probably difficult too add features for the Match Play drone cage

[pembquist]

Pretty simply it would be nice to be able to set how many drones and what kind of aircraft they are and how good they are. Since it is a public arena maybe this feature should really just be available for when a player creates an arena. The basic routinely spawning drones is good, the number and peculiar mix of airplanes isn't so great.

[Vraciu]

Not to mention Stukas doing 500 mph with perfect gunnery.   The drones are a joke.   Noobs will say to heck with it. 

They’re unlimited spawning airplanes, like the bad guys at Red Flag, so they should at least perform somewhat in the realm of reality. 

[bustr]

In match play when AI is all you have while waiting for a human to show up, what would be a good group of planes to warm up against? At least for the Match Play arena I can see tailoring the drones to what duelers will be competing with. Since offline we can fill 6 slots for drones with anything in the hanger, I suspect setting a list of AI is related. A question in Hitech's defense, is he making the list random to help expose new players to what will be in the MA?

As for a custom arena, I uploaded an arena to the HOST to test the object that launches AI. You would have to know about the object and the requirements of it's placement on a custom terrain. Then about the dot command .sgt to set the custom arena to launch AI after you ran the terrain as a custom arena.

Insulting Hitech becasue you have a bone to pick with him and the forums are a cheap way to get away with it is not conducive to him being interested in your observations. Still, you are old enough to know that, unless more than one person writes under your account in the forums. So you want some kind of existential personal revenge on Hitech no matter how small or what the perception does to potential new customers. Unless that is part of your revenge......

[pembquist]

As for a custom arena, I uploaded an arena to the HOST to test the object that launches AI. You would have to know about the object and the requirements of it's placement on a custom terrain. Then about the dot command .sgt to set the custom arena to launch AI after you ran the terrain as a custom arena.

I just assumed that drones as in the match play weren't available in custom arenas. So are you saying they are but you have to know how?

[bustr]

You have to add a specific spawn object that facilitates turning a terrain into a Match Play arena once it's loaded up from the HOST. Then you have to set AI to spawn and they appear at the elevation you set for them to spawn. To bad you can't get that to work offline.

But, first you need to learn how to create a basic terrain that the custom arena HOST will accpet for upload.

I tested it by uploading a terrain called myterr. If you want to play with it, create a custom arena and choose that terrain. Once it's up and running, in your text buffer enter the dot command .sgt 3 and in a few moments AI planes will start spawning. You can also talk to CptTrips about how he created the WW1 Western Front arena and restricted the spawning to specific planes. The terrain part was simple, while the AI functions will be what you want him to talk about. Like how he got so many AI to spawn at so many locations. On myterr I only got one spawn area to function but, that was the only test I was interested in since I was in the production process for fjordma.

What amazes me is Hitech has provided everyone with ability to create their own arenas to play with their friends and all you do is yell at him to do it for you. CptTrips seems to hold the secret to limiting the AI plane set to specific rides. And that being so....means you are not asking Hitech the right way to explain it and he is ignoring your yelling at him. When it comes to creating arenas and understanding the processes to make things work, Hitech has always been very accommodating to my efforts to help me succeed. From what CptTrips said about creating the Western Front massive AI arena, Hitech must have been on the phone with him for long stretches helping him work out issues.

So what would be a good list of rides to spawn in the Match Play arena while you are waiting for a human to show up?

[CptTrips]

I just assumed that drones as in the match play weren't available in custom arenas. So are you saying they are but you have to know how?

The way I built WW1WF was totally different than how Bustr created his auto-spawning MP-ish test arena.

WW1WF was done totally with Staged Missions where you can define exactly what planes are in what flights and assign AI skill level individually on a flight by flight basis.  You then given them routes and actions, etc.  210 individual Staged missions bundled up into 20 meta-missions that were then scheduled in an overlapping and infinity reoccurring cycle.    I wouldn't suggest that approach for anyone unless they are just friggin crazy.


You could create new Staged Missions for the current available terrains and launch a Custom Arena and run your mission over and over manually.  You could create a set of missions with different plane mixes and difficulty levels.  You have to do it with online Custom Arena as offline doesn't function very well anymore.

I'll warn you though, it is not for the faint of heart.  The UI design can be a bit confusing and  there are a lot of bugs along the way you will have to step around.  But it can be done.  If you have a high pain tolerance and want it bad enough. 




 

[CptTrips]

Example:  I recently made myself a little test mission to get used to a 109 which I've never flown and get some gunnery practice.

Here is a copy of a post I made in the Axis forum to explain how the other guys could use it if they wanted.  There is nothing scenario secret here, jsut a generic practice mission.  The mission is openly listed on the terrain for anyone. 

Note: I had to step around several bugs to get this working so you have to follow my instructions or else it won't work. 

-------------------------------------------------------- Copied post --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Because I suck so bad and don't have a lot of time to waste in the MA, I made myself a training mission to help shake the dust off.
I can just run it over and over again and get a lot of practice in a reasonable amount of time.
Bombers with escorts on the way to target.  Various groups of enemy intercept along the way.  Not perfect, but useful. 
If you want to try it, I have it uploaded now on the Bob40 terrain for a Custom Arena.  Staged Missions don't function offline anymore. 
*Note another bug forces me to have the Axis on the Allied side in the mission because you can't choose axis without it crashing. 

Anyway, I worked around all that.  If you have never set up Custom Arena with AI mission here is the basic approach:






Let me know if you need help.

 

[Vraciu]

If only we had directions balloons like this for noobs when they first start the game...

[Shuffler]

If only we had directions balloons like this for noobs when they first start the game...

Yes!


Very nice illustrations here.

I still think the WWI war arena is a hoot. I am not even a big WWI type but I like the setup.