DMA Release Day

[Kyle_K_ski 1]

Let it be known that the length of my feedback is directly proportional to how I absolutely admire all that’s being attempted with the “Bleed for Oil†mission. This is a VERY comprehensive article regarding my latest assessment, and I hope my thoroughness will lead to some meaningful insights.

****SUGGESTIONS****

1. AI TYPES AND IMPROVEMENTS:

Supply a variety of AI types based on the circumstances one encounters them in. Thus far, most of the AI seems to want to rush the player’s position, when it may have been much wiser for them to stay where they were. For example, if we’re attacking an urban environment being held by the insurgents, then the majority of them should use their surroundings to their advantage both in regards to cover and concealment. If the player is detected outside the perimeter of the city/town, then perhaps the insurgents might send out 2-3 squads to try and intercept/outflank the player’s current position, or to probe it (if they see and/or encounter too much resistance from the player’s squad, they’ll retreat back into the city), but it’s still wiser for the majority of the insurgents to stay back in the city’s to use its infrastructure to their own advantage. It’d be nice if the AI placed in urban areas would also make use of rooftops, higher building levels, and hide themselves in bushes, shrubs, or seek cover behind vehicles.

It would also be nice if AI behavior could be refined so that they do smarter things. For example, too often AI who are assigned to a spot simply stay there NO MATTER WHAT. What would be more believable is if the AI that are assigned to an area are able to work within a 3-4 m. RADIUS of said spot. That way if they’re being shot at they’re still free to move out of the way till their attacker is eliminated. If threats are low enough, they then return to the center of their assigned radius.

Is it possible to have the insurgents call out to each other as they do in the Revolt 1998 campaign? That extra level of communication is quite convincing!

Is it possible to code the squad so that when the order is given to “Scan horizon†that they automatically scan the horizon at different intervals? I’ve never understood why when one orders his units to scan the horizon, that all of the AI scans an area in UNISON. It’d be MUCH smarter to have each man looking in a different direction, so that there aren’t any blind spots in the squad.

Is it possible to code a new formation, one where the AI automatically spread themselves out equally into a CIRCULAR perimeter, standing with their backs to each other (that is, they’re looking OUT from the circle’s center), so that a 360 degree area is being scanned, thus ensuring that there aren’t any blind spots? This formation would be an excellent and quick way to make sure that the entire environment is being scanned for enemies.

2. ENEMY REINFORCEMENTS:

It’d be interesting to encounter situations where enemy reinforcements arrive without being announced. They could arrive at any point during a mission. Perhaps this feature could be linked to the popularity of the insurgency, the more popular they are the more likely reinforcements may appear, the earlier they may appear, the number of units could be larger, and they could have better vehicles and equipment.

3. CONSEQUENCES OF INSURGENTS’ POPULARITY:

The more popular the insurgency is amongst the populace, the more likely it is that the following would occur:

--A. The AI would show up with ALL kinds of better equipment. This would include gear taken from defeated enemies, which could range from USA, British, or other nationalities. Imagine going out on a night mission only to be taken totally by surprise when the player encounters insurgents who can see the player as easily as he can see them! This would be a nice and believable twist and an interesting reversal of fortunes. Vehicles would gradually become more numerous, and the quality of the vehicles would increase as well. If possible, it’d be jaw dropping to encounter units who could gradually deploy the same kind of options available to the player, such as ordering an artillery strike, air support, etc., etc. How many mouths would open in astonishment if mere moments before swarms of insurgent infantrymen and vehicles assaulted the player’s main base, an artillery strike rained in!

--B. The number of insurgents who would be available at a mission’s location would also be tied into how the populace perceives the performance of the soldier’s nation’s policies (reflected by how the player performs in battle). The more popular the insurgency is, the greater the numbers of insurgents present. Please note that I would set the MINIMUM number of insurgents presented at any one time to the average number you have spawned now.

--C. The less popular a player is, the more likely it is that his squad will encounter a very bitter and frustrated group of civilians who would THROW OBJECTS at the unpopular occupiers. These civilians would mostly throw rocks, but occasionally a brick and a glass bottle would be thrown too. The thrown items would NOT cause “real†harm to either the player or his squad, BUT it would cause pain, so the player’s screen would briefly flash red, and it would jerk slightly in the direction of where his body was struck. These civilians would flee a short distance from anyone firing a weapon, but they would eventually stop to resume the throwing of objects. Killing one of these angry civilians WILL result in a PENALTY being accrued against the player’s nation’s reputation.

--D. Quality and quantity of intelligence gathering:

The more popular the insurgency is, the more likely it is that the player will not receive accurate intel regarding the approach of insurgent counterattack. If counterattacks/reinforcements are linked to the player’s reputation, then receiving timely and good intel from the populace is IMPORTANT. Imagine if a “random†counterattack is sent shortly after a mission has been successfully “completed,†and then enemy reinforcements arrive unannounced; that’s a difficult yet believable situation for the player to suddenly have to react to. Now, if the player was popular with the populace, then there’d be a percentage chance (the odds of knowing are never better than 40%) that a local civilian would know about the imminent arrival of a counterattack, and its relative size. If the player is REALLY fortunate, said civilian may even know the general direction the counterattack is coming from (the odds of knowing this specific data is never better than 30%). So, a popular player may have fairly good odds to receive timely and specific info regarding a counterattack, for which he can now prepare to AMBUSH! If a player’s reputation is low, then the opposite may be true; the player’s odds of receiving any kind of warning would be minimal, and even worse, he could be deliberately given FALSE information, such as “The small counterattack is coming from the east…,†when in reality a large convoy is coming from the south.

--E. Consequences of environmental destruction:

Whenever certain support options are used by the player, certain popularity penalties would always automatically apply. This is due to the nature of the attack; the more ferocious it is, the more resentment it engenders in the populace, and this in turn causes more of the civilians to join/support the insurgency. Keep in mind that every “-“ that the player’s reputation accrues= +1 insurgent to the total number of insurgents who are still present on the island after the current mission is completed. In other words, every minus to the player’s nation’s reputation equals an additional insurgent who is added to the map’s existing total. The scale detailed below is a suggestion for penalty costs. I believe that the trick will be to have high enough of a cost so that players think seriously about the methods of destruction they want to pursue, and yet at the same time not have the costs TOO high so that the players are tempted to never use the options available to them. After all, there may well be times when the player’s position is about to be overrun, at which point it may be critical for one’s survival to call in for that missile strike, reputation penalties or not!

