ECP 1.075...The countdown begins.

[mcbean 0]

Looks awesome!!!

Komuna, keep up posting screens...

[tophe 69]

Awsome shots!!!

Could you do a shot with a soldier crawled down in a crater?

[GuardianAngel 0]

Ooo...I can still see the grass inside the crater.

I think you should do some thing about that.

And, can't you implement the "mussle flash" into an explosion as well? There is a bright flash out of the cannon but I can't see any flash from the explosion, that makes the picture look odd.

[Silent N Deadly 0]

Is there a "lag period" when the crater appears? But that looks tops! Very nicely done!

[Rommel 2]

Finally................. Pictures and NEW INGAME COVER WITHOUT USING THE MAP EDITOR OR DEFAULT BUILDINGS!!!!!!

[Espectro (DayZ) 0]

What happends if two craters are close to each other?

Also, the crater.. will it "pop" up when a tank is destroyed, or whenever you hit ground with a cannon? So you could for instance "force" some cover for your fellow grunts by making a crater on the battlefield?

m000

[crassus 0]

Good work, ECP.

Can you tell us if AI still avoid moving through/over such changes in terrain as the crater?

I know, after testing some breach obstacle scripts I'd written, that the AI would not move over/through the area on which the breach occured! (The script had AI engineers run up to specific spots on the barrier, plant satchels, run back to their apc, and after a few seconds, detonation.)

[zayfod 1]

Good work, ECP.

Can you tell us if AI still avoid moving through/over such changes in terrain as the crater?

I know, after testing some breach obstacle scripts I'd written, that the AI would not move over/through the area on which the breach occured! (The script had AI engineers run up to specific spots on the barrier, plant satchels, run back to their apc, and after a few seconds, detonation.)

AI Vehicles drive over them (looks very cool, pitching and rolling as they "boot it" over them), AI men run over them, no problems mate  

If your ass is in one (and you're prone) and a nade lands near, you're safe as houses  

Zay

[Maximus-Sniper 0]

Hei

Looks awesome

Good work

[h - 169]

Is there a "lag period" when the crater appears?

I'm pretty sure those are not createVehicled (which causes the 'lag period') but just 'edited' default craters (default crater models replaced...)...

I've done those myself too...

[EvEnLeaSe44 0]

Well, dont try to make it sound like, oh i can do this. or oh i did that to.

Thats rude dude, any how.

Great work ECP looks, well.. GREAT !

[h - 169]

Well, dont try to make it sound like, oh i can do this. or oh i did that to.

Thats rude dude, any how.

What the hell are you talking about...

I can make that kind of crater, and I have done it.

Does me saying that somehow translate into "ECP sucks!! You guys suck!!! I can make that kind of crater so there's nothing special about you!! I am God!! I'm better than anyone here!!!"

Get a brain, 'dude'...

Of course, I can't know how exactly they have done it but they sound and look like the things I've experimented with...

[edit]And my craters did look insanely crappy (like a half of some tire) and don't really work all the way the same way Zay says... So they probably are createVehicled after all, or you guys have found something I've missed [/edit]

Despite all of this, I'm awaiting this mod to get released...

The AI parts in the feature list are very very interesting...

Is there any change that your scripts could be 'loaned' for other mods once you release this??

I know a few people that the suppressive fire thingy would make a very happy campers

[SnakeATWAR 0]

Where can I get the latest version released to public, guys?

[Sluganda 0]

3D crater looks just awesome!

[shadow 6]

Where can I get the latest version released to public, guys?

The latest ECP is still v1.071

I know I sound like a broken record, but the new one (possibly 1.080) is not far off now.

[ade_mcc 0]

Little bit confused why we can't have 1.075 now with 1.08 whenever its ready but I read what you've been saying and it all looks promising.

Look forward to it all when its done.

[shadow 6]

1075 had serious MP-issues. It's very important that all ECP-clients run the same version of ECP. Having many different ECP-versions out there does not help the case.

There's more to it but I'd prolly get shot for saying anything so I'm just leaving it at that

[DBR_ONIX 0]

For the lag when creating the crater, that can be solved easily by, either at the start or the misssion (ECP-y init script) or placed in editor, createunit the crator at 0,0,0.. That way it's loaded in memory, and causes no lag when creating

Oh. Looks great etc etc

Hmm, how much will this increase the OFP miminum spec?

Not a problem here, but could be useful info for some other people

- Ben

[h - 169]

For the lag when creating the crater, that can be solved easily by, either at the start or the misssion (ECP-y init script) or placed in editor, createunit the crator at 0,0,0.. That way it's loaded in memory, and causes no lag when creating

Yeah...

