Trying to convert campaign for COOP with a friend

[Sylosis]

Hi,

 

I'm trying to convert the campaign missions of the Mirage so that I can play COOP with a friend. The thing is, when playing multiplayer, we host our game with my laptop, which only has the basic standalone version of DCS. It doesn't have any packages installed (obviously I wouldn't by them twice).

 

Now, what I did is that I switched the "Player" in the mission editor for "Client" and I added another plane in my group for each mission.

 

I tested it on my desktop (onto which I have all the packages installed) and it seems to work. Note that I was doing this solo.

 

However, on the laptop, it doesn't. And! I think it is because it doesn't have the sound files for the different comms.

 

I've looked all over my folders to find the .ogg files, but I can't. In the mission editor, it doesn't really say what is the path for the files. So I don't know where they are.

 

I've tried simply copying the full M2000C folder from my desktop to my laptop, but it doesn't work. And anyway, looking folder to folder into the M2000C main folder, I couldn't find the .ogg files....

 

So my assumption is that they should be "within" the mission file, but then why is it not playing...

 

Anyway, if anyone has done it, or has any advice, I'd appreciate it.

[Sydy]

Well...

 

I don't know... Is that legal? I'm asking because I think it may be copyrighted or something...

 

Good luck anyway.

 

Sydy

[tintifaxl]

I think you can't have custom sound files playing in MP for the clients or at least they have to be triggered differently.

[baltic_dragon]

I think it is legal, as the campaign came with the module and is not a DLC.

The sounds are included in the missions - you can open the .miz files with winrar and check. However I doubt that this is the problem.

 

By packages you mean modules (like planes?) It won't work if you don't have M-2000C installed on the host machine. Simply opem the module manager, log in and download / activate it. You get 10 activations with each module, do you don't have to buy it twice.

 

Also remember that many events in the campaign rely on player being in specific zone so unless you change the triggers only one of you (the one flying original "player" plane) will start them.

 

Good luck and have fun!

[Sylosis]

Well...

 

I don't know... Is that legal? I'm asking because I think it may be copyrighted or something...

 

Good luck anyway.

 

Sydy

 

Well I asked that myself before doing it, but then my thinking is that I'm not distributing it. I don't intend to share this, and especially not sell it as a package.

 

So, I'm quite confident it is. And, we both purchased the Mirage, it's just that we'd like to try to do the campaign together.

[Sylosis]

I think it is legal, as the campaign came with the module and is not a DLC.

The sounds are included in the missions - you can open the .miz files with winrar and check. However I doubt that this is the problem.

 

By packages you mean modules (like planes?) It won't work if you don't have M-2000C installed on the host machine. Simply opem the module manager, log in and download / activate it. You get 10 activations with each module, do you don't have to buy it twice.

 

Also remember that many events in the campaign rely on player being in specific zone so unless you change the triggers only one of you (the one flying original "player" plane) will start them.

 

Good luck and have fun!

 

Thanks for the suggestion, I think it might do the trick but! One issue I see is the following, and maybe you have yet another good solution for me... :

 

I purchased my planes on Steam (and I run the Steam DCS World 1.5.6). So, in order to be able to host on a separate laptop (for sake of performance if you asked. When I host on the same machine I play with, we all get horrible fps).

 

So, in order to be able to run DCS on my laptop to host, I created a new account, but with the Standalone version, as I couldn't do it via Steam obviously. I didn't think DCS would let me run 2 instances of the game simultaneously. Therefore, I doubt that I can activate my planes on a different account? It would have to be the same account? Could I really run the standalone version at the same time as the Steam version, so that I can have my laptop to host?

 

Moreover, I was told the Mirage can't be activated on the Standalone if it was purchased on Steam.

 

I'll keep trying different things, but the issue is definitely related to the laptop host not having the Mirage installed. When I run the modified mission solo on my desktop, as I said, it is fine. When I run it via the laptop, the comms don't trigger (for instance the Chevy 1-1 radio check at the beginning of mission 1 never triggers).

[myHelljumper]

I'll keep trying different things, but the issue is definitely related to the laptop host not having the Mirage installed. When I run the modified mission solo on my desktop, as I said, it is fine. When I run it via the laptop, the comms don't trigger (for instance the Chevy 1-1 radio check at the beginning of mission 1 never triggers).

 

This could be related to the com only happening to the mission host, that is your laptop.

