terox

Well firstly Ronin, i have quite a lot of experience in missionmaking, I am the chief map admin for EFL and have been since spring last year I know all about beta testing, as it is one of the main issues i have to overcome on a weekly basis I know absolutely nothing about coop, and i pointed out also that a coop couldnt be template based, simply because every one would be so different there are links on some of my previous posts, which if you spent the time browsing, would give you more insight into what quality level you could achieve, although for such a large group, it would be almost unobtainable However something on a much smaller and simple scale could easily be obtained as for normal pvp missions, let me try to explain why i think the use of a template (As basic as you want to make it could be an important part in those type of mission creations) Lets talk about a Basic CTF as an example A CTF is made up of 2 flags, 2 respawns, some weapons and possibly vehicles, cosmetic stuff such as objects etc, and all these items are placed somewhere on a map A ctf has to have a "CTF" flag system, every ctf has one Which one is the best? Most mapmakers would say their's is Which one really is, who knows But if you are going to make a collective of maps, then wouldnt it be better, to have all ctf's using the most optimised and best scripted system there is and as a group of mapmakers/scripters you have the potential to create just that so a  simple ctf mission, then becomes a template to create CTF's on. we all use templates in one form or another to create the type of maps that we make, by copy n paste or merge or whatever other form you may use So like it or not, we all right now use some form of template All i am saying is make the basics a well scripted and optimised system, and from that add whatever you want on top of it etc etc etc ********************************************** What i see being created here is simply a pool of missions with no basic standard, that folks will try to fit into some sort of storeyline. In other words just a website where you can download missions from well if thats the ceilings for your ambitions, then you dont need to discuss anything, you just need an ftp site and a way of letting folks know where it is You wont need the pool of experience and knowledge to do that, just a few guys, a server that will beta test missions some forums to discuss those missions on and there are dozens of servers and forums that already do that, so basically this would appear to be nothing more than a hyped up publicity stunt Thats how i see it at the moment, am i wrong?

Impossible, an important part of mission-making is being able to search for and find unique places for your mission. Just provide some scripts and let people work on their own. From the reply you obviously didnt realise that a template is exactly that, a selection of standardised scripts that actually work together for instance C&H It would contain the following A C&H system a vehicle respawn script possibly a weapon selection script like the battlefield one possibly a simple ammocrate filler possibly an anti TK or spawncamping system safezone and pre safezone warning triggers flag markers a briefing a object repair script to keep ammo crates, med tents in a good state of repair These are probably the minimum systems required in a map to make it half decent where you locate the damned mission and what vehicles, soldier types and weaponry isnt something that a template states, thats down to the mission maker Now because folks are willing to get together on this project, as a group we would be able to make 1) The best C&H system 2) The best vehicle respawn script around etc etc etc in other words if you was to build a C&H mission, all the hard work of getting the functionality to work is already done for you, this gives you more time to add those individual touches, create a good atmosphere etc etc etc Now how the hell is that restricting a missionmaker I would be thinking wow, i click on wizard in the editor, type in a map name and hey presto all i have to do is drag a few icons to various locations and i am 1 hour infront at least from where i would be normally and if they are written well, there is no need to alter the script, as any variables that the script uses that can be modified, such as vehicle respawn delays, if they respawn when abandoned, how long it takes them to respawn if abandoned etc etc can all be stated in the init.sqs and therefore the actual functional scripts dont need to be touched and all these variables can be named in a tutorial explaining what they are and what values they can have And why do i know this, Â because i have done just that, it works well, if done right and Josef stalin Communism crap isnt going to get you a lot of respect slagging somebody off who proposes an idea of how something could be done If you take note i expressed that everything i posted was an example on how something could be done, not how it will be done, please take more care to read and interpret correctly what was said, not what you assume was said I also dont see this going anywhere, this is just going to continue in circles, talking about fine detail before even the broadest of generalisations has been agreed on You need to define a minimum standard, have a way of monitoring the quality, have a plan to implement, otherwise the end product will simply be a mismatch of good and bad which will ineviatably fail I think on that note i will leave the discussion for a while as i dont at this point see it going anywhere

