RTS-4 ArmA Released

[Jack-UK 0]

Thats a nice plan Dwarden =)

Ive seen videos of Mando missile and it seems very good, and its just scripts so no addons required

Does it work well in MP tho?

[KaRRiLLioN 0]

ATM, I'm working on a new ammo loadout menu so players don't have to use the typical menu on the ammo crates.  What I'm wondering is how I should handle ammo crate deployments--or if at all.

I've recently put a 30-second delay between when you deploy a crate and when you can deploy another one to cut down on the actrocious crate-spamming I've seen.  I might get rid of the crates altogether and simply attach the menu to an ammo truck or other support vehicles.

Got any thoughts on that?

Also, I'm looking at an entire island and a north-island version, but the terrain in the north certainly presents some challenges.  Anyone have ideas for ideal territory placement?  Note that there needs to be some space around the flag for the repair helo pad and for the refinery/forward base.

[Jack-UK 0]

Yeah 30 sec delay would be good, and maybe a max limit.. say 3 per repair truck.. I mean, with the amount of repair trucks used in any one game it should be fine with a limit.

[Opticalsnare 12]

Need to sort the Anit-Air Defences man serously. We had 8 shilkas postioned alround the base and when the enemy jets came along they didnt do anything and our base got bombed to shit.

[rekster 0]

1st Great mission as always from Karrillion. I always enjoy your maps. Good balance between realism, and fun factor.

My two cents on the ammo crates vs menu system.

- I would vote for a menu system

My Reason Why

1 - Would help with JIP since when a person joins they do not need to update map as to were all ammo boxes are.

2 - Menu System could be built as a seperate script, that could be used for other missions, such as Coop and C&H

3 - Menu Sytem could be built to allow plug-in of add-on weapons as they become available in the future. (Thus elimate multiple crates in future missions, to support BIS and Add-On Weapons)

4 - Can provide a cleaner, easier way to reload / rearm

5 - Could be used as a rearm script as well for vehicles (Perhaps even allow different loadouts for aircraft and such)

- What ever direction you decide to go, I am sure us ArmA fans will still enjoy the mission you put out.

- Thanks for RTS and look forward to future version along with other mission from Karrillion.

[KaRRiLLioN 0]

Thanks for the input.

The new weapons loadout menu I'm working on will feature customizeable loadouts that will be saved, so each time you come to an ammo crate you'll be able to pick weapons a la carte, or simply select a custom loadout and load up with the click of a button. It'll operate very similarly to the menu I had for RTS-3, except I hope to fix up some of the clunky scripting I had in it since we can now get all the weapon info directly from the config files instead of having to store it all in arrays.

@Opticalsnare: The AA is a braindead AI issue, not an RTS-4 issue. The problem lies with the ArmA AI. I plan on implementing a new independent squad feature that Mr. Zig is working on, because it seems that AI controlled by the server seem to do a lot better at engaging. I hope that BIS will fix this issue for the next version though, because these Shilkas/Vulcans are deadly in coops when the server controls them. Main thing I want to avoid is having a trillion independent AI deployed because the server will start to croak, I'm sure.

[Dwarden 1124]

well consider size of Truck let say 10 crates fits inside

reload menu directly on trucks should be possible too

why both ? well ammo crates can be usefull when trying establish some choke point with infantry defense and avoid easy detection by vehicle

(vehicles shine on radar like "BOMB ME PLEASE" mark)

what is my main wish is IF You can modify ammocrate deploy script to prevent crate being "spawned" at roads !

p.s. about new menu system how that affect AI ability to take or reload ammo for theirs weapons ?

[KaRRiLLioN 0]

If an AI activated it, the dialog would pop up for the player and then he could load them with a custom loadout or select the weapons ad hoc.

[Ozzzzzzy 0]

Hey KaRRiLLioN, I was wanting an infantry version of this so i unpacked it and started looking around. looked like you set it up to help other people change it. I changed the buy ammounts to make it more 4 infantry. I also made a 6 flag map 4 smaller servers, just moved the other flags to islands and disabled hitch. hope its ok?

[richard_dean_anderson 0]

I for one would say that a more infantry-oriented version would be nice.

[KaRRiLLioN 0]

That's perfectly fine with me. You can actually delete the unused flags--just make sure to remove the EXEC statement for those flags in the rts-territoryInit.sqs script. That's where all territory names and monitoring scripts are exec'd.

