Very confused about briefings

[mpatton 10]

Where am I supposed to save a finished briefing? I have a briefing and a finished mission but have no idea how to actually put the briefing in the mission.

[kylania 568]

http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?t=73424

[mpatton 10]

I read that, I don't understand it.

Ok, let's start with the simple stuff. Make a file called 'briefing.sqf' and make sure this gets executed through the 'init.sqf'. Add the following to your init.sqf:

Is that it? I don't understand what it means by the "init.sqf"

[kylania 568]

If you don't know what an init.sqf is you should start with a more low level tutorial and leave briefings for later to be honest. :)

init.sqf is a file you create on your own, in the same folder as the mission.sqm file the editor created. Inside that file simply put this line of text:

[] execVM "briefing.sqf";

As long as your briefing.sqf is in the same folder as the other two files, and properly created, you'll see the Tasks/Notes on the briefing screen.

It's probably safer to take mike's briefing template from the thread I linked and use that.

[mpatton 10]

Okay...Well I've already got the mission up and running pretty well, I think I'm ready to tackle the briefing. It's just learning that's the hard part...

Anyways, I think I understand what you're saying, but I have a few questions: What program do I use to make the init.sqf? How and where do I save it?

[wamingo 1]

init.sqf is a file you should create and put in your mission's folder.

created usually with notepad

don't use word or wordpad though. it tends to bugger up the format.

I suggest you look at an example mission.

http://www.ofpec.com/forum/index.php?topic=33468.0, there, go download "Briefing_Example.utes.rar" from the bottom of the first post.

[W0lle 1050]

Briefings are a pain, atleast for the very first time. Once you understood how they are working now it's pretty easy (as with everything).

The best you can do is downloading one of the many missions with briefings and see how they are done there. Then setup a quick test mission with just yourself on the map for testing.

The briefing.sqf / init.sqf you can create with any texteditor (Notepad will do), they are just plain textfiles. You only need to pay attention to the extension so you don't accidently name them init.sqf.txt

[mpatton 10]

Okay...I'm having an issue where when I try to run the mission it just returns to the main menu.

Here's what I have:

Folder named "mission.chernarus" (no quotations)

Inside that folder, I have "init.sqf" made with notepad, "briefing.sqf", and "tower%2foverwatch.Chernarus.pbo"

I can put down what the init and briefing have written if you guys want.

[W0lle 1050]

If the briefing.sqf has no errors and is called in the init.sqf with

nul=[] execVM "briefing.sqf";

then you see the briefing as soon as you open the map. However if there is one error in the first briefing line for example, then the whole thing is not displayed. So yes, if you don't see the briefing you made you might tell us the content of it.

[mpatton 10]

Yeah, it's still not working. I go to play the mission, it loads a minute, then just goes back to the main menu.

I'm thinking my issue is in the briefing as I tried to go as "simple" as I could and probably missed a key line.

init.sqf:

nul=[] execVM "briefing.sqf";

briefing.sqf:

player createDiaryRecord ["Diary", ["Title 1", "Message 1"]];
player createSimpleTask ["Task Title 1"];
setSimpleTaskDescription ["Task Message 1", "Task Title 1", "Task HUD Title 1"];

[Padjur 10]

I'm not in anyway an expert and I've looked at your format for the briefing and it seems OK but I don't understand why you have a PBO file in your missions folder, I don't know maybe that's OK but I thought that the briefing and init.sqf should be included in the PBO "tower%2foverwatch.Chernarus.pbo", I mean the briefing and the init should be in the arma2 folder in my documents that you save in the editor (my missions). Is that right you have them there Yes?

[mpatton 10]

Actually, no they weren't there. That solved my crash to menu issue, but the briefing still does not display before the mission.

Thanks, you solved 1/2 the problem!

[kylania 568]

Yeah, it's still not working. I go to play the mission, it loads a minute, then just goes back to the main menu.