****PENALTY SCALE FOR SUPPORT OPTIONS:

*Artillery -1 for every 2 shells fired, this includes shells that are used while

“ranging†the field of fire, and it also includes all the shells fired during the

final “fire for effect†phase.

*Missile -4

*Air strike -4

*Air support -3

*Ground support -2

*Special Forces -0

**If any of the above destroys a manmade structure there is a penalty x 1.5.

**The death of 1 civilian= -3

**The death of 3 animals= -1

4. COMRADES KILLED IN ACTION AND ITS EFFECTS ON SQUAD MORALE:

Troop performance degrades over time whenever squad mates are killed in action. This is due to the lowering of their confidence in the player’s strategic capabilities. In short, the lower their morale, the lower their combat performance becomes.

It should also be noted that those who are lost in battle are replaced by completely new squad mates, so their level of expertise will be significantly lower than the squad mates the player starts out with. Their low skill levels increases the odds of them accidentally shooting civilians, making poor tactical decisions, and the like. The rookies’ performance will gradually increase with each successful mission.

****PENALTY SCALE FOR KILLED IN ACTION (aka “KIAâ€):

*For every two soldiers KIA the squad’s performance level IMMEDIATELY

drops by one. This reduction remains in effect until the NEXT successful completion of a mission. “Successful†here means that not only are the mission’s objectives all met, but also the mission is concluded without losing a single squad mate’s life.

*For every two soldiers KIA the player will lose one support option for the FOLLOWING mission(s). This penalty will also be applied in subsequent missions until all of a mission’s objectives are met AND every squad mate survives.

5. MERCENARIES AND SPECIAL FORCES:

In regards to their walking and running speeds, they can run and walk more quickly—they’re not “superhero†fast, but they are EXTREMELY fit and athletic. They are also able to withstand greater amounts of firepower due to wearing top of the line armor. It’d also be VERY interesting to encounter these mercenaries armed with weapons not usually seen in most of OFP mods and missions, weaponry like the FN P90, the Giat Famas G2, the H & K G11, and the H & K G36C.

Perhaps these superb model packs could be mixed and used to represent the contracted mercenaries we encounter throughout the mission:

----This mercenary pack by Nephilim is due to be out soon, and does it look GREAT, http://www.flashpoint1985.com/cgi-bin....t=47963 If there’s ANY chance that you can use her work, PLEASE do so.

----Eastern European Mercenaries as designed for Tonal Isle, http://www.ballisticaddonstudios.com/classic.php .

6. LOCAL TROOPS’ BEHAVIOR REFLECTS PLAYER’S REPUTATION:

If indigenous troops are ever available on a mission to give orders to, their behavior automatically reflects the player’s CURRENT reputation amongst the civilians and the indigenous troops will also be immediately affected by the player’s squad’s morale. Indigenous troops are already not as well trained or disciplined as the player’s troops are, so any negatives that the player already has will affect these troops more dramatically. The lower the player’s squad’s morale and the lower his reputation amongst the populace, the more likely it will be that the indigenous troops will FLEE from the battlefield.

7. AMBIENT LIFE CONVEYS A “LIVING WORLDâ€:

If possible, create random “ambient life.†To save on processing power, these living things would only be randomly generated only between the points where the player starts a mission and where the operation actually takes place. Some of the ambient life the player could see would be:

----free roaming sheep, goats, camels and dogs

----civilians traveling via vehicles, camels, and carts pulled by oxen,

----nomadic herders leading sheep or other grazing animals

----oil field workers working on equipment

----convoys and/or patrols of insurgents (engaging these forces would be optional)

----convoys and/or patrols of native police/troops searching for insurgents and/or working security

----Red Crescent and/or Red Cross ambulatory vehicles and workers traveling, delivering aid

----journalists traveling in old vehicles that have the letters “TV†taped to the top and front/back sides of the vehicle; these autos would be rare to see due to the level of danger

----to help cut down on processing power, perhaps these “ambient life forms†would only be spawned throughout the region that is MOST likely to be seen by the player during his mission

8. FASTER AND MORE PREDICTABLE MEANS TO ASSIGN WEAPONRY AND GEAR TO SQUAD MATES:

Currently, it’s difficult to know how much and/or type of ammo a soldier in the player’s squad is carrying after he’s instructed to switch his default weapon for one of the weapon’s found in the crates. Could a system be setup in the following way?

----Whenever the MAIN weapon is selected, ALL of the soldier’s available ammo slots are filled with THAT weapon’s ammo type. If more than one type of ammo is available for it, then the ammo types will be displayed for the “auto fill all slots†selection.

----If the MAIN weapon is equipped with a grenade launcher then FIVE ammo slots are filled with the appropriate grenade type while the rest of the slots are automatically filled with whatever rounds are needed to fire out of the main weapon’s barrel.

----Whenever a rocket launcher is selected, the soldier is automatically equipped with two rockets of the same type.

----Add an option whereby hand grenades can be picked up two at a time.

----If the player is doing a simple “rearm squad,†then the soldiers’ CURRENT gear setup should be KEPT, with only the ammo being restored to maximum. If the unit has been previously outfitted with special ammo, then it should be assumed that unless the player deliberately switches it then said special ammo setup should be kept and refilled.

----Always automatically rearm the player’s avatar with a set of binoculars. For some reason, when the “rearming squad†option is selected, the player loses his set of binoculars. Also automatically rearm at least one other squad member with binoculars as well, so they can assist in far distance spotting.

---- Having a system as designed above will save a LOT of time when it comes to assigning weaponry and gear to the AI squad mates.

9. HELICOPTERS PILOTED BY AI:

A. Helicopter pilots need to be able to better avoid the red zone surrounding the mission area. Right now, the pilot too often flies a shorter path which is close enough to the insurgents that they then begin attacking.

B. When helicopters DO encounter hostiles on the ground, they need to approach the targets more wisely. Currently, the Merlin pilot makes a DIRECT run at the target, when he should be conscious that he is armed only on the RIGHT side of the craft where the doorgunner is. He needs to stay LEFT of his target so that the doorgunner is given a window of opportunity to fire his weapon at said target. If the aircraft is a Blackhawk, then the pilot needs to stay RIGHT of his target due to where the doorgunner is located.

C. Whether being inserted via parachute or fast rope insertion, the player should be able to direct the helicopter pilot to land the helicopter at a different location. For example, if the Merlin comes under fire from ground forces, then it may be wise for the player to request an alternate site to land at. The pilot would then IMMEDIATELY comply, and disengage hostile contact with whatever target he may be attacking at the time the request is made.

