Best Virtual Supply Box?

[kupcho 19]

In most of the missions I've edited, I used the VAS (I don't know who wrote it...apologies to the author) script as my goto item for in game load out modification.

Recently though, every mission I run that uses that script, shows errors at the startup.

It still seems to work okay, but it got me to thinking (and it really hurts when I do that...);

Are there any newer, better, error free scripts (mods...whatever they are) available for use?

I've seen it done in several different ways when playing on other folks servers. I just don't know what they're called, or even if they are public use scripts.

Any suggestions? Favorites?

[DieselJC 196]

I think the VAS system was written by TONIC and as far as I know thats the only one out their..I get errors at start up and respawn as well I tried doing all the regular check integrity of the game and updated to the newest VAS in missions but still get "scroll list" errors sometimes. but the system works fine...maybe search VAS and ask Him about the errors your getting.

Diesel

Link to VAS Post

http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?149077-Virtual-Ammobox-System-(VAS)&highlight=Virtual+Ammo+Box

[BloodoftheScribe 12]

The author is Tonic, Latest version is Here. No errors for me.

[ACPL Jon 68]

VTS "Shop" hands down. VAS likes to fail to intilize and the main categories load stutter with bigger amount of addons (gear section is a horror). Oh, and it doesn't have a real filter and when You have like 15 versions of AK-47 and alike, tapping A then K doesn't help much.

VTS Shop, on the other hand:

- has all the features VAS has,

- never fails to initilize,

- doesn't lag,

- more loadout slots; also, You can load someones loadout without the need to have him "transfer" it,

- bigger UI, You can see pictures better,

- really great filter,

- did I already mention, it does not lag?

VTS Shop has only one big minus. It can't be used outside of VTS. L'etranger pls.

[Variable 322]

Missions that incorporate any kind of virtual ammo boxes immediately look less than better to me. I upload new coop missions to Comrades in Arms server on a daily basis and I learned that missions that their author just threw in virtual ammo boxes at the players usually indicate on laziness and lack of imagination on part of the author, which reflects on other aspects of the mission.

What's with all this gun porn? Why should all the weapons be available for the players to choose from? Good missions strike a good balance between the players' equipment and weapons and the missions enemy and levels of resistance. With virtual ammo boxes this aspect is all but gone. Also, virtual ammo boxes are immersion killers.

Good mission makers determine the weapons and ammo for the team and tailor it to the mission characteristics.

I am aware there are a lot of people asking for virtual ammo boxes on the workshop but from what I gathered they are mostly kids. I wish mission makers would not make virtual ammo some kind of a new standard, and get back to setting the equipment that would best fit the mission and make the mission as fun as possible.

[spidypiet 17]

Missions that incorporate any kind of virtual ammo boxes immediately look less than better to me. I upload new coop missions to Comrades in Arms server on a daily basis and I learned that missions that their author just threw in virtual ammo boxes at the players usually indicate on laziness and lack of imagination on part of the author, which reflects on other aspects of the mission.

What's with all this gun porn? Why should all the weapons be available for the players to choose from? Good missions strike a good balance between the players' equipment and weapons and the missions enemy and levels of resistance. With virtual ammo boxes this aspect is all but gone. Also, virtual ammo boxes are immersion killers.

Good mission makers determine the weapons and ammo for the team and tailor it to the mission characteristics.

I am aware there are a lot of people asking for virtual ammo boxes on the workshop but from what I gathered they are mostly kids. I wish mission makers would not make virtual ammo some kind of a new standard, and get back to setting the equipment that would best fit the mission and make the mission as fun as possible.

1:some still approach Arma3 as a game

2: de_pbo the mission file and you can restrict weapos items and/or attachements in VAS to satisfy your needs

[Alwarren 2766]

1:some still approach Arma3 as a game

2: de_pbo the mission file and you can restrict weapos items and/or attachements in VAS to satisfy your needs

1. It's still lazy mission design to say "here, take whatever you want" instead of making the mission so that you can do it with a specific loadout, and it doesn't have anything to do with whether you approach it as a game or not.

2. It's still lazy mission design to leave that to the player instead of the designer.

[ACPL Jon 68]

Pretty much what SPIDY said. You can limit the equipment available in both VAS and in the VTS Shop.

Yeah, it does have a bit to do with "laziness" and "gun porn" and I'm afraid I'm not a kid anymore (sometimes I wish I would be). See... ArmA is about options. Yeah, You can go full hardcore mission with "hardcoded" equipment, launch and go, but sometimes, esp. in more dynamic missions, You wish to have some OPTIONS, so it doesn't always play the same. And that doesn't have to necessarily mean You can have every gun in the game.

Especially organized groups often use it to just load the right loadout, just like we do. You can limit the box, or the people (as a TL \ Game Master).

It's been more than 10 years without proper loadout editor (in-game, not an external one) and without 3D editor.

If BI can, I have the even bigger right to be a little lazy. And judging from what people say, my missions weren't any less playable or less realistic.

