It's time I learned Moose, can I accomplish this using it?

[moespeeds]

I've been building fairly complex missions for years, some with hundreds of triggers. These are always geared towards squadron sized operations, some for 40+ players. I'm finally going to buckle down and learn how to script.

 

So my question before I even get started, is the following possible through scripting?

 

My goal is to build (actually add-on) to a map that already has enemy air defense networks built. I want to come up with a way for the clients to advance across the map.

 

-At the front line, there will be a FARP with AV8s & UH1s, along with 2 ground force convoys which are player controllable.

 

-Client directs the convoys to the objective of their choosing, while supporting them through enemy territory.

 

-Once the convoy gets 30 miles (part of group out of zone) they will spawn another FARP, complete with 2 more convoys, AV8 & UH1 client slots. A new 30 mile zone is created.

 

In this manner, the clients can advance across the map. Another mission designer in our group has already devised a way to perpetuate red and blue units to mission restarts, so every time the mission cycles, progress will be saved.

 

I guess my question here, is can I spawn a FARP complete with client slots? I couldn't seem to find info on the client slots, though I know I can spawn everything else from a vehicle.

 

I did find this: https://github.com/FlightControl-Master/MOOSE_MISSIONS_DYNAMIC/blob/master/SPA%20-%20Spawning/SPA-140%20-%20Spawn%20Client%20Slots/SPA-140%20-%20Spawn%20Client%20Slots.lua

 

TIA

Edited March 13, 2020 by moespeeds

[Pikey]

You were fine up until you said,

"Spawn a Farp".

"Spawn a client slot"

 

Then all hope died. That is not possible. I began asking before 2015 for that.

 

What you need to do, which is the tried and tested very commonly accepted way to do this since 1.5 released those years ago, is this:

 

Use Ciribob's "Simple Slotblocker"

Create the FARPS beforehand. Make them neutral or red and create the slots for the Harriers and lock them so they can't be used.

Create a scheduler in MOOSE which checks the coalition of the FARP. Once it's BLUE, spawn in your service vehicles and set the flags for slotblock to unlock the harrier slots.

Rinse and repeat. Then you have what our server is, which is a type of Blue Flag for PvE.

Incidentally, I wrote my group persistence script for this: https://github.com/thebgpikester/SimpleGroupSaving so I dont know if your chap that found a way needed to write anything at all, it's a right pain to come up with solutions for that.

[Pikey]

(worth noting MOOSE is optional, you can look up timer functions and do spawns old fashioned way or use mist, the method doesnt matter, its just the format of how to create the appearance of doing what you asked)

[Pikey]

Doesnt work, have no idea why FC put it in, it's probably theoretical if it had been implemented. There's a few things like this in MOOSE. Learning DCS is harder than learning a scripting language with all it's nuances and bugs. A mission is run once from the mission file and clients will be what is in the mission and cannot be changed after runtime, much like time of day, there's no available API method for that. Check DCS Functions and singleton functions for what is avialable.

 

 

EDIT: You deleted your post with the reference to the ClientSpawning in MOOSE so my quote and all the context of this message disappeared.

Edited March 13, 2020 by Pikey
quoted post was deleted.

[moespeeds]

Hiya Pikey, we are actually using your clearfield map as the base, can't thank you enough for all your work on that. I don't know if you implemented it, but we are now perpetuating blue units that we spawn via CTLD, as well as the red that we destroyed.

 

So we cannot spawn a FARP the way we spawn a FOB using CTLD, that is a real bummer. I cannot "preplan" the FARP locations, as I don't know where the clients will send the convoys.

 

Am I able to just spawn the FARP static object, which can then be used by clients to refuel/rearm? I could then manually move the client slots onto that FARP as time allows.

[Pikey]

Not how you think it. I think you can spawn the 3D object of a Farp, but no services will be provided. It's just how DCS is. Also a CTLD "FOB" is not an airbase, just a location where you can spawn things via menu. So no good for refuelling/rearming.

 

 

 

However someone did work on persisting CTLD which is where you want to go, at least for having your spawned fobs still work after a restart.

 

 

 

The basic premise is that CTLD holds a list of tables where the FOB objects are, another list of tables for SAM's and so on. Using table.insert you can add these after CTLD has run. It's obviously more complex than that, but that's the overview.

 

If you don't know where the Farps will be you are unfortunately SOL. But FOB's and CTLD is acheivable with some work. Rob Graham did that. it's on GitHub but I feel awkward linking it directly to the forum, even if it was public (as last time was WIP and he wouldn't want to get the blame for someone thinking it was public consumption ready if it was slightly buggy)

 

If that is still of interest then DM me, it's not a straight road from here on. However for FARPs (and oilrigs and even the incomplete grass airstrip (oh noes they removed that half attempt from the game ;) ), nadah, please put it in the wishlist, maybe another 5 years and ED will do it, no one knows!

[Pikey]

mmm, something that might be of interest to you is the successor to DAWS, which is DSMC, a persistence tool that goes much further than mine and runs as a plugin outside of the mission environment. It can save warehouses and can handle the movement of ships and carriers and also the spawning of clients from those between restarts. I'm currently helping Chromium in AMVI to thrash out any bugs in it. It still wont create farps though.

 

Another possible design is by creating the small farps (single helipad) and putting them near a road that has a steep incline right on it so that half of it is "roll on". It would be roughly equivalent to having a mod to make a smaller farp, of which there is a marston matt mod out there. Capturing a "Matting" isn't something players will be de-imersed by. You could put them in several places as "options" and thus not create such a linear path.

[moespeeds]

Damn that really sucks. I really wish ED would come up with a vehicle that can re-fuel/re-arm clients, it would solve so many issues.

 

Thank you for the info, I've got a lot of testing to do this weekend.

[shagrat]

I can't tell, how many times the request for a "FARP Zone" has been put on the forums. A simple zone, even fixed in size if necessary, but just a zone where you can land helos/Harrier/Viggen/A-10, Su-25 etc. to rearm/refuel.

Leave everything else, from suitable landing area, markings, to the mission builders. Adding a "spawn on ground" for ALL aircraft, would be icing on the cake, but just being able to rearm/refuel in a small zone a mission designer can place anywhere natural instead of the artificial FARP hills, would be a major breakthrough for Helicopter and expeditionary airfield operations.

[moespeeds]

Anyone ever organize everyone and make a real effort at pushing this?