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dotMIS file explanation

hey,

my apologies if this is explained elsewhere but i have searched the various topics and received no hits...actually too many hits but no answers.:)

can someone explain the starred entries of this .MIS file? it would help me to understand how some changes are developed for the various major-mods. I have included the entire section of this group rather than just the entries i have questions on.
thanks for your help.:salute:

[RndGroup 1]
GroupName=41a_Jap_TaskForce_001
Category=0
CommandEntry=0
Long=16796400.000000
Lat=4272200.000000
Height=0.000000
DelayMin=60*
DelayMinInterv=30240*
SpawnProbability=75*
RandStartRadius=0.000000*
ReportPosMin=1440*
ReportPosProbability=85*
Heading=223.733994
Speed=11.000000
ColumnsNo=3
Spacing=800
DeleteOnLastWaypoint=true
CurrentInstanceID=0
GameEntryDate=19420201
GameEntryTime=0
GameExitDate=19420228
GameExitTime=0
MaxInst=10000*
MaxUnitsCreated=100*
DockedShip=false
NextWP=0

The words I use for the abbreviations are just my "understanding" of the abbreviation. They may or may not be correct...

Quote:

1. DelayMin=60*
2. DelayMinInterv=30240*
3. SpawnProbability=75*
4. RandStartRadius=0.000000*
5. ReportPosMin=1440*
6. ReportPosProbability=85*
...
7. MaxInst=10000*
8. MaxUnitsCreated=100*

1. Delay Minutes is how long before the game starts counting for a spawn. So "60" is an hour's time. When using the ME, it will change this under certain circumstances back to "60", without benefit of user intervention... bears watching in a text editor after doing other edits in a file.

2. Delay Minutes Interval is how often to attempt a spawn. In this case, the 30240 minutes equates to 504 hours, or 21 days between spawn attempts...

3. Spawn Probability = 75 just means that 3 out of 4 times of using the two settings above, the game will generate the RGG (Random Generated Group). The one out of four times, it will not. There are similar percentages for the Units contained in an RGG.

4. Random Start Radius = 0.000000 if greater than zero, just gives a circle described in meters in radius, that the group can generate in. If you're in the middle of the ocean, no biggie. If you're closer to land, it might spawn up in the woods... not cool. Most modders delete this line, but it can add an element of variability if you are familiar with a scenario. Can be handy in a Single Mission when the RGG spawns out in the ocean. As insinuated, do NOT use it near land. If you increase the number above zero, you will see a circle drawn about your RGG to indicate the area in which it might spawn.

5. Report Position Minutes = 1440 just tells the game to tell the player about the RGG here that just spawned in after 1440 minutes, which is 24 hours... a rather stagnate report.

6. Report Position Probability = 85 is the percentage of the times that the game will report the generated RGG's position. The other 15% of the time, it will not be reported at all, late or not...

7. Maximum Instances = 10000 is the number of RGG that will be generated before the game quits making them, until the "time" runs out. This is used mostly in the Stock games "long" files, such as Jap_HarborTraffic, and others of that ilk, and doesn't have near as much of a bearing on a "layer" file, such as 41a_Jap_SubHunters, etc.

8. Maximum Units Created = 100 just means that up to 100 ships or planes called for in the RGG will be generated. Some of the TaskForce groups in Stock will call for 35. Some of the mods might call for more, but most are in the 1-3 range.

Get yourself a lurker_hlb3 mod, whether it'd be RSRDC or OM, and study his "construction" techniques. You'll notice that he put #1 at zero or maybe one, #2 will often be similar. #3 will be set to 100% because he doesn't put an RGG in there unless he's going to use it, or it's in the minor "layer" files, such as CoastalTraffic. He will used the GameEntryTime and Date to specifically call a date to spawn. #4, #5 & #6 are generally deleted and not used, unless you're going to have "Reports" coming in for the skipper of the sub. If it's a "scheduled" RGG, such as something in the Midway attack, #7 will be set to one, and #8 will be set to the amount of vessels in the group. No more, no less. He doesn't always hold to that, but you can tell when he was into the "detail" of a file when he does. The Stock game was basically thrown together. They must have had only a couple of people working on it 24 hours a day for a few weeks when they put it out. Quite a few of the mods only make minor changes to the Campaign, and I can tell you from first-hand experience, it is a daunting task. One little mistake, and the file might not load, or worse still - CTD!!!... and all because you called a CVS_Chitose a Type=18 instead of Type=8 vessel... :lol: :salute:

