DKMM_ARTY beta for download

[BlackScorpion 0]

Nice job. The TOS-1 is very effective, if used the correct way. And it also functions well, all those animations etc. Been having fun time downing low-flying choppers with this.

The Paladin, in the other hand, is a true beta. Nearly no textures inside, miscalibrated sight... and I can't get the west FO to assign targets. Or do the M109's have to be many km's away or in line of sight? I assigned targets (Malden airfield, artillery mile or two away on the highgrounds), but they didn't engage.

The artillery system is very simple, but works, in a way. Some more control over it might be nice, though. It would be nice to atleast get the artillery to fire from more than one vehicle at once. Also the max rounds seems to be set at 8, increasing it further will just result the round counter to switch between 9 and 7.

To AfrographX: Play as DKM forward observer (Spetznaz model in both West and East btw???), choose the weapon "Binocular" (from the action menu), point at the preferred aiming point and fire. Apparently a tracer round is fired, atleast that's the visual effect, and the artillery will start the fire mission in about 5-15 secs. Although readmes would've been useful...

[miles teg 1]

I really hope that CoC adds the TOS-1 and its fuel-air ammunition to their UA 1.1 system.

This system in the beta is good on the TOS-1 (I didn't try the M109 with a forward observer yet) however, its not very accurate. Its like it uses a rather large grid system or is maybe affected by the forward observer (or targets?) elevation perhaps. However I am not whining. I fully understand how enormously complicated it is to program such a artillery system and I am grateful for the hardwork that went into it.

If this system could be improved a bit, it would be perhaps an alternative to CoC UA as its alot faster so therefore easier to engage moving targets with by targetting a strike forward of the direction that a infantry squad for example, is moving in.

Even in direct fire mod however I can see the TOS-1 being used. For example you might be in a light infantry platoon guarding a town with only some humvees for fire support. A Russian light armor unit with TOS-1 appears over a hill and opens up on your position. Or you could have them ambush your armored column as you are heading towards an objective. They won't hurt tanks much but can mess up your light armored vehicles. Plus it'll scare the hell out of you especially if it's a night mission full of nasty RPG's ambushes and these nasty weapons.

The other scenarios are offensive ones in which the TOS-1's are targets for your aircraft to hunt down before they arrive at a town held by friendly forces. Have them protected by Shilkas and other AA systems for added difficulty.

They also would make good targets for Special Operations teams inserted behind enemy lines to hunt down these dangerous artillery systems.

So as is, I think the addon is still plenty useful. I look forward to seeing how the AI can be scripted to use the system for indirect fire. As soon as I find out how that is done, I will add it to a Russian mission I am almost finished making.

Chris G.

aka-Miles Teg<GD>

[-DsO- ShapeShifter 0]

very nice addon thx !

[Gen.Carnage 0]

Ok, to help you scripters out a bit: (remember i'm doing this from memory)

the spotter fires an invisible bullet that impacts somewhere on the map, the script then calculates the x,y,z coords of the desired arty landingpoint, and deducts it from the artillery systems x,y,z, the distance from the arty to the target is (here's the big trick) divided by factor 10 and an invisible 'fake target' is hung in the air WITHIN viewrange of the (AI) arty crew, they can then aim on this fake target, and will do so. when the arty fires, a script is run that checks the state of the shell(s)/rocket(s), when it disappears (fun ofp limitation) lastpos and lastdir are recorded, a new shell/rocket is spawned in the same place, and is given a speed in the lastdir direction........ this way a "real" shell trajectory is created, the shell ACTUALLY flies across the entire map, with appropriate sound effects.

(People in the middle of the map will hear the shells fly over to a 10 km away target). ofcourse compensation tables are needed, and i have figured out the crude corrections, but someone else will have to finish the job.

At least for the TOS system, ai WILL fire as a group when a spotter asks for a firemission, they will turn to firemode, aim, and shoot the desired no of rounds, i have tested it with 4 tos(sers) :-) systems parked on the north end of the runway on everon (i think) and watched them hit a tankplatoon parked roughly 5 km to the south..... i thought it was some awesome fireworks display.

