SPON Scuba

[Spooner 0]

SPON Scuba v0.1.0

Swim freely under the surface of the water (the other swimmers are AI, blowing out bubbles as they go; sadly the bubble-effect looks pretty naff in a static screenshot):

Setting satchel charges underwater:

- Released: 2008-10-23 (at OFPEC)

- Install size: 38k (mission scripts) / 92k (addon version)

- (mission version) 100% scripts with no addon dependencies

- (addon version) Requires XEH (1.9 or higher), but a copy of the latest version is included in the release.

- Requires ArmA 1.09 (or higher) and SPON Core (v0.5.1 or higher).

- See attached README.html for full details

Downloads

OFPEC

Overview

Explore the vast undersea kingdom at last...and blow it up! Underwater swimming and demolitions.

Requires that the SPON Core be installed in the mission (v0.5.1 or higher). Both SPON Scuba and SPON Core are available in two versions: One is a client-side addon and the other is mission-script-based, which does not require any addons to be installed on client or server. Both require ArmA 1.09 or higher.

Recommended for use with the ADO Combat Diver model (From ADO compagnie addon which requires ADO armes). I am not in any way affiliated with the ADO mod.

Features

   * Swim upwards or downwards in water (Uses <Helicopter Up> and <Helicopter Down>, which defaults to 'Q' and 'Z' keys).

   * All equipment, that would otherwise be lost, is preserved while swimming and re-equipped when getting out of the water.

   * Player can hold breath when swimming underwater, for a certain time, then starts taking damage. Resurfacing replenishes breath.

   * A player with air-supply equipment will use that when swimming underwater, rather than holding breath, until it runs out (AI are considered to have an infinite air-supply).

   * Accelerated swimming speed for players, at about 2x normal (pretending we are wearing a wetsuit and flippers).

   * AI can be made to scuba too, though they won't do it normally (using SPON_Scuba_swimAtDepth function).

   * AI breathe when underwater, producing bubble effect (particles).

   * Compatibility:

         o SP: Yes (not team-switch), but see limitations, below.

         o MP: No

         o Missions or addons that don't share key event handlers: No.

Limitations

   * When equipment is re-equipped after swimming, all large magazines will be refilled and primary/secondary weapons reloaded!

   * As far as the engine is concerned, you are really floating on the surface of the water, so AI can still see and shoot at you at that surface position and you can't swim under boats.

   * AI have infinite air-supplies.

   * Can't touch off underwater satchel charges when inside a vehicle (not implemented yet).

   * Satchels are placed instantly, when they should take a couple of seconds (not implemented yet).

   * When using SPON_Scuba_swimAtDepth, the AI will instantly move to that depth. They won't smoothy swim to it (not implemented yet).

   * When taking suffocation damage, there is no aural or visual indicator (not implemented yet).

   * No limitation of depth that can be dived to. Should take damage below about 50m due to pressure (not implemented yet).

Known Issues

   * In MP, other players flicker quite badly and appear both in their actual submerged position and on the surface at once! This also means you can be shot by other people firing at your "surface-image", even if you are swimming far below the surface.

   * When swimming very near the sea bed, movement for the local player can be a bit jerky.

   * You can still take equipment out of the cargo of a boat while swimming, even though you already have gear preserved (when you get out, you can be carrying too much gear).

   * AI getting reequipped when they get out of the water always equip their pistol, if they have one, rather than correctly going back to their primary weapon.

Plans

   * Harpoon gun!

   * A lot more configuration options.

   * A better display than using a hint.

   * Fire pistol when treading water on surface (not firing when underwater or through water).

Design Aims

   * Explore an entirely new dimension of the game!

   * Avoid addons, in favour of scripting, as far as possible. 100% mission-scripts version available!

Credits

   * Inspired by an underwater swim script at the start of a mission by Goons.

   * Thanks to everyone at BIS and OFPEC forums for public testing, feedback and suggestions.

   * Dyson, Loki, et al, for private testing.

   * Thanks to Solus for allowing me to include the XEH addon in the release (and, of course, for making the great addon in the first place!)

Change Log

- v0.1.0

   * First release.

(See readme.html for full details of changes before current version)

<a href="http://www.flashpoint1985.com/cgi-bin/ikonboard311/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=70;t=74601" target="_blank">

</a>

[PTV-Jobo 820]

WOW.......just.....wow! I didn't think this was possible.

This just made ArmA that much cooler and fun.

