(Review Completed) [CAMP] Perpetua

[bardosy]

Perpetua campaign for ArmA


NEW, VOICE OVERED VERSION!!!


   

Story:

As a young CO of RACS, you will participate in the great war of Sahrani. You lead an elite squad as a spearhead of RACS troops. You are the first.

After the collaps of Soviet Union, the Northern regime of Sahrani started dieing. The commies had financial problems without the Big Brother and the Southern politicians had a dream about the reunion. They start negotiate and the Fist Secretary of Sahrani Communist Party didn't deny the negotiate. But since 2000 the negotiation stucked and the communists was stronger and stronger...



Features:
* Storyline - not just shootout
* Small, elite missions and huge battles
* Various objectives: attack, destroy, arty spotter, defend... etc
* Weapon selection
* Intros/outros
* scripts

   

Addons: None


Updated 16.05.2007:
DOWNLOAD v1.2

OFPEC Download.


   

[greg147]

Looks interesting, I'll give it a try.

I'll write a review for each mission seperatly as I go, so they're still fresh in my mind

Prologue

Overview
Pic is good. OV isn't really too important in a campaign, but some text could be added later on, just a summery of the campaign or mission for each one.

Intro
Camera angles are good, I like the fact your using a main character. The ArmA campaign annoyed me because of its lack of a real storyline.
The line 'Lets go nice lads to the shooting range' sounds a bit weird. Prehaps changing it to something like 'Come on, let's get to the shooting range' or something might make it sound better.

Briefing
'Workout in the shooting range' could sound better as 'Practice at the shooting range' or something similar.
The situation link doesn't work.
Also, there are two spaces in front of the 'shooting range' link on objective 1, so the ! at the end is pushed onto the next line.
Other than that its fine.

Mission
I think starting in the tower, you should be in safe mode, rather than having your gun to your shoulder.
Also, your squad arn't shooting at the targets. Prehaps have them spread out a little, and firing at a few, once every couple of seconds. Since you arn't there for long, there shouldn't be any need for a pop-up targets script.

When I started shooting at the targets, the officer behind me drew his pistol and went prone, which I thought was a bit odd. I realise there isn't a setunitpos up command yet, but setting his behaviour to careless should work.
Same goes for the soldiers in the base, who were lying down as we drove past.

I think the journey could do with some quiet music from start to finish, as it can be a bit boring, especailly towards the end, where the conversation stops.

I like the idea of climbing the mountain. Wasn't expecting that. Although I noticed the squad didn't seem to want to go up the hill, the went north at a walking pace. Prehaps putting more, closer waypoints up the hill would make them head that way.

Other than that, a good overall starting mission.

Debreifing

Prehaps add some scores for completing each objective?

Outro
I noticed the squad walked through the M113 after the talk with the officer


Anyway, now i'm off to play through the rest of the campaign

[greg147]

Cyro in Pita

Intro
Nothing wrong here I could see. Good camera angles btw.

Briefing
Situation link works this time. No typos that I could see, gear selection is a bit limited, but I suppose thats due to the RACs side not having too many weapons. I would add a few M16s in there, and prehaps a M21.

Mission
I liked the landing. Had a good feel about it. Prehaps using a 'black in' effect for the small camera shot at the start would work better to cover up the stationary choppers, or to set the scene well.
We actually got ambushed by the 2 BDRMs before taking the town. After capturing the UAZ and skirmishing on the outskirts, one came from in front of us and one came from behind. Took out half my squad before I found a RPG and took them out, so I liked that part. Served me right to start getting lazy
The rest of the mission went smoothly, destroying both guns and the MG with about 3 guys remaining in my squad.

Outro
Fine, once again, good use of the camera angles.


A nice second mission. I didn't expect to be attacking the rear of the enemy, so some originality in there. Good work. 

[bardosy]

Hi greg147!

Thank you for testing Perpetua!

For first I must explain something...  The mission making things are REALLY different in ArmA like in OFP.
1., SetUnitPos "UP" doesn't work. (I used this command in first mission, but the soldiers go down prone)
2., setBehaviour "SAFE" work different: no weapon on shoulder.
3., Links in briefing work harder: some LAG or idunno, but if you click the "wrong link" more times, finally works.

