DCS Campaign in Multiplayer Possible?

[Buznee]

I was wondering what the difficulty is to convert the singleplayer campaign missions to multiplayer coop mission so that your wingman is now a fellow simmer rather than an computer controlled comrade. If so, has anyone done this, I would love to grab em. Assuming this can be done would all the simmers in the session be able to hear the scripted voices through the radio (ground controller) from the deployment campaign for example. If not possible it would be a huge improvement to the immersement of this sim to have this capability. Playing the campaign with some fellow simmers by your side through radio communication would be awesome to say the least. Also wondering if a built in communication radio will be implemented as to eliminate the need for team speak, and it would work directly with the onboard radio panels on the aircraft.

 

Also if this has been discussed a million times before hand, I appologize.

 

-Dan

[JG14_Smil]

once you choose client for the lead ship, the other AI helos are deleted. Humans cannot send the canned messages to each other. TS and voice comms are what MP is all about :)

[Buznee]

what about setting up client for wingman, is it that easy?

[Kurtz]

what about setting up client for wingman, is it that easy?

 

You can quite easily convert most missions to multiplay using the editor. You will have to load the missions manually.

 

1. Open the campaign mission you like with the editor

2. Delete your AI wingman from the KA50 flight

3. Change the lead helicopter to "client"

4. Add a new client KA50's one at a time, including waypoints, and payload.

5. Save as "yourmissionCOOPx4" or something unique

6. Drop the miz into your multiplay folder

 

Note- only the lead helicopter will have target points loaded. Its no big deal if your on live comms and other players stick with the formation.

 

All the audio "talk on" should be intact, although if the file size is large i will sometimes remove it to minimise client upload size.

 

ps- Its a shame the larger campaigns are not already setup for 4 slot multiplay with an ability to save progress. It would make up a little for the lack of a dynamic multiplay campaign like in EECH.

[swepain]

 

ps- Its a shame the larger campaigns are not already setup for 4 slot multiplay with an ability to save progress. It would make up a little for the lack of a dynamic multiplay campaign like in EECH.

 

i second that :huh:

[-Painter-]

If not possible it would be a huge improvement to the immersement of this sim to have this capability. Playing the campaign with some fellow simmers by your side through radio communication would be awesome to say the least. Also wondering if a built in communication radio will be implemented as to eliminate the need for team speak, and it would work directly with the onboard radio panels on the aircraft.

+1

[nemises]

I was wondering what the difficulty is to convert the singleplayer campaign missions to multiplayer coop mission so that your wingman is now a fellow simmer rather than an computer controlled comrade. If so, has anyone done this, I would love to grab em. Assuming this can be done would all the simmers in the session be able to hear the scripted voices through the radio (ground controller) from the deployment campaign for example. If not possible it would be a huge improvement to the immersement of this sim to have this capability. Playing the campaign with some fellow simmers by your side through radio communication would be awesome to say the least. Also wondering if a built in communication radio will be implemented as to eliminate the need for team speak, and it would work directly with the onboard radio panels on the aircraft.

 

Also if this has been discussed a million times before hand, I appologize.

 

-Dan

 

I don't think it would be "hard" , but it could be time consuming..

certainly to do a basic job (ie just add another client with matching waypoints), then not too hard or long, but to clone and redefine all of the triggers and events for either player, maybe a bit harder..

 

There is another post on this board where someone in the community is looking into an external program that will interface between Teamspeak and BS (via lua exports) and contrl channel connectivity based on radio freq's, which is pretty cool.

 

For ED to encorperate voice comms in the engine would be quite a big amount of work for them, especially considering 3rd part solutions allready exist in part ...

 

It would be nice to brdge the gap though, and at least have it automatically join you to the appropriate TS server on BS server connection...

[zokier]

+1 for coop campaign

[c0ff]

3. Change the lead helicopter to "client"

You can leave it as "player", it does not matter. Both "client" and "player" aircrafts get into MP slots.

[Bucic]

+1 for coop campaign

[mikey]

It's very possible and very preferable for people who hate leading AI in dcs, like I do. I just started playing the deployment campaign, but whenever I have a mission with an AI wingman, I just convert the mission to a 4 player coop, and play it with a friend instead.

