[SP] Pilgrimage

[Rydygier 1309]

Despite some difficulties paradropping of some AC infantry groups seems functional. A question - how often this should be? IMO pretty rare, thus for now I'm setting the chance statstically once per, let's say, 50 spawns (2%)? Aslo, seems, some parachuters get killed at land. I can prevent that by making them immune to any damage till land (so also can't be shot in the air), or leave it, as is (I would prefer that way).

Edited February 12, 2015 by Rydygier

[MajorDex 11]

Yeah, you should leave it as it is, it is better than giving them god mode:) Just my opinion.

On a side note have you considered making the main Altis airport permanently occupied, maybe by CSAT?

Some vehicles, AA systems, maybe even some jets. I dont think you should change how airfields are randomly garrisoned just make the main airport a permanent base.

In a real war this airport would be among the most important assets for any side to occupy.

[alky_lee 279]

Despite some difficulties paradropping of some AC infantry groups seems functional. A question - how often this should be? IMO pretty rare, thus for now I'm setting the chance statstically once per, let's say, 50 spawns (2%)? Aslo, seems, some parachuters get killed at land. I can prevent that by making them immune to any damage till land (so also can't be shot in the air), or leave it, as is (I would prefer that way).

If most of them survive the landing leave things as they are. I would like to be able to shoot them as they come down if they are too close. Otherwise I would be wasting ammo on them. It would also mean that I would have to keep watching the skies if the 2 gunships are down.

[Rydygier 1309]

OK, good, they'll stay vulnerable. For tommorow/weekend I'm planning some bigger tests before 1.90 release.

On a side note have you considered making the main Altis airport permanently occupied, maybe by CSAT?

Considering now... Nah, rather not. Not convinced. I understand your point, but it's hardly a real, regular war, rather post-war chaos. Plus, mainly I just want to avoid any non-dynamic population. Kind of internal Pilgrimage principle. As for the jets... I see at least one reason, why these shouldn't be there - too fast for caching system (player pilot will most of the time flying over empty map basically, while AI jet pilot is mostly blind as for gound activities and need lasing the targets to use bombs - noisy and useless). And the faster caching would be, the heavier for CPU. Even choppers can make troubles here sometimes, the more jets.

[MajorDex 11]

You have some valid points, i did not considered the technical side of the game.

I suppose flying a jet in Pilgrimage as a player would be heavy on the computer, especially mine which have problems with using binoculars and long range scopes.

As for AI jets i guess they could still use radar guided AG missiles on the enemy vehicles or a player controlled vehicle, but i guess it would be instant death for a human player:scratchchin:

[pvt. partz 248]

.....maybe have the paratroopers available ONLY if the skirmish option is checked. This gives it the sense of believability.

[Rydygier 1309]

skirmish

You mean Ambient Combat? They are part of AC, so no paradrops if AC is turned off.

BTW I'm testing few hours now and didn't saw yet them (AC on LOW). That means, probably I'll raise the chance to 4-5%... Wasn't hunted yet either - no civilian reported on me yet, but I'm very popular, so risk is tiny (left 0.5% even for high repo per civilian) and probably not famous enough yet. Still, this chance may be raised too, we'll see...

Edited February 13, 2015 by Rydygier

[dayglow 2]

So just realized that I've never really played a mission where I would have to refuel a car so stupid question, how exactly do you do It? If you pull up to a gas station is it an option?

[Rydygier 1309]

If you stop close enough to the fuel distributor at gas station (roughly as close, as you would in RL) or to the fuel truck, refuelling will continue automatically till vehicle is stopped. That's for whole Arma. In Pilgrimage you also can use "Inspect" action when inside or close to your vehicle. For 1000 ff you'll gain small amount of fuel + some repair. Action is visible, if it's safe.

[law-giver 190]

So just realized that I've never really played a mission where I would have to refuel a car so stupid question, how exactly do you do It? If you pull up to a gas station is it an option?

If you drive into a fuel station, not literally. It will then fill up your vehicle. You beat me to it Rydygier! ;)

[badluckburt 78]

Can a fuel truck refuel itself? I found one that was almost empty and didn't see any option. I'm not really asking for one if it's not possible, I kinda like the irony.

[Rydygier 1309]

:D I think, it's not possible. But you can "Inspect" it as any vehicle, when enough ff and safe.