[.kju 3241]

Pure ownage - Spooner does it again

[boneboys 0]

Impressed, don't know how to use it, nevertheless, impressed.

Throw me a mission and I'll swim to it !

Well done...

[colligpip 0]

wow PLease tell me we can have submarines one day....

[Spooner 0]

We can have working submarines in ArmA, because I know several groups are working on them, even if we haven't seen any released yet. Just have to wait...

If you are lucky, I'll make a mock driver-propulsion vehicle or manned torpedo, but it would just be a barrel "stuck" to you that made you go faster (as it is, you swim faster in my script anyway, so that wouldn't be too hard to implement). I don't make models, textures, config or that sort of thing; Although limited in some ways, at least my stuff will work without addons if you include the scripts in your mission.

[loki 1]

let's not forget about these...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/APS_Underwater_Assault_Rifle

[scubaman3D 0]

so basically I need to start making some scuba gear for SEALs?

[oldbear 390]

@ Spooner : GMC@ADO from French ADO asked me to tell you he is already modeling a mini-sub and an underwater propeller for his "Commando Hubert" combat divers.

[loki 1]

underwater guns and vehicles....

sounds like a 'by the community, for the community' mod is coming right up.

i hope to see more cross 'clan' mods.

[kuIoodporny 45]

absolutely amazing work

so what about submarine addons?

[PuFu 4591]

I know you have been busy

Well done once again m8

[[aps]gnat 28]

Very impressive mate !!

[loki 1]

ummm.. gnat... sir... when's the beta coming for the ships and subs?

[kroky 1]

@Spooner

Until now I just used and enjoyed your work in form of addons (Rangefinder, Map), (too bad recognize works only in vehicles for me.). But now it's time to tell you a BIG BIG THANK YOU! I'm really impressed with your work for ArmA and I'm really glad you make it also as an addon and not only as scripts. This way your work can be used as standard to enhance ArmA further!

You belong to my 5 favourite modders in the community!

[Spooner 0]

Oh, well, I'll have to work harder to get into the top 3 then ;P (thanks though!.

Erm, not at all sure why Recognise would only work inside vehicles. You are aware that it works on the object centre-of-screen, not weapon-direction (the latter is how regular tags work)? It also requires a lot more precision to select infantry (which is intentional).

[kroky 1]

Yes I know that. I'm one of the guys who always reads the whole readme files and the description of the addon in the forums, and all comments to it.

I think it has to do with an collision with another addon. I'm using a plethora of addons/enhancements. I would be a lot of work to find out which is colliding with the Recognize addon. Most known mods/addons I'm using:

SLX/ECS/VFAI/ZGB/FPFX/TrueGameplay/SIX/HT/S_NVG/S_Quickmapand a lot of replacements for units and vehicles.

I also noticed that when using Recognize, sometimes the teamswitch option doesn't work. (In my configuration it uses the same key "T") It's a shame it's not working right, because it's a very handy tool to recognize teammates in COOP's....

[Spooner 0]

Well, actually, Recognise uses the TeamSwitch key, not specifically T, so whatever you configure your key to, it will always disable the team-switching dialog (I considered it an MP addon, so didn't worry too much about that). You can still use Y/U to cycle through your team-switchable AI though.

(er, can we move this discussion to the Recognise thread if you want to continue it further...thanks!.

[ocramweb 0]

nice work, regarding te description (.. i'am downloading just now, and did not test yet )you seem to have gone by the same troubles as I did few month ago, I made a submarine you can dive and move or stay underwater, I made sharks and fishes too swiming. the submarine had a few gliches going forward and down 'a bit jumpy I should say' ( the setpos -0.5 when going down).

I tweaked it a bit, and seams to be lot smoother now.

Spooner you are welcome on my TeamSpeak I'll give you the submarine for you to have a look if you want.

[TeamSpeak: dst.serveurts.com:9733]

evenings 5pm up to 9pm greenwich time.

 =DST= Ocramweb

[kroky 1]

hmm

@Spooner

In the demo mission I could dive and everything worked. (Besides one error showing: WEST ¦#¦1-1-D:1 (Kroky) removeAction NORRN_cam_a...' Error Missing

BTW this error occurs on every mission/map since I installed the addon version...

But the major thing is: Besides the demo mission I cannot dive with any unit on any island under any conditions. Is this only possible in the demo mission?

