'Cipher' - full dynamic [SP & MP/Coop] with unlimited replayability

[fabrizio_t 58]

Hi wiper,

tried this mission for the very first time and i enjoyed it.

I hit a nasty bug however: whenever i reload a savegame i have a "generic error in expression" notice raised onscreen.

.RPT file says:

...
Error in expression <lect 0)+(_pos select 1)+(_pos select 2))in _OccupiedWP)and
(_pos select 0)>0)the>
 Error position: <in _OccupiedWP)and
(_pos select 0)>0)the>
 Error Generic error in expression
Error in expression <lect 0)+(_pos select 1)+(_pos select 2))in _OccupiedWP)and
(_pos select 0)>0)the>
 Error position: <in _OccupiedWP)and
(_pos select 0)>0)the>
 Error Generic error in expression...

Finally, out of curiosity, i found in your .pbo a script named "findcover.sqf", containing a call to Findcover function.

Beware, Findcover function and SetHideBehind function are known being not working anymore in ArmA2 (not implemented - http://dev-heaven.net/issues/show/2016).

All in all great work so far ;)

Edited September 7, 2009 by fabrizio_T

[wiper 0]

Thanks for your feedback, fabrizio_T

whenever i reload a savegame i have a "generic error in expression" notice raised onscreen.

I'm aware of this and although I'm sure its one of many Arma2 savegame glitches it's on top of my to do list to find a way around this :-\

The key functions arent influenced however by this bug. Its a waypoint pool administration that prevents AI groups from sharing 1 BuildingPos at once, so this might happen after a game is reloaded due to this bug.

i found in your .pbo a script named "findcover.sqf", containing a call to Findcover function.

Rest assured that its not used. You'll also find several other FindCover* scripts serving as a workaround for that missing function.

Great you liked the mission.

Update almost done, featuring more menu options, a SpecOp light mode and lots of tweaks and fixes.

[wiper 0]

Wiper,

can you change my ingame name from 'Willi Wiper' to my real account name? It is displayed properly during the briefing, but then it changes to 'Willi Wiper'.

Done.

Version 1.28 online, see first post for download, please

have fun !

v1.28

• fixed: insertion point in inland water under rare circumstances
  
• fixed: daytime inconsistencies in the briefing
  
• fixed: script errors after loading a save game.
  
• tweaked: SP dialog options now before the briefing starts
  
• tweaked: better distribution of civilian road vehicles around the mission primary area.
  
• added: SP & MP options for specific day & night time emphasis
  
• added: SpecOp ‘light’ mode with lesser enemy patrols and armor
  
• improved: various AI aspects mainly focussed on placement and movement
  

[Moose-Factory 10]

Hello there,

I'm not sure if this is a game bug or map related, but:

When I tried to delete an old version of this map (v1.26) and update it with the new version (v1.28), I cannot delete the old version. I have deleted the 1.26 pbo and anything with the word "Cipher" in the file anywhere on my drive, such that any search term I type in vista returns no results, no lurking pbos, nor anything related to this mission.

Yet whenever I open up the "scenarios" tab in the game, there it is, "Cipher 1.26a", even tho I deleted all the files. I can even load and play the mission, how do I wipe that version off my drives?

I'd love to play the new version of this mission. thank you.

[galzohar 31]

I don't know if it's intentional or not, but it seems the specop "light" mode wasn't added, but instead replaced the original...

[wiper 0]

Hello there,

When I tried to delete an old version of this map (v1.26) and update it with the new version (v1.28), I cannot delete the old version. I have deleted the 1.26 pbo and anything with the word "Cipher" in the file anywhere on my drive, such that any search term I type in vista returns no results, no lurking pbos, nor anything related to this mission.

Yet whenever I open up the "scenarios" tab in the game, there it is, "Cipher 1.26a", even tho I deleted all the files. I can even load and play the mission, how do I wipe that version off my drives?

I'd love to play the new version of this mission. thank you.

