(Review Completed) [SP] Red Tide

[THobson]

Looks fine to me.   I do it slightly differently but the result should be the same.  I give the trigger a name and then use

list triggername in the script. Either should work.

In fact setting the player's group to captive should be sufficient so what you have here is belt and braces.  A good approach.  All the more puzzling.

My suggestion is this:
mikero got an error message.  It may be that whatever caused the error might have killed the script before the setCaptive and behaviour BLUE bits were reached.  I would concentrate on trying to find what caused the error message and I bet that will solve this problem also.

mikero's error mesage was :

"_man = uints ...

If that is literally correct then you have spelt units incorrectly.  If it is a typo by mike then you need to check the code to be sure you are not accessing an array element that is outside the bounds of the array.
Without seeing the script I can think of nothing else.

[Pilot]

In fact setting the player's group to captive should be sufficient so what you have here is belt and braces.  A good approach.  All the more puzzling.

I did this because I heard an enemy unit will still shoot a captive unit if he was commanded to shoot the captive unit before the captive unit was catpive. (uh, was that clear to anyone?)

My suggestion is this:
mikero got an error message.  It may be that whatever caused the error might have killed the script before the setCaptive and behaviour BLUE bits were reached.  I would concentrate on trying to find what caused the error message and I bet that will solve this problem also.

That's the strange thing.  The setCaptive and behaviour come at the beginning of the script.

As to the error message, I have checked and rechecked, tested and retested, and I have not found a typo, and the error message has only come up once.

I have added checks in the current version of Red Tide (you can download it above), so if the player is killed, the script will exit.  I'm hoping that was the problem.  I have only one time recieved the same error message mikero has recieved when I, as the player, was killed during the surrender scene. (I was killed by friendly fire)  But seeing as two eyes are better than one, I will post the script I think is causing the problem.

[THobson]

You have several instances of the type:

Code: [Select]

?_j == count units group player: goto "Wait"
?!alive player: exit
_man = units group player select _j
I think it is here that the problem lies - big clue is the error message extract from mikero.

There is a problem with count when applied to the units of a group.  Well not a problem but something to be careful of.

Count units group player will give you a count of the number of units the player thinks he has.  You know the problem - one of your guys gets killed but it is only a while later you get the "Oh no 3 is down" message.  3 could have been dead for some time.  Count units group player would include 3 before you get the message but not after even though he has been dead for a while.

This may be causing the problem.  It needs to be something strange for it to be intermittent.

I suggest what you do at the start of the script is to create an array that contains only the units in the players group that are alive, then use this array in the _man = â€Â¦ lines

EDIT:
I would also change your:

?_j == count ...

to
?_j >= count  

I suspect one of the dead units gets recognised as such while the script is running and so makes _j or whatever index caused the problem to exceded the limits of the array: units group player

[Pilot]

Count units group player will give you a count of the number of units the player thinks he has.  You know the problem - one of your guys gets killed but it is only a while later you get the "Oh no 3 is down" message.  3 could have been dead for some time.  Count units group player would include 3 before you get the message but not after even though he has been dead for a while.

Yeah, I found this out in an older version of this script, the part that makes the men surrender.  The men who died but weren't "known" as dead would come back to life to surrender.  What a pain in the ass.

I suggest what you do at the start of the script is to create an array that contains only the units in the players group that are alive, then use this array in the _man = â€Â¦ lines

I have tried to accomplish this, but all my attempts failed, which is why I have written the script this way.  Any suggestions on how to do this?

I suspect one of the dead units gets recognised as such while the script is running and so makes _j or whatever index caused the problem to exceded the limits of the array: units group player

The loop is instantaneous, there is no wait command.  I wouldn't think the above situation would cause a problem because of this.  Please correct me if I am wrong.

[THobson]

I have tried to accomplish this, but all my attempts failed, which is why I have written the script this way.  Any suggestions on how to do this?

An extract from one of my scripts:

Code: [Select]

_livingloons = []
{if (alive _x) then {_livingloons = _livingloons + [_x]}} forEach East_loons

The loop is instantaneous, there is no wait command.  I wouldn't think the above situation would cause a problem because of this.  Please correct me if I am wrong.

