The 5-Minute Mission Maker

[kronzky 5]

Since there's still quite a shortage of SP-Missions out there I figured I'd port my Urban Patrol Script over from VBS.

(Finally something that's going the other way...)

Details and downloads here: http://kronzky.info/ups

It allows you to set up a quick mission in a couple of minutes, without having to worry about waypoints, scripts, or AI behaviour.

All you need to do is place a marker over the area to be patrolled, put some OPFORs in the area, and have them call the patrol script. That's it...

The script will take care of generating random movements, intelligent responses to enemy encounters, and notices when everybody's dead.

It's a very easy and fun way to familiarize yourself with a new map, without having to spend hours making a mission that will only be predictable after a couple of runs.

With this script every run will be totally random. And since you can set it up without even knowing the map too well, you will have a fairly realistic simulation of real-life scenarios, with unfamiliar environment and unpredictable enemy behavior.

Yes, you won't be able to make a "deep", multi-subjective, and inter-dependent "save-the-world" mission with this, but for simulating normal day-to-day patrolling missions, and the unpredictability associated with it, it does the job quite nicely.

Here's a rundown of the main features:

• Setup Options
  
  • Patrol any "marker-designated" area with any unit or group, whether it's Infantry, Armored, Cars, Choppers, or even planes, using any side (east, west, resistance, civilians).
    
  • Several independent marker areas (for different units) can be used on the same map.
    
  • The start position of the units can be a random position anywhere in the active area - in that case some units may even end up on roofs.
    
  • You can create a random number of "clones" of a unit/group you placed in the active area.
    

  [*]AI Behavior

  • The AI will avoid "dangerous" areas, and react intelligently to attacks. If it sees a team-member being shot, or spots an enemy without themselves being detected, it will not continue on its regular path, but instead use a flanking approach to get to the shooter. The accuracy of the approach will depend on the "knowledge" the AI has about the shooter (i.e. whether the shooter was actually seen or only heard).(image)
    
  • If AI units get stuck (mostly due to bad pathfinding) they will try to free themselves after a while.
    
  • Units will make occasional stops of random lengths during their patrols.
    
  • When independent AI groups meet each other they will share their knowledge about any enemies they might have spotted.
    
  • By default units patrol in safe mode at limited speed, but they will switch to combat & full for a limited time when they encounter enemies.
    

  [*]"Intel" Options

  • An automatic trigger is generated for each area to announce when that section has been cleared of enemies. (image)
    
  • The units can be tracked via a dynamic marker on the map. (image)
    

While the first versions of this script were not MP-compatible, by now it most definitely is!

(So you can ignore the older posts regarding this issue.)

Here's what it looks like after a car and an infantry unit have been patrolling for about 15 minutes:

http://kronzky.info/ups/car_and_foot_patrol.gif (146 kB)

Edited March 6, 2013 by Kronzky

[stigern 0]

Fancy!

[nubbin77 0]

Kronzky,

WOW!!!

This is the easiest script I've ever used and its FANTASTIC!

I'm giving out my first ever bananna dance.

This works great. Thank you so much for releasing this.

[USSRsniper 0]

Fun, Unpredictable, Simple to Use!! what else do you need?  

[Jeevz 0]

Very cool, thank you.

Will this work for making coop missions?

[EiZei 0]

Very cool, thank you.

Will this work for making coop missions?

The script itself mentions that it hasn't been written nor tested in MP. Knowing how even simple scripts seem to fail to work in MP I don't have much hope for this either.

[twisted 128]

good one.

[Jeevz 0]

Very cool, thank you.

Will this work for making coop missions?

The script itself mentions that it hasn't been written nor tested in MP. Knowing how even simple scripts seem to fail to work in MP I don't have much hope for this either.

I've got some guinea pigs, we'll find out one way or another

[kronzky 5]

For now, it's definitely NOT MP-safe.

You can try, but it might get messy...

In the future though, if I can find some free time, I will work on making it compatible for MP-missions.

[Jeevz 0]

Thanks Kronzky, this script is great.

[SgtSpears 0]

Thanks Kronzky! A true gameplay enhancement.

[stisoas 0]

Since there's still quite a shortage of SP-Missions out there I figured I'd port my Urban Patrol Script over from VBS.

(Finally something that's going the other way...)

Details and downloads here: http://kronzky.info/ups/ups.htm

It allows you to set up a quick mission in a couple of minutes, without having to worry about waypoints, scripts, or AI behaviour.

All you need to do is place a marker over the area to be patrolled, put some OPFORs in the area, and have them call the patrol script. That's it...

The script will take care of generating random movements, intelligent responses to enemy encounters, and notices when everybody's dead.

It's a very easy and fun way to familiarize yourself with a new map, without having to spend hours making a mission that will only be predictable after a couple of runs.

With this script every run will be totally random, and since you can set it up without even *knowing* the map too well, you will have a fairly realistic simulation of real-life scenarios, with unfamiliar environment and unpredictable enemy behavior.

