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Question for Mission Experts..... - 11/1/2017 11:34:50 PM

DWReese

Posts: 1824
Joined: 3/21/2014
From: Miami, Florida
Status: offline

A question for the Mission Experts out there:

Is it possible to combine groups from different bases into the same group for the same mission? I know that I can assign them, but if they are coming from different bases, then you really have to coordinate the timing, otherwise one will show up ahead of the other. Below is an elementary visual aide:

B>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>T
!
!
E

The Bombers (in Base B) are friendly to the Escorts in Base E. Both are hostile to the Targets in Base T.

I know that I can create a mission for B and E to attack T, but if it's not coordinated, E ends up either ahead (or behind) B. I was thinking that I could send the Bombers on an attack mission, and send the Escorts either plotted directly or on a Support mission to the intersection directly above (just to keep my illustration simple). Since the Escorts often need fuel, I could place a Tanker at that spot, and have them refuel prior to the arrival of the Bombers.

Now, comes the fun part. Is there a way to now make the Escorts join the Bombers' group, or is it just simpler to keep it separate, and send them each on their own way with their own mission? I was trying to create a mission for the opposition (AI) rather than me manually doing this.

I see that you can use the end mission time. so I feel that I could cease whatever support mission that I had them on, but I don't know if they would just immediately head home, or if there was a way to then have them join the other group. Maybe through Lua? Or, as I said, maybe I should just plan out the time as best as possible, and send them on separate missions.

Any help, or thoughts, would be appreciated.

Doug

Post #: 1

RE: Question for Mission Experts..... - 11/2/2017 1:06:18 AM

SeaQueen

Posts: 1451
Joined: 4/14/2007
From: Washington D.C.
Status: offline

Yes, there is that problem. One trick to get around it is to break the mission into two missions. The first mission is a "push point" where the aircraft assemble, then, once they get to the push point, reassign them to the next mission where they ingress towards their target. Usually for push points I'll just use an AAW patrol mission.

The technique works really well if you use LUA scripting to get everything timed just right. With a person in the loop you either need to play in the scenario editor to pull that off, or else keep a little bit more of an eye on things.

(in reply to DWReese)

Post #: 2

RE: Question for Mission Experts..... - 11/2/2017 2:46:50 AM

DWReese

Posts: 1824
Joined: 3/21/2014
From: Miami, Florida
Status: offline

I understand what you are saying. I was hoping for a way to be able to set it up as a mission that would be able to be programmed for the opposition. Is there a way to do that? Is there a way to send the Escorts to a Marshaling Area, and when the Bombers get to that area, the Escort cease their mission and then join the Bombers as escorts.

I've been playing around with it tonight, without any Lua coding, but I can't seem to get anything like that to happen.

Even if I did get it to happen, it really may be better off as two missions, anyway. <g> It was just a thought.

Doug

(in reply to SeaQueen)

Post #: 3

RE: Question for Mission Experts..... - 11/2/2017 10:49:22 AM

Grazyn

Posts: 180
Joined: 10/24/2016
Status: offline

It's definitely possible because I've seen it happen in scenarios (enemy planes going to a marshalling area and then attacking), but I think you'll have to use a Lua script. Marshalling mission should be a support mission between 2 reference points with fighters and bombers assigned to it, then you make them switch to the bombing mission at a given time or trigger.

(in reply to DWReese)

Post #: 4

RE: Question for Mission Experts..... - 11/2/2017 1:31:49 PM

SeaQueen

Posts: 1451
Joined: 4/14/2007
From: Washington D.C.
Status: offline

You can do it, but you need LUA to reassign the assets from one mission to the next at an appropriate time. The function you need is:

ScenEdit_AssignUnitToMission('AUNameOrID', 'MissionNameOrID')

First you create the marshaling area. Next, create the "marshaling" missions with appropriate start times or triggers to get the aircraft you want from the bases they're at to the marshaling area in a reasonable period of time. Then create the "mission go" triggers and a short LUA script as an action to assign the aircraft you marshaled to their mission.

If you want a good example of it, the DCAMiniEx Community Scenario makes extensive use of the technique for the computer controlled Red side.

quote:

ORIGINAL: DWReese

I understand what you are saying. I was hoping for a way to be able to set it up as a mission that would be able to be programmed for the opposition. Is there a way to do that? Is there a way to send the Escorts to a Marshaling Area, and when the Bombers get to that area, the Escort cease their mission and then join the Bombers as escorts.

I've been playing around with it tonight, without any Lua coding, but I can't seem to get anything like that to happen.

Even if I did get it to happen, it really may be better off as two missions, anyway. <g> It was just a thought.

Doug

< Message edited by SeaQueen -- 11/2/2017 1:32:16 PM >

(in reply to DWReese)

Post #: 5

RE: Question for Mission Experts..... - 11/2/2017 1:56:01 PM

DWReese

Posts: 1824
Joined: 3/21/2014
From: Miami, Florida
Status: offline

Thanks.

That is exactly what I wanted.

I had the marshaling part down, but I didn'y know how to switch the missions. Thanks to you, now I do.

Doug

(in reply to SeaQueen)

Post #: 6

RE: Question for Mission Experts..... - 11/2/2017 9:12:18 PM

ExNusquam

Posts: 513
Joined: 3/4/2014
From: Washington, D.C.
Status: offline

I always preferred assigning units to mission with a function that Baloogan posted to his forums a while ago (the thread appears to be gone now). Basically you want to make sure the unit still exists before you assign it to a mission.

function AddToMission(side_name,unit_name,mission_name) 
  local unit = ScenEdit_GetUnit({side=side_name,name=unit_name})
  if unit ~= nil then
    unit.mission = mission_name
  end
end
 
 
AddToMission('Russia Air', 'Northwind #13', 'Forward CAP7')

(in reply to DWReese)

Post #: 7

RE: Question for Mission Experts..... - 11/4/2017 8:55:26 PM

DWReese

Posts: 1824
Joined: 3/21/2014
From: Miami, Florida
Status: offline

SeaQueen (and ExNusquam)

Thanks for your help.

