Abandoned Armies 1.4

[thobson 38]

su27:I am glad you persevered after your initial problems, and thanks to Major Grunt for his help in advising you.  The Major originally had even worse problems and contacted me by e-mail.  It seemed that the stuff that Mikro has collected on addons helped to solve the problem.  It is also thanks to all the beta testers at ofpec that I was even aware of the issues with addons in the first place.

Quote[/b] ]During one or two hours of playing i felt real fear, loneliness, a strange feeling that not everything is what it looks like, and the feeling of hope i'm giving to my fighters and civilians.

This is good to hear - even though I made the mission I feel like this sometimes.  Once I had a panicy feeling that my people depended on me but I didn't know what to do.  To stay where we were might be a disaster - to move might be a disaster.  In the end we all hid in some bushes until I had calmed down!

Connors: Ah yes - that way.

[Twistedpretzel 0]

Hmm, maybe a kind of FAQ would be nice to give hints as to what different paths you can take, tbh Im helplessly lost as is, its nice and foggy out, i sent a member of my team to recon where the civvies are supposedly, and i am contemplating ambushing a convoy, but where is the real question, i doubt the two opposing forces have convoys into each others property often, and then there are all those little areas with a few buildings on the map, im thinking about splitting up my team (sending the girl to go with the guy who she has to be with) and letting them explore a bit for me while i explore as well, just to cover ground faster. Then theres the whole looking for satchel charges, anti tank and anti air weapons.

Theres just too much to do!

[major grunt 0]

Twistedpretzel: I am composing this reply with more than a little trepidation since it may appear that I know more than I really do. I particularly enjoyed the land navigation portion of AA. With a true pointing compass and the detailed map of OFP (every rock, tree, bush and house is shown and I never used maps that good in the field) it is very easy to move from one location to another.

It is never a very good idea to split your forces, particularly when the team is small and resources are extremely limited. In almost all my ofp operations I use my squad primarily as a 6 o’clock cover. Secondly, direct assaults on larger probably better-equipped forces are generally not very wise. Recon and being very sneaky with hit and run tactics has always been the formula for successful resistance. Unlike most ofp missions AA does not provide much intelligence in the briefing. This adds to the realism. Each group of civilians you encounter will provide more humint (Human Intelligence) to assist your decision-making. You need to watch and carefully observe, as Sherlock Holmes would say don’t just look – see. Your search for munitions and destructive weapons will benefit from careful observation. You need to think and operate as a covert agent in an extremely hostile environment. No one place will always be safe and as in real life the situation around you is in constant flux. Finding ways to make the enemies help you (by eliminating each other for example) would be a good idea.

Hope this helps.

[lilwillie_WI 0]

I am getting very few reports of people finishing the mission, it only seems like Laahustaja so far.

 Don't worry THobson. There are some of us lurking, who have finished it

AWAL from ofpec and your release and I am glad to see it is getting the rave reviews it so justly deserves.

I am in the midst of 1.4 and the final product is soooooooo fantastic.

[Trapper 0]

Finished your final release now. After playing the leaked beta before I already thought it's one of the best OFP missions.

Knowing some situations from my first visit, I've to ask a (SPOILER) question:

<span style='color:white'>I felt forced to be very helpless in many situations. First I save Tatjana then she just runs into her death.

When I visit the sick woman a second time, she was killed. And I could swear the village was abanndoned all the time in between.

Then in Stamonov's villa I tried to be fast or sneaky to save the two women, but they always die. I would've also liked to try sniping him from the watch tower before entering the building but unfortunetly a tank destroyed it.

I was just wondering while replaying the mission now. Aren't there solutions to change the outcome of these situations?</span>

[thobson 38]

Quote[/b] ]Don't worry THobson. There are some of us lurking, who have finished it

Excellent - but did you see everything?

<span style='color:white'>For example I am really interested to know if anyone made use of the second medic that I provided - did anyone even find him?</span>

Quote[/b] ]You need to think and operate as a covert agent in an extremely hostile environment.  No one place will always be safe and as in real life the situation around you is in constant flux.  

Perfectly put.  Thanks.  The other comment you make about hit and run is also right on the button.

Quote[/b] ]Knowing some situations from my first visit, I've to ask a (SPOILER) question:

I have answered by IM.  

<span style='color:white'>You did well bye the way.  You would be surprised how many people will be saying "What pregnant woman?"</span>

[su27 0]

Quote[/b] ]I have answered by IM.

Answer here, i'm also curious

[lilwillie_WI 0]

Quote[/b] ]Excellent - but did you see everything?

I would imagine playing since v1.23beta I have seen everything.......but in different attempts. Which is why I, in my own humble opinion, believe this mission one of the best made.

