ZEUS CTI v1.2 released

[Pimmelorus 0]

It seems that some strange things are happening to the AI routines. To be honest, I have been focussing mostly on the PvP aspect of the game, and was not able to give the AI behavior a good comparison.

The 5 sec. freezing is caused by a problem in one of the CoC network services functions and is not related to the ZSCTI itsself. I am afraid that I have to pass this error on to the CoC boys.

For the AI problems I find this quite puzzling, as the PvP and the Coop versions of MFCTI are not much different. Most of these differences have to do with the pregame options (west coop, east coop, etc) and NONE affect the scripts that control AI behaviour.

This starts me worrying a bit. I have been testing ZEUS CTI only in true PvP surroundings (human commanders, lots of human soldiers). When I saw that the AI commanders were building bases and gave commands I assumed AI behaviour would be allright. Maybe I have interfered with the AI scripts and was not aware of it.

So, could you please do me one favor? Could you play the PvP version but in a way the resembles a Coop game i.e., all human players on either east or west. Big question is then , if the AI opponents show this superpower behaviour too.

Help would be greatly appreciated.

EDIT: the missing textures problem has been solved btw.

[SEAL84 0]

So, could you please do me one favor? Could you play the PvP version but in a way the resembles a Coop game i.e., all human players on either east or west. Big question is then , if the AI opponents show this superpower behaviour too.

Will do...dunno exactly when we'll have another go at it, but we'll try it.

BTW forgive me for being stupid but what's the difference between the "m" maps and the "z" maps?

[bn880 5]

The 5 sec. freezing is caused by a problem in one of the CoC network services functions and is not related to the ZSCTI itsself. I am afraid that I have to pass this error on to the CoC boys.

Not necessairly, it may have been caused by some other OFP network abnormality which affected one of the PublicVariabled variables used for synchronization (IE Desync etc). I looked at the code yesterday, and I did not find any obvious bugs in that region. I will consult with Dinger however as that piece is his creation. Please note that I use this function _heavily_ in my Bastige Missions, and never saw this error once, we are of course talking about laggy and desynced, hundreds of AI, dozen of players... so I am rather surprized.

Pim. Did you use the latest version of NS what we spoke of last on CoC forums?

I personally would never under any circumstance recommend a CTI game under non-dedicated server play, and on a Cable or ISDN conenction. I don't believe it is very reliable.

[DrBobcat 0]

Played Nogova ZEUS CTI COOP on a LAN with one of my bros

Specs of systems

(My Computer)

p4 2.6 ghz

radeon 9800 pro 256 mb /w omega drivers (latest version)

1gb 2700 DDR

SB Audigy 2 ZS

- Played with DxDll, Llaumax, FlashFx, and Satchel's Dynamic Range Pack

- 8.12 visual quality, 1200x1024x32 resolution, frame rate @ 7.12, all shadows on

- 512 cockpit textures, 512 environment textures, 1024 object textures, 512 special effects textures, and 54k geo performance

(Family, aka The Bitch, Computer)

p4 1.8 ghz

radeon 9000 128 mb /w omega drivers (latest version)

256 mb 2100 ddr

SB Live! Value

-Played with Llaumax, FlashFx, and Satchel's Dynamic Range Sound Pack

- 5.12 visual quality, 800x600x32 resolution, frame rate at 7.12, all shadows on

- 256 cockpit textures, 256 environment textures, 512 object textures, 128 special effect textures, and 3500 geo performance

Before We Started

- West coop. Friend was on "my computer" and was commander. I was just another player (Hotel), and was on his side (on the family pc)

- Average opposition and all 9 enemy AI on east

Issues during play

- Got the same error message regarding the mortars as the other folks, later on in the game, though, ~ 3 hours in. Caused 5-10 seconds of sheer freezing on BOTH of the pcs.

- Never played CTI much before but are salvagers supposed to get rid of dead armoured units? All throughout the course of the map, the enemy sent WAVE after WAVE of 50+ t72s, t80s, and shilkas. Started to bog down both of our systems even and "my computer" always seems to run OFP like a champ. There needs to be a way to clear out those dead units or it just bogs like shit

- Reported the EXACT same issue with the helicopters too. Was getting demolished near the beginning as the enemy had ~ 10 or so hinds/ka-50s. Was annoying just trying to move 5 ft towards a town and then get hit with an at6 or something....haha

Overall

Still had a freaking blast. Me and my buddy loaded up a scavenger with like 24 mines and just laid them out where the enemy was coming from. Got mighty rich after so many kills. Just kept doing that for a while before I hopped in a captured enemy shilka and then cleared out a runway near the road. Took off with an A10 LGB and looked for their base. Found it, and called in mortars (this is where the 10 second lag thing started to happen, once those mortars started goin). Since mortars were not working, I just bombed the fuck out of it, blew up the enemy mhq and we won .

