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Spinor

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Posts posted by Spinor


  1. I am not sure if thats what you mean with dropdown-menu, but I would suggest to use the right-click context menu. In the example description.ext there is an entry CEX_CustomUI/ContextMenu you can modify:

    Code:

    class CEX_CustomUI

    {

    title ="Mission Menu"; // Default Widget Title

    enabled ="true"; // Custom Menu enabled

    class ContextMenu

    {

    title ="Support"; // Title of context sub-menu

    width =0.15; // Screen-width of menu

    show ="true"; // display menu

    enabled="true"; // enable menu

    pic =""; // menu icon

    // Menu entries

    class Mortar

    {

    text = "Mortar"; // Item text

    action = "[_pos]exec 'mortar.sqs'"; // Item action

    };

    };

    };

    This should enable a submenu "Support" within the right-click context menu with an entry "Mortar", that will execute "mortar.sqs" with the map-click position as parameter (adjust this as required by your script).


  2. Getting troops to enter a vehicle within their own group (i.e. team or squad) is not directly possible. The boarding is governed by the group behavior setting, i.e. Aware, Combat etc. You can also specifically set it by double clicking a unit and select "Embark Infantry" from the dialog. Please note though that even then infantry might not board vehicles immediately, but only after ordering the group to move some minimum distance.


  3. To shorten the waiting time a little bit smile_o.gif, here is a new CEX mission created by Solomani:

    Chain of Command - CEX Mission: US Army Cavalry Troop

    Readme

    Quote[/b] ]====================================================================

    Installation: Place mission pbo in your missions and/or MPmissions folder.

    Recommend addons: DMSmokeEffects, NonWonderDog suite (NWD_TankFCS, NWD_Ballistics, NWD_ScopeFix)

    =====================================================================

    I am pleased to announce the release of my newest CEX mission: US Army Cavalry Troop.

    This mission is an adaptation of basic zone recon fundamentals as described in the US Army Cavalry Field Manual 17-95. In addition, I have included basic mission information such as phase lines, line of departure, FEBA, etc. on the map to help with making this mission as realistic as possible.

    Mission premise: A wheeled cavalry troop has been assigned to an air cavalry squadron. The troop is tasked with guarding the forward command post and FARRP. A OPFOR recon company is moving south towards the FARRP and has established a security zone just ~1 KM north of the CP. The troop will commence a zone recon to the north and will occupy objective Sarah. A air cav platoon is on standby to assist with the troops movement toward objective Sarah.

    Can be played single or multiplayer (1-7 players).

    Enjoy!

    Solomani

    27-MAR-2008


  4. Yes, next version will have no hardcoded level limit, so if your computer can handle it you can simulate a Corps if you like smile_o.gif. In the currently released version you can already have Battalion level, with Squads at the basic level:

    Battalion

    Company

    Platoon

    Squad

    Quote[/b] ]I'm interested in using a portion of CoC CEX for the upcomming Stryker addon that Ryujin is spearheading, for use in the IVIS communications between vehicles.

    What portion are you interested in? Just viewing capabilities or (limited) command abilities?


  5. Sorry for the lack of updates. After arriving in the UK, I continued CEX development about two weeks ago. The next version should be ready by the end of November, mostly including bug fixes but also a few new goodies.

    Regarding the forums: We are currently in the process of creating a new forum which should be available soon.


  6. It works from bottom to top:

    1) Information is gathered at the group (squad or fireteam) level, and new contacts are reported to the next level (usually platoon).

    2) Then it just goes step by step up the ladder: Platoon leaders report to Company leader, Company leaders to Battalion leader, etc.

    As of now, there is no 'reporting' from top to bottom. A unit is thus only ever aware of enemies detected by its subordinates. Usually this means they do not share information with groups far away unless a platoon is far spread out.


  7. Quote[/b] ]Is it possible now or in the future to have an General AI controll the system in some capacity.

    Yes, this is already in development and should be implemented in 0.88 or so smile_o.gif. In the beginning it will just be a replacement for using Guard waypoints to control opposing forces. The mission editor will be able to assign important locations to a CEX unit (i.e. a platoon, a company, etc.) and if that unit is not controlled by a human, the AI will kick in and try to hold these locations. The AI will produce normal orders to subordinates so if you are playing at a lower level, you are still fully immersed in the CEX chain of command.

    Quote[/b] ]Don't you get any fatal JIP errors every now and then with CoC_NS ?

    Yes, this is a known NS bug.

    Quote[/b] ]I don't even know where I can send my bugs.

    Please post CEX bugs in this thread and NS bugs in the analogous thread here in the Addons & Mods section. These threads provide the greatest visibility to other users.


  8. Just a quick heads-up:

    Development of CEX 0.87 is on hold for a few days while I am waiting for my desktop machine to arrive at my new place. I have just moved from Germany to the UK, so things are a bit busy at the moment.

    Quote[/b] ]From this am I to take it that the COC_NSA component of the CEX is designed for LAN not WAN application?