Although, I continue to replay, because I have always learned something new on every attempt

[thobson 38]

Quote[/b] ]I have answered by IM.

Answer here, i'm also curious

Nah!  It will spoil it for others.  One of my intentions with this mission is to leave the player who has successfully completed it thinking "Could I have done better?"; "What if I had/had not done X?"; "What happened to that woman being led to the barn in the Intro?" etc. etc.

This mission was beta tested for over 9 months on OFPEC.  Some of the beta testers gave it a real going over, especially Macguba and Mikero.  Macguba played it through three times and I lost count how many times Mikero played it from end to end, but it must have been close to 10 or more.  Despite all of that I can guarantee that nobody has found everything in the mission.  Mikero comes close, there are two things he has not found, one of these has not been seen by anyone - at least not that they have mentioned to me anyway.

[Connors 0]

I wonder if the bit about the woman being led into a barn is a clue....... last time i tried to find a civillian group... well what i found wasnt pretty

[Nicolas Eymerich 0]

I'd like to ask you a thing THobson...

I can't reach the house near "le trinitÄ" cause when I begin to walk upon the muntains i'm regoulary killed. Is this normal?

(I mean the second missions, after the cousin is shoot by soldiers)

[thobson 38]

Okay so this is the Mouuntain Lodge you are aiming for? Have you tried a different route from Vigny?

[Nicolas Eymerich 0]

Yes.. I've tried.. and I'm get killed over 20 times...

In particular this happen, just to explain myself better, after I reach the side of the muntain. Some vehicles (2 truck: 1 is american and the other is an Ural) appears, than a bradley come and destroy the truck and than some russians tanks arrive again (and then they leave folliwing the road toward Nord and an Abram comes from Sud to North [by the way: I've appreciated a lot the flag is carryng the abram ]).

Any time I try to get to the montain I hear a sound of an ak 47 and I (regulary) die. Consider also that I'm not able to understand who is shooting at me...

That's make me hungry...

[su27 0]

Any time I try to get to the montain I hear a sound of an ak 47 and I (regulary) die. Consider also that I'm not able to understand who is shooting at me...

Do you use ANY island replacements? High quality textures for CWC islands? Berghoff trees? New buildings?

Just throw it out. Go back to original flashpoint 1.46 islands. Awful trees and boring textures but the mission is worth it

[Nicolas Eymerich 0]

Do you use ANY island replacements? High quality textures for CWC islands? Berghoff trees? New buildings?

Just throw it out. Go back to original flashpoint 1.46 islands. Awful trees and boring textures but the mission is worth it

No one...

I use only the last version of Ecp...

[Connors 0]

I got shot my the people who you later command when i didnt drop my weapon

[thobson 38]

Nicolas: I am really puzzled by this.  The only time people have experienced strange things like this is when using a lot of addons or different islands.  At least one beta tester played it through with the new verision of ECP (1.085) with no problem.

Could I ask you please to double check that your addon folders look like as described here:

Here

and that your addons are managed as described here:

Here

Failing that a few questions:

- do you hear the sound of any other weapon?  M16 perhaps?

- where exactly are you when this happens (map references please)?

- what exactly has happened so far in the mission?  Vigny - then what?  

- Where did you find the road convoy (trucks etc.)? - again map references if possible.

- Are you absolutely sure the island you are using is the original Malden that comes with the game?

I am busy at work and travelling over the next few days but I will have intermitent access to the site and will keep checking back.

Connors:  Wonderful I wondered how many people would get caught with that one

su27:

Quote[/b] ]Awful trees and boring textures but the mission is worth it

Thank you

[Nicolas Eymerich 0]

@--> THobson thanks again for your interest and help in trying to solve this problem for me. This is another proof that such good mission is written by a such good good person too...

Okay. Let's come to us...

About Map reference at the moment I'm at work so I can't reply to you (I'll check this evening)

I'm sure at 100% my add-on are the same one of the Bis as well they're all that your missions requested (if I'm not mistaken the only "unofficial" add-on is the editor uptdate by General Barron). However, just in case, I'll have a check this evening.

The island is the "original" Malden. I've removed any bush pack or texture unofficial i had in my \res\addon folder.

Quote[/b] ]

- do you hear the sound of any other weapon?

I'm not sure if there is some one else sound. But I'm really pretty sure it is the sound of an ak\47

Quote[/b] ]

- what exactly has happened so far in the mission? Vigny - then what?

