[sp / CO-OP MP] EXPANSION - a Dynamic Mission and Sandbox (all aircraft)

[Kamicosmos]

2 hours ago, Priest said:

After the latest DCS patch is anyone else having issues with F10 map view crashing DCS while running Expansion with stopGap enabled?

I ran briefly last night, didn't have an issue.  I am about to launch again, will report if it does crash.  Need to update the dedicated server and host it on there as well for testing.

I saw a couple pages back about AWACS being in Russian.  Just want to report that I also hear Russian in the Blackshark and the F-16.

[cfrag]

PLEASE BE ADVISED: a DCS bug introduced with the latest DCS patch (Sept 30) renders any mission that uses some yet to be identified official DCS Mission Scripting API inoperable: it can lead to a CTD on mission start and/or when you press F-10. The following missions are affected (at minimum): Expansion, Angels (Caucasus, Sinai, Syria), COIN Ops, Cesar, Dustblower, Heroes of Flame, Marianas Proving Grounds, FC 2024, Kiowa Kitchen, probably more. 

I have stopped development on these and other missions to see what remedial action is required. 

I'm awaiting any messaging from ED on this, I have filed a report in multiple locations.

Edited October 2, 2024 by cfrag

[Kamicosmos]

There is a hotfix for the F10 issue.  Put out about 30 minutes ago.

[cfrag]

The DCS hotfix from 20241002 appears to have resolved the issue for Expansion, Angels (Caucasus, Sinai, Syria), COIN Ops, Cesar, Dustblower, Heroes of Flame, Marianas Proving Grounds, FC 2024, Kiowa Kitchen.

 

[Priest]

Awesome!

[cfrag]

Version 1.60 - 20241006 -- Bug fixes, stability

Changes:
•    AI Generals suppressed (both sides) when no players present
•    More dcs hardening 
•    DCS Sept 30 bug hardening 
•    strategic menu for dynamically added aircraft 
•    resolved nasty json bug on saving heloTroops

Enjoy,

-ch

 

[eric963]

When running Version 1.60 on a dedicated server and we are unable to communicate with the tower at Nalchik.  Works fine on player hosted server and single player.  Can anyone else playing on a dedicated server get a response from the Nalchik tower?

Trying to determine if I have something up with my server.

 

Thanks

Eric 

[cfrag]

21 hours ago, eric963 said:

dedicated server and we are unable to communicate with the tower at Nalchik

I believe that this is a known DCS issue with dedicated server. Just to make sure, I've reported it to ED. Thank you so much for taking the time to report the issue.

 

[Porkbrain]

On 10/6/2024 at 4:10 PM, cfrag said:

Version 1.60 - 20241006 -- Bug fixes, stability

Changes:
•    AI Generals suppressed (both sides) when no players present
•    More dcs hardening 
•    DCS Sept 30 bug hardening 
•    strategic menu for dynamically added aircraft 
•    resolved nasty json bug on saving heloTroops

Enjoy,

-ch

 

First a quick thank you for all the missions that you have made, I really enjoy playing them in VR with the various helicopters.

I have hit an error when carrying assault troops, I'd run Expansion from a fresh start for about 2 hours and had dropped troops and captured three places using the Mi-24, then quit for a break. When I restarted Expansion I spawned the Mi-24 with assault troops at Nalchik and headed for October which was the next objective, after a few minutes en route had an error panel re Helotroops, screenshot & log attached, this just reoccurred when pressing enter, so I had to kill the Steam DCS session.

I restarted DCS and spawned a UH-1H, just to see if that made a difference, at Nalchik, loaded assault troops and set off for October, the same error occurred after a few minutes heading towards October.

And totally unrelated to the above, I have set the Stopgapconfig to No as that dropped my fps to single digits, which works fine but on one session that lasted over 3 hours when I flew back to Nalchik the fps dropped to single digits and all the parking slots were filled with some very pretty aircraft. I noticed that there is a 'refresh' setting set to 3600 in that config, is that something that I could also edit? I don't want to change to some random number that might cause other problems.

Sorry that was so longwinded.

 

Expansion-dcs.log

[eric963]

Set refresh to -1

[cfrag]

6 hours ago, Porkbrain said:

I have hit an error when carrying assault troops, I'd run Expansion from a fresh start for about 2 hours and had dropped troops and captured three places using the Mi-24, then quit for a break. When I restarted Expansion I spawned the Mi-24 with assault troops at Nalchik and headed for October which was the next objective, after a few minutes en route had an error panel re Helotroops

Can I trouble you to verify that you are running the most recent version of Expansion? That error should have been be fixed already.