Unfortunaly, or maybe better say luckily, I never touched and probably never will touch Vista. So lets hope a Vista prooven guy may jump in and help out here. Have you asked around in the troubleshooting forum for removing Arma2 content under Vista ?

However, if you add the most recent version to your missions folder ( SP or MP ) in your Arma2 directory all should be fine though as its a new pbo each time with a different name, that should show up at least as an additional mission name/verison in the scenario list.

I don't know if it's intentional or not, but it seems the specop "light" mode wasn't added, but instead replaced the original...

Shouldn't be even possible. There is a new options dialog since v1.28 in SP mode and additional options in the MP lobby where the "normal" SpecOp mode is available as well as the "light" version.

All right, new version up, further polishing any hot fixing some nasty bugs introduced with 1.28 :o

As always, available on the first page :)

And as always, have fun !!

v1.29

• hot fixed: vehicle driving AI not getting back in vehicles after disembarking
  
• hot fixed: disabled AI (in MP lobby) caused permanent script errors
  
• fixed: weapon cargo in truck and ammo crates not accessible for JIP’ing players
  
• fixed: pier type object missing in the blacklist for the primary target
  

[wiper 0]

New version 1.30 is up, please check first page.

Added 4 difficulty options plus some minor tweaks and fixes

Hope you like it !

Have fun !

[manzilla 1]

Damn Wiper you are a mission editing machine. I'm still playing this mission and thoroughly enjoy myself each time. Legendary for sure.

[zLegato 10]

New version 1.30 is up, please check first page.

Added 4 difficulty options plus some minor tweaks and fixes

Hope you like it !

Have fun !

Loving every minute, don't stop!

[zeep 3]

Sort of new to ARMA2 and missions overall. Gonna try my luck with your mission! :)

[froggyluv 2130]

This mission is kicka$$!

Definitely a keeper with the sheer amount of options and replayability.

[JuggernautOfWar 1]

I'm crash whenever I attempt to save my progress in this mission. Yeah I get an error sometimes saying "ArmA 2 - Cannot Commit". Sometimes I don't. I've never got this on any other mission.

EXCELLENT mission though, having a blast.

Edited September 11, 2009 by JuggernautOfWar

[wiper 0]

Thanks for your encouraging replies guys !

I'm crash whenever I attempt to save my progress in this mission.

SP or MP ?

Really worked hard sorting all save game bugs and I think the mission right now is fully working with savegames.

I mention this just to point out that have I saved it a LOT. But I never ever had a single crash saving the mission all that time and I never heared about it.

Do you have any addons in use playing/saving Cipher ?

---------- Post added at 11:47 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:55 PM ----------

JuggernautOfWar,

looks like we synchro edited/posted.

Good you added some details. I just did a quick board seach for "Cannot Commit" and got a plethora of hits.

One of them might be of interest in particular, as I personally am always on the lastest public beta:

http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?t=79825&highlight=Cannot+Commit

maybe that will do the trick for you too ?

[Maddmatt 1]

Very cool mission :)

My comments/suggestions:

Default squad loadout lacks any AA or AT weapons.

More options for insertion. Chopper, APC and so on. Being able to choose a spot for the chopper to drop you off would be even better. Maybe insertion by boat if the objective is near the coast.

Add support like arty and CAS.

I haven't played much so far, haven't actually finished the mission yet but will try to.

[Alex72 1]

The truck is loaded with AA & AT weapons, but it would be nice if the guys were fitted from start with it. Everytime you restart you have to fit everyone.

Great mission though.

[JuggernautOfWar 1]

Thanks for the suggestion Wiper. I am currently using the latest beta build. Oh well, I can usually save just fine, I'll just work with it.

[wiper 0]

Very cool mission :)

Thanks!

My comments/suggestions:

Default squad loadout lacks any AA or AT weapons.

The mission even had a "hand picked" default loadout but I dropped it. Why ?

