CO08 Escape Chernarus Ports for Altis and Stratis.

[Big_Jas 10]

Hmm, I'm not sure what is going on in Dev 12 or whether it is an issue with the new update of A3 or a combination of the two, however last night we found two issues:

1. that the AI have an uncanny sense of where you were all the time. On many occasions we moved through cover to positions where there were no AI, and pretty sure none saw us, and within a few minutes enemy patrols from all directions would home in on our location. It was like all enemy had 100% awareness of our location regardless of whether they could see us or not. For example you could hear enemy call out target indications for us when there was no way they could have seen us through multiple walls in buildings.

2. that after only a few seconds many of the dead enemy would disappear (eg around the camp after being shot). Maybe 2-3 bodies would remain but the rest would vanish. Like there was a battlefield cleanup script running.

We were able to replicate both problems with dedicated servers and hosting it "in-game". We used different computers to serve the game. We used a version of the mission from steam as well as offline. We had the same problem with Dev 11 when we tested that later as well.

So we are now looking to roll back to much earlier versions of the mission to see if the same problems exist.

Has anyone else had the same problems?

Does anyone have any ideas of how to 'fix' it if there is one?

Thanks.

Jas.

[NeoArmageddon 958]

Heyho and thanks for your feedback.

The first problem is probably related to broken AI and waypoints. Should be fixed in next A3 dev update (monday). The second one is probably the now engine integrated bodyremover (distance and time dependend). But the short delay is probably a bug. I will investigate in fixing this missionside.

[TehXenos 10]

Changelog:

• Added a new way of handling the "Hijack Terminal" action to counteract a bug where a action added to a non simulated object won't add the action.
  
• Fixed a possible bug in the revive which could spawn the player in the ocean when FPS are low.
  
• Removed the additional AI control in mission params.
  
• Added a new param for additional ammoboxes at weaponcamps. I will post the supported addons later (Scruffy compiled them).
  
• Added the possibility to hack enemy drone terminals and capture drones.
  
• Reduced the amount of ComCenters on Altis.
  
• More bugfixes I forgot.
  

Hey, huge fan of the escape series, and its nice to finally have a suitable version for Altis (still yet to escape, but having a blast each time), and I was just wondering if you had worked out the compatible addons for the server param?

I had a look through the files to see how it might work, but had no luck.

Also unrelated, but twice we've had enemies spawn quite close to us while at the saltpan area of altis, even with spawn distance set to Far. First time happened just after shooting down the chopper, so it might have glitched out a paradrop script or something, but the second time we were on our way to the exfil point and a group spawned within 100-150m of us. Normally we'd just assume they snuck up on us, but given we were on the flat saltpan area they couldn't have gotten that close without us seeing them from a distance.

[dnegel 10]

I also got the bodies of killed enemies disappearing as mentioned above.

I'm also getting "Script AmbientInfantry.sqf needs CommonLib version 1.02"

It is being spammed constantly in chat, I noticed someone posted that a few pages back.

This is all on version 1.7 Dev 12 that you posted a couple pages back.

On another note, possibly related. i noticed that the latest dev version does not have a ServerInitialization.sqf file. I dont know anything about making these missions so I dont know if that matters.

edit - ServerInitialization.sqf doesnt seem to matter. I found it in dev version 7 took it out of there and put it in and tried, same thing. CommonLib and bodies disappearing very fast.

If I launch the mission in single player I do not get the error and the mission seems to work fine but of course I'd like it for multiplayer.

edit2 - again I know nothing with making these missions but I found in fn_ambientinfantry.sqf:

if (isNil "drn_var_commonLibInitialized") then {

[] spawn {

while {true} do { player sideChat "Script AmbientInfantry.sqf needs CommonLib version 1.02"; sleep 5; };

Thats exactly what is being spammed in chat

So I went to commonLib thinking there might be something different from 1.6 to 1.7 dev 12 but the files look exactly the same to me.

I cannot really find any difference in any of the files, maybe I'm missing something. However, I do notice that in the bottom left when I start a game it no longer says Server. In 1.6 it says Init Revive Server. In 1.7 It just says AT Revive

edit 3 - couldn't fix it, friend tried hosting bodies disappear too. went back to 1.6

Edited May 24, 2014 by dnegel

[maaz2 10]

Still enjoying the mission and running it through with a group on Monday-Tuesday nights 1.7 dev12.

Any chance of a new build to try?

[NeoArmageddon 958]

So I went to commonLib thinking there might be something different from 1.6 to 1.7 dev 12 but the files look exactly the same to me.