Yes, you won't be able to make a "deep", multi-subjective, and inter-dependent "save-the-world" mission with this, but for simulating normal day-to-day patrolling missions, and the unpredictability associated with it, it does the job quite nicely.

Here's a rundown of the main features:

Setup Options

* Patrol any "marker-designated" area with any unit or group, whether it's Infantry, Armored, Cars, or Choppers, using any side (east, west, resistance, civilians).

* Several independend marker areas (for different units) can be used on the same map. These areas can overlap.

* The start position of the units can be a random position anywhere in the active area - in that case some units may even end up on roofs.

* You can create a random number of "clones" of a unit/group you placed in the active area.

AI Behaviour

* The AI will avoid "dangerous" areas, and react intelligently to attacks. If it sees a team-member being shot, or spots an enemy without themselves being detected, it will not continue on its regular path, but instead use a flanking approach to get close to the shooter. The accuracy of the approach will depend on the "knowledge" the AI has about the shooter (i.e. whether the shooter was actually seen or only heard).(image)

* If AI units get stuck (mostly due to bad pathfinding) they will try to free themselves after a while.

* Units will make occasional stops of random lengths during their patrols.

* When independent AI groups meet each other they will share their knowledge about any enemies they might have spotted.

* By default units patrol in safe mode at limited speed, but they will switch to combat & full for a limited time when they encounter enemies.

"Intel" Options

* An automatic trigger is generated for each area to announce when that area is cleared of enemies. (image)

* The units can be tracked via a dynamic marker on the map. (image)

* Upon a radio call the approximate position of an enemy can be indicated via a highlighted grid on the map. (image)

Here's what it looks like after a car and an infantry unit have been patrolling for about 15 minutes:

[img/]http://kronzky.info/ups/car_and_foot_patrol.gif[/img]

like as said , in my rudymentary test , i can tell you the dynamic waypoint , at least, is MP compliant

guy formation was same , bearing same, and the truck was moving in same time , in same way.

i could heard the engine accel from other room , while i was seeing it on the 2nd client display.

but if there are stuff who dont works, i can't tell you wich for the moment. i will try the intel stuff , but i need 2 side so ,

*come back to editing*

[mattxr 9]

Anyway i can have it so there isnt markers all over the map?

couldnt we have it like DAC with a trigger square instead?

[kronzky 5]

Anyway i can have it so there isnt markers all over the map?

Just put "hidemarker" into the argument list. (There are lots of goodies hidden in the manual, you know...)

[GrinchWSLG 0]

HA, I love it. This is pure genius, and the AI looks almost intelligent.

[mattxr 9]

wish it worked in MP ^^

[stisoas 0]

wish it worked in MP ^^

it works

[jantenner 0]

super script!!

even i was able to use it!

very good work

[Nephris 0]

Congrats m8,

works fine to me,...can´t tell ya if it works in MP but well in SP.

Try to enhance it .... with features like given in ECP e.g.

Didn´t tested if it also works for non- and armoured vehicles in open ranges, cause i haven´t ArmA on my noty.

[Rg 0]

This is awesome. I have never used scripts before....are they all this easy to use?!

A big thanks!

[kronzky 5]

This is awesome. I have never used scripts before....are they all this easy to use?!

Well... That was actually a BIG priority for me, to make it as easy to use as possible. Otherwise, what's the point, if you have to read dozens of pages of documentation first, before you can use something. In that time you may as well write it yourself...

The script does have some more advance options, that do require to check the manual first, but even then I tried to keep it as flexible and intuitive as possible (e.g parameters don't have to be in a specific order, capitalization doesn't matter, etc.)

BTW - I've just uploaded a new version that fixes the issue with fast moving vehicles. It also contains a little demo mission, which took me 10 minutes to write, and which I then had fun with for 2 hours!

THAT'S the kind of ratios I was looking for...

http://www.kronzky.info/ups/ups.htm

[Rattus 0]

Great script. Only one gripe: it wouldn't work unless I put it in a scripts folder in the ArmA game directory.

So it would look like this by windows standards: "C:\Program Files\ArmA\scripts\"

[jantenner 0]

question: when i want to pbo a mission that uses ubs for testing in MP, do i have to create a script folder inside the mission folder and copy ubs there, or just copy it straight into mission folder, or no copying at all?

[Jeevz 0]

Kronzky, I get a code/string error when I try to use the Min/Max to create clones. I'm at work so I don't have the actual error text but I can post it with an example of the call to it when I get home.

[kronzky 5]

I had some problems myself putting scripts into the actual mission folder. It never seemed to find them (at least not when you test it via the editor).

Since I'm always using central script folders I didn't investigate that issue any further once I had found out where the shared script folder had to be, but perhaps I'll look into that a bit more. After all, that would be a pretty significant bug...

As far as the syntax error you're getting when you're using the MIN/MAX parameter, try the latest version. I had noticed it myself yesterday, and already uploaded an update.