Abandoned Armies 1.4

[thobson 38]

Okay if you double clicked then that is another matter.  The only way to protect against this is to copy and rename your save files.

Quote[/b] ]Haha..if it was me who got them fighting each other, I don't know what I did.

There are several things you could have done.  But believe me the fighting doesn't start unless the player makes it.  I have left the mission soak for 5 days several times just to make sure the vehicles keep running and the fighting doesn't start on its own.

Quote[/b] ]does that mean that I actually got to them too late, or that they were already dead?

That would be telling

[xawery 0]

Before I proceed: HERE BE SPOILERS!

Bah, I had to restart the whole mission due to a rather unfortunate accident: I saved the game just as a Vulcan decided to tear my team a new one... Well, at least it's my own fault.

Anyway, I have a question THobson. As I said, I had to start over. After Tatjana got shot, I went to the mountain lodge. The house where the Corporal and the civilians (whom you have to retrieve later on) were hiding was on my route. I decided to go to them before heading for the mountain lodge. However, whenever I get within 100 m of the house I mysteriously get shot. I say mysteriously, because OFP normally shows the person who killed you, but in this case the camera merely hovered above my dead body. So what's this then? Instantaneous death script?

Oh yeah, one more strange thing happened. I managed to get a jeep with machine gun off the enemy. As I was driving back to base, A Cobra flew right over my head and suddenly... stopped. It was just hovering there. I thought it would be worth a try, so I ordered my gunner to attack it. He spent almost hundred rounds on the damn thing and eventually brought it down. In the meantime, the Cobra hadn't even moved an inch. A bit odd, but at least it's one less bird in the sky

Great mission, and a great story!

[thobson 38]

Quote[/b] ]The house where the Corporal and the civilians (whom you have to retrieve later on) were hiding was on my route. I decided to go to them before heading for the mountain lodge. However, whenever I get within 100 m of the house I mysteriously get shot

You probably got caught up in some crossfire, not just a bullet out of thin air.  

Quote[/b] ]A Cobra flew right over my head and suddenly... stopped. It was just hovering there. I thought it would be worth a try, so I ordered my gunner to attack it. He spent almost hundred rounds on the damn thing and eventually brought it down. In the meantime, the Cobra hadn't even moved an inch. A bit odd, but at least it's one last bird in the sky  

Nothing to do with me.  This is how OFP chose to behave in that particular circumstance.  It is interesting.  I think I know the reason - the jeeps are strange creatures.  Some beta testers have found that if they get in a damaged jeep then their squad will sometimes see the player as an enemy and kill him (you).  It seems the chopper also had a degree of confusion about this.  

Bye the way though: Are you sure you really wanted to bring the chopper down?

[LoTekK 0]

I actually also got myself shot up at the location Xawery mentioned. Though my reason for being there was a little different, and, well, a little embarassing. After speaking to Tatjana and booking it out of Vigny, I was actually entirely unaware that the mountain lodge had been marked on my map. So I was literally hunting around the map looking for building icons on or near a mountain. I found the real lodge on the map completely by mistake when I drove north in an attempt to find a "friendlier" route to the "mountain lodge."

Anyways, I've been having a blast so far. Lots of snoop and poop with a hunting rifle. Another embarassing moment, though, happened when I went to retrieve my first group of civvies, bringing one of the sergeants along. In a two-seater jeep. Thankfully I managed to get one of the guys I left behind to drive the P3VS down to my location (got stuck at the roadblock, though).

The atmosphere is simply amazing. Snooping around, doing some scouting. Hitting the dirt when you suddenly hear vehicles approaching. Being utterly creeped out by the various nature sounds (in particular the baying wolf ). Moving around Arudy to scout out the town and suddenly seeing an entire infantry squad moving towards you ). Hit the dirt, hid in a bush, waited as they moved past me.

