The 5-Minute Mission Maker

[MEDICUS 0]

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.

I would love you for that!

MfG Medicus

[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.

I would love you for that!

Is that a threat?

Well... Actually, I may have been overly pessimistic, as stisoas reports that he didn't have *any* problems whatsoever using the script in MP. I still haven't tested it myself yet (no setup, no time), but his experiences sound encouraging...

[hoz 0]

stisoas, please don't quote images.

Hoz

[CANavar 0]

This is what I was looking for. I cannot thank you enough Kronzky... Excellent idea and job.

[Guest]

Thanks Kronzky for making this available for Arma now as well.

Loved it for VBS, will be even nicer to now be able to use it with Arma!

I have added the file to the Armaholic.com scripts section as well .

[kronzky 5]

Hi Foxhound!

All the old suspects popping up here again...

Thanks for posting it on your site, but I hope you're ready for a few updates...

I just added a radio message to the Intel request (pic), and I also just thought of a way of perhaps programatically determining whether a marker is rotated (since it seems BIS forgot to implement that command, and right now you have to define the rotation angle in the parameter list). So there's gonna be yet another update coming soon!

[mattxr 9]

nice .. .. very nice

[Fox808 0]

Great, one of the best scripts around for ArmA ! TY

[Guest]

Hi Foxhound!

All the old suspects popping up here again...

Thanks for posting it on your site, but I hope you're ready for a few updates...

Dont worry about updating many times. We just follow you.

Or, feel free to PM me if you have a new update and want to be sure we add it to armaholic.com download section asap.

[sickboy 13]

Cool m8, Keep it coming!! This is like DAC lite Very handy, thanks!

[colligpip 0]

Wow this is brilliant - I love the way they flank you.

Flanks very much

[kronzky 5]

Flanks very much

LOL...

[kronzky 5]

A small but significant feature has been added to the script that should open a whole new dimension for using it...

You can now stop individual groups in the middle of their patrolling activity, have them do something else for a while, and then continue their patrol.

You can also move the area marker during the game, and the patrolling units will use the updated position (if you tell them to).

Also, people have asked me via email about an technique that might be worth explaining here once, since it goes very closely together with the new control options:

Just because in the examples the units start the patrolling script right away in their init line, doesn't mean it has to be done that way. The script can be started at any time during the game. As long you have given your unit a name you can start the script whenever you need it via [unitname,"areaname"] exec "ups.sqs".

An obvious application for this would be a guard post:

A guard would be stationary until something out of the ordinary happens, and only then would he start patrolling a specific area.

One could also have a unit move along some waypoints first, until is has reached its destination, where it would then start patrolling.

With the new options you could now have the guard search an area where suspicious activity has occurred, and whenever a suspect is spotted in a new position the patrolling area would be moved to that spot, and the guard would now search this new sector. Or, you could, after having him search for a while, stop the searching activity, and have him move back to his post.

These are just some obvious examples, but I'm sure you'll come up with some other creative ways of implementing these new features...

New version (with a demo mission demonstrating the dynamic script control), as always, at: http://www.kronzky.info/ups/ups.htm

[Guest]

That sounds very good again Kronzky.......if only I could find some time to get into the editor for some time

Armaholic.com mirror updated.

[Heatseeker 0]

Im embarassed i never found it before, would have made life much easier .

But will definetly try it once i get Arma, fantastic job.

[nubbin77 0]

Kronzky,

Thanks again for updating this wonderful script.

Question / observation:

If you have Civilians patroling and they see someone from east west or res, they start running... almost like they are detected as enemies.

If you patrol with an east, west, res... soldier if they see a civilian, then they start running (as in they continue to "patrol" but they move into an alert state, rather than continuing on their patrol).

The script works great as a walking patrol, but you can't have soldiers patrolling among civilains (unless they are running around). Is there a way to set civilians as friendly to everyone? This is probably a game engine limitation rather than a script issue. I don't know that there is anyway to keep soldiers from being "alerted" to civilians?

[kronzky 5]

Actually, there seem to be an issue with the engine's control of civilian behavior (see also this discussion).

