How to set game year to limit available gear? (Env year is set to 1985)

[priglmeier 1]

I am trying to create a mission which is set around 1985.
The setting foe the mission - environment year is set to 1985.
I am using the US 1985 and other 1980s troops and gear for BLUFOR / OPFOR.

When the game is played it still spawns modern Arma 2000-2035 units, gear, vehicles and weapons.

How do you limit the year for all units, gear, vehicles and weapons to 1985?

[barccy 53]

If you're placing units that will be present from mission initialization, just place the ones you want.
For those spawned as the mission progresses, you would have to find the class names of the units you want to spawn and replace the ones you don't want spawning with those in whatever script or mod you are using for spawning. What kind of mission are you making and with what mods and / or scripts exactly are you making it?

[priglmeier 1]

So my guess at this point is:
The setDate has no effect on the units, gear, vehicles and weapons generated (from Warlords - Response Teams connected to WL Sectors) because there is no CreationDate / ReleaseDate like a DB would have.
So blacklisting / whitelisting manually is the method being used by Missions like Weferlingen.
I am going to try to locate the Weferlingen PBO mission file and see how they created this gear limit.

[mrcurry 510]

On 12/27/2024 at 2:24 PM, priglmeier said:

So my guess at this point is:
The setDate has no effect on the units, gear, vehicles and weapons generated (from Warlords - Response Teams connected to WL Sectors) because there is no CreationDate / ReleaseDate like a DB would have.
So blacklisting / whitelisting manually is the method being used by Missions like Weferlingen.
I am going to try to locate the Weferlingen PBO mission file and see how they created this gear limit.

 

Correct, think of the mission runtime as a giant sandbox. Everything loaded (default addons or mods) will be available. There's nothing stopping you having dinosaurs fight aliens (as long as you have the modded assets to do so). It's up to you as the mission designer to come up with and implement the rules.

[priglmeier 1]

Still looking for a good example to review.

Weferlingen / Cold War era games would be good, except they don't use PBO files ... they use EBO (encrypted PBOs).
Also, will a WL/BL exclude gear from being spawned by Warlords - Sector Response Team on the map?

 

[priglmeier 1]

Still looking...
It may be related to BIS_fnc_WLSendResponseTeam and configuring it to use the US85 an other 1980s units and gear as the defaults.
The BI site has not examples of this being used on their site:
 https://community.bistudio.com/wiki?title=BIS_fnc_WLSendResponseTeam&useskin=vector&mobileaction=toggle_view_desktop

[mrcurry 510]

On 12/29/2024 at 3:14 AM, priglmeier said:

Still looking...
It may be related to BIS_fnc_WLSendResponseTeam and configuring it to use the US85 an other 1980s units and gear as the defaults.
The BI site has not examples of this being used on their site:
 https://community.bistudio.com/wiki?title=BIS_fnc_WLSendResponseTeam&useskin=vector&mobileaction=toggle_view_desktop

 

From a quick google on how to setup Warlord factions:

 

In short:

If you want only 1980's gear you have to have a mod that provides that gear and is configured correctly.

Once you do you set that mod's factions as their respective faction config in the Warlord Init module.

To get the correct spawnable equipement you also need to create an assetlist.

 

Since Weferlingen e.t.c. provide their own factions anyway all they do is change the faction configs and make their own asset list.

[priglmeier 1]

Interesting ... but also YIKES!
It should be easier than making a complete custom asset list with --EVERY-- item, cost and details as he described.
It would be nice if Weferlingen and the Cold War DLCs weren't encrypted as well to get the file examples that were used there.
I will be stopping my interest in this unless I find an easier method. 🙂
 

[pierremgi 4906]

I created modules which allow you to customize/ randomize group(s) with the units and gears you want. You can even mix helo, vehicles and units, so you will spawn what you want. You just have to edit these custom groups in editor and link them to these modules (advanced patrol and spawn group attack modules).

[priglmeier 1]

@pierremgi a couple of questions:

Is there any easy method to use custom asset lists to do this where you select the top of an asset class? (1 for BLUFOR and 1 for OPFOR)
In theory, you should only need the US'85 and whatever cold war gear you pick for OPFOR.

...AND while I do enjoy a technical challenge, I already have a day job as an engineer so I don't want Arma to feel like work! 🙂
Most of the issue I've had getting things done have been because they are not well documented and you have to search repeatedly to find the right answers to simple things.

I also need to set the gear or EF missions so when players/AI respawn they don't get weird loadouts. Just had this happen over the weekend.

[mrcurry 510]

On 1/1/2025 at 4:51 PM, priglmeier said:

Interesting ... but also YIKES!
It should be easier than making a complete custom asset list with --EVERY-- item, cost and details as he described.
It would be nice if Weferlingen and the Cold War DLCs weren't encrypted as well to get the file examples that were used there.
I will be stopping my interest in this unless I find an easier method. 🙂
 

Well the only way it's gonna be easy is if someone else has already done it. Assigning arbitrary values to equipment with so many varying characteristics is not a task that's easy to automate, at least if you want to do it sensibly...

