(Review Completed) [SP] Dirty Trick - In The Name Of Peace

[klavan]

This is my second mission featuring the PedagneMOD units involved in the Tonal civil war

TYPE
Special Operation

WHO ARE YOU
Captain Thomas Battiato, leader of the COMSUBIN (Italian Seals) Team One.

THE MISSION
To neutralize the IAH leader Khaled Al-Shazouri in order to "help" the beginning of peace talks between the rebels and the Tonal government. The target is located somewhere in Lae, the minor Tonal island.

NOTE
This mission is linked with my previous released one, Operation Weasel.  
For a better clue of the general background situation I suggest you to take a look at it's intro and breafing, at least.
I don't know if there will be a third chapter: it's in my mind, but I'm not sure there's enough time left to edit it before ArmA will be released.....

FEATURES
- An initial dialog will allow you to choose:
   1-Wheater conditions (from clear to stormy to foggy)
   2-Time of start (from 9pm to 3am)
   3-Kind of insertion (rappel by helo, zodiac or parachute)
   4-Kind of mission (Sniper, Laser Designating, Team Assault)
   5-AI general skill level (from below average to skilled)
   6-CPU load (from low to high)
   7-To enable/disable squad markers
   8-To enable/disable ECP compatibility
- Melee Combat (player only)
- Smart AI
- Spy Satellite (time limited)
- Custom music, voices, suonds and radio messages (in Italian)
- Easter eggs here and there.....
- Bilingual support (English and Italian)
- Multiple ends
Note that some features may appears or not depending by your choices and actions

MISSION DOWNLOAD LINK
No longer available
Edit: This mission has been reviewed and is available from the Missions Depot.

ADDONS REQUIREMENTS
Check the pending mission section for the new addons requirements.

SCRIPTS (not created by me and featured in this mission)
-ld_monitor by snYpir
-Airstrike script by Viriato
-Destroyed Vehicle Effect by Babalon
-Universal Flare Launcher by foolscap
-medic script by redhouse
-Spy Satellite by Vektorboson
-infoShare by General Barron
-Melee Combat by Klavan (Oh well, this is created by me.....)
-Firefly Script by Student Pilot (Improved slightly by Triggerhappy)
-Chaos Realistic Dammage System - Personal by Chaos
-GetBankPitch function by Dschulle
-Rapple script by xcess
-Hunted script by skumball
-AI S&D script by penguinman
-Isbodyhidden script by snYpir
-Seagull scripts by Petroizki
-firstaid.sqs by General Barron
Note: some of these files were (sometimes heavily) modified by me to suit the mission's needs.

The mission file is over 12MBs. This is due by the huge amount of sound files (about 90!) and music (4 songs).
The challenge for me was to create a "three in one mission". The main objective remain the same whatever is your choice in terms of mission style, but there are some unique easter eggs for each of 'em.
However these little surprises may appears or not, mostly dependant by your actions and decisions.

I'm sure this stuff needs improvements and that's why It is here.

Waiting for your feedback.
Many thanks.
Klavan


KNOWN ISSUES
-English traslation needs to be fixed
-More to come.......

[Mikero]

Hi :wave:

I gave this a quick run thru because I had previously downloaded all those addons for Op Weasel.

I think that the single most important thing you forgot to do was indicate in the briefing where on earth we start from on this huge map.

I must say, that I quite liked this. Even though I spent a lot of the mission at x4. Despite the very good notes and added sections to the briefing, it isn't in any way clear, that we have to hunt all over the Island for the rebel leader. Everything else, *except* that seems to have been written.

I eventually did find the leader, and I wont say where, just in case it's a spoiler, but I got an immediate div zero error just afterwards. It didn't seem to affect game play.

Also, not in any way clear, was the use of the sattelite (or non use). I eventually got a message saying it was out of range, but the only time I tried that option, nothing happened, so I forgot about it.

For my money, Klavan, you have to tighten up the front of the briefing to make these 'objectives' far easier to comprehend.

Again, disposing of the anti-aircaft batteries is too mysterious. It's not actually needed (of course) and it is half pregnant. Listed as an objective but not, sort of thing.

Final complaints are the extraction was confusing too. Why did we need TWO separate radio calls to get this thing to happen. Chopper basically hovered in air above us at the very same spot I eventually had to tell it to land. Very odd.

But what was interesting was the nice mix of different 'options' on how to play this. Perhaps that's the reason I didn't get a start marker (I tried parachute). Say something brief in briefing to that effect.

Enemy loons were sufficiently nasty to make this a good gameplay, and a nice use of added civilians.

About halfway thru the mission, I was nearly run over by a convoy. I used it to best advantage (one of the trucks) once I'd disposed of the owners.

This may in fact have been detectable on the sattelite if I got it working.

