Home   Help Search Login Register  

Author Topic: [SP/COOP-7] Crash and Grab (Review Completed)  (Read 7940 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline AnimalMother

  • rebl
  • Members
  • *
  • Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.
    • DH project space
[SP/COOP-7] Crash and Grab (Review Completed)
« on: 30 Dec 2009, 07:21:14 »
Crash and Grab v1.4.x beta



Required addons
ACE2 (Core and ACEX)
http://www.armaholic.com/page.php?id=8601

Zeus AI recommended
http://www.armaholic.com/page.php?id=8688

Description
US special forces extract a downed pilot from an enemy camp.

Changelog
v1.4.x beta
Fixed minor bugs

v1.4
ACE stamina system disabled
Added more checkpoints and defenses
Added alarms when gun fire is detected
Added enemy quick reaction force
Added ACE spectator system for MP
Briefing works after respawn in MP

v1.3
No longer needs ADuke's Helo Pack
Added new intro for SP only
New overview
Added low fog effects
Forced overcast sky and heavy rain
Moved LZ
Added mission complete key
Replaced hints with chatter
Tweaked some objective triggers
Added some group IDs
Added Mk 262 ammo
Added some HK416s
Added class descriptions for MP lobby
Replaced BIS Injury System with ACE Wounding System
Added ACE AI chatter/vehicle radio modules

v1.2
Russian defenders now use BIS_fnc_taskDefend for more randomness
Varied probabilities on enemy presence for better replayability
Intro cam (thanks to Kristian)
Small tweaks and improvements
Fixed end trigger
Added overview.html

v1.1
Decreased number of enemies, especially machinegunners
Tweaked weapon loadouts of SF squad
Changed enemy objects/units positions
Improved balancing (in particular with Zeus AI)
Added briefing.html
Added description.ext

Download: http://www.filefront.com/16360231/Crash_and_Grab.7z
« Last Edit: 13 May 2010, 14:55:45 by savedbygrace »

Offline Zipper5

  • BIS Team
  • ****
Re: [SP/COOP-7] Crash and Grab
« Reply #1 on: 01 Jan 2010, 10:21:48 »
Hey AnimalMother. Nice to see another mission from you. I gave it a go just now, and here's my report:

Crash and Grab
By AnimalMother - v1.1

Played with:
  • ArmA II v1.05
  • Required AddOns
  • Regular difficulty modified to Veteran settings (allows more than one save game)

Package:
Has everything it needs. The mission file, a readme, and a promotion picture. One thing I would recommend is that instead of using spaces in mission names, use underscores _ . It's more appropriate, in my eyes, when naming files. However, it's not necessary.

Overview:
None. Since this can be played in SP, I'd suggest adding one in the future.

Intro:
None. Again, it would be nice to have one.

Briefing:
I found the briefing to be under-detailed for such a mission. It only gives you a paragraph in the Notes section about the mission, and two short descriptions of your tasks. There's an AA site marked on the map, but I am not told anything about it. I'm also not told about any enemy units in the area. There was also no gear selection, which is always useful for SF missions. Perhaps a few changes and additions could be made in regards to the briefing.

Mission:
We came up to the LZ and, to be honest, I was disappointed that you didn't use you fastropes that ADuke's helicopters have. It would have been very cool, and a first time for me seeing them. Since you didn't use them, the requirement of ADuke's helicopters seems relatively unneeded. But, perhaps it makes more sense to have a SOAR Blackhawk taking you in instead of a USMC Seahawk. Still, perhaps you could look into the fastroping option for the insertion.

I decided I was going to clear the AA nest. However, I was surprised by a patrol I hadn't seen and was gunned down. Might I recommend adding a save game after you're inserted? I forgot to do so myself, so I had to restart the mission. On the second try, I flanked far around to the west of the AA site and came at them from that side. Threw a grenade in which killed 3 of the 4, and then gunned down the last one. From there, I continued towards the pilot.

One thing I did notice is the lack of any ambiance. One reason for this is that ACE2 seems to have disabled the noise rain makes, but another is that there are no animals apart from the occasional rabbit, and no patrols until you get close to the pilot. It just doesn't really seem that we're all that "behind enemy lines" in the mission. Nonetheless, we got close to the town near the pilot. And that's where the shitstorm began.

We noticed a group of Russians by a BMP wreckage in the town, and I flanked around and killed them. Suddenly we had fire coming from everywhere. I ordered my men to move in Danger mode to the waypoint, and told them to Engage at will. The firefight lasted for the good part of 10 minutes, since it was very hard to make out enemy units, especially the snipers. I was very surprised at the end of it to find the pilot still alive given the number of bullets flying around. I took one casualty, "2", but the firefight eventually subsided, and the pilot took his place when I got close to him.