I'm thinking my issue is in the briefing as I tried to go as "simple" as I could and probably missed a key line.

init.sqf:

nul=[] execVM "briefing.sqf";

briefing.sqf:

player createDiaryRecord ["Diary", ["Title 1", "Message 1"]];
player createSimpleTask ["Task Title 1"];
setSimpleTaskDescription ["Task Message 1", "Task Title 1", "Task HUD Title 1"];

Since you made them in Notepad, make sure they aren't stuck with a text extension.

When you look at the file in Windows, is the the Notepad Icon next to the file or a "blank file" one? As shown here:

If you're seeing the bottom version of that, "init.sqf" with the Notepad file icon, you need to turn off "Hide Known File Extensions" and delete the .txt suffix.

You can see how to do that from this page.

[mpatton 10]

Windows was hiding the .txt suffix, that's fixed now. Still, the briefing doesn't show at the beginning of a mission. If I bring up the map, I get the "map" option, "notes" (with nothing showing), and "units."

Anymore suggestions are appreciated...I'm going to call it for tonight so I'll test anything you guys say tomorrow.

Thanks for all the help so far.

[lucilk 10]

get an example mission and take a look, thats how i learned

[W0lle 1050]

Here's my own briefing template:

// tasks
task2=player createSimpleTask ["Destroy the 2 Hinds."];
task2 setSimpleTaskDescription ["Destroy the 2 Hinds", "Destroy the 2 Hinds", "Destroy the 2 Hinds"];
task2 setSimpleTaskDestination markerpos "obj2";

task1=player createSimpleTask ["Clear the enemy outpost."];
task1 setSimpleTaskDescription ["Clear the enemy outpost", "Clear the enemy outpost", "Clear the enemy outpost"];
task1 setSimpleTaskDestination markerpos "obj1";
player setCurrentTask task1;

// diary entries
_diary_2=player createDiaryRecord ["Diary", ["Situation", "Enemy forces are operating 2 Hind helicopters from the airport on Utes, using them for CAS and transport for their speacial forces.<br/>Your objective is to go behind enemy lines and destroy the helicopters, disrupting their operations. You will also need to clear a nearby outpost."]];

_diary_1=player createDiaryRecord ["Diary", ["Mission", "Your team will be inserted via boat <marker name=""insert"">here</marker> south of the first objective.<br/>From there you will move to <marker name=""obj1"">this</marker> outpost and clear it of all OPFOR."]];

Feel free to play around with it and use it for your own stuff.

[EMSI 960]

@mpatton, lucilk ... etc.

A2B Editor - http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?t=85066

Next improved version will be released in few days ...

[mpatton 10]

"description.ext"

Is this file necessary? I watched a video tutorial and the creator mentioned something about it.

If it is needed, what do I do, how do I make it, what do I put, etc etc...

[kylania 568]

http://community.bistudio.com/wiki/Description.ext

It's not always absolutely required.

[mpatton 10]

OK...I'm terribly confused then. I'm going to go through everything I've done and such...

1. Created a mission with one rifleman and one marker named "marker."

2. created "init.sqf"

execVM "briefing.sqf";

3. created "briefing.sqf"

player createDiaryRecord ["Diary", ["note1", "*note1message*"]];
player createDiaryRecord ["Diary", ["note2", "note2message"]]; 

tskExample = player createSimpleTask ["task1"];
tskExample setSimpleTaskDescription ["task1message", "task1title", "task1hudtitle"];

tskExample = player createSimpleTask ["task2"];
tskExample setSimpleTaskDescription ["task2message", "task2title", "task2hudtitle"];

<marker name='marker'>Attack this area!!!</marker>

4. "init.sqf" and "briefing.sqf" are saved to desktop.

5. went to "C:\Documents and Settings\HP_Administrator\My Documents\ArmA 2 Other Profiles\Matt\missions\test1.utes"

6. copy/pasted the "init.sqf" and "briefing.sqf." files into that folder. "mission.sqm" is also present.

7. ran "arma2launcher.exe" and ran "landtex" and "fps_helper" mods.