Just make sure to edit the vehicle values in the rts-build-unitarrays.sqs script--that's where all plug-n-play info is kept for the units themselves. With only six flags, you'll have to lower costs for some units or else you can't build them.

TBH, Infantry have played a huge role so far, espeically guarding territories. With the Custom Squad menu, you can create up to 4 different customs squads by team color for different duties. I usually make a mix of MG'ers and AT'ers for my refinery defense. Then you deploy the entire squad and create a perimeter. They eat tanks for lunch.

Also, they're great with the Paradrop script, because you can fly a chopper-full and drop them behind enemy lines. Works wonders.

I hope to make control of all those units easier at some point, because ArmA unfortunately doesn't keep the group list well organized.

[Dwarden 1124]

in version J i noticed these bugs:

1)

create AI manned repair or ammo truck and order it to cap flag (Vallejo ore for example)

seems like driver is immortal until he reacts (start fire / move)]

i got situtation we unloaded to him 100s shells w/o effect ...

2) Littlebird helicopter spawn under rotor of Mi-17 (maybe uh too) causing often people to crash (plz increase space between)

3) i crashed while hitching vehicle ...

as weird result my next copter was missing the "hitch" and "paradrop" commands

yet they appeared on someone else copter built prior, if i destructed them both and built new one all was fixed

and one suggestion : allow team to vote new Commander if commander leave if possible

[Nicolas Eymerich 0]

Hi Karillion,

I'bve downloaded yesterday the mission but i was unable to play it.

In particular, after The deploy what is supposed for me to do?

I mean, I've bring the Ural near a mine but I've received this message:

This flag is under civilian control.

(don't remember the sentence exactly)

And I've received this message bringing the ural in 3 diffwerent place...

- Some suggestions:

I've noticed that when you load the mission there's a second before luanching the black screen.

Have you tried to launch the black screen (titlecut) in the init field of the soldier instead that launching it in a script?

Regards,

Nicolas

[KaRRiLLioN 0]

I put some detailed instructions in the first post of this thread that might help you.

Basically when you start the mission, you need to build your base with the truck, aka the Mobile Construction Unit or MCU.

Click the "MCU Menu" item in your action menu, and then select the building you want to create, then click the Deploy button.

Also, the mission is meant for Player v Player, so you might not have much fun by yourself.

I have decided to include coop/single player at some point in the future, but only if I can overcome a few limitations, namely idiot AI.

@Dwarden:

1) I've never seen that happen...must be an ArmA netcode issue

2) I'm trying to figure out a better way to control the creation of vehicles, especially with large numbers of people. In the latest versions, I have AI made at barracks/vcl factory move out to a random perimeter position so they don't block up the area. I may try to randomize the spawn locations for vehicles a little so they're not all bunched up in one area. In addition, I might add a script to remove certain vehicles if they're not used at all within a certain period of time--i.e. they were built, but a driver never got in--then it'd remove it in ten minutes or something.

3) That is not a result of crashing. When you build a new vehicle, it sends out a public variable so all clients on the server will add the actions for Paradrop and Hitch. Sometimes, another vehicle is created at the same time, and the public variables collide and screw things up. In RTS-3 I added a button to the main menu that allowed players to "login" to nearest vehicles. I may add a button so you can stand next to the vehicle and click "Login" and it will add the actions to it as a backup in case the publicvariable gets messed up. This will also help those who JIP to add the actions to all the vehicles that were created before they joined.

I'm also getting close to being done with the new Weapons loadout menu. I hope to get it done this week--it's been a PITA to lay out.

[Nicolas Eymerich 0]

Also, the mission is meant for Player v Player, so you might not have much fun by yourself.

Quote[/b] ]

Also, the mission is meant for Player v Player, so you might not have much fun by yourself.

that was the missing thing...

Okay! Thank you.

Regards

Nicolas

[breeze 0]

Karrillion the air in Arma seems a little to superior to our vulcans and shilkas is there any way you's consider adding the mando. missle as an addon

[shiner 0]

Very nice, but it seems to me this game will require large player populations to be fun. Any chance you could have "defensive squads" automatically spawn in to protect the control zones? After each upgrade they could spawn in more troops/armor and become harder to capture. I know the commander could also spawn squads and send them around the map, but why put that burden on him/her. Let the players do the assaulting the the AI the basic defending.

[BLSmith2112 0]

Newest Version of RTS as of yesterday (April 17th, 2007). 6 Versions after E. This is version K.