From there, we moved towards the extraction zone. Again, due to the lack of patrols, we encountered no more resistance from there on in, which felt kind of odd. Alas, we reached the extraction zone and got a hint that the extraction helicopter was en route. Waited for a few minutes and the Blackhawk appeared and landed. I got everyone in, but the pilot got stuck behind the back fins. Once I pushed him out, I got in, but, strangely, the mission ended without the pilot in the chopper. Might want to look into that, because it seems as though the player could complete the mission either with the pilot dead, or with not having picked up the pilot at all.



Debriefing:
Completely fine. Nothing to change.

Outro:
None. But like the intro, it would be a nice inclusion.

Overall:
You need to include an overview and the briefing could use some work, but overall it became a very intense mission at that one part, taking me, apparently, 33 minutes to complete. Perhaps you could add some extra ambiance like animals and patrols, as I mentioned, and fix that bug with the pilot, but overall, I had fun. I don't really see why it requires ACE2 and the helicopter pack other than allowing you to play as US Army instead of USMC. The helicopters nice fastroping ability isn't really used, and no other real features other than the eXtra units for ACE2 are used or noticed. But, it's your choice, of course.

I look forward to any updates to this mission, and any new missions, that you make in the future.

Offline AnimalMother

  • rebl
  • Members
  • *
  • Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.
    • DH project space
Re: [SP/COOP-7] Crash and Grab
« Reply #2 on: 02 Jan 2010, 12:02:34 »
thanks for the reply zipper! i haven't really gotten to learning cams or doing the overview file yet. I will certainly expand the briefing as you suggest.

Also I wasn't quite sure how to make the fast ropes work with an AI pilot so I apologize for that, but I'll look into changing that. You're spot on about the SOAR/US Army SF connection though. That's why I used it.

Glad to hear the firefight was good. I guess my idea with no patrols is that they are not expecting a risky rescue mission in such poor weather. Hence they are huddled in the town. I may add patrols...

I'll also look into the end trigger. Again, thanks for the response  :)

PS-oh and yes as of this version you could complete it without saving the pilot but not if the pilot dies. there's a trigger for an automatic mission failure if the pilot dies (even in the crossfire, so be careful!)
« Last Edit: 02 Jan 2010, 12:06:04 by AnimalMother »

Offline mathias_eichinger

  • Missions Depot
  • Administrator
  • *****
  • I'm a llama!
Re: [SP/COOP-7] Crash and Grab
« Reply #3 on: 03 Jan 2010, 16:11:01 »
Ho, hm, could anybody tell me how to get other addons (the helo pack) working in ACE2? I used SIX updater and I don't know how to do it since I cannot locate a relevant addons folder.

Failing that, how about an ACE2-free version using just Binkowski's Army SF plus the helo pack? ACE installation surely takes it's time!

Just my 2 cents.

Offline Zipper5

  • BIS Team
  • ****
Re: [SP/COOP-7] Crash and Grab
« Reply #4 on: 03 Jan 2010, 17:04:01 »
It comes in a folder saying ad_helos, just extract that to your ArmA II folder, and add ad_helos to the end of your mod line. So, with ACE2, if it's up to date, you should end up with something like:

-mod=@CBA;@ACE;@ACEX;@ACEX_PLA;@ACEX_SM;ad_helos

And that will work.

Offline AnimalMother

  • rebl
  • Members
  • *
  • Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.
    • DH project space
Re: [SP/COOP-7] Crash and Grab
« Reply #5 on: 04 Jan 2010, 04:07:49 »
I'm working on an update atm. I've included an overview.html and an intro cutscene (with some help from a friend). I've also beefed up the briefing and I believe the end trigger is fixed. Hopefully  :whistle:

Offline AnimalMother

  • rebl
  • Members
  • *
  • Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.
    • DH project space
Re: [SP/COOP-7] Crash and Grab
« Reply #6 on: 21 Jan 2010, 01:40:37 »
Update...

Crash and Grab v1.2

Required addons
ACE2 (Core and ACEX)
http://www.armaholic.com/page.php?id=8601

ADuke's Helo pack
http://www.armaholic.com/page.php?id=7356

Zeus AI recommended
http://www.armaholic.com/page.php?id=8688

Description
US special forces extract a downed pilot from an enemy camp.

Changelog
v1.2
Russian defenders now use BIS_fnc_taskDefend for more randomness
Varied probabilities on enemy presence for better replayability
Intro cam (thanks to Kristian)
Small tweaks and improvements
Fixed end trigger
Added overview.html

http://www.armaholic.com/page.php?id=8682
http://rapidshare.com/files/338523507/Crash_and_Grab.7z
« Last Edit: 21 Jan 2010, 08:35:50 by AnimalMother »

Offline mathias_eichinger

  • Missions Depot
  • Administrator
  • *****
  • I'm a llama!
Re: [SP/COOP-7] Crash and Grab
« Reply #7 on: 03 Feb 2010, 16:30:11 »
Finally managed to combine other addons and ACE2, so here's my test:

Overview

The Overview consists of your trademark "Full Metal Jacket" signature and a fitting line of text.

