JIP

[Dwarden 1125]

most simple is mission and server options (where server can over-ride the mission one) ...

players can vote about ...

this way mission maker decide what's good "default" mode and server owner / admin decide if they want change it and players can vote about if they disagree ...

this made all happy (except some nubs whining about optionable settings)

[kegetys 2]

Maybe something like OnPlayerJoin.sqf, that gets called by the server when a player is joining, and this function can return either an unit or false. If it returns false the player is put into the "Game in progress" screen. If it returns an unit the player is given control of this unit (So the script could return an AI unit or create a new unit and return that). Like the current scripts, this script could be in the mission pbo, or in the scripts.pbo (Which could have some default handling, like a spectating script, for missions that do not have their own handling).

Also there should also be a new lock mode for server admin that would always put joining players to the "game in progress" screen (that can be changed in game with a chat command).

[lwlooz 0]

I think it should be an option for the mission designer and the server admin.The mission designer determines how JIP works in the mission and the server admin decides if JIP works at all(kinda like locking and unlocking the server midgame).As for the mission designer,maybe it could be handled like respawns in the desc.ext.

JIP = 0 -> No Jip possible

JIP = 1 -> Players can join into already existing AI which were set to playable.Additonally to that I would like to see a modified CreateUnit-command with which you could create Playable-Units with Scripting midgame. Players then connect to the server and get and Assignment-Screen like the one of Inqwiper and can select playable slots.Once they click on Ready,they get to the briefing and then join the game.At that point I would like to give OFP a message to all players that a new player joined and an extra one to the leader of the player.Just so he can mentally prepare himself for whatever lunatic joined his squad. "D3ltaSniper-Marine joined your squad" "Argh.. shit".

Maybe there also needs to be a command that can change non-playable units to playable ones and the other way round.

And to all who say JIP isnt good for coops,well you never played a 3h long operation then.It is kinda not nice if squad leaders disconnect and you lose parts of your fighting force

Edit: Maybe also add a Eventhandler "Joining" that runs everytime a player joins(obviously). Example:You add a join-eventhandler to a playable unit that calls a command that sets the player in a heli somewhere.

[killswitch 19]

Edit: Maybe also add a Eventhandler "Joining" that runs everytime a player joins(obviously). Example:You add a join-eventhandler to a playable unit that calls a command that sets the player in a heli somewhere.

Edit2: Thats kinda what Kegetys said I think

Agree - having a new per-entity event (I'd call it "join" or possibly "joined", keeping with the current event type naming convention) would complement the per-mission onPlayerJoin.{sqs|sqf} system nicely and I can see uses for both.

For comparison, consider how OFP allows you to use a (per-mission) onFlare.sqs script that detects flares being fired in a mission. This complements the (per-entity) "fired" event quite nicely.

I will second the suggestion of being able to add playable units during a mission. (Say, by way of extending the createUnit command). That'd be just great. "Sir, we need reinforcements" "Ok, coming up" <Mission/side CO opens a dialog and adds a couple of squads, each led by a playable unit>

Food for thought: currently, OFP uses certain markers (eg "respawn_east") to decide where people respawn. Imagine the optional "reinforce_west<number>" markers to designate the places where you may enter the game world after the mission has started.

Oh man, the possibilities...

[lwlooz 0]

Just had another idea concerning this:

Instead of people disconnecting,they first get to the Assignment Screen.That way people ingame could abort it and select another role if necessary.To prevent abuse maybe use JipDelay to let the mission designer select a waiting-time until you can play again.

Also on Respawns & Jip: I think it doesnt matter what respawn the units use.As long as unit is alive is playable and no other player plays it,you can join it,no matter how many times he respawned (that of course only goes for respawn-on-spot and respawn-at-base as only that has multiple respawn of a unit)

[Jinef 2]

What would be nice is designation respawn.

Where section leaders, platoon leaders or company commanders select where players go. Or just have an auto-assign option.

I would always stick late comers in a rifleman position for example, as they have not heard the brief etc.

[EiZei 0]

What would be nice is designation respawn.

Where section leaders, platoon leaders or company commanders select where players go. Or just have an auto-assign option.

Or just give the boot for the people thick enough not to listen to their CO.

[metallicAL 0]

With JIP it would be possible to allow spectate? till the round ends, this i think would be awsome.

[Kode 0]

there are no things like rounds, it's not counterstrike

Join in progress means you can join in anytime, and if you are dead, you are just dead till you respawn. I hope they don't allow to spectate, as it would ruin a part of MP...

[metallicAL 0]

I play in a coop community and we use the term "rounds" to describe mission.

When someone joins the server its a pain the a** because we have to re-allocate or roles in selection menu, else they have to wait in this boring window with just the names of the people to look at. OK so you can use OFP watch to tell you when the round/mission ends but it would be nice to watch.

i really enjoy watching my teammates with kegetys specator script after i die.