10. ARTILLERY REALISM:

It’d be convincing to add an additional requirement for when artillery is used, and that’s to first call for the artillery “to be ranged,†also known as “ranging artillery.†This is the initial firing phase when artillery is used; it’s to make sure that the target is within the desired area of effect. Usually, only a portion of the available artillery pieces fire, and if the shells land in the appropriate region, then the order is given by the spotter to “fire for effect,†at which point ALL of the available artillery pieces fire. I’d limit the number of times the player can adjust the coordinates while ranging artillery, perhaps the artillery can’t be ranged more than twice. Of course for every shell that lands there is a penalty applied to the player’s nation’s reputation, and this would be in effect for ranging the artillery as well.

----If possible, add a 10 second “disorienting†effect to anyone caught within a 5 m radius of the exploding shell’s destructive blast radius.

----The AI should automatically get into the prone position during an artillery strike.

11. REASSESS AMBIGUITY REGARDING BASE COMMANDER’S LOCATION:

Currently, the Base Commander addresses the player AND his squad mates from within an ENCLOSED building, even though only the PLAYER can be inside said structure. This setup lessens the sense of immersion to a small degree. Perhaps the dialogue should be changed so that ONLY the player is being spoken to, with the logical inference being made that the player then relays the mission’s details on to his squad. Or perhaps the Base Commander could be relocated under a tent which is open enough so that the other squad mates can see/hear him too. This isn’t too major an issue, but going one way or the other in regards to the two approaches I’ve offered here would make the briefings feel more believable.

12. ADD TROOP BARRACKS FOR RESTING, RETHINK MED FACILITY:

Right now, players may only rest without accruing any penalties by going to the Medical Facility. Perhaps said barrack should only be used for actually healing units, and new replacement units are instead collected from a Troop Barrack, where the player and his squad also rest. Currently, there are a lot of vehicle garages established on the base, perhaps a few of these could be replaced with Troop Barracks?

13. ARMOR SUPPORT INSTEAD OF GROUND SUPPORT:

Since we already have access for SAS infantry-only support, why not convert the ground support option of a Land Rover with two soldiers to one where we gain support from some British armor?

14. DESIGN MISSION TO BE FFUR FRIENDLY:

Of course it’d be great if DMA’s mods were as compatible as possible with ALL of the wonderful work the OFP modding community contributes!

15. SOME SUPPORT OPTIONS ARE FROM DIFFERENT COUNTRIES:

Perhaps the mission could be given more of a “United Nations†feel by having some of the support options coming from different countries. For example, maybe when air support is requested, a German UHT Tiger attack helicopter will be deployed (a great looking model of it is downloadable from: http://ofp.gamezone.cz/_hosted/bwmod/ ).

16. ALLOW PLAYER TO PLAY AS DIFFERENT NATION’S UNITS:

This suggestion is one to consider only at the VERY end of completing the building of the British campaign. It’d be most interesting to release different versions of this mission, with each version focusing on a different nation’s military arms. Nations that’d be interesting to play this mission through are: Australia, Germany, Japan, Russia, and, of course, the USA.

17. SUPPORT OPTIONS ARE UNAVAILABLE TILL CERTAIN CONDITIONS ARE MET:

If a mission has AA emplacements, then the player will not be able to call in an air strike or air support until said positions are neutralized. If there is a lot of enemy armor present, then they’ll have to be eliminated before any ground/armor support can be sent. This will place believable tactical barriers to the player, and these barriers will need to be surmounted if he’s to access the full range of support that would be otherwise available. Odds are, these high value targets that hinder these support options will need to be addressed in a stealthy fashion, thus making the explosives that are available at the ammo boxes actually useful.

18. MISSIONS

I feel that Bleed for Oil would be most effectively enhanced by broadening the TYPES of missions that the player encounters throughout the world. I’ve supplied a thorough listing of what I mean, and a couple of these suggestions are quite detailed. In spite of the work that they’d entail, I would hope that they still prove to be inspirational enough to add to Bleed for Oil’s world.

Right now, most of the missions play out with the player being deployed to an area infested with enemies, most of who come rushing out in suicidal waves towards the player’s position. In almost every mission I played, my strategy was the same: split my squad into two elements, locate them on the highest ground, and then simply wait for the enemy to get into range. What would be more believable is if the insurgents would STAY where they spawned at to take advantage of whatever local concealment and cover is offered to them.

The suggestions I’ve posted below are almost all entirely centered on your intriguing use of morality introduced with the “…kill no civilian…†structure. To make the missions more challenging and more believable I emphasize the more DIRECT use of this “morality conundrum†schema, as I strongly believe that it is one design approach that’s all too enticing for potential downloaders to ignore. By highlighting more greatly this unique role playing element, players WILL be faced with some harrowing engagements that require careful shooting in order to avoid civilian casualties; otherwise the deceased’s surviving loved ones are motivated enough to join the insurgency.

Here’s my broad list of potential mission ideas. After all, “…variety IS the spice of Life!â€

**Personnel to protect/defend/rescue/attack:

diplomats

imams

corporate businesspeople

engineers

contracted security/mercenaries (whatever you want to call them)

construction/oil workers

newly trained troops/police culled from the local populace

spies/intelligence officers

criminal leaders

warlords

evacuees/refugees

civilians

journalists

Red Crescent/Red Cross workers

and any member of the player’s military force (officers, pilots, lost special forces, etc., etc.)

Keep in mind that it’s entirely possible to mix and match the type of personnel in one mission, such as having to protect a cameraman and a journalist while they cover the progress of a local diplomat touring a city.

**Types of Missions:

----Escort…

…any of the above mentioned personnel would work quite well for this kind of mission. Perhaps each escort mission requires that the player’s squad must travel a predetermined length, such as escorting a politician’s luxury SUV from the far southern end of a city to its far northern end. Tensions could be kept high by randomizing WHEN enemies will spawn, and WHERE the enemies would spawn from (they could also emerge from the inside’s of buildings). Perhaps 10% of all such missions results in NO violence taking place since insurgents simply chose not to attack said diplomat at that location. While it may sound like having a mission where nothing happens is pretty boring, it’d only occur in a tiny percentage of missions. The player would STILL be under a lot of tension, especially if one design feature is constant: the enemies spawn points are kept random both in terms of location and time.

…supply convoys to one or MORE locations.

----Protect/Defend…

…laborers at various work sites.

…observation outposts.

…one’s own base.

----Establish…

…observation and/or listening outposts.

