Ripcord

OK, I got it working. It is a three or four step process. 1. Set your flight in a parked space, use the current mission start time (no delay). Be sure to check the UNCONTROLLED check box, which is right next to the HIDDEN ON MAP checkbox, right under the callsign dropdown menus. 2. Go the Triggered Actions menu (next in line after the weapons/payload menu) and select Add. You want to select PERFORM COMMAND, and then select START. Don't waste any time with the conditions menu, that is the part here that doesn't work -- at least not for me. Be sure to post and let us know if you find otherwise. I tested the time condition and the user flag condition. No go on either. 3. Create one-time trigger to activate the flight. The Action you want is the AI TASK. Then you just select your START action for whatever flight you want to trigger. Until you trigger it that way, you'll see the aircraft sitting there on the ramp, parked, with no pilot in it. Then when you trigger it, you'll the pilot appear in the cockpit and the taxi lights will come on. Magik! Thanks to ED for implementing this -- a little update in the GUI manual would have been appreciated, but what the hell, we figured it out. Ripcord

Where is that new START checkbox? I didn't see that. I saw only a checkbox that says UNCONTROLLED.... whatever that means.

Let me make an important correction here -- If I set the flight start time to 10-11 hours later, and use the START triggered task with a condition for it to start after a few minutes, then the flight simply does not spawn. Not at the beginning of the mission, and not after a few minutes when the Start condition is met. I am starting to think this just did not get implemented.

OK 1.1.0.9 is here at last, now..... how to implement this in the ME? Changes of AI Tasking System/Mission Editor Spawn of inactive aircraft on parking ramps added and "Start" triggered task. This makes it possible to use aircraft as a static objects or for delayed takeoff. EDIT: If I set the start time for the AI flight to normal mission start time, eg 1300, then the plane just takes off right away. If I set it to say, 2300, and use the START triggered task, then the flight isn't visible on the ramp until it spawns. I must be doing this incorrectly. Ripcord

Hey guys, I think this is a pretty good response here from ED, considering this came within a 24 hour period on a weekend. The guy cannot guarantee it anyway, until it happens. I am another that really wants this print() to be restored, because I think Speed is very much on the right track here and the more we are able to dump data from one mission, the closer we will be to referencing that in the next mission. I won't say DC word here, and risking throwing the whole thread OT, but it will be a huge step in that direction. Viper, well done and thanks for elevating this. Cannot say enough about the contributions that Speed has made with the ME -- let's integrate them. Ripcord

Good idea, I will try that, thanks BR. I will also try just using 1.1.0.9, maybe the problem just went away.

OK, now I am still learning this thing and anytime something doesn't work right, I always suspect Operator Error. Help me understanding what I might be doing wrong that causes this: Starting up on the ramp at Kutaisi, following my handy checklist, and I contact the tower to request Engine Start. He tells me negative. Why not? I'm getting thru to him on the radio, since I am getting a response, so that's not the problem. When I start anyway, I still get the radio menu prompt to request taxi -- which is granted. And when I get to the hold short line at the runway, I get permission to take off. Just that engine start, can't understand why they don't allow me to do that. There are a couple AI jets going by, could that be the problem?

Mine seem to fire without the fire at target command - in fact just letting them do their thing on their own seems to work better. I notice that they will often stop while on the move, driving along a road or moving through a field, and suddenly open up a barrage of hurt on some enemy unit, waaaaaay across the valley. Then they kinda just pack it up and get back on the move again. Maybe they launch again later, maybe they don't. Haven't been able to determine that just yet. But when they do get in that optimum range of a target, they will stop and fire. Same with the Russian Grad trucks.

Maybe he cannot see them? Try assigning the target groups in the advanced menu. Actually, there is a guy called Cibit that created a basic guide for adding JTACs. You already seem to have it working, but the FAC-assign groups thing is shown pretty clearly in this PDF guide he made. You might look it over. http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=71252&highlight=jtac

Question that is related here...... if I may. Say I wanted to make an AI flight go away in the event that a second player joins a mission in MP -- in my example it would be a single A-10C AFAC flight. Could I do that using this ONCE UNIT ALIVE trigger command? To clarify, the HOST is flying as flight lead for a CAS flight and the CLIENT player flight would be AFAC. The AI AFAC flight would need to disappear or deactivate or whatever when the CLIENT player joints. No need for the AI AFAC if we now have a human player flight set up to do that. Alternatively I could just send the AI flight back to RTB..... could that be done? Will need to experiment a bit with this. Ripcord

This is perfect for use in MP missions.... essentially a force multiplier. Great stuff.

I know what DF equipment is, I used it in the navy in RL. Lots of cool stuff you can do with that. I was thinking that the ADF was something like an NDB or VOR, something transmitted on the ground for navigation purposes. I didn't realize that it was nothing more than just DF gear on the airplane. Ripcord

Wildfire, wow man, 8 flying MP together. How did you find out that some are experiencing slowdowns? I guess you will need to gather info from those people, in order to really identify/localize the root cause(s). Ripcord

Wildfire, the answer to your question probably lies in the settings of your clients on the server that are flying your mission. Are they flying with labels on? Or maybe they should set the scenes to medium, if they are experience slowdowns online? The problem may not even be related to number of units or the content of the mission itself. That said, I have heard that spawing objects/groups does create slowdowns while in the heat of battle, even in SP -- are you spawning all your groups at mission start, or pretty fairly on? I agree with Druid, I don't believe it is just a function of lingering smoke -- anyway that is all part and parcel of the battlefield environment you are trying to create. This thread is interesting for me because I am creating a large FLOT type of mission, two really, in which side A is going the offensive and side B is defending a position, trying to prevent the enemy of reaching their objective. My version is maybe not as big as yours, say 200-250 units on each side, and not all units are directly involved right at the point of attack -- close to half are spread out across a 30-40 km FLOT. Hell, some of them are just AirDef units, or FARPs not even in the area. Trying to create a good theatre template that works well. Then I can just move my units around, change it up and reuse. It may one day morph into a nice campaign, but we will see. Right now I am kinda like you, just trying to get one mission working well. How many players in MP do you have in your mission? Is it 2 players or 4 players or more? Does it make a difference in frame rates if less players fly it? Just throwing out ideas. Ripcord

First of all, let me say that this is a damn cool mission idea. I really like it, I hope it works. Secondly, I think you hit it on the head -- this allows the VHF/FM to detect ADF signals, as you copied right out of the manual. But what units can transmit an ADF signal? Does this ground pounder JTAC unit have the capability to transmit an ADF signal? I don't guess it would be able to do that. Just because a unit can transmit on a VHF/FM freq, that is a radio signal, not an ADF signal. Am I way off base here? Ripcord

I sense that you are building a mission in which the player is tasked with bombing an enemy EW radar site. I assume that the player is supposed to check in with a JTAC who will then give them targetting data and talk them onto a target. Here is how I would build that mission -- adjust your storyline. In RL, it is HIGHLY unlikely that any special forces commando team is going to get close enough to an enemy EW radar site to do that, UNLESS they are covert or under cover. In that case they are probably not going to be in a position to stop and break out their SOFLAM and radios and make a big production out of this -- due to danger of being detected themselves. Perhaps they would be able to do one of these things (a) set a GPS marker, which would be loaded into your players' flight plan in the form of a waypoint. or (b) place smoke or an illumitation bomb on the target. Which one I guess depends on the target and on you, the mission builder. You would of course lose all the cool radio interaction with the JTAC, but you could work around it. Oh I guess you might be able to simulate some of it, if you are a good mission designer -- that is how it all had to be done back in FC2. Of course the radio transmission would be very brief, being that your undercover eyes are covert, and probably more concerned with getting the hell outta there. And you wouldn't need the full talk-on for this kind of mission. This is NOT a CAS mission, it is a pinpoint strike mission, likely involving precision guided munitions, eg. JDAMS. Now how in the hell you would approach that EWR target, that's another question.... :smilewink: That's just my 2c. Ripcord

Not sure I understand -- the EWR is an enemy unit that JTAC is supposed to detect and task for air units to attack? Maybe this is created by design -- JTAC does not want to any of it's valuable air assets to get detected by enemy EW radar. It does seem strange.

Yep, I went back and re-flew the MAV training mission and started to get the hang of it. Next up is mastering the CDU input so I can start getting the tactical scoop from JTAC. Been watching some good vids on you-tube, something to guide me when I sit down to RTFM. Ripcord

One possible request -- noob here needs a little more guidance on how to shoot that second Mav. Followed directions in the tutorial, acquired first target and fired and scored a hit. But maybe took a little too long and I need to go around or alter my approach. How then to recenter the TGP at the waypoint, in order to find those targets again? Or maybe I need to shift my attention to the next wp? How do move the TGP there, once I already have it set somewhere? I am, of course, taking time to RTFM as I go but it is one big-ass manual, and I find that these instructional videos are really helpful -- maybe there is one out there that addresses this? Ripcord

OK, then it might take you a long time to learn this sim. At least I did not tell you to RTFM. Give me some credit, friend. Ripcord EDIT: If I makes you feel better, I went to EASY radio communications today just to finally master which calls are VHF AM, which are VHF FM, UHF, etc. Decided it would be a useful step as a learning tool.

So learn to key the right radio.

Sure, I agree, but that was the best I could do just to keep it level. Trim should address the turbulence, to some degree, but that wasn't the problem. Fixed the axis settings and got my flight control back. Even managed to land! Thanks again for the good advice, guys. Yeah that AI wingman goes barrelling out ahead. I like to slowly move the throttles forward and focus a little more on keeping the plane going straight. Remember this a runway start in a 4 aircraft flight. When I get my rampstart checklist procedures down a little better, we won't have that issue.

Right you are, sir! That must have been the problem. Flew again like it flew before. Thanks to all those that chimed in to help. This is a damn good forum, and I am certain I'll be back again for more help. RIpcord

Could be, but I did not have this problem when I was using my X-52. And because of this, I have begun to suspect that the new TM Warthog HOTAS is causing the problem. Maybe this dead zone suggestion is the way to go here. I will say that stepping hard on opposite rudder is one of the way I am able to recover from these sudden rolls-overs. Question -- looking now at my option settings. I have saitek rudder pedals and of course the TM WH HOTAS. I have axis x and axis y mapped to the HOTAS, but also assigned to the rudder pedals. Why is that? Maybe that is my problem? I just cleared the X and Y axis (pitch and roll) from the saitek rudder pedals and added in a 10% deadzone for the Z axis. Let me go test this and see if this helps. Ripcord

I flew it again. The EAS Armed switch did appear to be the problem that was causing the warning light, etc. at the start of the mission. But that was not the cause of my flight control issues. The track is painful to watch, partly because I am wrestling constantly with the damn stick the whole way, and partly because my Track IR 5 flipped out for a couple minutes about halfway between wp 1 and wp 2. Then things improved a bit and I was actually able to kick in the autopilot, just briefly. But it would not remain in autopilot, the flight control problems soon return. This cannot be just a function of trimming or not trimming the aircraft. The thing flies like a truckload of bricks. And it did not used to be this way. Between this and the occassional loss of stability with the track IR, this sim is really unplayable. Gotta find what I am doing wrong. Ripcord Ripcord01.trk