Dynamic Take And Secure - Randomized Round-Based No-Respawn A&D

[galzohar 31]

Just FYI this was not abandoned. It's just that recently I didn't have too many chances to play this unfortunately.

I did get to play some rounds tonight though with the latest ArmA 3 version, and it seems like all is working great with no new bugs introduced by BIS patches.

Only thing I might change (unless some new good suggestions are made) is to re-adjust the cleanup radius after each round due to BIS fixing the bug with the nearObjects command on Altis, though the current value of 2000m cleanup radius is doing a good enough job 99.99% of the time.

[teoleo 2]

how work in sp?

[zach72 1]

It's multiplayer team vs team with no AI and no re-spawn until round over.

How could you even play that in SP?!?

[galzohar 31]

Not possible in SP. No AI. Round will not start until there is at least 1 enemy (player), and round will end instantly if all enemies are dead (for whatever reason, disconnection included).

Scripts aren't even written to work with AI units. They only take players into account. Editing this to support AI will be quite a bit of work, and AI don't really know how to play this sort of game mode anyway no matter how much you script them to.

I might port a random mission I once made for COOP in ArmA 2 (which is also possible to play alone), but that's a completely different topic, as the random position and no respawn is basically all that the 2 missions have in common.

[caico1983 10]

Galzohar,

Please, could you fix your mission for the new version of the game?

I really enjoy to play it, but right now, the units spawn without uniform.

[drsl1m 10]

Hello.

We're have same problem, but now i'm trying fix that.

Edited June 27, 2014 by drsl1m

[galzohar 31]

This is due to a change by BIS. I will take the time and try fix it this weekend and upload a new version with additional improvements as well.

[galzohar 31]

Hi guys,

I have a fix in place, but unfortunately due to recent in-game changes I cannot properly test it locally and do not currently have access to a working dedicated server on which I can test the changes are working as intended.

If anyone can help me with a server I can use for testing and preferably also some testing manpower (just to see that the new functionality is working as intended, not actually play full games), please PM with your Steam account.

---------- Post added at 05:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:14 PM ----------

Version 1.07:

- Fixed addUniform - Now properly use 1.22's new forcedAddUniform command.

- Added name tags for friendly players and player-owned vehicles when looking at them at a distance under 60 meters (same distance as STHUD group indicators).

Main post download has been updated.

Note: I am considering adding friendly AI to the player's group when the server is at very low capacity, so that there are always at least X team members (say, 4 by default, and have it configure-able by the admin). Would anyone be interested in such a feature?

[drsl1m 10]

Damn! 2 hour ago i'm fix that too :)

Nevertheless, thanks anyway :)

[galzohar 31]

Sorry, I intended to fix it as soon as BIS released my patch, but since my friends don't play much anymore I decided to postpone it a bit for when I have more time. In the end it was an easy fix, just took a lot of trouble getting it tested due to changes made to how people connect to servers - I just couldn't get people to connect to my home server anymore...

[galzohar 31]

Updated mission description in main post.

[galzohar 31]

Added to Make ArmA Not War:

http://makearmanotwar.com/entry/MOFUSojfRA#.U-p3AfmSweo

[galzohar 31]

Version 1.08:

- Allow setting of different preparation timer for first round (default 2X of normal).

- Work around bug that prevented looting gear from dead players.

- Fix emptying of ammo crates of gear that could not be used anyway.

- Added appropriate icons for notifications.

First post updated.

Edited October 26, 2014 by galzohar

[galzohar 31]

I'm working on a last update before the Make Arma Not War submission closes.

We'll have another DTAS event this Saturday at 20:00 Israel time (18:00 GMT), on the ArmA-IL IDF PvP server. No mods required, but STHUD_A3, JSRS2 and CBA_A3 are allowed and recommended. Details are in the event of the Arma 3 PvP Community Steam group.

[galzohar 31]

Version 1.09:

- Use system chat instead of side chat for miscellaneous messages.

- Slightly adjust the group management system.

- Slight adjustment to gear loadouts.

- Better support for IDF mod - IDF units will now use the black Tavor as their main weapon. It is now enabled by default if the server is running the mod.

