Mission Editor Features Request Wishlist

[Highwayman-Ed]

Speed mentioned the same principle with the helo land at wayopint request, but maybe this could be as simple as creating a single and invisible FARP landing point as a structure that could be placed on the terrain?

 

I'd also like to see the ability for units that get spawned as a result of a trigger to be able to occupy the same space. For evample, I place a block on road with 2xBTR's if one condition is met, or 2xT80 if it is not met, what happens in the game however is that the units do not function.

[joker62]

Please,

 

- add ground personnel (pilots, mechanics, etc.) for airbases and FARP. This will add great realism.

 

- all men (soldiers, ground personnel) must walk, not only run. According to low altitude chopper operations this's essential.

 

- add randomized trees and bushes in randomized area outside cities, airbases, etc. This will "populate" landscape adding more realism.

 

- add new trigger rule: "selected frequency". This should be appreciate, considering the current lack of realism in communications (to/from ATC, to/from other air/ground units involved in the same mission. This will add a good realism, because player will hear univocal "message" at right time.

 

- add new trigge rule: "spotted unit/group". This will be very useful to create realistic environment in the mission. Suppose ot hear a "message" from friendly recon ground unit, as it see hostile incoming/moving unit.

 

- add choice: "visible before start", in the unit placement window for all AI air vehicles. This will add great realism at airbases and FARPs.

 

- add new waypoint type: "hold position" for alls AI units (air/ground/sea), until certain time is espired or related at any trigger rule. This will be very useful to create realistic environment in the mission.

 

- add new waypoint feature: "range", in the unit placement window, to set any range (from 0,1 km. to 5,0 km.).

AI unit, randomly will place itself in the selected range, according rivers, buildings, trees, etc.. This will be very useful to create realistic environment in the mission.

 

- add new waypoint feature: "random time", to set any random time (in seconds) after ETA selected. This will add good realism.

 

- add new radio command menu to Tower: "request lighting" at airbase/FARP.

Alternately,

- to illuminate airbase/FARP much before sunset, much past dawn, and when fog. At present day, lack of suitable lighting make some approaches/landings rather unrealistic.

 

- add new static object: "helipad", i.e. a simple invisible helipad, where AI choppers can land/takeoff to upload/download units.

Closely connected,

- add new waypoint type: "upload/download" for alls AI choppers, that will land, will maintain engines, then will takeoff to resume flightplan. AI chopper will stay on ground until certain time is espired or related at any trigger rule. This will be very useful to create realistic environment in the mission.

 

Thanks in advance. Best regards.

 

Antonio.

[ShadowVonChadwick]

As allready mentioned!!!

 

Trigerable Waypoints for ground units. A few examples

• Time hold for each waypoint...........(triggered true/false)
  
• Hold on waypoint..........................(triggered true/false)
  
• Skip/bypass Waypoint....................(triggered true/false)
  

As Grimes expounded.

Forward data to mext mission regarding "alive/dead" state of units. Original Lomac did so for "dead" units to be rendered in next mission !!!

Mainly for SAM sites/installations/groups in mission template.

 

For me these are formost.

 

Shad

[Jinef]

Dynamic time of day is modeled=> http://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=872354&postcount=39

Example: Time "10:00:00 #001" is 02.06.xxxx, 10:00am with daylight,twilight,nighttime, sunset,sunrise etc. (there are slight differences with real sunrise/sunsets-data)

 

What do you mean with "ROE"?

 

Rules Of Engagement.

 

So let's say I start a mission at 07:00. Can I then use a trigger to change it to 21:00 15 minutes into the mission?

[HavokFlight]

I would like a 3d viewer ... I think this is a must.

 

It would also be cool and much easier if an orbit command was added for tanjkers and AWACS planes.

 

I would also like to have some empty slots added for blank recordings to be added, things such as change in missions, re-tasking, USAF Facs directing you to put ordinace on his marked target. This could be done by adding them to triggers easily enough.

 

Just some random thoughts.

[HavokFlight]

Oh yeah, it would be really nice to move a unit of mixed ground pounders, tanks, jeeps, trucks, IFV's up a raod (which we can do now), have them come to a bridge or river or other obsticle and deploy (spread out) wait a bit, then return to the road and move somewhere else. It always killed me that I have to make tracks for eacha dn every tank in the convoy and have them deployed ... for each one ... and then they were basically stuck there. it would be really cool for two units to meet at the edge of a river or a canyon, deploy, fight, regroup, and then push on.

[Waldo_II]

More detailed system failures/damages

 

In DCS:BS, I really liked the idea of being able to force engine failures autopilot failures, but I didn't think it went far enough. In my ideal mission editor, it is possible to trigger far more specific damages to occur to the aircraft. I always wanted to try to fly the Ka-50 with the tail section blown off, but in order to try I have to get the enemy to shoot it off without killing me, which is frustrating.

 

More simply, any form of damage that can become of the aircraft in the game, via collisions or enemy fire, can be triggered in some way similar to the way engine failures and autopilot failures are triggered now in DCS:BS.