Decided to recce Arudy by fire. Found a nice spot near a treeline on the hill overlooking the town. Figured out my egress route. Popped one of the patrolling soldiers. Within thirty to forty-five seconds, I had a squad of infantry on my position. Not even a chance to egress! So I lay low. Then got impatient and wasted a straggler with my Browning HP. So far so good. Then I got even more impatient and pulled out the hunting rifle and popped another guy. Bad move. The troops quickly bore down on me and I got wasted by the flag carrier.

Speaking of which. Is there any particular significance to the flag carriers on foot? Is it just something to signify patrols of a certain side?

Ace stuff, THobson. Absolutely ace stuff.

[xawery 0]

Bye the way though: Are you sure you really wanted to bring the chopper down?

How... how do you mean? AAArgh the paranoia!!

[Abs_01 0]

Lol...if taking down a chopper is a bad thing, I guess I should be trying to save them. It's awesome hearing battles off in the distance: a chopper flying past you, AA engaging it, a boom and then silence.

Maybe destroying AA should be one of my goals.

Abs

[thobson 38]

LoTekK:

Quote[/b] ] was actually entirely unaware that the mountain lodge had been marked on my map. So I was literally hunting around the map looking for building icons on or near a mountain

Actually I when I started I was writing the mission to be played this way - with absolutely no help from the map or briefing. So don't be embarrased.

Quote[/b] ]In a two-seater jeep.

Lol You can be embarrased about that though.

I am glad you like it.  I won't answer the question about the flags.  There is a lot of stuff in the mission that the player just has to figure out, it is meant to be part of the experience.  Which brings me on to:

Xawery & Abs_01:

I never said bringing down choppers was a bad thing.  I just asked Xawery if he really wanted to do it.

[xawery 0]

I never said bringing down choppers was a bad thing. I just asked Xawery if he really wanted to do it.

Alright... ok... but why would I not really want to do it if it isn't a bad thing?

[LoTekK 0]

Quote[/b] ]Actually I when I started I was writing the mission to be played this way - with absolutely no help from the map or briefing. So don't be embarrased.

Nifty. Though if I had to comment, I'd say that it would actually make sense in this case for Tatjana to point out on your map where the lodge was (with the associated dialogue: "It's right here on the map"). But either way I managed to find it.

Quote[/b] ]

Quote[/b] ]In a two-seater jeep.

Lol You can be embarrased about that though.

Yeah, it's doubly funny because I didn't even realize it until the guy said "I hope you brought a vehicle large enough for all of us." DOH!

Quote[/b] ]I won't answer the question about the flags.  There is a lot of stuff in the mission that the player just has to figure out, it is meant to be part of the experience.

I kinda figured as much. My trigger finger keeps getting a serious itch everytime I see one of them bright red bastards, though. I reckon I'll probably succumb to the urge mighty soon and just pop one of them.

[thobson 38]

Quote[/b] ]Alright... ok... but why would I not really want to do it if it isn't a bad thing?

What you have done is perfectly okay - don't worry.  There are many ways to deal with this mission and yours is one of them.

Quote[/b] ]I'd say that it would actually make sense in this case for Tatjana to point out on your map where the lodge was (with the associated dialogue: "It's right here on the map").

Remember that Alexi is 'family'.  Look at the picture of Nikolai in the the briefing.  Where was the photograph taken?  Alexi knows about the place.

[xawery 0]

Remember that Alexi is 'family'. Look at the picture of Nikolai in the the briefing. Where was the photograph taken? Alexi knows about the place.

Very, very good. This is the kind of detail I truly appreciate.

[LoTekK 0]

Ah yes, good point. See, it's the little things like that that make a truly immersive experience, and are certainly the mark of a labor of love. This is great stuff.

I guess for the purposes of the story, I'll just assume that while I was playing, Alexi "forgot" where the lodge was and therefore had to go hunting for it. He eventually remembered, though (ie, when I finally saw it marked on the map ).

