True Fighting Warship Project

[havocsquad 0]

I was lucky to come upon a 3D design of the British Type 45 Destroyer with a basic skin. I was wondering if MCAR and/or other people could help me get an "effective" warship for OFP. It would require something similiar to Col Klink's PT Boat addon using multiple static units for the turrets, but it definitely has potential.

The main thing I need is an invisible static vehicle which will target and fire missiles "SAM's" at targets farther than 3000 meters. The static vehicle needs an invisible moving turret to aim and fire at the target, HOWEVER the missile must launch vertically up for about 10 meters or so, then turn to target and seek it out.

Another project will be simulating antiship missiles from a ship. It sounds easier than what it is, but to have them behave realistically and fire at ground targets farther than 3000 meters. It will require launching an aircraft vehicle like CoC then either spawning a missile when it approaches 1500 meters to target or a seeker script to manuver the aircraft object into target and detonate.

Any suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated. (Especially O2 or Expert scripting)

Later,

Havoc.

[sa8gecko 0]

Quote[/b] ]The main thing I need is an invisible static vehicle which will target and fire missiles "SAM's" at targets farther than 3000 meters. The static vehicle needs an invisible moving turret to aim and fire at the target, HOWEVER the missile must launch vertically up for about 10 meters or so, then turn to target and seek it out.

The thing is feasible, you just need a turret. Perhaps there's

no need for it to be invisible, if you can make it very, very small.

The only thing you need is the gunner and the usti hlavne and

konec hlavne points (the weapon). Just set the gunner position

in the view LODS inside the ship, so it can't be viewed

Once fired, the fired EH will remove the bullet and will

start the search routine and the missile creation

script, that in turn will launch the guidance code. The turret

could also not be an MCAR type, that is no gamelogics involved.

Of course if it has these GLs it would ease a little the search for

a target, that is if the first pass of the search routine has found

nothing, having the GLs positioned on the ustihlavne-konechlavne

direction will permit a second pass.

The 3000 meters limit is easy to achieve and exceed. You can

just find out this downloading from this link:

sa8files.rar

and trying out (as the victim) this unit: East>Project MCAR>SA-8 Gecko.

(don't expect the SA-8 vehicle, as it is not ready yet, and it used

still the Gaskin launcher)

The vertical launch thing is easy to do also, cause setting initially

the direction of launch as the vertical one in whatever MCAR

guidance code script will do it without needing to modify the

scripts.

Quote[/b] ]Another project will be simulating antiship missiles from a ship. It sounds easier than what it is, but to have them behave realistically and fire at ground targets farther than 3000 meters. It will require launching an aircraft vehicle like CoC then either spawning a missile when it approaches 1500 meters to target or a seeker script to manuver the aircraft object into target and detonate.

Would it be antiship only, or should it even attack ground targets

like tanks ?

If the latter is the case, then knowing when the missile is 1500

meters from the target will bog the CPU down. This because the

search routine must be working on a very fine scale to find

something above ground, given the presence of trees, buildings

and other objects.

The problem with the aircraft thing is that it usually refuses to

slam into anything, ground included, at least in the first few

seconds of flight when its velocity is low. That is, if you, for

fun, fire directly on a house 100-200 meters off, the plane will

evitate it.

As for the seeker script, there are plenty in MCAR. Also, using an

MCAR turret, will ensure the missile could be guided manually,

and so follow the target (that is, the gunner follows the target,

and this allows to guide the missile, or plane). This for the reason

expressed above about scanning long distances above ground.

Anyway the search routine could be made so it searches finely

only on areas where the firing trajectory is near the ground,

evitating to scan areas where this trajectory is higher above

ground than, perhaps, 5 meters. This will require a lot of testing,

but it's feasible.

If you need help adapting the scripts to your unit, I could give

you a hand, or give you the info to do it yourself, if you'd prefer to.

[colonel_klink 0]

One of the initial weapon systems I tested on the PT boat (it was just a test platform that developed into the PT), I had tested was the Falklands mod Rapier system. Even on a moving platform the rapiers worked well. I was going to test this further with other systems such as a vertical launch missile, such as the tomahawk. I had successfully launched one from a theoretical submarine, but that was as far as it got. Anyway good to see this initiative. well done.

[havocsquad 0]

Hey, do you Sa8gecko and Klink wanna help me out with this some? Still learning O2, configs and stuff but I'm sure within two months from now I can make a working boat with the main gun functioning correctly. As for the driver, gunner, and commander positions I have yet to determine that. (My 3D model does not have any internal geometry.) I have yet to figure out how to get gun flashes to work correctly.

I'm going to keep the ship just small enough so that the game engine won't require it to be static. If that means just making it primarily an AI ship then so be it.

Anyways, any help would be appreciated.

This is a long term project, so no rush but I'd like to hear if anyone wants to work on this.

[[aps]gnat 28]

havoc,

I too am working on a Naval mod (sort of) but am new to O2 and configs. I have had some success with multi-turret ship experiments and have started research on a moving carrier. I have also 80% finished a very large "WaterWar" island, 90% water (hence lower lag) with 7 or so smallish islands (~2x2km) strategicly placed around the map. The aim ...... develop missions that involve a significant amount of Naval units, probably leaning towards CTI's.

Had some success with Missile Launching (BIS type so far), see H E R E and am working on further Naval units (for both sides) ..... but my current project is a B-52

Once I finish the B-52, maybe we can help each other out.

[havocsquad 0]

Here are some screenshots of the Type 45 Destroyer, I still have to do some minor stuff before I can start making an addon for it.

Links to the photos... (All under 100kb)

http://img182.exs.cx/img182/605/type45pic14zi.jpg

http://img187.exs.cx/img187/820/type45pic36xj.jpg

http://img187.exs.cx/img187/537/type45pic20se.jpg

Lemme know what you think of her..