[Sylosis]

This could be related to the com only happening to the mission host, that is your laptop.

 

Interesting point, I didn't think of that... I'll have a look at the action list and see if some setting can be changed to communicate with everyone.

 

In the trigger list, the action is just "Set AI Push Task" (the wording might be wrong, I'm not a ME expert), and it calls a specific action from the available list. The list is defined on the specific AI aircraft I think. So I'll have a look at that list, and see what type of action is happening. See if the comm is set to "Everyone" or whatever.

 

Would be weird cause I leave my laptop (the host) as a spectator... But it's definitely worth checking. Thanks for that suggestion.

[baltic_dragon]

Hey wait now I know! Didn't properly understand the first post.

 

There is a bug in MP with radio comms - very random one that the audio will only be heard by the host and not by other players. It happens most of the times in MP, though not every time. ED is aware, but this is low on their to-do list.

 

The only workaround would be to change all the AI TASK PUSH actions to SOUND TO, which would be quite time consuming...

[Ramsay]

Hi,

 

I'm trying to convert the campaign missions of the Mirage so that I can play COOP with a friend. The thing is, when playing multiplayer, we host our game with my laptop, which only has the basic standalone version of DCS. It doesn't have any packages installed (obviously I wouldn't by them twice).

 

Now, what I did is that I switched the "Player" in the mission editor for "Client" and I added another plane in my group for each mission.

I've found using 'player' groups to cause problems. Scripts/triggers work best if each player/client is in their own group i.e. Enfield 1-1, Enfield 2-1, etc. (never Enfield 1-2).

 

I tested it on my desktop (onto which I have all the packages installed) and it seems to work. Note that I was doing this solo.

If flying as Host and 'Player' - triggers and radio calls will usually work (not always, depends how it's been scripted, some SP variables change names or return invalid/empty values in MP.

 

However, on the laptop, it doesn't. And! I think it is because it doesn't have the sound files for the different comms.

The triggers and sound files are looking to play/trigger for the 'player' not a client.

 

I've looked all over my folders to find the .ogg files, but I can't. In the mission editor, it doesn't really say what is the path for the files. So I don't know where they are.

Sound files are usually packaged in the mission file .miz (can be opened like .zip files)

 

I've tried simply copying the full M2000C folder from my desktop to my laptop, but it doesn't work. And anyway, looking folder to folder into the M2000C main folder, I couldn't find the .ogg files....

Not sure what you are trying to do here, you'll need a 2nd account/copy to fly 2x Mirage 2000C together in MP.

 

IMHO your best bet would be to add a Su-25T to the mission.

Host the M2000C mission and play as the M2000C pilot.

Create/login using a second account on the laptop, then join the Hosted game as the Su-25T pilot.

 

The Su-25T pilot will be be able to fly along, while hopefully MP doesn't break too many SP triggers for the M2000C.

 

Once you have a working MP mission, you can work from there, either buying a second copy or editing the mission(s) to suit.

 

So my assumption is that they should be "within" the mission file, but then why is it not playing...

SP triggers often don't work in MP because the 'player' aircraft becomes a 'client' and the script can't define which aircraft the player is flying until the mission is running and the player chooses a 'slot'.

[Sylosis]

Hey wait now I know! Didn't properly understand the first post.

 

There is a bug in MP with radio comms - very random one that the audio will only be heard by the host and not by other players. It happens most of the times in MP, though not every time. ED is aware, but this is low on their to-do list.

 

The only workaround would be to change all the AI TASK PUSH actions to SOUND TO, which would be quite time consuming...

 

Nice thanks! Quite in link with what was mentioned above! So I think we're converging to a solution!

 

I'll give it a shot. Yes it's time consuming, but it's not that bad. Anyway I'll try for the first mission and see how it goes. If it works I'll do it for the other missions.

 

I'll give an update in the next few days with what I was able to find.

 

Thanks for the help everyone.

[Sylosis]

Thanks for the detailed answer Ramsay.

 

True that using "Client" instead of "Player" was something that I thought could be the issue. But, when testing the revised mission file which has "2 clients" and no "player", as I was saying, it worked.

 

Therefore, it demonstrated that it was probably not "player" versus "client" that was the issue, but the fact that I was the actual host. Or at least, that is what I think. I could try leaving one plane as "Player" and the other one as "Client". Is this something that is allowed by the Mission Editor? I think I read somewhere that as long as there is one plane defined as "Player", the mission won't be multiplayer playable.