[thobson 38]

Lol

[Laahustaja 0]

Is there always the damn fog? I HATE it because i can't snipe. Playing in high grapfics mode. Is there the fog in low-graph mode? What are the basic differences between these modes?

[Sudden Death 0]

In my case of playing the mission the fog was only at dawn. Later on it was clear and sunny!

The OFPMDB has hosted the mission and presents you an extended review! Visit us! Click here!

Sudden Death

[Laahustaja 0]

Thanks for the info. I only have to wait some time and then go to snipe. The start is very difficult because my army is badly equipped. I presume that I must snipe enemies and collect their weapons.

[thobson 38]

Quote[/b] ]Playing in high grapfics mode.

Please remember though to set terrain detail to normal.  The mission takes so long to play that small errors in the OFP engine can cumulate and move objects vertically by several feet if your terrain detail is set to any other setting.

If you play like me, you will do a lot of sniping, a lot of crawling, a lot of silenced assassination and a lot of running away!  But other people play it very differently.

Quote[/b] ]The start is very difficult

Not just the start I hope

Quote[/b] ]because my army is badly equipped

That is meant to be part of the experience.  

There are several ways to collect weapons, dead bodies is one way, but you might find these guys are pretty short on ammo themselves

EDIT:

Sudden Death - My first review - Thank you!  

I did not do multiple languages because it is very difficult to do the translations well - and there is just so much dialogue I could not face the task.

[ofpchaos 0]

Hi Trevor !

Here you can get a little script which sets your terrain Grid and ViewDistance automatically.

Congratulations for your test result.

[thobson 38]

Thanks.  I did originally use a script that re-set the terrain grid automatically every few minutes.  The problem is that if the player has it set differently then every time they restarted a saved game the accumulation of errors in the vertical positioning of objects would get even worse.  I have seen trucks completely underground and buildings flying several feet above the ground as a result of this problem.

The only reliable way I have found to avoid this problem (and believe me I tried long and hard) is if the player sets Terrain detail to Normal out side of the mission.  Thanks anyway.

And thank you for your congratulations.

[Sudden Death 0]

Quote[/b] ]My first review

There´s also a review of "Defensive Strike" at our database!

Quote[/b] ]I did not do multiple languages because it is very difficult to do the translations well - and there is just so much dialogue I could not face the task.

That´s the point why it was hard to find a fair rating. For my own it was near a 10pts mission. But i thought, what will I do if I test an equal mission that have multilanguage support?

But language was not the only fact for my decision to give "only" a 9pts rating!

hope this wont lead to a never ending discussion...

Kind regards

Sudden Death

[thobson 38]

Quote[/b] ]There´s also a review of "Defensive Strike" at our database!

Thanks, yes I saw.  I really meant the first review of this mission.  I released it over 3 months ago.

No not a never ending discussion.  I really don't care about the score.  They are all subjective and anyway it is only one person's opinion.  I enjoyed making the mission, I enjoy playing it and I am very happy that others enjoy playing it as well.  That is all that matters to me.

[Laahustaja 0]

Now, my army is well equipped, all with AK-74, RPGs... Stole an ammotruck. I think that Andropovs army knows my position, because they have send 1 squad, Abrams, T-80, T-72 and Vulcan against me. Luckily destroyed them all when they clicbed on the hill. What can I do for that problem? And one more question: how many units are in the island? Must I kill them all?

[thobson 38]

Very well done! Stealing an ammo truck is not easy.

As for your questions - you really don't want me to answer them do you?

[Laahustaja 0]

Maybe not.

[Laahustaja 0]

Woohoo! Captured Abrams and repaired and fueled it! Now i'm going to kill Stamenov. Played "only" 4 hours so far. Only thing that I need to know that for objective "Destroy Stamenov army", Need I search his soldiers all over the island and hunt them down?  Superb mission so far, only some enemis are far too accurate (Can shoot me trough dense fog. I can't even see them when I get killed.)