An example of the overall picture could be something on the lines of XXX = Project Leader Any mission offered must use up to date scripting methods and be compatible with mods such as ECP, etc etc etc Missiontypes that can be offered are a) X b) Y c) Z These mission types must be created using the following standards a) X b) Y c) Z Any offered missions will assesed by Mini project team X who will score them on the following criteria a) X b) Y c) Z If they score high enough, they will be placed in a download missionpack according to their grouping _ Each missiontype should be built using a template developed by Mini project teams This template uses everything that you need to get the specific mission type to the standards require Each template has an indepth on line tutorial that walks you through implementing it The template is designed in such a way that a novice mapmaker can easily create a well functioning mission from it It will allow much individualism and additional modification by an experienced mapper, but also will be of a sufficient standard that when created by a novice, the end product is of a very good standard The overall design of the templates should be done by the very best of scripters working within the initiative, and each template (Apart from maybe coops) should be of a similar design and layout using tall the latest gimmicks within the OFP editing community Here's an example of a template pack Example of a template Here's an example of an online tutorial to back it up Template tutorial example For this to work, you need to get organised, prioritise and start making decisions on the larger picture, forget totally at this time about the finer details

This is the real world not some Fantasy world that students live in and Ironsights post above although important later down the line is totally irelevant at this time His type of post is better suited to say a Mini projects team that may be tasked to create an addon pack and therefore specific points of view on certain addons would be more relevant ********************************************** ********************************************** Anyway back on Topic <span style='color:red'>Possible Overall Picture questions</span> 1)Which of the following mission types will this initiative support a) CTF and its derivatives b) C&H and its derivatives c) Coops d) A&D and its derivatives etc etc etc _ 2)What will be the minimum standard requirements that these missions must attain These are examples of questions that may be asked eg Player size .....For a greater possible audience, it needs to be available for play on the servers that can cope with larger numbers as well as smaller eg a 6 v 6 game which is the average team size on some servers, may be 12 v 12 or greater on others, therefore if these larger servers have say 28 players on their server, they wont be loading a 6 v 6 map Content for example, dependant on missiontype .....must have a safezone & outer warning zone .....vehicle respawn .....intro cutscenes .....good briefings .....have pre-game selections that give you choices X,Y,Z Gameplay needs to be well balanced and fun to play The sorts of things that should be discussed at this stage are simply general ideas, there should be no mention of a specific addon or map, mission etc, these are topics for discussion when a overal view has been accomplished, and those types of posts simply clutter up threads

OK, i have read every post Most posts seem to be about "My mission does this", "My mission does that". "Use these, or that addon" Most references are for CoOps This is all cosmetic, and at this point in the discussion isnt really that important I think, to organise this whole "Initiative", you need to do it in the following order 1) Assign a Project Team Leader 2) Define what is actually required as an overall picture 3) From this create a working plan and a working environment 4) Split the project up into "Mini Projects" 5) Assign a "Mini Project" Leader 5) Create Test and develop the systems you create 6) Assemble the various project elements together 7) Then release Project Team Leader This guy should have a lot of spare time on his hands He is responsible for Organising and overseeing the project He has final say on important decisions (Otherwise nothing would get done) Define what is actually required as an Overall picture This is NOT about specific details such as use XXX addons More on General ideas and content like, Addons in general Should we restrict addons to a pack Should we have no addon restrictions Create a working plan and a working environment After deciding on the content and how you are going to build the initiative, then plan its organisation and implementation "Mini Projects" At this point you should know what you need and how you are going to achieve it. The project can then be split into various elements, a Mini project team leader assigned (This Mini project team can then go through points 2 to 4 defining things in higher detail) Create Test and develop The mini project teams can then start getting to grips with their task, the more preparation is done, the better the final outcome and the easier it is to create Assembling elements together This would be done by a mini project team who's task from the start was to create a system that was able to easily implement the various elements together Release date 2050 ****************************************************************************************** ** The small specifics at this point is totally useless Assign a team captain, then lets start talking general setup

