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xeno

co30 Domination! One Team

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Another request:

Is there a possibility of using mando's bomb scripts to either replace/enhance current artillery with airstrikes.

This will avoid issues in low populated servers waiting an age to kill a shitload of armour waiting for artillery to reload - mando's scripts can be tweaked for multiple combat aircraft and targets.

Thanks

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I would rather have the (next) mission scale down to the current available players. As it is designed now, it is practically an impossible mission for 5-6 players to engage that much armor with mostly M136 to choose from biggrin_o.gif

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Agreed - especially when you can only carry at most 2 javelin rounds without scampering off to the MHQ again - assuming the crate spawned with one in the first place! Anyone else think the ammo crates should always spawn with a javelin launcher in, but perhaps fewer rounds?

eg 2 launchers, 6 rounds perhaps to prevent complete overpowering over the M136 launchers

Mando's scripts would allow servers with fewer players to call in effective AT firepower in a realistic manner - small fireteams would call in air support if they had the option!

Limiting the ability to squad leaders to prevent abuse (50+ SADARM rounds in the air at once is just silly) and also including a timer similar to artillery would also help.

Perhaps also only have a single air asset in the mission which is shared between squad leaders - eg each squad leader can only call in air support IF

1) They haven't had support in the last 3 minutes

2) No other squad leader is currently being supported.

In summary then:

1. Because of current server populations, armour is a much bigger problem to deal with than perhaps intended by xeno.

2. Suggested improvements could include a combination of one or more of the following:

a) scale enemy units sizes and consistency based upon current number of players in server.

b) tweak ammo crate contents to provide more AT options

c) include additional support options (for squad leaders) by untilising mando's scripts

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Oh, suddenly I realize that xeno is back editing one of the best dynamic coop missions around. If you are still developing this, here are some ideas for v4 or thereabouts biggrin_o.gif

1. I don't mind night fighting, even without NVGs. However, some means should be done to provide adequate lighting. I think that AI artillery should be more keen on sending down illumination rounds at night, maybe even prolonged mass missions. I'm using ECS, so enemy will often use flares as well which adds to the gameplay. Artillery flares can even be used strategically; two and two flares will be put behind enemy units and the detected unit. Lateral spread, say 6 guns. Each flare is a "double or triple flare" positioned centimeters apart. This way the flare will be blinding to the attacking force.

2. AI artillery is a bit weak. However, I think AI (and us) needs to follow some rules of engagement. Such as not being able to use HE or DPICM artillery within cities due to civilian loss of life. I think also AI should be able to have DPICM, but I'd like them to always "prepare us" with a spotround; very inaccurate single HE or Smoke round.

3. Bring back the importance of the medic ambulances. Allow only medics to perform revive, or allow others to drag the incapacitated one to the ambulance for revive. The helping unit should recieve life bonus, but maybe the other shouldn't be penaltilized unless he actually uses the respawn option?

4. Some kind of enforced teamplay, maybe as a quick option. If enforced, the ammo crates doesn't contain enough goodies to supply an army, but only enough to limitedly supply the given class. I.e. only class AT soldier would get the tube, but others could carry ammo for him. I'm seeing too much one-man-wrecking-crew on public servers, and not much teamwork. Restrict somehow scoped weapons, tubes, and M203s. Maybe if this happens, people will start playing their role instead of all roles?

5. Revise the engineer class, he is currently way too powerful. Let him perform light repairs on low-armored vehicles. For fuel and reammo, at least have him be dependant on an engineers truck (salvage truck reccommended) which is also loaded with satchels and mines (engineers tools). This truck should be able to carry statics, unflip vehicles (salvage == crane?), and not be used as a troop truck. Engineers have their own equipment, let these ones have it too. Engineer could be able to build sandbags, maybe damage sinks them into the ground, or lasting a limited time. If truck is nearby, also could build steel X's to stop armor in the streets?

6. I have setup my team system a bit differently. I have:

Alpha Assault; SL AT AR / TL AT AR

Bravo Support; SL MED ENG / TL AT MG

Charlie Support; SL MED ENG / TL AT MG

Delta Blackops; Sniper Spotter / AT AA / Sab Sab

Echo Leaders; PLT LDR / PLT SGT

Typical "use" of this is assault squad being the frontmost, while support squads secure either flank and provides heavy supression. Only half the support squads are ment for fighting support, the other half is used for engineering, medical support, and logistics. Squad leaders and team leaders are the M203 carriers, although squad leaders tend to bring light and smoke signalling. Delta blackops stays at a distance having the platoons Javelin and Stinger systems, and equipped with SPR rifles. Sab(oteurs) can carry out their operations under supervision of the sniper and spotter. Only the blackops team can carry backpacks and climb over obstacles because they are better trained. Also I don't think regular infantry carry additional weapons. Sniper can also call in heavy artillery (regular M119s don't have DPICM) from M198 which can provide prolonged illumination rounds, DPICM (outside cities), and 12 copperheads (2 per gun due to price).