Even if you just take one civilian and one military unit, and give them crossing waypoints

(like this)

then the civilian will throw itself to the ground if it's an Eastern unit crossing its path. If it's a Western unit, it behaves normally.

Setting behavior to "careless" doesn't change anything, but going into the configuration screen and setting RACS friendly to everybody does solve the problem.

So it looks like the affinity of the resistance group is also applied to the civilian group (which is probably a bug). By default its set to friendly to Western, that's why civilians only panic when they see Eastern troops.

As far as the hostile behavior of troops towards civilians is concerned - there also seems to be a problem with the countEnemy command. I'm looking into that right now, to see if I can find a workaround...

P.S. I did find a workaround for the countEnemy issue, and military units should now behave normally around civilians in the latest version.

[Jones -PL- 0]

Great. Thanks.

[kronzky 5]

Last update to the script:

There's been a major overhaul of the random placement routine, to make it a lot more powerful, reliable and convenient. Where before it did happen occasionally that units ended up halfway on rooftops, only to probably fall off very soon, and you also weren't allowed to randomly position the lead (or single) unit, all of this shouldn't be an issue anymore.

You can now take a single unit, place it on the map, and have it "cloned" a few times all over the active area, and it will patrol independently and reliably.

In the normal setup some unit may end up on "proper" rooftop positions (where they will stay); but most will start on the road. If you prefer them *all* to start either on roofs or on the road you can also define that.

Here's a little demo mission.

The first image is the setup in the editor, the second shows the map after it ran for a minute or so.

As you can see, just one player unit, one opfor unit (that's cloned a few times) and the area marker.

The little red "worms" are the tracked movements of the units:

I'm a sniper placed on a water tower, shooting at them.

They don't tolerate that for very long, and soon start approaching me via all kinds of paths:

And here's another example of some guy being pissed off that I shot at him (with a silenced gun this time. That's why nobody else noticed.):

Keep in mind that none of these behaviors are pre-defined. All of these reactions and approaches happen dynamically, as a reaction to what's going on around them. The only thing that was set up in the editor, are the three elements you see in the first image.

It actually seems that the improved AI behavior (yes, it does exist!) works quite well with my script. Since I only "lightly" guide them, and not try to totally take over their behavior, the AI's cover-finding, and general battle behavior is still fully intact. It just needs a little "nudge" in the right direction now and then...

The new version is, as always, available here.

If you do have any questions or issues with this script, please don't post them here, but rather contact me directly. This will probably be my last post on the BIS forum, as the whole atmosphere is just getting way too bitchy here. I got into this to have "fun". Most of the post here, as well as the general mood, does not really have *anything* to do with fun anymore. It's more like a cranky office-politics environment... (The very reason why I work as a freelancer! ) So... I'm outta here...

[DaRat 0]

That is INCREDIBLE

Really really awesome work man, I can't wait for ArmA so I can try this baby out!

[nubbin77 0]

Kronzky. Great as usual

[mattxr 9]

Wow Awsome.

[Guest]

This is even better again Kronzky. Thanks for all your work.

Its sad to see you leave (or at least thinking of leaving) like this. I really enjoyed your scripting knowledge a lot.

I hope we can still see you at some other places

Armaholic.com mirror updated.

[Jack-UK 0]

Nice scripts cant wait to try em when ArmA arrives in UK

Why didnt BIS hire you for creating their AI?

[KeyCat 131]

Thanks for the update and again thanks for sharing this great script Kronzky!

I'm agreeing with your AI observations and BIS have done a great job with the AI so far, much improved over OFP and now they have proper hearing and reacts to gunfire etc. nearby among other things...

As others already said I'm also sorry to hear you plan to leave and I hope you reconsider it. Personally I just "self filtering" the moaning/whining some people are spewing and just don't read thoose threads/posts. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but when they continiue to repeat that opinion over and over it's getting non-productive...

If you want some input/help making your script MP compatible just let me know! I've already done and tested a "MP version" of your older version. Not every feature is working correct in MP but at least the basic random patrolling is working fine and only runs on the host etc.

/KC