All in all you need to give us a far better, far clearer, understanding of how to play this mission in the briefing to make it 'enjoyable'. But nice it is, and I'm hitting the retry button because I love all those options that start us off.

Well done.

[klavan]

Thank you Mikero for your feedback.

It's weird that the satellite doesn't works: I've tried it minutes ago and all it's fine with me. 0-0-7 and on map click and the satellite view appears. I really don't know why it doesn't works with you: I've made the attempt in the released version of the mission (not in the editor) and all it's OK......
In my intention the satellite should be helpfull to locate the target, since depending on your mission-style choice the leader is located in different areas.

About the landing place. You're  right, it's my fault: I should have mentioned it in the readme that if you choose to be inserted via parachute or zodiac you will be respawned randomly into one of the three possible landing zones.
I will update the readme with the next release but I will not reveal where the possible landing/starting position are located.
For the chopper is different: the starting position it's always located in the lower left of the map.
However, a marker appears when the area is selected by the script. You've just to make a quick search in the map, it's not a so big island after all (I forgot to mention that the mission take place in the "minor Tonal" which I call Lae).

About the extraction. I will study a variation, maybe only by a simple single click for movement and shift click for landing/pick-up. Another option could be the use of waypoints, but my intention was to let the player decide the insertion route.

About the error message. No problem for this: I'll fix it.

The AA batteries  are considered as a secondary target: I've placed 'em as an objective in the planning section just to allow the player to locate 'em easily, without the need to go through the avrious note sections of the briefing. You will not receive any red x at the end of the mission if you don't destroy 'em.

OK. Now I go to sleep. Tomorrow morning I will begin to work on these issues.
Thank you again.
Klavan

[klavan]

New version updated.

v1.01
-Overwiev reduced to one page
-Fixed the bug that prevent a correct extraction by chopper when the same method is choosed for the insertion
-When you select the pick-up zone for the chopper and ordered your mates to embark into it now it doesn't hover anymore but lands
-Briefing updated whit more infos and sections about insertion and overall mission goals
-Fixed the error message that appears when you are discovered

However I've decided to keep some infos hidden. It's a deliberate choice by me.
In addiction, the system of scripts that rules both the insertion and the extraction by chopper will remain unchanged.

Klavan

[Trapper]

OFP1.96 bench 5555, vetmode, no superai

Addons:
That are many addons for a mission (and I'm not talking about the BAS addons). I downloaded them only because I'm interested in testing a mission for you. I wouldn't like to download all of them for just playing a mission.
(After playing it: The mission is worth the addons, but you'll have to tell it everyone. )

Readme:
Everything there.
I read something about "smart ai", so I decided to test without ECP. (There is a way for missionmakers to disable critical ECP options in missions if they could be incompatible.)
Against your recommendation, I will play this one as my first chapter of your mission series.

Pics:
Five photos introducing the Italian SEALS.
If you want to modify one of them for the OFPEC Missiondatabase presentation, the requested size at the moment is 100x200 up to 100x250.

Overview:
Good.

Intro:
Very good. A new "at sea" feeling and the Italian voices add to the atmosphere.
I needed a little guessing for the meaning of some english subtitles, but I think I've understood the most.

Briefing:
Good to get into the scenario, very detailed.
There's a missing <br> between the link "Places Where To Search" and "The Plan"?
"Enemy Forces" comes with an empty last page. Maybe a <br> too much or something.

I'm unsure about the saving:
Are there some autosaves and I can always save additional with the radio?
Or only radio saves and they are limited to a unknown number?

The problem with the helmets after reloading:
Do you know a command to show the helmets on the model?
Then you can use a script based on time, with this helmet command. Time is 0 again, everytime a savegame is loaded.

Team&Gear is unused, probably because of the selections later in mission. Ok.

Mission:

Settings:
0000h
cloudy
(I would prefer a random and not selectable weather. Player is informed about it in this dialog and has to plan his other selections around it. IE fog=no sniper.)
helicopter
sniper
cpu load medium
ai skilled
(An autosave after the menu would help to keep the playerselection if the insertion goes wrong.)

After a short while I realized there is no need to recon all the locations on foot, if I can have a look with the satellite. And so I've spotted/guessed the target in Turin, together with some bodyguards. But I found out later, it was just someone else with a beret.
My attack on this group failed and I got the possibility to surrender, so I tried it out.

Prisoner now...

You shouldn't use UPPER CASE for all the titletext subtitles, it reads for me like shouting.
Typo: "think" was missing in one of the subtitles the rebel leader said to me.
A formating "\n" was visible in my lines about looking for my radio.

There was a problem, when I tried to flee:
I approached my guard, did ten or more melee attacks, and it always said hit. But he didn't die! Then he shot me.
When I reload the autosave now, he is already alerted and he's often killing me in the first moment. I think I'll have to restart the mission. (Ok I could run away from him with luck and search the radio, but where to get a firearm if the melee attack isn't working?)
Used endmission cheat.

