minefields [TUTORIAL] How to build random land minefields

[thy_ 139]

After you've configured your mission correctly, you're ready to follow this tutorial. If not, you might face basic issues. That said, let's do it:

 

Desired:

• Create random minefields, a solution to prevent players from memorizing the minefield positions when playing several times the same mission;

 

Minefield Structure:

• In real life:
  • Mine ................... explosive device itself.
  • Minefield ........... a cluster of mines.
• Translation to World Editor:
  • Area .................... the entire region where one or more minefields will be placed. An Area has one or more minefields. It doesn't matter where the Area will be placed;
  • Layer .................. it is the minefield itself. A Layer has one or more mines; It doesn't matter where the Layer will be placed;
  • Slot .................... it is the mine itself. A Slot has just one mine; It's the exact position where that specific mine must spawn;

 

Building up random minefields:

1. Visit your Resource Browser in ArmaReforger > Prefabs > ScenarioFramework > Components and:
   1. AREA-SETUP: Drag and drop an Area (Area.et) somewhere on the map;
      1. LAYER-SETUP: Drag and drop a Layer (Layer.et) inside the Area previously created and listed in your Hierarchy tree;
         1. Drag and drop how many Slots (Slot.et) you want to convert for landmines for that specific minefield (Layer);
            1. Again, in Hierarchy area, don't forget to drag and drop the new slots into the recently created Layer;
            2. Select all Slots of the current Layer and:
               1. In the Object Properties area, select SCR_ScenarioFrameworkSlotBase;
                  1. In the Asset area, click on the "..." button, and search for one of these options, for example:
                     • US landmine = E_Mine_M15AT.et;
                     • USSR landmine = E_Mine_TM62M.et;
                       Crucial: don't use the options without "E_" as a prefix because those options will not work properly in-game. All "E_" options are in ArmaReforger > PrefabsEditable > Mines;
                  2. [OPTIONAL] In the Debug area, check the option Show Debug Shapes During Runtime to find easily where non-spawned mines would be during your mission creation;
         2. Now, repeat the "Layer-Setup" to create more minefields for the same area;
      2. Back to "Area-Setup", select your Area in the Hierarchy tree, go to Object Properties, and click on SCR_ScenarioFrameworkArea;
         1. In the Children's area:
            1. In the Spawn Children field, select Random_Multiple;
            2. In the Random Percent, set 50 to say to the engine that only 50 percent of all minefields belonging to this specific area should be spawned when some player is around;
   2. Now, repeat the "Area-Setup" for each area you want to set more minefields.

 

 

The result:

(Image below) The result must be similar to this:

 

 

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Performance Care:

With no documentation, I'm not sure what is the limit of landmine planting until the server's FPS starts to be affected. In my own tests, 400 mines didn't even scratch the match performance.

 

Current landmine planting limitations:

• If you try to set a mine into the ground, leaving just a small portion of it on the surface, unfortunately the mine will disappear when the mission is running;
• Only AT mines are available;

 

Question? Something more?

Share your thoughts!

 

 

 

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My Arma 3 Script for automatic minefield creation:

https://forums.bohemia.net/forums/topic/241257-release-ethics-minefields/

 

[Steve-E 0]

Quite an amusing story you tell yourself! Let's not spread mis-information. Mines have O(1) time-complexity. There are no triggers involved. You can use a generator to place 10000+ mines with no performance loss.

[thy_ 139]

17 hours ago, Steve-E said:

Quite an amusing story you tell yourself! Let's not spread mis-information. Mines have O(1) time-complexity. There are no triggers involved. You can use a generator to place 10000+ mines with no performance loss.

 

Show us the right operation with evidence. Where is this info through Reforger documentation?

Explain to us with precise details.

[Steve-E 0]

18 hours ago, thy_ said:

 

Show us the right operation with evidence. Where is this info through Reforger documentation?

Explain to us with precise details.

 

As you note in the post yourself, there is no documentation. 

I've already given you an easy way to verify/test in a few seconds; place more than 10000 mines with forest generator or object brush. FPS remains about the same.

Would have saved yourself a lot of time if instead of making a baseless assumption about performance of large minefields, you just took a couple of minutes to test it.

Perf may even be worse with your method of spawning/despawning mines with scenario framework, because doing so will have some overhead.

 

 

[thy_ 139]

2 hours ago, Steve-E said:

there is no documentation. 

 

So you should start to work on it. There is no time to lose.

 

2 hours ago, Steve-E said:

Perf may even be worse with your method of spawning/despawning mines with scenario framework, because doing so will have some overhead.

 

Let's say 20 Areas (.et) with an update rate of 10 seconds (as shown in the main post) definitely will NOT affect the match performance.
EDITED May 17th: Performing new tests deactivating the Despawn System only for those Areas, the mission works fine in an unchangeable FPS, which is perfect. I will edit the main post with the info.