A Wishlist of Features For The Mission Editor

[Glide]

I'll just duck in and add a livery browser would be nice. i.e. A quick way to see which liveries are available for which faction units so that we can plan a more visually coordinated experience.

[Lithion]

I've seen it mentioned elsewhere but I'll mention it here as well: Localised FARPs and other reinforced locations.

My FARPs in syria currently are a lush green field rising out of the desert. Same goes for some of the reïnforced structures like ZU-23-2 emplacements.

[fargo007]

1 - Password protected game master slots.

 

2 - Undo (Ctrl-Z) functionality.

 

3 - Native polygonal zones.

 

4 - Waypoint loop, and randomization for all units/groups.

 

5 - More accurate patrol boat objects/models (boghammer, etc.)

 

6 - A native technical with terrorist/insurgent looking guys in it.

 

7 - Fixed 12.7mm gun positions.

 

8 - A machinegunner for the red side.

 

9 - A Javelin, LAWS or other RPG equivalent for the blue side.

[Lithion]

1 - Password protected game master slots.

 

2 - Undo (Ctrl-Z) functionality.

 

3 - Native polygonal zones.

 

4 - Waypoint loop, and randomization for all units/groups.

 

5 - More accurate patrol boat objects/models (boghammer, etc.)

 

6 - A native technical with terrorist/insurgent looking guys in it.

 

7 - Fixed 12.7mm gun positions.

 

8 - A machinegunner for the red side.

 

9 - A Javelin, LAWS or other RPG equivalent for the blue side.

 

+1, and the ATGM emplacements for both sides

[EasyEB]

Just have to put this here in case ED is feeling generous: I’d love to see unit SPI (A-10C) open to scripting engine. It is obviously a existing point, so if we could just get it, that would be great.

[Fri13]

95% of these can be done with scripting. Just saying.

 

Scripting should not be the method of choice. Almost all should be possible be done without scripting.

 

The scripting is important part of all games, but it should be more about assisting a specific functions simplification than how to build them. So one can use the mission editor to create the script, that then can be called to avoid going through all again.

 

That is the point of triggers and all.

 

One of the reasons why DCS stays as minor game in the whole gaming industry regardless its major potential to be something amazing, is that it is just so annoyingly complex for average player to make anything more than "put bunch of units there and pretend that there is a war when you blow helpless units".

 

The reason why dynamic campaign has been lacking is that the basic core functions are not there.

There is no Intelligence in the Artificial. There is no basic logic for each unit to survive, to complete their expected tasks, unless you start to make very complex scripts (and those don't help either).

[jmarso]

First of all, +1 on everyone else's ideas- there are some really good ones. Might I add...

 

1. The ability to program vehicle / ship waypoints by course and distance in addition to point and click Or at least show a tag with the course /dist from the previous waypoint at the cursor.

 

2. A 'mark point' function when using the ruler. Stretch your line out to where you want it, hit a key, and it puts a marker there that stays until you clear it. Helpful for moving units around. Similarly, perhaps the ability to set the ruler at a point and the punch in a bearing / distance, at which you get a marker point that stays until cleared.

 

3. The ability to switch ROE and COALTION of individual units with a trigger. That bad guy hiding among neutrals? When --condition-- is met, boom. He turns 'red' and goes to town.

 

4. Ability to get a unit to dogfight in a weapons hold status. (Maneuver as if fighting but not fire) Call it the 'hassle' or 'thump' function. STOP COND when...

 

5. Spawn in zone (mentioned above, I think)

 

6. Select box to grab multiple groups to either move or delete them. (Also mentioned above)

 

Side note: while it is wonderful what some people can do with scripting, not all of us can script. Also, it's harder to 'clone' a script, whereas triggers and actions can be cloned ad infinitum. It would be nice if the mission editor could do more nifty stuff without the ability of the user to code in lua. Kudos to those that can.

 

Also, not sure if it calls into the category of the ME wish list, but we need more units in the game like cargo ships, tankers, fishing boats, and more generic naval units in general. The Naval Collection Mod was (and parts of it still are) great, but updates break mods and it would be nice just to have this stuff in game to use.

[Alpenwolf]

8:

An option to disable weapons appearing on the F10 map. Quite many users (including myself) use the CA module to provide GCI for their side. Providing players with BRAA's is something, but seeing the enemy's missiles incoming is unwanted for that purpose. I know CA is not mainly for GCI purposes but with an option like this it becomes closer to that.

[Shrike88]

1. its 2020, Can we PLEASE have a box highlight and select tool.