An alternative to this setup is 3 9-man squads where:

Alpha squad gets the sniper and spotter, SL becomes TL, and a "proper" SL comes in.

Bravo and Charlie gets one sab and systems carrier each (AA and heavy AT), SL becomes TL, and a "proper" SL comes in. With "proper" I mean that the M203 is removed from him and he can stay more in the background controlling his squad than fighting. TLs can order drops, and SLs can order artillery and being rescuers. SL on alpha assault or his sniper would be the M198 artillery operator. SL on Bravo and Charlie the M119 less powerful artillery.

The foursquad setup uses smaller squads, but specops are on their own team. Engineer attachment is part of the squad however. The threesquad setup uses full 9-man infantry team, with specops attached to the squad and squad leader being more of a squad leader than a team leader in equipment setup.

7. Find a way around the multiple magazine bug which is possible, but I'm still stuck with the multiple turret magazine bug (also tried the new Warfare ammotruck). In my case, I'm using the engineer to reload "any" vehicle as long as there is a reammo truck nearby. In addition, specialist roles can reload a vehicle which has ammo similar to his regular class. I.e. a machinegunner can rearm M2 based vehicles, while a grenadier (or teamleader in my case) can rearm an Mk19 based vehicle. Similarly, these guys can repair damaged statics of similar class without any nearby tools.

8. Have random nonmission convoys being spawned on the map from time to time. This makes "getting there" a little more interresting. Place a trigger, check for players, if empty spawn from this location, if not retry with another trigger location. Should be easy enough. Similar when arrived; if no players nearby remove the arrived vehicles. Might have to check every vehicle in convoy because they can get stuck on the way. MBT should lead the way to get rid of trees.

9. Less helicopters and planes. These guys are mainly annoying with the noise they produce. I really like the helidrops, but maybe other methods of reinforcements should be introduced as well?

10. More of the Warfare statics and buildings. Maybe reinforcements could once in a while (if players not too close), spawn in a depot if the radio is still intact? Have several secondary targets to destroy Warfare buildings to gain rewards? Hell, maybe better weapons could be a reward, increasing amount in the weapons crates?

11. New sidemission(s); on a random location on the map (check for players present using temporary placed triggers). Place appropriate artillery, and have enemy waves attack these. Players job becomes to defend these. If we loose, we loose the ability to use that artillery.

12. Using artillery should take some time. Simulate some mission talk between artillery operator and fire command.

13. Setup camps around the main missions, and quite a distance from it. I don't like being able to put the respawn almost directly in the city 2 minutes after recieving the mission (at least players do this on puclic servers).

14. Rewamp the player markers system. First of all, it somehow doesn't show markers for me at all unless I comment out the boolean check. Only setting it to true in init doesn't seem to help. Don't know what is wrong with this one, it SHOULD work smile_o.gif Secondly, use colors to indicate team, and text should be replaced with a short rolename such as AT, AA, E (engineer), MD (medic), and/or maybe use symbolism as well. + for medic is a good one ("marker" at 45°). Using player names can look really horrible when lots of people are around the same spot. Similarly, use the new Warfare markers for vehicles, they are extremely appropriate. My method should declutter this somewhat.

15. The mobile respawn is a bit too powerful now I think. Maybe it should have to be deployed as in Warfare in order to be anything else than a respawn/teleport point. And this deployment should take some time making it unavailable while this happens (also for respawning/teleporting).

16. Three tents in the main base should be used as a respawn position, one for each team. The player should respawn inside these in prone position facing out.

17. Cap the amount of base infiltrations so that servers with "forever-play" (?) set doesn't have 200 specops in it for new players that visits an apparent idle server.

18. Slightly varying enemy equipment. Some snipers could be equipped with KSVK/M107, and my east AT soldiers has one each of PG-7V and PG-7VR, the last slot being random between the two. Taken equipment for those unlucky enough not to be an AT soldier would become slightly more "interresting" to use wink_o.gif

19. Fight the enemy sniping machinegunners; set their skill way low. It is so sad being killed with machinegun fire, seing the following supression fire where every single bullet hits your body (I'm using ECS supression though) sad_o.gif

20. Response to the comment above this: Instead of adding Javelin tubes, set the ammocrate for the Javelin guy to NumberOfMBTs-(2*random). If no Javelin player is present, place one Javelin launcher and two shots or keep the number of MBTs very very low. No person should have to engage MBTs using M136, especially since 1.14 M136 have less effect than before (a change I felt was important and realistic).

