GuardPoints, Guard Triggers and Guard Waypoints - what works and what does not

[m0nkey 111]

So I've been beating my head against the proverbial wall trying to understand how to utilize "guard" features... lol.

Guard waypoints can be made via the editor or via script. The group goes to the guard waypoint, and waits to spot enemy or be informed of a spotted enemy. The group then essentially "seeks to destroy" the enemy. When enemy no longer known or is destroyed, the group goes back to its guard waypoint. Thats the approximation of it anyway.

If there is a guard trigger, then the closest group with a guard waypoint will move to the trigger and guard it. The group might move away if needed, but will return. If the group guarding is killed, the next nearest group with a guard waypoint will move in to guard the trigger.

However, a guard trigger can only be made in the editor. Or can it? In quite a few hours of searching, I found posts and code that says it can and it cannot. I found tickets that said it can and it cannot. I've tried it on A2 and A3 and I cannot get a scripted trigger to be a guarded trigger. I've tried every combination I can think of, in terms of setTriggerXYZ commands. Switched the order, hard coded positions, etc etc. Nothing seems to work.

If you create the trigger in the editor, it works just fine. I found you cannot move a guard trigger. It is where it was created, always.

Now to make the matter more complicated, you also have GuardPoints (via the createGuardedPoint command) that essentially makes a guard point (aka guard trigger), but returns nothing. Meaning, you cannot reference it, cannot move it, cannot delete it.

All of this means, I don't see how you are supposed to use these stupid things. Well, unless you want to make a mission with the edtior. But I want to make it dynamic so I don't know whats going to happen.

Does anyone have any information as to what is the deal with these guarded type controls? Any code that works? Any helpful tidbits of information that will clue me in? Right now I am thinking they are useless without the editor.

Thanks.

[m0nkey 111]

If you are looking for info on guard triggers via scripting, I have found only one resource which has anything to do with whether they work or do not work when created via script

https://dev.withsix.com/issues/2907

Unless I read wrong, it sounds like they are supposed to work.

I've tried every combination I can think of, based it off that sample as well as making my own scripts. My conclusion is that if you create a trigger with scripting, it will always be "empty detector" and cannot be a guarded trigger because of that. I looked and did not see another "vehicle" that could be used in the configs. I was looking for sensor or anything with detector as the simulation.

I have concluded that you cannot create a guard trigger via scripting like you would other trigger types. You can however use the command createGuardedPoint to create essentially the same thing. Since a guard trigger created via the editor returns nothing, you cannot modify it at all. GuardedPoints are the same, they return nothing.

So, if you want to develop a mission, and at some point have a script create a guarded point (or multiple) you would use createGuardedPoint. Any groups with a guard waypoint will dutifully move into these guardedpoints and guard them. If one group dies, other units move in to take its place. The first created guardedpoint has top priority, so groups will leave other guardedpoints to protect the first one.

What you cannot do sadly is manage your gaurded points. You cannot create them for an area of your mission, then move them to the next area nor delete them and use new ones in the next area. Its all or none.

I don't know how to request a feature, but that would be one I would request for certain.

If anyone ever figures out how to move or delete a guard trigger or guardedpoint, I would certainly be grateful to know how...

[jandrews 116]

I do agree this type of waypoints are the most frustrating. So this is what I usually do, I place a group, give move waypoint then guard waypoint, then trigger on spot I want them to "guard" if you will, set to "guarded by whoever" and then I sync the group waypoint to trigger. Not 100% sure if syncing helps, I thought I read it needed to be synced, but also read that you don't even need a guard trigger.

So basically I say F it and use UPSMON script to fortify and use VCOMAI behavior for AI skills. Hope this helps.

https://community.bistudio.com/wiki/Mission_Editor:_Waypoints

https://community.bistudio.com/wiki/Mission_Editor:_Triggers

http://sandbox.darrenbrant.com/arma_ii/mission_editing/guard-waypoint

[m0nkey 111]

Thanks for the input.

From what I have been able to gather and see in testing, any waypoint you give, whether in editor or in script, has to complete before its "function" is performed. As an example, if you create a waypoint to "guard" or "sentry" and move that waypoint when the group gets near it, the group will never actually guard. If you were to have 2 groups some distance apart, each with a guard waypoint they are following but never reaching, and you then have an enemy group that is spotted or under attack (100% knowsAbout) these guard waypoint groups should come in to attack. They will not however as they are not to thier position to guard yet. I think they are just moving at that point. And protocol for move waypoints that I have observed is to attack if they knowAbout, not if anyone on the same team knowsAbout.

Which means, I think, that the one great use for a guard or guard/sentry combo is pretty much only good in hard-coded linear missions. Without the ability to manage your guard points, not much use in dynamic missions.

I was trying to give a group a guard or sentry waypoint that moved, like a patrol. My hope was that the patrol would do its thing, patrol an area, but because the waypoint they were following was a guard waypoint they would also break away when any team member spotted an enemy. This would make it easy to use as you would not need extra scripting to change the behaviour, just use the guard system by design. After the threat was over, the group would go back to its guard position, or in this case following it as it moved when they get near.

I am out of ideas. I will use guard triggers and guard/sentry waypoints in anything I do that is made with the editor, but playability for me is limited because I know whats going to happen. Thats why I make dynamic stuff, so I only have a vague idea what might happen lol.