Please stand corrected.  There is no such thing as instantaneous.  Everything takes CPU clock cycles, and the CPU is not dedicated to running your scripts.  If it were then nothing else would happen in the game until your script had finished running.  The OFP engine shares CPU time across a number of different tasks of which your script is only one.  

Anyway it is always good practice to use <= or <= rather than ==.  The latter can cause real problems when you are using real numbers so I just get inthe habit of not using == even for integers.

[Pilot]

An extract from one of my scripts:
Code:_livingloons = []
{if (alive _x) then {_livingloons = _livingloons + [_x]}} forEach East_loons

Thanks THobson!  I don't think I would have thought to do something like that.

Please stand corrected.  There is no such thing as instantaneous.  Everything takes CPU clock cycles, and the CPU us not dedicated to running your scripts.  If it were then nothing else would happen in the game until your script had finished running.  The OFP engine shares CPU time across a number of different tasks of which your script is only one.

I stand corrected, thanks for the clarification.

Anyway it is always good practice to use <= or <= rather than ==.  The latter can cause real problems when you are using real numbers so I just get inthe habit of not using == even for integers.

Ok, I will do so.

Thanks for the responses, THobson.

[Pilot]

Red Tide has been submited to the missions depot.

Fixes/Changes:
Adjustments made to surrender scripts.

This version should be rid of the errors found in the previous version

[Mikero]

No bugs detected.

Mission:

No m2 bug, no trouble with trucks, squad did not attempt to eat one of them. All addons removed from computer (other than editor), but you did say you changed trucks, too.

All major play occurred on hill line formation - alert mode, I moved nowhere else except to get end game trigger in fort. Not a criticism, a definition of this-time-round game play.

-----------
@Thobson

Hard for me to tell if i'm dealing with true rain, or fog or mist, not sure which in some parts of this mission. However, the 'clue' is the rpg'er on the cement block. My troops, he, cannot shoot each other unless they can 'see' each other via iron sights. There's no mist bug here.
-----------=

armour was alone the squad I normally see with them was not present, and may, possibly have moved at angle to fort that i couldn't see.

Ditto reinforcements from NW? behind fort. Not seen, they appear in corner (a report, not a bug)

All enemy ai more or less concentrated dead center of opening and RIGHTside of walls

No ai coming at us from left side this time except straggler(s).

Cement block RPG is evil, so too is (a now single?) officer in my favorite bush topside.

Potentially up to three nasties in singles at 6 o'clock

one, maybe two additionals in road at 3'oclock, not the two guards killed earlier.

Usual squad attacks from dead centre.

All ai, mine included, remain totally vicious.

I sense that I got away with this by good management, one slip, and I'd have been in deep doodoo, wrong place wrong time.

Tested surrender by forcing my people to board truck at beginning, they never make it, cutcsene cuts in, i was expecting a bug doing this, none.

Preferred seeing squad surrendering to your current pointy guns bit. Personal choice, here.

One minor: sound of rifle fire during cutscene, nothing more. Suspect you switched surrender scene so that we wouldn't report 'seeing' one of us get shot. <grin> In fact, the former works for me, not all my squad would obey orders, not all the enemy would be nice and kind.

Outro.

Christ, I even look utterly miserable! How did you do that?

Because you knocked text out here, I would lengthen that very sad shot of me, looking devastated. Give player time to absorb the tragicness (sp). It's sort of like the silence on PBS when showing those snaps and details of those poor buggers, young and old, in Iraq. It's awful and player has a time to reflect.

Last shot of troops to chopper, something missing, i needed to see detail of who was who. wanted to see armed or unarmed nato (I suspect, appropriately, they were not menacing, they were not armed, no reason to be).

were they guard troops, or were they pow exchange? Either way, shot was too quick to absorb it. I wouldn't play the POW exchange theme, there's no scenario for it. The point you are making in this cut scene is that there was no reason NOT to shoot all the big bad Russians dead. And yet,,, voila. Humanity prevails.

Put shouldered weapons on nato (suggestion), or put me, the officer, standing among them, ordering my troops to the chopper.