Later,

Havoc.

[sa8gecko 0]

Quote[/b] ]Hey, do you Sa8gecko and Klink wanna help me out with this some?

If it's regarding MCAR script management and optimization, sure,

I can help you.

Quote[/b] ]Lemme know what you think of her..

I think that a bit more polys won't do any harm, especially on a

ship of that size. This is my personal opinion, though, but I think

that at least on first view lod you can go up more than 1450 faces.

Would it be static ?

How big is the model ? From a first eye estimate I'd guess it's

120+ meters long and 15 wide. Remember geometry limitation in

OFP (60 meters).

Anyway, nice ship. Since OFP water is not transparent, though,

I'd cut the model to the waterline and use the gained faces on

the structure above.

I think that Col Klink and Gnat, having already worked on big ships,

can be more wise than me in giving you counseil, so take what

I wrote above with a grain of salt.

EDIT> I can remember that MSpencer was working on a similar

project, the DDG Arleigh Burke, so if I were in you I'd ask his

opinion too.

[Swordsmanb 0]

Wow, this sounds interesting!

Real working big ships are the one thing that's missing in OFP from the beginning (except some addons).

I like the idea of making some destroyers or even a battleship!  

But it would be best to have a fully walkable ship like the old LSD (if it's somehow possible...)

Thinking about it, something came to my mind:

Would it be possible to assemble whole ship parts instead of just small guns using Col. Klinks script that was used on the PT boat? In this way you could make several fully walkable parts of 60 m length and attach them to each other...

well, just an idea of someone who has NO idea of scripting, no idea if it's possible, so please have mercy with me  

[MSpencer 0]

Quote[/b] ]EDIT> I can remember that MSpencer was working on a similar

project, the DDG Arleigh Burke, so if I were in you I'd ask his

opinion too.

Cancelled because of engine problems.

Very hard to get the model optimized because someone took it to optimize and O2 it and I never heard from them again. And the army of skinners fell apart... The Arleigh Burke project's pretty much dead.

I think it's a good idea, I was considering using scripts to move the ship instead of making it movable.

[[aps]gnat 28]

Since OFP water is not transparent, though,

I'd cut the model to the waterline and use the gained faces on

the structure above.

Careful ...... the bow will rise at speed in the model depending on both CG and top speed. Looks a bit odd if you can see "under" the hull

[havocsquad 0]

No, the bottom will stay the way it is under the waterline.

It will not be a static vehicle, it will be a "boat" object in OFP and will be scaled to its largest possible size without exceeding the limits of the OFP engine.

I will worry about making the thing work right first before I will concentrate on any interior geometry. That means it will most likely be a ship that the AI will mostly use. A player can take command of it and be the commander in it, but it won't have any of the "excellent" interior crud.

Once I get the thing to work correctly, I'll start on getting interior geometry and textures for the consoles and crap. Priorities first though...

Let me know if I missed anyone's question regarding this project.

Later,

Havoc.

[havocsquad 0]

Minor info update:

I'm going to be spending some time learning more about doing vehicles, turrets, Memory LOD, etc. for O2.  I won't be trying to learn everything before I start this project, however before I start working on this I need to have built a working addon with a working turret.

If MCAR or anyone else wants to start on designing a "transparent" static firing platform for the SAM's as I previously described, that would be great.  If you wanna wait until I get more done on the Destroyer, that's fine.

Later,

Havoc.

[-HUNTER- 1]

I dont understand why there arent more ships allready since If you'd make a map without an actual island in it, or a very small one you'd have lots of ocean for seabattles...

Good idea, I cannot wait for a decent warship...

*man I would be sweet if you could get one of the old battleships of the US navy, you know like the movie with Steven Seagal...

And then make the 16inch gun batteries work! BOOOOOOOOOOOMMMM! You could have ships supporting ground forces like WW II, you could see the ship, then the flashes, and smoke... and some secs later you hear a shell whizzing past... BOOM! COOL!

[Bobcatt666 0]

Seems you not payed any attention to why no ships around having been a long time problem with making large scale ships operate in the game since day one. =(

[havocsquad 0]

Hey all,

I've worked on it a good while (4 days), the O2 work is basically done and got the basic config.cpp code done.  Unfortunately I keep having major problems dealing with CfgAmmo and had to leave it out until so the addon could work in-game.  The turret works at least and it goes.

Right now I'm pulling my hair trying to figure out how to get Fire Geometry to work on this monster.  OFP 2 better have a simpler means to handle this regarding Oxygen.

Anyways, if any of you want to help me get this beast to function properly, let me know.   Send me an e-mail at havoc_squad@yahoo.com and I'll reply to you with the addon as an attachment.

[havocsquad 0]

New info update, I now have a high quality Arliegh Burke DDG in my possession. If anyone would rather collaborate on this ship instead, that's fine.

Either way I'm going to find a reasonable way to impliment operating ships into OFP.

Later,

Havoc.

[philcommando 0]

How is it comming along?...if u run into problems, just let me know. I aint an expert, but hell! i had my sure of frustrations figuring stuff out. My destroyer project can be use as reference, feel free to use it. It isn't binarised. All the best

[somebloke 0]

Can i make a small suggestion?

Could you stick a different paint job on it. Because as far as i know, The US Navy uses the Red paint underneath but the British use Grey, not 100% sure on this though.

But it is a British class destroyer.

[HuNtA 0]

british use grey underneath, im sure (ive seen boats like the arc royal in drydock, its grey, I assure you)

btw, Ive got an attachment script that I think found on the BI forums... if you PM me ill email it to you (not trying to screw over teh creator, just seems like a good idea)

then you can have 1 bit thats an actual boat, and use that script to attach the static parts