I cannot really find any difference in any of the files, maybe I'm missing something. However, I do notice that in the bottom left when I start a game it no longer says Server. In 1.6 it says Init Revive Server. In 1.7 It just says AT Revive

edit 3 - couldn't fix it, friend tried hosting bodies disappear too. went back to 1.6

Whoops.... my thread subscription vanished. Sorry to answer a week too late:

I don't know why you have this error with the CommonLib. It works for everyone else and is just a simple "call compile". Only reason this could be a problem is, if you edit the Init file or the server is not able to work through his Init.

Also this files are from the A2 Escape and I don't change those, only replace. Like the ServerInitialization.sqf. This was completly reworked into a fast loading function with complete rewritten code.

I can't reproduce the disappearing bodies. Is it only in self hosted games? Probably BIS broke the engine side body remover. Escape has now own body remover.

Still enjoying the mission and running it through with a group on Monday-Tuesday nights 1.7 dev12.

Any chance of a new build to try?

Sure, just got through QA yesterday:

Escape 1.7 Dev15: https://www.dropbox.com/s/6q3oz7efb2qewte/co10_Escape.Altis.pbo

Changelog:

• Respawn button is disabled (there is a param to reenable it).
  
• Fixes in Revive. Geting stuck in ground/objects/ocean should be no problem anymore.
  
• Respawning players get teleported to group, get their spawn equipment removed and are unconscious.
  
• Added "No Nightvision and TWS"-mode (that one is very nice! But be sure to set the game to good weather).
  
• JIP players are teleported to the group again (complete rework of JIP scripts).
  
• Less guards at spawn with low playernumbers.
  
• Finetuned BIS body and vehicle remover. Should take more than 30 min to delete a body.
  
• More fixes and optimizations I forgot.
  

Known bugs:

• Probably due to changes to the netcode, there is a great desynchronization at mission start. It takes a few seconds to see every player and be able to move. Wait until everyone is ready before you take the backpack or the backpack might get bugged.
  
• Rain without clouds (Simulweather problem)
  

Disclaimer: If you use this Dev-version you should be familiar with the ingame scriptconsole.

EDIT:

The "Additional Weapons" enables Roberthammer's Pistolpack and a ammobox with a selection of weapons. Unfortunatly we have not released the boxes itself. To make use of this feature you can add your own addon ammoboxes. Just open functions\Tempaltes\fn_AmmoDepot.sqf and change the ammobox classes in line 302 and 303. Please rename the missionname in editor and include/defines.hpp with your TAG or something to prevent confusion.

Edited May 30, 2014 by NeoArmageddon

[AstroRetro 10]

Well after many rounds of Beta testing on v1.7 dev12 I can say that it seems to be working pretty well for our team. We play it with all the standard default parameters except weather (because on Random, the fog is too frequent and too thick). It is tough, but very enjoyable and a real challenge every time. So thanks for all your work on this mission as it has become our favourite. It is a real winner.

One thing that has come up as an issue for us is the new way of starting the mission. In version 1.6 and prior where weapons were taken from the sick guard, the players would all begin the mission as unarmed, neutral non-combatants. This worked well as it gave all team members time to join the server and everything to sync-up before the action started. It also allowed the team leader (with tactical view) to survey the surrounding patrols and choose the best time to begin the ambush. With the new mission start, the prison guards identify the players as hostile even when unarmed and inside the prison. This means all players have to join the server together to start right at the beginning because things get fierce very quickly. This can also lead to significant lag for the first minute or so until all objects are loaded and synced. I like the concept of the smuggled weapons and the ability for more players to join in the initial shoot-out, but feel that players should not be identified as hostile until they have a weapon.

[NeoArmageddon 958]

That is not realated to the different start but to the streamlined mission bootstrap. The start timer counts to fast. I am investigating ways to fix this.

[dystopian1 23]

I confirm both bugs with server error and bodies in Dev15. You can repeat them: just create non-dedicated game (even alone).

I don't know why you have this error with the CommonLib.

I think it's because of functions\DRN\fn_InitGuardedLocations.sqf. It starts chatting "Script AmbientInfantry.sqf needs CommonLib version 1.02" because drn_var_commonLibInitialized is nil. drn_fnc_InitGuardedLocations is called in functions\Server\fn_initServer.sqf, which is called in class A3E { class Server { class initServer { postInit = 1; } } } in include\functions.hpp.

drn_var_commonLibInitialized is initialized in Scripts\DRN\CommonLib\CommonLib.sqf, which is called from init.sqf.

And this doc says "Functions with postInit param set to 1 are called (client + server)" before "init.sqf is executed in multiplayer".

Besides functions\DRN\fn_InitVillagePatrols.sqf has the same copy-paste misprint with "Script AmbientInfantry.sqf..."

I can't reproduce the disappearing bodies. Is it only in self hosted games? Probably BIS broke the engine side body remover. Escape has now own body remover.

As I already said just create non-dedicated server and kill some enemies.