Another tough one:
Many players will never see this cutscene! They'll retry first!!!

M2 and all that.

Thobson, (in an unusual flash of brillance for that evil man), gets his troops to remount the M2 gun. You might do similar?

Smallest of niggles:

for the next week

for the rest of that week

that, of course, is up to you.


Technical:

for your info I tried a replacement to the editor to get round this god damned Resistance/  shall we hide them/  shall we not/ which version 111 is really version 1.02 stuff .

I normaly use Barrons' 175 upgrade.

this time, something called LocMea.pbo (from Samson's doesn't take a hero campaign)

It only failed on the surrender outro, missing "newHut"

[Pilot]

No bugs detected.

I am very glad to hear that.

armour was alone the squad I normally see with them was not present, and may, possibly have moved at angle to fort that i couldn't see.

It could also be they were still in the M113

Cement block RPG is evil, so too is (a now single?) officer in my favorite bush topside.

Cement block RPG???  As for the single officer, maybe you already killed the other soldier in his group.  I don't believe I have any soldiers by themselves.

I sense that I got away with this by good management, one slip, and I'd have been in deep doodoo, wrong place wrong time.

Good to hear that.  I have had the same experience, but instead of succeeding like you, I failed miserably.  One time I found myself with 3 of my men left facing the last 2 counter-attack squads.  Definately a surrender situation.

One minor: sound of rifle fire during cutscene, nothing more. Suspect you switched surrender scene so that we wouldn't report 'seeing' one of us get shot. <grin>

Lol, when did the rifle fire begin, right after the cutscene started, or some time into it?

Christ, I even look utterly miserable! How did you do that?

This setmimic "SAD"

Because you knocked text out here, I would lengthen that very sad shot of me, looking devastated. Give player time to absorb the tragicness (sp). It's sort of like the silence on PBS when showing those snaps and details of those poor buggers, young and old, in Iraq. It's awful and player has a time to reflect.

Last shot of troops to chopper, something missing, i needed to see detail of who was who. wanted to see armed or unarmed nato (I suspect, appropriately, they were not menacing, they were not armed, no reason to be).

The last shot is meant to be a POW exchange.  I will consider your suggestions, but am not sure how many I can incorporate.  The song I use for the loose outro is quite short.

Thobson, (in an unusual flash of brillance for that evil man), gets his troops to remount the M2 gun. You might do similar?

Having problems with Abadoned Armies, mikero?  Anyway, about the suggestion.  The M2 at the base is remanned by the troops at the sandbag wall.  When the troops at the sandbag wall are all killed, then the M2 remains unmanned.

Smallest of niggles:

for the next week

for the rest of that week

that, of course, is up to you.

I think I will keep it as it is just because I don't feel like changing the German translation again.

From what you said mikero it sounds like the intro and mission are ok?  And all that need to be polished are the surrender scenes and loose outro?

EDIT:
About the editor upgrade, I use General Barron's Editor Upgrade, and have no problems with it.

[THobson]

Thobson, (in an unusual flash of brillance for that evil man

Bloody cheek!  I don't mind evil - it is the unusual I object to ;D

Good to see this mission is coming on.  I told you guard units would make a lot of difference.

[Mikero]

It could also be they were still in the M113

this would explain it for me, they were a very far away 300 meters +

quite surprised my people took it on rather than the T55 at 200 meters -

Btw, never knew you were than nasty, putting reinforcements IN the thing. Gasp.

>Cement block rpg

a lone loon on cement, extreme water edge front corner, fort.

will take snapshot if u need it.

but instead of succeeding like you

Unlike a poor author who lays his soul bare on each upload.pbo, we beta testers can use 'discretion'   when discussing our failures. Suffice to say pilot, in your mission, they were many, and varied

>single officer bushes

2nd time i've encountered him alone, he's ordinarily front right of bushes and ordinarily has a friend of his far back corner (of bushes)

I suspect, but dont know (of course) that his mate comes up at us over that ridge 1 o'lcock.

Rifle fire began at very, very last section. Actually no, one soldier before there was that cut back to me (I think I had seven people left)

The M2 at the base is remanned by the troops at the sandbag wall.