In SP one player prefers Nr 2 to be the AA guy, another one prefers it to be the AT guy etc ...

You always can use gear options in the brieifing/units section in SP and in MP mode, plus the truck or the ammo crates (in SpecOp mode) are full of heavy gear.

It is noted in the readme btw.

More options for insertion. Chopper, APC and so on. Being able to choose a spot for the chopper to drop you off would be even better.

Negative. :)

The insertion point is choosen by the HQ using best intel they can get (mentioned in the briefing.). No way for executing forces to select a different starting location ;)

However, a helo drop is on my list for a possible start in an updated version, but it will just replace the current start right next to the ammo / transport (player needs to find it)

Maybe insertion by boat if the objective is near the coast.

Sounds interesting. However, as the primary target is very unlikely to be really close to the coast and and a chopper drop might be a standard insertion in the future I'm not sure its worth the effort implementing.

Add support like arty and CAS.

No option.

Check briefing and task descriptions.

The player is just to retrieve some sensible device not fighting a war.

Civilian losses arent acceptable at this stage of conflict ;)

I haven't played much so far, haven't actually finished the mission yet but will try to.

Well, in that case I hope (and think) that you'll find the overall experience of playing it will outweigh by far most, if not all, of what it leaves to be desired :)

Have much fun playing it !

---------- Post added at 02:47 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:23 AM ----------

Thanks for the suggestion Wiper. I am currently using the latest beta build. Oh well, I can usually save just fine, I'll just work with it.

odd, really.

I just checked back and even tried the pbo's in the missions folder (normally play/test non pbo'ed versions and in the editor most the time) but no issue here, both using the GUI save (main menu) or using the in game option (radio channel).

What save option do you use whan it crashes ? MainMenu or radio channel juliet ?

Maybe kind of a disk access issue ?? Are you on Vista (maybe Win7) ? (just for the record...)

Edited September 12, 2009 by Wiper

[JuggernautOfWar 1]

I am on Win7 x64. First time I ever tried saving I used the radio function and that caused me to crash, although without the aforementioned error. When I saved using the 'Esc' key it worked, then it didn't, and then it didn't again and gave me the error that time. Ever since the error it's worked 3 times.

[daveramsey 10]

First post here, and a worthy mission to be posting about - thanks for making it!

Played this one about 5 times now, and enjoyed it each time. A couple of points:

1) Jumping into the enemy jeep results in being killed pretty quickly by the AI on your own side. Not sure that should really happen.

2) The whole find the case, activate the case and then call the extraction seems to have one step too many (why activate in, in game terms - it's the equivalent of just finding the case then calling in the extraction?) So, why not direct the players to take the case somewhere (a local high point/radio tower or something, which also might be defended by a squad or static defense) and then call in the extraction.

Anyway, regardless of all that, thank you. Cracking mission!

Dave

[wiper 0]

First post here, and a worthy mission to be posting about - thanks for making it!

Played this one about 5 times now, and enjoyed it each time. A couple of points:

1) Jumping into the enemy jeep results in being killed pretty quickly by the AI on your own side. Not sure that should really happen.

2) The whole find the case, activate the case and then call the extraction seems to have one step too many (why activate in, in game terms - it's the equivalent of just finding the case then calling in the extraction?) So, why not direct the players to take the case somewhere (a local high point/radio tower or something, which also might be defended by a squad or static defense) and then call in the extraction.

Anyway, regardless of all that, thank you. Cracking mission!

Dave

Hi Dave,

welcome on the board !

Great you like the mission and hope you may enjoy it even more when updated next time :)

As for your points,

1) seems to be an old issue of the game engine. To my knowledge it always detects the AI stance towards a vehicle by its actual driver. Sometimes though the AI seems to get mad simply "killing" an empty vehicle abandoned by the hostile driver. I dont know what effectively that triggers (there exists a threat value for each vehicle in its properties lists f.e.) but in some instances this behaviour doesn't even change if a friendly driver embarks the vehicle. I think this is what you was suffering but it shouldn't happen too often.