Debrief
End1 looks ok. Of course it wasn't the right end for me, because I used the cheat.

Outro
None. (Or did the endmission cheat cause that?)


As I don't know when I'll find the time to do another test on this long mission, I already wrote this short one for you.

What I missed a little bit, were some small guard camps in the jungles with their own patrol. It was very easy to avoid the vehicle patrols on the roads.
And you could remove the player map marker, so he really uses his GPS and has to think more.
But the mission looks difficult enough for me right now. Maybe it's better without such things.

Either the melee attack is bugged, is too weak, or you just didn't tell me in the briefing how to do it right. But for now I'll never try again to overpower enemys with it.

Beeing able to surrender and try to escape in the same mission is a nice idea!

[klavan]

@Trapper
Thank you very much for your report.
The bugs you discovered will be fixed in the next update, plus some other features as you suggested.
The use of the radiosave is unlimited: since this mission could be long i want the palyer being able to save when and how many times he wants.
Additional patrols and vehicle will be added just before the official release, actually i'm more interested about the mission development and happenings.

About the disappearing  helmet: in Operation Weasel I used a reset script using the time command but I've noticed that the result is not guaranted (sometime it solves the problem, sometime no and sometime only partially.....).
However this issue will be fixed when PedagneMod will release the new units without the animations (the cause of the problem).

The Melee bug is caused by the high skill of the enemy dudes when you select the "skilled AI" option.
Since this not affect directly the othe mission styles (Laser and Team)
I invite someone to try these versions and to let me know the results.

Thanks again.
Klavan

[Trapper]

Klavan, please give me a hint for the execution of the mission, so I can complete another test for you.
I think I'm supposed to find the target with the satellite - and I see no way to do this.
I've spotted some guys that look like the target from above: Two guard squads in the base and a squad in Tourin. With the ones in Tourin I was wrong the last time, so I won't look there again. Right now the only way I see to win the mission would be to run to all the possible locations and kill everyone that looks like the target until I kill the right one.
Is there somehting special to look for with the satellite, like a big convoy, many soldiers, a special car or something?

[klavan]

I've sent to you a PM.
Thanks a lot, Trapper.
Klavan

[Trapper]

Another test, especially the mission itself.

Intro:
Some suggestions
- play the first music with the "Dirty Trick" title not after it.
- use fadesound, to introduce the choppers with slowly increasing volume (I can hear they are setposed )

Briefing:
A link to "The Plan" from the target photo would be useful.

Mission:

Settings:
2100h
rainy
zodiac
team
cpu load medium
ai skilled

Insertion point was SW of Venice.
The island and the zodiac addon had some problems: As I land on the beach, the zodiac flipped 80m into the air and

felt down again. Everyone was able to disembarked, but the zodiac did it over and over again until it flew away far into the ocean. - I don't need it for extraction, do I?
Looks like the water isn't deep enough for the zodiac at this place.
To be safe I reloaded a save game and did a very careful beachlanding this time, without all this.

Bug? I can see the first-aid kits of my team mates in my own actionmenu if I come close.

I don't know how high tech this satellite is, but fadesound 0 would be better, than african people and engines still audibly from space.

With your hints I approached the right village, and the target wasn't able to flee.
After killing an officer an error:
_Killer = _this select 1 error nullteiler (~divided by zero)
Then I did automticly radio HQ that we got him.

After objective 1 is complete, I could only guess how to extract. I tried the zodiac, and headed with it in the western sea, until I was off the map. The mission didn't end and I canceled.

Conclusion:
I wouldn't have understood the mission execution without your hints.
After reading the briefing, I thought it would be:
insertion -> locating target (pos random, but constant & easy to SAT identify) -> pathfinding -> elimination -> lose contact -> extraction
But without your hints I would've done this:
insertion -> wandering around (SAT not useful for proper traget identification) to eliminate all possible target persons until I find the right one -> extraction

So without your important hints the mission is absolutely not what I expected in briefing.
And after knowing your hints I would like to have one random system for the target under all conditions.

Maybe I'm missing something?

[klavan]

Updated to version 1.02

List of changes:

-When the satellite is on the sound volume drop to zero
-Minor fixes on the stringtable
-Briefing upgraded and fixed
-Fixed the bug when the target is killed in the team attack mission
-Added an autosave after the settings dialog
-When you discovered the target (not in satellite mode) you're warned by a message
-Melee bug fixed
-Added random weather option in the initial dialog
-Added ECP compatibility (selectable in the initial dialog)
-Added individual pointers presence/absence option in the initial dialog
-Minor changes and fixes


@Trapper
Thanks again for your new report.
I've implemented most of your suggestions in this new version ,except for the intro: i like it the way it is.  
You shouldn't have missed nothing, if the target doesn't reach the port nothing happens. I've fixed the bug of the extraction by the zodiac.
About the execution of the mission: the target is an officer. He is the only officer in the isle. I've added this hint in the briefing and, as you can see above, now when he is discovered the player say something about it.

