Dynamic Spawn Guide

[Jself]

I would be awesome to have a drop down to allow you to select the dynamic template you want to use.. that would make this feature incredibly useful

[Kanelbolle]

1 hour ago, DD_Friar said:

Salute

Please may I ask what the circled feature does, as I assumed it meant that these aircraft are available at the airfield, however I can select other types not ticked?

Apologies if I am not understanding this feature correctly and this is expected functionality.

Love the feature for hot cold starts by the way.

nullnull

@DD_Friar The symbol in the column is a infinite symbol. It's for making single aircraft Unlimited, instead of using the the global unlimited checkbox.

You can test this by setting all aircraft to 0 and check the infinite checkbox on 1 (keep the number at 0 on this aircraft as well) aircraft and run it as local server.. (if you are using dynamic slots)

Edited July 12, 2024 by Kanelbolle

[Squeaky_B]

After some testing and playing around, I'd love to see the following additions.

• Ability to use Dynamic spawns in single player
• Restrict / select available parking spots. Currently you can block Parking spots with statics, but I don't know how dynamic spawn choses which parking spot to use. For example at Al Minhad AFB on the PG map. I blocked Parking Spots 1 to 4 with statics. When spawning it chose parking spot 60.
• Make the DYN Template option less restrictive. As mentioned previously, allowing a DYN Template unit to be used for all aircraft for waypoints, frequencies and any other options that may be universal. This is the major time saver I personally was hoping for. If I have to create DYN Spawn Template aircraft for each individual aircraft in order to have waypoints, frequencies etc then its not much better than a respawnable client spot. Other than multiple people being able to choose it

Hope this isn't too critical, massively appreciative of the work put in to it thus far and a great first attempt at something thats long been requested.

[DD_Friar]

@Kanelbolle - Many thanks for the answer. Another case of RTFM! on my part

So I assume then the only way to limit the planes available would be to set everyone to 0 and then just put numbers against the planes I want to allow at that field.

Cheers

Friar

[Iberian]

Flyable MB339 and new FC aircraft is hidden from list when "HIDE NOT FLYABLE" is selected.

Edited July 12, 2024 by Iberian

[DD_Friar]

How do I limit which planes can be picked at an airfield?

I have followed these steps

1. Clicked on Full Info for the airfield.
2. Set all planes to 0 and then just put 5 against the helicopter I want
3. When in the arming screen I can still select a helicopter from the list, despite setting them to 0 they appear in the as 99+

Happy to stand in the corner if this is another case of me having a little bit of dangerous knowledge !

nullnull

[ShuRugal]

just saw the patch notes from yesterday, this is so fucking cool.

It looks like this incorporates all or nearly all of the features i suggested last year here:

 

I don't know how much of this update was inspired by my request, but it's really fucking cool to see an idea i posted about end up in game!

Edited July 12, 2024 by ShuRugal

[Deliverator]

I've found the following quirk of the system:

In order to copy the configuration for Dinamic spawn slots of one airfield to another, you MUST have previously enabled both airfields as Dynamic Spawn. Only then, the presets will be copied over.

Also, I would love to have a posibility to also copy to FARP. Having to do it manually each time is quite time consuming.

And one question... is there any way to hide the template aircrafts from the mission list? I've put them as Late activation so people can't use them, but a way to have them JUST as templates, would be awesome! EDIT: Just put them as NEUTRAL on the mission editor

EDIT2: Also, please, let us block per coalition. It's ideal for PvP servers, but for PvE servers the current implementation doesn't allow it to happen

Edited July 12, 2024 by Deliverator

[cfrag]

On 7/3/2024 at 11:40 AM, BIGNEWY said:

Enabling Dynamic Slots is done on a per airfield/FARP/Ship basis. To do this select the spawn location you wish to edit, and click on “Full info”  button to enter the warehouse properties.

Dear @BIGNEWY, thank you for that excellent source of information!

I have looked at this great new feature, and for my mission design, please allow me some additional questions to be able to incorporate this new feature into my missions and scripts:

• I see that the dynamic spawns are only available to the side that holds the airfield and changes when the airfield changes hands. This is great, as it integrates nicely with other scripts that allow lots to become available only when the airfield is owned.
• Are dynamically spawned aircraft guaranteed to be given unique names and id (i.e. no re-use)? From what I have seen, dynamic aircraft are named <airfieldname>_<TypeName>_<counter> with counter always increasing per spawn, so it seems that names will always be unique.
• How does this integrate with MSE's missionCommands (i.e. the 'F-10 Other...' menu? Is there a way to attach commands SELECTIVELY to aircraft that spawn dynamically? In classic scripting, all player aircraft are known by name, and they can be issued missionCommand.addCommand() before they spawn. Since names aren't predictable (although unique, see above), it would be advantageous if there was a method or callback to install menus for dynamically spawning aircraft. I'm sure I can script around this in a brute-force way, but I'd like to hear how you have envisioned adding menu commands to dynamically spawning craft (e.g. only to helicopters, or aircraft of a certain type)

Thank you so much,

-ch

[bal2o]

18 hours ago, Deliverator said:

Also, please, let us block per coalition. It's ideal for PvP servers, but for PvE servers the current implementation doesn't allow it to happen

ya agree.

in pve mission with airfield conquest, it's a problem.

how prevent player slotting in red airfield to make pvp stuff ?

without this option, i can't use dynamic slot

edit: ok solution is using server coalition password

Edited July 13, 2024 by bal2o

[USA_Recon]

On 7/11/2024 at 1:18 PM, BarTzi said:

Awesome, this is a great addition to the game. I can't stress this enough. 

Some pointers:

1. Assigning one template per aircraft type is not very useful as long as DTC is not implemented. There should be an option for the player to select a template when spawning (imagine choosing between a CAP or STRIKE sortie). As we mostly care about waypoints and radio freqs - maybe creating a dynamic template that shares only the waypoints with dynamic slots would be good (aircraft type does not matter in that case)
2. Additionally, showing us the waypoints of the selected aircraft before we spawn, would be a great addition.  
3. How about an air start dynamic slot? 
 

 

Great ideas - DTC hopefully coming soon

[cfrag]

20 hours ago, cfrag said:

Are dynamically spawned aircraft guaranteed to be given unique names and id (i.e. no re-use)? From what I have seen, dynamic aircraft are named <airfieldname>_<TypeName>_<counter> with counter always increasing per spawn, so it seems that names will always be unique.

To come back to my own comment: deeper analysis show that on dynamically spawned player units

• the name of the player unit is NOT UNIQUE across the mission, but it is across all active units: for a dynamically spawned player, the unit name it is is always the same as the user network name name of the player. E.g., if I'm logged in as 'cfrag', my dynamically allocated unit name is 'cfrag'. This means that although there can at most only be one unit named 'cfrag' in the mission, these can be different unit types at different times. In other words, you cannot e.g. sort types by unit names, because units spawned by players can have multiple types at different times. This can and will break existing scripts. 
• the name of the player's group IS UNIQUE across mission and mission time: for a dynamically spawned player group, the group name is assembled from <spawning airfield/FARP name> "_" <unit type name> "_" <unique counter>. E.g, if I'm logged into a game as 'cfrag' and dynamically spawn from Senaki Kolkhi in a Flaming Cliffs 2024 Tiger, the group name could be "Senaki-Kolkhi_F-5E FC_8". If I re-spawn from there, my unit's name would be the same ("cfrag"), and the group's name would have a different counter, e.g. "Senaki-Kolkhi_F-5E FC_14"

Take-away (for now): Dynamically spawned player unit names are not unique across time; they are unique across all currently existing units only. A player unit spawned later with the same name can have a different type name if the player spawns again in a different plane. Dynamically spawned player group names are unique across time.

It would help if someone at ED is in the position to confirm or correct my musings.

Thank you all, 

-ch

Edited July 13, 2024 by cfrag

[FupDuck]

I understand how to spawn into a desired slot when I join the server, but how do I change to a different slot at a different airfield once I'm in the server? Going to "select role" only shows a few spots most of which are already occupied.

[cfrag]

4 minutes ago, FupDuck said:

how do I change to a different slot at a different airfield once I'm in the server? Going to "select role" only shows a few spots most of which are already occupied.

If there are no dynamic slots available in the miz, then that's all there is. If the mission designer has enabled dynamic spawns, follow the steps outlined in the OP. Currently, enabling dynamic slots is fraught with a lot of potential headaches for mission designers, so it may take some time until they become available.

Edited July 13, 2024 by cfrag

[cfrag]

On 7/3/2024 at 11:40 AM, BIGNEWY said:

Select your coalition, and once the coalition is selected, the “Join” button will become active and the coalition can be joined.

Dear @BIGNEWY, may I humbly suggest a streamlining of the UX for coalition selection?

Instead of first selecting BLUE or RED as described, and then clicking on JOIN to go to the slot selection, I recommend that the player directly proceed to slot selection when they select Blue or Red (i.e. skip the necessity to click on JOIN after choosing the coalition).