[badluckburt 78]

Ah yes, I did see that option :) Although I'll probably go on foot most of the times. Taking that truck got me into a whole lot of trouble and it ended with Alex sharing his brother's fate :/

[A3_Melle 40]

Ah yes, I did see that option :) Although I'll probably go on foot most of the times. Taking that truck got me into a whole lot of trouble and it ended with Alex sharing his brother's fate :/

It mostly refuels with the option to te limit you found it, vehicles are nice driving ammoboxes, if you come close to hostiles make sure to leave it as it also is a bullet magnet, if you get spotted get away fast and park the car safe and take out enemys foot, what i personaly do is search for good overwatch positions and scout my route i want to take ahead, knowing what you are up against is already half the battle and knowing the area (searching for covers if you want to get in a firefight) give you a huge advantage ;)

[badluckburt 78]

I drove up to a church on the coast with no AI in sight or so I thought. There were 2 behind a hill and they opened fire as I got out. I decided to dash into the church and took cover behind the altar. They never came in but they were right outside as I could hear them shouting to each other when I went near the entrance. I sat there for a few minutes when a helicopter approached, it kept circling above the church. Not long after, I saw an MRAP drive by. Then a faint rumbling that got louder and louder, they brought out the tracked armor :/ It only took a few seconds for them to turn the church into rubble and take me along with it.

[alky_lee 279]

I drove up to a church on the coast with no AI in sight or so I thought. There were 2 behind a hill and they opened fire as I got out. I decided to dash into the church and took cover behind the altar. They never came in but they were right outside as I could hear them shouting to each other when I went near the entrance. I sat there for a few minutes when a helicopter approached, it kept circling above the church. Not long after, I saw an MRAP drive by. Then a faint rumbling that got louder and louder, they brought out the tracked armor :/ It only took a few seconds for them to turn the church into rubble and take me along with it.

Sounds like you really live up to your name :D The only time anything like that has happened to me, it was my AI companion that did it. Tip: don't leave an AI covering your back while he is the gunner on a Tigris. If enemy approach round the back of you, your companion will destroy everything in the vicinity, including the building you are using for cover. :(

[PaterPruts 13]

Sounds like you really live up to your name :D

whahahaha, nice!

[Rydygier 1309]

So, if nothing wrong will be spot, today it's the last day of tests before 1.90. Before that I would like to explain how now the new things will work:

1. Paradrops

Not as common, as one could hope. It's part of AC, so dependent on how AC works. Basically very little AC far from towns. New groups will be not spawned until limit for chosen AC level is reached. AC group is gone when exterminated or when player will go too far from it. Plus, there is some minimal time interval between spawns to avoid constant flooding.

Paradropped may be only AC foot infantry groups. AC group has 75% chance to be such. But not all of them, and not majority nor even half. There is 25% chance, so such AC group will be paradropped. That means statistically 18,75% of AC groups will be parachuters. Statistically - that means, that will close to that value for many tries, but spread may be big, nothing like reliable 1 per 5 AC groups.

Now, for AC LOW only single AC group at max is spawned at once. It's 3 for medium and 7 for high.

So, to see parachutes more often, than sporadically, one need to set medium or even high AC level.

2. Civilian denunciations

Two components here:

a) "I saw him here!"

If player will get close to a civilian (30 meters, with LOS and in front of), that civilian passes a test, should he report that meeting. Each civilian is tested but once - and may report only once. Here chance varies between 5% and 60%, depending on reputation, with 20% chance for reputation 0. Also all hostile armed civilians will report player on sight.

b) "I heard, he recently passed by this place heading there"

Each civilian at spawn is tested once, if he should report a footstep, player left in 600 meters radius, reflecting rumors about his recent passing by. Because of that, in fact, each time player closes to a town (where many civilians will be spawned) this test is performed for the whole settlement as series of individual tests, if he left a footstep in radius recently (10 minutes). So, per citizen chance is tiny, like 0.2%-3.5% with 1.5% for reputation 0. Summaric chance however is pretty different thing, as Bernoulli could tell us. Same guy could tell us, summaric chance is highly dependent on player's civilian population setting. For max, 50, it may be for repo 0 up to (1 - (0.985^50)) * 100% = 53% but only (1 - (0.985^10)) * 100% = 14% if player set civilian population to 10 - so, how often they would like to report player's passing by depends, obviously, how many of them at once. Again - all this is statistical with possibly big diversity of events density in practice.

Note, for both cases there is only single test per each spawned citizen, so if you come back later to the same town, citizens will be tested again, as newly spawned. Also there is a trick possible - don't leave footsteps. How? Move only on the roads or concrete surfaces (not sure, if house interior is included though), or move only at night.

But the will of delation is only a half of the picture. Someone has to be interested. Interested will be the closest of assigned tracker groups in 3000 meters radius. As we know from previous betas, who will be allocated as tracker depends on player's fame, that grows with every repo event, negative or positive alike. At first only recon/snipers are trackers, and only few of them on the map, so chance is low, some of them will be in this radius, thus do not expect hunting events often. Situation will change here hopefully with growing fame, as described earlier.