- Defenders will now use HLC AKs if the server is running the mod and the option is enabled (default on).

- MX SW can no longer have sights attached to it.

- Zargabad and Stratis version fixed.

First post updated.

Edited October 28, 2014 by galzohar

[galzohar 31]

UAV Usage in DTAS:

Gameplay from the free weekend matches:

Videos added to first post.

[.kju 3244]

The UAV element looks interesting. What options do defenders have against it?

Do defenders also have an UAV option?

Did you consider to limit the fuel (air time) and zoom levels (possible?)?

Also care to share your implementation?

---------- Post added at 08:59 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:48 AM ----------

Good footage - do you and your group promote it actively on reddit and steam forums?

One more question :) Did you consider an option/a version for infantry only and/or weaker weapon set (no launchers, no optics except sniper)

and/or random combat zones (adjustable by the admin) yet?

[galzohar 31]

I'm occasionally posting on reddit and always posting events in English on the Arma 3 PvP Community Steam group and in Hebrew on the Arma-Israel facebook page.

The UAV is just addBackpack and linkItem for the appropriate UAV and terminal if the player picked the UAV operator class before the round started.

Defenders can shoot down the UAV if it flies low. Otherwise they can hide in buildings. After all their job is to defend a very specific spot and not run around the map. Note that due to the time limit there is only so much you can do with the UAV before you just run out of time and lose, so limiting fuel is pointless (since round is already limited to 10 minutes by default). You can see it in the video as well, that I had to stop spotting with the UAV and attack or else we wouldn't be able to clear the zone in time (plus all the decent players were dead).

Overall in DTAS defenders have poor equipment and attackers have good equipment, to avoid the situation where defenders win most of the time due to defending being easier than attacking. So by default the defenders have the "weak" weapon set (if you take a launcher, for example, you will have less ammo, no grenades and only 1 rocket). Defenders have no optics except the "spec-ops" class which has a red-dot sight. The point is to give attackers a good fighting chance since the defenders can just camp where they want while the attackers have to push in and make it through within the time limit.

Creating other weapon sets should be easy as the loadout configuration is in 1 script, but again you need to preserve the balance, since similar equipment for defenders and attackers would result in defenders winning most of the time due to defender's advantage and time limit.

As for infantry only, it is already infantry-only pretty much - Vehicles are only for insertion (no weapons on any of the vehicles). I thought about some ideas of integrating more advanced weaponry, but couldn't come up with anything that wouldn't be absolutely broken balance-wise.

Combat zone is random, selected from areas pre-defined (so you don't get an objective in a random open ground). The attached Altis, Stratis and Zargabad versions have pretty much all built-up areas marked and also some selected open areas. Generally I tried to avoid having objectives in a location that can easily be sniped, so most open areas were a no-go. I think some Russians modified it to mark the entire map so that they do get objectives in random open ground. Overall, I think the semi-random system works well.

The only disadvantage of the random system is that every island needs to have areas marked when porting the mission to it. Once marked properly, randomization will work well. As a quick and dirty porting solution you can place 1 marker over the entire map for 100% random objective spot (Russian-style, random open ground will be a valid objective in that case).

Edited October 28, 2014 by galzohar

[.kju 3244]

Thanks a lot for the detailed response galzohar. :)

We have played DTAS several times already and are quite familiar with the mechanic and gameplay.

It just has been a while since we played it the last time. Also we played it mostly in a team vs team

environment with high degree of organization, communication, teamplay and arma mechanics (ab)use.

First of all I would not change the core concept, rather make it more flexible to have it adjusted to some degree.

Like many the type of classes and their number possible to limit via mission parameters.

Same goes for random locations from the pre-defined set vs random location (adjustable by the admin). See my system.

As for the UAV - you make good points. Still I would argue when properly use and good team coms,

it adds a huge advantage for the attackers with seemingly very limited response by the defenders.

As for promo - I am getting your steam announcements too. :) I was more about the steam forums or

to involve other groups (not so familiar with the steam options). You (or someone of your group)

could also join our Skype PvP group to get to promote your gaming events. :bounce3:

[galzohar 31]

Feel free to add me to the Skype group :)

I'll try see if I can integrate some sort of admin-placed objectives, but it can take a while to find the time to do it.

