whole landmass area for air use and the ground grid land area for ground/air missions, some parts we find are better run with max 6000vd to keep stability, the majority will run 10000vd stable, try and see, if its of interest, we run quite a few terrains like this...;)

[Cowboy Pilot 10]

@phaeden

Great stuff here. Only thing holding us back from really using it and testing it is the lack of V2 signature keys (biggest problem) and it not being on the SU repo.