'Hold Fire' command and careful handling in such circumstances kept me out of similar troubles most of the times though.

2) Is indeed a point that I often think about and simply derives from a "historical" standpoint of the mission design and should be improved I guess, yes ! Easy possible that in the next update I'll change that, particularely as you are not the first one mentioned this from a game play point of view ;)

Thanks a lot for your inputs & have fun playing Cipher !

[logimenn 10]

Hi,

Mission is pretty nice. I finished it a few times. Always on daytime at 75% and 100% difficulty. I hate night etc. in Arma2.

Basically everything is ok in mission but sometimes AI soldiers just try to flew or they r running in distance/hiding in a trees not even trying to kill me. Not all enemy's but mostly one squad or just few soldiers. Helps save reload,then they'll back in bussines :-) I dont think it was supposed to be like this.

Also please make crates contain more weapons (like Javelin, M136, maybe few enemy guns like AK74,AKM etc.) cuz at this moment I only use G36/K with SMAW and 2 or 3 rockets. Mines are useless cuz I never now where the enemy armor is and where he wants to go so ill stay with SMAW.

Sorry for my english.

Great mission and as for me the BEST from all missions for ARMA2 :-) I always enjoy killing russians and shooting to enemy tanks and APC's.

Edited September 13, 2009 by logimenn

[Grizzle 0]

This mission just gets better with each new release! Keep up the excellent work Wiper!

I'm really digging the ambient citizens, cars, motorcycles etc. Adds so much to the immersion.

A must have for every SP player!

[Greg 0]

Some more miscellaneous feedback...

Issue:

1) Reloading a saved game in multiplayer causes the host to load successfully, but the other players get a black screen after the map I think. I have no idea if this is standard ARMA2 behavior or mission specific.

A few questions:

1) If I load equipment in the briefing screen, does that remove items from the truck? If not, it would allow me to access more heavy weapons and ammo (which is not a bad thing). Just wondering.

2) Are all the possible enemy units active every mission or is there a point system or such. I notice I often see 1x helicopter 1xbmp, 2xjeep etc, that is, regularly see the same set of enemies, just at different times and places.

3) Exactly what does the new enemy difficulty value do? (eg. 100%, 75% etc.)

Suggestion:

1) I'd like to access more AT and AA weapons during a mission if necessary. Perhaps they could be found in enemy / civ trucks parked around the nearby towns. Perhaps there could be 1 or 2 supply drops we could retreat and resupply to. The situation is that if I encounter a enemy chopper or armored vehicle, I can lose half my team and have no guaranteed way to access more weapons. Last night, a BMP and a Vodnik were sitting almost on top of the objective briefcase, so without heavy weapons I could not approach.

My friends and I are loving the mission, keep up the great work :)

[wiper 0]

Thanks for your enthusiastic feedbacks, guys.

It definitely keeps me going and although feeling wasted with it from time to time it even pushes me forward :)

New version 1.31 on its way, already containing a helo drop for the insertion and a often suggested revealing system for the suitcase, probably disabled at 100% difficulty.

For the helo drop, although technically ready, I'm not quite sure how to link it gamplaywise with the existing parts, f.e. will a contact guy lead the team to the truck/ammo or is it just noted in the briefing etc...

Also the testing needs to be done but currently some not too welcome RL issues do a bit of a delaying factor.

Some more miscellaneous feedback...

Issue:

1) Reloading a saved game in multiplayer causes the host to load successfully, but the other players get a black screen after the map I think. I have no idea if this is standard ARMA2 behavior or mission specific.

sigh yes, I remember I once made a test and nothing really worked with MP reloads and I must admit that I didnt care since then. Didn't even had hopes for getting that sorted after I read so much about MP/campaing/reload issues.

If we're lucky the black screen is just a misload of the BlackIn in the init.sqf, but who knows. Definitely need to dig into that at one point

A few questions:

1) If I load equipment in the briefing screen, does that remove items from the truck? If not, it would allow me to access more heavy weapons and ammo (which is not a bad thing). Just wondering.