…artillery battery.

Player would have to secure the area and then call in convoys of equipment to be delivered to the region. A counterattack for this scenario is highly likely, but its timing and location would be unpredictable.

----Reinforce…

…any area ALREADY under attack.

----Counterattack…

…any location that’s been recently taken over by the insurgency.

----Assault…

…antiaircraft batteries.

…insurgent bases.

----Raid…

…any location that may contain valuable resources or data. Once the resources/data is taken, the player would have to make his way back to an extraction point. Raids could be loud, noisy, and obvious, or they could be carried out in a stealthy manner.

----Seek and Destroy…

…enemy snipers who are killing workers/soldiers.

…search coastlines for weapon/supply delivery points for the insurgency.

…mercenaries who’ve gone afoul of the British Command.

…crime lords who’re taking advantage of their people during their dire time.

----Patrol…

…coastlines and harbors.

…mountainous regions.

…near urban areas.

----Rescue…

…downed flight crews.

…ambushed armor crews.

…civilian leaders who are loyal to the British cause.

----Sabotage…

…infiltrate heavily patrolled areas without being detected, and plant explosives on high value/critical targets. Once destroyed, the player could then give the order for the rest of the attack to commence. Scenarios could include the destruction of emplaced AA (destroying the AA would THEN open up the option to call in air support), heavily defended checkpoints (destroying the checkpoint would THEN open up the option to call in ground/armor support), etc., etc.

----Assassinate…

…insurgent tax collectors WITHOUT being detected.

**The number of locations can add variety:

Mission variety could also be created by randomizing the number of locations the player has to address before a mission can be declared to be completed. To speed up game play, these locations should probably be kept rather close to one another by being no more than 1,500- 2,000 m. apart. I’d leave it up to the player as to which target he wishes to address first, but that being said I’d TEMPT him to attack certain targets before others. Destroying the assets at one location could open up support options that could be used elsewhere. High value targets could radio for support if certain key targets aren’t eliminated within a specific time frame. For example, if the officers present at the AA site(s) aren’t eliminated within ten seconds, they’ll call for help from the other nearby enemy territory. If these separate sites are close enough so that explosions are seen/heard, then AI at those sites SHOULD respond accordingly. Enemy patrols between the sites would also ramp up the adrenaline factor.

**Add dramatic subtlety to the mission’s structure by enriching it with a storyline:

Instead of detailing the kinds of subtleties I’m talking about, I’ve written up some briefings that may better illustrate what I mean. Here they are:

----Example of a mission #1:

This mission could be the very first mission the player encounters. Most of the other missions would be truly random in nature, but this one is more heavily scripted to help set the tone and atmosphere for the rest of the game.

The mission starts out with the insurgency VERY near FULL strength. The player’s unit has recently arrived into the area, just in time to partake in what’s deemed to be the insurgency’s “last stand.†The Base Commander could give a brief recap of this region’s plight, and of course state how the British are fighting for a righteous cause.

This massive battle would have the insurgency using helicopters, tanks, APCs, AA, and more. At the conclusion of this terrible battle, the British Commander makes it clear that he thinks that the worst of it is over. Of course, the player quickly learns the hard way how very untrue that statement is.

----Example of a mission #2, including detailed briefing:

The mayor we previously thought to be part of the insurgency has now proven himself to be the victim of false accusations. His accusers, who were once our informants, must now be arrested for their crimes. The three men we are looking for, this cabinet member and these two businessmen, will be meeting together somewhere in this region.

Intel now suspects that while they may not be outright supporters of the insurgency that they are nevertheless trying to exploit the chaotic situation for economic and political gains. We have already tried using diplomatic means to have them turn themselves in, but to no effect. Since the collapse of the negotiations, they have been busy fomenting distrust amongst their people towards us and our government’s policies.

We expect stiff resistance from not only the soldiers who are local to this area, but also from the security contractors that the leaders have retained. The civilians may also be unfriendly to us, but at all costs do not engage unarmed locals. We have to convince them that we are on their side, so wounding or killing them is NOT an overlookable option! Keep in mind that many of these contractors’ have special forces experience, so expect the unexpected. Check the map to thoroughly learn the city’s layout.

**And finally, I’ve done some rough sketches of how the placement of enemies could lead to more tactically challenging scenarios. I am not suggesting that every mission should have all of these elements in place, I'm just putting out some ideas to consider.

****BUGS****

1. Technicals (trucks with mounted machineguns) that are parked usually have their wheels completely buried in the sand.

2. Even though I had healed myself and the squad several times over several missions, the player icons remained red after being injured and then healed. What was also peculiar was the fact that PARTS of the icons that were used to represent squad mates were not entirely tinted red, such as when parts of a machine gun barrel were left grey.

3. Right near the end of the mission, 15 insurgents were left. I then rested my squad, and when I was delivered my mission status, it showed the number of insurgents that were left were -3 (yes, “NEGATIVE threeâ€), and when I went to report to the Base Commander to find out what the next mission would be, he informed me that we had won. How is it that with a little sleeping on my part the number of insurgents went from 15 to -3? Shouldn’t ALL of the insurgents be taken out by the player, or is there some design element that I’m missing, such as the insurgency’s losing popularity amongst the civilians, so it just vanishes without combat having to take place?

****QUESTIONS**** some of these questions MAY have ALREADY been addressed…

1. Why is the player warned on some missions that the enemy is about to attack? Wouldn’t it be more tension filled and realistic if the player wasn’t given such notices?

2. Why tell the player that “enough enemies have been eliminated†and that it’s now “time for extraction?†I’d imagine that most players will try to take every opportunity to eliminate the enemy while it’s still advantageous to do so.

3. Why give the player a map which exactly shows where the best ambush location is? For that matter, why give the player such a precise direction in which the insurgents will be traveling. Perhaps it’d be more realistic to give the player 2-3 POSSIBLE routes the enemy might be coming from.

4. It feels inconsistent that if one requests helicopter or artillery support, one has to wait for the objects to arrive via real time, yet when ground support is called for, it arrives almost immediately.

5. Why do corpses disappear so quickly?

6. I’ve yet to be able to find a menu option that allows for the firing of flares, and in the gear loadout screen, flares are available but flare pistols are not.

Before I go, I have to say that I can’t wait to see what else is in store for this mission’s design!

Yours,

Kyle

Oct. 14, 2005

[Commando84 0]

why have flare pistols when the grenade launching rifles can do it for you

[honchoblack 2]

Thank you Kyle for the feedback , I will work my way through the suggestion, and will keep it in mind (read it) while updating the mission, and will keep it safe for the making of new missions.

