(Review Completed) [SP] Un-Impossible Mission

[macguba]

 ;D Lovely graphs!

I knew there would be a few kinks in the line but it didn't really bother me.    There is so much inelegance in this mission that one more example didn't seem to matter.    Also, like Watson-Watt, I'm a great believer in "second best today".     Actually those lines are pretty good:   the only problem is the kink in the low 20s.   Even that is unavoidable with a crude system like this:   the problem them was to do with the rounding of small random numbers to whole numbers, which is how loons come.    There isn't much point in generating a command "random 1" if you have to round it up to 1 afterwards. ...

These imperfections are [deliberately] overwhelmed by the double randomness:   not only is it random (within limits) but its different on every iteration.    Consequently, even if you know the algorithm - if you can apply such a grand word to this - you still have no idea when it will happen.    The best part is that the more iterations there are the more likely it is:  in other words, if you spend a long time looking and can't find them, the more likely it is that the random _base will come good for you.

This was a classic example of necessity being the mother of invention.    The original version had a sort of _base=random 22 thing, but after Sneaker played (and had such a different _startCount from Planck) I realised that something slightly more sophisticated was required.   This bag of knitting just grew out of hair-tearing:   ah that's it ... no it isn't, what if its X, damn, well ok, I'll bolt on this ... no bugger that doens't work either, right, THAT should do it.    Again, if I'd known what was going to happen I'd have drawn the graphs first and then figured out the function.    It's only y=mx+c after all.

And yes, _base will always be between 0 and 22.    I worried more about the upper limit than the lower: the lower fell out of the game but the upper was just a finger in the air job.

And the sig line comment was a joke of course, put it back.     Not least because it works:   100 people have d/l Lookout! in the last few weeks.

[THobson]

Even knowing how it works I would hesitate to predict what will happen in any particular case.  In principle because of the repeated iterations once the count (loons left or loons killed depending on the graph) gets between the two lines it will eventually move on to Section1 without another loon being killed.  But the neat thing is that the time between iterations is dependent on the number of loons alive at the time.  So you could end up waiting a long time.  In fact the only thing you did not randomise is the time between iterations.

Edit:  I think the effect of doing what you have vs _base = random 22 is to delay the move to Section1 when startCount >12 and <=80.  On the first graph the initial diagonal magenta line would continue up until it hit the (backwards) extension of the horizontal magenta line at the top.  If my logic is correct these lines would meet at startCount = 34.  The blue line would be unchanged.

Bye the way, it was not a simulation I just used a spreadsheet

100 people have d/l Lookout! in the last few weeks.

I intended to be one of them, I am not yet but I will be.

I was not quite sure how to interpret your comment about the sig.  I only quoted what was in the review.  I will put it back when I get home

[macguba]

Even knowing how it works I would hesitate to predict what will happen in any particular case.

That was the idea.

But the neat thing is that the time between iterations is dependent on the number of loons alive at the time.

Yes, I was pleased by that notion.   It is just what you want to happen.

In fact the only thing you did not randomise is the time between iterations.

Originally it was, but I took it out - if its random already you don't need it.


Lookout!, by the way, is quite fun and has some nice ideas.   There isn't really much scripting in it.   It was my first real mission and it shows, and it suffers a little from being old.   For example, stuff that was supposed to be out of sight is now visible because you can put the viewdistance up.    And in those days the only way to make an arty script was to setPos an M2 to the place you wanted a bang, setdammage 0 it then setpos it out again.

[THobson]

I have seen those artillery srcipts that setPos an M2, kill it then move it.  So you clearly could not camcreate a shell in those days.  That must be a loooong time ago

[Sui]

* Sui pulls out his walking stick and bends down to rest his arthritic ridden knees...

You could laddie, but way back then no one knew about it.
This was before there was a command reference, and everything anyone knew about editing was from experimentation and trying things out for themselves. Not to mention good old lustypooh...

There were a lot of scripts using the old m2 machine gun, because out of everything it was the hardest to see but still gave a good explosion

I remember someone writing a scud impact script using M2's making a circle from the center of impact... god, those were the days ;D ;D

[THobson]

Well I haven't been called laddie for a long time - except when I lived in Scotland, and anyway that also was a long time ago.

everything anyone knew about editing was from experimentation and trying things out for themselves.

A good description of me 6 months ago before I found this site.

Surely it would be in BIS's interests to be very open about publishing all the command stuff.  I know of no other game that is so old that still has such a strong following.

All completely off topic, but macca started it. ;D

[macguba]

BIS showed their quality there:  they made the best mission editor ever and then were surprised when the whole thing took off.   Once they realised what was going on they became very supportive, considering they weren't making any money (directly) out of it.     They even invented new commands to help the community, onMapSingleClick being the most famous example, and to this day they watch the official forums very closely and comment whenever they can add something really useful.

Anyway, the on-topic news is that I've been testing (and playing Rome Total War   ) the release version will be out in a couple of days.

[THobson]

I was in Singapore earlier this year and saw in the Straights Times that OFP is being used by the Singaporean armed forces for training.

I have looked at RTW.  I expect another single minded commitment will be required for that (just like MTW and STW).  I think I will play about with it for a bit, but not seriously - I am still having too much fun with OFP.

I look forward to the release version.  I will definitely brave the start, I will still try to capture the Abrams, with the hope and expectation that I will fail and have to do the whole thing the hard way.

I downloaded Lookout! yesterday.  I didn't live long - too much red wine.

[macguba]

Lol I'm quite proud of the start ... if you do it right the first contact is very easy, but if you don't use proper tactics you come to grief.

Quite a few countries are using VBS1 now I think.

[Sui]

Yeah... OFP was a strange one when it first came out.

I don't think BIS ever intended it to be big in the editing department. They sort of threw the editor in as an after thought, and seemed a bit surprised when everyone got into it.

As Macca says, to their credit they soon came to the party in a big way

[THobson]

I really liked your opening gate.  I hope you don't mind, but I have used your idea to create a more general routine where you can specify such things as how far the gate will open and whether the gate opens clockwise or anti-clockwise.  It doesn't require GameLogics either.

What do you think?

@Sui

I am glad they did

[macguba]

Of course I don't mind.    

[Cpt. Red Nain]

Hi there!
I'm interested in the translating thing! Do u need it a french translator? or is it already done?

If yes, u do need one, where can i dl the mission not pboded?

Thx

-EDIT- i tried unpbing the latest version available, but it doesn't work  

-EDIT- err, actually i DID manage to depbo the mission  ;D. Currently translating...

[macguba]

Yes please!   I do need a French translator.  Klavan has volunteered to do the Italian and Mooseman the German.    

There is a Briefing (not long) and Overview and some lines of speech which are scattered thoughout the mission.    Take the briefing and overview from the mission:  I'll find all the other bits and post a text.  

I'm not sure what to do about the readme - its far too long to translate.  I think I'll produce a very short version.

Many thanks, its greatly appreciated.   Obviously translators see their name in lights when the credits roll.

[Dubieman]

I could do a bit of Spanish, its like a second language, well, I'll say I speak 1 1/2 languages.

If you need me that is, I'll grab the mission.