Evil_Echo

CBA is a mod that contains a number of helper functions for mission and module makers. Very handy and highly recommended. An example of what I was talking about.... _dir = random 360; _range = random 20; _p1 = getPosATL _target; _p2 = [_range, _dir, 0] call CBA_fnc_polar2vect; _mine_location = [_p1, _p2] call BIS_fnc_vectorAdd;

http://freeace.wikkii.com/wiki/Category:Weapon_Feature

Some languages allow for that - it's a bad idea to override constants or magic variables. But really - why not just declare a throw-away local variable and use that instead?

Spawning nearby is easy with BIS functions and CBA. You generate a location in polar coordinates ( direction/range ) using two calls to random. Then use BIS functions to add those to current location of the target unit. Spawn your mine or explosion at the resulting location.

If you want to take a quick and dirty approach - then concider defining a location to represent a minefield. then you can test for a unit "in" that minefield and spawn some mines randomly around it. Neat way to represent replacement mines that only activate on detonation of others nearby.

Don't dispair, it's just the group marker behavior changed by default. You can get it back by adding some modules or making other tweaks to the mission. Documentation for how is available on... the FreeACE wiki, http://freeace.wikkii.com/wiki/Features_of_ACE2#Tracking or the official ACE wagn http://ace.dev-heaven.net/wagn/ace_sys_tracking

The fsm for using glasses takes 2 parameters, unit and goggle classname. [player, "ACE_GlassesLHD_glasses"] execFSM "x\ace\addons\sys_goggles\use_glasses.fsm";

You could drive a tank at max speed all the time IRL. And if you did on most terrain you'd throw a tread. No mod I'm aware of models the downside of constantly gunning the engine of land vehicles.

To follow-on to this. How do you define quality? Rifles that have exquisite detailing are great for making vids, but if I engage the guy from >500m I'll never notice the difference. What about a mod feature that adds more "realism", but lags the heck out of the game? I went through that dilemma with my designs for nukes and can't say where the perfect balance point is. As far as the poll question - I just don't know.

Taliban would not be OPFOR - either IND or GUER.

Yes - the Taliban does not abide by international rules of war. So you would have any Taliban forces configured to treat an ambulance as a threat. Likewise - I'd concider removing any restrictions on use of special ammunition for any forces having to combat such Taliban units. Fair is fair after all.

International rules of war forbid attacking a clearly marked hospital, ambulance, or medical aid worker - hence the highly visible red cross ( or crecent, or ... ) paint jobs and arm-bands. For convenional forces - attacking such things should be highly unattractive. Whether insurgents will attack depends on how barbaric you wish them to be. Note well - any force that violates the rules of war invites retailiation in kind - the rules apply in both directions. So if your forces are willing to attack ambulances the other side is free to use any weapon or ammunition they wish on you, including hollow-point bullets, napalm, cluster bombs, etc.

Some more detailed instructions and hints for using the HuntIR can be found here. http://freeace.wikkii.com/wiki/Features_of_ACE2#Usage

Agree about the universal threat. But mines are not always invisible. Minefields are frequently posted, dummy mines deployed, etc. Add the loud boom of one mine going off and most people would get the clue and treat the area as a hazard zone - not to be entered. In fact one major use of minefields by the Germans in WWII was to steer enemy troops into kill zones - so you wanted the location of mines to be known. I'd model this by adding a location to the map and revealing it to that side when appropriate. Ground troops would avoid known AP minefields and armor known AT mines. Air vehicles would not land there either.

The main problem with mines and incoming arty is that it does not have a side assigned to it - hence the AI cannot react to it as a threat. BI should fix this, but it could be possible for a mod to go part-way in this area as well.

Agree with you totally on those points CarlGustaffa. Sniping does require other skill sets besides good markmanship , especially fieldcraft, concealment and fire discipline. A mob camping outside a town with unsilenced .50 caliber weapons blazing away is not my idea of sniping either. If you did that in one of my designed missions the AI's response via mortar fire on your location would be most impressive. My little group IS little - just a couple of players. When you have 2-5 players taking on entire towns of opposing forces ( like Domination ), you cannot play stupid. You pick off a few select opponents, like gunners on Shilkas or perimeter guards using silenced weapons just to open a gap in the defenses so your demolition/AT team can slip in safely. Then you relocate and provide overwatch - mostly using your optics to provide intel for the others. It's slow methodical work and very different than how most 40-player sessions are run.

http://freeace.wikkii.com/wiki/Class_Lists_for_ACE2#Magazines

A video is worth a million pictures... fnfgrVHj6Uw

How about some static AT for the base? Right now it has some ok AA defenses, but the AI has little-to-nothing to deal with the enemy armor that likes to roll in shortly after mission start.

I don't know about the "never" part. If a reticle just needs some touch-up that is not hard work once you know about it. Always worth asking BI about it since they are right in the middle of beta releases right now. CarlGustaffa and I differ on sniping, but that is ok. He plays the game different than my little team does, no crime in that. We see sharpshooting and scouting as merely part of the package of skills. Good marksmanship carries over to many aspects of the game. We've "sniped" with weapons ranging from M4 carbine to a T-90's main gun - really handy when you are out of AA missiles and I needed a patrolling Ka-52 out of my sky before attacking a primary target.

Hope it gets fixed as well.

I'm working on alternate documentation for ACE, with more details and better presentation that the current wagn system. It just takes time and I can only do so much each day. If you wish to actually incorporate ACE code in your mod then you should post a ticket on their main site at dev-heaven and ask. Howerver, if you are just calling their routines or creating new configs that are subclasses of existing ACE items that should not be a big deal. Either way, it's always a good idea to give credit to people as thanks and acknowlegement of their effort.

Also recommend Mando Missiles. Great mod.

It's not just trees. There are a bunch of non-classed objects in A2. Kicking off a nuke in town and seeing fences still standing was kind of annoying. So I did make a script to clear-cut an area of non-classed objects. Take a look in the ACE sys_nuke module and you'll find exactly what you need to adapt to a trigger. Plus there is support logic to ensure it works in multiplayer.

The formula is absolutely correct. Something else is wrong. It could be one of the following. 1. The reticle in vanilla is not calibrated and therefore size measurements are off. 2. Your alternate distance measurement is incorrect or broken. 3. Different location with different slope effecting bullet drop ( doubtful ). 4. You are measuring correctly, but ACE's ballistic tables are not the same as vanilla. Best way to isolate this is to set up target and shooting box on a runway using just vanilla items. Then run mission with vanilla and then ACE to check the numbers.