Setting up Random group spawns

[AKA_Clutter]

All,

What I would like to do is to setup a mission where the groups that spawn are somewhat random. As an example, I would like to set it up so that there are four different groups, one of which is activated randomly at the mission start. I know that I could use Mission start --> Random 25% --> Flag On 1, or the Condition statement when adding a new unit. However, it is my understanding that I did this for the four groups, there is a chances that more than one group would spawn. I would like to set it up such that ONLY one groups would spawn. The way I have done this in the past is to use two flags with random set to 50% and then do a truth table to set another four flags.

Example:

Mission Start – Random 50% - Flag On 1

Mission Start – Random 50% - Flag On 2

Mission Start – Flag 1 True & Flag 2 True - Flag On 3

Mission Start – Flag 1 False & Flag 2 True - Flag On 4

Mission Start – Flag 1 True & Flag 2 False - Flag On 5

Mission Start – Flag 1 False & Flag 2 False - Flag On 6

This appears to me to be a brute force way of doing what I want to do and am wondering if there is a better way to do this? Should I look into doing this via Lua?

Thanks

AKA_Clutter

[mwd2]

http://en.wiki.eagle.ru/wiki/Mission_Editor:_Randomization

 

or via lua: http://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=1176947&postcount=2

Edited December 17, 2013 by mwd2

[AKA_Clutter]

Thanks!

[ENO]

AKA- a good way I do it is set a flag random value at the mission start- between 1-100.

 

Then I do a flag value less than 26 then flag 1 is true. Flag more than 25 and less than 51 then flag 2 is true... etc. That way you can ensure that only 1 ever spawns in- and you can set the values for how ever many groups you want.

 

Just remember when you are setting a "more than" it is not "equal to and more than... so if you want to set 25, you need to do equals 25 or "more than 24" and "less than 26."

 

I find that works.

 

Normally I would teleport groups to random zones, or move groups to random zones... but that isn't working reliably in MP... the server side works, but then clients don't see the units unless they came in after the move happened.

[Wrecking Crew]

If you want four states then try this -

 

Mission Start, Action Flag 4 Random Min 1 Max 4.

 

Flag 4 will then be 1-4.

 

WC

[Grimes]

http://en.wiki.eagle.ru/wiki/Mission_Editor:_Randomization

 

or via lua: http://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=1176947&postcount=2

 

Druid's code was created on an older version of the scripting engine, actually its a version that was before the scripting engine was a supported feature. So its slightly out of date. Specifically trigger.setUserFlag needs to be changed to trigger.action.setUserFlag

 

From the wiki article and to answer the main question of the thread; triggers are a quick and easy way to accomplish randomization. You can use more complex possibilities with lua like changing the spawn position of a specific group or making the group travel to a random position once they spawn. But generally speaking triggers will be enough to get the results you are looking for. I personally think the true/false method is overly complex and I much prefer any of the "from list" set of triggers to accomplish the same sort of thing but with more flexibility.

[AKA_Clutter]

I agree that the TRUE/FALSE method is overly complex. I originally used that back when there was ONLY KA-50, so haven't looked into the new options in the ME.

 

Thanks for all the great ideas!

[ENO]

If you want four states then try this -

 

Mission Start, Action Flag 4 Random Min 1 Max 4.

 

Flag 4 will then be 1-4.

 

WC

 

I feel like an idiot... That's definitely easier than my way- and will be the way I do it from now on lol.

[MagicBra]

You can also use a simple mist respawninzone() function and specifying more than one zone at mission start.

It will place your group in one of those zone and can also randomize the units positions.

[Wrecking Crew]

That's a funky chicken, MB!

[ENO]

It is cute in a cutesy sort of way.

 

And yes chicken, I had mentioned that but also there were issues with that function in the MP environment. Hopefully 1.2.7 fixed those issues!

[number3]

It is cute in a cutesy sort of way.

 

And yes chicken, I had mentioned that but also there were issues with that function in the MP environment. Hopefully 1.2.7 fixed those issues!

 

That's correct.

 

Basically anyone how joins after the respawn occurs, will see a message saying that they destroyed a building. While the host sees a message that they destroyed the actual unit.

 

I haven't tested this with 1.2.7 however.

 

My workaround was to create a group for every possible zone where units could appear. Set each of those groups to late activation in the ME. Then in my script if the event it triggered I activate the unit using trigger.action.activateGroup(Group group).