[SP] Pilgrimage

[Rydygier 1317]

I think I'll look what I can do, after all I'm a collector guy^^ so this shortcoming is the one that bothers me most in A3.

Great. :) You can start here.

[Brainbug 10]

oh well, I see that you already did all the work (easier than I thought, because the variable is never used at all in the vehicles classes tree, so you CAN actually put it just in a base class and be done), so I see no need to redo it (which would just turn out as a copy of your work). After all you were the genius who found the trick with using the variable from the backpacks, so I don't want to steal you the fame. I think you should just publish the config you wrote and we can then all thank you for it. *thumbsup*

Have you tried if the other variables still have an effect or are completely useless, e.g. transportMaxBackpacks? can your modded truck hold more than 5 backpacks?

[Rydygier 1317]

I'm only the one, who noticed presence of this entry in massi's vehicles config and tested, if this is about it. :) TransportMax entries was tested earlier, and for me apparently are useless, no visible change (left for some kind of backward compatibility or for some future plans?). If you want, you can test it further. I didn't checked backpacks limit.

Edited May 1, 2014 by Rydygier

[neofit 65]

OK, in your thread added experimental addon for testing.

Crossing fingers 'till they hurt didn't help, it did not increase the capacity of the Strider I am using in my current Pilgrimage campaign :). A restart should make the new vehicles appear? Or maybe those that are cached atm will spawn with the new inventory when I get close?

[Rydygier 1317]

As this is config mod for vanilla content, not a script change for the mission code, IMO good news is, changes should be applied to all listed vanilla vehicles at Arma 3 load, also for any game saved earlier. But do not rely on my word, just launch the game with this addon, load your Pilgrimage save and try.

Edited May 1, 2014 by Rydygier

[neofit 65]

As this is config mod for vanilla content, not a script change for the mission code, IMO good news is, changes should be applied to all listed vanilla vehicles at Arma 3 load, also for any game saved earlier. But do not rely on my word, just launch the game with this addon, load your Pilgrimage save and try.

By:

it did not increase the capacity of the Strider I am using in my current Pilgrimage campaign

I meant that after loading a Pilgrimage campaign in progress, I could not add anything past what vanilla allowed me to the Strider I am currently driving.

[Rydygier 1317]

Oh. Strange, if this was vanilla vehicle. But after all I really do not know enough about configs. Tried with editor - placed empty Strider, emptied its cargo via script, added 200 rifles - works, if I take one rifle, I can take it back, means 200 rifle capacity is achieved. You also can try in editor just to be sure, addon is working. If is working, then mission restart required... Hmm. It really doesn't fit my knowledge about configs, but oh well.

[Brainbug 10]

could be that the vehicles are initialised at mission start and saved that way, and a new addon won't influence the saved objects. Well, at least it's a boon for the next playthrough of Pilgrimage :)

can your modded truck hold more than 5 backpacks?

I've just copied your code snippet from the other thread and made my own makeshift addon with it (I'm not going to publish it, that's up to you), so I can answer my question myself: Yes, it works very well. I've just loaded a dozen backpacks into an Ifrit and well over hundred mags, along with a good amount of machineguns, launchers etc. (by hand, not with a script, which could manage to overload a vehicle) and it still had space for more. So those variables are obviously just useless leftovers (they were the usual way to restrict cargo loads in Arma2 vehicles).

[doc. caliban 34]

could be that the vehicles are initialised at mission start and saved that way, and a new addon won't influence the saved objects. Well, at least it's a boon for the next playthrough of Pilgrimage :)

I've just copied your code snippet from the other thread and made my own makeshift addon with it (I'm not going to publish it, that's up to you), so I can answer my question myself: Yes, it works very well. I've just loaded a dozen backpacks into an Ifrit and well over hundred mags, along with a good amount of machineguns, launchers etc. (by hand, not with a script, which could manage to overload a vehicle) and it still had space for more. So those variables are obviously just useless leftovers (they were the usual way to restrict cargo loads in Arma2 vehicles).

SO looking forward to this. Please publish when it's ready!

I agree that too much is better than not enough, because not enough in this case is ridiculously not enough.

-Doc

[Rydygier 1317]

SO looking forward to this. Please publish when it's ready!

It is ready for public testing, so added download link to the recommended addons section in the first post. Anyone can use it, just keeping in mind, it is experimental. If all will be OK, perhaps then maybe it will be even released as separated "project"? Quotation marks, because hard to name a project something as small and simple, as this.

