Air Re-Supply via AI or Player Pilot Airlift

[[UN]SGen.ViperMaul]

Would anyone appreciate the following AirSupply ability just fall out of the sky by an AI?
Air Drop Script by Kronzky (http://www.armaholic.com/index.php?m=single&id=3147)


Or would you guys prefer the same ability for a helo or a Be32 piloted by a player which could be shot down by enemy threat?

[[8]72|Pvt.SnowMan]

VM--
This would be cool. However, our current rules do not allow AIs to pilot aircraft. :rolleyes:

SnowMan

[[UN]SGen.ViperMaul]

1st|Pfc.SnowMan;68601']VM--
This would be cool. However, our current rules do not allow AIs to pilot aircraft. :rolleyes:

SnowMan

The intent of that rule is for Attack Aircraft because they might be Uber Killing Machines.

Any rule can be adjusted for the betterment of the tournament.
Also, as this is for Campaign 2 there is more of an opportunity to adjust the rule to make it clear that AI cannot pilot Attack Helo's.

But it sounds like at least one person thinks its cool.
However, I need to know if you & others prefer AI to fly the vehicle or human pilots?

[[DI]I|Cpl.Dren]

imo BE-32 should have this with HUMAN pilot.
btw seemly ARMA is getting patched near future ;) (as that one is for newer patch).

[{UN}.Nurmdog]

BE32 would be the best way, with Human Pilots. I would love to have the BE32 available to use for Mass Troop HALO and supply drop off. We need to make sure that the BE32 has Mando Flares of course.

I am all for realism but I have never heard of an equivalent US plane. I am aware we have skins for US, Russian, and UN versions and for me that will do fine. If we find a more appropriate US Made Transport I will love to add it.

BTW, http://www.airliners.net/aircraft-data/stats.main?id=83 states that very few be-30/32 were made. Not sure why someone choose this obscure aircraft to model, but we will use what is available.

[Steveak44]

Either way I think it would be great to be able to get resupplied. I'd guess the MFR and Spetz guys would love it.

If forced to choose - I'd probably go with AI for now until we get more players or the map changes. I'd rather not see any more players taken off the frontlines.

A big fat NO to dropping any vehicles other than Hummers, UAZs, and motorcycles.

[[IRT]Super64]

I would prefer 100% human pilots. The use of AI in our battle days should be kept to the lowest number possible.

[[DI]I|Cpl.Dren]

give AI to RU and humans to US :)
"Damn our boxes of Vodka ended up in sea!"

[[UN]SGen.ViperMaul]

1st|1Lt.Nurmdog;68607']..
I am all for realism but I have never heard of an equivalent US plane. I am aware we have skins for US, Russian, and UN versions and for me that will do fine. If we find a more appropriate US Made Transport I will love to add it.
..

The BE32 is completed by ArMaTeC and is the first CP2 feature to be completed with both US, Russian & UN versions. Even though I do not know why you need a UN version of the BE32 but it is there. LOL.

[[IRT]Super64]

Even though I do not know why you need a UN version of the BE32 but it is there. LOL.

Massive food drops to the people of Corazol who have suffered countless military actions in their home town going on a year? lol

[{UN}.Nurmdog]

I am aware of the skins, I have seen them all. I have taken dozens of para drops out of the BE-32. I think it is a good aircraft for the Tourney to use, just wish we had an actual US aircraft to balance things out.

[Raptor-6]

I really don't have an issue with AI piloting the supply aircraft. It would be great to tie this into the BFCO menu to designate the drop zone.

As for the use of real pilots, quite honestly, we have enough work to do to keep pilots in attack and troop transport aircraft. Wouldn't you agree that an AI piloted supply plane would lessen the load for the air force on both sides? It would bring a cool new feature to the tourney without having do strain our most valuable asset.... human players.

[[IRT]Super64]

I would need to see it tested in battle day conditions.

[[UN]Sedim]

What sort of supplies would it be dropping? Repair trucks, troop transports, ammo?

[[UN]SGen.ViperMaul]

It appears it could be made to drop anything in the picture, meaning all those assets you mentioned.

[BazookaBoy]

I wouldn't mind these types of drops being made by human or ai. I would prefer human but I understand Raptor's point.

I think the first stage is to keep it simple and only allow ammo or the smallest vehicles, UAZ, Humvee.

I don't think anything bigger should be allowed to be dropped yet or an MHQ as this would radically change the gameplay straight away. Not that it isn't something we should consider for the future.