 

If you intend to play with and use Bohemian or Creator DLCs to provide the assets you should be able find the appropriate faction classes in the config viewer if you launch the game with the DLC enabled.

 

As for the asset list, check if the creator of the DLC has uploaded the list somewhere (discord/website).

If that fails try gaining access to the debug console in the mission. There used to be a mod that enabled the debug console in SP missions. If you can access the debug console:

• Run the warlords mission you are interested in
• open the debug console > config viewer from within the mission
• navigate to the missionConfigFile subtree, it should contain all relevant info since the mission needs it

[priglmeier 1]

Nice, thanks.

[priglmeier 1]

Hmm. In the Warlords Init:
I have the custom asset list ['MyWLAssetList'] added to the config.
I edited and added the classes to the description.ext (snippet below)
 

I have BLUFOR faction set to US85
OPFOR faction set to CSLA

IND

faction set to FIA

 

I added the usual Warlords Init, 2 bases and some linked sectors to test.

The units appear correct in the Eden editor and for whatever side you choose to play on either BLUFOR/OPFOR.
 

What's strange is:
Whatever the opposing side is (to you) will have the wrong uniforms. Not the ones set in the editor or in the asset list?
Not sure why? 
 

class CfgWLRequisitionPresets
{
    class MyWLAssetList// --- class name used in the Init module
    {
        class WEST // --- assets available for BLUFOR
        {
            class Infantry
            {
                class US85_mcM16 // --- must be asset class name
                {
                    cost = 100; // --- Command Points required
                    requirements[]={}; // --- dispositions required ("A" = airstrip, "H" = helipad, "W" = water (harbour))
                };
                class US85_mcCprs
                {
                    cost = 125;
                    requirements[]={};
                };
                class US85_mcM249
                {
                    cost = 120;
                    requirements[]={};
                };
                class US85_mcM16GL
                {
                    cost = 140;
                    requirements[]={};
                };
                class US85_mcM21
                {
                    cost = 160;
                    requirements[]={};
                };
                class US85_mcM60
                {
                    cost = 180;
                    requirements[]={};
                };
                class US85_mcSMAW
                {
                    cost = 750;
                    requirements[]={};
                };
                class US85_mcFIM92
                {
                    cost = 1000;
                    requirements[]={};
                };
                class US85_svc
                {
                    cost = 550;
                    requirements[]={};
                };
           };
           class Vehicles
           {
        class US85_TT650
                {
                    cost = 50;
                    requirements[]={};
                };        
                class US85_M1043_ua
                {
                    cost = 100;
                    requirements[]={};
                };        
        class US85_M998SFGT
                {
                    cost = 1000;
                    requirements[]={};
                };
        class US85_M923o
                {
                    cost = 300;
                    requirements[]={};
                };
        class US85_M1025_M2
                {
                    cost = 1500;
                    requirements[]={};
                };
        class US85_M923a1cm2
                {
                    cost = 2500;
                    requirements[]={};
                };
        class US85_m113
                {
                    cost = 5000;
                    requirements[]={};
                };        
        class US85_lav25
                {
                    cost = 10000;
                    requirements[]={};
                };
        class US85_M1IP
                {
                    cost = 17500;
                    requirements[]={};
        };
        class US85_M1A1
                {
                    cost = 20000;
                    requirements[]={};
        };
        class US85_M923a
                {
                    cost = 7500;
                    requirements[]={};
                };
        class US85_M923f
                {
                    cost = 5500;
                    requirements[]={};
                };
        class US85_M923r
                {
                    cost = 5500;
                    requirements[]={};
                };
        class US85_M163
                {
                    cost = 12500;
                    requirements[]={};
                };
        class US85_M270
                {
                    cost = 30000;
                    requirements[]={};
                };
            };
            class Aircraft
            {
                class US85_UH60M240
                {
                cost = 2500;
                requirements[] = 
                    {
                        "H"
                    };
                };
                class US85_MH60FFAR
                {
                cost = 7500;
                requirements[] = 
                    {
                        "H"
                    };
                };
                class US85_AH1F
                {
                cost = 15000;
                requirements[] = 
                    {
                        "H"
                    };
                };
            };
            class Naval    {};
            class Gear {
            class US85_ammobox_ammunition
            {
                cost = 500;
                requirements[] = {};
            };
            /*
            class US85_ammobox_backpacks
            {
                cost = 500;
                requirements[] = {};
            };
            */
            class US85_ammobox_firearms
            {
                cost = 750;
                requirements[] = {};
            };

            class US85_ammobox_launchers
            {
                cost = 1000;
                requirements[] = {};
            };

            class US85_ammobox_support
            {
                cost = 600;
                requirements[] = {};
            };

            class US85_ammobox_staticWeapons
            {
                cost = 5000;
                requirements[] = {};
            };

