fargo007

Hi guys, I released version 6, and simultaneously transitioned this to being its own project on Github. https://github.com/Fargo007/TROOPS-IN-CONTACT There's a full readme.md/changelog there, a zip with the sound files, and an example mission (right now Syira).

I've been moving missions between maps by unpacking them and changing the theatre in the mission and theatre files. The same technique works with static templates. Just edit it, and change the theatre to suit. Syria PersianGulf Caucasus You can then load the template on the other map. Really simple way to move large numbers of assets around.

A main element retreats after taking damage from an air attack. The formation and distance are configurable. Here, "On Road" was used, with a distance of 10km, and a time of 120 seconds used as the decision point to make their move. In the following image, a group is bugging out with "Off Road" and 4000km. Note that they will still go to (but not always actually use) a bridge to cross water. This is a railroad bridge. Ground routing could vary quite a bit by map. Syria for instance, has LOTS of roads, always nearby. I'm seeing better action on Syria with "On Road" / 4000. Still testing but looking very good for this new feature.

Thanks, will try that. ETA - This is working a lot better now. I also had to separate out the infantry from the groups. So in V6, "SUPPORT" elements are where you should put your infantry populations or "immovables" such as fixed AA positions. if you want to use the flanking/bugout features. HEAVY and LIGHT elements should only be vehicles. Both LIGHT and HEAVY TIC will get a support element with them. For the best effect anyway. It will still work, but the speed of the vehicles will be limited to the lowest capability in the group, which is infantry.

Okay, I've been working with the bug out, and while I do have that working, the ground units don't really respond correctly. For instance, the group get the command to move away, and only the first unit will go.

454 flag4050 = USERFLAG:New("4050") 455 flag4050:Set(0) This here is the right one, and these are the concerned line numbers and what they should say. TROOPSINCONTACTv5.lua

Got it - that's the exact error I posted new files to fix yesterday. Re-download, break the script out, put that new one in your mission, and you should be G2G. No clue why that call works on SP and not in MP.

Send me a link to the dcs.log after running it and attempting to actuate TIC, and I'll be happy to take a look. The answer will be in there.

I have it running on a dedicated server with no issue - it's what I built it for. Are you using the latest files? I put fresh files up there earlier today with a bugfix specifically for MP. Download that, unzip the mission and pull the script out, replace the existing one with that. ETA - Also check the moose version. Ours is running with 2.74b right now.

Feature ideas V6: Squirters - Once aircraft start going to work and after taking some hits (esp. to a defined leadership unit in the enemy group), the support elements decide to pull back a ways. toute-de-suite. Tunable via probability/percentage. Yay/Nay? Retreat - The main force decides that with CAS aircraft going to work on them (again, keying in on a random boss unit), they can't win this and they get back on the nearest road and GTFO. Also tunable via probability/percentage. Yay/Nay?

Minor update to fix an issue that rises in MP. New download file is in the OP.

No problemo! Glad you found it. Yeah, the way I did it (as suggested) was add the blue joint forces to blue, and the red to the red. That's what they are all based on. I'm actually going to publish a new version tomorrow with a bug that I discovered that ONLY manifests in multiplayer. That was a bitch to find.

Well there ya go. The requirements are that you name them "FRIENDLIES-?" and that the first one is named "FRIENDLIES-1" Same goes for each category: HEAVY-1, LIGHT-1, SUPPORT-1, etc. Put a blue group in the mission, late activation, named "FRIENDLIES-1" and you will be past this error.

No problem, it's really just a script I'm furnishing, so I want people to sort of "make it their own." The hot starts and air starts are there primarily for me to test the code. I didn't intend that people would fly them, but you could. Enjoy!

This version should be the easiest of all to port in. If you are talking about the loading of the sounds in the trigger, that doesn't matter at all. coalition, country, group, etc. All the same. So look in the Saved Games\Log\dcs.log file. At the start, you will see: **** TROOPS IN CONTACT LOADED **** After that statement, look for errors. They will likely start with "Mission Script error" or "Mission Scripting error." Like Krasniye, check the statics if you have renamed any. For some reason both the static's name, and unit name have to be the same, FRIENDLYSTATICS-1, FRIENDLYSTATICS-2, etc. Statics always get me.