No probs shrike Slightly wrong there, the link isnt for a coop template, its for an "Uber CoOp", that randomly selects a number of mini missions incorporated in it so that you never play the same game twice, everytime its completely different, however, the mini mission creation will be done using templates Reference templates Templates are a means of quickly creating a mission to a set standard The initial template idea was created for EFL, so that we could have  standardise quality and make mission creation a much more efficient task With my ability and knowledge of the template system that Pimmelorus and myself created, i can make a fully playable, quality mission, with everything required, all briefings fully done, absolutely everything in under 2 hours, from scratch It takes the complete newb a while longer of course But what i have noticed is due to the completeness of the tutorial that comes with it, Complete novices do have a go. I am now seeing a constant influx of new EFL missions of varying gameplay qualities being mailed to me by folks who simply wouldnt have bothered prior to the release of these templates Therefore without fear of contradiction, i know that a well thought out, pre planned template with a good tutorial will entice folks to create missions,  which is what you guys are after doing I wouldnt suggest doing something on the scale of the EFL templates, but something more basic, would definitely be welcomed by newbie mapmakers It isnt the addons or the island that makes a decent mission, its the gameplay and the gameplay supporting scripts Addons etc are just icing on the cake What i am basically saying, is have something more basic that a newb can build with, he will then try to aspire to greater things They need a simple method to create a decent mission and templates give them just that, without all the frustrated headaches of searching hundreds of BIS or OFPEC posts

My thoughts on this , is not to create a mod missionmaker, but simply to create good solid templates for each type of gameplay that exists in OFP. By this i mean fully tested, well supported template that has all the elements that are now available within the OFP community Each template should basically include X v X player slots (For the largest server available) Pre game options for a) Time of day b) selection of gametypes It should include a) Vehicle respawn system b) Special effects system c) Anti TK, or anti spawncamping system d) Weapon selection system e) Scoring system f) Damage control system (For weapons crates etc) g) Briefing template, already laid out, simply add some info to exisiting lines, such as what vehicles are included, respawn delays, parachutes on/off etc h) Safezones, outer warning triggers etc Everything that a good mission has or needs without going over the top There should be Boolean switches in the Init.sqs to enable, disable options at the missionmakers discretion Most importantly there should be an online tutorial and a forum to back it up, which explains in laymans turns how to implement the template, how to set everything up The template itself should be placed in the "Template" folder so that it can be used in conjunction with the "Editor Wizard" Much easier way of creating a mission than copy n paste etc etc Here's a list of known mission types: CoOp A&D C&H Progressive C&H CTF Reverse CTF TDM DM Flagfight Flagball Races Pregame options would be different for every gametype, but heres a shot at it Param1 <span style='color:blue'>Dawn Midday dusk dusk with flare illumination Night Night with flare illumination 24 hrs 24hrs with flare illumination</span> That takes care of just about every light setting you could think of Param2 CTF <span style='color:blue'>CTF Reverse CTF Flagball Flagfight</span> Param2 C&h <span style='color:blue'>1 Flag 3 Flag 5 Flag progressive</span> Param2 A&D <span style='color:blue'>TDM A&D</span> Param2 CoOp <span style='color:blue'>Whatever Whatever</span> Basically each template, will offer a pre selection of different gametypes using the various flags that are needed to create the gameplays For instance C&H 5 flags used for progressive game 3 flags used for normal game 1 flag (middle flag) used for low numbers on the server CTF 3 flags 2 outer flags used for normal CTF, or reverse CTF middle flag used for Flagfight or flagball Lots and lots of different options Now i am not talking about creating templates for the advanced mapper to use, what i am talking about is creating templates for newcomers in mapmaking to use. It is these guys that we need to entice into mapmaking I remember making my first ever mission, it was a CTF called "Riverdance". It took me well over 100 hrs of solid work to create it, due to my total lack of knowledge or experience in this kind of work. I found it very intimidating and frustrating. The difference being, that all the things that these folks want in their missions, but cant figure out how to do it would already be done for them, this makes their task ever so much easier and therefore they are more likely to knock some maps out and learn by it Editing wise, newbie mappers should just need to 1) drag icons in the mission editor to their desired location 2) Change a few vehicles, or soldier types 3) Load some ammo crates out 4) Change some variable values in the Init.sqs and do the nice things like add fencing, buildings etc, not worry about how to make a safezone, or create a ctf system I myself have done something like this on a much smaller scale, and i believe templates is the way to go. Templates that WORK! Here's an example of a template pack Example of a template Here's an example of an online tutorial to back it up Template tutorial example