6 hours ago, Porkbrain said:

And totally unrelated to the above, I have set the Stopgapconfig to No as that dropped my fps to single digits, which works fine but on one session that lasted over 3 hours when I flew back to Nalchik the fps dropped to single digits and all the parking slots were filled with some very pretty aircraft

If you set "onStart = no", stopGap should indeed no longer bother you. As kindly suggested by @eric963, you can also change the setting "refresh = -1", although even when set to  3600 (every hour) stopGap should not engage after one hour (checking this right now). You can make sure that stopGap won't bother you again simply be removing the DOSCRIPT Action "(stopGap =" from the 4 MISSION START "DML" trigger. 

 

 

[Porkbrain]

1 hour ago, cfrag said:

Can I trouble you to verify that you are running the most recent version of Expansion? That error should have been be fixed already.

If you set "onStart = no", stopGap should indeed no longer bother you. As kindly suggested by @eric963, you can also change the setting "refresh = -1", although even when set to  3600 (every hour) stopGap should not engage after one hour (checking this right now). You can make sure that stopGap won't bother you again simply be removing the DOSCRIPT Action "(stopGap =" from the 4 MISSION START "DML" trigger. 

 

 

Thanks both for the replies.

Yes, it is the 1.60 miz version, I haven't tried the COLD miz version.

Apart from setting onStart = no, the only other thing I have changed is the start time from 6:30 to 9:30.

I've attached the data file in case that helps, though the timestamp on that looks to be from the previous session rather than the one that I could only end by stopping the Steam DCS session after the HeloTroops error panel appeared.

Expansion Data.txt

[cfrag]

9 hours ago, Porkbrain said:

Yes, it is the 1.60 miz version,

Thank you, heloTroops issue is confirmed, reproduced and corrected, will be included with the next update 

 

[cfrag]

Version 1.61 - 20241017 - maintenance update 

Changes:

• updates to heloTroops
• stronger guards on stopGap refresh 

Ebjoy,

-ch

 

[Porkbrain]

2 hours ago, cfrag said:

Version 1.61 - 20241017 - maintenance update 

Changes:

• updates to heloTroops
• stronger guards on stopGap refresh 

Ebjoy,

-ch

 

Thank you, now working fine.

[phrogZ]

Hello, crash today:

2024-10-20 17:37:57.301 INFO    Scripting (Main): event:type=takeoff,initiatorPilotName=ramdane,place=Beslan,t=23913.654,placeDisplayName=Beslan,initiator_unit_type=FA-18C_hornet,initiator_object_id=17437442,linked_event_id=0,event_id=11890,initiator_coalition=2,initiator_ws_type1=1,initiatorMissionID=334,
2024-10-20 17:38:05.945 INFO    Scripting (Main): event:initiatorPilotName=ramdane,target_coalition=2,linked_event_id=0,targetMissionID=0,target_ws_type1=1,initiator_object_id=17437442,target=,target_object_id=35085058,targetPilotName=,type=eject,target_unit_type=,t=23922.297,initiator_unit_type=FA-18C_hornet,event_id=11891,initiator_ws_type1=1,initiatorMissionID=334,initiator_coalition=2,
2024-10-20 17:38:05.945 INFO    Scripting (Main): event:weapon_type=5972500,initiatorPilotName=SA-18 Igla-S manpad,target_coalition=2,linked_event_id=11888,targetMissionID=334,target_ws_type1=1,initiator_object_id=18059009,target=FA-18C_hornet,target_object_id=17437442,targetPilotName=ramdane,type=kill,target_unit_type=FA-18C_hornet,t=23922.297,initiator_unit_type=SA-18 Igla-S manpad,event_id=11892,weapon=9M39 Igla,initiator_ws_type1=2,initiatorMissionID=1003506,initiator_coalition=1,
2024-10-20 17:38:05.945 INFO    Scripting (Main): event:type=score,initiatorPilotName=SA-18 Igla-S manpad,t=23922.297,linked_event_id=11892,initiator_unit_type=SA-18 Igla-S manpad,event_id=11893,initiator_object_id=18059009,amount=50,comment=air,initiator_coalition=1,initiator_ws_type1=2,initiatorMissionID=1003506,
2024-10-20 17:38:05.947 ERROR   SCRIPTING (Main): Mission script error: [string "autoCSAR = {}..."]:176: attempt to call method 'isExist' (a nil value)
stack traceback:
	[C]: in function 'isExist'
	[string "autoCSAR = {}..."]:176: in function 'onEvent'
	[string "Scripts/World/EventHandlers.lua"]:13: in function <[string "Scripts/World/EventHandlers.lua"]:11>

 

[cfrag]

Thank you, I'll have a look at it.