Intro

The intro was just a short tracking scene of the insertion helo, but it serves it's purpose of being there.

Briefing

The Briefing followed your usual style with precise information, clear map layout and absence of any stuff that has no use.

Mission

Flying through bad weather, my team was inserted by Blackhawk. Ingress to the target area on foot was almost without incidents, it just appeared that there were one or two soldiers at the AA site, since a single long MG burst took care of that place, with no shots being returned on my team passing it by.

The pilot himself was actually imprisoned at a group of houses uphill of a village that was crawling with enemy troops. As combat has it, firing non-silenced weapons attracts a good deal of attention, so my lightning-fast attempt at taking out the guards for the pilot and rushing to him was quickly spoiled by the enemy.
A "Rambo-esque" firefight ensued, which seems to become typical for your missions. I had much fun rushing to aid injured comrades and returning fire in between. While I enjoyed myself, there could be some kind of air or artillery strike at the village, just for the sake of realism.

After the scores of enemies were fought down without losing a single man, I grabbed the pilot, my team and off we were to the extraction zone, unopposed. The extraction helo came quickly, but the end was even quicker, within a second of me boarding the helo. You could wait a couple of seconds here, to have the player enjoy the extraction flight.

Conclusion

A fun mission that is action-packed yet still balanced. Could to with some kind of diversion action for realism's sake. Well worth the download.

Cheers

Mathias
« Last Edit: 03 Feb 2010, 16:43:50 by mathias_eichinger »

Offline AnimalMother

  • rebl
  • Members
  • *
  • Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.
    • DH project space
Re: [SP/COOP-7] Crash and Grab
« Reply #8 on: 24 Feb 2010, 06:28:33 »
So I've polished this mission up a lot more and pretty much consider it final, once I release 1.3. I'm not too familiar with OFPEC, but how does reviewing and all that work? If I call a mission "final" can I still update it later? I feel pretty good with 1.3 and am thinking about putting it up for review. Would you be interested mathias?

Thanks,

-Animal Mother

Offline Zipper5

  • BIS Team
  • ****
Re: [SP/COOP-7] Crash and Grab
« Reply #9 on: 24 Feb 2010, 12:42:20 »
I believe that you can update it, but you should really be submitting your definite final version for reviewing as we will only write one review for the mission, no matter what its version is.

Offline AnimalMother

  • rebl
  • Members
  • *
  • Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.
    • DH project space
Re: [SP/COOP-7] Crash and Grab
« Reply #10 on: 25 Feb 2010, 08:07:36 »
Ok, thanks for the info Zipper  :good:

Offline AnimalMother

  • rebl
  • Members
  • *
  • Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.
    • DH project space
Re: [SP/COOP-7] Crash and Grab (REVIEW PLEASE)
« Reply #11 on: 08 Apr 2010, 07:18:24 »
Download: http://562ndsappers.dyndns.org/animalmother/files/Crash_and_Grab.7z

I would like to submit version 1.3 for review please   :)

Offline Variable

  • Members
  • *
  • Fighting for peace is like fucking for virginity
    • Comrades in Arms
Re: [SP/COOP-7] Crash and Grab (REVIEW PLEASE)
« Reply #12 on: 09 Apr 2010, 18:20:14 »
Hello AnimalMother. I just downloaded your mission, and it gives me a missing addon error: ad_helos and ace_c_gear.

My ACE 2 is up-to-date and this is my startup parameters: @CBA;@ACE;@ACEX;@zcommon_ace;@gdtgrass;@sakusun;@CSM2;@JTD;@WarFX

Offline AnimalMother

  • rebl
  • Members
  • *
  • Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.
    • DH project space
Re: [SP/COOP-7] Crash and Grab (REVIEW PLEASE)
« Reply #13 on: 10 Apr 2010, 00:48:32 »
did you download the zip? that's old, use armaholic.

oops..removing the zip now..  :whistle:
« Last Edit: 10 Apr 2010, 00:50:33 by AnimalMother »

Offline SaOk

  • Missions Depot Staff
  • *****
    • My youtube profile
Re: [SP/COOP-7] Crash and Grab (REVIEW PLEASE)
« Reply #14 on: 17 Apr 2010, 15:41:34 »
A nice simple mission. I had problems with my medic - he refused to follow close and sometime he just stopped with "ready"-sign. Is that a bug from MOD or have you something (a script) guiding the medic? Also the briefing dissapeared after releasing the POW (also a bug from MOD?).

I didnt find any other bugs, but I agree with mathias_eichinger that there isnt much to see before the objective zone and it was easy to take the prisoner to the chopper. There would be room for more twists and combat action. But your choice. I can review the mission if you think its ready.

btw. Did you add some of those custom voices or are they all from the mod? They bring nice extra athmosphere to the mission.