AC-130 Script for ARMA2 (0.3)

[pre-Vet 10]

Hello all, i have a problem, i had AC-script in OA, and he worked great, but when i installed CO, i have low FPS in AC-130 camera, can they help me, sorry for my English

When you use it in complicated missions it will stutter, try to lower viewdistance. Chernarus is being hard on this addon.

[SovietPowerSupreme 10]

Hi.i have a problem.when i want to play the mission on utes it says that i cannot play it.it says that it is dependent on downloadable content that has been deleted.cacharacters_e,caair_e.i dont know why.if you can help me id appreciate it.thank you

[KeyCat 131]

I'm a bit slow but thanks for the update LurchiDerLurch :D

/KC

[KeyCat 131]

Just played around a bit with the UAV and love it...

One thing tho, do others have hard time hitting with Hellfires if locked on to a object, seems like it misses with just a meter or so since it doesn't lock on center of the object? Maybe this is an engine/scripting limit but just wanted to ask...

Anyway, the UAV don't feel to "uber" and will be more suitable for smaller co-op's where the AC-130 Gunship would devastate everything.

Thanks again for making and sharing Lurchi!

/KC

[KeyCat 131]

Just spent the weekend with this lovely script (ver 0.60) but after many hours testing and scratching my head I wonder if anyone else noticed wierd AI issues when using the AC-130 or UAV?

With wierd I mean that the AI seems "lobotomized" and having hard time to engage the enemy. As an example I placed two BMP's in the path of two AI groups with S&D WP and when not using AC-130 or UAV the AI groups kills both BMP's (as they should) but if I use this script and jump into an UAV they do not recognize it as a threat when reaching it and do not engage it with any AT weapons (even if they have several AT soldiers in the group)?

Maybe it's just my machine that sucks and can't cope with the calculations needed for this script on top of everything else or me doing something wrong?? Interested to hear if anyone else noticed slow/lobotomized AI or if your AI performs as usuall also when you use the AC-130/UAV?

Ideas/tips appreciated! Tomorrow I will wrap up a simple test mission if anyone wan't to test and see if AI behaves the same on your rig, just let me know.

/KC

Edited November 22, 2010 by KeyCat

[KeyCat 131]

A simple test mission shows it better and I would appreciate if anyone else could test and post their results (this is based on Lurchi's ver 0.6 example, no addons is needed)...

AC130-UAV_AI_Behavior.zip

First run it one time and do not use the AC130/UAV, just stand on the hill and observere in rangefinder. Within a couple of minutes the two AI groups (2 x 12 men with 5 AT Riflemens in each squad, max skill) will engage and blow up the two BMP's (as they should), see screenshot below.

Restart the test mission and directly jump into the UAV (position is marked with red marker on map) and follow the AI groups in DTV/FLIR. For me they just ignore the BMP's and moves on, see screenshot below.

When I run the mission FPS is fine, using the UAV I have between ~30-60 fps (capped by V-sync ON) depending on zoom-level and below is a picture of CPU-load during the test.

Any thoughts?

/KC

Edited August 6, 2011 by KeyCat

[KeyCat 131]

Tried the above mission on a dedicated server and me joining as a client and then used the UAV. Within a couple of minutes the two AI groups engaged and blowed up the two BMP's!?

This have made me conlude that when running this AC-130/UAV-script in SP (or when you are the host in MP) it [somehow] affects the AI negatively (at least thats what happens on my computer)?

If anyone tests the mission please report back here...

I tried BIS UAV module instead and oboy is that hard to control compared to Lurchi's, I'm wondering why so few are using this otherwise awesome script!? It's a great way to observe AI's pathfinding and other behaviors as well as adding another twist to co-op missions with a dedicated UAV operator.

/KC

Edited November 24, 2010 by KeyCat

[LurchiDerLurch 10]

Hey KeyCat, thanks for your testing ;)

This was always a problem. I think the AI doesn't behave correctly because it's just too far away and doesn't feel "observed" by the player. I think it's an issue with the engine and I can't fix it :/

[KeyCat 131]

Hi Lurchi,

That sounds a bit wierd and I have never noticed any difference on AI behavior if I was far away (but on the other hand it's a bit hard to notice while not observing from UAV) I was more thinking something like tight script loops that somehow lowered/limited the AI's CPU cycles?

I admitt it was long time ago I scripted anything usefull so bear with me but I wonder if it in theory is possible to affect the AI by to tight loops in a script, anyone know?

If you look at pictures above you see that I'm at roughly the same distance away, ~1050 m when on ground and ~1200 m while in the UAV so again it seems a bit wierd.

But since I assume you use the camera while you use the UAV maybe you move/delete the players character far away? Don't know if it possible but maybe moving the player "into" the Predator would solve things?

Other than this your UAV script is awesome and works very well when combined with Mandobles MMA.

/KC

[LurchiDerLurch 10]

that could be worth a test ;) maybe I'll do this some time.

but currently I have no time for scripting :/

by the way try this: Enable the optical zoom (the camera won't just zoom in, the script will zoom in the camera) ... as far as I remember the troops behave normal...

which means that it has nothing to do with the CPU usage...