 

[GG_Abitbol]

Hello,

Thank you for your work, your mission is definitely the one I prefer to play with my friends.
We were wondering, have you ever proposed a cold war version of this mission ?

BR

Edited October 21, 2024 by GG_Abitbol

[cfrag]

On 10/21/2024 at 4:19 PM, GG_Abitbol said:

have you ever proposed a cold war version of this mission ?

I first want to finish Expansion (it's close to what I wanted to do with it). After that, there have been a couple of suggestions. Cold war is something that I have kicked around, a bigger Expansion on a different map (probably Syria) is probably the next step. No definite plans yes. 

[cfrag]

Update 1.62 - 20241023

Changes:

• autoCSAR DCS bug on isExist hardened against 
• cloneZones now correctly reconnect from persistence
• better nilling in slotty

Enjoy,

-ch

 

[cfrag]

Update 1.65 - 20241116

Version 1.65 Changes

• removed 'wait 10 secs' message when slotting in
• service updates to convoy
• debugger upgrade
• cfxZones upgrade
• income requires players to be present

Enjoy,

-ch

 

[Digitalvole]

First off, thank you for making this mission, it seems like just what me and my Kiowa were after. I’ve talked to my eldest daughter about changing her name to Cfrag, she doesn’t seem too keen I’m afraid.

I’m trying to run this mission on a dedicated server on a spare laptop to help with performance (just me playing.) But Ive run into a couple of issues:

I can’t get persistence to work, I’ve edited the mission scripting file (on the D/S install folder) but I can’t save it (it says I don’t have permission).

Also I don’t get the option in the F10 menu to spend my funds when parked up at the airbase. (could these issues be related perhaps?)

One other thing I’ve noticed, my Kiowa speed readings are inaccurate. It says I’m doing 8 knots when I’m parked up (after returning to base). Not a big issue, and perhaps nothing to do with this mission, I’ve just not seen that happen before.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks in advance.

[MAXsenna]

16 hours ago, Digitalvole said:

I can’t get persistence to work, I’ve edited the mission scripting file (on the D/S install folder) but I can’t save it (it says I don’t have permission).

You're on Standalone and have installed DCS in Program Files? Then you need to change permissions on the files/directory as it probably set to read only for non-Admin Windows users. 

[cfrag]

17 hours ago, Digitalvole said:

Also I don’t get the option in the F10 menu to spend my funds when parked up at the airbase.

This appears to be a common, known intermittend DCS multiplayer bug. I've reported it a couple of months ago, and there is some hope left that ED eventually get around to fixing it. 

17 hours ago, Digitalvole said:

my Kiowa speed readings are inaccurate. It says I’m doing 8 knots when I’m parked up (after returning to base).

Maybe this is something to report in the Kiowa forums, I have no affiliation with Polychop other than that I own their models and like the Kiowa.

[Digitalvole]

On 12/5/2024 at 4:43 AM, MAXsenna said:

You're on Standalone and have installed DCS in Program Files? Then you need to change permissions on the files/directory as it probably set to read only for non-Admin Windows users. 

Thank you, that did the trick. I’d done that for the file but not the directory, doh!

On 12/5/2024 at 6:20 AM, cfrag said:

This appears to be a common, known intermittend DCS multiplayer bug. I've reported it a couple of months ago, and there is some hope left that ED eventually get around to fixing it. 

Maybe this is something to report in the Kiowa forums, I have no affiliation with Polychop other than that I own their models and like the Kiowa.

Though I can’t spend my ill gotten gains in the Kiowa, if I hop over to the Huey the f10 option works again. Huzzah! 
Is it possible to randomise the time of day when the mission starts? Alternatively, if I change the .miz mission start time would it cause issues with triggers and/or persistence? Some night time ops would be fun.

Ive only just got persistence working (thanks @MAXsenna) so only taken the two nearest power plant objectives, but so far it’s felt like things are going on. As a sp player it’s great to have a mission that feels alive, and it’s a good size for helicopters. Please allow me a further Huzzah!
Getting persistence to work I’ve flown my little Kiowa around a relatively small area, only the nearest power plants, but quite a few times. It’s different every time, I’ve watched Mig 23s (I think) zooming around at low level shooting down Cobras right in front of me (I fled like the wind). I’ve been murdered by Jeffs on some attempts, and on others completely ignored. It’s great! Many thanks for this.

A bigger one of this on Syria would be sick, but I’d love to see a dynamic mission like this for WW2. Is it possible?