Group Link II ver. 1.90 released

[Blanco 0]

Very impressive as usual, Keycat. Very unpredictable situations, i like it a lot.

I'm using Grouplink in a BlackOps SPmission I'm working on and I have a guard in a tower with a searchlight who is able to detect the player as well as friendly bodies. The guard is not a part of a grouplink group. I read in the readme that it's possible to alert grouplink-groups by non-grouplink units via the reveal trick.

Now my question...

AFAIK the reveal trick make the group move to the targetgroup or better, search in the area the targetgroup was spotted)

Is it possible to make a grouplink group move to the position of the body instead of the targetgroup?

Will a domove command override the script?

[KeyCat 131]

I'm glad you guys are enjoying it!

Quote[/b] ]

I'm working on and I have a guard in a tower with a searchlight who is able to detect the player as well as friendly bodies.

Sounds cool, what searchlight addon are you using?

Quote[/b] ]

Is it possible to make a grouplink group move to the position of the body instead of the targetgroup?

Will a domove command override the script?

Don't think it will work since the script is looping and the AI group that is supporting the watchtower guard if you use the trigger/reveal tip will move close to the unit that was detected.

/Christer (a.k.a KeyCat)

[Blanco 0]

Quote[/b] ]Sounds cool, what searchlight addon are you using?

None, it's a scripted searchlight based on the light of an M2 machinegun. It's hard work to simulate line of sight, but it's do-able because it's static and you can define the area with lots of repeatable triggers. (and it doesn't lag at all)

There is searchlight addon but only for planes, that light is too big for watchtowers. I hope he will make a smaller one for watchtowers, meanwhile I use the M2 method.

The mission is on Nogova in Davle, on each bank of the river a searchlight. One of the objectives : destroy one of the pillars of the bridge, playing a demolition diver.

Since AI not very willing to cross the bridge I have to run Grouplink twice with different groups on each side of the river.

I hope it will work that way, but right now I'm still testing the searchlights.

[KeyCat 131]

Quote[/b] ]There is searchlight addon but only for planes, that light is too big for watchtowers. I hope he will make a smaller one for watchtowers, meanwhile I use the M2 method.

Yea I tested Motho38's searchligt and as you say it's not suitable for watchtowers. Lets hope he does the smaller version as he planned...

Quote[/b] ]

Since AI not very willing to cross the bridge I have to run Grouplink twice with different groups on each side of the river.

I hope it will work that way, but right now I'm still testing the searchlights.

Please note that running the GL II script twice with different groups may cause problems since the scripts will be accessing the same global variables. Be sure to test it extensively to make sure no ill effects are happening...

/Christer (a.k.a KeyCat)

[Blanco 0]

Hmmm, damn.

Then I have to make 2 grouplink scripts with sdifferent global variables...like changing KEY_occupied into KEY_occupied2...etc...

..and hoping I don't run into the savegame bug, I suppose there are many global vars?

[KeyCat 131]

@ Blanco: Yes, duplicating all global variables/arrays in another script would probably work OK and there aren't that many (my estimate is ~15-25).

/Christer (a.k.a KeyCat)

[crassus 0]

Keycat, I just incorporated GL 2 into a mission I'm working on, and it works as advertised!! Thanks.

Questions:

1. My mission includes a squad of mortars (three tubes). Currently, I've a freighter-load of triggers and scripts set up to turn the mortars in the direction of, and fire on, the player's approach. GL2 eliminates the need for all the work I did.

Will GL2 allow for more than one indirect fire asset? I need the three tubes, as they are to fire in a parallel sheaf, to properly decimate the player's attacking rifle company.

2. Do I have to group any helo-embarked infantry with the pilot to get them disembark and hunt me?

Also, a request: I would like to see AI groups not fire flares unless someone in the group is actually armed with them.

Great stuff, Keycat.

[KeyCat 131]

Hiya Crassus!

Will GL2 allow for more than one indirect fire asset? I need the three tubes, as they are to fire in a parallel sheaf, to properly decimate the player's attacking rifle company.

The answer to your first question is... Unfurtunately not, the artillery support in GL II is very simple and do not actually fire from the artillery object, nor range checks or anything else. The script only check the artillery objects healt and if it's destroyed (or absent) there is no artillery available for the enemy AI. I decided to keep it simple to keep the script as lean as possible so it also works on lesser machines.

Why not use your own UA that is far far better in that area?

Quote[/b] ]

2. Do I have to group any helo-embarked infantry with the pilot to get them disembark and hunt me?

Hmm... I frankly can't remember   but I think you have to. Will try to check it up for you later.

Quote[/b] ]

Also, a request: I would like to see AI groups not fire flares unless someone in the group is actually armed with them.

Noted on the wish/todo list but no promises

Quote[/b] ]

Great stuff, Keycat.  

Glad you like it!

/Christer (a.k.a KeyCat)

[Shinbusan 0]

Is there an easy way to turn off and then turn on again GL2? Some global variable in example.