Edited May 1, 2014 by Rydygier

[neofit 65]

It is working in a campaign in progress. I stole a quad bike from a poor kid (the traffic that TPW_Mods generate), went to a patrol I had destroyed moments earlier, and stuffed it (the bike, not the patrol, come on...) with 4 launchers, 9 guns and 5 rockets. Unless it's a Quad bike from the African add-on, that's good enough for me. One more thing, but maybe it's me being unlucky, but I tried getting the TPW parked cars to spawn for this test, and I could not find any in two towns for about 20 mins searching, while there were plenty in the very town where I saved before adding the mod. Let's hope it's the RNG playing tricks.

Vehicles that were spawned before I added the mod to the command like, like my strider or the vehicles with blue names you get from the ADM still have limited inventory.

Congrats in making the most sought-after add-on in all of Arma3 history :). (I went looking for a cake emoticon, but only found this: . Good enough)

Edit: I should have enabled SAD for this mission, I can now afford to carry an AA launcher finally!

[doc. caliban 34]

Congrats in making the most sought-after add-on in all of Arma3 history :)

Agreed! Well done to you guys for working together to figure this out.

Thanks!

- Doc

[alky_lee 279]

Good to hear, but there is nothing special to improve performance between 1.77 and 1.78. Perhaps you used lower enemy presence settings or, paradoxically, something went wrong and no AI was spawned?

Or perhaps it was because first time I spawned near an airfield, and this time I've spawned in the middle of nowhere. No houses, no towns and no chapels within 3km. I have met two civilians and had a report of a 5-8 man patrol, but I went the other way because I didn't fancy my chances with no cover and just an SMG.

[khugan 24]

A little off topic, but I wanted to say I voted for this mission in the MANW contest and wanted to encourage others who regularly post in this thread to go and do the same. You lurkers should also go vote it up! :D Best of luck Rydygier!

[Brainbug 10]

two small points you could fix, but no high priority:

- would be nice to delete the comma in the sentence in the loading screen ("find the place, where your brother was killed...") because the sentence only makes sense without comma: the "where...was killed" part is critical to specify which "place" you talk about, however a comma would mean it is not needed to specify it, but is just additional info (e.g. in "go to the certain place XY, where..."). Usually I'm not that picky about spelling errors, it's just that one has to look at the loading screen quite often and always stumbles upon this wrong comma.

- the green circles on the map that tell an area where the body is in should be a bit more visible. The faint green is not easy to make out, especially when two or three circles overlap in a forested area you can barely tell whether a certain chapel is inside the circle or not. Perhaps you can use diagonal stripes like the enemy areas, just the other way (not /// but \\\) and in a different color, that might give a better result.

And also you could think about something fancy the player could do with his father's nefarious invention. I managed to climb inside (backseat), but in vain of course, and got killed when trying to get away again. So the player can only fire a few shots on it and watch it burn. But I think just destroying it feels too poor, considered it's the story climax after all. Cool would be if the player could optionally try to deactivate it and take out a control chip, by which he gets some new interesting ways out, e.g. the route to an escape helicopter or so, or has to deliver the chip elsewhere etc.

[Kommiekat 11]

This is one of those missions I keep coming back to and enjoy everytime.

I have an idea or suggestion for a future future release/update:

Change of concept actually.

I suggest that player starts out better equipped.

Get rid of the ammo/weapons caches located all over the place because it's not realistic that things would be this way in life (knowing fully well this is only a game).

Instead, with a better equipped player at start, have the guard stations/stops and camps fully loaded caches with ammo and weapons that could be sold from that spot.

Enough ammo and weapons that it will make up for what you will delete from the game, having it all over the place in homes and such.

I know my suggestion is a concept changer, but it's only an idea, not a complaint.

[law-giver 190]

A little off topic, but I wanted to say I voted for this mission in the MANW contest and wanted to encourage others who regularly post in this thread to go and do the same. You lurkers should also go vote it up! :D Best of luck Rydygier!

Yeah did the same! ;)

[Rydygier 1317]

Thanks guys for voting. Very appreciated. :)

- would be nice to delete the comma in the sentence in the loading screen ("find the place, where your brother was killed...") because the sentence only makes sense without comma: the "where...was killed" part is critical to specify which "place" you talk about, however a comma would mean it is not needed to specify it, but is just additional info (e.g. in "go to the certain place XY, where..."). Usually I'm not that picky about spelling errors, it's just that one has to look at the loading screen quite often and always stumbles upon this wrong comma.

