Ai forward observer & mortar packs

[Unnamed_]

Hi,

I am writing some AI Observer & Mortar packs for Flashpoint, there are versions for SEBNAM and Invasion 1944 as well.

FCOFPMortars.pbo adds the following units to Flashpoint:

West - Observer
West - Observer (Sniper)
West - Black Op (Observer)
West - Black Op (Day Observer)
West - FC 80mm Mortar

East - Observer
East - Observer (Sniper)
East - Spetz Natz (Observer)
East - FC 80mm Mortar

Res - Observer
Res - FC 80mm Mortar

Along with some basic example missions:

Malden - OFP Mortars & Scripts.abel
Malden - OFP Observers & Mortars.abel
Malden - OFP Observers & Snipers.Abel
Malden - OFP Ranging & Firing.abel
Desert Island - OFP Players & Observers.Intro


FCSEBNAMMortars.pbo adds the following units to SEBNAM:

West - AirCav Observer
West - Army Observer
West - Marine Observer
West - SF Observer
West - LRRP Observer
West - SEAL Observer
West - MFR Observer
West - FC M19 Mortar (Air Cav)
West - FC M19 Mortar (Army)
West - FC M19 Mortar (USMC)

East - NVA Observer
East - VC Observer
East - FC NVA 60mm Mortar
East - FC VC 60mm Mortar

Along with some basic example missions:

Malden - SEBNAM Mortars & Scripts.abel
Malden - SEBNAM Observers & Mortars.abel
Malden - SEBNAM Observers & Snipers.Abel
Malden - SEBNAM Ranging & Firing.abel
Desert Island - SEBNAM Players & Observers.Intro


FCINV1944Mortars.pbo adds the following units to Invasion 1944:

West - 82nd Observer
West - FC Inv44 60mm Mortar

East - Wehrmacht Observer
East - Fallschirmjaeger Observer
East - Waffen SS Observer (Sniper)
East - FC Inv44 81mm Mortar

Along with some basic example missions for each version:

Malden - INV1944 Mortars & Scripts.abel
Malden - INV1944 Observers & Mortars.abel
Malden - INV1944 Ranging & Firing.abel
Desert Island - INV1944 Players & Observers.Intro

FC SEBNAM Observers & Mortars

FC INV1944 Observers & Mortars

FC OFP Observers & Mortars

And there's a manual to:

Documentation

Here are a couple of screen shots from the SEBNAM version:





It's still not finished, somethings are added as a test and somethings have been disabled. I just want to know if the Observer acts in a semi-intellegent way, when directing fire. And can actually do domething worth while.

The radio system I'm messing with, might be to much trouble or just plain annoying?

At the moment only decision it makes, with regards to what target to engage, is the number of units. I'm still not sure exactly what to include here.

Well theres probably more you can do with it than just Mortars. But for now, if your interested, let me know what you think.

Cheers

[Wilco]

Downloading now

[ZiRo]

I'm liking what im seeing - i would be very interested in reconfig'ing this to my needs exept it requires the mortars to be in the same group - which im not to happy about.

I'll take a look closer tommorow - i'll rip it apart and taylor it to my needs - if thats ok?

Edit:Right, I've looked at the pbo, about 50 sqs files, i don't have time. Could you do me a favour?

I just wish they didnt require the observer to be in the group, it makes things difficult to actually let squads call fire, not just FO's. + it looks odd when your squad has half the team taken up by mortars

-ZiRo

[deathsai]

It would be nice if you explained how to use the mortars here, and then put it in the readme.

[SgtNick]

It would be nice if you explained how to use the mortars here, and then put it in the readme.

Hey what deathsai said..............

[Unnamed_]

@ZiRo

I did anticipate mortars being assigned to an observer outside of their group. I did not implement yet, as I do not know for sure the scripts will not lag on most PC's. So I concentrated on getting the heavy stuff done first.

It won’t take long to enable it, so consider it included in the next version. Although there will be limits, an AI Officer does not know how to use an AI Observer for spotting.

@deathsai & SgtNick

I guess the Manual I so lovingly crafted, was not much help? I will add these as tutorials, but there are to many to explain in just one read me file.

Open the mission editor and load up the desert Island, go to the map reference HD67. Place four FC Mortars on top of the hill, and make sure there all pointing East and all belong to the same group. They should look something like:





Set the special option to None, so they don’t get moved back into formation.

Now go to map reference ID66 and place an Observer on the top of that hill. Again make sure he is pointing East, and type DoStop This in his Init field, so he does not return to formation. Name him Observer01:



Place a trigger anywhere on the map. Change its Axis a & b, Activation and name to Trigger01, so it looks like this:



Place some enemy in view of the Observer, or get them to move into view. You should now have a mission that looks like this:



Create an Init.sqs script ***for your mission containing the following:



This will start the observer as soon as the mission starts, if you want to command\play the Observer your self, then you don’t need the Call to FO_Activate.

Hope this makes sense, for more info on all the available options you will have to use the Manual I'm afraid.

Cheers

[ZiRo]

Just use the Officer for the spotter, if he needs mortar support (e.g if he encounters large numbers of enemy compared to his own numbers), then he can, but only if theres an RTO.

I think that'd be a better system, but keep your current one with the spotter aswell if you see what i mean. Just get them out of the groups for a start

I understand what you mean about the ai not using spotters and totally understand, but then again - do you really need someone to give anything other than a map click/coords?

-ZiRo

[cornhelium]

Hey Unnamed - great work, I was hoping you were still working on this since reading about it on OFPEC.

I'll be giving this a go tonight (when I get back from work )

Cheers,
Cornhelium

[Lt_Phoenix]

I'm looking forward to trying this out when I get back from school.

Any plans of making a tutorial mission too?

[cornhelium]

Oh wow - I just tried this and it rules!

I just loaded up the Malden "Observers & Mortars" mission in the editor and played as one of the Russkies trying to take the hill instead of as the guy commanding the FO and voilŕ, enemy arty coming down on me & my squad *** ***I've been trying to trick OFP into doing this for months - thank you Unnamed!

Three superficial suggestions for the final stage:

1. One of the mortar shell explosion sounds has a nasty "click" at the end that sounds like digital distortion. Then again it might just be my speakers.

2. I really love the "swizzle" sound of the flying shells on the Sebnam/CoC UA mortars, but prefer the louder volume on these ones. I suggest taking the Sebnam sound and upping the volume to a shade quieter than these ones.

3. Edit - my mistake

Overall though, this is just fantastic and a lot of work must have gone into it. Now we can have the immersion of knowing that Arty can be called down on us if we're spotted, whether ***driving a truck behind friendly lines, duking it out on the FLOT or trying to escape on foot from enemy territory. And we can remove that threat by hunting down and killing the FO/and or the mortar battery.

Ditto the sniper and FO pair. Hunting these two down should make for some serious OFP tension - thanks!

Cheers,
Cornhelium