Not at any time, in the many times I have now played this mission has that ever occurred.  I am 200% certain of that because, apart from the armour, the M2gunner is the only impediment to me succeeding. I watch that spot like a leech.

There are however,  always, one, to a few loons always behind the bags at the end, always looking for contact lenses. It may be an aspect of my game play that the slightest twitch or movement from that base means instant green tracer. I am so paranoid about those nests, any mission, that in your mission, I keep both my mgunners 'watching' 12 o'clock.

Suggestion: if you put two nests there, it would enhance my play and make it 'fairer' for them Ho ho.

And all that need to be polished

nothing needs polish, this mission has always worked for me since V0.0. The day you put a halt to it and release it is always going to be fine imho. Damn, did i *really* use the word humble? BAh!

Having problems with Abadoned Armies, mikero?

feel the pain.

[Pilot]

a lone loon on cement, extreme water edge front corner, fort.

Ok, I know what you are talking about, now.

Rifle fire began at very, very last section. Actually no, one soldier before there was that cut back to me (I think I had seven people left)

That's odd, I'll look into it.

Not at any time, in the many times I have now played this mission has that ever occurred.  I am 200% certain of that because, apart from the armour, the M2gunner is the only impediment to me succeeding. I watch that spot like a leech.

Sometimes it takes awhile for the next gunner to realize he's gunner.  So by the time he is ready to get in the gun, you may have shot him already.  I'll see if I can adjust the script to make the reman go quicker.

[Fragorl]

OK, I'll jump back into the fray at his late stage in the game

New strategy for me; post as I play, don't try and remember it all afterwards.
Ok, I downloaded v1.3, played some of it, got slaughtered numerous times, almost conquered the base, saw today that v1.35 was out. So I'll post on that instaed - I can barely remember v1.0 but I'll post as many comparisons as I can. Otherwise this is a fresh beta test/conglomeration between 1.30 and 1.35.

Intro

Text. Red - striking, I like it. Stands out very well. Placement of text throughout the intro is perfect. It's in the middle when in needs to be, down the bottom when it needs to be.
Still the "Soviet politburo in Moscow" - this may or may not be redundant, but maybe it serves to emphasize the fact. The Soviet politburo by itself would be fine as well.
"After a week of training" - doesn't seem like very much! Also, is it a week of military training, or a week of training for the invasion itself? Yes, I do know the answer to that. Just a nit-pick.
"You are the commander of the central invasion group" - good. Now I know exactly who I am, and what I'm doing.

Camera use. Fine, don't seem to have any more of those big angles which cause a moment of lag. Then again, maybe that's just my temperamental computer.

The Soviet base. It's impressive, seeing those ranks lined up like that, but otherwise the base looks a bit bare. Perhaps a few tents dotted around the sides, maybe an ammo truck, or something. I know there isn't a lot a room, but something to fill it out would be nice.

Briefing

I'm not particularly well qualified to discuss briefings, looks fine to me. I only include this as everyone else does. Speeling fine.

Oops - i just noticed - counter attacks from entre deux and chotain! That'll be why i was being shot at from my right flank playing v1.3. Teach me to skip over the briefing!

Mission

Radio says "Be careful of the roads". Is this new? Well, it's something I learned the hard way playing 1.3, so either it wasn't there, or more likely I ignore it. I is, however, good advice!

I lead my squad up the hill directly due west, to a rise near where the road curves. I ensure all my men are prone behind the rise, so that only their heads (and guns) are exposed. From experience (and the briefing) we scan between S and SW. A few soldiers safe it along the road; we open fire and kill most of them. The remaining few head for their base (smart). After a short while, a full squad advances on us from the direction of the base; the terrain actually works for us , and we are able to perforated them one at a time as they come into view. The worst they can do is toss a hand grenade, which thankfully goes wide, failing to injure anyone. The culprit is shot. Once again, the remainder flee down the hill, to the base. I'm sensing a pattern here; this is the kind of behaviour I'd expect.

No casualties - yet.

Still drawing on experience, I tell my men to watch up the hill, scanning all the time with my eagle eye (and pair of binoculars). We spot the m113 and t55 when they're little more than silhouettes. My 3 AT soldiers are all sighting down their barrels, and I gleefully anticipate the imminent destruction. A tree is blocking my view, I shift a little to my right to get a better perspective, and dash it all if my first AT soldier (who's now entirely exposed) doesn't take this as his cue to find a better position in the formation! I watch in horror as the m113 sees him, takes aim, and riddles him full of holes. The poor guy wasn't even looking at the thing! My two other AT men decide to fire, but- oh no! They've both targetted the t55, who explodes in an ecp fireball (always nice). M113, now thoroughly pissed, kills one of the remaining two, the other guy drops his gun and switched back to AK47 (he only hd one round). The m113 takes this opportunity to offload a full cargo (!) who proceed to immediately open fire. Fortunately the majority of my squad are still in good positions, and are able to return fire from relative safety. The troops, having been offloaded onto a steep hill, are extraordinarily easy to target, and all are down in no time. I grab the rpg off a fallen soldier and blast the m113 into oblivion. Then I assess the casualties.

4 down, all 3 AT soldiers, plus the medic. No idea what he was doing; I'd like to think he was trying to save the life of one of the mortally wounded RPG'ers. Each was killed because they'd left formation and mounted the risge, where they were easy targets.

4 casualties; normally i'd restart, but I haven't been offered a 'surrender' option yet and decide to keep going ;D. I revert to my old strategy of placing my men on the road overlooking the base, and circling round West of the base to spot for them.

<Savegame>

There are alot of soldiers down there . All are facing in the direction of my men. Any open assault would be foolish, as sheer weight of numbers would dictate that all my men would be killed. On a whim, I launch a couple of rpgs, the first into a thick cluster of men, the second right into that d**n m2 machinegun. I barely escape with my life, proning just in time. However, the effects were just what i was after - bodies fly through the air, and the machinegun explodes, maiming several soldiers around it. The survivors are in disarray, ceaseing the vigil on the hill north of the base. A group of soldiers split off from the main body and mount the hill in what i recognise is an attempt to outflank and kill me. Fortunately #2 is in a position to make them regret this move, and several downed soldiers later, the main force is in turmoil.

More as I play

[Fragorl]

Ugh. And just to let you know, the ecp savegame bug rears it's ugly head again. Even in this mission, which uses (I'd imagine) comparitively few global vars. This is really starting to annoy me ;P

[Pilot]

Hey Fragorl,

OK, I'll jump back into the fray at his late stage in the game

Welcome back, you test is much appreciated!

Still the "Soviet politburo in Moscow" - this may or may not be redundant, but maybe it serves to emphasize the fact. The Soviet politburo by itself would be fine as well.

You may be right.  I will consider removeing in Moscow

"After a week of training" - doesn't seem like very much! Also, is it a week of military training, or a week of training for the invasion itself? Yes, I do know the answer to that. Just a nit-pick.

Well I figure the Soviet Army trains regularly anyway, so all they would need is some training specifically on beach landings.  Also, the intro doesn't say this, but I always thought of this as being a rush job.  The politburo decided to place missiled on Everon and want it done yesterday.

The Soviet base. It's impressive, seeing those ranks lined up like that, but otherwise the base looks a bit bare. Perhaps a few tents dotted around the sides, maybe an ammo truck, or something. I know there isn't a lot a room, but something to fill it out would be nice.

I'm glad you brought this up.  When I first posted this mission, I was uneasy about the sparsity of the Soviet Base.  During the testing, however, I forgot about it.  Now that you have brought it up, I will take another look into it.

Radio says "Be careful of the roads". Is this new?

I believe I inserted it in version 1.3, so yes, it is resonably new.

Ugh. And just to let you know, the ecp savegame bug rears it's ugly head again. Even in this mission, which uses (I'd imagine) comparitively few global vars.

Darn, I didn't think my mission had enough global variables to set off the savegame but.  I actually have quite a few global variables, especially for a mission this size.
*Counts how many global variables are in the mission*
I have 29 global boolean variables, is that a lot?

Thanks for your test, Fragorl.  I hope the ECP bug doesn't discourage you from finishing this mission.