Download (Click Here)

This is the north south version only. I don't have any K version on the south end. Only reason I'm posting this is so that servers hosting RTS can host the most latest version possible.

===========================

@ Breeze: Personally I think Karr should wait until their are a considerable amount of addons released before adding them to his missions due to the insane drop-off of amount of players. If your going to loose 50% of the crowd on your server, be better to have 50%+ more addons to your arsenal . It'd suck to loose 50% of your crowd for 1 addon. And only adding an addon version adds to the north version, the north-south version, and instead of having to edit 2 missions everytime a new update is done, he'll need to update 4+. Idk about him, but I'd go insane

[Dwarden 1124]

Newest Version of RTS as of yesterday (April 17th, 2007). 6 Versions after E. This is version K.

Download (Click Here)

This is the north south version only. I don't have any K version on the south end. Only reason I'm posting this is so that servers hosting RTS can host the most latest version possible.

===========================

@ Breeze: Personally I think Karr should wait until their are a considerable amount of addons released before adding them to his missions due to the insane drop-off of amount of players. If your going to loose 50% of the crowd on your server, be better to have 50%+ more addons to your arsenal . It'd suck to loose 50% of your crowd for 1 addon. And only adding an addon version adds to the north version, the north-south version, and instead of having to edit 2 missions everytime a new update is done, he'll need to update 4+. Idk about him, but I'd go insane

well thats why i like addon pack like 6th sense ... all in one

simple installer, simple online update (via opensourced wget) ...

[breeze 0]

I understand your point but I only allow people on my server to play this mod if they join us on team speak.

I love the mod and the tactics behind it I have a large enough crowd rthat we usually have at least 20 people at a time with Teamspeak so addons will not be a problem its on a passworded server anyway.

Got tired of the assholes coming in and spawning 200 ammo crates

[Silver Surfer 0]

Hm well I am not sure why the "Ammo truck" dosent´t have ammoboxes anymore but the repair truck does. Today I also realized that so long you dont have a decent AA system, its basicly only about who is able to build a couple LGB planes first and bomb the shit out of the other base. Its takes a lot of fun out of rts in my personal opinion. Maybe it would help if you are required to hold an airport to be able to build planes (maybe only on it).

[Dwarden 1124]

what ? removed crates completely ? ... nooo i need that feature for infantry based defense points ...

keep at least some way (air drop of crate w/e) ...

(truck equals BIG SIGN saying "BOMB HERE")

[breeze 0]

I hear you on the plane issue and the AI in this game is dumb as hell too

I asked Karrillion to add this

http://www.terra.es/personal2/matias.s/mandomissile.htm

and theres an AI booster as well

If he adds this for me I will host it at my site for anyone who wants it as long as he is ok with it.

[Silver Surfer 0]

I read that the AI behavior is a BI problem but this influence the game play this badly that you should think about a work around until BI fixed the problem(s) and we all know BI is not exactly fast in solving bugs .... or why setpos getpos still dosent work in mp.

[KaRRiLLioN 0]

I've looked into the Mando Missiles, and apparently, they're scripts, not addons. So if I do add them, it won't require people to download any addons. I just have to find instructions on how to add the script functionality.

I wouldn't remove ammo crates, but I'll be looking at ways to keep crates off roads. Unfortunately, even 5 gigs of scripting couldn't account for every imbecile on the server. And all support trucks have ammo crates--ALL of them. But sometimes when a vehicle is created, due to lag or something beyond mortal control, the action doesn't get added to the truck.

And yes, the AI aren't that great, ATM. I suspect it has something to do with netcode, although server-controlled AI seems to be smarter than player-controlled. Perhaps because the server is always tracking everything, its AI know where the enemy is faster.

And setPos getPos does work fine in MP. I think you're thinking about the issue with static objects like buildings not being able to be moved in MP except by the client that created them. This is not a bug--it was done that way on purpose to optimize the netcode for Arma. Basically it keeps the server from having to broadcast the condition and position of any building. It was a PITA to script around, but it can be done. Perhaps they'll make an exception class to this so we can have specific buildings that we can use as they were in OFP.

@shiner - I've thought of that, but really, it's up to the players to coordinate that kind of defense. Players have choppers and transport, not to mention the ability to create custom squads, so they just need to paradrop their troops where needed. At some point I might give commanders the ability to deploy certain "independent" squads which would be server controlled, but could be directed by the player. That would keep the group list from getting hopelessly cluttered as it does now.