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Author Topic: (Review Completed) [SP] Abandoned Armies  (Read 214726 times)

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Offline THobson

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Re:Abandoned Armies
« Reply #405 on: 28 Mar 2005, 15:59:10 »
Henderson - what time is it?  The intensity of the fog does lessen as progress is made.  I am really puzzled, I find the fog does help as a means of concealment.  Now the rain is another thing the loons seem to be able to see straight through it but it really cuts the visibility for the player.

I hope it doesn't put you off.

At the moment I am stuck outside Arudy on a bare hillside in bright clear sunlight being picked off by snipers on the other side of the valley that I didn't put there wishing the weather would turn bad.

macguba:
Thanks.  When you are ready.
« Last Edit: 28 Mar 2005, 16:00:36 by THobson »

Offline Planck

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Re:Abandoned Armies
« Reply #406 on: 28 Mar 2005, 20:21:10 »
Ok, I downloaded this new version (twice I might add  ::)).

I'm in two minds whether to use ecp again or not, I'm leaning towards vanilla OFP.

I'm not sure whether I can go through this at 2 - 3 fps again.


Planck
« Last Edit: 28 Mar 2005, 20:21:34 by Planck »
I know a little about a lot, and a lot about a little.

Henderson

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Re:Abandoned Armies
« Reply #407 on: 28 Mar 2005, 20:33:59 »
Henderson - what time is it?  The intensity of the fog does lessen as progress is made.  I am really puzzled, I find the fog does help as a means of concealment.  Now the rain is another thing the loons seem to be able to see straight through it but it really cuts the visibility for the player.

I hope it doesn't put you off.

At the moment I am stuck outside Arudy on a bare hillside in bright clear sunlight being picked off by snipers on the other side of the valley that I didn't put there wishing the weather would turn bad.

It's about 7:40. I'm close to the enemy but not close enough to see through the fog. If I move forward, I get zapped. If I get moved backwards, I get zapped. I feel so powerless versus the A.I. I may have to restart, and this time, I guess I'll wait out the fog.  :'(
« Last Edit: 28 Mar 2005, 20:39:55 by Henderson »

Offline THobson

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Re:Abandoned Armies
« Reply #408 on: 28 Mar 2005, 21:48:01 »
@Planck
Sorry about the need to download.  I would try vanilla OFP this time if I were you.  It would help me to have someone that has played both with and without.

@Henderson
7:40 as in 07:40 or am?  That is very early.  The fog level is still at its initial level and will stay at that level for between another 40 to 70 minutes.  If you are fighting at La Trinite so early on you will be dealing with two infantry groups that travel with, and guard, the convoy.  I am afraid you are likely to be dead meat whatever you do.  They have NVGs and they go and search the place where an enemy has been spotted.  If they have seen you they will be milling around you hidden only by the fog.  I fear if the fog were to lift you could find upto 18 loons within 50m of you.  Your only hope is to stay still and hope they don't spot you.  Once the Resistance detected by whateversideyouaretanglingwith trigger has deactivated they will then get back to their normal business.

The only tactic I have found for dealing with the convoy guard infantry is as soon as I think they have taken an interest in me - I get the hell out of there as fast as I can.  It works some of the time.

So I think the fog might actually be keeping you alive at the moment.  I am sorry if this is frustrating.

« Last Edit: 28 Mar 2005, 21:50:27 by THobson »

Offline dmakatra

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Re:Abandoned Armies
« Reply #409 on: 28 Mar 2005, 22:08:03 »
I was just wondering, Thob... Are you trying to top the top 10 threads (by replies) list? Because you're almost there. :wow:

:beat: *Gets Shot* :beat:

Offline THobson

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Re:Abandoned Armies
« Reply #410 on: 28 Mar 2005, 22:14:05 »
Lol :)

Actually I would prefer to have this new version on a new thread as it is so different from 1.00.  But I think I would be shot, or worse, if I tried that.

Offline Fragorl

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Re:Abandoned Armies
« Reply #411 on: 29 Mar 2005, 01:53:17 »
Hurrah. I've had my first successful game load with ecp running - half way from the mountain lodge to trinite.

I just wonder- is it likely to go downhill from here? (I can't imagine why it would though - unless you create any more variables as the game progresses) Otherwise, it looks as though i can rest easy and play this without worrying if next time, it won't start.