[Case]

I've read the GUI manual many times and setting these functions just isn't sinking into my gray matter.

Take a look at some of the stock missions in the editor, most use basic triggers, while some use much more complex triggers. Also search these forums, as many trigger scenarios were discussed here.

[martin.hedin]

Options for waypoints:

 

Time - when a waypoint should be activated

Trigger - a trigger activates a wp

[Major SNAFU]

Has there been any feedback to know if any or all of this is being considered for a updated version of the editor?

[SNAFU]

I would like to add to this very good list of suggestions the request for a possibility to add a further "radio option menu point" something like:

 

"->Contact FAC-> Request status ID#X" with an answer similar to:

 

" `Callsign#-Player for `FAC Callsign`: `Display message ID#X defined in ME`"

 

This would give the mission designer the possibility to let the player request a certain Flag status via a message. Therefore a new ME message type would be useful, which could be assigned to a flag. This would give a player the possibility to request his task or the mission status by radio menu.

 

Till now I displayed a message with the current missions status and/or to brief the player in his task by a trigger activated continueously while the player is in certain zone around the airfield. To display a message by request via communication menu, would be far better methinks.

[Grimes]

That's sorta already in there with the "Add Radio Item" trigger. Granted it doesn't have built in comms, but it is possible to add that via more triggers.

 

Since alot of stuff from this thread made it into A-10C so far, I'm gonna comment on two things I'd really like to see in future iterations/community developed.

 

1. Custom grouping with a collapsible list. Once you get into the 50+ trigger range the list becomes an unmanageable mess even with sorting capability. I propose that a custom group name with a collapsible list be integrated to better organize trigger functions.

 

2. Advanced Cloning Options. Several mission designers rely on using multiple triggers that have nearly identical conditions and actions. A well organized designer might organize flags via numerical values, flag 100 to do something with group 1, flag 200 for group 2, and so on. Advanced cloning would prompt the user to define specific digits with a specific flag to iterate a up or down.

 

For example in one of my missions I use a set of triggers to randomly pick an option from a list. It looks something like this...

Select 1.1 > Flag is True 110 && Random (25%) && Flag is False 111 >> Flag On 111, Flag OFF 110, Group AI ON (R_Convoy1), Flag ON 31, Flag ON 1111

 

Select 1.2 > Flag is True 110 && Random (25%) && Flag is False 112 >> Flag On 112, Flag OFF 110, Group AI ON (R_Convoy2), Flag ON 31, Flag ON 1121

 

When Flag 110 is on it allows for an option to be chosen

Flag 11x is the mission selection ID

Flag 31 plays a message

Flag 11x1 is whether the mission is active or not. Once it is completed all missions are set to "Flag 11x0"

 

Advanced cloning would be used to "define the x"

Could be as simple as an extra dialog box with all used flag values appearing in a format similar to:

1 1 1 1

[][][+][]

 

Where [] is a box below each digit. If its blank it remains the same. By setting a + or - sign it will automatically do the math the next time the close button is pressed.

[SNAFU]

I haven´t looked into DCS-A10C yet, even though I have it installed, but have other priority at the moment.

 

If you say such a function is already given in DCS-10C I maybe should consider to wait till next summer for a maybe upcoming patch of DCS:BS, or maybe not?

 

Well, sortability is another point. I am building on a mission, which I have around 30% done and reached now 70 flags and I started to comment the tirggergroups using the trigger above "ONCE: Comment for below X" but that is not really statifying, so a better comment option would be great too.

If you haven´t looked in to the mission for a week, it takes you hours to recall and figure out all what you have done the last 6 months before, always checking into the triggers, flags and scrolling up down, even if you have a system for yourself for the trigger names, which I have otherwise I would get lost after 50 triggers. So I hear what you say concerning the better grouping utility. ;)

Edited December 9, 2010 by SNAFU

[Grimes]

If you want to build black shark missions and have A-10C, the only reason to keep building in Black Shark is so you can play it immediately. However I feel that the additional triggers, formations, AI capabilities, and other enhancements in A-10C warrant switching to it to develop missions. Granted we don't know when the compatibility patch will come, but that is an acceptable risk to the added benefits gained from the new mission editor.

 

Oh jeez, comments... yeah. I hope someday a crude logic flow could be created with the triggers to just visualize what the hell is going on. In the mean time I use notepad for all critical data such as flags, pseudo logic, coordinates, test results, and ideas.

[Grimes]

Randomization is a powerful tool for re-playability. On some missions, each time you play it you sorta start to get an idea of where a specific convoy is, and where the major threat in the convoy is positioned. With formations we can randomize it up a little bit, but it simply doesn't work for a group traveling "on road". Thus I propose 2 ideas to enhance group composition without needing to change formations.

 

1. Randomize the position of a set group. A simple check box property for each unit in the group. Default is un-checked. When multiple units have randomize checked they are automatically re-ordered at random each time the mission loads. For example a 5 vehicle group can have a T-55 always in the front and a BDRM always in the back. Vehicles 2, 3, and 4 will be randomly organized.

