Author Topic: Help Video: How to Create a Custom Arena and Launch a Staged Mission  (Read 2989 times)

Offline CptTrips

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There are some of HTC missions on the NDIsles terrain I know.
I created two on the Bob40 terrain for the last TFT.
I just created a new furball mission on the Italy terrain for the upcoming scenario.

 Have fun.   :salute





STEPS:
==============================

1.  Custom Arena are listed
under the "Player" tab.
Click that tab.

2.  Click “Create Arena” to
spawn a new Custom Arena.

Configure the parameters of your
Custom Arena:
3. Give your Custom Arena a name.
4. Set a password if needed.
5. Select the desired terrain to use.
6.  Select a specific arena configuation file.
7.  When finished, click “Create” button to complete
the process.

Warning: At this point you can sometimes receive a
“Host Connection Lost” error, at which point
your game will crash.  If that happens just log
back in and go back to the “Player” tab and
you should still see your Custom Arena listed
under the name you specified.  Just
double-click the arena name in the list and you
will re-enter.

8. Click on the “Staged Missions”
menu item.

9. Once in the Staged Missions section,
click on the menu item “Select Missions” to
see a list of available missions.

10. Click to select the mission you
desire to run from the list available.

11. Click “Load Mission” button to
clear all server state and load the
data from the selected
Stage Mission file.

12. Click the “Populate Mission” menu item
to open the dialog where you will assign
yourself, and/or any other players in the arena
to the mission flights and positions defined
in the Staged Mission file you had just loaded.

13.  Click on the pilot you wish to assign and then
DOUBLE-CLICK on the flight/position you wish
him to fill.  The pilot is now moved to the appropriate
team column and his name placed next to the
flight/postion he is filling.  Also a check mark is added
to indicate that postion is now filled.  When you have
finished, close this dialog.  Notice that sometimes this
has now kicked us out of the Staged Mission section
of the Clipboard.  If that happens just click
“Staged Missions” again to re-enter.

14.  Once back in the Staged Mission section,
click on the “Start Mission” menu item, and
when the dialog comes up, click the
“Start Now” button for instant gratification.



So let’s say I got shot down or for some other
reason I just want to restart the mission again.
We simply re-do steps 8-14.




« Last Edit: September 09, 2019, 05:03:57 PM by CptTrips »
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Offline Ciaphas

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Re: Help Video: How to Create a Custom Arena and Launch a Staged Mission
« Reply #1 on: September 10, 2019, 07:39:51 AM »
Thanks for the tutorial!
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Offline pembquist

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Re: Help Video: How to Create a Custom Arena and Launch a Staged Mission
« Reply #2 on: September 10, 2019, 11:35:36 AM »
It would be very useful if there was a list of missions with descriptions. The titles are often very obscure.
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Offline CptTrips

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Re: Help Video: How to Create a Custom Arena and Launch a Staged Mission
« Reply #3 on: September 10, 2019, 12:51:09 PM »
It would be very useful if there was a list of missions with descriptions. The titles are often very obscure.

I hear ya. 

I've considered that, but who would maintain it? 
There was a couple of lists years ago, but they became obsolete.
There was a list on the AHWiki of missions and every link but one was a dead link, and the one live one was for a version of AH several years old. 

Ideally, missions should be self-describing.  I'd add an abstract field to the mission file definition properties where the designer can add a paragraph or two describing the mission.  There should be a text field underneath the list of missions that is populated with the abstract as you select each mission in the list.

However, I suspect that 99% of players won't bother loading and playing AI missions.  I guess it's just easier to click on the MA button.  I do get a lot of enjoyment creating myself little scenarios of different match-ups, but I am apparently in an extreme minority.  It's nice to jump right into the action and restart it again and again whenever you want and play with planes you won't see in the MA.
 
The real promise for the AI system, IMHO, is the creation of AI-augmented arenas like WW1WF.  The next one I do will be WWII, and I expect will get more traffic, but WW1WF was just for me. ;)  And a proof of concept.

But I think that a user just wants to enter an arena and take off and fight AI without any additional effort, just like they do in the melee.  Having to load and configure an arena and a mission is just too much work for them.  And the Mission Arena had the added friction that they had to sit around and wait for a mission to start.  Who wants to sit and wait 10 minutes for a mission that may only last 15 minutes?

$0.02.

:salute



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Offline DaddyAce

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Re: Help Video: How to Create a Custom Arena and Launch a Staged Mission
« Reply #4 on: October 12, 2019, 08:17:44 PM »
This thread just reminded me of when I took a break of some years from online flight sims during the early years of Aces High, then prior to coming back I spent time flying in the offline arenas.... had fun with these, and it helped perk my interest and get me up to speeed again to return and reingage with AH online.

