Questioning civilians and getting locations

First of all I'm new to scripting so bear with me.

I am working on a script that allows the player to question civilians.

I have managed to work out how to get random responses from them, but I've hit a dead end with getting them to tell me the location of an IED, cache or the enemy.

Here is what I have so far...

//Iinit.sqf

waituntil {!isnil "bis_fnc_init"};

{ _x setVariable ["BIS_noCoreConversations",true];} forEach allUnits;

player addaction ['<t color="#ffffff">' + "Question Civilian" + '</t>', "Interact\QuestionCiv.sqf", [], 5, false, false, "", "_target == player"];

//QuestionCiv.sqf

#define VOICES ["ACE_ahem01","ACE_ahem02","ACE_ahem03","ACE_ahem04"]

_civ = cursorTarget;
_dist = player distance _civ;
if (_dist <5) then
{
player sideChat "As-salamu alaykum.";
sleep (2);
player sideChat "Do you have any information about the insurgents?";
sleep (5);
_civ playMove "AidlPercSnonWnonDnon_talk1"; 
[_civ, VOICES call BIS_fnc_selectRandom] call CBA_fnc_globalSay3d;
_reply = ["No, but I know where there is an IED. I have marked it on your map.","Go away!","I do not know anything."] call BIS_fnc_selectRandom;
[_reply, 0, 0.2, 10, 0, 0, 20] spawn bis_fnc_dynamictext;
};

I have my mission set up with 55 empty markers. Basically a crude version of Insurgency.

25 markers on roads for IEDs and 25 markers inside compounds, but outside of buildings, for caches and 5 empty markers for AA.

I have 15 IEDs (Land_IED_v1_PMC, Land_IED_v2_PMC, Land_IED_v3_PMC, Land_IED_v4_PMC) grouped to the markers on roads,

5 "GuerillaCacheBox_EP1" grouped to the empty markers inside compounds

and 1 "ZU23_TK_INS_EP1" grouped to the 5 AA markers.

What I need help with is to get the chance of a reply from a civilian with the location of one of these objects.

My mind is drawing an absolute blank!

Any help would be great.

Cheers.

Nobody?

Someone suggested I use nearestObjects to locate the above. I'm still lost as to how I can get a marker on or near the objects above.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

I'll keep at it.

To clarify; are you trying to return the location of one of the randomly placed IED's, to reflect it's location on the map?

Correct.

I'd like to have a civilian tell me the location of either an IED, AA gun or a cache by adding a marker on the map.

is it single-player, MP coop mission against AI, or MP adversarial mission against players?

In single player and coop, createMarker can be used, but in adversarial createMarkerLocal has to be used along with MP communication to have the markers appear only for the target players' machines, otherwise the enemy will see the markers too.

The mission is MP coop.

How would I use createMarker in my _reply line?

Here is a thought to start working with (not tested).

Give names to each of the search objects grouped to the markers.

in Init.sqf:

[i]//--- Each player's machine will have the stored variables.

//--- Arrays containing the object names segregated by their type.  Must exactly match the object names.[/i]
IED_Array = [iED1,IED2,IED3,IED4,IED5,IED6,IED7,IED8,IED9,IED10,IED11,IED12,IED13,IED14,IED15];
cache_Array = [cache1,cache2,cache3,cache4,cache5];
ZU_Array = [ZU1];

[i]//--- Store the type arrays.[/i]
type_Array = [iEDArray,cacheArray,ZUArray];

[i]//--- Store the names for the array types.[/i]
name_Array = ["IED","Ammo Cache","AA Gun"];

In QuestionCiv.sqf:

Implement this depending upon the conversation - if they do know of IED, cache or AA:

[i]//--- For an IED:[/i]
_type = type_Array select 0;		//Returns the IED array
_name = name_Array select 0;		//Returns the name "IED" for use in formatting marker name

[i]//--- For a Cache:[/i]
_type = type_Array select 1;		//Returns the Cache array
_name = name_Array select 1;		//Returns the name "Ammo Cache" for use in formatting marker name

[i]//--- For an AA Gun:[/i]
_type = type_Array select 2;		//Returns the AA Gun array
_name = name_Array select 2;		//Returns the name "AA Gun" for use in formatting marker name

Generating the marker following the conversation after type and name are selected:

_object = _type call BIS_fnc_selectRandom; 		//Returns a random object from the selected _type array
_objIndex = _type find _object;  			//Returns the object's index number in _type array
_object = _type select _objIndex;			//[b][i]Selecting[/i][/b] the chosen object (safeguard to ensure select random doesn't occur
						//     again by referencing variable _object)
_objPos = getPos _object;				//Returns position of the chosen object

_replyMarker = format ["%1marker",_object];		//Marker name will include the object's name to be unique 
_marker = CreateMarker [_replyMarker,_objPos];		//Creates the marker at the object's position
_marker SetMarkerColor "ColorRed";			//Marker is Red
_marker SetMarkerType "Destroy";			//"Destroy" marker ( + )
_marker SetMarkerAlpha 1;				//Marker is fully visible
_marker SetMarkerText Format ["%1 reported",_name];	//Marker text shows "IED reported", "Ammo Cache reported" or "AA Gun reported"

//--- necessary to keep markers from having the same names
_type = _type - [_object];				//Removing the object from it's array so it's not reported again
PublicVariable format ["%1",_type];			//Updating the array for the other players.