 

Here are some missions I have converted already (discaimer, I'm new to the mission editor as well, so it could have a bugs or two, and I haven't edited the triggers yet).

co_04_Deployment_2.miz

co_04_Deployment_3.miz

co_04_Deployment_4.miz

co_04_Deployment_5.miz

[Bucic]

The most important question is if it's possible to port MP mission (campaign stage) outcome back to SP campaign to get another assignment according to the outcome.

[Grimes]

You would probably need to use triggers in the MP mission to automatically load the corresponding next mission.

[Bucic]

You would probably need to use triggers in the MP mission to automatically load the corresponding next mission.

Could you elaborate?

[Panzertard]

Could you elaborate?

Yes, there's a few Triggers and possibilties you can use.

- You can measure the conditions - like all ships have been sunk or groups of units #001 to #007 - and then choose to use the ACTION "LOAD MISSION".

With a more userfriendly aproach you would present some messages on screen etc, perhaps give them a timelimit to return to base before loading the next mission.

 

But someone - a mission designer - need to sit down and decide what a "winning factor" should be, and code the conditions into a trigger.

[Bucic]

Yes, there's a few Triggers and possibilties you can use.

- You can measure the conditions - like all ships have been sunk or groups of units #001 to #007 - and then choose to use the ACTION "LOAD MISSION".

With a more userfriendly aproach you would present some messages on screen etc, perhaps give them a timelimit to return to base before loading the next mission.

 

But someone - a mission designer - need to sit down and decide what a "winning factor" should be, and code the conditions into a trigger.

Thanks for your input!

 

So the following path:

- edit mission to feature one-three slots for human buddies to join over the network

- play the mission

- "transfer mission result" using Notepad++ (or using any other robust method)

- and so on for each of the next missions

 

is not an option? :blush: It's that I don't understand/know what happens when mission ends and how the mission X results are being introduced to mission X+1. Generally I'm fine with primitive solutions as long as they work.

 

mikey,

Do you have unedited versions of the converted missions you attached (these missions before conversion) so I could compare them side-by-side?

[Panzertard]

Hm, no - I dont understand why one would have to transfer results using Notepad++ ? Are we talking past eachother here perhaps?

 

Mission data is not transferred from a mission to the next.

All missions are static - decided by the mission designer.

Mission-designer can choose to say:

- If all tanks are killed and all 4 pilots land at base: Load Mission: Mission2a.miz

- If all tanks are killed and only some pilots landed - rest is killed: Load mission: Mission2b.miz

- If some tanks are killed, time is more than 3 hours: Load Mission: Mission1aa-startover.miz

 

Very static - but if gives you a fake sensation of progress.

 

As for how far in the campaign you get - well, the server/host needs to be online and running.

If you plan on hosting yourself - then yes, you need to share this "intel" with your friends and post on a forum:

- "We made it to Mission8a.miz yeasterday, you need to start on that mission today".

But thats the nature of shutting down a server - you need to start somewhere of course.

[Grimes]

From my understanding of the campaign system within the game uses pretty simple logic.

 

"If Task Complete, then, Step forward to next stage"

Then on the stage there are a few random options.

"On Stage Load, Then, Pick mission at random"

 

In other words, each stage has a few missions. Each mission has an objective. If the objective is complete it will advance to the next stage. Where it will pick a new mission at random within that stage.

 

Within a MP mission the logic is very simple. Determine if mission is a success or failure then pick which mission to load next.

 

With triggers it could look like this.

1. Once> (Conditions for mission complete)> Set Flag 10

 

2. Once> Flag 10 is true && Random 5% > Clear Flag 10, Set Flag 11

3. Once> Flag 10 is true && Random 5% > Clear Flag 10, Set Flag 12

 

4. Once> Time Since Flag 11 is 2 minutes > Load Mission 2A

5. Once> Time Since Flag 12 is 2 minutes > Load Mission 2B

 

Trigger 1 declares the mission a success

Trigger 2 and 3 are used to randomly pick which mission to load next. By requiring Flag 10 to be true and then setting it false allows for only one option to be selected

Trigger 4 and 5 are a built in delay so the mission doesn't instantly end.

 

 

So all you need to do is for the mission to be programmed what the objectives are and if you completed it. Then for the mission to load the appropriate next mission based on the results.

[Bucic]

Hm, no - I dont understand why one would have to transfer results using Notepad++ ? Are we talking past eachother here perhaps?

You bet we do :) I'm a total noob when it comes to triggers and campaign building.

 

Mission data is not transferred from a mission to the next.

All missions are static - decided by the mission designer.

