Devastation: mission pack. Team vs Team.

[dr_eyeball 16]

Download beta v0.1: <link moved to first post>

This is a alpha/beta test/preview version release only. (Probably should have delayed this another week, but anyway.)

It is not suitable for general public server use. Only for testers and dev's.

Primary purpose is to start identifying any obvious MP issues when there are 2 or more players. Monitor the RPT log.

Looks like there is still at least a week's worth of tweaking required to get the base running smooth.

Sound:

SOLVED - Arma 2 now requires relative path and does not assume files are in .\sound.

"If anyone knows how to get the sound files to play using 'say' command (as they worked in Arma 1), could you let us know. I had no luck. No sound came through."

Minimum players:

None of the Devastation missions will be suitable for small scale MP play (eg: 5vs5 is unsuitable).

The absolute minimum players required for this game mode to work effectively is about 20 players (10v10) with a recommended average of about 32-40.

Edited July 6, 2009 by Dr_Eyeball
sound solved

[oldbear 390]

ArmedAssault.info Mirror and News:

We have also added this release to your personal author profile

If a release or contact information is missing, feel free to drop a PM, it will then be added.

[mad rabbit 0]

Just tried to rally support for you Dr. Eyeball to get it on OGN!

http://forums.ogn.com.au/showthread.php?p=787294#post787294

EDIT 12/07/09:

I realised I had been talking about the base version AAS and not your new version AASv2.

I tired your beta on my comp last night. Excellent work!

Things I really like:

- The thin outline around the capture points so you can still see the markers. I hate too much shading on my map. Perhaps a little red shading on the centre capture zone (closest to flag) could be nice though...

- Armament limitations. Yes I am also (and guility of too) everyone carrying an RPG/AT/Nuke.

- Replacement of the ArmA2 score menu with one that's more game relevant.

A couple of minor bugs/suggested improvements:

Bugs:

- Makarov SD pistol image in Armament GUI is too large for he display box

- East FOB marker is blue coloured on map when all other map markings for the east side are red.

Suggestions:

- The FOB setup direction is related to the Supply Crate orientation if I'm correct?

a) How do you tell which way the Supply Crate is 'facing' anyway? It's a square box with very similar textures on all it's surfaces.

b) I see the need for being able to orientate the supply crate but the FOB is not logically placed in relation to it's orientation. e.g. Supply crate 'faces' North = FOB opening faces East.

- A preview then place feature would be nice for setting-up these assets e.g. client-side moveable object that moves with players orientation. Upon final placement moveable object becomes server side = perfect placement. This requires a 'looping' script so it may add to the script lag but it was a nice feature in the initial crCTI for constructing good bases.

- FOBs really need some sandbagged areas.

- If an infinite number of FOBs can be setup from the one Supply Crate in different locations, then:

a) What is the point of supply crate in the first place? FOB numbers should be limited to one per supply crate.

b) What is the point of being able to 'friendly' destroy a supply crate?

- Squad rally points should be able to be deployed closer to the capture zones than FOBs but NOT too close to the capture zones. = Progressive but diminishing respawn points from Initial spawn->FOB->Rally Point

- Eliminate rally points all together and implement a revive system?! Make it more complex then just an action but include a diagnosis such as used in America's Army 3 i.e. diagnose->revive e.g. nose trumpet/CPR/saline bag -> address bleeding

...this may be an addon in itself that's needed for ArmA2 though

- Sandbag cover for deployable assets esp. MGs. Otherwise people will be too reluctat to use them if they're so easily sniped from them = pointless.

- I don't know if anybody will setup the Counter Sniper System unless it can be carried on person. Driving it in is not worth the time nor is it discrete. But squads progressively setting one up as the move from capture point-to-point makes sense. It is just radio/sound triangulation anyway right?

- Perhaps locking-off of zone recapture if all 4 zones in a pair e.g. Delta + Echo, inner + outer are captured = more pressure and avoids stalemates?

- The ICE system action menu item selection seems to override the default ArmA2 action e.g. Steering wheel icon = Get-in as driver, if you use the keyboard to 'Perform action' i.e. instead of getting in as the driver of a vehicle without the action menu visible to scroll through the ICE menu will come up. The weird thing is this does not happen when you use a mouse button to ' Perform action'?! This may be an ArmA2 related thing though...