As your script is, it looks like this will occur every time any player comes close and targets the person. You'll need to find a way to stop it from repeating once that particular person has divulged his information, or he'll just keep giving up new objects each time someone comes close and targets him.

How would I use this in my _reply array so I can have a random reply with a chance of a marker.

_reply = ["one","two","three","four","Here have a marker"] call BIS_fnc_selectRandom;

Am I right in changing your init.sqf example?

//--- Each player's machine will have the stored variables.

//--- Arrays containing the object names segregated by their type.  Must exactly match the object names.
IED_Array = [iED1,IED2,IED3,IED4,IED5,IED6,IED7,IED8,IED9,IED10,IED11,IED12,IED13,IED14,IED15];
cache_Array = [cache1,cache2,cache3,cache4,cache5];
ZU_Array = [ZU1];

//--- Store the type arrays.
type_Array = [iED_Array,cache_Array,ZU_Array]; //I ADDED UNDERSCORES.

//--- Store the names for the array types.
name_Array = ["IED","Ammo Cache","AA Gun"];

How would I use this in my _reply array so I can have a random reply with a chance of a marker.

BIS_fnc_selectRandom returns the selection's actual content, not its index, so it would be:

if (_reply == "Here have a marker") then { [color="#808080"][i]....run the marker code....[/i][/color] };

Am I right in changing your init.sqf example?

Yeah. Darn it, no matter how many times I review, preview and post-review.... *headslap* (#:> --ow

Good catch.

I'm not sure where to put that.

I'll post what I have in QuestionCiv.sqf as I've added a thing or two.

#define VOICES     ["ACE_ahem01","ACE_ahem02","ACE_ahem03","ACE_ahem04","ACE_ahem05","ACE_ahem06","ACE_ahem07","ACE_ahem08","ACE_ahem09","ACE_ahem10","ACE_ahem11"]

//--- For an IED:
_type = type_Array select 0;		//Returns the IED array
_name = name_Array select 0;		//Returns the name "IED" for use in formatting marker name

//--- For a Cache:
_type = type_Array select 1;		//Returns the Cache array
_name = name_Array select 1;		//Returns the name "Ammo Cache" for use in formatting marker name

//--- For an AA Gun:
_type = type_Array select 2;		//Returns the AA Gun array
_name = name_Array select 2;		//Returns the name "AA Gun" for use in formatting marker name

_civ = cursorTarget;
_dist = player distance _civ;


if(!alive _civ) exitWith{ hint "This person is obviously dead."; };

if (_dist <5) then

{

cutText ["Questioning Person...", "PLAIN"];

sleep (1);

_civ playMove "AidlPercSnonWnonDnon_talk1";

_reply = ["one","I have marked something on your map."] call BIS_fnc_selectRandom;

[_reply, 0, 0.2, 10, 0, 0, 20] spawn bis_fnc_dynamictext;

[_civ, VOICES call BIS_fnc_selectRandom] call CBA_fnc_globalSay3d;//Good response

if (_reply == "I have marked something on your map.") then {

_object = _type call BIS_fnc_selectRandom; 		//Returns a random object from the selected _type array
_objIndex = _type find _object;  			//Returns the object's index number in _type array
_object = _type select _objIndex;			//Selecting the chosen object (safeguard to ensure select random doesn't occur
						//     again by referencing variable _object)
_objPos = getPos _object;				//Returns position of the chosen object

_replyMarker = format ["%1marker",_object];		//Marker name will include the object's name to be unique 
_marker = CreateMarker [_replyMarker,_objPos];		//Creates the marker at the object's position
_marker SetMarkerColor "ColorRed";			//Marker is Red
_marker SetMarkerType "Destroy";			//"Destroy" marker ( + )
_marker SetMarkerAlpha 1;				//Marker is fully visible
_marker SetMarkerText Format ["%1 reported",_name];	//Marker text shows "IED reported", "Ammo Cache reported" or "AA Gun reported"

//--- necessary to keep markers from having the same names
_type = _type - [_object];				//Removing the object from it's array so it's not reported again
PublicVariable format ["%1",_type];			//Updating the array for the other players.

