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

[burroughs]

Been on a mission for some time, but I had to abort it ...
Klavan!
I am in a mood for an overkill! That's what I wanted - make war, not love this time.  :thumbsup: What I mean is that mission rules and I can feel it right away, from the very beginning. I only hope that it won't be spoilt soon after.
However, once again I encountered some nasty surprises. The chopper was not quite eager to do what I say, but finally I have negotiated my way down onto the killing ground without attracting the enemy attention. My teammates were inserted with me alongside safe & sound, alive & kicking and the weapons work O.K. this time as it seems. But I am affraid that this is going to be another "Bravo Two Zero" mission as we seem to have a bum frequency - the satellite interface opens, but I think there's something wrong with it - I can see nothing but a green screen and that's all. I was hoping to see some insight into a chosen area(even though I selected misty weather, so I should perhaps expect certain difficulty when it comes to visibility) but that's a no no, by far. What the ... ? ...
I am playing the 1.04 version which I downloaded today - I am off work due to a temporary health problems, so I thought that it would be a great opportunity to do something for peace and the world to make a better place. ;)What I also noticed is that the watch display has the right time - I mean the time that ine selects. Before, when I used to choose 11 pm. , for instance, the insertion would take place at 4 am. sometimes.

[klavan]

@burroughs

About the satellite.
It's caused by the fog. In the next update the evetual  mist will desappears when using the satellite to return when you exit it.

About the time.
Sorry, I messed up with the skiptime/daytime. Again, it will be fixed with version 1.05

You have been added in the credit list.
Thanks.
Klavan

[burroughs]

Yeah, I went trough it.
 
It WAS a "Bravo Two Zero"-type mission. Since the very beginning I couldn't get hold of a satellite view, so I took the closest target of opportunity after a faulty helo insertion which I had described beforehand - to no use as the IAH leader was present somewhere else on that night.

  We came across the rebel checkpoint and my team opened up on'em, killing them almost instantly. The rebel BRDM appears from nowhere and we run into complications -the s**t piles up fast.

 As this mission is wonderful to play it the realistic way, I decide to run for the E&E route, but before I call the chopper in, we had better get rid of the closest AA cannon, just in case we're too close. But can't find it. Before I realize, we are straight on top of them and they fire on us and kill three of my team members , wounding another two. That's a definite compromise, the "First Aid Kit" scripts seems not to work and I can't heal them.

 Fortunatelly the helo comes in and collects the reminder of the team. The mission is finished and I get the debriefing decent to the outcome of that failure - I mean I am badly criticized ...

Just for the sake of realism - I would add to this graet mission one more option which is skipping the time. In my opinion the insertion should take place at night - but , especially when you choose the random weather option, when in position you might find yourself unable to operate at night or just prefer to do the job early in the morning - then we skip some time and that does it. Or - I don't know anything about the COMSUBIN tactics, but the Soviet SpetsNaz always made their insertions at last light, because  the operators had the best occasion to vanish instantly in the coming dark.
When such insertion takes place you may , on the other hand, choose to operate late at night, when the dark is deepest and humans tend not  to be on full alert . Yeah, that would be it ...
 
Intro works fine with me, I like all those scripts that imitate human behaviour and body language, the briefing is great, too.

I played the vet mod, additional options disabled, low CPU load, enemy skill above average, chose the random weather, a night helo insertion at 11 pm. and a team.

Thanks. Greetings.  

[klavan]

@burroughs
Thank you. Good report. Quite an  unlucky mission, this is true, but it's my fault too if this has happened!  

About the firstaid.
It works with me (this is a General Barron's script, not mine....eheh! ).

About the skiptime otpion.
It would be nice  if you choose the more realistic way to play this mission: to search for the target without the use of the "Scan" option for the satellite (and, later in the mission, without the satellite at all), but I don't think many players would want this...... :-\

Thanks.
Klavan


 

[burroughs]

Attention, gentelmen!

I gave it a go again and this time unlucky b***d didn't stand a chance.

The same mission circumstances and settings selection as above, but the time of insertion: I am d**n sure that I had decided on 3 am., but when I found myself onboard it was half past four. Moreover, it was 04.30 pm.!  I've no idea what the hell was going on in the meantime! The briefing must have taken longer that it had been supposed to.

That's right, Klavan. I dind't get hold of scaning the area or tracking the target: I got so involved in the action that I must admit I had forgotten such options exist at all.