I have played MFCTI 1.16 coop before and it was MUCH laggier then this, but still, I noticed some very annoying querks that made the ai almost impossible to fight against . Keep it going, and I know how to script pretty great as well. I could also help you with testing if you need me to. Send a PM with a IM handle, so we can talk, or just email me.

[sanctuary 19]

BTW forgive me for being stupid but what's the difference between the "m" maps and the "z" maps?

From what i understood on their website, the "m" maps are using the previous mfcti1.16 code/scripts while the "z" version use the new optimised code/scripts.

[SEAL84 0]

Well, I fired up the regular -Z Everon map (non-coop) and tested it solo...

No enemy choppers at all this time, but something even funnier happened...only pics will convey how strange this is.

I played as Alpha team leader this time and let the AI run the show - he elected to keep Foxtrot and Bravo in our base for defense and let most of the other squads run free...so the following pics could only be Bravo and Foxtrot. Charlie squad spent the whole game in Le Moule.

First pic: this is what I saw upon returning to my base after like an hour in the field kicking ass. (101 kb!)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v422/seal84/parkinglot.jpg

Second pic: this was what I saw about half an hour later.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v422/seal84/parkinglot2.jpg

It got even worse...in the last 15 minutes of the game, I was back there. I didn't take a screenie but I jotted down the numbers I saw....

5x M1s

6x M60s

1 Kiowa

1 Black Hawk

6x Vulcans

5x M113s

1 Salvager.....

All just sitting there. None of them ever moved. Let me see if I can remember what squads had what gear...

Alpha: me

Bravo: sat in the base the whole time, must have had half of those tanks in the pictures.

Charlie: 7 or 8 infantrymen standing around in Le Moule

Delta: not sure, they spent most of the game wandering around in circles out in the wilderness with a few infantrymen.

Echo: just the team leader

Foxtrot: also in the base with some of that armor

Golf: Golf took the initiative and bought some M60s, M1s and Vulcans. They were actually out getting shit done.

Hotel: Same as Golf. They bought some armor and APCs later in the game.

As for the Russians, I saw 5 or 6 Shilkas, 3 T-80s and a couple of BMPs. They started just south of the Airport and didn't take much ground - we started east of Le Moule. I took Montingac from the resistance, and some AIs took Tyrone and Gravette, though I don't know from who. One time I was returning to Montingac with a Bradley and an Abrams when one of my men spotted a Russian - the Abrams gunned him down, but he was by himself.

We headed North towards Tyrone, and halfway there a squad of Spetznaz and snipers tried to ambush us. They didn't last long. We then took Tyrone and Meaux with no opposition before we ran into their base defenses, which killed us all.

I went to their base in an A-10 and carpet-bombed it with LGBs....I'm not sure but it looked to me like there were lots of vehicles sitting around in their base too.

Eventually only Golf and Hotel teams were attacking, so I grabbed an M21, went to a forest near their base and started picking off the guys manning MGs. My commander bombarded it with our only mortar (no errors seen) and Hotel tried to attack...I had blown up half the buildings in my suicidal A-10 strike, so they went to work on a few before their Vulcan got RPG'd and the Abrams was lit up by their only remaining Shilka. I LAWed their MHQ, made sure none of the guns were manned, ran in and grabbed their 25mm HE cannon. I blew up the rest of their buildings and won.

As I was attacking their base though, some of their infantry got very far south...they took Provins, Figari and Morton. Before I attacked their base I was snooping around in an Apache, and when they took Figari I found and killed two Shilkas there. I took it back, went to Provins, took that back, and then saw that East had taken Figari again! I looked around and didn't see anyone. Must have been one Russian running around capturing the undefended towns behind our lines.

Speaking of towns and capturing, any time I take and East town I get the action "take flag" when I approach it. Never happend to me in MFCTI.

Also our salvagers were working fine early on, but then they strayed into a combat zone, got destroyed, and I never saw any out in the field again. The replacement just sat in the base like I mentioned previously.

So basically there were no script errors or chopper armadas this time, but my AI colleagues built enough armor to blow up the world and just sat in our base.

I'll try testing the same map with my friend soon.

[sanctuary 19]

Interesting, i was not aware you could have a functionning AI commander in a PvP version of a CTI mission.

I will try the everon PvP zCTI tonight using an AI commander, to see what i can report then.

[sanctuary 19]

Quick report of a game under a West commander in the -PvP- version of the zCTI.