Excellent suggestions by the way

Edit: Answers to the questions:

1. Why is the player warned on some missions that the enemy is about to attack? Wouldn’t it be more tension filled and realistic if the player wasn’t given such notices?

True, this kills immersion, will be changed for the next update

2. Why tell the player that “enough enemies have been eliminated†and that it’s now “time for extraction?†I’d imagine that most players will try to take every opportunity to eliminate the enemy while it’s still advantageous to do so.

This marks the end of the mission, the opfor get a allowfleeing=1, which lets them flee at the next shots fired upon them. With no hint for the player, the player would only know by keep calling the extraction, to see if he is allowed to extract.

3. Why give the player a map which exactly shows where the best ambush location is? For that matter, why give the player such a precise direction in which the insurgents will be traveling. Perhaps it’d be more realistic to give the player 2-3 POSSIBLE routes the enemy might be coming from.

Interesting suggestion, in the current version the ambush mission is triggered by reaching the ambush location. Like you propose, would involve a rewriting of the ambush mission. But it should be easy once I got convoy mission written, to let the Opfor ride on convoys, that the player may intercept.

4. It feels inconsistent that if one requests helicopter or artillery support, one has to wait for the objects to arrive via real time, yet when ground support is called for, it arrives almost immediately.

True, will add a adequate delay, depending on distance to the main base or airport.

5. Why do corpses disappear so quickly?

To save resourcess, this is how the Dynamic War single player template from Sanctuary is written. I used a different way in the Dynamic Afghanistan mission, there the corpse disappear once the mission is "rebooted" back at base. But to use it in the the Bleed mission would require a rewrite of the code, but I might pick the work up for the next update.

6. I’ve yet to be able to find a menu option that allows for the firing of flares, and in the gear loadout screen, flares are available but flare pistols are not.

The grenade launcher rifles can launch them, and if ECP is used with the mission, then the AI uses flare launchers at night, once enemies are detected.

[akd 0]

Quote[/b] ]14. DESIGN MISSION TO BE FFUR FRIENDLY:

Of course it’d be great if DMA’s mods were as compatible as possible with ALL of the wonderful work the OFP modding community contributes!

I think it would be more beneficial to focus on ECP compatibly, as there are several things you have requested above that are already present in ECP to some degree. (the DMA CoIn Single Mission templates are currently compatible with ECP).

5. Why do corpses disappear so quickly?

To save resourcess, this is how the Dynamic War single player template from Sanctuary is written. I used a different way in the Dynamic Afghanistan mission, there the corpse disappear once the mission is "rebooted" back at base. But to use it in the the Bleed mission would require a rewrite of the code, but I might pick the work up for the next update.

If the bodies are to remain through the course of the mission, might I make the suggestion that these bodies be more than cosmetic and there be a random chance that player could recover documents (or some form of intel) off of insurgents (sadly, searching the dead is a very real part of war, especially in a counter-insurgency). Recovery of intel could lead to a boost in value, possibly even trigger the next mission to be a raid or snatch on a MVT or HVT (Medium/High Value Targets). This is often how operations cascade in a counter-insurgency.

[Kyle_K_ski 1]

Honchoblack,

"'2. Why tell the player that “enough enemies have been eliminated†and that it’s now “time for extraction?†I’d imagine that most players will try to take every opportunity to eliminate the enemy while it’s still advantageous to do so.'

This marks the end of the mission, the opfor get a allowfleeing=1, which lets them flee at the next shots fired upon them. With no hint for the player, the player would only know by keep calling the extraction, to see if he is allowed to extract."

Interesting, and a good thing to know. Well, calling for an extraction all the time to see if the mission's conditions have been met would certainly help kill any sense of being immersed in what's happening on the field. It makes my past suggestions to convert the CONTEXT of these kinds of all-knowing and God-like "enough enemies have been eliminated" statements to ones where it's INTEL informing the player that this information is known because it is INTERCEPTING enemy communications all the more plausible and believable. I'm happy then that I made adjustments to these scripted statements to reflect an intel context.

Quote (honchoblack @ Oct. 14 2005,10:51)

5. Why do corpses disappear so quickly?

To save resourcess, this is how the Dynamic War single player template from Sanctuary is written. I used a different way in the Dynamic Afghanistan mission, there the corpse disappear once the mission is "rebooted" back at base. But to use it in the the Bleed mission would require a rewrite of the code, but I might pick the work up for the next update.

If the bodies are to remain through the course of the mission, might I make the suggestion that these bodies be more than cosmetic and there be a random chance that player could recover documents (or some form of intel) off of insurgents (sadly, searching the dead is a very real part of war, especially in a counter-insurgency). Recovery of intel could lead to a boost in value, possibly even trigger the next mission to be a raid or snatch on a MVT or HVT (Medium/High Value Targets). This is often how operations cascade in a counter-insurgency.

Not only am I happy to hear that it doesn't sound too difficult to keep corpses around, but I also REALLY like akd's suggestion. The ability to recover intel off of insurgents is a good idea, especially if said intel is necessary for another portion of the mission. My only concern regarding this is that I suspect that as realistic as it may be to search corpses, the last thing most players want to do is spend 15-20 minutes of real time actually searching the bodies to find the intel. Perhaps missions could be written so that they REFER to intel previously collected from an engagement the player was involved in. Odds are any documents found on a corpse couldn't be used immediately anyway, since they'd be written in a foreign tongue, or written in a coded format. Maybe it'd be best to "assume" that the corpses are carefully searched when the battle has ended, rather than having to go through the motions. But, then again, it might not be such a chore if the player is told in a Read Me that it's VITAL for every OFFICER to be searched for intel. Beyond doubt, this would greatly reduce the amount of time that's necessary in carrying out a real time search, but what if the officer that is carrying the intel isn't killed because he's amongst the surviving insurgents who flee the battle? In any case, this is something worthwhile to think about. It'd be nice if, at the very least, the player still had access to the fallen's equipment, should it ever be needed or desired.

Quote

14. DESIGN MISSION TO BE FFUR FRIENDLY:

Of course it’d be great if DMA’s mods were as compatible as possible with ALL of the wonderful work the OFP modding community contributes!

I think it would be more beneficial to focus on ECP compatibly, as there are several things you have requested above that are already present in ECP to some degree. (the DMA CoIn Single Mission templates are currently compatible with ECP).