[KeyCat 131]

by the way try this: Enable the optical zoom (the camera won't just zoom in, the script will zoom in the camera) ... as far as I remember the troops behave normal...

Thanks for the tip Lurchi, I will test that and report back here...

/KC

---------- Post added at 11:31 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:51 PM ----------

Tried to enable "optical zoom" in init.sqf and tested with the AC-130 instead but it didn't change anything, both AI groups ignored the BMP's (also tried with a T-72). I did notice the following tho that makes it even wierder...

If I damaged the BMP's using the 25mm in the AC-130 until the crew bailed out both AI groups recognized the enemy crew as threats and egnaged/killed them?

Anyway, the workaround now is to use a dedicated server or make sure the one thats hosting the mission is not the AC-130/UAV operator and if you eventuelly find some time to script again please let me know and I will be happy to test whatever ideas you have....

/KC

Edited December 2, 2010 by KeyCat

[mugaben 10]

This script is awesome! Thanks alot!!

I might get a little demanding here, but I'll try anyway.

1. Is there any way to disable the weapons/ammo for the UAV so I can force my team to use it only as RECON? It's so powerfull that we dont even need a group on the ground if we choose to use it as it is right now.

2. Is it possible to make the plane just.. go away like the ac130, instead of it just crashing into the earth? :D

Thanks again!

[dlang 24]

Your mod is quoted in the french Wikipédia:

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_AC-130

;)

[pauliesss 2]

I don´t know if I am doing something wrong, but I am getting CTD every time I try to use this script in Zargabad. I am using your AC130_v0_6_Addon.Zargabad. Everything works fine - I load the mission, call AC-130, wait 2 minutes and then I have the gunner view, I change to FLIR, change weapons etc., so I start shooting and then(after few seconds), everything stops, I can only hear sound, and after 10 seconds or so CTD with Arma2OA.exe problem. I am using newest beta 76560.

Thanks for any help.

[KeyCat 131]

Do the same happen if you run it on 1.56 final?

/KC

[pauliesss 2]

Yes, unfortunately. The program just stop responding. :confused:

Btw: I was flying with you KeyCat, few days ago, dont remember the server name, very good piloting.

[KeyCat 131]

Haven't seen that problem here... Maybe you have another mod clashing with it, or you run A2:OA vanilla?

Thanks mate. Wasn't aware I been flying you in the "aircab"... It must been on the [HUD] DK server and I hope you was one of those who survived all the way, some don't ;)

/KC

[pauliesss 2]

Thanks for tip, I will try it without any other mods. :cool:

//Works fine without any other addon.

Edited December 9, 2010 by Pauliesss

[Opticalsnare 12]

Wooooh i just been playing this and when i stopped and went to the editor screen i felt like my view was still rotating hehe, anyway ive added support for Blastcore, so they effects are working correctly :)

[mugaben 10]

Again - Any way to remove the weapons / all the ammo from the uav?

[sarge4267 16]

Sorry to break into this thread but:

I get this error and can't play any of the missions:

"no entry .modelOptics"

I've searched the forum but didn't find anything on it

[LurchiDerLurch 10]

Again - Any way to remove the weapons / all the ammo from the uav?

Sorry for the late response.

It's a little tricky... put this code into your init.sqf AFTER initialsing the script.

[]spawn
{
waitUntil{(LDL_ac130_active && LDL_plane_type == "UAV")};

sleep 3;

(LDL_weaponSlots select 0) set [1, 0];
(LDL_weaponSlots select 1) set [1, 0];

(LDL_weaponSlots select 0) set [2, 0];
(LDL_weaponSlots select 1) set [2, 0];
};

This code starts a new process, waits until the uav is started, sleeps 3 seconds to go sure that UAV is armed with the new weapon slots and the changes the munition to 0.

Sorry to break into this thread but:

I get this error and can't play any of the missions:

"no entry .modelOptics"

I've searched the forum but didn't find anything on it

Recent version? Anything moded what could cause a missing file?

Wooooh i just been playing this and when i stopped and went to the editor screen i felt like my view was still rotating hehe, anyway ive added support for Blastcore, so they effects are working correctly :)

Which effects? :) Would love to see them ;)

---

Greeting from snowing Germany ;) Had a day off and so I resumed to work at the script. ;)

Lurchi

[sarge4267 16]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sarge4267

Sorry to break into this thread but:

I get this error and can't play any of the missions:

"no entry .modelOptics"

I've searched the forum but didn't find anything on it

Recent version? Anything moded what could cause a missing file?

I've disabled ACE and CBA and it worked.

So ace and cba are the ones who cause the trouble.

BTW: I forgot to mention what an awesome mod this is.

Thanks for putting your work in this!

Edited December 10, 2010 by sarge4267

[kremator 1065]

Hey Lurchi,

I'm using the AC130 in a script based mission and its great .... however is it possible to slim down the size of the .paa's a little as they make quite a bit of difference to the overall size of the mission? Obviously without losing quality :)

[GqchatarN 10]

This is the most LEGENDARY thing ever!