Using your help, I was able to do exactly what I had requested.

Now, I would like to add another step (or two) to the process.

1. When I send the Escorts to the marshaling area, I would like to have a tanker waiting for them. When the Escorts arrive, I would like to give them a Lua order, this would have the Escorts refuel. I see a Refuel Order among the possible lists, but it has the follow "(table)" following the script. I don't know what that means. Can you recommend another scenario that uses a Lua script to order planes to refuel so that I can visually see how this is done?

2. Final step. After my bombing attack is complete, the AI gives my planes a RTB order, as it should. Unfortunately, the planes make a beeline home, and fly directly OVER many SAM sites that now see them. Playing manually, I can guide my planes to the south, away from the SAMs, and then head home, without being attacked. So, using TIME as my trigger, is it possible to give the planes yet another order to use a Lua script to fly south for about five minutes, or so (to avoid the SAMs), before giving them a final order, this one a RTB order?

I realize that this is quite a bit of scripting, but Lua does make units much more controllable, and thus, it is much more realistic. For scenario design it is a must.

Thanks in advance.

Doug

(in reply to SeaQueen)

Post #: 8

RE: Question for Mission Experts..... - 11/4/2017 9:33:14 PM

Cik

Posts: 671
Joined: 10/5/2016
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the table in particular it's asking for is a list of options you want to define for the refuel to be set.

so take this with a grain of salt as i haven't tried this but:

you can use scenedit_setunit(unitname= "name", refuel= 1) which will trigger an UNREP based on the specs of the currently assigned mission or doctrine. there's also a new trigger that i've never seen that gives you more flexibility.

you could also use that one in which case:

scenedit_refuelunit({side= "side", unitname= "name", missions={"halfwaytank"}}) which sets an UNREP with the mission in the secondary {mission} table.

table just means it references a table which are marginally more complex but give you more options.

to alter the course of a unit you can affect the {waypoint} table under setunit. there is probably a way to create new ones, or you could directly set it's heading- or assign it to a new "midpoint" support mission on the way out then re-assign based on a time trigger (which you already know how to do)

anyway, many ways to do these things. just a matter of what you're most comfortable with.

< Message edited by Cik -- 11/4/2017 9:34:56 PM >

(in reply to DWReese)

Post #: 9

RE: Question for Mission Experts..... - 11/5/2017 4:19:55 AM

DWReese

Posts: 1824
Joined: 3/21/2014
From: Miami, Florida
Status: offline

I'm having issues with the aforementioned "table."

Where is this "table", or how do I create the "table", or what does the "table" even look like? Is there an existing scenario that lists a "table" in a Lua Script that I could see, so that I would know what to look for?

Doug

(in reply to Cik)

Post #: 10

RE: Question for Mission Experts..... - 11/5/2017 4:32:20 AM

Cik

Posts: 671
Joined: 10/5/2016
Status: offline

the "table" is a "selector" (maybe not the right term) defined by warfaresims. tables are between these things {}

tables allow you to alter the uh, tables.

so units are a table, and then the subtables of those tables contain all the information about the units themselves. so you can "delve" these tables and change things about the units themselves with scenedit_setunit.

it sounds complicated but basically it's just an exercise at looking at the documentation IMO.

in the above example for instance how it works is this:

scenedit_refuelunit({the function that allows you to command units to refuel based on settings) side(what side the unit is on, not a table) unitname (the name of the unit, not a table) missions (a table that allows you to select multiple mission types with the syntax missions={"mission1}, {mission2}, {mission3} etc. and then you close the function by use of two }} because you are going up two levels, up from the mission table and then up from the function and then close with right paren because it's a function )

tl;dr units are tables and all of the properties of the units are also tables. when you want to change things about a unit you have to manipulate it's tables which you do with certain functions that sometimes contain {}{} symbols denoting tables.

so in this function the list of missions is a table which has to be enclosed in {} because missions are tables.

does that help at all?

< Message edited by Cik -- 11/5/2017 4:40:45 AM >

(in reply to DWReese)

Post #: 11

RE: Question for Mission Experts..... - 11/5/2017 11:20:32 AM

DWReese

Posts: 1824
Joined: 3/21/2014
From: Miami, Florida
Status: offline

I believe where I (was) am having trouble is I was under the impression that open and closed parenthesis were always used, and not brackets, {}.

Also. in some cases denoting the side seems necessary, while in others, it isn't. Most of the problems, however, I'm sure are simply syntax errors.

I'll keep working with it.

You know, we have had many people contribute to the creation of tutorials here as to "how to perform" various things in the game (i.e. air strikes, surface to surface missile attacks, anti-sub warfare), so perhaps some actual LUA SCRIPT TUTORIALS would be to have around as an example. Each one of the scripts could deal with something a little more advanced. The tutorial could start with something simple like having a unit be assigned to a mission at a certain time, and then slowly graduate to more complex things. Within about 10 tutorials (or less), the game player would have have a much better understanding of LUA. If many are like me with their game scripts, then they could be "real close" to knowing what they are doing, only to be foiled by an unknown syntax error. And, the worst part is that they never really "knew" why the script didn't work. I find that I spend literally hours trying, and re-trying, various scripts until I finally find one that works. Usually, when it works, I'm somewhat surprised. A Lua tutorial, created by experienced Lua Script writers, could be helpful. It's just a thought.

Doug

(in reply to Cik)

Post #: 12