Thanks. :) Obviously English isn't my native and I'm always struggling, when trying to say anything in this language (most, I know except basics I learned just by my activity here), while correct expressing is very important for me, thus awareness of many mistakes, I possible made every phrase is bothering me much. And so any language corrections are very valuable to me.

- the green circles on the map that tell an area where the body is in should be a bit more visible. The faint green is not easy to make out, especially when two or three circles overlap in a forested area you can barely tell whether a certain chapel is inside the circle or not. Perhaps you can use diagonal stripes like the enemy areas, just the other way (not /// but \\\) and in a different color, that might give a better result.

OK, I'll see, what can be done, it is a bit difficult to find an optimum, as too opaque is even worse, especially, because common part of few circles is and should be darker. Not certain, but I'm affraid, for \\\ solution common part wouldn't distinguish and \\\ IMO makes annoying feeling of mess on the map if used extensively. I think, I would try to make the circles a bit less transparent and maybe rather light blue for better visibility. Meanwhile - you can always turn off map textures for better visibility.

And also you could think about something fancy the player could do with his father's nefarious invention. I managed to climb inside (backseat), but in vain of course, and got killed when trying to get away again. So the player can only fire a few shots on it and watch it burn. But I think just destroying it feels too poor, considered it's the story climax after all. Cool would be if the player could optionally try to deactivate it and take out a control chip, by which he gets some new interesting ways out, e.g. the route to an escape helicopter or so, or has to deliver the chip elsewhere etc.

Hmm. Would be cool, indeed. :) The only alternative for destroying would be remote (or not...) reprogramming somehow to disable it or make friendly to all except hostiles. Or indeed to take the chip and sell it as a plot choice, without real impact on the gameplay, as I do not see any reasonable influence, obtaining such chip could make in game. I'll think about.

Change of concept actually.

Fundamental change indeed. I wouldn't like to implement such "revolutionary" change for this mission, but I could in the future make special edition based on this approach, why not? Or... I can add such option as sub-setting for loot occurence. Hmm.

Edited May 2, 2014 by Rydygier

[law-giver 190]

- would be nice to delete the comma in the sentence in the loading screen ("find the place, where your brother was killed...") because the sentence only makes sense without comma: the "where...was killed" part is critical to specify which "place" you talk about, however a comma would mean it is not needed to specify it, but is just additional info (e.g. in "go to the certain place XY, where..."). Usually I'm not that picky about spelling errors, it's just that one has to look at the loading screen quite often and always stumbles upon this wrong comma.

Sent Rydygier some more updated English text for his mission. That particular line in my edit reads: "Find the place where your brother was killed, and take his body home." Some English file updates he's used, and some he hasn't. That's probably because some of my text is a little more colourful...LOL!

But considering English is not his native tongue, he's done rather well. And my Polish sucks! ;) :D

[Rydygier 1317]

In fact, checked 1.78 and line with removed comma I applied there ("Find the place where your brother was killed, and take his body home.").

I'm thinking, anybody prefer 1.78 over 1.78c (contest edition)? Differences are secondary and all visible from the beginning (A3 tracks during GUI screen (so smaller file - no custom music), changed loading picture, more blah blah in the map screen entries). I'm asking, because if not, I would like to develop further rather one version (prepared to met contest rules) than two simultanously (from my experience in such case development becomes more messy, annoying, there is more non-constructive work and bigger risk of mistakes, when code for one version accidentally is used in another).

Edited May 2, 2014 by Rydygier

[law-giver 190]

I'm thinking, anybody prefer 1.78 over 1.78c (contest edition)? Differences are secondary and all visible from the beginning (A3 tracks during GUI screen (so smaller file - no custom music), changed loading picture, more blah blah in the map screen entries). I'm asking, because if not, I would like to develop further rather one version (prepared to met contest rules) than two simultanously (from my experience in such case development becomes more messy, annoying, there is more non-constructive work and bigger risk of mistakes, when code for one version accidentally is used in another).

Go with the contest edition mate. If there's a chance of you winning something then it makes sense to focus on 1.78c. ;)

[neofit 65]

I suggest that player starts out better equipped.

Get rid of the ammo/weapons caches located all over the place because it's not realistic that things would be this way in life (knowing fully well this is only a game).

Instead, with a better equipped player at start, have the guard stations/stops and camps fully loaded caches with ammo and weapons that could be sold from that spot.

Enough ammo and weapons that it will make up for what you will delete from the game, having it all over the place in homes and such.