This time the helicopter crew didn't oppose my selection of the insertion spot and the touchdown was O.K., too. We were close to one of the possible targets, but the satellite view didn't reveal much, but a group of civilians standing in the outskirts of the village. I was thinking what to do next - whether get in there and do some immediate recon or to look through the targets via sattelite. Then I heard and spotted later on a movement on the road - some BRDMs or UAZs and even a whole conwoy afterwards. I thought to myself that this can't be a coincidence and estimated the possible route. It was on to Lae: I looked into it via sattelite view and found the target in charge of a small militia foot patrol. I repeat, no tracking, no scanning through the sattelite.

I got to the town and approached it carefully, caught them in the open with their pants down. The IAH leader got smashed in his APC and we withdrew safely to the bush, no teammates killed or hurt. I disposed of the closest AA battery and called in the extraction chopper. That would be all about that.

At ease.

Klavan, there's no better way to advertise a mod or addon, but a good mission utilizing them. I looked into some more Pedagne mod units and vehicles in the editor and I think that I would be more than over the moon to see another mission of yours, just like the one you already mentioned as a project. Don't give up the idea unless coming up with some new ones.

COMSUBIN Team leader out.

P.S. COMSUBIN combat swimmers/saboteurs look great - what about giving them some more job to be done. Aren't there any rebel military installations or other targets vulnerable to a maritime operation? ...

 

[klavan]

@burroughs
Good job Captain Battiato!!!

I've sent to you a PM with something interesting for you.
Thanks for your help.
Klavan

[burroughs]

Today we received some new orders from the HQ, back in the field then ...

Not bothering to restart the mission, I used the savegame from the previous session and found my team in the southern outskirts of Lae. Since there was no chance to infiltrate the town in a stealthy manner as it seemed, I decided to charge. The already located rebel leader boards his APC and heads to the harbor. Yes, I got a hint, but even if so I keep it real: I opened the sattelite interface and tracked the target to confirm the estimated escape route. I managed to do so some seconds before the sattelite option was out of use. Trying to leave the city, two of my teammates got lost and died in a firefight - a demolition specialist and a light machine gunner. Sorry to see that - we had gotten back to get'em outta there on hearing that they're lost, but it was already too late. Anyway, life goes on ... I collect the reminder of the team and head for the harbor.
 
Once I approached the target in his new location from the north- west and killed everyone on the site, completing the mission and extracting safely from the AO later on.

Knowing from the author and the previous post that there should be happening something more, next time I change the route and approached the harbor from the south - to no avail. The cutscene desperetely fought to download, so  to speak, several times, but it was of no use.  All I had to admire was the sight of a boat closing in on and then nothing, but a sea surface waving in silence. I don't think that I've seen all there is to be seen.
Any idea what the hell was going on? ...

Anyway, still having fun with the assasination assignment. Waiting to play the next updated version.

[klavan]

@burroughs

Quite surprised about the problem of the cutscene. I will look into it immediately.

The next update should be ready for tomorrow afternoon.

I've sent to you another PM.

Thanks.
Klavan

[burroughs]

New orders received: mission - laser designating a target for an airstrike.

Settings: LD, weather - random, insertion by Zodiac, additional option disabled, CPU load low, enemy skills above average, time of insertion - even if I choose 2 pm. instead of 2 am - which I am pretty sure I did - it took place at half past four in the afternoon and the sun was almost setting soon after we moved in.


Insertion went O.K. - I tried to use a map to find a safe harbour to hide our boat but I couldn't prevent it from the revealing by the enemy in the end.

After we disembarked, made a qiuck equipment check and position check and after having vanished in the closest bush, I started to scan the possible location of the target via sattelite. You underestimated my will to play rough, Klavan: I didn't get hold of a hint to where the IAH leader is positioned if yoy choose the LD type of a mission. I pinpointed him on the second try. Not so far from our position, so we run carefully all the way  - and no 4x; the rule is still "keep it real". When you have a good mission to play, not only shooting is fun, but everything, even mere running, if you got attracted enough by the story and the plot.

Before I got hold of the laser designator, no shots were fired at all, although we spotted several patrols along the way.I made a quick recon of the location, scanning confirmed the presence of the target and I called for an CGB airstrike. The cutscene went well and they got beaten badly: we moved in the killing zine to have a confirmed kill. In the meantime, we received the message of the downed pilot. Anyway, I culdn't have saved him: we run into a searching party along the way and shot all of them dead eventually, but the pilot bought it . I found the body, reported the loss to the HQ and moved on to disposing of the plane wreckage. Well, it wasn't a wreckage at all: it looked as if it was an emergency landing - perhaps that palne shuold have been a little more battered, just for the sake of realism? ...