21. Add a "hit" eventhandler to enemy vehicles, in which they pop smoke in turret or vehicle direction (depends on vehicle) and drives off for cover. If they are hit by M136, it would take some time to get to their senses before doing any counterattack. Also if they eject?

22. Check out Mr Murrays singleplayer mission Battle for Ortego. I love how the AI react to being shelled with artillery. This is almost too good biggrin_o.gif Use this reaction if possible.

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@Gustaffa

1. Illumination rounds for AI artillery is an excellent idea - seconded!

2. Don't agree with rules of engagement idea - I appreciate the sentiment, but I think it detracts from the "fun factor".

As for enemy arty using spot rounds - surely enemy guns would already have preset ranges for defending? The spotters are just calling it in.

3. The only mod that allows dragging so far is SLX which at present is very buggy for mulitplay, causing desyncs and server crashes. Clients and server have to have it installed. Individual modders are working on it though wink_o.gif

4. Enforced teamplay is a nice idea - but doesn't work in low populated servers, this is a problem in most gamemodes. We must trust in the inventory slots preventing rambos doing too much damage.

5. Some nice ideas for engie class. Perhaps only allow him to repair a vehicle enough to move and quarter tank of fuel? Just enough to limp back to say, nearest captured town or main base for repairs.

This would tie in nicely with AI counter attacks if engies can also build statics - captured towns can have FARPs and MASHs. Defense of captured bases always seems to get ignored a little in gamemodes like EVO and Domination.

I always thought it a little strange that statics had to be nicked from the enemy!

6. Again, nice ideas, but you can't combine enforced teamplay ideas on low population servers.

7. Never encountered the bug myself, the reload using weapon type is a good idea though, and would be good if combined with using carried ammo to do it - eg lose a mag from your M249 to give 100 round mag to M2 static or vehicle mounted. Should be quite easy to implement too.

8. Don't really like the idea of magically appearing convoys. Patrols around main target town sure, but with no main enemy base, where are these convoys moving to and from?

9. I agree about the noise, but that's what the good lord invented stingers for! The only other reinforcement ideas I can think of would be HALO drops (unlikely!wink_o.gif or truck/APC mounted troops - which has the same problem as yout convoys ideas - where would they come from.

10. Warfare buildings would make for cool little bases to attack as part of secondary missions (as well as side missions).

11. Really like that idea! Perhaps just make each failed side mission in this case remove a single artillery type wih HE being lost last to make it easier for low population servers.

12. I refer again to my comments above about artillery and mando's scripts.

13. Agreed - but again make them limited by server player population.

14. Purely a cosmetic issue for me, but I agree player names need a sort out - especially folks with huge pretentious nicks involving clan tags, rank and location on the globe!

15. A deply time wouldn't reduce it's power by much. How about only being deployable by an engie or when a salvage truck is present? Both of these ideas though would only add a bit of "wait time" during set up before all the rock and roll starts though. To reduce it's power and prevent just driving the thing to the front door and pissing troops, AI need to react to its presence more aggressively - random spec op attacks on MHQ's similar to base attacks?

16 and 17. Cosmetic and unnecessary - are you suggesting this as a way of preventing lone players getting ass-raped by spec ops at base when joining empty servers? A better solution would be to clear spec ops when no players are present on server so they're not there in the first place.

18. Nice idea. Again, should be easy to implement with some kind of equipment array - how would it effect CPU load though?

19. Agreed!! Although mods like ECS and various suppression scripts should already have this issue dealt with.

20. Agree with lowering number of main battle tanks, especially with low population servers, perhaps limit their presence to main targets only?

21. Already dealt with by ECS and dmsmokeeffects?

22. Will do!

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2. As for RoE, the basic idea is to get up close and personal with the enemy to avoid being shelled. Maybe they already don't shell too close to own troops, unsure here. I really enjoy artillery both for me and against me, but it shouldn't be as hopeless situation for players as it might be in real life. Inside cities, I sincerely think and hope only preciscion arty is allowed also for our side in real life conflicts.

3. I dragged someone yesternight using vanilla Domination v3.0 on a private server. Did I cause the server to crash? Oops. Will never touch that drag body thing again.

4. Maybe... Hmm, need to branstorm this some more.

5. Statics could show up in a "static factory" in the base as rewards. Could include the new Warfare statics as well even though they don't last long damagewise. Engineer and similar classed units should be able to repair these though where placed.