Default options, no vote for extra things or disabling a feature.

-Foxtrot , Charlie, Bravo never went out of the base for the game duration.

-I never saw a single East unit until the end of the game , when after capturing most of the town, i went in the valley of Durras , to notice that Durras was under a red flag.

The enemy base was in fact in the south of Regina

-I never saw a single M1 or M1A2 in one of the friendly teams.

-I noticed the same strange vehicle "parking". All the vehicles had their crews as i was not able to enter in any of those

-When i went into a "spying" mission in the East base , i noticed that the "parking" behaviour was present for them too. (the destroyed tanks situation was the result of an attack from 2 AI teams with their M60 10mn before). For some obvious reason, i couldn't test if they were empty or had their crew inside

-I noticed that at least one of the West team leader was all by itself late in the game (not teammate, no vehicle.

-The other West team went around the map like they were supposed to be, capturing towns.

-No too early East choppers sighted, good new.

-No error appeared in the majority of the game , but i noticed sometime (while i was fighting or roaming the map) a message telling me that i can't buy a unit , i lack "x money" , certainly it was a message that was supposed to be for another team or for the commander but due to some bug ended to my screen.

After +/- the middle of the game it never occured anymore.

-One error appeared , near the end of the game, when i was near the east base, infiltrating.

-Fewer stuttering (maybe because this time there were a lot less enemy units), only appeared for unknown reason when i conquered Saint Philippe (our base was North East of Le Moule)and when the number of idle vehicles in the base began to be a bit important, but the stuttering never disappeared after that.

-The recylers seemed to make their job, when i went back to base they were not there (and i crossed their paths in some towns). But as i did not monitored them , i can't say more (i never saw an East recycler in that game)

-Unlike in the coop version, a (and only one) west chopper (OH-58)was finally built by an AI (when most of the map towns were conquered)

Usually in the coop version (even in mfcti) i was the only one to build one (in the very few games where the West AI commander built an airport), while the opposing side always built some.

Unfortunately , this chopper stayed in the base, idle.

That is all i could notice along this game.

[SEAL84 0]

heh, basically we had the same problems, but your post is a lot easier to read

I didn't get that mortar error, but I experienced everything else that you listed.

[Pimmelorus 0]

Thnx a lot guys for this report on AI behaviour! Apparently its fooked, and this went unnoticed by me. I think it will take some time to find out what is causing it. But I will certainly look into it.

[gwg_viper 0]

I got error when I was commander and i ordered my Ai Alpha team to move to my waypoint, error something like, ((no return for getpos cant setpos)), they did start moving to the waypoint though, but when I [ALT] clicked the team that should have automatically move didnt.

Other error was reports of me not be able to afford things, when i wasnt trying to buy anything and had nothing queued.

Also when i gave my ai teams money they bought men, but it allways said in the teams dialogue that there team size was 0.

was one other minor error that i forgot. I will do some serious testing soon, and start looking into the error, maybe i can help u fix some of these bugs.  

[Pimmelorus 0]

Yeah guys, I can tell you that the problems with the AI (soldiers and commander) are being adressed (lol. ..they are being addressed more then my gilfriend likes it :0 ). I localized the problems and AI is functioning as they should now. Also the malfunctioning salvagers have been repaired. Please be patient, and if you which to help me beta test when ready PM me at the ZEUS CTI webpage. I also found a very sloppy error that creates errors about the vote system on games on a single computer (so when no networking is used). That is solved too (would result in error of the voting system).

Thnx for all the help sofar.

Greetz, Pimmelorus

[sanctuary 19]

Good news

take your time polishing your zCTI , definitively the version that is getting me replaying this gametype.

[Pimmelorus 0]

Hi all,

Last weeks I have been looking at the various bug reports of zeus cti v1.0 and guess what ... there were quite some small errors left in the code. All problems as reported I think i have sorted out now.

My request to you all who have experience with MFCTI (and are interested, of course) is to give the new version a spin and see if there are still problems left. Most problems were reported with the behavior of AI commanders so I suggest this is tested mostly.

The zeusCTI1.1.pbo and 1 coop map (nogova) can be downloaded at this <span style='color:blue'><span style='font-size:17pt;line-height:100%'>location</span></span>

Thnx in advance for the help.