            };
            class Defences {};
        };
    
        class EAST
        {
            class Infantry
            {
                class CSLA_mrSa58P
                {
                    cost = 100; // --- Command Points required
                    requirements[]={}; // --- dispositions required ("A" = airstrip, "H" = helipad, "W" = water (harbour))
                };
                class CSLA_mrMedi
                {
                    cost = 125;
                    requirements[]={};
                };
                class CSLA_mrVG70
                {
                    cost = 140;
                    requirements[]={};
                };
                
                class CSLA_mrOP63
                {
                    cost = 160;
                    requirements[]={};
                };
                
                class CSLA_mrUK59L
                {
                    cost = 180;
                    requirements[]={};
                };
                
                class CSLA_mrRPG7
                {
                    cost = 750;
                    requirements[]={};
                };
                
                class CSLA_mr9K32
                {
                    cost = 1000;
                    requirements[]={};
                };
                class CSLA_mrDrM
                {
                    cost = 550;
                    requirements[]={};
                };
            };
            class Vehicles
            {
                class CSLA_JARA250
                {
                    cost = 50;
                    requirements[]={};
                };
                class  CSLA_AZU
                {
                    cost = 100;
                    requirements[]={};
                };
                
                class  CSLA_AZU_para
                {
                    cost = 150;
                    requirements[]={};
                };
                
                class CSLA_F813
                {
                    cost = 300;
                    requirements[]={};
                };
                class CSLA_OT65A
                {
                    cost = 3500;
                    requirements[]={};
                };        
                class CSLA_OT64C
                {
                    cost = 5000;
                    requirements[]={};
                };
                class CSLA_OT62
                {
                    cost = 6000;
                    requirements[]={};
                };        
                class CSLA_BVP1
                {
                    cost = 11000;
                    requirements[]={};
                };
                
                class CSLA_T72
                {
                    cost = 17500;
                    requirements[]={};
                };        
                class CSLA_T72M1
                {
                    cost = 20000;
                    requirements[]={};
                };    
                class CSLA_V3SF
                {
                    cost = 5500;
                    requirements[]={};
                };
                class CSLA_V3Sr
                {
                    cost = 5500;
                    requirements[]={};
                };
                class CSLA_V3Sa
                {
                    cost = 7500;
                    requirements[]={};
                };
                class CSLA_PLdvK59V3S
                {
                    cost = 12500;
                    requirements[]={};
                };
                class CSLA_RM70
                {
                    cost = 30000;
                    requirements[]={};
                };
            };
            class Aircraft
            {
                class CSLA_Mi17mg
                {
                    cost = 2500;
                    requirements[] = 
                    {
                        "H"
                    };
                };
                class CSLA_Mi17pylons
                {
                    cost = 7500;
                    requirements[] = 
                    {
                        "H"
                    };
                };
                class CSLA_Mi24V
                {
                    cost = 15000;
                    requirements[] = 
                    {
                        "H"
                    };
                };
            };
            class Naval{};
            class Gear{
                class CSLA_ammobox_ammunition
                {
                    cost = 500;
                    requirements[] = {};
                };
            /*
                class CSLA_ammobox_backpacks
                {
                    cost = 500;
                    requirements[] = {};
                };
            */
                class CSLA_ammobox_firearms
                {
                    cost = 750;
                    requirements[] = {};
                };
                class CSLA_ammobox_launchers
                {
                    cost = 1000;
                    requirements[] = {};
                };

                class CSLA_ammobox_support
                {
                    cost = 600;
                    requirements[] = {};
                };

                class CSLA_ammobox_staticWeapons
                {
                    cost = 5000;
                    requirements[] = {};
                };
            };
            class Defences{};
        };
    };
};

[pierremgi 4906]

Normal,

In warlords, you can choose the assets you want to buy, not the custom uniforms or gears.

Via cfgGroups in simple scenario, you can also customize groups but not loadouts.

 

Note : your choice about warlords wasn't clear, the reason why I wrote about my modules, as far as you can edit (then spawn in game) whatever you need.

So, using warlords, the class CfgWLRequisitionPresets is what you need but you may have to tweak the spawned units/assets for meeting your own requirements.

You can do that by, using in initServer.sqf:
addMissionEventHandler ["EntityCreated", {
  params ["_entity"];
  call {
    if (_entity isKindOf "US85_mcM16") exitWith { _entity setUnitLoadout [...]};
    if (_entity isKindOf "US85_mcM249") exitWith { _entity setUnitLoadout [....]};
    .....
  };
}];

I let you discover setUnitLoadout

You can also make things much faster in game, creating an hashmap with type of units and respective loadout, then the MEH entityCreated and get command.