[[DI]Pvt.Zetki]

I agree with Baz, I think its a good idear but if we start dropping stronger vehicles then it willl just get stupid and unfair. If we keep it to just the ammo, refuel, repair and maybe UAZ that would be alright. Also i think it would be hard for Humans to fly the plane and drop the supply accuratly.
________
Herbal Health Shop (http://herbalhealthshop.com)

[BazookaBoy]

Also i think it would be hard for Humans to fly the plane and drop the supply accuratly.

That's the bit I like about having humans do it :D

[[DI]Pvt.Zetki]

Evil man :D Or maybe we could have Helicopters that pick them up? Like on Domination the Black Hawk can pick up the mhq's? Maybe our chopppers can pick up some Ammo or somthing.
________
MERCEDES-BENZ CL-CLASS (http://www.mercedes-wiki.com/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_CL-Class)

[Grimfist]

i realy like the idea - we could always reskin the be is us camo?

[{7}9th|SPa.Chopper10000]

following on the idea of picking vehicles up ifound this awhile ago, it enables you to put ammo inside vehicles
http://www.rkslstudios.info/index.php/RKSL-Cargo-System.html

although it is by RKSL so who know when it could be released

[[IRT]36th|CPL.OV3RLORD]

Well with humman players this can happen


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DopZgJaWstk

watch that forklift go near 1:20

[Jamie]

i vote for : BE32-human

[[2]18|PVT.Pirin]

It appears it could be made to drop anything in the picture, meaning all those assets you mentioned.

The main problem with the script as it stands is that it can only drop pre-placed items. Like, if you wanted it to drop an M1A1 for some reason, you'd have to have an empty M1A1 already on the map in order for this script to drop it.

HMMV and UAZ drop about the same speed as an ammo crate. An M113 however drops like a stone!

So that in a way limits what can be dropped without a big overhaul of how the script works.

Is this the same as our BE-32 model: http://www.armaholic.com/page.php?id=858 It's the one I've been using for testing this script so far. :)

[{UN}.Nurmdog]

Hmm, 9.8m per sec per sec I though was a constant... Oh yeah, parachutes!

[[2]18|PVT.Pirin]

Wow, I must be in some kind of twilight zone.. I'd made changes to this script, tested it and got it working for humans. I edited the above post to say that. Then when I came back to work on it some more, NONE of my changes were active and my post hasn't been edited?! seriously, wtf?

Now I'm getting a phantom "missing }" with a perfectly formed line of code. I so give up! :)

Ok! Got it working now, including min and max drop heights. Working on replacing the static items with adjustable items.

Even more updated: Success! BFCO spawns to a specific spawnpoint, and pilots of the BE-32 are able to choose from eligible vehicles within that spawn point to drop. Just need to figure out how to make the pretty spawn menu type thing for that now...

[[UN]SGen.ViperMaul]

See what happens when people volunteer to jump in and help?
I cannot believe how fast you got that working and integrated.
I haven't looked at it yet. But well done & much appreciated!

Thank you!

[[2]18|PVT.Pirin]

Been messing with this a bit more. It now includes dynamic triggers and vehicle listings and landing map markers! :)

[[UN]Sedim]

Have you tried sitting in a SAM while the airdrop is underway and seeing how the Mando Missile system handles it? Being able to detect it like a paradrop would be good, being able to shoot down the supplies would be even better.

Also, would you force the assets to be loaded on to the BE-32 while its on the ground? (Might be trickier if its controlled by AI) Or just within the HQ or Air zones?

They should also be counted as lost if the BE-32 is shot down before they drop.

[[2]18|PVT.Pirin]

TB|Pfc.Sedim;68934']Have you tried sitting in a SAM while the airdrop is underway and seeing how the Mando Missile system handles it? Being able to detect it like a paradrop would be good, being able to shoot down the supplies would be even better.

Nope, not yet! I'm still pretty new to scripting so trying to add on one piece at a time. I'll try to do some testing like that today though. As far as damage is concerened the original script specifically sets the item to not take any damage on the way down. I'll play around with that and see how it works with damage on.


Also, would you force the assets to be loaded on to the BE-32 while its on the ground? (Might be trickier if its controlled by AI) Or just within the HQ or Air zones?
They should also be counted as lost if the BE-32 is shot down before they drop.

We'll definitely build in the 'if plane is lost, so is cargo' code. Currently for testing I've set up a special spawn point, probably near the Air HQs where the BFCO spawns an item just like they would to any other spawn point. The actual mechanics of that is really up to the council though. So far the use of this script isn't even official, so anything is possible. I've just been playing with it to see if I can do it! :)

[[UN]Sedim]

Well, colour me impressed. When you have something you consider ready for public testing I'd definately like to have a look.