    No, NSA can be configured to allow a longer connection timeout for slower WAN environments. This still needs to be tested before we can give any recommendations on that. For CEX itself, latency should not be a big issue, and I do not expect a big decrease in playability on WAN compared to LAN. CEX is not concerned with low-level detail like positions of individual soldiers, so split-level synchronization is not required.


  9. Quote[/b] ]Very interesting to read about the 'server-farm' theories, looking very much forward in seeing that in action

    Conceptually, its not a difficult concept. CEX consists , and the only question is on what machine an entity is managed (i.e. where is it local). At the moment, CEX copies ArmA so that AI controlled units are local at the ArmA server and human controlled units at their respective client. This could be easily changed, though, for example in cases with many AI units which put a lot of stress on the server. There is probably one downside in distributing entities over the network: it is likely to worsen network traffic, as the entities are communicating with each other.


  10. Quote[/b] ]Will this new version increase unit response speed?

    It always takes a while for units to move when given orders, and I have a pretty strong rig.

    Yes, response speed should be improved (there is still some potential, though smile_o.gif ). Response speed was/is essentially independent of machine performance.

    Quote[/b] ]When telling several different infantry units to board one transport squad with several different APC's if they all arrive at the same time, problems ensue....has this been fixed as well?

    No, not yet, I am still experimenting whether I can solve it via in-built ArmA functionality (addVehicle/leaveVehicle commands) or via a scripted solution.

    Quote[/b] ]May I ask how you measure server load??

    Not really measuring, just the intuitive understanding that the more code lines you try to execute within a given time interval, the higher the load will be. That time interval is essentially given by 'UnitServerUpdateInterval'.


  11. New beta version CEX 0.86 is available for download:

    http://www.thechainofcommand.net/downloads/zips/CoC_CEX_0_86.zip

    Tip: Try out the new keyboard shortcuts, especially SHIFT+RMB for easily adding several waypoints.

    Change Log, BETA 2 (0.86):

    Change: CEX addon coc_cex.pbo

    Change: CEX_Test_Mission.Sara, old versions of this mission may not be compatible with 0.86

    New: Start Menu Option CEX/Admin Tools/Restart Client ... use in MP in case a command transition

    was no properly recognized

    Fixed: Completed WPs were not deleted at commander machine (MP)

    New: Config Setting 'UnitServerUpdateInterval' ... refresh interval in secs of CEX server;

    determines unit responsiveness and server load

    New: Config Setting 'InterfaceUpdateInterval' ... refresh interval in secs of CEX UI

    New: Config Setting 'PlayerChatMessagesEnabled' ... if false, CEX will not ouptut order confirmation

    and status report chat messages originating from a player-controlled unit

    New: 4th command layer ... it is now possible to represent Battalion/Companies/Platoons/Squads in CEX

    New: Config Setting 'UseArmAMap' ... if true, CEX icons will also be displayed on standard ArmA map

    (non-interactively)

    Improved: Order reaction speed

    Fixed: Infantry sometimes disembarked from an external transport unit when changing behaviour

    New: Keyboard shortcuts

    F1-F8 -> Toggle select immediate subordinate

    ~ -> Toggle select all immediate subordinates

    Backspace -> Open/close command menu

    Page Up/Down -> Navigate command tree vertically

    Del/End -> Navigate command tree horizontally

    Shift+RMB -> Add WP

    Ctrl+RMB -> Move

    Ctrl+B -> Behaviour

    Ctrl+H -> Halt

    CTRL+P -> Proceed

    New: GUI message when switching to another unit

    Fixed: It was possible to switch to an already dead leader

    Fixed: Missing Command Engine option after dying and switching to another leader

    New: Config Setting 'ViewFriendlies' ... allows tracking of friendly but non-subordinate units

    New: Option 'Remove WPs' in unit context menu

    Fixed: Error when reaching 'Converge' waypoint

    Improved: Update interval now independent of total number of CEX units

    Fixed: CEX callsign was not assigned to group at mission start

    New: Config Setting 'Transport' ... mission editor can pre-assign a transport unit

    New: Config Setting 'Behaviour' ... mission editor can define initial behaviour state of unit

    Change: More frequent casualty reports and feedback messages

    Fixed: Non-CEX units could access the CEX interface

    Change: Many behaviour modes now use speed mode "FAST"

    Fixed: Landing helicopters now stay on ground

    New: UI Settings can now be applied on a per-unit basis in the description.ext

    Improved: Waypoint transition speed

    Fixed: Waypoint lines created by other players were visible in MP

    Fixed: Names of leaders commanding a vehicle were not properly handled in description.ext

    Fixed: Error when using CTRL+Click to move a unit

    For 0.87 we are working on (among other things):

    - Helmet and Unit Cam

    - Cycle Waypoint

    - Ferry action (Wait until loaded -> Move -> Unload -> Cycle)

    - Platoon (and above) formations


  12. How about using the new command nearTargets ...it seems to provide a lot of useful information, namely the perceived position, type and side of known targets.