Im not saying that i want players to just spawn halfway through a mission and catch up but if they could specate till the mission ends that would a nice little feature

[Commando84 0]

i think there should be more than one way to go, like spectating , non spectating, everything that is stuff that the mission editor and server admin can edit before start or something like that. I think its boring to just watch the name list, it would be more fun to spectate, but it could be optional maybe. If the risc of ruining a match then they could make it so that in that kind of settings before the mission starts spectators can chat but their messages can't bee seen by the players only by the other spectators

would solve problems maybe

[armandobronca 0]

I think a password protected jip option could be good too, i don't want to see a player connecting to a cti game ,destroying the mhq and then disconnect.

I think mission maker and admins must have the option to enable or disable jip.

[EddyBoy 0]

password the server perhaps?

[zyklone 1]

This has to be up to the mission designer.

Complex missions with huge client side arrays have to be coded to support join in progress.

Synchronizing all those correctly when a new player connects would be very tricky. So it has to be possible to disable JIP for missions that'll break with it.

[hoz 0]

In observing the characteristics of OFP:E, the client doesn't receive all the mission like in PC OFP. The client has a template or the mission already on dvd. The server sends an update to the client when they join, the update would consist of different changes the user has made in the ofp editor for that particular template.

I would really like to have a spectating mode when there is no respawn. The seagul can be slow in getting you to the battle if you die along was away.

hoz

[snoops_213 75]

The question is: should this be something determined by mission designer, or by game host / server admin, or by players currently playing the game?

Each of this requires different approach to implementation.

Sorry, are you asking us what we want? I take it that this part of the code has yet to be implemented then? Hmmmmmmm this may or may not be good news

"Each of this requires different approach to implementation"

Is there a way that all 3 options can be implemented, if so then thats probably the way to go as everyone would be happy. However saying that I do realize that this may not be an option as the question would not have been asked if it was.

If not possible to have all 3 options then JIP should be managed by the Sever/Admin, with ALL multiplayer missions incorperating JIP natively. Obviously somepeople like the idea that the mission designer should make the choice, but somepeople would want it on anyway. If it was done on the Sever then mission designers could "suggest" the best way to play, but leave ultimate decision upto Severs/players. If mission designers didnt want JIP in the mission then there should be a way that when JIP is enable a penalty should be incurred to ALL players on the server, that way people would be "Forced" to go to servers that disable JIP for that mission so no penatlies are incurred. Penalties would also be upto the mission designer.

What ever you decide to do it can't be worse than what we have now. Look forward to seeing which way you end up going with this, and some updates

[Espectro (DayZ) 0]

As i see it, there are only 2 different ways.

Either the mission designer can do it, or the admin can do it. The players shouldnt have an option, since they can just ask the admin for it.

Like someone else said... Let the mission designer choose, and then make an param for admin to turn it off. This way, if the mission designer doesnt want JIP in his mission, he can simply code it this way. If he want it to make it both ways, he can just put it in as a parameter, so the admin can choose.

If he want it in, he will just code it that way. So all in all, its the mission designer who chooses how his mission will be played (like now).

I assume that mos mission designers would make it like a parameter then, since thats probably the ones that will be uploaded and therefor played the most on the servers.

If they allready coded the MP JIP, it shouldnt be so hard with an on/off button for JIP... So im sure they are allready done implementing that section (i hope so anyway)

[hoz 0]

I think with JIP there are some logistics to consider, such as if its JIP does the server send the entire mission to the client as in the ofp:PC or is the mission streamed to the client when the client requires the information. Do you want the server to be consumed by sending the whole mission package at once like sounds and scripts,etc?

[InqWiper 0]

I think with JIP there are some logistics to consider, such as if its JIP does the server send the entire mission to the client as in the ofp:PC or is the mission streamed to the client when the client requires the information. Do you want the server to be consumed by sending the whole mission package at once like sounds and scripts,etc?

I think it would work nicely if the whole mission was downloaded before it starts but the server prioritizes keeping the current game stable.

[Kode 0]

I wonder if they also added the possibility to download needed addons from the server, this would be nice so you don't have to look for the addons. Of course, this should be optional for the servers.

[imported_bör 0]

I wonder if they also added the possibility to download needed addons from the server, this would be nice so you don't have to look for the addons. Of course, this should be optional for the servers.

In enemy territory the admin can add a source on a http or ftp server, so that the joining players who miss an addon don't dl from the server and screw the ping, but rather get the addon faster from another source. Perfect imho.

[Necromancer- 0]

In enemy territory the admin can add a source on a http or ftp server, so that the joining players who miss an addon don't dl from the server and screw the ping, but rather get the addon faster from another source. Perfect imho.

It would also be nice if you could copy/paste the adress or double-click on it, so the game will minimize and a browser will pop-up.

[armandobronca 0]

Edit: deleted

[Dwarden 1125]

yes url forward and ingame downloader for addons will be excelent addition ... (UE2/2.5/3.0 support this, Source support this, both of course only for non full scale modifications (let say you need just this vehicle, so it will be autodownloaded and placed to cache) etc.)

[Victrix 0]

i dont understand whats the big deal in joining and spectating? instead of having the black screen to look at....oh and gotta love when everyone is ready but then someone's friend from the clan joins in the last minute and we gotta restart the roles again....or lets say someone with a slower internet connection is downloading the mission but some people dont like to wait and there for will start without him....

if you dont want anyone to join in just lock the server....thats all you dont need the option to disable the JIP