Though afaik it's seems to be those complex vehicles like tanks etc that cause the 'lag period' upon creating...

In any case, interested to see what/how ECP guys have cooked these things up...

[Silent N Deadly 0]

Ok, that's great then, but no, the default craters were just textures no models.

[Guest]

Eh, eh, eh! It's funny reading you guys speculating about ECP's implementations.

Now, demystifying:

@HateR_Kint

In fact, those craters are "camCreate"d ingame. We have, indeed, tried to make a 3D model and replacing the default one from the Data.pbo. However, the effect would be rather odd, since the crater would look transparent . Fading craters was not our goal and we, in ECP, don't want to replace the default models from Data.pbo - at least, yet. And, as you should know, changing the path to some models - as the crater NonAiVehicle - is irrelevant, since those paths are hardcoded .

@GuardianAngel

Oh... That grass! Unfortunately, we haven't found a solution to this. The model was configured to keep its height at 0 - so that it looks always attached to the ground - but the interior of the crater may sometimes be overlayed by the ground. We could solve it by raising the bottom up; but, then, no soldier would be safe in that crater .

Also, if multiple craters are created next to each other, they'll just overlap eachother according to their shape.

@Those who wonder about lag and AI behaviour

First of all, this is a very basic and linear crater - it's just a ten side regular polygon (regular? bah!) - and, thus, doesn't make lag, even in low spec machines. Besides, it is "camCreate"'d and loads much less info than createVehicle, aswell as it doesn't cause any major lag problems in MP - createVehicle does. We camCreate most of our client sided effects, as a matter of fact.

Now, the AI behaviour towards the craters is quite irrelevant: it wont avoid or look for them - it rather ignores it. How? Simple (I found this from an issue with animated blood models): we configured them as logic. And no, this is no advanced trick, just a hint to beginers.

What happens if I try to shield my self in a crater?

The Geometry of the crater is very shallow (more than the aspect!), but we found it to be reliable, since the bullets won't cross it, neither the vehicles will crash on it.

The View Geometry, however, was shaped more or less according to the visual shape, so that the AI can shoot at the enemy's head, for example. It isn't perfect, but it is somehow related with engine limitations. The good news are that you can literaly hide yourself there.

For the record, these craters are sometimes created when a tank explodes. You can't, therefore, force their creation. I don't know if Zay will allow(1) this implementation for the current release, but we'll most certainly look forward at implementing the feature for HEAT shells - not APDS'es - in further releases.

Sugestions for further releases are most welcome!

(1) - We've been wasting too much time on MP testing, already. I, myself, won't allow any more implementations as it will force us to fully test them for MP, over and over until we asure there are no issues. (Zay almost killed the guy who implemented the multi-MP-bug, side-accordant and bouncing frag/smoke grenades...)

#Edited

Finally................. Pictures and NEW INGAME COVER WITHOUT USING THE MAP EDITOR OR DEFAULT BUILDINGS!!!!!!

Being sarcastic, uh?

[GuardianAngel 0]

Can you make the craters do "hide body" effect?

Sinking into the ground slowly enough so an human eye can't notice.

[GuardianAngel 0]

Quote[/b] ]

Oh... That grass! Unfortunately, we haven't found a solution to this. The model was configured to keep its height at 0 - so that it looks always attached to the ground - but the interior of the crater may sometimes be overlayed by the ground. We could solve it by raising the bottom up; but, then, no soldier would be safe in that crater .

So, does that mean you have removed the original BIS model from being created on explosion?

Because, if you put the ECP crater model on top of the original model, it'll have a "bottom" won't it?

[h - 169]

Quote[/b] ]

@HateR_Kint

In fact, those craters are "camCreate"d ingame. We have, indeed, tried to make a 3D model and replacing the default one from the Data.pbo. However, the effect would be rather odd, since the crater would look transparent .

[...]

And, as you should know, changing the path to some models - as the crater NonAiVehicle - is irrelevant, since those paths are hardcoded

Ok, demystified

That transparency thing seems to be occational though, but it is there, and looks crappy ...

Those hardcoded paths are a real pain...

There are few others as well which of course means that if those are edited a Mod needs to 'ship' the whole data or data3d pbo(s) with it... Size increase would be inevitable ...

Anyway, it seems that I will need to drop this approach then...

Some hours saved there

[Guest]

So, does that mean you have removed the original BIS model from being created on explosion?

Because, if you put the ECP crater model on top of the original model, it'll have a "bottom" won't it?

No, in fact the BIS' crater is kept - we can move it from that place, but not delete it; so it is kept anyway.

I meant the grass because you wrote about it, but, indeed, there was grass and sand at the bottom when I was testing it without any explosions :P.