Something i learnt very recently Good practice, with the never ending addition of mods like ECP, or addons, is to have a prefix for all your global variables, so that they dont conflict with addon or mod scripts running alongside your mission scripts eg instead of using <span style='color:blue'>counter = 1</span> use <span style='color:blue'>TX_counter = 1</span> or some such meaningful prefix and have all other global variables carry the same prefix This is something i will be implementing into all new templates and maps i will be building from now on ********************************************** 1) Dont have any commented lines in script loops 2) Dont have a script run too many commands in one run before a delay 3) Keep variable names at a minimum length 4) Run as much local client as possible, and as few Public variables as you can 5) If an object does not serve a purpose on a map, then dont add it unnecessarily for cosmetic appeal. Folks dont really give a monkeys about it 6) If you are running say 5 C&H Flag scripts, that are all identical, then have them stagger their initiation, so that they dont run in a synchronised manner (eg have script A wait ~0.5 on first line, next script wait 1.2, next 1.7 etc etc 7) Run a short intro to give the server and clients time to settle down and synchronise after initial load 8) If you have finished using a global variable, then "Nil" it to get it out of mem and re declare it later eg TX_Counter = nil ********************************************** Triggers v scripts I found a massive efficiency difference when removing all the triggers used in CTF's and replacing them with scripts, or rather one script that does the lot On the downside i believe triggers synchronise between clients, is this true Keep the <span style='color:blue'>~X</span>, no shorter than 0.5 and preferably 1 or a value higher Loop timings Dont know in what order these run at, eg fastest to slowest Some clarification would be nice <span style='color:blue'>Triggers</span>, loops to check if condition is true at what rate??? <span style='color:blue'>@</span>, loops to check if condition is true at what rate <span style='color:blue'>~</span>, loops at what rate I would imagine @ loops the fastest then triggers then any wait period ********************************************** Some of this stuff may be incorrect, but unless somebody corrects me, then i will continue to practice these things

it will be a general matrix m8 used on a diverse coop Here's the pre organisation discussion for this if you are more interested, it will be very different to the norm Myself and the guy who will be helping me on it are both experienced mappers and coders, however coops is new to us. We like to go overboard a lot Pre Mission outline

Apologies if this has already been answered, i did check several pages and carried out a search, but you know what its like, folks dont make very descriptive titles for their threads Anyway here is the question From a map click i want an array of sound files to play out the phonetic alphabet and the numbers for the grid ref eg if grid ref is DA46 i want the sound file to play Delta - Alpha- Four- Six - Over getting the sound files to play and getting the Map click to return variables and then assosciate the variables with sounds isnt my problem I de pbo'd the OFP sound files and found in the voices folder for each BIS character some .WSS Files. In them was all the sound files i needed, all the phonetic and number files I tried a test script to see if i was lucky with a reserved variable hit eg<span style='color:blue'>Playsound "1" ~1 Playsound "One" ~1 Playsound "A" ~1 Playsound "Alpha"</span> but was unlucky I also tried <span style='color:blue'>Player Say "ONE"</span> etc etc so how can i access and play these sounds that are already within the BIS hardcoding Failing that, has anyone already a folder that contains ogg or wav files for numbers "0 to 9" and phonetic "Alpha to Juliet" Thanks in advance for any help offered This is basically part of an artillery system 1) Map click 2) Radio message "Zero this is Alpha One, Firemission Alpha Delta Three Zero, fire for effect, Over" 3) Radio message "Alpha One this is Zero, Roger Out" 4) Bang Bang Bang etc etc

Thankyou very much for this Possibilities are not that numerous Break the grid ref down into 4 elements Two Phonetics (Check maps they range from A to J and then the 10 numbers, 0 to 9 that in total is calling on any 20 sound files Simply play 1 after the other with a slight pause between them I thought i was gonna have to record the lot myself, even better now because i dont have to alter them to give a radio transmission effect. Excellent thanks

I just started making a very large and complex mission I was hoping to use this to dump titletext and hint messages and variable values into a text file for reference I was simply going to run lines like ?(Scriptcheck):hint "Randomiser.sqs" and ?(Debug):hint "Randomiser.sqs, @Label LOOP" so that i could track by switching on or off booleans where a series of scripting systems were coming stuck, which of course will happen when compliling extensive code I was saddened by seeing this post Shame you took it out It would have saved me a lot of testing and debugging If you ever did develop a new patch, it would be nice to see it  or something similar brought back

Shouldnt be Doolittle, should be Doolot and a rank i think for this great coop system maybe Maj Doolot