But there is something what SAME in Arma and OFP:
In the briefing, break the ! to new line if the sentence are long enough and don't long too much... Yeah: there is no space... It's just a bad Notepad. The only solution is make a little longer sentence. I will...


Ok, and now about the real problems:


Prologue:

1., Thank you for language fixes! I'll change it.

2., AI soldiers don't shoot to target: I made a newer try, and now they fire, but directly to the air!!! I can't script them to shoot to the targets...

3., AI mates don't go up to Bonanza: Yes, it's shame. The AI didn't like climb. I will try more dense WPs, but I think I will not change in the lazy AI.

4., Pop-up targets in the begining: OK, it's a good idea.


Gyros in Pita:

1., Weapon selection: M21 will be avaiable later.

2., Black in effect: I working on it, but it's completly different like in OFP... so I made a lot of test, but didn't work. I will examine other ArmA missions for this secret.

[greg147]

1., SetUnitPos "UP" doesn't work. (I used this command in first mission, but the soldiers go down prone)

Yes, but as I said, putting them into careless mode works to keep them standing.

2., setBehaviour "SAFE" work different: no weapon on shoulder.

What I ment when I said 'weapon in the shoulder' was having the butt of the weapon to the shoulder, and having the barrel raised. Putting the player in safe mode will result in having the weapon slung across the stomach, in a more 'at ease' pose.



Anyway, next mission

Ghosts

Briefing
No errors here that I could see. Weapon selection is good.

Mission
Acouple of small nitpicks here

'Rogar that crossroad, over' should be 'Rogar that crossroad, out'
'very love these american callsigns' should be 'really loves these american callsigns'

Maybe add some ambience to the countryside whilst en-route to the ambush (it was very quite - except getting jumped by a MG nest )
I wasn't quite sure how to use the artillery, if it was mapclick or anything. Prehaps add something into the notes saying that it will only fire on one area.

Also, I couldn't help thinking how much easier it would be to simply bombard the convoys starting base in the first place, instead of trying to ambush it.
I think changing the situation slightly would make more sence. Have something like the artillery not being yet ashore, and saying the player must go to the ambush spot just incase the arty does not get unloaded in time. Then have the option to call a strike just as the convoy leaves, so the player must use it whilst the convoy is en-route. It was very easy to simply press 0-0-1 constantly until the tanks were in its path, so prehaps also have only one strike avaliable.
Also take away the arty after the ambush. Once again, theres no reason it couldn't be used against the HQ.

During the radio conversation when the new objective is added, I think 'assets' would sound better than 'stuffs'

Took me quite a while to complete this mission, so that was good. Managed to capture a BDRM at the ambush, which made it a bit easier.
One last thing I noticed was that when I alerted the troops in the base, the BMP crew got in their BMP, and then drove up the mountain to the north. They probably would have kept going if I hadn't taken it out with an RPG.

Anyway, a pretty good mission. Got a fair few kills on this one. 

[Trapper]

Thanks for this campaign Bardosy, before it I thought Arma is doomed. Perpetua brings OFP's old charm to this strange game.
Though on the other hand the mountain soldiers hymn sounds like sarcasm to me.   

Version v0.452

Author and version info is missing in campaign overview. Well, there's no overview text at all.


First Mission

I like more steady camera movements in intros/cutscenes. Especially targeting a hopping soldier with the camera makes me sick.
Could you just use stationary cameras for scenes like this?

In my first try the officer falls from the watch tower when he goes prown and breaks his legs. When we want to leave with the Jeep it always drives back to the officers, and then they try to grab something it's trunk, over and over again. Had to restart.

In the second try the same thing happend with the officer at the US checkpoint, but he did it only once and I was able to continue.

Someone created an "Alive City" script for Arma I think. Maybe you could use it to make the civilians move around in the cities.


Second Mission

Don't forget some autosaves in combat missions. I didn't notice any.

