Using "Prepare Mission" in the ME

[Bahger]

I'm wondering if someone could clarify before I go through lengthy trial-and-error to determine the following:

 

I want to start the plaer on the ramp but, to simulate an "Alert" flight, have the engines and certain of the systems up and running. I then want the player to configure his specific weapons settings for the mission.

 

If I hit "Prepare Mission" in the ME for this .miz, do an engine start, set radios and then save before taxiing out (possibly even with the radio dialog for "Request taxi to runway" on the screen, or is that too ambitious?), will the player's a/c be in this state every time he starts the mission?

 

This might be an interesting, immersive thing to do to launch an "Alert" flight but if this aspect of the ME is inconsistent or temperamental I'd rather stick with either a full ramp start or a runway start. I'm trying to see if I can do something inbetween.

 

Thanks!

[Speed]

Well, experiment around with it, tell us what you find. I have only seen "Perpare Mission" causing problems in A-10 so far (see the topic I just posted in), but I suppose there could be a right way of doing it.

[SmokeyTheLung]

The prepare mission only works for certain systems (you can find a list in the GUI manual, I'd tell you them if I could remember :))

If you do use it, I would recommend that you wait until you're completely satisfied with the load out of the aircraft, as changing things after the fact can leed to some annoying bugs

Edited April 22, 2011 by SmokeyTheLung

[Bahger]

Good to know, I don't think it's worth the hassle, esp. if it only works for certain users.

[hreich]

Could someone please point to list - what are sys requirements for prepare mission to work

[HiJack]

Missions will work without using the prepare mission menu.

[Sabre-TLA]

From page 66 of the User Manual:

 

PREPARE MISSION. The PREPARE MISSION mode is used for integrating navigation and environment data into the saved mission file. When near the end of creating a mission, you can start the mission in the PREPARE MISSION mode (it will look much like usual FLY MISSION start) and configure various avionics in the cockpit. Your avionics settings can then be saved and will start in the saved states whenever other players open the mission.

The following avionics settings can be saved using the PREPARE MISSION function.

Ka-50

 ADF channel frequencies

 Satellites

 Additional ABRIS data

 Navigation database

 ABRIS routes

To save custom frequency settings for the ADF channels, edit the ARK.lua file prior to running the Mission Prepare function. The ARK.lua file can be found in: \\Mods\aircrafts\Ka-50\Cockpit\Scripts\ARK\ARK.lua.

A-10C

 CDU. All setting except a mission editor flight plan that can't be changed.

 IFFCC. The block of test menu.

 MFCD. Lower OSB buttons functionality.

 SADL. Network user ID, callname etc. (NET page)

 TAD. Profiles.

 TGP. Laser codes, integration, calibration method, gain settings, TAAF altitude.

 DSMS. Mission Control Page settings. Weapon profiles.

Once your avionics are setup as desired for the mission, exit the mission and press the SAVE button in the ME once again to save all of the prepared data in the mission file.

NOTE for mission makers:

If you use prepare mission mode, please indicate in the briefing that the player should not use the mission planner. If he'll change the route or weapons for the mission, the avionics scripts saved in the mission file using prepare mission will conflict with the new settings. If you want to give the player the freedom of action to the use the mission planner, do not use mission prepare mode.

[hreich]

I tried to do that on one of your training mission - bft - navigation and timing,. I opened your mission in mission editor, used prepare to start mission than i entered 4 new waypoints with coordinates exit the mission and save it. After that when i click on the fly button, i get only white screen that hangs and cant fly the mission with inputed coordinates in cdu..

[Sabre-TLA]

This:

 

"CDU. All setting except a mission editor flight plan that can't be changed."

[hreich]

Ok got it now

[Flagrum]

Prepare mission causes problems if the mission is changed in the ME after the prepare mission was done.

 

Prepare mission stores the settings of various systems (see postings above) in the mission file, but not in the mission itself. Therefore, if the mission is changed, the stored data is not adjusted.

 

Example:

 

• In ME you set up a loadout of 4 GBU-12.
  
• You do a "Prepare Mission" and replace them with 4 CBUs.
  
• If you fly the mission now, you can drop CBUs.
  
• But now you change the loadout in the ME again to 4 GBU 38.
  
• If you fly the mission, you get red stores in the DSMS because the DSMS is loaded with the CBU data from the mission prepare, but "physically" you have GBU 38 hanging under the wings.
  

 

Similar problems could be expected for the other systems.

 

Such broken missions can be fixed. You can easily identify the files within the .MIZ file (technically just a ZIP archive) when you compare a mission with and another without "mission prepare" (can't name the files right out of my head atm). You then just delete those additional files created by mission prepare and you should be good to go again.