New MP mission in the works

[Reaper51]

Hello all,

I'm making a MP mission, and am in need of a scripter.
I know what I generally want, where things go ( I'm doing that now ),
and how I want the mission to flow, but I lack the skills to script it.

So if anyone is interested in helping me, please post your e-mail addy,
or PM it to me, and I'll send you my general idea, along with what I have so far.

<edit>
Ok update.

So far I have everything in and placed ( at least for now ), and now I'll start working on my story. So far I have a base line, but it's still very rough around the edges.

So far this is a conflict between the USN, PLN, and Russia, with the USN, and PLN being allied.
There are enough boats for eight players:

PLN
Yuanzheng 67 Y367
Yuanzheng-K 68 Y368
Yuanzheng 65 B365

Russia
Vladikavkaz B459
Vologda B402
Tigr K157

USN
Alexandria SSN757
Annapolis SSN760

Also this is a pretty long scenario, my estimate being around four to eight hours.
I forgot to mention, my scenario is based around a LAM strike, and takes place in,
Indonesia. This is a google earth shot of my OPERA:

[suBB]

Hey,

For what it’s worth I’d like to share some pointers I’ve learned / currently use in editing that will hopefully allow your design experience to be a less stressful / more productive one and allow you to achieve the desired results in reasonable time w/ accuracy.

A.. Scenario – well, that speaks for itself. Some appreciate details and back-story while others just need enough information to get the job done. Considering a MP scenario I feel the scenario can do w/o the extra details and back-story.

B.. scripting – you don’t need what you already have, and as lead designer it’s best you learn everything you can about scripting. Scripting isn’t as difficult as it may seem. Just remember that the only way scripts can fire is if they are attached to triggers. When the conditions are met for a trigger, it will execute the script. For AI based scripts, use apply to all for both trigger and script and anything other than ‘system damage’ can be used for AI platforms. The same rules apply for humans but use apply to ‘playable platform’ for both triggers and scripts, the only scripts I know of that applies to humans are ‘system damage’ and ‘set fuel’. if you try to set any form of NAV for playable platform with human present, the human overrides your script. I’d run some simple test cases to get a feel for scripts before the initial design takes place 1st.

C.. doctrine – doctrine can be used to specify exact what conditions need to be met in order for a trigger to fire. However, for MP, avoid use of IS / IS NOT controllable doctrine, as it tends to cause more headaches than necessary, especially when use of this doctrine can by bypassed with other logic ‘circuits’ I tend to call triggers circuits.

D.. Audience – At the going rate I don’t think you won’t have any problems finding people for MP sessions, but if you want to make a map that is dual mode capable between MP / SP, that will require some sophisticated triggering, but it still can be done and I can show you how we did it. But if its for MP only, you don’t need to consider the extra triggering for AI.


E.. AI – speaking of AI, oftentimes designers just throw some AI into the scenario w/ little regard for them. However you can design AI to be just as effective and cunning as humans using scripts. Using subs for example, you can make AI subs check both sides of the layer on a routine basis, resume optimal cruising speeds, reduce speed once detection made on an opponent, comms check intervals which provide intelligence to other listening subs(humans included), not be too responsive to active sonar transmissions, transiting / sprinting, routine sonar baffle checks, navigate as such in efforts to throw off enemy TMA, plus others. You will need to research array washout speeds for platforms of interests, but just ask around the forums for stuff like that.

F.. Linearity vs non-linearity - you need to consider how your map will perform over time and this will determine the replay value of your scenario. I’d say there are drawbacks for each. In a linear design its pretty straightforward in A-B-C format, requiring the same level of tactics from the players as well as very little for the players to look forward to the next time around. In the same token some players like to just be spawned into the scenario and blow stuff up and there is nothing wrong with that, but it gets old very quick since a lot of other missions currently out accomplish the same thing (MHO). Non linear designs tend to offer an entirely different experience than linear and preserves the replay value. The drawback was MP players were so used to linear designs (DM) that something non-linear was completely foreign to them, but times have changed and so has interest in mission based MP scenarios, trust me on that one I figure the way to assume a non-linear design is make a scenario with room for escalation of events, a scenario that offers a sense of freedom which leads to options for players to consider each time the map is loaded, a scenario where you are not spawned into detection ranges all the time nor after a short period of time detection will occur of opposing platforms, where ownship must reach a safe minimal distance unharmed and random events that can occur and alter the chances of success or failure for each side. The infrastructure is completely up to you.

G.. Mission run-time – personally I wouldn’t mind a scenario for up to 8 hours, but truthfully I have a life that exists outside of DW. I think 8 hours is really pushing it for a MP mission based map, especially for 8 players if not more for multistation. Based on experience 5 hours seems to be the higher end limit. 4 hours is ideal and seems to be ok for a lot of people probably up to 4.5 hours. I’ve been told that anything over 5 hours is considered part-time / full-time employment and if they spend that amount of time in front of DW they feel they should be paid for it (lol)

F.. SSP & Player fulfillment – a very important factor that can make or brake a mission is the type of SSP used which leads a sense of fulfillment of the players involved. SSP was the leading cause to an issue on my map, and the issue was there wasn’t a sense of fulfillment for the player, but after testing it turned out that changing the SSP solved this issue, and not to say that could or could not occur in any other scenario, player fulfillment is something the designer needs to be mindful of. As a rule of thumb, I consider convergence zone SSP for wide spread maps and maybe surface duct or bottom limited SSP for more concentrated smaller maps. Calculations can be made to determine what I call base detection, which is over a number times the map is loaded, under normal circumstances how often will human opponents will come within detection range of each other. For my scenarios the target is base detection of 50% - 60%, and when human intervention comes into play, base detection will vary either way.

G.. Technical support – I think there is plenty of talent around to find solutions for problems you may have. All the more reason to discuss your map, issues, test-cases, findings, in the forums so everyone can see what you are talking about and attempt to help find a solution. For sake of sanity, I post test findings in my thread in the forums as a mental note of where my map currently stands, what direction I need to head into, changes to be made, etc.

H.. test cases , MP Testing & Patience – testing, testing and more testing. Don’t stop testing until you achieve desired results. And if your map involves scripts for AI or humans, most of the time these can be tested in SP with time compression, which will help in debugging and troubleshooting. Until you’ve done everything in SP to make sure your map is working, then take it up another level and start MP testing / optimization, and stay in that ‘loop’ until you are achieving desired results. Testing can run a lot smoother with a laptop or with people who have laptops. Also if you have problems mid-stream its best to make separate test cases external from the main map, this helped me in isolation of problems and saved me time in useless coding.

I.. version release – the more you edit the more proficient you become in editing. And your 1st design will never be a perfect one. SO you then may reach a point that you feel changes could be made for the better in a map you recently released. Releasing it as a version allows you to keep track of changes made but more importantly helps you learn from the mistakes that could carryover into future designs, allowing you do deliver more accurate designs in the future.

I hope this helps, and if you have any questions about anything I’ll be glad to help whenever I can.

Make sure you get xfire and add me as contact: su88.

ya later

good luck