So, in general, the more bad guys player kill, the more wanted he is, and more groups will be interested in hunting him down, but the lower chance, so civilians will want to report him. From the other hand, if player will focus on killing civilians :) chances grow for report AND for someone interested in it.

in a) case chosen group will go to make SAD in the vicinity of the location, where player was reported or close to his position, if no location near. From that moment this group will perform looped SAD waypoints in this position and around their initial position with some rests inbetween. Begin of this will be marked by radio comm saying about investigating of area, where enemy was reported. Exact content depends on Alex's fame.

in b) case, reported footstep is considered as spotted by interested group, and group will commence standard hunting procedure, going, where footstep supposedly leads. Well, a single footstep is often misleading in fact, as player rarely will move in straight line long enough, so the cost of simplicity of this system is, so hunters will more likely go in the wrong way, than otherwise.

Edited February 15, 2015 by Rydygier

[law-giver 190]

So, if nothing wrong will be spot, today it's the last day of tests before 1.90.

Sounds really cool Rydygier. Nice work mate! ;)

[PaterPruts 13]

Sounds complicated for the casual player but very interesting for those who want's to spend some time in learning Pilgrimage and reading the manual.. When you finish the mod it would be a good idea to update the pdf. manual with clear and good explanations and examples!

- So killing bad guys will gain fame for the player. This is good for getting intel from the civilians, correct? Who are the bad guys? All enemies? And where do I have to kill them

- When I kill bad guys in the north of the map, in the middle of nowhere, will it give me fame in the south? Do I have to be near a city while killing bad guys to gain fame?

Those are early game questions I guess. I had about 6 play through so far and each game about 3 - 8 hours of gaming but I never even noticed something about civilians. Is there a way to check out the fame or infame? And to know what it does do?

[Rydygier 1309]

Complex, yes. Luckilly casual players don't need to know this stuff to play. Indeed, I'm explaining those mechanics for people immersed deeper into Pilgrimage, curious, how it works, which also helps in testing and feedback.

- So killing bad guys will gain fame for the player. This is good for getting intel from the civilians, correct? Who are the bad guys? All enemies? And where do I have to kill them

There is fame, glory and infamy. Fame is raised at each event by its absolute value (always up). Glory is the sum of "good deeds" values, like killing bad guys (all hostile to you). Infamy is for civilian kills - sum of negative reputation events values.

- When I kill bad guys in the north of the map, in the middle of nowhere, will it give me fame in the south? Do I have to be near a city while killing bad guys to gain fame?

Fame, glory and infamy are growing by event value itself. Time or distance doesn't count. Both count though when code is calculating reputation for each civilian individually (what he, personally, thinks about you).

Those are early game questions I guess.

Those are new features, added recently. Well, Pilgrimage isn't very intense, where all features you'll get fast/right away. Some are rare or require certain conditions. For example I saw first paradrop with AC low, after several hours of testing and many saves/loads for visiting each time another town. Saw also only few denuntiations of a) kind and none of b) kind, which starts to worry me, but still, it may be perfectly fine, caused by lack of proper groups around or just "lack of the luck". Saw them in technical tests though, so I know, it works.

Is there a way to check out the fame or infame?

At the end of the mission, at debriefing screen stats. In game you can only notice results of them sometimes, like described, no any "fame bar".

Edited February 15, 2015 by Rydygier

[alky_lee 279]

Using the latest beta4 mission, I am experiencing severe lags at the start of the mission, especially when the bullets start flying, but I have also driven a quad bike into a sandbag wall at a checkpoint that didn't appear until after I got off and started healing. I am cruising along at 30 FPS, but when the bullets start flying it suddenly drops down to around 5 FPS.

After Arma crashed, things improved a little bit after the restart.

The only things changed since the last mission are Pilgrimage version and updated Speed of Sound Mod. I will check the mod out later, but thought I would highlight this now.

[Rydygier 1309]

Looks like mod related, something, that may want to monitor bullets on the fly, shots or hits. I'm conducting my tests on vanilla and no such drops. Stable, as usual, lower a bit only in towns and forests, as always.

[pvt. partz 248]

@alkey_lee

updated Speed of Sound Mod

Does it work without errors now and can you resume saved game now?

[alky_lee 279]

@alkey_lee

Does it work without errors now and can you resume saved game now?

It does work without errors if you have hotfix 3 installed. I managed to resume the game after Arma crashed. However there was a new pbo in it to do with bulletcracks, and I wonder if that is causing the drastic drop in FPS.