7. Should mention that this bug is only on vehicles. Deplete the two first mags on an M2 or Mk19 and you'll never get them back without scripting. Commanders gun in MBT can't be refilled beyond its current magazine as far as I know.

8. Convoys has been put ashore somewhere smile_o.gif I just think it could bring some needed tension while getting to the next mission, having vehicles dynamically "populate" the island, forcing us to take detours sometimes.

9. I agree about stingers and javelins, but their use is just too extreme compared to realism. Ammunition for these are "over the top" compared to a realistic stinger team. And in my setup, only one guy is a dedicated stinger guy (only tube available, for "roleplaying"), the rest of anti air capabilities have to come from captured aa rocketry, especially on a low populated server.

11. Yes, there could also be sidemissions to take out small convoys of artillery ammunition preventing the use of that, and to deliver ammunition of a certain kind ourselves where the convoy will be attacked. Loose the mission, loose the artillery ammunition capability.

15. Maybe it could generate a FARP, then be hidden and deployed as to be able to act as a respawn/teleport point? The FARP itself would be able to generate ammo and act as a vehicle repair/refuel point, but be under constant attact by enemy. Would be nice to perform some defence during all that offence.

16. Cosmetic indeed, but why not? Maybe those Warfare barracks?

17. Agreed. Remove them altogether onplayeconnect if there are no other players in the game.

18. I can give you the needed lines in one of the existing scripts. Not a big deal to do and I don't think it is a server load. If so, only during mission generation. Except, I don't have it here at work smile_o.gif

21. Haven't seen this with ECS yet, but I won't deny that it does. I put it in the mission and it works very nicely. I'm reluctant to use smokeeffects stuff since they tend to ruin my own DPICM and smoke airburst coming from M198 artillery.

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I edited this mission for myself adding mandos scripts (bombs and missiles) its really great, half the time i dont even leave the base just bomb the hell out of the target and I win :-) sometimes I have to go in and clean up the area with a few troops for the enemy I missed. With my UAV and bombing runs its great fun.

anyway if anybody want to add in Mandos stuff to this mission themselves it works great for remote controll SLA killing.

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I have uploaded this mission to our dedicated server. Howewer, when I try to join the game it says "Session Lost". I've checked the error log and it says:

Quote[/b] ]Cannot open file 'MPMissions\co30_Domination_OneTeam_3_02a_East_Revive.Sara.pbo'

Critical:Destroying running thread!

What's wrong? We have ECS running on the server.

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@Rakgitarmen

if your running the mission on a dedicated server using a server.cfg file to run it all, try removing the .pbo file extension from the entry in the map list.

eg.

class map

{

domination_blah

}

not

class map

{

domination_blah.pbo

}

@colligpip

what did you do to get mando into domination?

1. unpbo domination

2. drop the mando folder in with domination folders

3. does init.sqf, description.ext or mission.sqm have to be edited at all? Or did you just merge a mando example map with the domination mission.sqm?

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@colligpip

what did you do to get mando into domination?

1. unpbo domination

2. drop the mando folder in with domination folders

3. does init.sqf, description.ext or mission.sqm have to be edited at all? Or did you just merge a mando example map with the domination mission.sqm?

I edited init and descrip with the code mando says I also

disabled

#include "x_dlg\IntroText.hpp"

as it threw up an error

then it all worked nicely

aslo added my custom mando cobra with loal hellfires great fun sitting behind hills popping up and taking out the tanks.

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Just had a crack at including mando's scripts - to anyone even remotely afraid of merging two such complicated doo-hickeys as domination with scripting - IT'S REALLY EASY.

Mando's readme is very easy to follow - certainly for anyone that's managed to get as far as unpboing the mission folder...

All I had to do was:

1. add the mando scripts folder to the mission folder

2. add the two lines of code from the mando readme to the init.sqf for the mission

3. edit the init line for squad leaders to include:

this addaction["Call Air Support","mando_bombs\mando_airsupportdlg.sqf"]

and voila!

Needs a little tweaking with some of the global variables to prevent overpowering everything, but the idea is really simple!

I highly recommend people try having a go at this!

Now what's all this about a custom mando cobra?

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You're joking? It's as easy as that?

I'm up for it!

/runs depbo. smile_o.gif

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Haven't done much playing around yet - so haven't checked for any odd effects in multiplayer. As mentioned previously, I think mando powered air support runs serious risk of dominating domination, so I'll do a bit of testing to recommend some variables to use to prevent complete ass-raping of the SLA forces!

Probably have either a limited number of air asset options available to only a single playable unit or perhaps a command vehicle like the MHQ.