Was there an animal home? There were way too many barking dogs, as you will never seen one of them in Arma.

I've sniped the MG Position from the hill behind the cannons and before the 2nd objective, so the conversation afterwards didn't fit to my situation/distance.

The outro forced me again to follow a hopping soldier.

[bardosy]

hello greg147!

Yes, but as I said, putting them into careless mode works to keep them standing.

Yes, it's true until you don't shoot to the targets. When you start shooting, who hear you change their behaviour to AWARE...

Ghosts:

1., Thank you for English language fixes. I'll change it!

2., Really good idea the non-ready arty! Thanks! I will work it into this mission.

3., I don't want mapClick arty in this mission (it will be in the - momently - last mission), so I will inform the player somehow about the stationary arty pos.

4., I'm thinking about a score system: if you use once the arty support, get a lot of score, but if you use again, it will decrase the score and etc... Is it OK?

6., And I'll remove the radio call after the ambush.

[bardosy]

Hi Trapper!

mountain soldiers hymn sounds like sarcasm to me.

It's very funny explain to a German, but the Hungarians was not the best soldiers in the 20th century. And I hear a WWII military march and it's about the most beautiful or most handsome soldiers of the World. And I LOL, because not the most powerful or most dangerous or best soldier, but most handsome. And I love this song . And I think Sahrani is a small country with proud people, but they can't sing seriuosly about the BEST soldiers, so they sing about the most beautiful... And I think they are latin with a good sense of humor.

Author and version info is missing in campaign overview.

It's my fault, but I can't insert text in the campaign overview... If I put some info, it's clear the picture... So I can't use text and picture same time.

Could you just use stationary cameras for scenes like this?

I changed a camera to statinoary (for you) in the Ghost's intro... But yes, I'll try change it in the first intro too.

and then they try to grab something it's trunk...

Weapon? If I clear the ammo cargo of the jeep it could be fix it? Or the officer want heal himself with the jeep?

Maybe you could use it to make the civilians move around in the cities.

I used the US checkpoint to avoid to see a big, living city. Because I want prevent LAG.

Don't forget some autosaves in combat missions.

It's strange. I remember, I used it. I'll check it and fix.

There were way too many barking dogs

All right I will decrese the dogs.

[Trapper]

So maybe you have to shorten the campaign picture for some text? The single player mission overviews have smaller images. Or you could stamp it on  the picture.

I didn't see the officers with a new weapon afterwards. Three of them did it and only one was injured. Perhaps they want their removeweapon-rifles back? 

The civilian numbers are fine, but if the ones in the villages would just walk around a bit?

Maybe I just didn't notice the autosaves. I'm not used to Arma and was busy with cheat-saving.


EDIT:

Almost forgot. In the second mission (V0.452 or 4.6? Readme is contradicting.) was an error.
"cannot load texture ca\data\data\vlajka.paa."

[greg147]

Stop for a minute

Briefing
Only thing I could find was a small typo, of 'hold out positions' to 'hold our positions'

Mission
I liked this mission a lot. I couldn't see any bugs or problems, and can't actually think of any way it could be improved.
There didn't seem to be much of a defencive line in the town, but prehaps that adds to the situation.
I got a huge amount of kills on this one, after making good use of anything with a .50cal on it. Only thing I could mention is the US truck in the compound in the town, which looks a bit out of place considering the US are fighting in the south.


Capriccio
.
Intro
At the begining, the view is said to be a satillite photo, but then the camera move all over the place at different angles. Keep the angle the same, and move the camera horizontally, rather than tilting it aswell.  It will look more like a 2D photo then 

Briefing
No problems here

Mission
Good atmosphere on this one. Although I think it would be very difficult to play it steathly, (I ended up killing everyone in the base after I was detected near the hole in the fence.)
I noticed that the reinforcements never showed up, and I couldn't see any occupation where the marker was. I think a global 'Aware' combat mode trigger should be activated once I've been detected by someone who raises an alarm (i.e., not the patrolling guys outside the base)
Also, the guys in the towers didn't seem to smart. Its probably the AI issue with ArmA still, but put the skill up, because they tended to put their heads down, forget I had just shot them, then come up later to get shot again. As said above, put some form of alarm feature in.