[[UN]SGen.ViperMaul]

TB|Pfc.Sedim;68934']Have you tried sitting in a SAM while the airdrop is underway and seeing how the Mando Missile system handles it? Being able to detect it like a paradrop would be good, being able to shoot down the supplies would be even better.


First of all, having parachuts give off a radar signature and showing up in Mando SAM Consoles v2.2 is a bug. Campaign 2 will enjoy Mando Missile System 2.3 where this bug is fixed.

As far as I know, the SAM Consoles in 2.3 will only fire at Air Vehicles (in BIS a Parachute is classed as an AIR unit which is why the earler bug).

Thus be default your request will not be immediately possible without significant code changes in the MMA v2.3 system.

[[UN]Sedim]

Thus be default your request will not be immediately possible without significant code changes in the MMA v2.3 system.

Thats probably a good thing (less random spam in the SAM console), although if the script can make the things being dropped able to take damage then it will make people more careful about dropping vehicles etc too close to the front lines.

[[2]18|PVT.Pirin]

You are able to shoot down items as they drop.

I've made quite a lot of progress on it and it's getting close to "beta" as far as I can tell. :)

[[DI]I|Cpl.Dren]

VM i assume that you meaned campaing 2 ;)

[[UN]SGen.ViperMaul]

Fixed. Thanks Dren. I don't know how I wrote that.

[Raptor-6]

Have you tried sitting in a SAM while the airdrop is underway and seeing how the Mando Missile system handles it? Being able to detect it like a paradrop would be good, being able to shoot down the supplies would be even better.

Unless we're putting foil in the chutes, I don't see why air drops would show up on radar any more than paratroopers would. I'd say it will be working as it should when we get the Mando 2.3 update integrated.

[Moody]

Not at all constructive to the topic but a good bit of trivia- just FYI, Rap, birds can and do show up occasionally on radar....

If the script that Pirin is based off some Kronsky's I hope he's made a lot of progress.

The airlift script had some peculiarities that I didn't care much for. If you dropped a tank, for example, the damn thing seemed to take days to parachute down. Most landing zones were very unpredictable. Also, the item had to be named. If you were in the vehicle then you could actually steer it's direction by driving on the way down.

Weird things, but promising.

[[2]18|PVT.Pirin]

MAW|WO5.Moody;69425']Not at all constructive to the topic but a good bit of trivia- just FYI, Rap, birds can and do show up occasionally on radar....

If the script that Pirin is based off some Kronsky's I hope he's made a lot of progress.

The airlift script had some peculiarities that I didn't care much for. If you dropped a tank, for example, the damn thing seemed to take days to parachute down. Most landing zones were very unpredictable. Also, the item had to be named. If you were in the vehicle then you could actually steer it's direction by driving on the way down.

Weird things, but promising.

Interesting, some things I hadn't thought of!

Currently the actual drop process is the same. Tanks do seem to drift more, but everything seems to land at the same time oddly enough. In my demo a Repair Truck, UAZ, M113 and Ammo Crate are all dropped from a plane. The Truck and UAZ almost always land together. The ammo crate behind them a bit. The M113 travels all over the place! To be honest I kind of like the randomness of it. :)

As far as improving things I've removed the vehicle has to be named thing by changing how that works. The way I'm working towards is setting up a new separate spawn area for "cargo" where a BFCO can spawn a HMMWV or UAZ for example. When you go to load cargo it uses a dynamic trigger to see what's in the cargo loading dock and only that's allowed. Ideally keeping this blocked off would disallow people from being in the vehicle before hand. We also won't be allowing the floating D-30 gun platform! heh

So while things do still need to be named, they'll be dynamically found and based upon our purchased units, not preplaced, prenamed items.

[[DI]I|SSGT.Sprite]

1st|Pfc.Pirin;69471']Tanks do seem to drift more, but everything seems to land at the same time oddly enough.
Never did Phyiscs then. EVERYTHING falls at the same rate of acceleration, 9.81m/s/s (meter per second squared) it is completely idependant of mass. The force it his the groupd with is about mass though (F=ma). Anyway, they wont fall at 9.81 becuase of air resistance of the chute and the object itself. but yes roughly the same time to reach the ground is to be expected in a game environment at least. If you need any physicsy help let me know, I do AS physics, the course content is the same as first year at a US uni :P

[[2]18|PVT.Pirin]

Well, sure. But it just seems odd when you see three things fall in front of you land at the same time as something that just flew across half the island! heh

Update: I finally have a beta version of this worked up. It's not quite at an "open beta" level, but it's getting closer! If you're interested in the rough version let me know. Especially if you have a dedicated server I could test it on? Hint hint... heh