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I think mando powered air support runs serious risk of dominating domination

Nope if you add some mando enemy SAMs here and there anti-missile capable, much less if you add few mando guns units protecting some key enemy areas wink_o.gif

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already noticed that shilkas are already pretty good at shooting the shit out of recon aircraft before they get anywhere near main target areas if you don't set fly in height low enough!

Quick question for mando, what's a quick and dirty method for reseting the global variables used by the air support console to determine how many of each type of support run is available.

Figured it would be good to tinker with the default values so that players can spam the shit out of air support and then have a 10 minute penalty to wait once the last flight is used before it restocks to represent air assets rtb and refuelling.

Or possibly once an asset is used, a timer starts and counts to say 15 minutes before that number of planes is re-added to the available planes pool - assuming they aren't destroyed in flight.

Is there any way to keep a count of how many (if any) air assets are destroyed on support missions to perhaps reduce the number available over a prolonged mission - I figured this would be a good way to ensure players don't spam the shit out of air power without clearing all the AA first.

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You can reset the variables server side or in every client connected. This is a basic example to reset two of these globals server side. If they reach 0, waits 5 mins and reset the value to 8.

Quote[/b] ]

// init.sqf

// whatever here

if (isServer) then

{

[]spawn

{

while {true} do

{

if (mando_support_left_WEST < 1) then

{

Sleep 360;

mando_support_left_WEST = 8;

publicVariable "mando_support_left_WEST";

};

Sleep 5;

};

};

[]spawn

{

while {true} do

{

if (mando_support_left_EAST < 1) then

{

Sleep 360;

mando_support_left_EAST = 8;

publicVariable "mando_support_left_EAST";

};

Sleep 5;

};

};

};

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I edited this mission for myself adding mandos scripts (bombs and missiles) its really great, half the time i dont even leave the base just bomb the hell out of the target and I win :-) sometimes I have to go in and clean up the area with a few troops for the enemy I missed. With my UAV and bombing runs its great fun.

anyway if anybody want to add in Mandos stuff to this mission themselves it works great for remote controll SLA killing.

What is the fun in that?

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What is the fun in that?

I promise you its fun, I like to sit on a hill and bring in air support and watch the town get blown apart. :-) I still have to send in infantry as it never gets every single enemy and when I do send men in I nearly always have to watch out for snipers hiding in the rubble of the buildings etc.

there in lies my fun...

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@mando

thanks for the code,

quick question about script timing - you've used two sleep instructions in the script, is there a rough calculation you can make to convert script wait times into real life time?

eg is your sleep 360 command roughly equal to 5 minutes real life? Would it be affected by the ingame time multiplier?

Also, I'm assuming the supplied code should be included in the init.sqf file AFTER the #include line for mando console, or does it not matter where it's inserted?

@colligpip

Bombing the shit out of AI is fun, but joining a server with even a handful of players is brilliant fun! (Hopefully even more so by including mando bombs)

Question for xeno:

I've been digging around through the domination scripts (of which there are A LOT), but I can't see where you've set how it's only the two arty operators that can both call arty and rescue prisoners.

There's nothing in their init lines, so I'm assumng it's connected to their individual unit names or group ID?

Just asking because I think it would make sense for the spec ops dudes in bravo team to be able to rescue/capture instead of the arty operators - it seems unlikely that a support unit would get up close and personal, but would more likely wait at base for prisoner drop off (followed by a swift interrogation and summary execution).

Obviously it's changeable as to who can call arty or capture/rescue - everyone can call for arty and capture in the AI versions, but I don't know what you've changed where in order to do it. Little help? wink_o.gif

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Sleep uses in-game real seconds and it is affected by time acceleration.

The code example is for init.sqf and you should place it anywhere after initializing the initial values of the globals you want the console to use.

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...and if I'm using default values of 8 can it go anywhere?

Dont understand the question.

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@Rakgitarmen

if your running the mission on a dedicated server using a server.cfg file to run it all, try removing the .pbo file extension from the entry in the map list.

I just dropped the mission file in MPMissions and tried to join the server. Didn't do any cfg work. Is this normal? I'll try to add it in cfg and see if it's working ok.

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@mando

the default values of most of the public variables used in the console is 8 (8 planes available, 8 gunship attacks etc.)

the code snippet you supplied above needs inserting into the init.sqf AFTER the starting values for those public variables is declared.

My question is, if I want to use the default value of 8 for these variables, do they still need to be declared in the init.sqf before inserting your code snippet?

@ragki...

Are you trying to run the mission on a dedicated server yourself and join that server (from the same machine), or are you just trying to join a public server from the in game multiplayer server list?

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