-----SPOILER--------------

Okay. I arrive to Vigny. I Kill the two americans soldiers in the house. Than a Cut scene happened. It is my cousins who tell to me to reach an house in the montains beetween two cities (I don't remember exactly.. but the Blue Marker is set near le trinitÄ). The woman escapes and she is killed by some soldiers. The soldiers come towards me (sometimes this happen) I kill them and than I take the jeep parked outside the house. I follow the road 'till I reach a bus with a lot of person dead. than, I turn left and follow the road to north until my car is broken... Than I head myself toward the marker. Approximatly at the side of the montains (there are some rocks on there) some trucks arrive. There're 2 truck. The first one is an american one. The second one is a Russian one. Some vehicle (2 russians tank) come form the nord and destroy the ural. I'm always hidden beetwen the rock 'till an abram, coming from the sud arrives. Than I begin to walk upon the muntains and then I'm regoulary killed...

I'll give you the map position tomorrow...

------------------SPoiler---------------

Quote[/b] ]

The only time people have experienced strange things like this is when using a lot of addons or different islands.

To be honest my add-on folder is over 1.5 Gb. I did'nt know such thing could be a problem (and yes I've also three unoficial island: Tonal, Nogova (By mapfact) and Aef Phoenix).

By the way: Sometimes when a vehicle get killed i get a strange message:

"no entry config.bin Vehicle" (don't remeber exacltly)

I click upon "ok" but the game is regular running.

I've also have a look to your mission (I hope you don't get hungry) and in the area where i regoulary die there is no

anyone. No trigger (except the one who open the second cutscene) and no man...

Just a suggestion for (I truly hope) your next missions: I'm quite sure that some lag of the mission could be avoided using the "createunit" or "createvehicle" functions. I Think it's quite useless to have a lot of soldiers (near the airport and near the city on the sud) when player is over 3000 metres from them. Putting a trigger near such areas (? player in thislist : spane soldiers) could be an interesting ways to reduce the lag.

Again thanks for your help

[karantan 0]

-----SPOILER--------------

Okay. I arrive to Vigny. I Kill the two americans soldiers in the house. Than a Cut scene happened. It is my cousins who tell to me to reach an house in the montains beetween two cities (I don't remember exactly.. but the Blue Marker is set near le trinitÄ). The woman escapes and she is killed by some soldiers. The soldiers come towards me (sometimes this happen) I kill them and than I take the jeep parked outside the house. I follow the road 'till I reach a bus with a lot of person dead. than, I turn left and follow the road to north until my car is broken... Than I head myself toward the marker. Approximatly at the side of the montains (there are some rocks on there) some trucks arrive. There're 2 truck. The first one is an american one. The second one is a Russian one. Some vehicle (2 russians tank) come form the nord and destroy the ural. I'm always hidden beetwen the rock 'till  an abram, coming from the sud arrives. Than I begin to walk upon the muntains and then I'm regoulary killed...

I'll give you the map position tomorrow...

------------------SPoiler---------------

If I may; I'm quite sure this is no bug, you've just atracted someone's 'attention'. Is the fog thick? If it is, here's your answer; you can't see him, he can see you. Regarding the hints (do walking, not driving ...); I leave this to the author . Ah, and don't worry, this is not a spoiler, it's just your 'story'.

Quote[/b] ]

Just a suggestion for (I truly hope) your next missions: I'm quite sure that some lag of the mission could be avoided using the "createunit" or "createvehicle" functions. I Think it's quite useless to have a lot of soldiers (near the airport and near the city on the sud) when player is over 3000 metres from them. Putting a trigger near such areas (? player in thislist : spane soldiers) could be an interesting ways to reduce the lag.

If I remember correctly from the 'beta testing days' I think THobson's intention was to avoid unit creating and spawning and such things for the sake of not cheating in any way; he wanted for all activities on the island to go as naturally e.g. realistically as possible.

[Nicolas Eymerich 0]

Hi Thobson,

First of all ten thousand apologies for the late I reply to you (I've had a very bad week at work)...

Okay.

About map reference here you are:

The situation I've described to you were usually to happen in sector Eb-40 (if you have a look to Malden's Map you'll notices a rock on the left edge of the sector itself). As Karantan said the guy who was shooting at me were hidding himself in the forest Eb-42.

But... I've been able to solve this problem. I've tried to follow the rpoad to the north turning than to left toward the montain's lodge.

Unfortunatly, I've come to another issues...

After I've talked with the other man I've swithced to the

radio and I directed myself to rescue the civialian.

When I've arrived in sector Ea-39 my soldier said a strange thing (something like "grounkov is died"). I didn't realize at the fisrt moment... After I've rescued the people (and bring them to the montains lodge) I thinked it was time to prepare an attack toward Arudy (By the way: a woman follow me over the time... Now I did'nt know she was falled in love with me [if my girlfiriend read this... ]). I direct to Arudy but nobody were there. Than I direct myself to Houdon (the city at the east f arudy). When I was approximatly 1000 metres far from the city my soldier said the "Groukon.. forces are surrender.. now It's time to..." (sorry, I don't remember exactly). Even in Houdon there were no one...

