[SP] Pilgrimage

[Rydygier 1317]

If you enable air SAD patrols, there will be two choppers on two random airfields. Manned and well guarded. Chasing you if called by allies. So only few, dangerous and very hard to obtain. For sure possible though, we even have

as an evidence. :)

[alky_lee 279]

If you enable air SAD patrols, there will be two choppers on two random airfields. Manned and well guarded. Chasing you if called by allies. So only few, dangerous and very hard to obtain. For sure possible though, we even have

as an evidence. :)

I think taking the gunship is more trouble than it's worth and can be summed up in two words - DAMAGE & FUEL

When it gets damaged, the first thing it does is lose all it's fuel. If you land and leave it while you go into a location it seems to acquire damage and lose fuel while you are gone as

. Even a fuel truck wasn't enough to fill it up. I spent as much time getting fuel as I did flying it.

[Rydygier 1317]

After few hours of testing reputation all seems OK as for mechanics - no errors like enemy kills counted as friendly in 1.89 found only mentioned imperfections of repo system. Speaking of which, applied that mechanism to make big battles famous and it's works. In Kavala eliminated whole mechanized group and several infantry units. When I came back after some time I was till then practically a local demigod with repo like 150 and more than half of the population became my armed followers. Need some balancing here... :) Extended hunt communication looks very nice and works well so far. As soon I'll be sure enough, all works reliably and balanced, 1.90 should be released including doubled stronghold fix.

[law-giver 190]

Extended hunt communication looks very nice and works well so far.

Is that referring to my idea on the previous page/s? Oh i hope so, can't wait to try this out. Can't wait to finish work tomorrow morning and hope you've released it by then! ;)

Damn back to bed, got work tonight! :(

[alky_lee 279]

After few hours of testing reputation all seems OK as for mechanics

I think my reputation must be improving again. I moved to Galati - no contacts there, but civs still trying to shoot me. Moved to a military compound overlooking the airport. Mortared the gunship, etc at the airport and the stronghold at Lakka. Moving into Lakka, civs were still trying to shoot me. Now after a major gun battle against CSAT (approx 16 infantry kills) I have seen my first blue 3D icon above a civilian in the town. I had none in Galati.

I also have two disabled gunships nearby that I could repair, but I bet they have no fuel. I think that's the reason the second one came down.

[Rydygier 1317]

Is that referring to my idea on the previous page/s? Oh i hope so, can't wait to try this out.

Yep. With this new comm they will share with you, what they read from your trail AND their guesstimation as for your destination. It may be amusing to read, how they're wrong or thrilling, how they are right. :) Just a pity, it's so rare event, to be hunted... Especially, radio has range only 1500... Or should I assume, recon groups has stronger radios? Yes, I think, I should. 6000? :)

As repo calibrating goes well (fixed also reduction when event older than one hour (apogeum of fame)), release in the next 24 pretty possible.

Just have to tone down a bit fame after bigger, close battle after changes, I made. Anyway from now on should be easier to be a local hero for few hours, if you manage to destroy eg whole mechanized group at locals' doors - just need to go back there after 50-60 minutes. Far towns however will be not so thrilled about your achievements - distance is important. Civilian casaulties still devastating for reputation though.

---------- Post added at 16:40 ---------- Previous post was at 15:37 ----------

"Dev branch" updated to 1.90 beta 1:

- tweaks, fixes and balancing for reputation mechanics;

- more interesting radio comm when player is hunted by recon/sniper team (range 6000);

- fixed a mistake with doubled stronghold coordinates in the array (at Frini).

Meanwhile I started to think, if maybe I should extend hunting ability to the all/most of infantry groups (except those garrisoning buildings). Risky, but tempting. Opinions?

Edited January 31, 2015 by Rydygier

[-lordsoth- 15]

Meanwhile I started to think, if maybe I should extend hunting ability to the all/most of infantry groups (except those garrisoning buildings). Risky, but tempting. Opinions?

Risky yes, but definitely more than tempting - do it. You could manage it with say a differing distance depending on the group. Recon the most, foot infantry second, mechanised and armoured maybe the least. Make using silenced weapons and concealment maybe a factor. Now getting a bit technical but the more gear you carry the heavier your footsteps (longer they hang around to be found) so running light with silenced weapons means easier to avoid the hunting groups.

Just a though.

[Rydygier 1317]

Quite interesting thought, I must say. Carry weight as a factor hm...

[alky_lee 279]

Meanwhile I started to think, if maybe I should extend hunting ability to the all/most of infantry groups (except those garrisoning buildings). Risky, but tempting. Opinions?

I think being hunted is fantastic. At the start of the mission you are no-one special, but if it could be linked to your reputation in some way, or number of kills, then the more you make a name for yourself the more they try to hunt you. That way it increases more as you go through the mission.

[Rydygier 1317]

Yep, such thing would be great. Not easy though, as there is no any "central" reputation value. But should be doable one way or another. For example there could be such variable, a mean of all tested reputation values so far or some extra repo calculation each cycle with no/lesser randomness. And agree about beeing hunted. Since we have radio chatter, one can start to wonder, why most of the groups does nothing about enemy contact reports or no responding groups. So that's the way to make opposition less passive about player's actions.