I support this idea, but not the "player starts out better equipped". Being half-naked in enemy territory is a very fun experience for me, however short it is. It's not that hard to get equipped from your first kills. Unless of course you set AC to High, and were unlucky to find yourself in the middle of WW3 in the first village you visit, before you find your first AT weapon :). But then again, all that hiding and picking stragglers was fun for a couple of hours too.

Now I fully support the idea of having proper ammo boxes at every checkpoint. Also almost all of the military bases are empty unless they are a strongpoint, and I'd sacrifice a few patrols (or spawn something AC-like) to put a small team in each to guard some ammo boxes.

OTOH, now that I have tasted playing Pilgrimage with the African Conflict mod, I am somewhat reluctant to give up the loot boxes. I stopped opening them a long time ago as soon as I got a bit of equipment since they were rather useless with the stock Arma3 items. African Conflict added SO MANY new items, fun ones, that they fill up like 3/4 of the loot boxes and I am spending extra time just to grab them all. A new setting maybe? ;)

---------- Post added at 12:18 ---------- Previous post was at 12:09 ----------

@Rydygier, some questions.

1. Next time a brother dies, I am thinking of taking a bicycle with me. I don't like to use hitch-hiking since it's a bit too magical and I won't need the TPW cars either. Is it technically possible to pack a bicycle into the boat?

2. If a friend, at greats risk to his life, attacked alone a whole stronghold to free you from the CSAT, would you help him get back home in return or ask for 10000 monies in fees ? ;)

[Rydygier 1317]

OK, so there will be two settings, both introducing realistic loot distribution, one also will give better gear at start. As for guarding military areas, it is really hard to do it better, than is. How it is currently? Those named on map ("military") are well guarded. For towns with military buildings near additional guards are allocated, but this doesn't mean, they'll man military buildings. Some of the rest will be taken for strongholds. Rest is empty, as the only way to fill them by code is first manual search for each such place on whole map and adding it to the array, same for guaranteed manning military bases near towns.

1. Next time a brother dies, I am thinking of taking a bicycle with me. I don't like to use hitch-hiking since it's a bit too magical and I won't need the TPW cars either. Is it technically possible to pack a bicycle into the boat?

:) If only you'll find any bicycle in A3...

2. If a friend, at greats risk to his life, attacked alone a whole stronghold to free you from the CSAT, would you help him get back home in return or ask for 10000 monies in fees ?

For a friend - I think so. But for some stranger? They don't know Alex. I doubt if many would help him for free even in such circumstance. After all, they are mercs that was working with Philip for money. Well, that's just another way to make ff useful and worthy of collection. Let's say, they aren't as honorable people, as we could expect...

Edited May 2, 2014 by Rydygier

[Alpha-Kilo 36]

:) If only you'll find any bicycle in A3...

I used to cycle a lot in Chernarus. Fortunately Kerozene was kind enough to import mountain bikes to Altis: http://www.armaholic.com/page.php?id=23493 Do you think this type of bike is good enough for a pilgrim?

[Rydygier 1317]

It is, sadly - it isn't vanilla A3, and Pilgrimage is meant to be mod-free. Theoretically, if someone is playing with this mods perhaps will find bicycle as one of empty vehicles, if this bike will pass as proper vehicle for spawning code, but that's all, I'm affraid.

---------- Post added at 17:54 ---------- Previous post was at 16:42 ----------

Dev branch updated to 1.79c beta:

- changed color for circle Intel for better visible on map;

- added to the supports (0-8) periodic autosave (every 20 minutes) switch (disabled initially). Game will be saved only, when there is absolutelly safe though (no enemy knows about the player, no enemy known to the player. Note, that player's vehicle may be spotted/heard from big distance, thus possible situation, where enemy knows about the player, but there is no fight and player do not see that enemy due to distance);

- expanded "loot occurence" setting with "realistic loot distribution" mode. In that mode there is no loot in civilian buildings. Instead more of good loot may be found in military or research bases, statistically about 25% more loot at bodies, good loot at every checkpoint and hidden camp, even more good loot in buildings close to strongholds (200 meters from the central point) and guarded airfields (500 meters). This mode has alternative version, where player starts with better equipment (armament still randomized from three options);

- various code tweaks and changes.

Be awared about one thing. Do not know, what was changed in A3 1.18, but initial lags, especially for maximal settings, are now much worse than under 1.16, sometimes causing even CTD. I'm starting to worry, as seems, every new Arma version something more is broken or working worse... :( I can only hope, it is temporary.