The main reason why I referenced FFUR directly is because that mod is going to generate an enormous amount of attention, and is thus more likely to be used by a large portion of the community. While I understand that looks and graphics aren't everything there is to a game, they are a major draw for people who play them. If ECP could somehow be incorporated into FFUR, I'd say we'd have the ultimate version of OFP possible, but I've already come across statements that testify to the difficulty of making such a thing work. What I love about ECP is that its features definately deepen the OFP experience in numerous ways, but that it's lack of graphic enhancements in terms of updated models is also a letdown. Maybe I'm mistaken in how I'm perceiving how ECP works. Am I able to simply paste new models into its addon folder, or will that "break" the mod? If it is that simple, then I'm simply going to copy my favorite additions and paste them into its folder, but my impression is that it is NOT that simple, and that's from combing through the work that's being done for Enhanced ECP (aka "EECP"). If you could elevate my understanding on this matter, it'd be appreciated!

I forgot to mention in my detailed feedback that it'd be interesting to experience the player's base, or a post where he is at, being infiltrated by the enemy who'd use stealthy tactics to deploy explosives around the base, and/or conduct a surprise assault. The player wouldn't be informed that this is the kind of event he should be ready for, being told instead to simply guard the facilities. If the enemy attacked at night, with nightvision goggles, and with silenced weapons, my oh my that could be a startling and challenging event.

I checked out Mapfact's Dynamic AI Creator, and WOW! What a useful looking utility that would go a LONG way to addressing many of the AI concerns that I wrote about or illustrated in my picture. I hope that tool is released soon, because it could have a hugely positive impact on Bleed for Oil's development. Thanks for directing me towards it.

I'd like to say more, but the baby needs attention.

Later!

Kyle

[Thunderbird 0]

Well FFUR isn't intended too much to missions which need the use of extra addons because this may occur some conflicts if the necessary addons of the missions are already present in the FFUR addons folder.

FFUR works perfectly in all campaigns and missions which don't need the use of extra addons [Logical -> FFUR has been disigned mainly for this objective though] (BIS campaigns/BIS missions...Retaliation campaign, SharkeyII...etc) and may also work with missions which don't need the use of extra addons already present in the FFUR folder.

Honestly , I think DMA guys should focuse mostly on ECP compatibility.

... except if they expect to make some missions by using only BIS addons

Kind Regards

Thunderbird84

[sanctuary 19]

Some of the DMA missions we designed should be compatible with FDF / CSLA / ECP / FFUR / EECP / Y2K3 / etc .... without a problem.

The MP Coop Engine from TacRod, being addon free, should be compatible with every kind of mod for multiplayer usage.

The SP template and its included example missions are addon-free too and so should be compatible with every kind of mods for single player usage (the version 1.2 should be ECP friendly).

The LastFight(no addon) mission (downloadable there ) i designed to offer island makers a quick and easy way to put a "skirmish" mission allowing the user to discover key locations of their islands should be compatible with every kind of mod, as it is totally addon free.

For the other missions requiring addons, like the Bleed for Oil, the Afghan missions from Honchoblack, that's very dependant on which addon is used and which mod you try to play with.

Most of these addons come with builtin effects that can always conflict with some mods, nothing we can really do about this.

And some replacement mods can use them in a "light" version that could cause problems as thunderbird84 said.

Note that the DMA addons released (M202A1 "Flash" launcher, Euro Guerilla) that are using eventhandlers are ECP compliant , so you can use them in ECP (and without ECP , so you can use them with your favorite mod) without going into errors.

[RabidStoat 39]

Hey guys,

1 - love the addons

2 - love your other works

3- Are there any plans to update/modify the Generic Resistance? they are by far some of the best I've come across

[akd 0]

Sanctuary, I've made some modifications to my ECP/DMA Army config for my own personal satisfaction, but I thought you might be interested in some of the changes as they impact gameplay (most would be relevant to normal DMA Army config). You might find some of the others of interest as well.

First, the four most important:

1.  machine gun recoil modified to allow proper AI use, as mentioned before

2.  changes to the Kozlice removed. The increased ability given to this weapon unbalanced some missions, for example the first mission in the Red Hammer campaign. For the time being, I simply commented out the DMA entries to restore normal Kozlice. If I had the default Kozlice settings, I would change the DMA entries to restore default characteristics, but retain changes in sound, model and sights. I was considering a replacement of the M1014 with an older pump-action shotgun as a more realistic substitute for the Kozlice (Kozlice reload sound could be changed to pump-action sound).

3.  tracer fire for 7.62mm West made visible at night through NVGs.

4. Rate of fire for machine guns increased to more realistic rates

Other changes, cosmetic (general attempt to bring all weapons up to consistent quality and timeframe):

3D fired rocket models:

-default "LAW" rocket changed to Laser LAW rocket

-default "RPG" rocket changed to ORCS RPG-18 rocket

-default M72 LAW replaced with Laser's M72A7 LAW

-Carl Gustaf rocket "LAW" changed to Laser's AT4 rocket

-Russian AT4 rocket "RPG" changed to ORCS RPG-18 rocket

Weapons:

-M4 display names corrected

-XMS model changed to Lasers M4 sopmod w/ACOG and display names corrected

-AK47 model changed to SJB's AK47, optics change to RHS, mag model changed to SJB, and picture changed to SJB

-AK47 CZ model, picture and mag model changed to SJB AK-47S, display names corrected and optics changed to RHS

-silenced M4 display names corrected

-SR-25 model changed to SJB camouflaged M-21, mag model changed to SJB, firing sounds changed to SJB, reload sound changed to SJB

-SVD firing sounds restored to ECP SVD sounds

-silenced UZI replaced with SJB MP-5N SD model, sounds, mag model and picture. display names changed.

-M249 changed to SJB M-240G (reflex) model, SJB M-240 mag model added, reload sound changed to SJB M-240, optics changed to DMA Army reflex sight (from silenced M4) and firing sound changed to JAM (Rainbow) M240. Display names changed.

-PKM optics and firing sound changed to RHS. Display names corrected to PKM.

-AK47 + Grenades model changed to RHS AKMS w/GP25. Display names changed. Optic added for grenade launcher.

-LAW optic changed to Laser M72A7 optic

-RPG model and modelspecial changed to ORCS RPG-16D (entire AT round fits inside tube), optic changed to ORCS PGO-7v sight, display names changed

-Carl Gustav model and modelspecial changed to JAM M136 AT4, optic changed to Laser's AT4 optic, sounds changed to Laser's AT4 sounds, and display names changed

-AT4 Spigot-B model, modelspecial and optic changed to ORCS RPG-26. display names changed.