[PaterPruts 13]

Sounds a nice tought and "realistic". It only need to be very well balanced. If afther some hours of gaming you get hunted all the time it might become frustrating?

I was always complaning about the shopper not to be there or be shot .. well, now he doesn't go away anymore :raisebrow: Been hunted and pinned down for some time now. Waiting .... but he stays there. When should he go away?

[Rydygier 1317]

If afther some hours of gaming you get hunted all the time it might become frustrating?

It's not like constant following. If a group find your trail (you leave those) it will go, where that found trail leads and will call, if available, some motorized or aerial support to the expected area. That's all. As you can see, it's simplified and they easily may go in totally wrong direction, if you wasn't travel straight. And when they do, their "hunt" is over until they find another trail. I would expect most of the time they'll go in the wrong directions.

When should he go away?

Chopper gets a single SAD waypoint, when complete, it will RTB and land (unless affected by some AI mod or AI bug). SAD may be prolonged though, if the chopper will spot any enemy to engage, you or hostile AI. Also time of SAD patrol depends on the terrain (how long to look everywhere in the radius).

[law-giver 190]

Sounds a nice tought and "realistic". It only need to be very well balanced. If afther some hours of gaming you get hunted all the time it might become frustrating?

I was always complaning about the shopper not to be there or be shot .. well, now he doesn't go away anymore :raisebrow: Been hunted and pinned down for some time now. Waiting .... but he stays there. When should he go away?

I found that if i was in a town and spotted i would try to get out of town away from any enemy soldiers and providing it didn't see you it would bugger off! Another time i was at a camp and heard over the radio that they called in support so i hid in a building and after a few minutes it would bugger off. Basically i stayed out of sight. If it sees you it's like a fly on sh*t. That's using ASR_Ai also.

@Rydygier

Just got home from work so gonna give this beta a bash! Sounds really cool, also love the suggestion made by -lordsoth- about weight carried and group type affecting tracking and the radio range increase. ;)

DO NOT DISTURB!!!!! :D

[PaterPruts 13]

I found that if i was in a town and spotted i would try to get out of town away from any enemy soldiers and providing it didn't see you it would bugger off! Another time i was at a camp and heard over the radio that they called in support so i hid in a building and after a few minutes it would bugger off. Basically i stayed out of sight. If it sees you it's like a fly on sh*t. That's using ASR_Ai also.

@Rydygier

Just got home from work so gonna give this beta a bash! Sounds really cool, also love the suggestion made by -lordsoth- about weight carried and group type affecting tracking and the radio range increase. ;)

DO NOT DISTURB!!!!! :D

May I disturb? :) What do you mean by "That's using ASR_Ai also" I'm using that one for now but don't want to conficate the game by a wrongly chosen mod.

[Rydygier 1317]

ASR_AI should work OK with Pilgrimage, never saw any problems taht could be caused by it. It's not really intrusive IMO. He meant, I think, so using ASR will not affect chopper's behaviour, but it's about does he see you/other enemy, or not - if so, will not RTB as long enemy is not dead or gone/lost.

[law-giver 190]

He meant, I think, so using ASR will not affect chopper's behaviour, but it's about does he see you/other enemy, or not - if so, will not RTB as long enemy is not dead or gone/lost.

Yeah i meant that! ;)

[Rydygier 1317]

Dev branch updated to beta 2:

- enhanced tracking/hunting;

- new statistics for debriefing.

Introduced three new values based on reputation events, that are added to the ending stats:

1. Fame - basically a sum of absolute value of every event, time or distance not affecting. So increased be both, good and bad repo events.

2. Glory - "good deeds" - sum of positive values.

3. Infamy - "bad deeds" - sum of negative values (civilian kill events).

Hunting: now who would track the player depends on his "Glory" (mainly enemy kills). At first - it is, as before. If glory reach 60 (eg 20-40 foot infantry kills, where one chopper (both pilots) is 10-20, and each tank crewman is 4-8) - also foot infantry groups from bigger cities may track you down (not so many of them, so not big change, and not easy to track in the cities due to surface - see below). 100 - also village groups (significant amount). 140 - also those from other locations, like "brown names" or hills. That means quite a few. Except groups, that are garrisoning buildings. Those values may be re-balanced for official release.

Mechanically works, but as for balance/impact - not tested yet. :)

Also added current carry weight as a factor influencing, how fast trail will disappear in time or due to rain and how easily hunters may spot it. In fact however, as before, they usually WILL spot a trail if close enough. Maybe I'll re-balance it somehow. I had to write not so small function to calculate carry weight, as don't know how to easily obtain that value.

Next footstep will be placed if: it's day (assumed, not able to hunt at night. Simplified, yes - after all tracks left at night may be spot after dawn, but the'll usually gone after about an hour anyway, so IMO no need to make a big deal here), if player('s vehicle) is touching the ground, that is not concrete, rock or road if farther than 50 meteres from previous still visible foot step, and if player is actually on the move.