My goal was to create a more arcade like, simple to use, and fun to play with arty system, that can still be used the regular OFP way, i believe i was well underway in succeeding in that, but unfortunately, real life got in the way and i had to stop. I now have allmost no free time to spare.

A few days ago i realised i still had this addon rotting away on my harddrive and figured i'd best release it so that others can play around with it and hopefully finish it.

I figured i had put way too much time in modelling, skinning, cpp-ing and scripting it to let go to waist..

I hope this explains a bit, and helps scripters among you, i would really love to see a simple-to-use-fun-to-play arty system in ofp.

Don't get me wrong i really respect and admire what the coc lads are doing, but imho their system takes away a bit of the fun, and makes it way too serious and complicated a system for players like me, i just wanna kick some ass and have fun.

No 20 volumes of "how to become an artillery expert", My system is more like: "see that town overthere? LEVEL IT, PRONTO!" no questions about wind speed and direction, what kind of shells, coordinates to enter... all i want for feedback is either "sorry, out of range" or "get yer arse out of there, it's gonna get hot" :-)

ok, cya later

Carnage

[BlackScorpion 0]

5 km's away? My TOS's couldn't hit a target a tad less than 2 km's away (not even the whole Malden runway keeping them apart), they complained "Target out of range" or something similar. Might have to check that though, must keep in mind that I did have multiple artillery batteries.

[.COMmunist 0]

It is a fun addon to play with! However, I am having a hard time with acuracy as a spotter. I place those binoculars on the target, left click, my TOS-1's start the firing sequence, but always way off. Is it normal or am I doing something wrong? Is there some trick to it that I need to know?

Besides that, this is probably been one of the most enjoyable addons this year. You have to love the explosions! Wow! I wish addonmakers would release betas like this more often, rather then throwing them away. There got to be someone out there who can finish it!

[snoops_213 75]

Looks very nice so far. Am i allowed to release a CoC UA compatible version? It wouldnt be for a while as im still waiting for my computer to arrive from NZ and clear customs(i so hope i didnt accidently stash shit in there ), but they say it should be some time this week.

I cant wait to try it out anyways

snoops

[dinger 1]

Awesome Carnage! That's great news!

Yeah, I somehow lost the new m109 models -- or never got them. I remember seeing them in development.

As always, your models look awesome.

and I may take you up on your offer to let us use your models for UA 1.1. Generally, all it takes is a "bridge" addon to link the two up: that way, the original addon works the way it should, and the issuer has control over what's in it, but another addon makes it work with UA.

Those of you having range problems with the TOS: IIRC, the max range on those things is something like 3200 meters. So it's not a super-long range toy.

[mr burns 132]

Looks very nice so far. Am i allowed to release a CoC UA compatible version? It wouldnt be for a while as im still waiting for my computer to arrive from NZ and clear customs(i so hope i didnt accidently stash shit in there ), but they say it should be some time this week.

I cant wait to try it out anyways

snoops

I´m soo looking forward to a UA compatible version so yeah please let the man do it

Hope to see it in UA1.1 aswell, but as it´s to be released with ArmA it´s gonna take a while, good though since i first need to reread the manual for adjusting indirect fire...

watched the preview videos and almost been blown right out of the chair by 1.1´s complexity

[-ZG-BUZZARD 0]

DKMM's Seal of Quality is present even in this beta!!!

Thanks for finally releasing this, I hope that DKM will be able to release more addons in the future (C-130... )... I'll just have to figure out how to use these correctly now... But I bet it's a lot simpler than that CoC thing!

Thanks for presenting an alternative to indirect fire, DKM!!

[.COMmunist 0]

Again. Did anybody figure out how to direct fire as a forward observer? I give coordinates with the binocular, but TOS-1 fires 150 m. behind the target. Even if I give the coordinate 150 m. ahead of target, it still shoots at the same spot as before. Can someone help me out to figure it out. Please.