 

2. Random group properties. A number of properties are available for the user to edit and the mission selects and spawns units based on these rules. For instance an russian armor group would have varying numbers of T-80s, T-72s, T-55s, and BMPs each time the mission loads.

[joker62]

rectangular trigger zone

 

Please,

add new trigger zone shape: rectangular, and possibility to orient it and to modify both sides independently.

Thanks.

best regards.

antonio

[brewber19]

Dear Santa @ ED...

 

I would like for the ME to have a new 'action' within the Triggers section called "audio time delay" which can be set in seconds. In this way I could set up a Trigger > Condition with Actions of:

 

1. Sound To All ('TargetHit.wav')

2. Audio Time Delay (2 secs)

3. Sound To All ('TargetDestroyed.wav')

4. Audio Time Delay (4 secs)

5. Sound To All ('Defensive.wav')

6. Audio Time Delay (3 secs)

7. Sound To All ('Abort.wav')

 

I want this so I can use the stock sounds in DCS and play them in series rather than at the same time. In this way I can make an immersive audio "backdrop" using the stock sounds that come with DCS (that all other users already have on their hard-drive) rather than having to create and upload new sounds etc. We could all then try to mimick the radio comms of ground units as they engage, so that us CAS pilots can "hear them" in action.

 

Might not be true to RL, but a damn sight less sterile of an environment.

 

Thanks for the consideration.

 

Brewber.

[Bucic]

Dear Santa @ ED...

 

I would like for the ME to have a new 'action' within the Triggers section called "audio time delay" which can be set in seconds. In this way I could set up a Trigger > Condition with Actions of:

 

1. Sound To All ('TargetHit.wav')

2. Audio Time Delay (2 secs)

3. Sound To All ('TargetDestroyed.wav')

4. Audio Time Delay (4 secs)

5. Sound To All ('Defensive.wav')

6. Audio Time Delay (3 secs)

7. Sound To All ('Abort.wav')

 

I want this so I can use the stock sounds in DCS and play them in series rather than at the same time. In this way I can make an immersive audio "backdrop" using the stock sounds that come with DCS (that all other users already have on their hard-drive) rather than having to create and upload new sounds etc. We could all then try to mimick the radio comms of ground units as they engage, so that us CAS pilots can "hear them" in action.

 

Might not be true to RL, but a damn sight less sterile of an environment.

 

Thanks for the consideration.

 

Brewber.

Can't you use a trick like that?

 

instead of

condition A => action A

 

use

condition A => [dummy action A that takes e.g. 3 seconds] => action A

 

the dummy action could be, for example, a BMP-2 moving from its initial point few meters ahead or killing two nearby soldiers, somewhere on the far end of the map. How's that for a solution? :)

[brewber19]

Hi Bucic,

 

There are a number of ways to trick the sim in to taking the required amount of (variable) time between audio files, but its clunky and time consuming to do so. I'd prefer a more elegant "in built" solution...but I suppose if I were really keen and IT literate I could learn LUA and simply code a delay between calling audio files. I wonder how hard that would be? hmm.

 

Anyways, thanks for the idea re: introducing delays.

 

Brewber.

[Bucic]

Hi Bucic,

 

There are a number of ways to trick the sim in to taking the required amount of (variable) time between audio files, but its clunky and time consuming to do so. I'd prefer a more elegant "in built" solution...but I suppose if I were really keen and IT literate I could learn LUA and simply code a delay between calling audio files. I wonder how hard that would be? hmm.

 

Anyways, thanks for the idea re: introducing delays.

 

Brewber.

random and pause commands are usually moderately easy to use despite of the programming language so it's definitely worth a try. Especially that LUA is supposed to be simple.

[KosPilot]

I need a helipad!

A helipad that can be put on top of buildings, in the terrain or where ever. Just the simple green octagon with the big "H" in the middle and sitting on a steel framework.

[Grimes]

I need a helipad!

A helipad that can be put on top of buildings, in the terrain or where ever. Just the simple green octagon with the big "H" in the middle and sitting on a steel framework.

 

Good idea. I wouldn't mind having alternative setups for farps. Having a FARP with 1 helipad or even 2 pads could be useful. It makes placement a little more flexible and accessible.

[joker62]

please, need a new trigger rule:

 

"unit locked on player electro-optical sensor"

 

This can simulate real unit's detection to permit furter attack on it.

 

Thanks.

 

antonio.

[Grimes]

Move thread to proper wishlist subsection?

 

Also:

 

FAC-Protect Group

Built for AFAC, it prioritizes enemy threats to a specific friendly group. AFAC flies to friendly group and orbits overhead/ racetracks up to a few nm between group and their current route.

[BigfootMSR]

I would love a trigger that could target a specific unit to "set failure." Currently, the set failure command only works in single player mode and does not have an effect in multiplayer.