Great!  :toocool:

EDIT: and I saw your earlier edit. Looks like you wont have to worry. Yet (fingers crossed)
« Last Edit: 29 Mar 2005, 01:55:26 by Fragorl »

Offline THobson

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Re:Abandoned Armies
« Reply #412 on: 29 Mar 2005, 08:28:44 »
That is good news.  I did get rid of a lot of stuff now I come to think about it.  As the game progresses triggers that are no longer needed get deleted so there is some reduction in what is going on, for a while.  Once a base goes on the defensive (effectively the endgame code for one side, then two or three  more scripts come alive and run in the background until that side is finished.

One test I apply to the mission to check for the savegame bug is to start the mission and then immediately kill both leaders (by radio command).  This pretty much maximises the amount that is happening inthe mission with both sides now in their endgame and none of the early stuff deleted yet.  I then check that I can save, exit OFP and then restart.  That is fine for plain vanilla OFP, but as I don't have ECP it tells me nothing about that.

It looks like some of the restructuring I did was enough to solve the problem even for ECP users.  If things change then please let me know.

Incidentally.  ECP has some sort of random weather variable. What does that do?

Offline Fragorl

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Re:Abandoned Armies
« Reply #413 on: 29 Mar 2005, 10:53:56 »
Dammit. Oh no. The bug has reared its ugly head again. This was my third save/load sequence- I'd shut down ofp, rebooted as usual, and attempted to load the mission. This time, it failed. I've honestly no idea why it suddenly happened again, or more perplexingly why it worked the other two times.

I'm going to restart, and play with vanilla/decaf ofp this time; i'm sick of the bug destroying the game experience. Sorry for messing you about, THobson.... rrrrr.....  >:(

Offline THobson

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Re:Abandoned Armies
« Reply #414 on: 29 Mar 2005, 11:26:38 »
Not messing me about at all.  I am sorry for the problems you are having.  

I am now trying to think if anything does start in the early part of the mission.  I do have a main Housekeeping script that runs a set of scripts at defined intervals.  The chance is very low (1000s to 1), but it might be that one of the scripts was running when you saved and the local variables in the script tipped the save over into the savegame bug.  This would indicate that the mission is now on the borderline of the bug when using ECP.  A bit more work might fix it.

Dubieman

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Re:Abandoned Armies
« Reply #415 on: 29 Mar 2005, 18:45:44 »
Not sure if you've done this yet, but have you defined ECP variables in the init or something?

You know, you can turn off almost every feature of ECP that way. So if you haven't done it, it might help with lag and so on... ;)

Offline THobson

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Re:Abandoned Armies
« Reply #416 on: 29 Mar 2005, 19:26:31 »
The only thing I do about ECP is to check if it is running and if it is I do not activate the custom script for burning vehicles.  I do this by:

Code: [Select]
if ECP_initialised then {goto"ECP_is_loaded"}
.
;load custom burn scripts
.
#ECP_is_loaded

this is code that runs 20+ seconds after the start of the mission.
Is this correct?  It is totally untested as I don't have ECP.

I did contemplate borrowing macguba's script from Un-Impossible and just using it.  I did not do that for two reasons:
1. I don't like using something I don't understand (scripts using the drop command being the only exception!!)
2. There is shortly to be a new version of ECP that apparently works in quite a different way so it would not be a long term fix anyway.

I am hopeful that some beta testers might tell me something about the behaviour of the mission with ECP.  So far the only effect I am aware of is the savegame bug.  

I was concerned for a while when I saw ECP had some random weather stuff, but so far I have had nobody ask "what fog?" or "what rain?"  So I guess my scripts must be overriding whatever ECP is doing in that area.

As far as turning off ECP features to help with lag I think this should be a choice for the player to make, just so long as it doesn't screw up what I am trying to achieve.  If I find that it does then I will turn it off.
« Last Edit: 30 Mar 2005, 08:50:53 by THobson »

Dubieman

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Re:Abandoned Armies
« Reply #417 on: 30 Mar 2005, 00:27:43 »
When I get a spare minute I'll download and give it a play.

@ECP
I've attached the readme if you'd like to see how the settings apply.

Random weather... I've really never noticed the random weather from ECP. So I think your scripts are overriding some long ~'s in the ECP scripts. Maybe...
 ::) :P

And ECP problems, only savegame, I started v1.00 with ECP, but the savegame bug kept me form ever enjoying the mission so back to regular OFP I went.

