How to add custom HQ and Group callsigns

[domcho 20]

My whole life I've been wondering how to use custom callsigns for my squads and my side HQ in OFP. I just came back to game editing to instantly figure it out by opening and analyzing BIS' CONFIG.BIN. I created my own addon where I defined various callsigns. Here's how to do it:

 

Make a config.cpp. Type in:

 

class CfgPatches {
 class MYCustomGroups {
  units[] = {};
  weapons[] = {};
  requiredVersion = 1.28;
 };
};
class CfgHQIdentities {
	class EAGLE {
		name = "EAGLE";
		speaker = John;
		pitch = 1.10;
	};
	class EAGLE_BASE {
		name = "EAGLE_BASE";
		speaker = John;
		pitch = 1.10;
	};
	class NOGOVA {
		name = "NOGOVA";
		speaker = John;
		pitch = 1.10;
	};
	class GERONIMO {
		name = "GERONIMO";
		speaker = John;
		pitch = 1.10;
	};
	class TASMANIAN_DEVIL {
		name = "TASMANIAN_DEVIL";
		speaker = John;
		pitch = 1.10;
	};
};
class CfgWorlds {
	class GroupNameList {
		letters[] = {"Roman","Nogova","Geronimo","Tasmanian"};
	};
	class GroupNames {
		class Roman {
		name = "Roman";
		image = "";
	};		
	class Nogova {
		name = "Nogova";
		image = "";
	};
	class Geronimo {
		name = "Geronimo";
		image = "";
	};
	class Tasmanian {
		name = "Tasmanian";
		image = "";
	};
};
	class GroupColorList {
	 colors[] = {"GroupCustom1","GroupCustom2"};
 };
 class GroupColors {
  class GroupCustom1 {
   name = "Custom1";
   image = "";
  };
 class GroupColors {
  class GroupCustom2 {
   name = "Custom2";
   image = "";
  };
 };
};

In CfgHQIdentities we define our custom HQ callsigns. For example instead of using:

[east, "base"] sideChat "some text"

I can now use my custom callsign:

[east, "EAGLE_BASE"] sideChat "some text"

You will see EAGLE_BASE displayed instead of PAPA_PEAR.

 

As for the custom group callsigns we first define a list of them and then we define each one.

player setGroupId ["Tasmanian", "GroupColor0"]; player sideChat "some text"

will display Tamsnian (Playername): some text instead of the usual Alpha Black 1 (Playername): some text

You can also add custom colours, though you are not limited to putting a color inside the string, you can put anything you want in it. This is done in the GroupColorList and GroupColors sections.

 

Finally put your config.cpp inside a folder, name the folder the same way you named your class after CfgPatches, turn it into a .pbo file, put it in the addons folder and you're good to go and call your own defined callsigns.

[krzychuzokecia 700]

IIRC it was never a mystery of how to create new callsigns, there are several addons containing new callsigns (one by Mapfact, and other by WGL team).

 

What was the problem was how to create new callsigns without using addons, and that can be achieved by preparing special stringtable.csv file for one's mission, which would replace original string values with custom ones. Here's Toadlife's tutorial regarding abstract HQ identity replacement, and changing group names/colours is the same (just use STR_CFG_GRPNAMES_whatever, or STR_CFG_GRPCOL_whatever instead of STR_CFG_PAPABEAR).

[domcho 20]

Yeah I knew about the stringtable.csv method, but that approach overwrites existing groups. I wanted to have my own callsigns on top of the already existing ones. However, I do agree that the stringtable.csv method is easier and faster to do and also useful since you're avoiding the use of addons.