'Brainwashing camp' sounds a bit odd to me. I'm not sure how realistic the campaign is ment to be, but I don't think the player would have seen enough of, nor know enough about, the camp to be able to tell exactly what went on there. Its obvious that it's a prison camp, due to the double fences, so prehaps keep it as a prison camp? Seems a bit more believable that way.
On the same note, taking samples of the chemicals. It seems like you'd need a NBC suit to be able to handle hazardous chemicals like what could be used in weapons. It might be more realistic to have the player take pictures of the labels on the barrels, rather than take samples.

Those are just suggestions, something to think about maybe 

Other than that, the mission itself is fine. I think the main issue is some sort of detection feature to make those reinforcements come.

[bardosy]

@Trapper

So maybe you have to shorten the campaign picture for some text?

Good idea! I'll try it.


Officers: They have no rifle in default settings. I didn't remove any weapon from officers. I'm afraid this is a Arma version problem.
In an earlier version, the LMG guy run to the jeep for reload, because I added him wrong ammo. But the officers...?

civilian activity: I thought, when jeep is moving, it's OK a standing civil in the roadside and only in Bonanza village are civilians with WP... The other problem, if I add some WP to the roadside civilis, they will walk in the road, and AI driver will stop and do stupid things.

Autosaves: Sorry! I was wrong. Yesterday I added two saveGame to Gyros mission. (And I remove a lot dog-voice, and fixed the two last objectives text: now you can complete the MG first, if you want...)

"cannot load texture ca\data\data\vlajka.paa."

I know. Sometimes I got this error message too. "vlajka" is a checz-sound word. I have a checz verzion of Arma converted to English. I guess this is a flag texture. But I used RACS and SLA flags in all mission, but only in this mission got this message.
But can you play with this mission?

[bardosy]

@greg147

Thank you for your ideas! Yesterday I rework the texts for Ghost by your advice: arty is not ready at begining, but later you can use it. I inserted the score-system for the arty too.

Keep the angle the same, and move the camera horizontally.

I want it, I WANT!!! But I really can't. I exemine a lot of SpySat script, but I didn't find the solution to moving camera without change the angle. Maybe I can rewrite the text from "satelite image" to "UAV image".

and I couldn't see any occupation where the marker was

Sorry, I don't understand what do you think. Can you detail it?

I think a global 'Aware' combat mode trigger should be activated once I've been detected

It's interesting... I used it. When the alarm triggered and flare shoot up, you see soldiers in SAFE mode? I'll check it.

Also, the guys in the towers didn't seem to smart.

I reduced their skill, because when they was smart, this mission was inpossible to me. (I tested this mission with stealth mode: only a few kill with SD weapon and lot of sneak.)

'Brainwashing camp' sounds a bit odd to me.

You mean the expression is strange or what you said later "he player would have seen enough"?
I accept the second one and I will rewrite it. But if you mean the first, please tell me how the English call these camps? (eg. in China there are camps where "live" people who don't like Mao-ze Dong, and finally when they leave the camp, they really (and seriously) love Mao and communism) In Hungarian language we call it "overteaching" camps and I really interested how do you say it in English.

It might be more realistic to have the player take pictures of the labels on the barrels

Good idea! I'll rework it!

[greg147]

and I couldn't see any occupation where the marker was

Sorry, I don't understand what do you think. Can you detail it?

When I looked up towards the place that was marked on the map as 'reinforcements', I exprected to see a camp up there, like some patrols and guards, some spotlights and maybe a tank or two. It seemed empty to me 

'Brainwashing camp' sounds a bit odd to me.

You mean the expression is strange or what you said later "he player would have seen enough"?
I accept the second one and I will rewrite it. But if you mean the first, please tell me how the English call these camps? (eg. in China there are camps where "live" people who don't like Mao-ze Dong, and finally when they leave the camp, they really (and seriously) love Mao and communism) In Hungarian language we call it "overteaching" camps and I really interested how do you say it in English.

