Training playground mission

[Modulus]

I've got a couple questions regarding mission building

 

I need to create a multiplayer mission that is basically a training session/playground mission.

 

What I want to do is put a bunch of enemy units in clusters around the map for users to blow up.

 

So in one area there would be static tanks. Another area would have moving ground targets. Another area would have enemy choppers on a racetrack loop. Another might have some SAM units so users could practice missle avoidance.

Another area with a friendly tanker available for refueling practice.

... etc

 

But I'd like for the enemy units to respawn after being destroyed so that the people can keep playing for as long as they want.

Is this possible? If so, how?

Or has someone already created a mission like this?

 

Also, is there anything that I need to know or look out for when creating a multiplayer mission?

 

thanks!

[Grimes]

You need copies of the group, lots and lots of copies. Set the copies up so their start time is a day past the mission start time. Then simply activate the next group as each group dies.

 

As for multiplayer... there isn't a whole lot different between multiplayer and single player. A few minor bugs exist: AI not knowing where bullseye is, and friendly AI flights not appearing on SADL. But aside from that, its pretty similar.

[Modulus]

hmm I made a group of tanks, and tried setting their start date to a later date, but they still were visible in the game.

I tried everything else including using the "hide" option, but the units were still visible in game.

Not sure what I am doing wrong.

[Modulus]

Odd. I created a new mission and tried it again and it worked.

Must have been a bug

[BigShot]

...would love to try your mission when it's completed...im very new at this and need lots of practice...sounds like a great idea to me.

[WildFire]

This cannot be done perpetually. The 25th are currently operating two very large missions and beta-testing a third. Stuka and myself are the people you want to talk to but I can tell you right now there are several factors limiting the possibility of this and we've run into every one.

 

1)Too many units on map, cause only a few clients to be able to connect. Also loss of sound.

2)Too many moving units on a map same result

3)Heavy dynamic weather cuts down on bandwidth and causes problems with same result.

4)Too many AI GROUPS can cause FPS loss and eventually lead to a heavy limiting of connected clients.

5)Too many AI aircraft, same result.

6)Too large a briefing, causes clients to not be able to connect, have super slow loading times, bog down the server and if extreme crash the server.

7)Too many objects on map, again cause FPS loss and limited clients.

8 )AI engaging each other, has a huge effect on EVERYTHING.

 

Theres probably a few I'm leaving out, its hard to keep track of how many things affect the server and clients, but there's quite a bit. But we still found solutions and work-arounds.

 

Even if a unit is not activated yet, the map still has them in place and there when loading, so even if they arent there as far as the map is concerned they are there. Having all these groups sitting there waiting to be activated will bog down the server heavily.

 

Our maps include anywhere from 500-1000 enemy units and I can tell you, with the optimization's we've made it is completely possible to have a server up for maybe 48 hours and not have the place wiped out as long as your units are difficult to find and you dont give them any help finding them. If you are purposely making it easy then you cant expect much.

 

We've found with our missions we tend to restart the server every 24 hours or shorter depending on the conditions we want, such as night ops, but usually there is never any shortage of targets. We also pretty frequently have anywhere between 4-16 people play on our server everyday at the same time and over the course of one day I wouldnt be surprised to see anywhere from 10 to 20 sorties on our busier days.