};

};

I'm not sure where to put that.

Would go here (example for a Cache reveal):

_reply = ["one","I have marked something on your map."] call BIS_fnc_selectRandom;

[_reply, 0, 0.2, 10, 0, 0, 20] spawn bis_fnc_dynamictext;

[_civ, VOICES call BIS_fnc_selectRandom] call CBA_fnc_globalSay3d;//Good response

if (_reply == "I have marked something on your map.") then 
{
[color="#FF0000"]	_type = type_Array select 1;				//Returns the Cache array
_name = name_Array select 1;				//Returns the name "Ammo Cache" for use in formatting marker name[/color]
_object = _type call BIS_fnc_selectRandom; 		//Returns a random object from the selected _type array
_objIndex = _type find _object;  			//Returns the object's index number in _type array
_object = _type select _objIndex;			//Selecting the chosen object (safeguard)
_objPos = getPos _object;				//Returns position of the chosen object

_replyMarker = format ["%1marker",_object];		//Marker name will include the object's name to be unique 
_marker = CreateMarker [_replyMarker,_objPos];		//Creates the marker at the object's position
_marker SetMarkerColor "ColorRed";			//Marker is Red
_marker SetMarkerType "Destroy";			//"Destroy" marker ( + )
_marker SetMarkerAlpha 1;				//Marker is fully visible
_marker SetMarkerText Format ["%1 reported",_name];	//Marker text shows "Ammo Cache reported"

//--- necessary to keep markers from having the same names
_type = _type - [_object];				//Removing the object from it's array so it's not reported again
PublicVariable format ["%1",_type];			//Updating the array for the other players.
};

I'm getting the reply "I have marked something on your map." but no markers are appearing on the map.

How does

if (_reply == "I have marked something on your map.") then

and

_reply = ["one","I have marked something on your map."] call BIS_fnc_selectRandom;

link with each other?

_reply returns the value that was selected by BIS_fnc_selectRandom. If it randomly selects 0, it returns the string "one"; if it randomly selects 1 it returns the string "I have marked something on your map."

== is a true/false Boolean test. It compares the value of _reply against the string "I have marked something on your map."; if they are exactly the same it returns true and the code runs; if not it returns false and the code does not run.

As I said, it was a thought I hadn't tested. Check the .rpt log and it should show where it went fubar. Also running startup param -showScriptErrors will help by showing in game when the error occurs while it gets logged.

--- Edit --

A quick test shows this part is working

_reply = ["one","I have marked something on your map."] call BIS_fnc_selectRandom;

[_reply, 0, 0.2, 10, 0, 0, 20] spawn bis_fnc_dynamictext;

if (_reply == "I have marked something on your map.") then 
{
_type = type_Array select 1;				//Returns the Cache array
_name = name_Array select 1;				//Returns the name "Ammo Cache" for use in formatting marker name
_object = _type call BIS_fnc_selectRandom; 		//Returns a random object from the selected _type array
_objIndex = _type find _object;  			//Returns the object's index number in _type array
_object = _type select _objIndex;			//Selecting the chosen object (safeguard)
_objPos = getPos _object;				//Returns position of the chosen object

_replyMarker = format ["%1marker",_object];		//Marker name will include the object's name to be unique 
_marker = CreateMarker [_replyMarker,_objPos];		//Creates the marker at the object's position
_marker SetMarkerColor "ColorRed";			//Marker is Red
_marker SetMarkerType "Destroy";			//"Destroy" marker ( + )
_marker SetMarkerAlpha 1;				//Marker is fully visible
_marker SetMarkerText Format ["%1 reported",_name];	//Marker text shows "Ammo Cache reported"

//--- necessary to keep markers from having the same names
_type = _type - [_object];				//Removing the object from it's array so it's not reported again
PublicVariable format ["%1",_type];			//Updating the array for the other players.
};

To test I called it with a trigger.

--- Edit --

It may be the publicVariable returning content instead of variable name, stopping your block of code from completing.

Remove this:

PublicVariable format ["%1",_type];			//Updating the array for the other players.

and see if it works

Still nothing, even with removing PublicVariable format ["%1",_type];

I'll keep at it.

Thanks for your time. I appreciate it.

I would suggest try testing the conversation and marker blocks separate from all else. That's what I did when it worked. I had the named objects grouped to markers on map, "init.sqf" variables set up, and called the code from script "script.sqf" using a radio trigger.

With the publicVariable it's a matter of identifying the string "IED_Array", "cache_Array" or "ZU_Array" for broadcast. I see format dumps in the array value instead of the variable name. The variable name is what needs to be broadcast.