[WIP] Black Powder mod

[six_ten 208]

And not long after -- a successful boarding action and prize taken!

[six_ten 208]

Punch list:

 

-- Have to be able to disable steering if the rudder is shot away.  Currently the rudder (and many other parts of the vessels change textures at 50% damage, and changes to shattered rudder model when at 100% damage.  The ability to steer must be compromised but I haven't found a way to do that.  Does anyone have any suggestions how this might be accomplished?

 

Edit -- had a thought that maybe I can modify the steering coefficient found in ship config...

[six_ten 208]

I could really use some help making my sailing vessel scripts work for humans in multiplayer.  We tested the mod on a dedicated server.  AI were able to raise sails, sail around and everything worked just as it does in singleplayer.  When a human player was aboard as driver though, the ship would not move.

 

The way the ships work is there's an EH that runs a wind script.  The ship engines have 0 horsepower, 0 rpm, the engines don't do anything -- if the engine is on the ship is driven by a simple setvelocity script that takes into account the relative angle to the wind, amount of damage to sails, whether the anchor is up or down, and a couple of other variables like those.  If the engine is off the ship drifts gently with the wind.  If the anchors are dropped at any time the ship stops moving completely.

 

I know I have to modify the scripts to make them work, but I don't know where to start.  I would really like for someone with MP scripting experience to give me some pointers on what modifications I can make to allow humans to sail as well as bots.  At the moment I'm reading http://killzonekid.com/arma-scripting-tutorials-basic-multiplayer-coding/ and have read the https://community.bistudio.com/wiki/Multiplayer_framework  but it is Greek to me.

 

Can anyone help?

 

In the sailing vessels is this EH

Wind_Adrift_Init.sqf looks like this

Wind_Decider_Sloop.sqf looks like this:

[six_ten 208]

Then Wind_Sloop_Init.sqf looks like this:

[Hate 232]

I know very little about coding, so I'm not much use here. But:

 

1. Is it possible to trick the game engine into believing the player is AI?

 

2. Is it possible to make the ship itself AI, that can be commanded instead of physically sailed?

 

3. I remember this issue from A3 base. If you drop a trawler down and try to pilot it, it doesn't move, but AI still can. What does AI have that a uuman player does not?

[six_ten 208]

I know very little about coding, so I'm not much use here. But:

 

1. Is it possible to trick the game engine into believing the player is AI?

 

2. Is it possible to make the ship itself AI, that can be commanded instead of physically sailed?

 

3. I remember this issue from A3 base. If you drop a trawler down and try to pilot it, it doesn't move, but AI still can. What does AI have that a uuman player does not?

 

"1. Is it possible to trick the game engine into believing the player is AI?"

No idea, but I really would rather keep as much as possible 'normal' about the mod and players.

 

"2. Is it possible to make the ship itself AI, that can be commanded instead of physically sailed?"

I don't know, but the problem is just that humans can't sail in multiplayer -- in singleplayer its great.  In both single and multi, AI can do it.  I think the problem is fixable, so humans and AI will be able to sail.

 

"3. I remember this issue from A3 base. If you drop a trawler down and try to pilot it, it doesn't move, but AI still can. What does AI have that a uuman player does not?"

Hadn't seen that.  I'll try it now.  -- Can't find trawler in editor, but other boats are drivable in MP, so its not an issue with boats in MP it might be a particular one could be broken.

[six_ten 208]

BLACKPOWDER_Alpha_v5

................

--   At the moment im working on the splintered sections of the sloop -- when you shoot the upper sides of the ship they disappear as does the geometry that protects crew.  I've added the first damage replacement model to the middle upper section in the version you have --  now you'll see holes appear in the sloop instead of big sections vanishing.  Right now im re-doing the entire sloop so there will be a new model, but the current version has the prototype in it.  Same with sails, as you shoot them holes appear (and ship's sailing speed decreases)
 

--  Lots of terrain improvements.

 

--  Added vent firing effects to vents of muskets and all cannon.  Now in addition to the main flash and smoke, there's a small flash and smoke at the vent.  Still haven't got the vent to fire, then a delay, then main charge, but its a step in the right direction.

 

--  I think the big guns need adjusting still, it seems they are very accurate sometimes, and others they aim way off target.  Close up they usually wont shoot at all.  Far off they aim behind or ahead of target.   At a couple hundred meters or so they're deadly accurate.
 

--  Ship crews are unarmed for now -- I made a new class, Sailor.  Will add cutlashes, boarding pikes and sea service muskets (the latter may just be for Marines).

 

-- There's a spyglass in the hold.

 

[six_ten 208]

Draw calls --

Currently the sloops and gunboats use proxies for the cannon.  I want to reduce the number of draw calls and at the same time keep polycount down.  Is there any problem with using proxies for the LOD1 cannons, and actual geometry for the lower LODs?  I think if I build the guns into the lower LODS I can reduce section count dramatically for them (10 carriages, 10 barrels) on those lower LODs, while by using proxies for the Cargo and LOD1 still have the nice detail up close.  Any flaws in this that I don't see?

The 4 pounders:

LOD0     5140 polys

LOD1     1037

LOD2     425

LOD3     124

LOD4     58

[ps3king1336 0]

BLACKPOWDER_Alpha_v5

................

--   At the moment im working on the splintered sections of the sloop -- when you shoot the upper sides of the ship they disappear as does the geometry that protects crew.  I've added the first damage replacement model to the middle upper section in the version you have --  now you'll see holes appear in the sloop instead of big sections vanishing.  Right now im re-doing the entire sloop so there will be a new model, but the current version has the prototype in it.  Same with sails, as you shoot them holes appear (and ship's sailing speed decreases)

 

--  Lots of terrain improvements.