########################################################## <span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'><span style='color:red'>Multiplayer Map Filename Convention</span></span> ########################################################## <span style='font-size:12pt;line-height:100%'><span style='color:blue'>Introduction and aims</span></span> <span style='color:blue'>INFORMATION ONLY THREAD Please dont start a discussion</span> The following filename convention is intended for global use  within the OFP Community <span style='font-size:11pt;line-height:100%'>Its aims are</span> 1) To create an easily navigable and organised map listing system 2) To be simple and informative 3) To reduce multiple downloads of the same map from various server due to a small filename differences 4) To set a standard map filename for future mappers to use (Thanks must go to) Itchy, Kegetys, whisperFFW06,  Lt_Damage, nierop,  benu, zinco, JRMZ,  oo7vet,  KaRRiLLioN, eisa01, Goeth[kyllikki], Shrike,  HellToupee,  MadDogX,  peanuckle_00, morteni55, [TNF]Steiner. Special thanks goes too Skunk Monkey and joltan for their unrelenting vigilence throughout the 3 month discussion) <span style='color:red'><span style='font-size:11pt;line-height:100%'>Important</span></span> Please only reply to the thread to state 1)Your name 2) Who you represent and a basic statement eg "We support and use the convention" ########################################################## The discussion (19 pages of it) which is now closed can be found at the following link Filename discussion

I have developed a template for EFL league, now that maps have been made, a minor problem has come to light The template has a 24hr mode, where script run skiptimes to advance the time by 24hrs + in a 30 minute game. Unfortunately some of the maps are situated near churches, and when in 24hr mode, the bells are almost constantly chiming. Anyone have a way to switch these church bells off ??

sounds like a counterstrike thread and thats the forums it belongs on

have sent a mail to brother bob for ya, any more european countries u want info from?

Zeus standard no longer has CTI, it nearly wrecked the community. Leave it do dedicated cti servers, bring back 15 v 15 battles of 30 mins each

1) Some additional options boxes in server pre game start up we have the param 1 and param 2 boxes now, but it would be nice if we could have a couple more simply for potential use 2) And a totally modifiable scoring system, so that we could (If the mapper wanted) get away from players trying to score kill points instead of objective points without having to script our own scoring system into the map (Eg tyhe score sheet that comes up at the very end of the mission, that folks look at to see who scored the highest Default mode is ok for a DM, TDM, but there are other map types where this is not the be all and end all of the game

All i see this doing is 1) Reducing the size of a servers community, 2) Causing even more arguments and cheat accusations 3) Creating a lot of admin work with no end product that is reliable and worthy of the effort <span style='color:red'>However its done, it needs to be done server side only, without the clients adjusting, sorting , organising anything</span> And the reason why. This would require Effort and Reading, which the average OFP user doesnt have the patience for I commend anybody for trying to solve this problem, but you have to approach it not just from a technological angle, but also from the human angle. Folks simply cant be counted on to do as you ask them Oh and one more thing, if you are gonna have an auto kick system, then the "Kicked client" needs to be sent a meaningful message as to why he was kicked and how and where to sort it

unfortunately i cant simply adjust the skiptime scripts, they intertwine with so many different things, and because its a template, then all maps would have to be changed, which is impractible. To be honest, i havent even found the time to experiment with various objects, triggers etc. When i do get time i am thinking of trying things like Object running a looping script that keeps the time skipping back in a local way for the object itself, perha[ps setdammage to the church, or maybe a sound fade command in a trigger, there are a few methods worth investigating, I was hoping for some godly wisdom to shine down and give me a quick fix, looks l;ike i'll have to find some time to fix it

havent tried but can they be deleted

try placing the units in an array, then work with the array in a looping script maybe count how many alive units are in the array, then use condition <=0 or >0 to jump to a label or run whatever commands you want

Init.sqs entry enableradio false [player] join grpnull no more yellow boxes but yes i agree, Â there should be some simple command for PVP games that switches off the targeting system, Â this is a requirement for Ladder maps Obviously in Coop, SP missions, you would want them on I think the option On or OFF is far better than, Default OFF or ON with the inability to switch, Â and can u seriously expect all server owners and admins to get everything right 100% of the time, i think not

yes perhaps. It would basically be a mapper edited item though, so not necessarily incorporated into coops etc I was thinking more on a ladder map or public PVP game