Also I want to say. If you are killed and unconscious, camera looks like your head is turned somewhere. But if you turn 3rd-person view your animation is just standing or sitting without gun. It looks a bit strange.

[OneNonlyNova 10]

I confirm both bugs with server error and bodies in Dev15. You can repeat them: just create non-dedicated game (even alone).

I think it's because of functions\DRN\fn_InitGuardedLocations.sqf. It starts chatting "Script AmbientInfantry.sqf needs CommonLib version 1.02" because drn_var_commonLibInitialized is nil. drn_fnc_InitGuardedLocations is called in functions\Server\fn_initServer.sqf, which is called in class A3E { class Server { class initServer { postInit = 1; } } } in include\functions.hpp.

drn_var_commonLibInitialized is initialized in Scripts\DRN\CommonLib\CommonLib.sqf, which is called from init.sqf.

And this doc says "Functions with postInit param set to 1 are called (client + server)" before "init.sqf is executed in multiplayer".

Besides functions\DRN\fn_InitVillagePatrols.sqf has the same copy-paste misprint with "Script AmbientInfantry.sqf..."

As I already said just create non-dedicated server and kill some enemies.

Also I want to say. If you are killed and unconscious, camera looks like your head is turned somewhere. But if you turn 3rd-person view your animation is just standing or sitting without gun. It looks a bit strange.

can confirm that issue

also for me there are corposes despawning even if players are very close to them

espacialy at the start of the mission if you kill 4 guards and 3 bodys despawn almost instant you only have 1 weapon for the whole team :/

[NeoArmageddon 958]

Okay guys,

I first encountered the strange body deletion myself. One time only. And it's not related to the CommonLib.sqf (an artifact from the old Arma2 Escape) is not initalized in time.

It's related to an GroupRemover script that is somewhat broken after an engineupdate (the script was not changed since A2) that cause it to remove groups with dead bodys in it. That was only intended to be activated if all players are more than 1km away, but due some kind of bug it can happen anytime, when the server performance seems to be low (maybe that is the reason, I never saw it before until we played with 10 players). Also non-dedicated games have much less server power than dedicated servers, so this is a bigger problem there.

I removed the body/group remover from the mission as this is already handled by other scripts in the A3 version.

The uninitalized CommonLib is another problem (only affecting non-dedicated servers ATM) and I will look into at, but in the long term, the CommonLib will be completly removed from the mission and be converted to pre-init functions (this is one of my long-term goals).

Nevertheless, here is a new DevBuild (1.7 Dev16)with some other new features and more bugfixes:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/hg5m8m82fn9ui21/co10_Escape.Altis.pbo

Features and Fixes:

• Merged Parameterhandling from 2.0 branch (you can now save missionparameters between sessions).
  
• Fixed a bug that could cause the mission to start before a player picked up a weapon or escaped the prison.
  
• Ported tortuiost weather script to MP and implemented it in the mission.
  
• JIP players are teleported to the group again.
  

I think it would be nice if I give you my roadmap for this summer:

• Enemy spawn in towers/bases. Housepatrols.
  
• New prison template.
  
• Improved road barriers (Zeus compositions).
  
• Better SearchLeader and AmbientInf handling.
  
• Civilian boats.
  
• Enemy drones.
  
• New briefing.
  
• Improved revive (I want to readd crawling).
  
• Plug and play weapon and unit addons.
  
• More dynamic bases.
  
• More dynamic artillery.
  
• FIA (friendly camps).
  
• Crashsite mission.
  
• Even better weather simulation.
  
• Complete the transition from A2 code to A3 functions.
  
• Another branch of this mission with survival aspects (probably a small mod).
  
• More surprises.
  
• Fixing a bug that prevents me from releasing the Chernarus, Takistan, Sharani, Isla Duala and Podagorsk versions.
  

No guarantee everything will make it into the mission.

[tortuosit 486]

I use your last release. But had this problem before: I start the mission as a local lan MP session, it always runs at ~5 FPS and it doesn't get better, do you have an idea what may be wrong? It's with vanilla ArmA, no addons loaded.

[NeoArmageddon 958]

I use your last release. But had this problem before: I start the mission as a local lan MP session, it always runs at ~5 FPS and it doesn't get better, do you have an idea what may be wrong? It's with vanilla ArmA, no addons loaded.

I assume the load is to much. This mission with the amount of AI is really a mission for a dedicated server. But I will look inton the scripts if I find a non-dedicated bottleneck that could cause this great FPS drop.

[AstroRetro 10]

Just thought I would provide feedback from my testing of the new DevBuild (1.7 Dev16).

My group has had many play-throughs of this mission (both successful and unsuccessful) on two different dedicated servers (i7 920 @ 3.4GHz and i7 3770k @ 4.4GHz, running Main and Dev branch Arma 3 updates) and it runs perfectly. The mission start bug is fixed and bodies do not disappear. Join in progress happens close to the team as expected and it all runs quite smoothly on our machines. The default enemy frequency seems good and extractions are often hot and quite a lot of fun. Mission starts can be very hard at times but we like it that way. The "keep moving or die" gameplay of this mission makes perfect sense to us, provides a real challenge and encourages tactical teamwork which is what we really want from a co-op mission.

Unfortunately, there is a bug in Arma 3 that causes the patrol boats to get beached and be unable to back off the beach:

http://feedback.arma3.com/view.php?id=6663

http://feedback.arma3.com/view.php?id=4636

Since patrol boats are kind of important to this mission (to stop players sneaking along the coastline all the time), it would be great if everyone could up-vote the problems linked above to encourage their resolution by Bohemia.

As a workaround, I have seen a couple of missions that have a 'push back' script so at least players can push a boat back into the water and re-use it. It's just a small script. Some examples I found are available on this forum:

http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?167502-Push-boat-script

http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?150008-Boat-get-stuck

Love the ideas you listed in your roadmap - very exciting. Looking forward to that Chernarus version!

[NeoArmageddon 958]

Heyho and a big thanks for your feedback. I am glad all my fixes work and improved the gameplay for you.

When we encounter a stranded boat, we push it back with an Ilfrit or pickup. That works quite well.

[dystopian1 23]

One more bug: if you are without weapon (in prison) and revive somebody, you are stuck in sitting animation with invisible gun in hands :)

[NeoArmageddon 958]

One more bug: if you are without weapon (in prison) and revive somebody, you are stuck in sitting animation with invisible gun in hands :)

Jep... I know... I need an extra animation for weaponless reviving.

For a quick fix, type player switchmove ""; in the debug console and hit "Exec global"

[alanford 27]

So, I don't mean to rush you, but do you have any time when we can expect the commonlib 1.02 fix? Because, I'm hosting it locally, (not dedi) and the rest is working fine, except for that error message spamming me.

[NeoArmageddon 958]

I am away for the week, sorry. But you can try fix it yourself: Make the Commonlib loading the top line in init.sqf.

Fix will be in next dev release around 16. July

[swiso 2]

Hi all, sorry if my questions sound stupid but I never used the mission editor of Arma3.

I would like to know if I can edit this mission with the Arma 3 editor, or should I use a specific program ?

In which folder should I put the mission file for editing it with the Arma3 editor ?

In which folder should I put it for playing it alone on my PC (not in MP mode) ?

Thanks

Regards

EDIT : found where to place it and how to change parameters.

Edited July 10, 2014 by Swiso
found how to do it.

[swiso 2]

Escape has in general AI disabled. You need to unpack the mission and change disableAI to 0 in description.ext.

Neo, I opened the pbo mission file with PBO manager and changed the value from 1 to 0, but when I save it, if I reopen the same file, the value is still to 1.

What I do wrong ?

Thanks

[NeoArmageddon 958]

Heyho,

I am back from my annual metal festival and made a new Escape Dev version:

Download Dev 17:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/hg5m8m82fn9ui21/co10_Escape.Altis.pbo

Note: This version will only work with devbranch until next A3 update

Changelog:

• Added: Fasttime/Accelerated time. One day in one hour gametime? No problem!
  
• Fixed: CommonLib is loaded in init AND server bootstrap. Should fix the missing commonLib error. This is only a hotfix. Please provide feedback.
  
• Changed: Briefing now incorporates the new start with the hidden backpack.
  
• Changed: Tort_Weather debugmode disabled.
  
• Fixed: Starttime parameter is now stored between sessions
  
• Changed: Task order
  
• Added: "Hints"-tab in briefing with some useful hints and tips about the mission (contains minor "spoilers").
  

[mombom 10]

Hey Neo, i have tried DEV 17 on Arma 3 1.24 version bit it doesnt work. I get black screen with never ending loading message in the middle of screen. Dev 16 version worked fine on 1.22. Can you please help me?

[NeoArmageddon 958]

Hey Neo, i have tried DEV 17 on Arma 3 1.24 version bit it doesnt work. I get black screen with never ending loading message in the middle of screen. Dev 16 version worked fine on 1.22. Can you please help me?

Note: This version will only work with devbranch until next A3 update

Dev 17 is using DevBranch-only engine-features. In other words: You need 1.25 and later 1.26.

Edited July 17, 2014 by NeoArmageddon

[mintypie007 10]

My group has a dedicated server which we keep updated with Steam. It has the correct Dev update. From our screen shots you can see the version. We get the sqf error however, no backpack spawns and no units spawn around us. All units we find are not hostile. Using Dev 17.

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=287557851

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=287557835