 

--  Added vent firing effects to vents of muskets and all cannon.  Now in addition to the main flash and smoke, there's a small flash and smoke at the vent.  Still haven't got the vent to fire, then a delay, then main charge, but its a step in the right direction.

 

--  I think the big guns need adjusting still, it seems they are very accurate sometimes, and others they aim way off target.  Close up they usually wont shoot at all.  Far off they aim behind or ahead of target.   At a couple hundred meters or so they're deadly accurate.

 

--  Ship crews are unarmed for now -- I made a new class, Sailor.  Will add cutlashes, boarding pikes and sea service muskets (the latter may just be for Marines).

 

-- There's a spyglass in the hold.

when is alpha 5 out to download

[R0adki11 3949]

when is alpha 5 out to download

 

 

When its ready and not before, please note asking for release dates is considered spam on these forums. As per the forum rules ;)

[six_ten 208]

when is alpha 5 out to download

I don't mind the question at all.  I post questions I need answered in this thread.  If people answer them it helps me proceed and the release will be sooner; if I have to figure them all out by trial and error on my own, the release will be later.

 

If you have even a bit of an answer to anything I've asked in this thread, please post it; even if it isn't the complete answer it may give me help in solving the problems -- I want to release the mod too!

[ps3king1336 0]

can I make a request?

[six_ten 208]

can I make a request?

Sure.

[ps3king1336 0]

flintlock kentucky rifles, and sorry i'd had to sleep for work.

[six_ten 208]

flintlock kentucky rifles, and sorry i'd had to sleep for work.

I like that idea. 

 

A new question:  is it possible to create a dock system similar to the helipads?  I've seen how AI can fly to and land on them, is there a way to do this with boats, so AI can be instructed to sail to a dock and anchor?  Has there ever been anything like this that I just haven't seen?

[HorribleGoat 1473]

I like that idea. 

 

A new question:  is it possible to create a dock system similar to the helipads?  I've seen how AI can fly to and land on them, is there a way to do this with boats, so AI can be instructed to sail to a dock and anchor?  Has there ever been anything like this that I just haven't seen?

Don't think so, there has not been that much boats in general in arma series. They could be series of scripted waypoints for example, but Im pretty sure there is no in engine feature like that.

[hnchmc 125]

I think you could maybe look at the way BI made the AI able to land on runways, then create a module where it would anchor ships when it's in the certain area. I think it might be easier to do something like a way point, or even add trigger that would activate the drop anchor script. Not sure though, the trigger might be a good Proof Of Concept way of testing it.

[Delta Hawk 1829]

Hey Six_Ten, are you still around?  I hate to ask but I remember last year when you went into hiding.  Or more relevantly, sailed away.  I PM'ed you about my ship but haven't heard anything from you.  Hope everything is well.

[Aniallator 164]

I'm not sure if this was brought up before, but full-on fortifications would be to die for, and the Royal Marines are kind of a must. By fortifications, I mean anything from a full-fledged fort to a smaller fort or battery; they're one of those things you could slap onto the coast of Altis and BAM, you have a ship versus battery cannon duel followed by an assault on the battery with the ship's marines.

I've seen many colonial forts (British, Dutch, French, etc) all over the world, so let me know if you need any inspiration and I'd be more than happy to share some pics.

And a question: how are you going to handle musket reloading animations?

[mr pedersen 41]

What about melee?
Arma 3 cant handle melee in any good way what I know.
The melee I seen in arma made by mods or even " dayz" is not very smoot and feels very bad.

Could some one please prove me wrong?
Specielly BIS-game Studios, give us smoot epic melee for arma 3 please?

Sword, knife, bayonet etc...

I would recomend you use Unreal 4 or Unity.

[six_ten 208]

I'm not sure if this was brought up before, but full-on fortifications would be to die for, and the Royal Marines are kind of a must. By fortifications, I mean anything from a full-fledged fort to a smaller fort or battery; they're one of those things you could slap onto the coast of Altis and BAM, you have a ship versus battery cannon duel followed by an assault on the battery with the ship's marines.

I've seen many colonial forts (British, Dutch, French, etc) all over the world, so let me know if you need any inspiration and I'd be more than happy to share some pics.

And a question: how are you going to handle musket reloading animations?

 

I've added a fairly accurate model of the Castillo de San Marcos to Tangier Island.  There are of course also field-made cheveaux de frise, gabions, and so on for field fortifications anywhere you choose to build them.  I'm always interested in other research too, so I'll be happy to see what pics you have.

 

When I get time I'll make proper reload animations based on manuals of the time.  For now we have to put up with modern ones.

 

[Igor Nikolaev 511]

 Surely could help you with translation to other languages. Keep up the good work, hope to see also civil war mod from you with gatlings and revolvers!

[Shizuaki 4]

Hi six_ten,

 

So, you still working on the project? I really, really want to try your mod. :)

[Igor Nikolaev 511]

Oh, yeah, how is your project? Really curious!  :)

[six_ten 208]

I wanted to be able to sail up to a dock and tie up the Yawl, Gunboat, or Sloop.  I Looked at code by GNAT and Diesel for inspiration, and came up with a workable but clunky way to do it.  Talked a bit with Soolie late yesterday about it and he created a new and I think great looking method.  Check out this work in progress: