Preview: UH-1H Transport Tasks

[TeTeT]

A preview of a small mission that totally neglects the C in DCS. Fly the Huey for transportation tasks solely and have your trusted co pilot talk you to the LZs. The mission is quite incomplete right now, as only the task and LZ management is done. As the mission contains my first steps in Lua, I would be happy to get some feedback on that aspect.

 

The mission is semi-dynamic, the tasks and LZs are selected randomly. But as there are only 14 of them so far, it is more than likely to encounter the same LZ twice over the course of 5 tasks that need to be accomplished.

uh1-maikopp-lua.miz

[luza]

you can use flags to avoid it selecting a "tasking" more than once ;)

Nevertheless looks good, will give it a whirl when I get time :D

Edited May 10, 2013 by luza

[TeTeT]

I'm undecided if going the flag or lua datastructure approach is more appropriate. Of course the flag makes it more accessible, as it easier to grasp. But it is harder to build more sophisticated logic. For example, some tasks would benefit from being played in order:

 

1. scout FARP site
   
2. transport security team
   
3. transport workers
   
4. transport working material
   

 

1. insert patrol
   
2. patrol makes prisoners, transport prisoner back to base
   

 

1. insert patrol
   
2. patrol located weapons cache, bring in demolition squad
   

 

So a LZ that has been used once might need to be reused later on, after some condition applies.

 

I guess one can model this with the expressiveness of triggers and flags as well, though I suspect that going the lua path makes it easier to understand. But as written above, I don't know yet.

[WolfK33]

Sounds like this is going to be one great mission ! Looking forward to it !

[TeTeT]

Thanks for the encouraging words. I created some Arma missions with a similar approach, based on the Workhorse mission for OA by BTK. Kind of interesting to do something similar in DCS.

 

Attached is an updated version where the LZs 9 to 14 should actually work. I haven't found a condition for 'landed', so I check the altitude of the helo. Right now one doesn't even need to stop at the LZ :)

 

Another problem are the flares. When I place them in the editor on a trigger zone, they start from its center. However, the point I get from the DB seems to be slightly off or the flares seem to start underground.

 

Lastly, I tried to spawn two soldiers at the LZ, but it didn't work. I took the code from a mission discussed below in the forum:

 

 

function doPopulate(task, lzIndex)
 LZ = "LZ" .. lzIndex
 local zone = mist.DBs.zonesByName[LZ]
 if zone ~= nil then
   point = zone.point
   local data = {
     ["visible"] = true,
     ["groupId"] = "SomePunks",
     ["hidden"] = false,
     ["units"] = {
       [1] = {
  ["y"] = point.z - 2,
  ["x"] = point.x - 2,
  ["type"] = "Soldier M4",
  ["name"] = "LZ team",
  ["unitId"] = math.random(100,200),
  ["heading"] = 0,
  ["playerCanDrive"] = true,
  ["skill"] = "Average",
       },
[2] = {
  ["y"] = point.z + 2,
  ["x"] = point.x + 2,
  ["type"] = "Soldier M4",
  ["name"] = "LZ team",
  ["unitId"] = 100 + math.random(100,200),
  ["heading"] = 0,
  ["playerCanDrive"] = true,
  ["skill"] = "Average",
       }
     }
   }
   coalition.addGroup(country.id.USA, Group.Category.GROUND, data)
 end
end

 

uh1-maikopp-lua.miz

[WolfK33]

Now that you mention it, I´ve played those missions in ArmaII and they were great ! Unforgotten how I had to get out of the Chinook I think it was and had to repair it under enemy fire at the first or second LZ. Great stuff !

 

I hope I can try this one today.

 

Thanks for your work !

[WolfK33]

I just had a chance to fly a bit and tried this.

I encountered a problem:

 

My first task was to transport an officer to a night club. Pickup went good, but at the drop-off LZ nothing happened, although I skidded to within 0 meters of the LZ. It was task 7 LZ 13.

 

Second try was extracting a patrol at LZ 3, I landed at the crossroads and was rammed by an obviously blind civilian driver, rofl. Funny thing is, the last mission I played, "zero dark thirty" by wess24m, the same thing happened to an AI Blackhawk. I should really turn those Civvies off ;-)

[TeTeT]

The problem with the LZ readouts are that they are approximate distance, not reliable. You need to stay in a 20 meter radius around the smoke, not the flares or the readout.

 

Looks like RL will interfere and I'm not so sure when I will be able to continue working on it. Don't expect updates soonish. Sorry.

[TeTeT]

Quick update: with help of the sct plugin for MIST troops can now be seen at the LZs.

 

Land at a LZ and wait for the next update (max 10 seconds) to have the troops loaded or unloaded. Currently there are no animations, e.g. waypoints, so the troops are static.

 

Anyone interested in some voice acting? I would love to get the following takes:

 

1. Copilot (German speaking English): We're under fire.
   
2. Copilot (German speaking English): Let's return to base, shift is over
   
3. Copilot (German speaking English): Let's get started
   
4. Squad leader (US English): Let's go
   
5. Squad Leader (US English): All aboard
   
6. Squad Leader (US English): Get out of here quickly
   
7. Squad Leader (US English): Glad to be on the ground
   
8. Squad Leader (US English): Thanks for the ride
   
9. Officer (US English): (slightly drunk) Let's go home
   
10. Officer (US English): Let's go and have some fun
    

 

If interested and you have ideas of your own what troops and officers could chat during the flight and especially before take off and after landing, any input much appreciated.

 

I guess with the lack of infantry animations, voice acting is the best way to overcome the lack of immersion.

uh1-maikopp-lua.miz

[EagleEye]

Had a quick try yesterday, couldn`t pickup the officer though. Ok, see now that I have to land in a 20 meter radius around the smoke.

Great concept and idea. Have you found someone who can do the voice acting?

[MasterZelgadis]

I could do the 1-3 if you still need

[oniellnz]

Just had a go at your mission - loved it!

 

Bought back the memories of flying Apache Longbow. (Yes, I know, different heli, but it was the feeling of flying a helicopter, and fun)

 

Had no issues with the mission, just a traffic jam on one of the taxiways when an Apache was facing the other direction - damn, should have taken a pic, oh well.

 

Thanks.

[sSkullZnBoneZz]

If you still need some US voice overs I will do a few; as long as a southern accent is okay, lol.

[TeTeT]

Another update

 

Another update, this is basically beta now, I do not plan to add more tasks or anything, just some polishing and adding the voices.

uh1-maikopp-lua.miz

[TeTeT]

Updated mission

 

Another update, with some voice acting and random fire, only for atmosphere.

uh1-maikopp-lua.miz

[lorenzoj]

Just gave this one a brief tryout. I very much like the idea of multiple tasks with frequent takeoffs and landing and no one trying to blow you out of the sky every few minutes.

 

I only did a couple tasks and will go back for another go but I found the LZ markers a bit odd. I land right on / under the smoke and get told I have to move another 49m or so. Seems the LZ perimeters should maybe be a bit more defined ? DCS crashed on me which hasn't happened before so I will go in and try this mission again. Good concept I believe.