I wish they'd fix that. It bites me in the butt too.

Try downloading it again and don't edit anything. If it works, your edits are messed up. Especially statics. When you change a static unit, the name reverts to something like "Static-this-and-that-001" or something.

It's a 7z attached to the OP. Wasn't big enough to require separate hosting.

Version 5 released. TROOPS IN CONTACT! is now entirely script driven, and requires no triggers other than to load moose, itself, and the sounds. Tons of new configuration abilities are available. Request new smoke, Cleanup, Distances, times, Heavy enemies possibly trying to flank the friendlies, all of this is fully controllable. See the script itself. Stub missions are just examples with knoob ME options turned on, and are meant for you to add your own aircraft, and move things around.

Thanks, Yes, I do plan to do this. I want to first wrap up a lot of the loose ends, such as converting the ME triggers to scheduled functions in the code, and offering a set of configurable parameters that a mission designer can tune, similar to other scripts. Tunable params I envision include: Time delay between TIC calls. Distance radius from friendlies enemy groups will appear (min,max) configurable flag numbers the script uses (so a mission designer can manually trigger events using flags) configurable zone prefix names for where they TIC events occur. Heavy class enemies can optionally split off from their support, and conduct a flanking maneuver after some time (this is coming in v4, and it is SUPER cool) . The probability that they do this (expressed as a percentage) and the min/max distance to the friendlies is configurable, as will be the formation they travel in. There is a decent amount of work here. You all are helping me to test.

It's already in our campaign! I broke it out into its own mission to get feedback and ideas on how to improve it and I haven't been disappointed here. You could put them anywhere since they are late activated. It's just handy to keep them all in one place. One of your groups is chosen at random for each category, each time. @Wood Way to go!

We've been invited in the past to a version of this on PG with Ka-50's, and it felt like an awesome responsibility to knock these sights down hard. They were a bit better defended than IRL, but we got it done, and it was a lot of fun. A great joint RW/FW mission for sure.

Planned for version 4: Switch to a CAS 5-Line format for voice and messages. I worked with a professional who both does and teaches this to get it right. Easier group management. Instead of a fixed number of rigidly named groups in each category, you control them by simply naming them by a convention. e.g. "HEAVY-" Groups with names beginning with this string spawn when heavy TIC is called for. "LIGHT-" Same concept. "SUPPORT-" Same concept for support elements to heavy units. Think trucks/troops that support a tank platoon, or provide recon/anti-air. Your choice. "FRIENDLIES-" These no longer need to be immortal or hold fire (now handled in code). "FRIENDLYSTATIC-" These must be blue coalition statics. There is no maximum, but you must have a minimum of 1 correctly named objects in each category or you will break it. Default coalitions will be Combined Joint Task Force blue or red (e.g. country.id.CJTF_BLUE) Thank you for all the feedback, this should be a big improvement.

Thanks, You can't change the coalitions (color: blue/red/neutral) but you can change the COUNTRIES that make up the coalitions. You are blue, bad guys are red. Whatever you decide that means country by country. Number of units can be whatever you want. The heavy setting spawns a "heavy" group, and also a supporting element, of the type in the "support" zone. It's more targets, and harder opponents. The distance is random, but within a radius (inner/outer). Basically enough distance that you can safely engage on the inside without hurting friendlies, but on the outside, still shooting distance of each other (by a DCS average).

You can kind of do this as-is by just manipulating the contents of the enemy groups. I wanted a light and a heavy deliberately because sometimes you want to roll with just rockets and guns, and I didn't want such a shooter to encounter hard armor that would prove impossible. Or when I go out in the 24, I go heavy until I'm out of ATGMs, then I choose a couple lights before I RTB to spend out the rest of the payload. Wouldn't be hard to do a "random" where it chooses for you. Just got done taking counsel on 5-line stuff with someone whose job that literally is. I'm moving the comm structure over to the 5 line format to see how that goes.