Edited July 14, 2009 by mad rabbit

[alan.rio 18]

Currently running it on our server and all out ArmA players have the notepads out recording bugs and features that need work, I will compile a list on and post it here, or alternatively I could PM it to you.

First impressions, it looks the business.

[-GCA-Deme 10]

Registered to approve awesomeness of this effort.

Was playing with some guys for the team for a couple of hours just now, and at least I am well impressed.

Of course, there is a lot to be done in this WIP, but for what it is so far, it's quite an achievement.

Keep it up!

[aussie dave 0]

Uploaded to Server:

GamingSA PvP & Small Coop 202.136.100.194:2302

[alan.rio 18]

Just some notes on our first few hours of testing last night, might have some more for you later tonight.

Swimming on land when spawned to carrier and then select to go to outpost. - lasts about 10 seconds.

Red = op-for, but both teams have red groups, green would be better as its very confusing.

Everyone sees everyone else's kill messages. e.g "you destroyed x vehicle" even if it wasn't you.

FOB, destroy a item (sat dish, chair etc, and it re spawns as double (two chairs, two sat dishes etc)

FOB augmentations box - take field dressings appears twice in menu

FOB aug box - when mouse rolled on it, menu flickers on / off/ constantly.

Lines between twin-cap bases very fient and quite hard to see on map.

Mission notes screen, visible on first connect, on re-spawn = gone!

Many choppers at base damaged at start of mission (maybe due to big booms at spawn at start)

Boomerang not working

rhib with FOB on sunk, still on map, but at bottom of sea and not able to spawn on it. - unit lost?

No civil stuff in towns, lack of transport

If in ural when item added to cargo, its not visible from inside ural, but is from outside. - if you're already in when its loaded, you cant leave ural, but can if move to driver, then leave. - from outside you can see item in ural fine.

[Rak 0]

I've been only reading the forums lately as I don't have ArmA 2, but I must say this mission is probably the "Way ArmA 2 is meant to be played".

Co-op gaming(evo, dom) is great to an extend, but having two organised teams fighting each other in a realistic game at core is something else. In ArmA it was all about co-op in public (save for some team deathmatch missions like berzerk), and I hope ArmA 2 will make the leap with TvT.

I hope you continiously work on this mission and so people will start playing it. Maybe someone should make a thread over PR forums as well :)

Rak

[Karmichael 11]

Very nice doc, i like it

[spawncaptain 10]

This is the best that ever happened to ArmA II. Keep up the good work!

[Nazul 10]

I found the ammo boxes very laggy, unable to easily change/add items. Sometimes completely unable to add/change something.

[Smee 10]

now champing at the bit to get my gfx card back now. could be the end of my BF2 days :)

leave the customised weapon layout, was one of the worst things about the bf2 engine.

dont forget fastropes :)

http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?t=61292&highlight=fastropes

Edited July 5, 2009 by Smee

[.kju 3244]

Sorry I could help it...

Devastation project space.

Using a forum is so messy vs an issue ticket system.

Hopefully you like it Dr Eyeball and recommend everyone to use it. :)

The wiki and code repository should be of good use too, if you want

to turn it into team effort.

Ported the first post of this thread into the wiki, and reported all my

finds and ideas so far in the ticket system. :bounce3:

[Jeepo 10]

Very interested, already have a dedicated server up running this, TacticalGamer.com Server Bravo. The HUGE PR community there will certainly be interested too, and I will get to thinking of any ideas for improvements. But so far I am mighty impressed....Will keep updating with bugs/ideas etc....

Edited July 5, 2009 by Jeepo

[7 0]

Kits aren't working. Request does nothing except strip you of your weapons. You can't select MG and Sniper.

[oktane 0]

Nice work! I hope Dr. Eyeball uses it, its beautiful!

Sorry I could help it...

Devastation project space.

Using a forum is so messy vs an issue ticket system.

Hopefully you like it Dr Eyeball and recommend everyone to use it. :)

The wiki and code repository should be of good use too, if you want

to turn it into team effort.