When you want to "look" at a file, look at it in a text editor first. Save it under a different name before you open it in the Mission Editor. The reason being is that, as lurker says in his ReadMe files, the ME ~will~ put lines back in that you've deleted, and it ~WILL~ change data values on certain variables that you've changed. After do your necessary edits in the ME and then "Save" the file, look at it again in the text editor, or compare it to the other with WinMerge, and you might be surprised what the $#!++! ME put back in your file... :o This is when "Search and Replace" come into play, but exercise caution there that you don't delete data that you wanted to keep! :wah:

Quote:

Originally Posted by propbeanie (Post 2508478)

The words I use for the abbreviations are just my "understanding" of the abbreviation. They may or may not be correct...

1. Delay Minutes is how long before the game starts counting for a spawn. So "60" is an hour's time. When using the ME, it will change this under certain circumstances back to "60", without benefit of user intervention... bears watching in a text editor after doing other edits in a file.

2. Delay Minutes Interval is how often to attempt a spawn. In this case, the 30240 minutes equates to 504 hours, or 21 days between spawn attempts...

3. Spawn Probability = 75 just means that 3 out of 4 times of using the two settings above, the game will generate the RGG (Random Generated Group). The one out of four times, it will not. There are similar percentages for the Units contained in an RGG.

4. Random Start Radius = 0.000000 if greater than zero, just gives a circle described in meters in radius, that the group can generate in. If you're in the middle of the ocean, no biggie. If you're closer to land, it might spawn up in the woods... not cool. Most modders delete this line, but it can add an element of variability if you are familiar with a scenario. Can be handy in a Single Mission when the RGG spawns out in the ocean. As insinuated, do NOT use it near land. If you increase the number above zero, you will see a circle drawn about your RGG to indicate the area in which it might spawn.

5. Report Position Minutes = 1440 just tells the game to tell the player about the RGG here that just spawned in after 1440 minutes, which is 24 hours... a rather stagnate report.

6. Report Position Probability = 85 is the percentage of the times that the game will report the generated RGG's position. The other 15% of the time, it will not be reported at all, late or not...

7. Maximum Instances = 10000 is the number of RGG that will be generated before the game quits making them, until the "time" runs out. This is used mostly in the Stock games "long" files, such as Jap_HarborTraffic, and others of that ilk, and doesn't have near as much of a bearing on a "layer" file, such as 41a_Jap_SubHunters, etc.

8. Maximum Units Created = 100 just means that up to 100 ships or planes called for in the RGG will be generated. Some of the TaskForce groups in Stock will call for 35. Some of the mods might call for more, but most are in the 1-3 range.

Get yourself a lurker_hlb3 mod, whether it'd be RSRDC or OM, and study his "construction" techniques. You'll notice that he put #1 at zero or maybe one, #2 will often be similar. #3 will be set to 100% because he doesn't put an RGG in there unless he's going to use it, or it's in the minor "layer" files, such as CoastalTraffic. He will used the GameEntryTime and Date to specifically call a date to spawn. #4, #5 & #6 are generally deleted and not used, unless you're going to have "Reports" coming in for the skipper of the sub. If it's a "scheduled" RGG, such as something in the Midway attack, #7 will be set to one, and #8 will be set to the amount of vessels in the group. No more, no less. He doesn't always hold to that, but you can tell when he was into the "detail" of a file when he does. The Stock game was basically thrown together. They must have had only a couple of people working on it 24 hours a day for a few weeks when they put it out. Quite a few of the mods only make minor changes to the Campaign, and I can tell you from first-hand experience, it is a daunting task. One little mistake, and the file might not load, or worse still - CTD!!!... and all because you called a CVS_Chitose a Type=18 instead of Type=8 vessel... :lol: :salute:

When you want to "look" at a file, look at it in a text editor first. Save it under a different name before you open it in the Mission Editor. The reason being is that, as lurker says in his ReadMe files, the ME ~will~ put lines back in that you've deleted, and it ~WILL~ change data values on certain variables that you've changed. After do your necessary edits in the ME and then "Save" the file, look at it again in the text editor, or compare it to the other with WinMerge, and you might be surprised what the $#!++! ME put back in your file... :o This is when "Search and Replace" come into play, but exercise caution there that you don't delete data that you wanted to keep! :wah:

thank you.:Kaleun_Cheers: