DD_Friar

I would also like to add that in my testing this action of going on to the next zone also meant them turning round and coming back. My parameters for the owned zone was 3 to capture and 2 to hold. They advance and take the zone. It goes blue. They then all head off to the next zone. the old zone goes neutral. It then becomes the nearest zone so they turn round and come back and re-capture it. They then set off to the next zone, the old zone goes neutral and...... Cheers Friar

Salute Sir, that would be excellent and I feel sure others would find it useful as well.

Salute oh wise people who know and use DML... Question for our leader, @cfrag Owned Zones and attacking troops. Sir, Would it be possible in some way to prevent troops having bravely fought their way in and captured a zone from automatically go marching on to the next zone. I have a brave group having been dropped off by helicopter near an enemy camp (spawner has "wait-attackOwnedZone" orders parameter), attack and capture it, then rather than waiting to be picked up again they decide to march multiple KM to the next Owned Zone. Could the range parameter used in the spawner not be used in someway so that they will go onto the next zone but only if it is within the "range" value? This way I can make sure the zones are far enough apart to prevent them going after zone after zone (and probably taking losses as they go) Regards Friar

@Squiggs You need to look at DML by @cfrag. This is a tool for easy mission building. It consists of copy and paste for scripts into your mission (no scripting knowledge required) I am using this exact functionality for picking troops up from a FARP/Base. fly off and drop them off. They then seek out and attack the nearest enemy. You can then go back and pick them up and take them somewhere else. All you need to be able to do is add a zone to the map and give it some parameters. I have created scenarios with troops being dropped off 2 to 3 Km away and they head off.

Salute @cfrag, I wonder if I might ask a quick (I hope that it is, if not, no worries) favour. I am trying to build a mission using the warehouse resources and cargo loads for re-supply for the Hercules mod. My issue is that some weapons (e.g. Apache Hellfires) are not listed as potential cargo. I have posted in the Hercules mod thread but am not sure if this receives any more development views / updates. My request is with your scripting skills would it be possible for you to extract a list of the missiles with their id's? Let me explain. I am doing the digging myself to find how to add the missing items. I believe that I have found the correct .lua file (see below Hercules_loadout.lua) and have tried to add one of the types that are missing (AGM-114K used on the Apache). I copied the top line and changed it for the AGM-114K but I think the last item - wstype = {4,4, 8, 77}}) the "77" seems to be a code, but I have no way of identifying the codes. I appreciate that this is a bit of a cheeky request with every thing else you have going on, but any assistance you could give would be very much appreciated. Regards DD_Friar null

@cfrag - Thank you for your reply. I will park my idea for now until you are more happy that your solution is nearer completed.

@cfrag, Sir, I wonder if I may trouble you for some assistance (again...). As I have stated before I am trying to have ago at building my own extended mission using DML. Using your Expansion 1.11 as a guide I have created my first, starting point airfield however I am getting a couple of errors that I do not understand. I have built the airfield using the same zones and modules that you used for the home airfield but I am obviously missing something. I have included the mission and screen shots and was hoping you may be able to spare me a few minutes of your time to take a quick look to see what I have over looked or not understood correctly. DD_Friar Dynamic Syria Using DML V1.miz

Many thanks @cfrag, so can I confirm my understanding, this new method will also work for a hosted multiplayer server and I can remove the SSB script from the hooks folder? Regards Friar

@ben_der thank you. I have not gone to the discord - I was only going by the screen shots posted here. looking forward to next week.

Just watched Growling Sidewinders video and noticed that the skin he had was not in the "official" list in the road map thread. a) Has it since been added, in which case b) Was it one of his own? which means he knocked that up real quick! or c) It is in the set and I just did not look properly

@cfrag Thank you for taking the time out to reply. I have started building my own mission. The first thing I have done is to replicate all of the modules you have used so that I know from the start I have all of the correct building blocks in place. I am then going to start very simply looking at each feature of this brilliant scenario bit by bit until I have built up an understanding of how it all clicks together. Thanks again for you time and efforts in building this technology. Friar

Salute @cfrag I am currently trying to dissect how the "Expansion" mission works with a view of trying to build my own on another map, Syria for example, using your excellent technology . I have tested the vanilla mission and can see that although blue aircraft at currently owned red bases do appear in the list of available planes to pick, when clicking on them you are not able to select them (something better than the "foothold" version which lets you select the aircraft but then when going to the mission tells you its not available). My question is how is this facilitated? I assume it utilizes the slot-blocking server script but how? I am not looking for a detailed explanation just a nudge to the way the module zones work. For example Baslan airfield, I have taken the liberty of changing the zone names to identify what they are for (something I do in my missions to make it easier to remember what they are for). Could you give a brief explanation of which zone does what (excluding the cloners and spawners of course as I am comfortable with those) in the food chain please? Once I have this I will use the knowledge to go back to mission and translate it to what I see. Many thanks for this, we played the older version of this technology on the Syria map last night and had a real good time with the concept. We will be playing your version very soon. Regards DD_Friar null

ok, just found the correct option doh!....how long have I been doing this........ (sorry bit of an in joke when one of our squad screws up

Ok, so I must be having an "old moment" here. I for the life of me can not find all the config zones, or any of the other zones for that matter!. In a previous post you said just tick "show all" - I have enabled show all hidden, but can not find to where you are referring?

Are you sure you are landing with re-arm units within range? I tend to have my Hueys all starting hot and players can re-arm- I think the door may need to be open?

I am sure you can change the map display on the MFD to show slopes and levels. the FCR is a target radar only.

@Czar66 - have a look at the DML Tool box by @cfrag. Its not a mod and you require no scripting knowledge. Within it is the ability to create clone groups. These can be a bunch of both static and live units. You can then use a random generator to pick the clone template you want activated. So for example you could have 3 or 4 different clone templates located in a position. The random generator will pick which one it spawns in. Once the template is created you just place zones where ever you want that template to potentially be spawned in. You also have the option to randomise the heading and position within the spawn location, so even if the same group got used twice when running the mission on repeat their distribution within the zone may not be the same. I have used this many times. Another great feature is that I may have created a template and marked 20 positions where I might want that group to be placed. If I decided that I want to change the format of the group, I just change the template. I do not have to go to all 20 locations and edit the placement (oh for multiple unit copy and paste in the editor but that is for another thread). Check it out, I know it is a third party and not in standard but it really does add to mission building.

For a convoy created using the cloner that have way-points that are "onroad", they will still continue in a line, but if they move "off road" at a point in their journey they will go "echelon right"? Is that correct? I did say that "a little knowledge was a dangerous thing" Many thanks for your open approach to suggestions from the community.

@cfrag REF: Deployed Troops I thought I would test my idea to see if it worked and am pleased to include the results below. For THIS test, all seems good. I may play now play around with some of the other formations to see if they would be better. My golden solution would be for a parameter in the commander module or feeder module to be able to set the formation. Pictures below - Troops move out in formation. / They engage the enemy with all soldiers firing (down on one knee) / the code I changed

Salute @cfrag and all who love DML I have been looking at the way troops move once they have been deployed from a helicopter. If they are given the "Guard" order and within range of enemy unit(s) they will head off in their direction to engage. They travel in a nice line one behind the other. This means that when they come to engage the enemy only the front man fires, thus reducing the odds of a successful attack, even if they are out numbering the defenders. Is there any way that they can be given a default formation of perhaps "echelon left" or "echelon right" by default? I have been looking at the modules for "Commander" and for "groundtroops" looking for a clue in the script (I suspect that I am on "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing" ground) but in the code snip-it below would replacing "off road" with "EchelonL" or "EchelonR" work? Regards DD_Friar

Perhaps its a case of "chicken and egg"? Without the tools to move things around what is the point of having things that can be moved around, now we are getting a tool to move things around perhaps that will bring us the things that need to be moved around...

@sirrah have you checked out DML Tool box by @cfrag ? - He has a module for helotroops where you can drop them off anywhere and if they are within range (which you set) they will head off to find the enemy to engage, without the need for plotting way-points for them. Its not a mod so if you build a multiplayer mission with it, anyone who joins the map can take part, does not have to pre-downloaded by them. You can also pick them up from anywhere as well. I have created two scenarios on our squad server using it, one is a town assault and the other is Spec Ops pick up from random locations.

Been looking forward to this. Time to knuckle down and start building some logistics missions. Bought for £39.44 and will give many many hours of fun (and frustration no doubt in trying to get that tail balanced on a hillside!) Noticed a new walking soldier model as well null

I echo this comment for our squad. We build missions that make it easy for people who are perhaps new to DCS to come in and play with us. We are not totally mod free, we require that players have the A4-e, the Blackhawk and the Bronco, that's all as these are included in a number of our squad missions. We run others that require no mods at all as well.

@cfrag yep, nothing to do with your excellent tool box. It was a "unitZone" I had linked to a carrier that was the issue. I deleted that and all now good.