Ported the first post of this thread into the wiki, and reported all my

finds and ideas so far in the ticket system. :bounce3:

[Mikobiko 10]

Set this up on a server:

[Apocal 10]

Haven't really read through the thread, just thought I'd post some of the feedback I've heard over the last few hours (6 rounds).

1. Compelling gameplay. Once people got the hang of things, there was an active ebb and flow to the battles, which is different than Domination.

2. There is a bug that creates an explosion at airbase and LHD upon game start and when new players join the game. Don't know what's going on there really.

3. The gameplay works with as few as 6 on 6 teams. The synchronized objectives are a good way of creating a reasonable "frontline." Working against that is the distances between each zone and lack of land navigation skills of most players.

4. OPFOR players who spawn in the truck cannot get out. BLUFOR players who spawn at the mobile respawn occassionally do so unarmed.

5. Once we got into 25-30, it became very, very fun, but it was difficult to get into that range and stay there. This is possibly my fault as I never selected anything higher than an hour of per round.

6. While played on veterant the lack of names to the voice comms is disconcerting to most players and really harms communication. That being said, if it's your intent to keep the "play on veteran" message there, it's unobtrusive enough that those who choose not to play that way probably won't be bothered.

7. The actual balance between sides needs work, BLUFOR lost every round, including at one point losing all zones to an OPFOR half their number. Most of this centered around players "fighting" over aircraft on the LHD instead of fighting the OPFOR, but it is what it is.

8. Most players would have preferred infantry-centric mission with zones closer together. As it stands, there are few reasons not to simply rush each objective with an APC or two, as the overwhelming majority of players have no AT and those that do have only one rocket with no chance of quick resupply.

9. It's very fun, even it's present state, especially once you get past about 16-20 players. The only issue is getting there.

[wormeaten 0]

Nice to see you back Dr. ;)

We were trying to play your map but have some problems from beginning.

We was have some Beam me up Scotty problems. Chopper gets us to the land turn back to pick up more people but suddenly we are again on the carrier before chopper get back to carrier and we didn’t lost live it was just real Star Trek teleport.

[adumb 0]

The only thing devestating about this map is the effect it had on my full server. We started, everyone on OpFor blew up, then the BluFor team left base and then blew up, and then everyone crashed to desktop.

[.kju 3244]

Well you better read his note closely. ;)

Anyway I would love to see a smaller more infantry focused version for the start too,

to make it simpler to get players into it.

After all its a quite complex mission system.

[alan.rio 18]

Kits aren't working. Request does nothing except strip you of your weapons. You can't select MG and Sniper.

You need to select preview for the type of kit you want, then select from the choice of weapons for that kit.

The reason you couldn't pick the MG and sniper is probably because all those kits were taken and the number of kits is limited.

By the way guys i've registered on that dev site and made a suggestion or two.

Edited July 6, 2009 by [RIP] Alan.rio

[Apocal 10]

Well you better read his note closely. ;)

Was this directed at my post? If so, Dr. Eyeball said that he wanted feedback in his opening post, I assumed he meant feedback from the public since he released it to the community. If I'm mistaken I apologize.

Anyway I would love to see a smaller more infantry focused version for the start too,

to make it simpler to get players into it.

After all its a quite complex mission system.

Yes, there is a lot going on with mission, some of it non-functional. And of course Xeno's Domination is the community standard, so many public players assume that's the way it's supposed to be and it adds to the learning curve a bit; i.e. most players look around for a LAV-25 (HQ) or whatever is the REDFOR equivalent and skip right past the unmarked MTVR.

[.kju 3244]

His statement:

This is a alpha/beta test/preview version release only. (Probably should have delayed this another week, but anyway.)

It is not suitable for general public server use. Only for testers and dev's.

Primary purpose is to start identifying any obvious MP issues when there are 2 or more players. Monitor the RPT log.

Looks like there is still at least a week's worth of tweaking required to get the base running smooth.

So you really should not run this version on a public server.

I assume he is happy about the feedback for sure.

That said you must be aware of the state of development.

[Seitan 8]

The only thing devestating about this map is the effect it had on my full server. We started, everyone on OpFor blew up, then the BluFor team left base and then blew up, and then everyone crashed to desktop.

Same thing happend on our server + server went down. But we knew the risks. Always nice to test new stuff. Now it's removed and we will try it again when more stable version comes. This sounds promising. :)