[Commando84 0]

Hi Keycat how are things going with the new GL2 version? i wonder how would i do if i would like to add general barrons squad rush script to the a.i's behaviour when the player has been detected? its pretty cool to have some a.i's cover some of the other a.i's that move in and then vice versa. Makes a.i's act more tactical

[KeyCat 131]

Quote[/b] ]

Is there an easy way to turn off and then turn on again GL2? Some global variable in example.

@Shinbusan: Sorry for my late reply, maybe you already found it in the README.TXT but the answer is:

Yes, you can turn off GL II by using the "KEY_KillGroupLink2" variable.

<table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE">

I also added an global variable that kills the Group Link II script completely

if set to True (it may take a while until all active scripts are cancelled). You

can now kill it and re-initialize in the same mission if need be.

; Kill GLII script

KEY_KillGroupLink2 = True

Quote[/b] ]

Hi Keycat how are things going with the new GL2 version?

@Commando84: Sorry to say but I'm not working on any new version at the moment. I was hoping to get some time to adapt GL II to Silola's great DAC but to much stuff going on in RL.

Currently, I'm laying low and see what Armed Assault brings to the table when it's relased. Hopefully BIS improved the AI alot and makes this kind of scripts redundant

Quote[/b] ]

i wonder how would i do if i would like to add general barrons squad rush script to the a.i's behaviour when the player has been detected?

I was in contact with General Barron back then and tried to implement his squad rush script in GL II. Can't remember exactly why I decided to not implement it but think it was due to relative high CPU hit and I wanted to keep GL II as lean as possible.

/Christer (a.k.a KeyCat)

[hardrock 1]

I was hoping to get some time to adapt GL II to Silola's great DAC but to much stuff going on in RLâ„¢.

Wow you earned a lot respect from me with this statement! I like it that you don't see it as competition, but more as possibility of cooperation!

[KeyCat 131]

Thanks, I've been in contact with Silola and MCPXXL since last summer and I guess we all hoped I would be able to pull it off but the past 6 months theres been little or no time at all for OFP for me.

This OFP community is one of the best communities out there IMHO and I think most ppl favor co-operation (on all levels) instead of competition. As always, if we pull in the same direction and share we get much further

/Christer (a.k.a KeyCat)

[sputnik monroe 102]

I'm having a small problem with grouplink II.

I have a resistance squad in a BMP connected to the script. I've tested to make sure they work with the script and they do, sort of. The BMP shows up where the player was spotted and the passengers disembark and begin searching, excellent.

Now the problem is that the BMP's commander,driver and gunner also disembark.

The BMP is the BIS BMP (resistance) that comes with resistance. A theory I have is that it isn't covered by the script and needs added as a third party addon in the init. I followed the directions in the readme about adding third party vehicles to the script, problem is I cannot for the life of me find the class name of the resistance BMP.

[mr.peanut 1]

I'm having a small problem with grouplink II.

 I have a resistance squad in a BMP connected to the script. I've tested to make sure they work with the script and they do, sort of. The BMP shows up where the player was spotted and the passengers disembark and begin searching, excellent.

 Now the problem is that the BMP's commander,driver and gunner also disembark.

 The BMP is the BIS BMP (resistance) that comes with resistance. A theory I have is that it isn't covered by the script and needs added as a third party addon in the init. I followed the directions in the readme about adding third party vehicles to the script, problem is I cannot for the life of me find the class name of the resistance BMP.

Make a new mission and put a Resistance Crew unit on the map. Save it and then look at the mission.sqm to get the unit's class. That class must be added to the crew array. If resistance is friendly to east just put an empty resistance BMP and put east crew units in it.

[sputnik monroe 102]

Thanks, for the quick response. So where is this crew aray? I think that may be the problem as I'm not using the BIS resistance crew to crew the BMP. I'm using DMA European guerillas, so I take it they must be added to some sort of aray in the script?

  Player is east side so the resistance is unfriendly.

*Edit* I just tested it out again but this time using the default BIS crew to moveincargo commander, driver and gunner. Interesting, when using the BIS resistance crew they stay in the BMP as they should. I guess I'll just use the default crew to crew the BMP then.

[mr.peanut 1]

Look in grouplink2.sqs for the following line:

<table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE">KEY_CrewMembers = ["SoldierECrew", "SoldierWCrew", "SoldierGCrew", "SoldierEPilot", "SoldierWPilot", "SoldierGPilot"]

Just add the units you do not want to get out to this array.

[sputnik monroe 102]

Cool thanks

[ROBINO 0]

Can't belive I missed this for so long - its awesome !!

While trying the simple example mission I couldn't seem to get the chopper to chase after me.  Do I have to wipe-out all the other squads before it is called-in for support ?

EDIT

No problem now - I just inserted all groups into the static group array except the one for the chopper and now it chases after me fine.

Now I'm off to insert plenty of the addons we use into the arrays and see what happens though I'm sure all will work fine

My only problem with the script is the limitation of thier being only one target group. In RM brigade we like to use 4-man sections so I will most likely have to go against tradition and use 12-man groups when using this script.

Otherwise... Keep on Keeping on.