PS: in ArmA2 every mission I did, had assigned EQ and the way to change it in the briefing. With ArmA3 and all the problems restocking units arise and with no ability to change stuff at the briefing screen, I just gave up. Not interested in losing too much sanity and time for stuff that can be done way easier.

Edited April 27, 2014 by JonPL

[Variable 322]

Pretty much what SPIDY said. You can limit the equipment available in both VAS and in the VTS Shop.

Yeah, it does have a bit to do with "laziness" and "gun porn" and I'm afraid I'm not a kid anymore (sometimes I wish I would be). See... ArmA is about options. Yeah, You can go full hardcore mission with "hardcoded" equipment, launch and go, but sometimes, esp. in more dynamic missions, You wish to have some OPTIONS, so it doesn't always play the same. And that doesn't have to necessarily mean You can have every gun in the game.

Especially organized groups often use it to just load the right loadout, just like we do. You can limit the box, or the people (as a TL \ Game Master).

It's been more than 10 years without proper loadout editor (in-game, not an external one) and without 3D editor.

If BI can, I have the even bigger right to be a little lazy. And judging from what people say, my missions weren't any less playable or less realistic.

PS: in ArmA2 every mission I did, had assigned EQ and the way to change it in the briefing. With ArmA3 and all the problems restocking units arise and with no ability to change stuff at the briefing screen, I just gave up. Not interested in losing too much sanity and time for stuff that can be done way easier.

I have no problem with VAS being used for stuff like dynamic missions. My problem is that these days regular coop missions are not considered complete if the author isn't offering VAS or the like, when in fact, missions that the author took the time to fit the loadouts to the mission characteristics are usually better than those that use VAS.

You have to acknowledge the fact that this "easy way out" is plaguing the mission editing community. You can hardly see missions nowadays that incorporate cool gameplay features like lack of ammo, like taking up on a superior enemy that has better weapons just because of this gun porn mentality that demands to have all the OPTIONS all the time. It's just sad to see that this dynamic is taking over.

I do hear you about the lack of briefing inventory, but usually people don't go the middle way and offer a limited selection of weapons. You usually see missions with all the vanilla weapons available, AND all the weapons of the addons you are running. This is plain ridiculous, and effects heavily on the experience the game can provide.

[ACPL Jon 68]

I know exactly what You mean, but TBH, the missions themselves are plagued by much more important problems:

- FPS issues (#loopEvery0.001secLikeAMofo)

- Balancing issues (Enemy skill 1.0! YAAAY!)

- JIP problems (dude, where's my uniform?)

- 4 man army (take over 5 towns and kill 10 tanks)

- That sometimes they don't even work, at all

And one of the bigger problems for me: Steam Workshop by itself. Game used to freeze in main menu if Steam had connection issues (DDoS, for example) and also I don't think most of the remote server UI's feature access to SW, You have to subscribe to the mission on client SW, download the mission, copy it and finally upload it to the server. Or maybe am I missing something? All in all, where are the direct links, like the old times, eh? ;/

[BloodoftheScribe 12]

I use a VAS in test missions for checking the quality of my mods and retextures. Easier than typing this adduniform "My_Awesome_Uniform_1"; every time. Or this setobjecttexture [0, "Uniformtest.paa"];

[Alwarren 2766]

I know exactly what You mean, but TBH, the missions themselves are plagued by much more important problems:

- FPS issues (#loopEvery0.001secLikeAMofo)

- Balancing issues (Enemy skill 1.0! YAAAY!)

- JIP problems (dude, where's my uniform?)

- 4 man army (take over 5 towns and kill 10 tanks)

- That sometimes they don't even work, at all

And one of the bigger problems for me: Steam Workshop by itself. Game used to freeze in main menu if Steam had connection issues (DDoS, for example) and also I don't think most of the remote server UI's feature access to SW, You have to subscribe to the mission on client SW, download the mission, copy it and finally upload it to the server. Or maybe am I missing something? All in all, where are the direct links, like the old times, eh? ;/

Yes, there is a lot of issues with missions, and the JIP/missing uniform problem is driving me up the wall since I haven't found a reliable way to fix it.

However, they're different issues. I still think that a good mission design would give the right loadouts/team composition and a bit of variation options. Sadly, all the examples I've seen just took VAS without filtering, giving you essentially everything in unlimited numbers. That is a trend that IMO should stop, and it is something that CAN be done if mission designers were a bit more careful.

[kupcho 19]

Thanks folks. I'll be checking into the VTS system, if for nothing else, just to see how it's been done.

I've also downloaded the latest VAS and I'll be giving it a whirl.

This wasn't intended to become a debate about whether a mission author should include one for others to use, but, my opinion (if anyone actually gives a damn) is that if you don't want to use the supply box, then don't. You and any friends that you may play with can opt to play it as you like.

Further, I think that anyone that puts someone down for how they do things or tries to tell someone how they should script or play a game should get over themselves. The game is open to scripting for a reason.

My missions will most likely always have some kind of supply box available, but I also usually had preset load outs that were appropriate for the mission in the init field of each player.