Some other very minor changes for realism:

-M9 Berreta mag increased to 15 rounds

-silenced Uzi mag (now MP-5N SD) decreased to 30 rounds

Some other things under currently under consideration:

-change Russian handgun model to "Grach" (if a model can be found or made)

-change tracers to realistic settings (MG only), if possible

-many more sound changes

-change Stinger and Strela rocket models

[honchoblack 2]

Hey guys,

1 - love the addons

2 - love your other works

3- Are there any plans to update/modify the Generic Resistance? they are by far some of the best I've come across

1. thank you

2. thank you

3. yes, an update is in the works as we speak, some fine addition from Williec are awaiting the addon, ETA:Soon

AKD, the changes sound very good, did you add the models of the additional weapons to the pbos, or are the addons needed as extras for the the changes (SJB, ECP)? Once you are done with changes I would be interested in testing the New Army config.

Regarding the Koslize, the change was done on purpose, we all hate the Koslize and wanted a more "usefull" weapon. I dont think that the weapon breaks the first Resistance mission, I rather like the new approach with a usefull weapon from the start. Another change that we did on purpose that could affect gameplay was the additional mag that we gave to each soldier, we thought that the more ammo better reflects a soldiers loadout.

[sanctuary 19]

Nice changes akd ,

Feel free to release your customised config if you want.

Here are the default BIS kozlice values.

In the class CfgAmmo

<table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE"> class KozliceBall : BulletSingle {};

class BulletBurst: BulletSingle {};

class KozliceShell : BulletBurst

{

hit=9;indirectHit=6;indirectHitRange=0.1;

};

In the class CfgWeapons

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

{

scopeWeapon = private;

scopeMagazine = public;

modelOptics="\kozl\optika_kozlice";

picture="\kozl\m_kozlice2.paa";

optics = true;

opticsZoomMin=0.35; //was 0.21

opticsZoomMax=0.35;

displayName = $STR_DN_KOZLICE_BALL;

displayNameMagazine = $STR_MN_KOZLICE_BALL;

shortNameMagazine = $STR_SN_KOZLICE_BALL;

drySound[]={"weapons\M16dry",db-40,1}; // empty magazine

ammo = KozliceBall;

count = 1;

multiplier=1;

burst=1;

dispersion=0.0002;

sound[]={\kozl\kozl_single,db0,1};

reloadMagazineSound[]={\kozl\kozl_load,db-70,1};

soundContinuous=false;

reloadTime=0.05;

ffCount=1;

recoil=sniperSingle;

recoilFixed=riffleSingleFixed;

autoFire = false;

aiRateOfFire=5.0; // delay between shots at given distance

aiRateOfFireDistance=500; // at shorter distance delay goes lineary to zero

useAction = false;

useActionTitle = "";

};

class KozliceShell: Riffle

{

scopeWeapon = private;

scopeMagazine = public;

modelOptics="\kozl\optika_kozlice";

picture="\kozl\m_kozlice1.paa";

optics = true;

opticsZoomMin=0.35; //was 0.21

opticsZoomMax=0.35;

displayName = $STR_DN_KOZLICE_SHELL;

displayNameMagazine = $STR_MN_KOZLICE_SHELL;

shortNameMagazine = $STR_SN_KOZLICE_SHELL;

drySound[]={"weapons\M16dry",db-40,1}; // empty magazine

muzzles[] = {};

ammo = KozliceShell;

count = 7;

multiplier=1;

division=7; //added for fix in the US version of wrong ammo count

burst=7;

dispersion=0.0001;

sound[]={\kozl\kozl_single,db0,1};

reloadMagazineSound[]={\kozl\kozl_load,db-70,1};

soundContinuous=false;

reloadTime=0.001;

magazineReloadTime=3;

ffCount=1;

recoil=sniperSingle;

recoilFixed=riffleSingleFixed;

autoFire = false;

aiRateOfFire=5.0; // delay between shots at given distance

aiRateOfFireDistance=500; // at shorter distance delay goes lineary to zero

useAction = false;

useActionTitle = "";

};

class Kozlice

{

scopeWeapon = public;

scopeMagazine = private;

weaponType = WeaponSlotPrimary;

displayName = $STR_DN_KOZLICE;

model="\kozl\kozlice";

picture="\kozl\w_kozlice.paa";

muzzles[] = {KozliceBallMuzzle, KozliceShellMuzzle};

class KozliceBallMuzzle : KozliceBall

{

magazines[] = {KozliceBall};

};

class KozliceShellMuzzle : KozliceShell

{

magazines[] = {KozliceShell};

}

};

[akd 0]

Thanks, if I can find some place to host it, I think I will. I imagine these changes are drawn from add-ons most people have.

[quiet_man 8]

I don't like it to pick stuff from different locations if they are dependend to each other.

if the config works only with DMA/ECP pack, then best would be if one of the mods would add it to their downloads as sort of optional "third party extension"

BIS realy needs to do something about addons, new people that might come with AA will easily be frustrated by dependencies

Hint Hint:

http://www.flashpoint1985.com/cgi-bin....t=48076

quiet_man

[akd 0]

Hey guys,

1 - love the addons

2 - love your other works

3- Are there any plans to update/modify the Generic Resistance? they are by far some of the best I've come across

1. thank you

2. thank you

3. yes, an update is in the works as we speak, some fine addition from Williec are awaiting the addon, ETA:Soon  

AKD, the changes sound very good, did you add the models of the additional weapons to the pbos, or are the addons needed as extras for the the changes (SJB, ECP)?  Once you are done with changes I would be interested in testing the New Army config.

Regarding the Koslize, the change was done on purpose, we all hate the Koslize and wanted a more "usefull" weapon.  I dont think that the weapon breaks the first Resistance mission, I rather like the new approach with a usefull weapon from the start.  Another change that we did on purpose that could affect gameplay was the additional mag that we gave to each soldier, we thought that the more ammo better reflects a soldiers loadout.

Honcho, I wouldn't know how to add the alternate sounds and models to the DMA .pbos. That is beyond my capacity currently, but I suppose I could figure it out. Even then, I'm not sure if I would be "allowed" to do so.

However, I could easily make two versions of the config, one for ECP and one for standard DMA. I'd just have to transfer the changes over to the normal DMA config and perhaps add a few sounds to replace ECP sounds I had restored (SVD sounds only I can think of right now).