Greetz, Pimmelorus

Quote[/b] ]

Bug fixes ZEUS CTI v1.1

<ul>Fixed missing textures of zscti1.1.pbo addon

(corrected paths to textures)

Fixed player-AI negotiation on personal servers

(init.sqs)

Fixed calling artillery by AI commander

(UpdatecommanderAI.sqs)

Fixed functioning of salvagers

(cVehEH.sqs,InitCivilian.sqs,PlaceSides.sqs,AddVehicletoplayer.sqs,AddMannedVehicle.sqs,Ad

dResistance.sqs)

Fixed assigning AI team roles by AI commander

(UpdatecommanderAI.sqs,UpdateAI.sqs)

Changed initialization of variables

(UpdateDisconnectedPlayerServer.sqs)

Fixed adding mortars to approriate arrays

(Buildmortarserver.sqs)

Fixed activation of map command menu in the Coop-version

(mission.sqm)

Fixed salvagers driving into repair depots when returning to base

(UpdatesalvageAI.sqs)

Fixed possibility to queue new vehicles with insufficient funding resulting in a negative saldo

(addunittoplayer.sqs,addVehicletoplayer.sqs)

Fixed mortar attacks when manned by AI controled team

(UpdateMortar.sqs)

Fixed waypoint error of independent teams

(UpdateIndependentAI.sqs)

Fixed Command menu appearing for non-commander players

(cAddActions.sqs)

Removed wait at @-sign

(ResetBuilding.sqs)

Updated CoC NS to most recent version; removed 1 error

(ServerOpen.sqs)

Fixed ZEUS CTI adons appearing as MFCTI 1.16 addons in editor

(stringtable.csv of zscti1.1.pbo)

[sanctuary 19]

I will give it a try, thanks for the update.

EDIT : well i had a 30mn session, not more due to the game becoming unplayable.

It seems that Nogova+CTI is a really bad combination on my system, not the fault of zCTI , as MFCTI is already definitively unplayable on Nogova for me (online usually, i can play "Battlefield" missions when it is on Nogova, but MFCTI missions never unfortunately).

And the extra setviewdistance here is really not helping at all on that point (a vote option to get the viewdistance back would be interesting).

I had the time to notice , at +/- 10 mn , at the exact instant i died near Modrava due to some resistance ai taking advantage of the overall stuttering a message telling me that i was too short on money and could not buy something, like it happened on zcti 1.0 on Everon.

But it didn't occured 5mn later, when i died a second time in another area (but the visual lag was heavier too).

In those 20 mn, i took 3 towns, while the other AI took 2 others. I have not faced the early East choppers problem during this session, but as Nogova is huge, i can't say there were n

[nubbin77 0]

I know this isn't very helpful, but I had a CTD about 7 minutes into my mission. These are very rare for me. I'll try again tonight. Just an FYI, that there may still be some issues.

[Pimmelorus 0]

We have had 2 MP Coop games on ZEUS server and all was as should be. Also, some people played on standalone computer and reported no errors. Some small glitches were detected and removed (e.g., civilian cars not moving). So I can say that all is ok; expect a official v1.1 release in the comming 2 weeks.

Greetz, Pim

[gwg_viper 0]

so no pvp update?

i guess to fix all other islands zeuscti's coops, i could just copy and paste all the scripts into the old maps, apart from mission.sqm,  and briefing (which aint a scripts, "Info incase others try")

but it would be good if u got a list of scripts that have changed pim pls.

Also can u pls try get gotflashp to get the zeus cti forums up, i been doing lots of work with ur maps m8.

ok thxs for update

EDIT: gwg v platoon had a terrible game, where tanks and choppers couldnt be built (oh and workers) at 1st player markers wernt even moving, it was bad, the trinity jam 1 that was, but i have to look into this, as it seems the trin jam 1 uses mfcti extensions, whereas we all had the zeus addon. Others didnt have mfcti 1, but it asks for the zeus addon only, yet when i depbo, i see mfcti extentions, i have mfcti addon, and it worksd fine on my machine, so i guess maybe u need to let killswitch know maybe.

[Pimmelorus 0]

gwg_viper, all the troubles you report have been taken care of. And, yes other versions besides coop will be made, its just that i wanted to use a single map for beta testing.

Great that you have been working on the ZSCTI conversion. Don't worry in keeping track of all your changes accurately; I hav some nifty text comparison tools that will do all this work for you.

The ZESU CTI forums will not be up soon; could you please visit the www.ofp-zeus.com forums for now (editing and scripting section)?

Thnx for the heads up and cya,

Pimmelorus

[Pimmelorus 0]

Hi all,

I would like to notify all that the debugged version of ZEUS CTI (version 1.1) is now ready for download at the ZEUS CTI webpage.

For an extensive list of bug fixes go here  (yes I know, there were many ;) ).

We at ZEUS have never had so much CTI fun in DTB mode with insane opposition... lol

Greetz, Pimmelorus

[rekster 0]

1st I would like to say great work with the zues ver of CTI. It has def. reduced lag and desync. 1-8th has played the Nogova ver. 1.1 and only found to bugs, I have not seen listed.