Rationale:
This change removes redundant complexity. There is no added value for the 'Join' button, as players can always revert from the selected side by clicking on the slot selection's "CHANGE COALITION" button. 

stupid null, please see immovable image below

 

Thank you,

-ch

Edited July 13, 2024 by cfrag

[esb77]

3 hours ago, cfrag said:

To come back to my own comment: deeper analysis show that on dynamically spawned player units

• the name of the player unit is NOT UNIQUE across the mission, but it is across all active units: for a dynamically spawned player, the unit name it is is always the same as the user network name name of the player. E.g., if I'm logged in as 'cfrag', my dynamically allocated unit name is 'cfrag'. This means that although there can at most only be one unit named 'cfrag' in the mission, these can be different unit types at different times. In other words, you cannot e.g. sort types by unit names, because units spawned by players can have multiple types at different times. This can and will break existing scripts. 
• the name of the player's group IS UNIQUE across mission and mission time: for a dynamically spawned player group, the group name is assembled from <spawning airfield/FARP name> "_" <unit type name> "_" <unique counter>. E.g, if I'm logged into a game as 'cfrag' and dynamically spawn from Senaki Kolkhi in a Flaming Cliffs 2024 Tiger, the group name could be "Senaki-Kolkhi_F-5E FC_8". If I re-spawn from there, my unit's name would be the same ("cfrag"), and the group's name would have a different counter, e.g. "Senaki-Kolkhi_F-5E FC_14"

Take-away (for now): Dynamically spawned player unit names are not unique across time; they are unique across all currently existing units only. A player unit spawned later with the same name can have a different type name if the player spawns again in a different plane. Dynamically spawned player group names are unique across time.

It would help if someone at ED is in the position to confirm or correct my musings.

Thank you all, 

-ch

 

Thanks for posting this.   I'm not to the point where most of my scripts would run afoul of this (I think) in terms of script complexity, but it's very valuable to start getting an outline of where minefields of new bugs might arise from the dynamic slots.    Of course, I'll probably forget and run face first into some avoidable dynamic slot bugs anyway, but maybe when that happens after I've spent a few hours of frustration I'll remember your post and get myself unstuck.   That's how it usually works for me, "Why couldn't I have remembered this earlier?"

 

[FupDuck]

4 hours ago, cfrag said:

If there are no dynamic slots available in the miz, then that's all there is. If the mission designer has enabled dynamic spawns, follow the steps outlined in the OP. Currently, enabling dynamic slots is fraught with a lot of potential headaches for mission designers, so it may take some time until they become available.

 

There seem to be many slots available. Like I said, when I first join a mission from the server browser, it works just as the op says. I select dynamic, I select the airfield from the list, and I go into the rearm menu when I can choose my plane. If I then hit escape, then choose slot, none of this happens. I just see a list of mostly full slots, and only for one base (the one I originally signed in at). 

 

The only way to spawn at a different airfield, that I can find, is to exit the server and rejoin from the multiplayer menu. When I do this, all the airfields and slots show up.

 

Perhaps someone could make some step by step instructions or a video that shows how to switch to a different airfield/plane after already spawning into a dynamic multiplayer server?

[farebro]

hi all random one, i added dynamic slots but when i spawn at blue location groundcrew are in Russian? even on blue carrier

 

[Zyll]

echoing earlier comments about being able to define a more generic dynamic spawn template (airframe-agnostic), but also could we somehow NOT use up a parking spot with these templates? Certain airfields have very few slots to begin with, and filling them with invisible templates hinders their usefulness. Perhaps allowing an air start within proximity of the airfield to serve as a dynamic spawn template is an option.

[CsfDeathDemon]

19 hours ago, Zyll said:

echoing earlier comments about being able to define a more generic dynamic spawn template (airframe-agnostic), but also could we somehow NOT use up a parking spot with these templates? Certain airfields have very few slots to begin with, and filling them with invisible templates hinders their usefulness. Perhaps allowing an air start within proximity of the airfield to serve as a dynamic spawn template is an option.

Zyll I don't think it matters where you place the template I just dropped one randomly on the map for the F-14 and used it as a template for all the F-14s on the map. 

I am also wishing for a generic template that I could assign at least waypoints to if nothing else.  This way we can have all the points of interest the same for all aircraft at all locations.  My server is currently running Cfrags awesome expansion map and we would like to add waypoints to all the player aircraft on the map.  Dzsekeb's Mass Waypoint Editor was fantastic for this but now the dynamically spawned aircraft will not have waypoints(or we will just place the aircraft because it is less work than doing the templates).  Current implementation kinda defeats how awesome the dynamic spawns could be.

[Zyll]

Hmm, did the waypoints for that randomly placed spawn work? They didn't for me, so I assumed the whole template was non functional

Zyll @ TAW

[SabreDancer]

Would bug reports for dynamic spawn fall under mission editor (due to it being set up in the ME) or multiplayer (due to it being a multiplayer-only feature)?

[Fenix Mueneren]

One quick question:

I see this is compatible with current FARPS for heliports, but to enable a "Road Base" with Dynamic slots... is there an option? or we are back to old spawn slots?

Kind Regards!

[Karlos]

A server administrator should be able to see both coalitions, now everything is difficult, let alone in a PVP server with new users how will they fight? One will fly in one area and another in another, or even there will be no one on the other side, without knowing it

[Gigafiga]

It would be very useful to see in which parking spot you will be spawn before fly, and even more useful to be able to select/choose the available spot.