8. went into the editor, loaded the mission, hit "preview", no briefing.

9. exited mission then exported it to single missions, tried the mission, still no briefing.

[shuko 59]

tskExample = player createSimpleTask ["task1"];

tskExample setSimpleTaskDescription ["task1message", "task1title", "task1hudtitle"];

tskExample = player createSimpleTask ["task2"];

tskExample setSimpleTaskDescription ["task2message", "task2title", "task2hudtitle"];

<marker name='marker'>Attack this area!!!</marker>

The marker line/link should be inside a description string (for example that "task1message"). Another thing I noticed, which shouldnt affect if brief is shown or not, is that the code above only shows one task as you have used same variable name (tskExample) for both tasks. Name them something like task1, task2, etc.

8. went into the editor, loaded the mission, hit "preview", no briefing.

In editor, you need to press shift while hitting preview for it to even try to load briefing.

[mpatton 10]

Thanks for the tips, but the briefing still doesn't load.

[shuko 59]

This file will tell you the errors:

C:\Users\YourUserName\AppData\Local\ArmA 2\arma2.RPT

Delete the file, play/preview mission and it will be recreated if there are errors etc (lot's of warnings and errors from BIS' own stuff is shown as well, just ignore them).

Same script errors can be shown ingame with starting the game with -showscripterrors

Did a quick test and this adds the tasks and notes just fine:

player createDiaryRecord ["Diary", ["note1", "note1message"]];
player createDiaryRecord ["Diary", ["note2", "note2message"]]; 

tsk1 = player createSimpleTask ["task1"];
tsk1 setSimpleTaskDescription ["task1message, <marker name='marker'>Attack this area!!!</marker>", "task1title", "task1hudtitle"];

tsk2 = player createSimpleTask ["task2"];
tsk2 setSimpleTaskDescription ["task2message", "task2title", "task2hudtitle"];

[Padjur 10]

This is how I do my briefing mate works every time with out fail. In the init.sqf make sure you call the briefing like this

 [] execVM "Briefing.sqf";

I notice in post 10 you have it as

nul = [] execVM "Briefings\Briefing.sqf";

it shouldn't have the nul = (though I see you have it right in post 20), its not been mentioned in this thread so I thought I should make it clear to anyone who might be reading this thread.:)

You should have this in your briefing.sqf

 waitUntil { !isNull player };
waitUntil { player == player };

player createDiaryRecord["Diary", ["note2 ", "<br/><br/>note2message"]];
player createDiaryRecord["Diary", ["note1 ", "<br/><br/>note1message"]];

tskExample2 = player createSimpleTask ["task2"];
tskExample2 setSimpleTaskDescription ["task2message", "task2", "task2"];
tskExample2 setSimpleTaskDestination (getMarkerPos "Attack this area As Well!!!");

tskExample1 = player createSimpleTask ["task1"];
tskExample1 setSimpleTaskDescription ["task1message", "task1", "task1"];
tskExample1 setSimpleTaskDestination (getMarkerPos "Attack this area!!!");

the tasks go in reverse order (task2, task1) in the briefing.sqf so they apear in the briefing screen as (task1, task2)

Save both files in the mission folder my documents (Description.EXT is not required for the briefing so don't worry about that)

( the marker in the game with the above example will be seen as task1 if you want it to say Attack this Area then call your marker task1 and script it like this

tskExample1 setSimpleTaskDescription ["task1message", "task1", "Attack this area!!!"];
tskExample1 setSimpleTaskDestination (getMarkerPos "task1");

load the game, select multiplayer>host session>select lan click ok> your mission name >edit>preview>select unit in the multiplayer lobby>continue.select task in the briefing screen wait a second or two for it to load and you will see the briefing.

I've just tested this and it works.:bounce3:

[mpatton 10]

All right! Now we're making progress.

So, when I do what you said, the briefing does come up at the beginning of a multiplayer game. Now, I noticed when I export the mission to single player, the briefing IS there but only if I bring up the map. How would I make the briefing come up before the mission?