Good ways to simulate a blackout

[H++ 0]

Essentially im looking for good ways to simulate a blackout when a certain powerstation gets taken down. Were looking to plunge a town into darkness.

What are your thoughts?

I realise that this is probably going to become more of a discussion on lighting a town to plunge into darkness.

Mods: Search for "blackout", "light off" and "power" performed. Not much help

[Major Fubar 0]

From what I have read previously, it's almost impossible to get those darn streetlights in the towns in OFP to turn off at night...but...good luck, sounds like a cool mission idea

[mumbled_frog 0]

you can always bomb them, shoot them or blow them up to turn them off. but thats not the answer that you need

[Harnu 0]

Since you can't move them anymore, and it's a ***** to turn them off it seems. You can also try to camcreate bullets below the light and set its velocity straight up.

[Bosun 0]

The Baracken barracks addon had a nice little lightdemo with it using there small switch/trigger shed.....turned off all of the town lights....

(object 53492) switchlight "off"

(object 4885) switchlight "off"

(object 8192) switchlight "off"

[Major Fubar 0]

Could you setdammage to the streetlight by object number - simulate a power surge destroying them? Just a thought...

[Bosun 0]

Major Fubar Posted on Aug. 16 2003,08:34

Could you setdammage to the streetlight by object number - simulate a power surge destroying them? Just a thought...

Yes majorFubar that works as well, as l have tried it.  

lightname = (object 235443) place the list in your init and then you can trigger your powersurge

lightname setDammage 1.0

[TheMcDeth 0]

Well seems like command: (object XXXX) switchlight "off"

works, but there is one small problem. It seems dedicated server remembers if you have switched off the lights. Next time you play a mission on the same island the lights are off. One way is to turn the lights on in a script in the end, but for example if you reassign, the lights are off...

Can anyone verify this?

Is there a way to detect you are on debriefing and turn on the lights at that point?

[blackdog~ 0]

Before forceEnd in your end trigger, maybe activate a script to turn em back on.

[TheMcDeth 0]

Well I finally ended up with the following script to make some kind of special FX to simulate blackout:

"lightsout.sqs"

_flicks=random(10)+10

_flick=0

#loop

_flick=_flick+1

(object 4671) switchlight "off"

(object 4632) switchlight "off"

(object 4707) switchlight "off"

~random(40)/100

(object 4671) switchlight "on"

(object 4632) switchlight "on"

(object 4707) switchlight "on"

~random(70)/100

?_flick<_flicks: goto "loop"

(object 4671) setdammage 1

(object 4632) setdammage 1

(object 4707) setdammage 1

exit

This gives you random flickering of lights before destroying them completely. It is imp ortant to make sure the lights are on before you destroy them. You can mess around with the wait times to get it the way you like it.

[TheMcDeth 0]

Before forceEnd in your end trigger, maybe activate a script to turn em back on.

I did think of that, but what happens in admin forced end? I think it is not possible to turn them on in case of reassign, restart etc.

[-CCCP-Stalker 0]

There's a more simple and realistic way. Just turn them off and than, if you need 'em on again in another mission just restart OFP. And why is it more realistic ? Have you ever seen street light being knocked down after the electricity was off ?

[TheMcDeth 0]

Stalker @ Aug. 17 2003,16:41)]There's a more simple and realistic way. Just turn them off and than, if you need 'em on again in another mission just restart OFP. And why is it more realistic ? Have you ever seen street light being knocked down after the electricity was off ?

Restart OFP? Dedicated server admins will love this idea

[vektorboson 8]

Use rather

(object ID) switchlight "auto"

than switchlight "on", since lights aren't all time on :-)