 

So, I need to figure out either how to push the triggers to non-host, or... or I don't know what!

 

The reason for that is I can't use my desktop as the Host AND play on it also. We have very low fps when we do that. We found that using a third computer as a host, which stays as a spectator, works best for us. And I'm no IT guy, so doing anything more complicated than that (creating a virtual server and assigning ressources or what not) is too much for me!

 

Anyway, thanks for your suggestions. If my other tests don't work, I'll look into what you proposed.

[Ramsay]

Don't forget to check out the User MP Files as even missions without the M-2000C might be suitable for editing (i.e. sub the M-2000C in the ME for a F-15, F-5, etc.)

[Sylosis]

Don't forget to check out the User MP Files as even missions without the M-2000C might be suitable for editing (i.e. sub the M-2000C in the ME for a F-15, F-5, etc.)

 

Yes absolutely. This is what we actually did the other day when we realised I was not going to be able to easily mod the M2000 Campaign and that it would require more work.

[Sylosis]

Ok so I think I narrowed the problem to one single cause. Or at least I think.

 

I think I confirmed that the issue is that only the hosts is getting the radio transmissions and triggers.

 

Take example, mission 1 of the campaign. If any of you have ever opened it, you probably noticed that: The triggers don't cause a "SOUND TO ALL" or something in that range. It calls for a specific action from the different plane action list. For example, it going to call a "AI TASK PUSH", selecting one action from the list.

 

Now, for example, the first AI TASK PUSH is taken from the list of actions on the AI Mirage plane. In this plane's action list, you have "Perform Task - Radio Transmission - FileBlablabla.org - etc..."

 

So what I tested:

- Having no one defined as "Player" doesn't matter. There can only be clients, it's fine.

- Loading the mission through "mission" from the main menu works.

- Doesn't matter if both client planes are within the same group, it still works.

- When loading the mission from "Multiplayer - New Server", it also works.

- When loading the mission from "Multiplayer - New Server", using a separate hosting computer, then it doesn't work....

 

So I guess I would have to redo ALL the triggers so that it doesn't call actions from the planes action list, but that it would use a SOUND ALL, or something.

 

Tedious work.. I don't know if I'm gonna attempt to do it... :S

 

Man it sucks so bad. If that bug wouldn't exist, it would be quite simple to modify the campaign to make it coop playable... :(

[Sylosis]

Hey I thought of something today... what if the problem is not with only the host receiving the radio transmission, but with the first trigger of the mission (I'm still talking about mission 1).

 

For the radio transmission to take place, the first couple of triggers check that your batteries and radio are activated.

 

However, nowhere in that trigger is it indicated "which plane radio must be turned on"... so I'm starting to wonder if the mission is just waiting for the host to activate its radio and batteries. I'll try tonight to completely delete that trigger and just add something like a timer after mission start. You know, just replace it with something more general that isn't related to a specific airplane.

 

Could be it's just that and actually not a glitch in the radio transmission.

[baltic_dragon]

I think unfortunately that it is a general problem with radio transmission, ED confirmed they know about it but won't be trying to fix it soon as they have other priorities - which is understandable. But feel free to experiment some more. Perhaps also check if situation is different if you add clients as member of the same group or each as a separate one?

[Ramsay]

This is what we actually did the other day when we realised I was not going to be able to easily mod the M2000 Campaign and that it would require more work.

You might want to check the F-15C 'Eye for an Eye' SP/CO-OP campaign by feefifofum as the first mission looks perfect for M-2000C (or any radar equipped aircraft) conversion.

 

[baltic_dragon]

And it is a damn good campaign!

[CEPEGA]

Hi guys,

 

i has converted the Ka-50 "Deployment" Campaign to play coop. I changed "player" to "client" and added another client Ka-50. We are playing with unit markers set to "dot only", and in the second mission we encountered a problem. My friend was able to see all the ambush units BEFORE the trigger for them was activated and i was able to see them only after the trigger got active - like it supposed to be.

 

I then tried to clone all the triggers wich contaned my helicopter name (CEPEGA) and changed the name for the cloned trigger to my friends helicopter name (Diablo). But he still was able to see the ambush before trigger activation.

 

Hope you can help me get that missions converted to coop so they work as they should for me and my friend.

 

I also tried to delete added client helicopter and change the helicopter of 2nd Wingman to client, but this did not work either :(

 

i need your help guys