Offline CptTrips

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Re: Help Video: How to Create a Custom Arena and Launch a Staged Mission
« Reply #5 on: October 13, 2019, 06:30:24 PM »
This thread just reminded me of when I took a break of some years from online flight sims during the early years of Aces High, then prior to coming back I spent time flying in the offline arenas.... had fun with these, and it helped perk my interest and get me up to speeed again to return and reingage with AH online.


I feel like the whole AI Staged Mission system was a potential opportunity that the community has just missed.  Yeah, they aren't perfect, and there are bugs, but there is a lot of interesting stuff that could be done with it.

But people don't really have any interest in either playing them or creating them.  Pity.

:salute


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Offline hazmatt

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The real promise for the AI system, IMHO, is the creation of AI-augmented arenas like WW1WF.  The next one I do will be WWII, and I expect will get more traffic, but WW1WF was just for me. ;)  And a proof of concept.


You did WW1WF with the ai planes and the no mans land? If so that is really well done and I like it with the AI. My 5 year old daughter and I fly around in there sometimes.

Well done!

Offline CptTrips

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You did WW1WF with the ai planes and the no mans land? If so that is really well done and I like it with the AI. My 5 year old daughter and I fly around in there sometimes.

Well done!


Yep.  With some help from Hitech.  It was an interesting experiment.  Hitech had to do some tweaking on the mission system to do what I needed.  I felt that the Mission Arena was too complicated for the average player to figure out the UI workflow and players don't like to wait around for things to start.

The idea was to create a perpetual AI environment and let players simply spawn at a base and free-fly anywhere they want and interact as if it was a normal arena.  I think the concept worked out fine.  I realize that most players aren't into WWI though.

I've considered doing a WWII version which I think would be more popular.  It's unclear if there is a desire for it. 

I do see players pop in and out if WW1WF at times during the day.  When I look them up, they appear to often be players without a pay account.  I'd hope those are youngsters utilizing that arena for something to do since they can't access the pay areas.  Hopefully that is growing some future customers when they get old enough to afford an account.

Thanks for the encouragement.

:salute   


« Last Edit: May 26, 2020, 11:47:39 AM by CptTrips »
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Offline Shuffler

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Yep.  With some help from Hitech.  It was an interesting experiment.  Hitech had to do some tweaking on the mission system to do what I needed.  I felt that the Mission Arena was too complicated for the average player to figure out the UI workflow and players don't like to wait around for things to start.

The idea was to create a perpetual AI environment and let players simply spawn at a base and free-fly anywhere they want and interact as if it was a normal arena.  I think the concept worked out fine.  I realize that most players aren't into WWI though.

I've considered doing a WWII version which I think would be more popular.  It's unclear if there is a desire for it. 

I do see players pop in and out if WW1WF at times during the day.  When I look them up, they appear to often be players without a pay account.  I'd hope those are youngsters utilizing that arena for something to do since they can't access the pay areas.  Hopefully that is growing some future customers when they get old enough to afford an account.

Thanks for the encouragement.

:salute

I have not been on AH a lot lately but I need to get in there again. I always enjoy it.
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Offline pops04

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Capt Tips
    I am in the WW1 arena alot to include the Western Front. I like the Western Front for warm up and to check how different planes handle.  I am seriously thinking of building a arena for those of us who are always in the WW1 arena on Fri and Sat nights. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. We would really like a map and the ability to set our rules.

Pops

Offline CptTrips

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Re: Help Video: How to Create a Custom Arena and Launch a Staged Mission
« Reply #10 on: May 20, 2021, 10:34:19 AM »
Capt Tips
    I am in the WW1 arena alot to include the Western Front. I like the Western Front for warm up and to check how different planes handle.  I am seriously thinking of building a arena for those of us who are always in the WW1 arena on Fri and Sat nights. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. We would really like a map and the ability to set our rules.

Pops

Hi Pops.

I'm not active in the game at this point.  Real life has me too busy.  I only peruse the board now and then, so sorry for the delay in responding.

I assume you mean you want to build a terrain?  That can be a fair challenge if you have not done it before.

You could simply use an existing terrain in a Custom Arena and try and get what you want with arena configuration settings.

FYI, the WWI: Western Front AI arena has a humans only area at the south end of the map if you were looking for AvA two sided setup.

Guys like Spikes and Nefarious, or Brookes would be good sources for info on the arena config settings.  Maybe the AvA guys would be willing to run a weekly WWI setup for you.

Good luck,
CptTrips








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