I'm not sure what we'd say in English. Prehaps 'psychological detention facility' would be more fitting.
My advice would be to keep the player unknown about what goes on in the camp during the mission. After all, if he had never been taken to one of these camps, how would he know what was going on there, especially if he hadn't been inside any of the buildings.
If the camp is important in the storyline, then prehaps you could have the CIA officer tell the player in the intro to the next mission, once the photos have been developed.

[johnnyboy]

Bardosy,

Nice work.  I am enjoying your campaign so far (better than ARMA campaign, but that's not saying too much)...

Here is some feedback on first two missions:

Prologue
======

Intro: 

- Officers go to jeeps for ammo.  ARMA gave them only 3 magazines.  If you add one magazine to them they will no longer feel they need ammo.  I had the same problem, and that's how I fixed it.

Code: [Select]

this addmagazine "15Rnd_9x19_M9";
- I liked the troop placement in base.

- If you want the soldiers to shoot at targets, then use the invisible target addon (originally made by Lester for OFP, and converted to ARMA by Al Simmions and DeanosBeano).  Here's a link to the addon if you want to try it.  You place an invisible target in front of the real targets (adjust height as needed), and script the soldiers to target and fire on the invisible targets.  It definitely works.  Since SETUNITPOS UP isn't working, the soldiers will probably all go prone when you do this, but BIS says that will be fixed in the next patch.

http://www.flashpoint1985.com/cgi-bin/ikonboard311/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=70;t=57466

- I enjoyed  your text dialogue, singing, etc.  It allows us to like the character.  Maybe you can get some voice actors someday.

- If you want civilians to walk, but not in the road, you can use the playmove command.   Put a few TALK waypoints (not MOVE) on a civilian, and put this code in the waypoint:

this setdir 35; this playmove "AmovPercMwlkSnonWnonDf"

Setdir should be the direction you want him to walk.

This is such a small detail, it may not be worth the trouble.  The drive through town was fine as is.

Gyros In Pita
=========

Funny mission name.  It made me hungry!

- Problem in intro, where soldiers would walk through the M113.
- I liked having another chopper to right of my chopper on insertion so I could watch it.
- Did too many enemy soldiers in Pita have PKs?  Seemed like alot of PKs...
- Why was there tanks and helicopters in Pita with no pilots or crew?
- Taking the port was fun.  It was surprising and fun when Cannons turned and fired on me at short range.  But not very realistic.  I think cannon soldiers should dismount and fight like infantry, but it was fun as is.
- I loved that I started at night, and morning light came before I finished the mission.

Very good mission.

Is it possible to store the time of day that the player finishes the mission as a variable for the outro?  When the outro showed the M113s landing on the beach, it was much darker than when I finished the mission.  It would feel more real if the M113s landing occurred AFTER I finish the mission, which would be later in the day (more sunlight).

Ghosts Intro
=========

- Tank crews in Intro are looking into the fires wearing their Night Vision Goggles.  That would make them completely blind!

============

I will play more and report more later.

It is great to see a good campaign created by the community.  Keep up the good work!!!

[bardosy]

Hello johnnyboy!

Thank you for testing!

I had the same problem, and that's how I fixed it.

Thanks! I'll fix it!

but BIS says that will be fixed in the next patch.

Yeah, I head that.
And thanks for the addon, I'll try it, but I want a no-addon campaign in first turn.

This is such a small detail, it may not be worth the trouble.

I always welcome these tiny tricks! Great!

Did too many enemy soldiers in Pita have PKs?  Seemed like alot of PKs...

OK. I'll change them to AK.

I think cannon soldiers should dismount and fight like infantry, but it was fun as is.

Great idea! I'll try script them...

That would make them completely blind!

Funny, I'll remove these Goggles.

Why was there tanks and helicopters in Pita with no pilots or crew?

Well... It's personal. When I was kid I saw a lot of not-really-abandoned, but not working military stuff (helicopters, BMPs...) in military bases. This image is so communist-feeling for me.