    They are communicating the commanding center to check if they have any information about a military presence around that explosion

    Does nearTarget also use information acquired by contacting the center?

    For advanced applications it would be useful to prevent groups from getting external intel. Imagine simulating a group without radio connection, or in case somebody wants to model his own communication network, such as in Grouplink (I would imagine) or CEX.


  13. Hmm, could it be that you have the CoC Extended Marker Addon installed? Any marker addon messes with the sequence of markers for ingame placement. We will try to get rid of this behavior in future versions. For now, I can only suggest to put the addon in a mod folder and only load it when necessary, if our addon is indeed the source of your problem.


  14. Quote[/b] ]For the record it appears CEX works better in MP as the load is distributed.

    Yes, thats how its designed. A strong dedicated server should help a lot as it manages all AI specific CEX code. The clients are then only concerned with the interface code.

    For very large missions, CEX can even be configured to distribute server load on several machines, sort of having multiple "CEX Servers", e.g. Machine A handles BLUFOR and Machine B handles OPFOR.


  15. Quote[/b] ]Not sure if it's been mentioned already, but I've had problems ordering troops when I'm Commander of a vehicle. By clicking on the map to order movement, adjust waypoint etc... it also tells my driver to go there.

    I just tried to solve this issue for some time now ... without success. It seems that even a custom map control forwards the default map command to ArmA (for the technically minded: this seems to be an issue with the OnMouseButtonDown EH...even putting in an EH return value of 'true' does not prevent this behavior). If somebody knows an easy solution please let me know.

    In any case, this important issue will be fixed. If absolutely necessary, I will disable the map and use a dummy non-map control for all user interactions. This would require the manual recreation of map-dragging and map-zooming, and would need some time, though.


  16. Quote[/b] ]has anybody made a 2 player version of this yet where you each command a huge army like a game of chess - if so could somebody point me toward it thanks.

    We are officially releasing such a mission in the next beta (ETA 4-5 days), where the most urgent MP bugs will be fixed.

    Quote[/b] ]Do enemy units share information about spotted units?

    No, unless, of course, the enemy units are part of a CEX command structure themselves.


  17. Quote[/b] ]If there's one area I think could stand to use improvement, a really essential area for effective combat in OFP, is transportation. Reliable air transportation would be a nice start but I know that'd be tackling ArmAs flight problems, one option I would like is giving a transportation squad a 'Ferry' command. They can wait at the designated WP until another squad has embarked, follow waypoints and unload the cargo, follow the waypoints back and loop ... Just a thought

    Nice idea...and does not seem too difficult: A cycle/loop WP is already in the works, and the only other addition required seems to be a new WP-proceed-condition "Wait until loaded" for transport units.


  18. Sorry, I am a bit busy with RL at the moment...

    Quote[/b] ]I cant start any mission, neither from singleplayer-mission nor MP or Editor. It always pops up the following error message, after seemingly loading the mission. It shows the error right after having loaded and before the screen changes to the mission, it jumps back to mission selectionmenu.

    It seems that, for some reason, the addon coc_cex.pbo (it contains both CoC_CommandEngineX and CoC_InterfaceEngine) is not loaded from the mod folder. All I can suggest is check your shortcut command option '-mod=@CEX' or, for a test, put all CoC addons into your main addon folder.

    Quote[/b] ]Can the lower ranks see the whole battle plan? And can the commander see what specific orders platoon leader gives to the squads? Or does each only see his "level" of command - the orders he gave?

    Most of this is currently under construction, especially the ability to track friendly units which are not under your command (as an option assignable by mission designers). At the very least, a CEX commander will always see orders given to him by superiors, as well as be able to track all subordinates at all levels.


  19. Quote[/b] ]Is it possible, to give both sides a command interface in a mp-game?

    if no: is it planned?

    Not much to add what Nepumuk said...CEX control on opposing sides is already possible, with the 'slight' glitch that you can see what the enemy general is planning smile_o.gif. This is already fixed for the upcoming version.

    BTW, there can be any number of players in CEX, each with its own set of subordinate units. CEX commanders can also be arranged in a command hierarchy. CEX is fully flexible in that regard.

    Quote[/b] ]Best of all would be to add some AAR possibilities...

    AAR at the group/squad level and above is not much of a problem. CEX already tracks squad positions and status.


  20. Quote[/b] ]I get that message as soon as I open the interface, and this message when I try to view the unit/squad properties. I can still command the units though. It doesn't happen in the demo missions, or any of my previous test missions, only this one i'm making right now. I don't know if I inputted anything incorrectly or if it's a bug, but i've tried everything to fix it and it's getting on my tits. It's past 3am here though and i'm tired, so I may have missed something obvious.

    I have no idea what could cause this problem. My only guess is that there is some wrong or missing link to a leader object in the description.ext. If you do not find a solution, please send me your mission (+description.ext) to cex@appliedgnosisgroup.com . Even if there is only a wrong input, I would like to output an appropriate error message so that mission editors are not left guessing.

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