So far I found it unnecessary to limit the number of classes, since they are overall rather balanced and it seems like people pick what they're good with rather than what is "best". If you think there is a "best" class that everyone seem to be picking let me know and I'll try to find a way to balance that class better. In the end I prefer to balance the classes so people choose all of them out of free will, rather than have "more powerful" classes that I must limit.

Note that they don't have to be 100% balanced, for example if most people don't pick "spec ops" that is OK as long as some people can find a use for the class.

There is an issue with the defender automatic rifleman being too powerful, but the only alternative right now is to remove it since there is no 5.56 MG in the game right now. If you run HLC AK mod he will have an RPK which is more in line with the other classes (who have AK-47s and AK-74s).

Note that I did add an option for "improved defender gear quality", based on feedback from the Russian community (adding mortar and marksman class for defenders as well as giving them more ammo and better vests and overall better equipment). Nightvision is also configure-able (everyone, attackers only, nobody). If you have any other ideas for parameters that admins would find useful feel free to list them. So far I haven't seen requests for "weaker" gear (as the attacker gear is pretty standard and defender gear is pretty weak already), but it could be done.

The UAV used to be a 2-man thing, but it resulted in nobody using it at all (plus the UAV carrier basically just places it and then he's just a subpar rifleman "taking one for the team" and act like a normal rifleman, unlike something like an RPG assistant who actually has to carry the rockets and move with the RPG gunner). So far I don't see much effective use of it, so in the future things could change if it ends up being too powerful. However, since objectives are generally in places with cover, the defenders will almost always have a way to hide from the UAV. And besides, it is very difficult to use the UAV properly. Defender saboteur can also be very powerful but in practice very difficult to use without killing your own teammates. In order to balance these classes better I would have to see more examples of highly abusive use cases that didn't require a major sacrifice and/or teamwork coordination.

[galzohar 31]

Updated first post with new gameplay video.

[galzohar 31]

Updated first post with new UAV videos.

[galzohar 31]

Bug preventing helicopters from being able to start flying above water:

http://feedback.arma3.com/view.php?id=21806

Please vote!

I'm working on integrating RHS support and slightly changing the way the server chooses which mods to use by default.

You'll be able to choose attackers being either US or RU and have both uniform types as options. Defenders will have an option to use RHS AKs instead of vanilla weapons.

By default, the server will use (and require) the first mod it finds available for each faction, so if your server is running a mod, DTAS will automatically use it, unless otherwise specified by admin in mission parameters. If you wish the mission to require no mods on your server, either run the server with no mods or choose the vanilla factions in mission parameters, and anyone will be able to join the mission. If the mission requires mods, players without the mods will get a message about exactly which mods they are missing and not be able to play until they re-join with the correct mods.

Edited November 24, 2014 by galzohar

[galzohar 31]

Version 1.10:

- Support RHS Escalation mod. Can use both factions, only USF or only AFRF.

- Adjusted some loadouts to be more useful, especially the attacker AT (now uses RPG HE) and defender RPG assistant (now carries HE rockets).

- Attackers can only carry 1 first aid kit, and defenders cannot carry any. This restriction does not apply to medics.

- By default, mission will automatically select the first mod available on the server for each side (attack and defense). That mod will become required. Mission parameters can be used to manually choose any of the supported factions for each team. If the selected faction uses a mod that is not available on the server, the mission will again pick the first mod that is available and require it instead.

- Limit jeep insertion to only be placed on land, boats and submarines to only be placed on water, and helicopters to only be placed on land until bug #0021806 is fixed - Please vote on it.

- Admin can force round start, pause/un-pause round start and change the location of the objective. Mission parameters can enable automatic admin pause for every round or just the first round. Default is no automatic admin pause.

First post updated.

Next Saturday 13 December 2014 at 18:00 GMT (20:00 Israel time) we will use the RHS mod (both factions) on our DTAS even on the Arma-IL IDF PvP server. Check first post for details of events and www.arma-il.info for how to join the server.

Edited December 6, 2014 by galzohar

[jandrews 116]

Great PvP. Not sure if this has been asked, but would this port to other maps? If so, which ones and are they out or in the works?