And I wouldn't worry to much about the new ECP cause you can just update your mission to be ready for it if people test with it.
« Last Edit: 30 Mar 2005, 00:28:42 by GuiltyRoachKillar »

Henderson

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Re:Abandoned Armies
« Reply #418 on: 30 Mar 2005, 05:44:14 »
No! I accidently exited deleting the first part of my post! *cries*

Basic Rundown:

Intro: Nice and new, good.

Briefing: Notes for the backround section? Maybe the nuclear exchange should start after a short war between China And Russian after the Chineese Airliner is shot down. As the U.S advance through Korea and Nato advances through Europe, the Chineese and Russians panic and push the big red button.

Mission: Ahhhh, the big hill of death! EVEN BIGGER! :P I start strafing up the hill. Once I reach the super steep incline I hear firing in the backround? Is it target practice or something? Maybe executions? Anyway, I make it to the top of hill!!!  ;D I stealthily advance towards the town and house, and aim towards my unknowing targets...

 :gunman: One drops in one shot, the second one standing near the fire tries to flee. I run up to the house and shoot him and the proning guy. All too easy. I take the baddies' M16s and stow them in the jeep, making sure to keep one for myself. I then initiate the cutscene.

Ahh, new lines, all is good. The extra stuff explaining why she is very nice. And it looks like she really got shot now, not a setdamage trigger. :) Anyway, I go outside and pop the two murderers, then jump in my jeep and drive off, making sure to deposit another m16 into the jeep. Ok, nice long country drive now. Once I get to the ruins, the new and improved cutscene is initiated. It's much better then the old one, much more stuff is explained, including where the two other civvies came from.  ;D Very nice.

After the cutscene everyone joins my squad, I like what Alexi says about his father's uniform and not letting them down. I rearm my squad with the loot from Larche, everybody but 5 has an semi automatic, I gave 5 a hunting rifle. ;) It looks like my squad can survive a basic firefight now.

Said I was unlogged when I went to preview, but I enjoyed the new radio stuff. I loaded up my whole squad, and drove to the civs only to find that three couldn't get on board. It doesn't make sense, in version 1.00 the civil truck could carry a whole squad of twelve, but now it can't? Hmmm. Luckily, I have a retry from the base camp.

That's all I feel like typing at the moment, I'll tell you the rest of the events later.  ;D
« Last Edit: 30 Mar 2005, 14:59:39 by Henderson »

Offline THobson

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Re:Abandoned Armies
« Reply #419 on: 30 Mar 2005, 08:42:47 »
@GRK
Thanks for the ECP stuff, that will be a real help.  

I fear you will need more than a minute for the download.  It is quite a bit bigger than the original.  I use a higher quality of ogg for the voices in this one.

@Henderson
I am glad you are still talking to me after the fog and all.

Quote
I hear firing in the backround?
Really?  It wasn't me.  I am collecting evidence that Malden is haunted.  This is not my first data point.

Did you check out any bodies at Vigny?

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I like what Alexi says about his father's uniform and not letting them down.
I am glad you liked that.  It seemed like a good idea but I had doubts when I heard it 'live'

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I gave 5 a hunting rifle.
Great, so you found the ammo dump.  My son said he didn't see the ammo crate in the cutscene - I told him he was not supposed to.  I was wondering if others might miss it.

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I loaded up my whole squad, and drove to the civs only to find that three couldn't get on board.
The civis are now quite different.  They don't join you but they do follow you and they will get into the truck if you do and if there is room.  I have never taken my whole squad to get them - I only take #2 (one of the benefits of beta testing).  So with me and one other they all get in.  I need to invetigate what is happening here.  When you say three could not get on board is that 3 loons or number 3 loon?  Did you get a message about the vehicle not being large enough for the civis?  Did your squad all get out and was it them that were having difficulty getting back in or was it the civis that couldn't get in?  Anything you can remember would be of real help to me on this.


Quote
Said I was unlogged when I went to preview,
I am sorry.  I don't understand this.

Quote
I'll tell you the rest of the events later.   ;D
Glad to see the smiley face.  I look forward to it.
« Last Edit: 30 Mar 2005, 08:58:08 by THobson »