Both bugs were seen only when playing Defend the base, and only as west.

1st bug. When starting, the commander only has the same amount of money as the rest of the players, instead of 9,000. Does make for an interesting challenge if this was done on purpose.

2nd but. Some of the players were unable to transfer resources.

Again great job, if these were already fixed, sorry for bringing up the issue.

[sanctuary 19]

Reading the bug fixes list , you made a great work.

I will test the coop everon very soon.

Thanks for your time

[sanctuary 19]

I played a session offline on Everon coop (the z version of course) under an AI commander.

Positive note : i saw no error message, that is good and an improvement on zcti 1.0.

All the salvagers worked and never got stuck doing nothing, big welcomed improvement for the money of the base.

Negative note : again i noticed in my base several vulcans (and 1 m113) stacking in front of the Light vehicle factory never moving, but at least they opened fire when needed. Their presence was responsible to a bit of computer lag appearing (before this "stack" was created, the game was smooth)

Another problem : after i took with the AI the north of Everon , i decided to proceed to Montignac, as one of my AI recon engaged only resistance there, i thought it should be easy and interesting to put an outpost there to control the future enemy movements.

Then as i had the money (default setting, no extra money voted on) to build 2 M1A1 with the good success i had in conquering the north everon, i did so (while noticing that no friendly AI ever built a tank).

And there as soon as the first M1A1 was built, a real army of Mi24 and 2 mi17 directly attacked the base

The good thing is that they destroyed the stacked vulcans and m113 that was really annoying while moving vehicles in the base, but unfortunately they +/- destroyed the whole base (preventing the 2nd M1A1 to be built).

With lot of luck , the M1A1 survived (considering all the missiles that hit my base, u was surprised), and as the gunner i helped destroying the army of HIND (suported by AA base defenses).

then out of money (and with a destroyed barrack/light and heavy factory) i moved to Montignac.

And finally, when approaching Montignac i was assaulted by 3 east T72 and a T80.

Well, despite taking out the first T72 , the other tanks destroyed us quickly.

when respawning at the base, i noticed a fallen hind not exploded on the ground, but heavily damaged. That was funny but unfortunately without any factory alive, i never really could repair it, as a wave of T72 directly came to my base (certainly the ones i met in Montignac).

[Pimmelorus 0]

Hi Sanctuary,

Thnx again for showing interest in the project.

At this point I should explain to you what the Coop setting of MFCTI/ZSCTI actually implies.

When playing on west side and the "west coop" setting activated, the enemy team (east) gets an strong advantage in starting the mission. For example all AI controlled east units get at least 100000 credits at the start of the mission. Therefore, the reason that you are rushed at the start my enemy helis and tanks is that enemy troop shave far more money to build factories and units.

To cut things short: to my feeling, you are reporting topics that are put in the CTI on purpouse, as errors.

So, my request to you is hat you have a couple of games of MFCTI 1.16 to see how that goes. Afterall, at the moment (in the future this might change) I seek nothing more than to get an improved version of MFCTI running bugfree, not to improve on possible game play issues. If there are issues in which MFCTI and ZSCTI differ I would love to know them.

Greetz, Pimmelorus

P.S. And I know for a fact that AI units go and buy tanks according to their role set by the commander. I have seen this repetitively.

[sanctuary 19]

Ah ok, i thought both sides were considered as equal at the start and the opposition (light/medium ...) was the only factor to change the strength (in term of money) of the sides on the battlefield.

Actually, the only MFCTI 1.15 and 1.16 i played were online and not coop versions, so i have never noticed a side being advantaged that much.

As with this side disadvantage story, the friendly AI are unable to share their money to build tanks when it is needed, unlike humans, so i imagine the problem does not exist when the coop version is played by humans only (as there is money sharing online when i play a CTI with my friends)

Sorry for the misunderstanding, i should be able to fix it myself for my offline sessions, now i understand that it is intended to be like this and is not the result of an AI bug, those settings should be easier to find myself.

But the problem of the Vulcans and M113 "stacking in the base" and not moving is not related to this AI balance choice, and seem to be the sourc of a big problem, at least for me as when i notice this , i notice that at +/- the same time it occurs, computer lags begin to appear (related to the same problem in mission editing with a big number of objects in the same area).

Quote[/b] ]P.S. And I know for a fact that AI units go and buy tanks according to their role set by the commander. I have seen this repetitively.

I imagine the fact i did not seen any AI to buy a tank in a whole hour to be related to that Vulcan stacking in the base i reported as it certainly took their allowed number of vehicle/unit by squad.