Edited February 2, 2015 by Rydygier

[PaterPruts 13]

Dev branch updated to beta 2:

- enhanced tracking/hunting;

- new statistics for debriefing.

Introduced three new values based on reputation events, that are added to the ending stats:

1. Fame - basically a sum of absolute value of every event, time or distance not affecting. So increased be both, good and bad repo events.

2. Glory - "good deeds" - sum of positive values.

3. Infamy - "bad deeds" - sum of negative values (civilian kill events).

Hunting: now who would track the player depends on his "Glory" (mainly enemy kills). At first - it is, as before. If glory reach 60 (eg 20-40 foot infantry kills, where one chopper (both pilots) is 10-20, and each tank crewman is 4-8) - also foot infantry groups from bigger cities may track you down (not so many of them, so not big change, and not easy to track in the cities due to surface - see below). 100 - also village groups (significant amount). 140 - also those from other locations, like "brown names" or hills. That means quite a few. Except groups, that are garrisoning buildings. Those values may be re-balanced for official release.

Mechanically works, but as for balance/impact - not tested yet. :)

Also added current carry weight as a factor influencing, how fast trail will disappear in time or due to rain and how easily hunters may spot it. In fact however, as before, they usually WILL spot a trail if close enough. Maybe I'll re-balance it somehow. I had to write not so small function to calculate carry weight, as don't know how to easily obtain that value.

Next footstep will be placed if: it's day (assumed, not able to hunt at night. Simplified, yes - after all tracks left at night may be spot after dawn, but the'll usually gone after about an hour anyway, so IMO no need to make a big deal here), if player('s vehicle) is touching the ground, that is not concrete, rock or road if farther than 50 meteres from previous still visible foot step, and if player is actually on the move.

Nice. I'm very curious about the new hunting system. I hope it won't spoil the game! Yesterday I finished the game without dying ... almost. I've been shot 2 times. I put down about 15 enemies so I gues with that number I don't have to worry about big groups hunting my ass?

Also when the game ends and you show the stats I think it would be nice to see if other objectives have been completed. Like rescuing the 2 other people or destroing the stomper! If now I rescue or destroy I even don't see anything about it at the end of the game but it is a big part of the game IMO. Now my tacktic is to gather as fast as possible the location without dying to much and get back. It might be nice to have the feeling you do a good deed by destroying or rescuing! Maybe show a nice message in game wich make you feel good. Good for immersion!

[Rydygier 1317]

I don't have to worry about big groups hunting my ass?

Nope. Of course, I'm counting on feedback, that would help me balance things. IMHO however difference may be not so big and noticeable mostly in communication - I think, most of hunting groups will go in the wrong directions, as it is based only on single footstep direction/speed/time.

I think it would be nice to see if other objectives have been completed. Like rescuing the 2 other people or destroing the stomper!

Good idea. But it will not work for the Stomper, as "Killed" eventhandler fails for unmanned vehicles, returning an empty array - otherwise player would see coded-in message on screen after killing it. It never shows up. So currently there's no good way to determine, who killed that thing.

Edited February 2, 2015 by Rydygier

[a2012v 30]

Rydygier

check the expression in a file?

Pilgrimage_1.90beta.Altis

file MainLoop.sqf

if (((time - _lastRep) > 120) or {((time - _lastFire) < 20)}) then

and

if (((time - _lastRep) > 120) or ((time - _lastFire) < 20)) then

[Rydygier 1317]

Is there any RPT error shown about that? Using of {} is intentional. That syntax enables something called "lazy evaluation" - if second condition is inside {} will be not checked, when first is already false. I still have to apply this everywhere someday...

[A3_Melle 40]

Realy like the mission, also tweeting about with Alky_Lee ;)

I am now playing the mission for the 3rd time, 1 finished easy in 15 hours, 2nd got a vehicle bug were they all were with wheels in the ground, now on 3rd mission(Over 20 hours now!):started all up north and just past the main airfield heading south now finaly getting close to the body, alot of firefights, loots and intel :) keep up the good work ;)

[-lordsoth- 15]

Probably a silly question, but how do I convert the GPS coords given to me for the possible strongholds to map grid references???

[Rydygier 1317]

if you have GPS and use it (ctrl+M for me) you have coords given like: 056128. So, if you get from phone call eg:

"9958,19332" that's equal to 099193 ((0)9958,19332). What you get from Tyrone are plain map coords X and Y, pointing roughly actual possible stronghold location. Just with higher accuracy, than map itself shows. 193 on the map means in fact 19300 meters from "0" map edge - this way uses Tyrone.

Edited February 3, 2015 by Rydygier

[-lordsoth- 15]

So using your example Ryd, what is the best / easiest way then to measure those sorts of distance on the map from "0"?? The two coords 099,193 from your example are they X & Y on the grid, and I would be measuring 19.3km from "0" on the Y axis??? I'm not really up to mapping and stuff. Thanks.