Klavan

[burroughs]

Hello, Klavan.
I must admit that I really like both your mission and they kind of  restored my love for and belief in OFP. I love your dedication to the story being told in the missions and the way you create the plot - it really helps to identify with the person you are supposed to become, playing them. I think that mission makers oftemn forget to not only create a missio, but to make one involved in the action. I like the intros etc. and I do not think that the briefing sections have been overloaded. However, I had the problem with the AI - sometimes it really sucks.
Anyway,I feel sorry not to provide any constructive feedback, but I don't feel like - I only wish that you are going to keep up the good work and deliver some more good missions, just like the two already made. Take care.    

[Mikero]

Nice comment borroughs, and as valuable to the author as our sometimes savage technical comments. Keep it up.

[Trapper]

(I didn't have the time to play the actual version.)

The Intro: Come on, at least 1 fadesound 1 should be possible when setposing the helicopters behind the camera. It wouldn't change anything in your plot and it would sound like they really approach from behind, not like they are just suddenly there and frighten the viewer with their noise.

The officer/target: The briefing hint and especially the new message is a good idea. The problem with this rebel officer is that he is not Guba. The only thing that makes him "officer" is a black berret.
- Briefing photo is black and white
- Mission is played with nightvision, and some normal soldiers with red berrets look like him then
- I wouldn't have known, what makes a Tonal rebel officer looking like a tonal rebel officer, without trying it in the editor.
- Hm, wouldn't it be a good idea to play the message in SAT view, too? Ok, it would be almost impossible to identify a person from a satellite, but I don't think any soldier would have a portable device on the the battlefield, that gives him the ability to control a satellite. It would be done stationary at his HQ I think. He would be informed over radio, so he can concentrate better on his job.

Random weather: It's stupid to write without playing the new version before, I know. So maybe I'm wrong now.
The random weather makes only sense if the player knows the weather before doing the other selections.
I suggest a weather dialog before the main dialog. One possible option is random. After that, the actual weather is displayed in the next, main dialog. This way the player can plan his mission around given conditions like his character would do.
If the weather is just set on random in the only dialog, the player won't know the weather until it's too late to come up with a better plan, and it feels only like a computer game.

[klavan]

@burroughs
Thank you for your nice words. I always try to make my best, but it's never simple.

@Mikero
Savage technical comments sometimes are a good way to open the eyes to a mission author. I never hangry for 'em, even for smashing ones. I known who test the mission and post his comment here wants only to help the editor.
I eccept this. I want this.

@Trapper  

The Intro: Come on, at least 1 fadesound 1 should be possible when setposing the helicopters behind the camera......

The choppers aren' setposed. They comes from behind the camera and when they are within a certain distance from a gamelogic the sound immediately fades to 1. My intention is to obtain a sudden noise just like sometimes i saw in some films at the cinema. Probably it could be improved, but i will keep it this way.

The officer/target: The briefing hint and especially the new message is a good idea.......

My original intention was to setface the target, but the command doesn't works for that BAS units.
I'm taking in consideration the possibility to remove all the soldiers with that beret, but this will drastically reduce the diversification of the enemy types of soldiers. I will value it anyway.
I will keep the satellite, but your idea about the message is interesting. After all it's a game.....

The random weather makes only sense if the player knows the weather before doing the other selections.
I suggest a weather dialog before the main dialog.....

I can't see the difference. Both ways allows the player to make his own choices. Selecting the random weather option obviously take some risks (expecially for the sniper), but this must be accepted by the player. If he don't want to risks then he selects another option.

Klavan

[Trapper]

Ok, if its all intentional I won't bother you anymore about the intro.

Try to give the setface command after one or two seconds. When I had this problem, the reason was a random face script in the addon, which overrides init commands.


With a known random weather you give the mission more potential.
My suggestion is aimed for realism nerds. The possibility you'll give everyone, is to work like a real operator, without removing the old possibilities. (I don't believe you want to announce unknown random weather, that will often screw the players gear setup, as "feature".)

Your options dialog has two (hidden) sections:
1. Enviroment: Weather/Enemy skill
2. Gear: Team/Insertion/Time

Best way is to select the enviroment first, and then to select the right gear for it. - If the player wants all the enviroment random selected, he needs the possibility to adapt his gear to the enviroment. - This can't be done without knowing the radom selected values before.
This is the way a real soldier would have to do it. He can't really select the enviroment, but he can always choose the best fitting gear for a mission/situation.