No, the gear pool from the briefing is completely independant form the weapons cargo in the game, i.e. gear loadout let behind in the briefing wont show up in the mission and the truck/crate has always the scripted contend loaded at mission start.

2) Are all the possible enemy units active every mission or is there a point system or such. I notice I often see 1x helicopter 1xbmp, 2xjeep etc, that is, regularly see the same set of enemies, just at different times and places.

All inf units are set in the editor hence always the same and active from the first minute.

For the armored units a point system is used to spawn them. The max points are slightly random and reduced by some degree for the SpecOp light verison.

Theres only one hind patrolling randomly (or covering when orderd by AI) and returning to a random located base on the map border somewhere for refuel and repairs.

3) Exactly what does the new enemy difficulty value do? (eg. 100%, 75% etc.)

100% simply is the default setting, same as the versions prior to the skills options versions.

Settings lower than 100% mainly do 3 different things:

1) The AI communitactions are limited in a linear way , i.e bunching up and encircling is reduced.

2) Air cover has increased time on base / reduced time on station in a linar way essentially making the Hind more absent on lower difficulty settings.

3) For all enemy AI units (Inf, Armor, Air) the accuracies and general skills are reduced in a non linear way, mostly because the default AI skills in Cipher are already reduced and in particular because accuracy and aimingshake settings are only properly effective just within a small bandwidth.

Suggestion:

1) I'd like to access more AT and AA weapons during a mission if necessary. Perhaps they could be found in enemy / civ trucks parked around the nearby towns. Perhaps there could be 1 or 2 supply drops we could retreat and resupply to. The situation is that if I encounter a enemy chopper or armored vehicle, I can lose half my team and have no guaranteed way to access more weapons. Last night, a BMP and a Vodnik were sitting almost on top of the objective briefcase, so without heavy weapons I could not approach.

Well, would have targetting practice helped out a bit ? :D

lol kidding but seriously, where did all of your 12 SMAW + 3 Stingers go before you needed to finish off those 2 buggers guarding the case ? If you say a BMP and a Vodnik have been there, then only a third APC should have been an issue beforehands...

But anyway when you faced the situation, did you have in mind that Stingers are very effective against APC's too ? Also there should be some satchels in the truck.

Even some well placed HE hits with the rifle launcher convinces APC crews quickly to abandon their can ;)

Generally spoken I'd like to keep the amount of heavy weapons as low as possible, without making it impossible to win of course. Reason for that is that I think with a sheer plenty of HW some aspects of the mission might get easily spoiled - careful planning comes to mind for example or just being "motivated" to really hit with one shot. Imagine 10 or more SMAW HEDP shots you may pounder at a bunch of AI guys. While it may be effective on one hand does it not take out the challenge to go in for a tense close combat on the other ?

I dont say that I'll never add any ammo (air drop by call i find always a neat idea in a mission ), but the amount of heavy equipent in the current mission ( 15 shots including the stingers, plus some satchels and plenty of HE against max 4 apcs OR 1 T72 and 1 light apc and one chopper) should suffice in 99% of all cases even with wasting half of the ammo, does it not ?

My friends and I are loving the mission, keep up the great work :)

Thanks ! :)

Edited September 14, 2009 by Wiper

[Alpha-Kilo 36]

Wiper,

I can understand what you say about limiting heavy weapons. But I respectfully disagree:

In an open combat envirionment such as Cipher, the player may want to see how different weapons affect the outcome of the mission in different play-throughs. Sacrificing some features you carefully designed may serve as a way to appreciate the sheer fire power of missiles compared to rifles.

I do believe that playing the mission every time with too many heavy weapons does indeed limit the experience but doesn't the user have the right to decide this?

Saying this, i fully understand that it must feel strange for you to allow the user to "abuse" a mission you have been putting your heart and soul into.