[wolfbite 8]

This is a great laugh... the tos make's me cry with manical laughter..... Is it possible to equip the sighting equipment on a new unit?? I want to give an rhs unit the designator. or maybe equip a kiowa warrior with it asswell

[mr burns 132]

Look at the config.cpp, it´s all in there, too much to quote though and i´m not sure about the necessarity of adding eh´s to desired units aswell as the dkmm_binoc..but should be doable.

[Meathead 0]

this needs an M992 ammo carrier to go with it

[snoops_213 75]

Hey this is a great addon, am i allowed to release a bridge addon (as dinger calls it) for this? I have the 109 working to a certian degree, using the animations i cant make it move (yet) but the rest of the options work, but i can also add the option to have no anims, which aint that bad really is it? Let me know and in the mean time I will try to figure out how to get it fully working within the UA system

Snoops_213

[Gen.Carnage 0]

thats why i released it, to not let it rot away on my harddisk and go to waist, anyone who wants can use it, as long as proper credits are provided with it.

[.COMmunist 0]

Snoops, sounds like you just got your permission. Do it man. Resistance needs something too. Long time ago Spetsnaz mod modeled the Luna-M launcher (FROG-7B for NATO). It is an old Soviet missile launcher (I think this is what the Cube missile crisis was about). But Spetsnaz never finished it because they could not find a scripter. It would be cool if you can make scripts for it too. It should probably work like a TOS-1, but the flying missile should be a bit bigger. It is such a waste when people create good addons and they go unpublished for whatever reasons. Don't let that happen talented OFP scripters, save the whales and Luna-M!

[snoops_213 75]

Cheers Carnage

Well as soon as i iron out one or two annoying things I will release it and I might have a look at doing the TOS-1 to be UA compatible aswell

*edit*

All done and I'll release it in a day or so. It will require the original addon and CoC UA addon, but the released addon file will only be about 30Kb or so. The current animations of seting up and packing up have been keeped but i might also make a version with no animations for people with lesser machines, let me know other wise i'll just release as is with everything working

Snoops

[ubersmack 0]

Quote[/b] ]

M-109 has wrong (bomb looking) round

M-109 round has strange round trajectory, often it goes to left or right

ya, no matter where i tested it the round would fly off to the left as if there was a 7,473 mph crosswind (+ or - a few mph)

otherwise this thing is beautiful

[the_shadow 0]

Cheers Carnage

Well as soon as i iron out one or two annoying things I will release it and I might have a look at doing the TOS-1 to be UA compatible aswell

*edit*

All done and I'll release it in a day or so. It will require the original addon and CoC UA addon, but the released addon file will only be about 30Kb or so. The current animations of seting up and packing up have been keeped but i might also make a version with no animations for people with lesser machines, let me know other wise i'll just release as is with everything working

Snoops

i think that for UA purpose you could just skip the animations...

becouse

1, noone is likely to see the guns other then in cutscenes or if they are supposed to be destroyed.

2, no human player will drive them anyway.

but, if you want to, ofcourse you should release a version with all the animations, but also a "no animations" version.

[dinger 1]

I'd disagree. The whole point of porting the new DKMM M109 into UA is so that you can see the shiny models in game. Besides, I run into howitzers all the time in missions.

As for the rounds drifting left/right, that sounds like a problem when the rounds are "respawned". After the createvehicle for the new round, the new round should be setdir'd to the old round's direction.

[the_shadow 0]

i didnt say anything about the model

just skip some of the animations

[dkell3 0]

Ok,the TOS hits on the money.The M109 is another story.When I am the FO with the 109,the rounds hit very short.I cant get them anywhere in the vacinity.So I get in the TOS as the commander,and what do you know,boom first shot the M109 blows us away.Another thing I noticed is the M109 does not raise its barrel,it shoots like a tank.Any help would be great.

[Gen.Carnage 0]

Lol, sounds like you were within viewrange of the M109.

If it is in firemode it's AI will fire on anything a normal tank would fire on, except it won't drive anywhere.

You do realise a howitzer can be (and sometimes is) used as a defensive fieldgun that will blow away virtually any tank.

The M109 can fire while the barrel is horizontal, and if necessary, will do so IRL.