I've reach the town at the nord and no one even there.

I've reach la trinitÄ and no one there too! (and a lot of abandoned tanks along the way: T-80, M2A2, Bmp). So I've take the control of a tank (the woman still were following me... [stalking? Just joking...]) and I direct myself to the airport. Useless to say there were a lot of people (a snyper too) surrending to me....

So, Can I give you some suggestions?

1) Too fog... I was unable to see man and, in comparison, they were able to shoot at me...

2) I didn't like the idea about to remove the ability to skip time. Let's make an example. When I direct myself to the rescue the civilians, someone says that it's a good thing to avoid the road becasu a lot of convoys are on it. So I direct myself using my legs but... 30 minutues to get there and return in my opinio are too much (please also consider that most of time i was running and, useless to say, me teammates were unable to stay back on me.

3) As I'va already said, you should consider that createvehicle or unit is a good way to reduce lag. I'm aware about what Karantan said, but if you put a trigger near the city (for example 1000 metres far) and in condition you set: (player in this list or vehicle player in this list) and on activation you spawn the soldier... well you get the same result you wish and you avoid some lag. This allow to increase view distance as well to reduce lag...

However those are only suggestions to improve, as far as I've seen, one of the most intersting mission I've ever played since 2001...

[lilwillie 47]

Nicolas,

This is only a observation of mine after playing threw AA many times and playing it to my glorious death a few dozen times.

Your description doesn't sound like a bug at all, but normal mission occurances. ThoBson's use of fog and his scripting makes every attempt at this mission a new experience. Going from Vigny to the hunting lodge where you'll meet up with civilians can result in instant death from a variety of ways. My first attempts in beta testing it took over a dozen tries to get there. Because I didn't take the mindset that I am always in someone's crosshairs, must always stay alert, and use the info given by cutscenes and notes to my advantage.

Your route may take you into the path of either side, your speed getting there may alert someone. Jump in the jeep, and someone may be close enough to see that,or hear it.

Aside from that, your travel time is to be expected. I once spent 6 hours of game time on foot noting patrol routes, enemy strength and time during those patrols. Using the soldiers that joined me I placed them in safe OP's and myself in different locals and figured out when to hit where. If your travel time is to long my suggestion is the motorcycle at the lodge, fuel it up, go solo, and be ready to boogy when hell comes down

my first successfull playthrew amounted to 30+ hours of realtime play.

[thobson 38]

Nicolas:  

Quote[/b] ] When I've arrived in sector Ea-39 my soldier said a strange thing (something like "grounkov is died" …etc ..etc).

I have knowledge of only two other people having a problem like this.  They both solved it by tidying up their unofficial addons and making sure they were using an un-edited version of the Malden island.  I suspect you either have an unofficial addon on lurking in your addon folder or you are not using the correct Malden.  Once that is fixed I suspect it will fix a lot of your other problems also.

Your other comments:

1. Fog:  I would be interested in your view when you have finished the mission

2. Accelerated time.  As for fog.  Also – I provide you with a police jeep and car a motorcycle and a truck – and you walk!?  

3. I spent a lot of effort on reducing lag in this mission – creating units was never an option.  This is a working island where things are happening all the time - until the player stops them that is.  Just because you see units near the airport on the map don’t assume that all stay there.  They react in a realistic way to what actions the player takes.

Karantan:  Absolutely correct.  A key part of the design was that I don’t play games with the player by creating units or moving units near him.

lilwillie: 30+ hours!!!  My longest is about 25.

Quote[/b] ]I once spent 6 hours of game time on foot noting patrol routes, enemy strength and time during those patrols. Using the soldiers that joined me I placed them in safe OP's and myself in different locals and figured out when to hit where.

That is fantastic!!  I am glad that someone has played it this way.

[Laahustaja 0]

Every people who play this have different playing style. I made raids to town (killing some enemies, not many, like 5-8) and before enemy noticed that something was going on, I disappered like ghost. It was pretty nice.

[thobson 38]

Quote[/b] ]I made raids to town (killing some enemies, not many, like 5-8) and before enemy noticed that something was going on, I disappered like ghost. It was pretty nice.

  That is how I play it. I find it great fun.  Early in the mission my 'raids' are at long range with an M21 and PK m/gs.  Later in the mission we get closer and use Bizons.

[Laahustaja 0]

That is how I play it.  I find it great fun.  Early in the mission my 'raids' are at long range with an M21 and PK m/gs.  Later in the mission we get closer and use Bizons.

I raided with AK on close range, to the city, shooting and running away!