On completion of the demolition part, we got fired at by another searching party and we killed some of then, not withstanding any injuries ourselves. So far, so good. Almost. we found a truck which must have delivered the searching party responsible for killing the pilot: I greased the driver and we boarded - Klavan claimed that all of the vehicles are locked and you shouldn't get hold of any as it is too risky and dangerous. Well, I've been through so many special missions and operations that I know damn sure what the odds are. Along the way, we run again int a patrol, but hide in the jingle and they didn't notice us at all - or thought that we were a part of the flock  . The rest of the journey was almost safe and comfortable, but we didn't find the boat where we had left it after the insertion. Now we're in trouble.

Drove some more to the harbor in the western part of the island, hoping that we might steal a patrol boat and they're not locked. N way: the boats are locked and we got involved in a firefight - my team mate bought a few AK rounds and he's no more. I grab some ammo from him, abandon some of the equipment like the laser designator - it's not useful anymore to me. Next idea is to get to the IAH base where the chopper is or to get the radio - maybe I could get in touch with the HQ and deliver some sitrep just to find out what to next and if I am rally on way own for sure.
 
The base is patrolled heavily and when it comes to the chopper the crew is onboard and ready for an action - they must have not been notified that their VIP passenger is not anymore. I can perfectly remember that you just can't shot the HIND crew dead through the window. NO way I could make a use of the chopper. I've no radio. Perhaps I should try to get one anyway, just to find out what happens next.  But there's none in sight, only foot patrols and definitely no radios. Even though I drove into one of them on may way to the base and drove - by the commander, I don't think that it would be a good idea to mess with the rest. And taht would be the end of the story ... I'll let you know if anything changes when I get the ardio, but I doubt myself.

Thanks, Klavan. You kind of doubted whether I could have fun, playing this mission in a different mode: well, I have lots of fun again and raised hell like hell.  

[klavan]

@burroughs

About the zodiac:
The zodiac is destroyed by the enemy only in Sniper mode! Both Team and LD mode doesn't features this. Yesterday I've just gave it  a try with setting similar to yours and when i came back to boat a found it.
I wonder where it had gone.........The only thing I can immagine is about that damn addons bug (you know, the zodiac flipping like a rocket). Finding a radio doesn't help in this case.....But that's a good "debug idea". I'm going to introduce it just know.

About the crashed plane:
The problem is that even setting the damage to 0.99 the plane reamains apparentrly intact. In the begginnig the plane were created near the crash site flying very low at very low velocity with the gear up, but when on ground it always begins to rotate and to bounch. Very ugly to see and to ear too. So I've decide to directly created it in this way. I know it's not the best solution but I can't figured out other ways.

The next update is still planned for this afternoon. Now i'm leaving to work on it.
Thanks.
Klavan

[burroughs]

Looks klike I am in deep sheet. How the hell am I going to get out of there now?! ... Awaiting the new version: I think that this time I am going to perform some sniping with a paradrop insertion late at night, if no new oportunities are going to be available ... Keep my fingers crossed.

[klavan]

@burroughs
The new version will be available within 60 minutes, maybe less.
Be patient.
Thanks.
Klavan

[klavan]

Updated to version 1.05

-Fixed the bug with the time of insertion
-When you open the satellite view the eventual fog disappears to return when you exit it
-Fixed a little bug with the satellite
-Modified some paremeters in the script that rules tha cutscene when playing in team attack mode to prevent bad happenings
-Added more enemy patrols
-When frendly units gets killed the custom actions are now removed
-To prevents addons bugs features when inserted by the zodiac the player can now call for helo extraction by stealing a radio (only for LD and Team mode)

Klavan
 

[klavan]

The mission is almost ready to move to the mission pending section. I think it will take me about another week, mostly dependant by when the new pedagnemod units will be released.
In the meanwhile i'm seraching for a volunteer that can take a look and give a fix to the english text (stringtable and briefing).
There's a lot of text, but it doesn't need to be rewritten: only grammar, sintax and spelling.  
In return I can give only my eternal gratitude.......  ;D
If someone is interested he can send me a mail or a pm.
Thanks.
Klavan

[Mikero]

Va bene,

assuming no-one else has volunteered for the job Klavan, I'll put my hand up. Unfortunately I need a few days because I'm busy with real life just at moment. But, I'll donwload latest version now. (if someone else is on to this please let me know). Eta 3 days (sorry)