As it stands, the ECP version would require ECP (der! and both would require the following:

RHS weapons pack v.1.0

ORCS RPG pack v.3.5

SJB weapons pack v.1.1

Laser's US weapons pack

JAM3

Kozlice problem became apparent in the first Red Hammer mission, not the first Resistance mission. The mob of civilians often slaughter your squad with their now semi-automatic rifle/shotguns. I think BIS intended the Kozlice to be rather "useless." Also, these poor civilians running around with uber-expensive combat shotguns looks a bit strange.

But I also hate the Kozlice and think that such a specialized sporting gun is out of place in the game. That's why I thought an older style shotgun of the sort that often crossed over from civilian to police/military use would be a better compromise, retaining a significant pause between shots for reload, but changing the sound to a pump action. I'm thinking of something like the Ithaca 37 (there is one in the VTE mod, I think). With Sanctuary's advice, this should be no problem. I think these old style pumps have a certain charm, and they don't look out of place in the hands of a civilian, police officer or even a soldier.

http://world.guns.ru/shotgun/ithaca37hs.jpg

But that would add yet another mod, so I guess I got to figure out how to pull apart the needed elements and put them in one package.

Happy to pass it along whenever.

[honchoblack 2]

I prefer to use only one US weapon pack and one Russian weapon pack at the same time. But that is just me, I guess that comes from mission making. Keeping the used addons as limited as possible for mission making reasons. On the other side, those are very basic must have packs of course. But dont those packs have more addondependencies than you posted?

And I believe that one of the plus of the DMA packs are that they are indepentent to any other addons but the ones packed with the mod. I guess that I would like to see a version with minor fixes of things that are obvious. Some scopes/ironsights are missplaced, and the issue with the Mgunner, as of I believe some names that are wrong. Maybe I will address the issue when I find time, or work some strong jedi mind tricks on Sanctuary.

[akd 0]

I prefer to use only one US weapon pack and one Russian weapon pack at the same time.  But that is just me, I guess that comes from mission making.  Keeping the used addons as limited as possible for mission making reasons.  On the other side, those are very basic must have packs of course.  But dont those packs have more addondependencies than you posted?

And I believe that once of the plus of the DMA packs are that they are indepentent to any other addons but the ones packed with the mod.  I guess that I would like to see a version with minor fixes of things that are obvious.  Some scopes/ironsights are missplaced, and the issue with the Mgunner, as of I believe some names that are wrong.  Maybe I will address the issue when I find time, or work some strong jedi mind tricks on Sanctuary.

Honcho, those listed are the only needed .pbos for my changes currently. Maybe the patch is needed for Laser's weapons pack, but I don't think so.

However, I'm working on consolidating them. I've progressed to the point of being able to unpack and create a .pbo. (woohoo! I'm a freaking genius )

My problem is, looking through the .pbos, there are tons of files that I don't really know the purpose of. I dug around in the rpg .pbo and removed everything that was not connected by file name to the RPG-16, RPG-26, their named optical sights and the RPG-18 rocket, then put it back together and changed the relevant DMA config entries. Started up fine and looks fine, but I don't know if there's something not obvious I might have screwed up, like LODs and such.

p.s. All the old-style pump shotguns I could find were poor quality, so I'm using SJB's pump-action Benelli for now.

[AiRBLaDE 0]

What I really like from this release is the resistance soldiers.  But I have a small request for this addon.  Could you DMA guys retexture the resistance soldiers with more eastern european camoflague.  Right now the camoflague they wear looks very close to what USA uses.

But I, and probably many others, would like to see the res units with a different camo texture on them.

[FA Dalai Lamar 0]

THat's actually Yugoslavian camo they are wearing...I have made some different camo, kinda commercial military style in style, if Willec and DMA would like to see it.....They're welcome to it, well hell I just altered their textures.....I was just creating it it for personal use.

Lamar

[akd 0]

I like the resistance camo. The lack of browns and the slight blue tones (and additional blue clothing) make it distinct from U.S. patterns and most Russian patterns. Looks very Eastern European to me.

[LoTekK 0]

I was playing some night missions the other day with the DMA Army pack and ECP, and noticed something rather odd about the smoke particles. Most smoke particles show up just fine (aside from the random z-sorting issues), but I noticed that the "white" smoke particles show up as completely lit, all the time. This is obviously most apparent at night:

That's the resultant smoke from a hand grenade blast at 0430hrs, with no additional lights other than the sun, which is below the horizon. The luminous white smoke occurs with any effect that uses white smoke, whether it's satchels going off, white smoke markers, etc.

This only happens with the DMA pack (I haven't tried Naval, though), and not with stock OFP, or OFP + ECP.

Does anyone else have this issue, or do I have a botched something or other?

[sanctuary 19]

This only happens with the DMA pack (I haven't tried Naval, though), and not with stock OFP, or OFP + ECP.

Does anyone else have this issue, or do I have a botched something or other?

No, you are wrong it happens with default OFP+ECP

Because that's the ECP effects there, nothing is related to DMA modpacks.

default DMA modpacks without ECP do not have this extra lights in smoke, default ECP have this, so that's normal the combination of ECP and DMa modpack have this too.

[LoTekK 0]

Oops, you're right. I erroneously thought that the smoke markers were using the same smoke effects as the regular white smoke from explosions. Sorry, wrong thread then!

Just so I don't look completely like a fool, I'd be rather interested in akd's config. And the replacement pack in general simply rocks.

[akd 0]

Oops, you're right. I erroneously thought that the smoke markers were using the same smoke effects as the regular white smoke from explosions. Sorry, wrong thread then!

Just so I don't look completely like a fool, I'd be rather interested in akd's config. And the replacement pack in general simply rocks.

You would? Look here:

http://www.flashpoint1985.com/cgi-bin....t=49122

Glad you are interested.

[Messiah 2]

not sure if its been asked before but we've tried to put the libya map on our server to play MP on... we put the map up, all the addons required etc.

problem is we get the same error time after time:

<table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE">error no entry cfg/sounds

or something along those lines - means we cant play the map at all on a dedicated server, and i was wondering if anyone knew a solution.

[honchoblack 2]

I am sorry to hear that the map doesnt work on a dedicated server. I must add that in the alpha of the map no sounds are defined in the config. I wasnt aware of the needs of a map for a dedicated server. But thank you for the bugreport, so I can make the needed changes in the next update.

My guess to fix the problem would be to depbo the map, and add following entry to the maps config.

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

{

};

But question still remains, which config definitions are needed to make a map playable on a dedicated server.