[Spooner 0]

NORRN_ is Norrin's tag as far as I'm aware, so possibly nothing to do with me at all, though it could be that my script is bringing to bear some broken code in Norrin's addon (revive?) that wouldn't otherwise be performed (missing ; should be causing a problem more than with me). I'll ask him about that error you get...

The addon version is not supposed to work on all maps. If it did, it would significantly change the game-play of missions that weren't designed to use scuba diving (and it would mess up badly in MP missions, which is also not good). Instead, you need to put this in the init.sqf of the specific mission to enable scuba (whether addon or mission-based Scuba is being used):

<table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE">

[] call SPON_Scuba_enableForPlayer;

Unless you are playing missions that are written for the Scuba addon (in which case they should put the SPON Scuba gamelogic in the mission so you HAVE to have the addon loaded) there is absolutely no point in running the game with Scuba loaded. On the other hand, it should do no harm doing that.

[kroky 1]

ok some more information:

- it's definitely something with the addon version of SPON_Scuba that causes the error message

I have removed the addon and started the test mission again, and there is no error message. Also on other maps, missions there is no error mission.

- about AI having infinite air supply: this is not true. I have seen a SF AI unit dying right beside me. After my air supply finished, I swim to the surface. The AI did not and finally died.

- About changing gameplay when the addon would work in every mission. This is exactly what I want, mate!! This addon should and can change the gameplay! I would like to have the possibility to play old mission (and new too) with the feature that I can dive! This way there are new possibilities to finish a mission. (If anybody wants to finish the mission in the way the mission designer inteded, he simply doesn't get into the water and dives.

Once again Spooner, this is constructive critisizm, I admire your work greatly!

EDIT: ok I found out what addon is conflicting with SPON_Scuba. It' the new MGL addon. The addon with the M203 with camera you can shoot up and the switch the camera on and watch from above. As soon as I remove MGL SPON_Scuba is not causing any errors.

[Spooner 0]

Yes, it is the WIP Huntir addon causing you problems (thanks for Norrin working out where the problem was; yay for people that use TAGS so we could track that down).

The problem specifically causes this error in any mission where the player isn't given a var-name in the editor and gives the message each time the player dies. I've given Norrin a possible fix for the problem and hopefully they will be able to release a fixed version soon. I only watched the video, but it looked real nice!

Back to Scuba:

The AI just swim at the height they are told to with SPON_Scuba_swimAtDepth and don't care beyond that (so they won't dive or surface on their own initiative). They definitely do have infinite air-supplies (in fact, only the player has an air-supply defined and the line to drown you starts with "player setDamage..."), so it must have been another issue causing him to die. Not denying he died, but it wasn't from lack of air ;P Any more details of the situation that ran up to this happening?

AI in your group will hopefully dive and surface with you in future versions, and, for that matter, already have individual air supplies in my WIP version. They should indeed automatically surface if they know they are running out of air, so thanks for that suggestion!

As far as Scuba becoming a global change to the mission, I really don't think I can do that. I know some of my other addon releases have changed gameplay a bit (Rearview and Rangefinder come to mind), they haven't really redefined it to the extent that Scuba can.

When you create new weapons, you have to include those weapons in the mission or the players can't use them. People could reconfigure the Makarov to fire as much as the miniguns, but that would be considered cheating if you used it in missions that weren't designed to have super-Makarovs. The abstract flippers, air-supply, mask, flashlight, depth gauge, underwater placement of satchels, fast-move flippers, etc. are just like new weapons, but you get them automatically if Scuba is enabled. At the very best, you'd just have 1 minute of breath (not a trained combat swimmer) and no air tanks or other "equipment" if it was available globally. Also I wouldn't allow you to store equipment since you don't have big waterproof bags to keep them in if you are playing as a regular soldier rather than a combat diver. Oh, and you couldn't see as well underwater without having the "virtual" face-mask implied by this addon. And...even then it could only be reasonable to add the functionality in SP, since in MP it could be used to seriously gain advantage over the other side (and some aspects of the script would work even worse if everyone wasn't using it).

Would you ask the same if I released SPON Superman (player can fly and impervious to damage)? Sorry, not a serious analogy, but anyway. I know yours was a serious request, so maybe I overextended the explanation to a degree, but anyway this is something I have a strong opinion about.

[loki 1]

Quote[/b] ]SPON Superman

when's the beta?

[Spooner 0]

Hmm, I just need to work out how to draw the laser-vision beams with particles and make it MP compatible, then we can get started... ;P