How to make a spawned group follow player at set distance?

[Nielsen 10]

I've been browsing the forums for a "follow solution" that suit my needs, but to no avail. I hope some of you will share some insight.

What I am trying to accomplish is this:

I want to spawn a group of hostile civilians within a certain radius, and have them follow the playergroup within a certain area, at a set distance, while throwing rocks at them.

I spawn the civilians in an 'east' group, and give them 'throw-weapon' and rocks. This works. They throw rocks en masse. They cant hit for sh!t, but I can live with that :p. The problem is, that I want them to follow BLUEFOR. Idealy they would follow whatever player was closest to them, but my scripting skills limit me to have them follow 'player1' atm.

The problem is:

I need them to follow but keep their distance. If i use 'doFollow' or just make them attack, they rush to my position - getting right up in my face - but not throwing rocks as they are too close.

For some reason I'm having a really hard time figuring out a solution that works. I thought I had it figured out. I made the script (look below) such that the group is given a waypoint that never completes, and then do a loop that moves the waypointPos to my position +20m on the x-axis, and then sleeps 15, so they have time to throw some rocks.

This kinda worked. If I stood still until the group was fully spawned and had reached their waypoint, they would continue to follow me at 20m. But if I was in motion while the script ran, then they would gather at the first waypoint, and never move from there. This is obviously not a viable solution. In addition, now it suddenly does not work. They dont follow me at all, even though I havent changed anything I can think of.

This is my script:

angryCivTest.sqf:

//Virker kun ordentligt hvis man venter på at gruppen får samlet sig før man løber.
hint "script started";

sleep 2;
//sleep (240 + (random 120));

if (DangerZone) then {
[nil,nil,rHINT,"Some of the locals are getting agitated. Stay alert."] call RE;
} else {
if(true) exitWith {}; 
};

sleep 2;
//sleep (120 + (random 120));

if (DangerZone) then {
_grp = createGroup east;sleep 0.05;
_unit = _grp createUnit ["TK_INS_Soldier_5_EP1", getPos player1, [], 50, "NONE"];sleep 0.05;
[_unit] join _grp;
_unit2 = _grp createUnit ["TK_CIV_Takistani04_EP1", getPos player1, [], 50, "NONE"];sleep 0.05;
[_unit2] join _grp;
_unit3 = _grp createUnit ["TK_CIV_Takistani04_EP1", getPos player1, [], 50, "NONE"];sleep 0.05;
[_unit3] join _grp;
_unit4 = _grp createUnit ["TK_CIV_Takistani02_EP1", getPos player1, [], 50, "NONE"];sleep 0.05;
[_unit4] join _grp;
_unit5 = _grp createUnit ["TK_CIV_Takistani05_EP1", getPos player1, [], 50, "NONE"];sleep 0.05;
[_unit5] join _grp;
_unit6 = _grp createUnit ["TK_CIV_Takistani01_EP1", getPos player1, [], 50, "NONE"];sleep 0.05;
[_unit6] join _grp;
_unit7 = _grp createUnit ["TK_CIV_Takistani06_EP1", getPos player1, [], 50, "NONE"];sleep 0.05;
[_unit7] join _grp;
_unit8 = _grp createUnit ["TK_CIV_Worker02_EP1", getPos player1, [], 50, "NONE"];sleep 0.05;
[_unit8] join _grp;
_unit9 = _grp createUnit ["TK_CIV_Worker01_EP1", getPos player1, [], 50, "NONE"];sleep 0.05;
[_unit9] join _grp;
hint format ["group is: %1",_grp];
{
	_x setVehicleInit "this addEventHandler [""killed"", {civkilled = civkilled + 1; PublicVariable ""civkilled"";}];";
	removeAllWeapons _x;
	_x addWeapon "throw"; 
	_x addMagazine "HandGrenade_Stone";
	_x addMagazine "HandGrenade_Stone";
	_x addMagazine "HandGrenade_Stone";
	_x addMagazine "HandGrenade_Stone";
	_x addMagazine "HandGrenade_Stone";
	_x setMimic "Angry";
	_x setUnitPos "UP";

} forEach units _grp;

sleep 0.05;
processInitCommands;

_grp setBehaviour "COMBAT";  
_grp setCombatMode "RED"; 
_grp setSpeedMode "FULL";

_waypoint = _grp addWaypoint [[((getpos player1 select 0) + 10),((getpos player1 select 1) + 10),2], 0];sleep 0.05;
[_grp, 1] setWaypointType "SAD";
//[_grp, 1] setWaypointFormation "LINE";
[_grp, 1] setWaypointStatements ["targetcheck", ""];


while {DangerZone} do {
	[_grp, 1] setWaypointPosition [[((getpos player1 select 0) + 20),getpos player1 select 1,2], 0]; 
	//_waypoint = _grp addWaypoint [[((getpos player1 select 0) + 20),getpos player1 select 1,2], 0];sleep 0.05;
	//nul = _grp addWaypoint [[((getpos player1 select 0) + 20),getpos player1 select 1,2], 0];
	{
		_x addMagazine "HandGrenade_Stone";
		_x addMagazine "HandGrenade_Stone";
		_x addMagazine "HandGrenade_Stone";
		_x doTarget player1; 
		_x doFire player1;
	} forEach units _grp;
	sleep 15;
};

} else {
if(true) exitWith {}; 
};
hint "script done";

Note: The 'DangerZone' variable is set to true/false in a repeated trigger. The 'targetcheck' condition in the waypoint is just to block it from completing, so I dont have to create new waypoints but can just move the active one.

I have tried a solution I found in another thread with a 'doFollow.sqf' function. But that does not seem to work for me. Also, as mentioned, I dont want them to rush my position, but stay at a distance.

A couple of things. Firstly the OPFOR groupleader does not seem to appear. I do not know why, but apperantly he does not spawn. The civilians spawn though, and they are indeed hostile, as they are throwing rocks at me, which is why I spawned an OPFOR leader in the first place, so I'd rather keep it that way. I dont know why he does not appear though. Secondly, the '_x setUnitPos "UP";' does not seem to work either. But that is also not a great concern.

I've played around with various combat/behaviour modes with no effect.

I put in a hint to check the WPPos, and it seems that the waypoint do get updated on every loop, the civilians just dont move to the waypoint. Also, they seem a little shaky, almost as if they want to move but cant. They kinda twitch (for lack of a better word) around.

I would really appreciate any thougts on the matter.

Regards,

Nielsen

Edited July 12, 2010 by Nielsen
addition

[kylania 568]

Just use attachTo! heh

[Nielsen 10]

I would prefer something a little more aesthetic ;)