2. Please add Keyboard commands for hotkeys to select Aircraft, Waypoints, Tanks, Structures and more ! will make navigating through the editor much faster

[DSauer]

Built in debugging tools. Just straight up ripoff the debug window functionality from Arma. If you launch a mission from the editor (if logged in as admin in multiplayer as well if possible) you should be able to write/modify scripts on the fly and watch variables.

[jmarso]

Thought of another one:

 

In the unit list, add to the filters a line for filtering by 'late activation' as well as red, blue, country, etc.

[The_Tau]

+1

[Alpenwolf]

9:

 

The option to add more parking lots at some airbases. Jiroft airbase for instance has 3 only. Lar 5, and so on.

I know we can make airplanes start on the ground and then place them manually at an airbase and I do that quite often. The problem is, this doesn't apply to FC3 airplanes. And also if you want to limit the number of airplanes at an airbase it becomes impossible to do because airplanes placed on the ground at an airbase are not part of the airbase's warehouse.

Edited January 11, 2021 by Alpenwolf

[sirrah]

5 minutes ago, Alpenwolf said:

9:

 

The option to add more parking lots at some airbases. Jiroft airbase for instance has 3 only. Lar 5, and so on.

I know we can make airplanes start on the ground and then place them manually at an airbase and I do that quite often. The problem is, this doesn't apply to FC3 airplanes. And also if you want to limit the number of airplanes at an airbase it becomes impossible to do because airplanes placed on the ground at an airbase are not part of the airbase's warehouse.

 

The request for extra parking slots on airfields belongs in the map wish sub-forums as it's not ME related  (in your case the Persian Gulf wish sub-forum)

You can only place "start from ground" units, that have the capability to do vertical take-off (helo's and the Harrier). All other aircraft only have taxi pathing implemented from the available parking slots.

 

In addition to this thread; I wish it were possible to have AI units to respawn without the use of scripting. That would make it possible to create endless waves of enemies. (but there's probably a technical reason why such a thing isn't possible)

 

[scrapple]

Someone mentioned it earlier, but I really wish the ME had some sort of Undo feature, even just a simple one that would undo the most recent action.

[Alpenwolf]

On 1/11/2021 at 1:33 PM, sirrah said:

The request for extra parking slots on airfields belongs in the map wish sub-forums as it's not ME related  (in your case the Persian Gulf wish sub-forum)

You can only place "start from ground" units, that have the capability to do vertical take-off (helo's and the Harrier). All other aircraft only have taxi pathing implemented from the available parking slots.

 

In addition to this thread; I wish it were possible to have AI units to respawn without the use of scripting. That would make it possible to create endless waves of enemies. (but there's probably a technical reason why such a thing isn't possible)

 

 

Sure. But through ME to somehow make it possible for the editor to add and remove parking lots. That's what I meant. Although, I do think it's tough to do.

[Scaley]

Improvements on the UI to improve efficiency would be top of my list:

 

• Undo command
• Box select tool
• Filters on lists - the only one are the rudimentary ones in the unit list (which should be able to be full screen or re-sizeable).  Filter by unit type (air def, armour, etc) Sort function on the columns to show things in alphabetical order, type order, etc.  Ideally with a tree structure browser so you could group things and operate on groups (like, make ALL red Air defence go to alarm state RED at xx)

 

Currently, as other have said, it's quicker to learn LUA from scratch and use a script than it is to use the native ME.

[Andrew u.k.]

Undo would make me very happy.

Sent from my SM-N960F using Tapatalk

[Alpenwolf]

10:

The ability to copy and paste the warehouses of a FARP to another. We have that with airbases already where you can set up the warehouses (aircraft, weapons, fuel, etc.) as you like and then copy those settings to all airbases on that certain map if you want to. Would be great to have the same for FARP's, please.

 

I really hope all the above is at some point considered by ED. Some incredible and really helpful wishes here.

[Pizzicato]

The biggest wishlist item for me would be a PERSISTENCE LAYER that can persist (obviously) between campaign missions. It would be great to be able to build out a template of groups and statics and have their destruction carry over into the next mission.

[sirrah]

So many great ideas here to improve mission editing, yet the new ME wishlist sub-forum stays dead silent

 

C'mon guys, let's join forces and try and get ED's attention by posting in the new wishlist section.  

 

I know I'm not the only one screaming for and "undo" and "box select" option  

 

Edited February 24, 2021 by sirrah
grammar

[Cruizzzzer]

+1