Mission-designer can choose to say:

- If all tanks are killed and all 4 pilots land at base: Load Mission: Mission2a.miz

- If all tanks are killed and only some pilots landed - rest is killed: Load mission: Mission2b.miz

- If some tanks are killed, time is more than 3 hours: Load Mission: Mission1aa-startover.miz

 

Very static - but if gives you a fake sensation of progress.

Holy C64!!! It means that playing BS campaings in co-op is a childplay! Example:

- I play my campaign and I got to my third mission

- I've decided I want to replace my silly wingmen with humans for that third mission

- * I edit the third mission changing my wingmen skill to "CLIENT" and I host it (start a server with that mission)

- I play with my human buddies and the next mission we got from the BS campaign is mission 4

- same as step * and so on

 

Right?

Edited November 16, 2010 by Bucic

[Panzertard]

Holy C64!!! It means that playing BS campaings in co-op is a childplay! Example:

- I play my campaign and I got to my third mission

- I've decided I want to replace my dumbass wingmen with humans for that third mission

- * I edit the third mission changing my wingmen skill to "CLIENT" and I host it (start a server with that mission)

Almost correct - you cannot transfer a campaign between SP and MP and back to SP. - or, rather you can, but you can't jump back & forth and bring the progress along "on the fly".

MP missions does not share progress with SP missions.

 

So if you plan on flying a campaign from SP --> MP.

- Figure out which mission you are flying in SP.

- Copy that mission & all other you want to fly over to a new folder.

- Start editing - make sure you code mission3 -> mission4 progress.

- Add / change wingmen / clients.

- Go fly.

But you cannot go back to SP and find the progress from MP been fed back to SP-campaign.

 

But you'll still have alot of fun with flying the Campaign online - without the silly AI Wingman ;)

[Bucic]

:huh:

It's late, I'll get my head around it tomorrow.

 

without the silly AI Wingman ;)

Post edited ;)

[MrUnSavory]

Would be great is someone converted all the campaigns to multiplayer. I have tried but having trouble getting my brain wrapped around the editor.

[Bucic]

Almost correct - you cannot transfer a campaign between SP and MP and back to SP. - or, rather you can, but you can't jump back & forth and bring the progress along "on the fly".

MP missions does not share progress with SP missions.

 

So if you plan on flying a campaign from SP --> MP.

- Figure out which mission you are flying in SP.

- Copy that mission & all other you want to fly over to a new folder.

- Start editing - make sure you code mission3 -> mission4 progress.

- Add / change wingmen / clients.

- Go fly.

But you cannot go back to SP and find the progress from MP been fed back to SP-campaign.

 

But you'll still have alot of fun with flying the Campaign online - without the silly AI Wingman ;)

OK, let's move it one step forward. Let's say that I have never played a campaign nor I ever finished a campaign mission. Now I'd like to try one campaign in co-op. I'd like to start this adventure with the first mission of the Deployment campaign. My first try involves:

- Mission Editor - open the first mission \Missions\Campaigns\Deployment01_eng.miz

- add two more wingmen to player's flight and make them "CLIENT" so that human players will be able to join that 'stations' when the mission is being served in multiplayer

- STOP! The first obstacle. I can't put the other two wingmen (2 and 3) to "CLIENT". Only AI skills are available.

 

 

Edit:

mikey added separate flights. That means that this (I'm not a ME savvy so I won't call it ridiculous. Let's call it...) weird limitation maybe the major thing that is blocking out of the box cooperative campaign feature. If it's done this way other players (set as clients in their separate flights) will not see a briefing and maybe other future problems may appear during the mission progress, I don't know. Ah, my bad. Mission briefings are common for all participants.

 

But there's more serious problem. Since we can't save a template of flight including all of its waypoints we'll have to re-create all of the waypoints for all of the clients. Even if there will be only one client there's still some chore to do.

 

 

Any comments. I'm going back to 104th server :)

Edited November 18, 2010 by Bucic

[Bucic]

Blindspot's Mission Editor MOD

 

[*]The new button "CLONE" creates a deep copy of the currently selected unit group including waypoints, targets, target categories, units, their payloads and liveries.

Invaluable for modyfying campaign missions into their cooperative multiplayer versions!

[WynnTTr]

Blindspot's Mission Editor MOD

 

 

Invaluable for modyfying campaign missions into their cooperative multiplayer versions!

Does this mean that you've actually done it Bucic?