Can you add to the Command menu? Eg.

[louiscar]

I have a similar mission to the original "Heavy Metal" mission supplied with OFP.  This is a tank mission that is led by an AI commander and the player is a tank commander in the group.

I have some support units that can be called in. The problem is that I am not able to tell my commander if I need repairs because the item doesn't appear in the status command menu. I have every status message available to me APART from "Need Repairs". eg. "Fuel Low", "injured" , "Where are you?" etc.

This means that the truck is never called till the commander decides I am damaged or other AI units including him report "need repairs".

So I am looking for a way to add this missing command to the status command menu (5), either by an init script or by a workaround script - perhaps one that adds an action.

I have looked in the FAQ but can't find any reference to this problem and I am not sure what I am looking for. EG. if I got a player to say "need repairs" is that something the commander will understand and react to? Simplest would be to be able to add the missing status item if that is at all possible.

Can anyone tell me how to do this?

TIA

Louis

[deaddog]

Did you hit 5 for status and then 1 for Call Support?

[Sui]

Welcome to the forums, louiscar

Deaddog has the solution... the player needs to use the 'Call Support' radio call to get the supporting units to his location (I think the next sub-menu is 'Need Repairs' or something).

If you want to make it so the repair truck (or medic/ammo/fuel truck) will come to the player when they use this radio call, you'll need to put it on a SUPPORT way point

Hope that helps you out

[louiscar]

Thanks for the reply and the "welcome".

Ok I understand what you are saying  and this is the annoying part. There is no No.1 option when I hit 5. This is what I have in the status menu :

2. Fuel Low
3. Ammo Low
4. Injured
5. Where are you?
6.I'm under fire
7. One less

That's it and yes, the obvious question is why does this start at 2 and not 1. That's what I asked myself.  

This happens in the "Heavy Metal" mission so I know it's nothing to do with my mission as such but it's very annoying. Perhaps it's a bug, I don't remember this happening when I played OFP a couple of years ago. I have resistance and running 1.91 patch btw.

Can anyone confirm my findings, all you need to do is try the first part of Heavy metal up to the point where you join the platoon. Having said that the menu is the same I believe when you first get into then tank and are a loner.

regards

Louis

[louiscar]

Footnote:

Sorry I got wrapped up on the original menu. Just for the record, I can't see a radio option available either. Unless I explicitly set up a radio trigger to sort it out but I didn't want to do this on this mission, just to be able to kick the commander into listening to me.  

Louis

[Unnamed]

For the option to appear you have to be the commander of the tank crew, you dont need to sit in the commanders seat, you could be a gunner e.t.c

The mission you mentioned has the player as the commander of the tank crew, but it would be handy to know if you could get an AI group commander to call for support using the mystical action command.

[louiscar]

Sure! This is in fact the question and I may not have been that clear in my original post on this.

The Tank Platoon is controlled by an AI commander and the player is commander of one tank in that platoon.

What doesn't make sense when you have an AI commander is that you can report other things that you need apart from repairs to the vehicle.

If I report "injured" I will be immediately directed to the m113 ambulance.
He will eventually send the player to the repair truck but only on status red which is probably automatically reported by the driver.

Another problem I have noticed (but I don't expect a solution to this one), is that when my driver or gunner is injured they are sometimes directed to the ambulance but never get healed. I can heal without leaving the tank but they (I believe) actually have to dismount. Under this senario a tank commander can't order them to get out, only the AI platoon commander can and he never does this.

I digress, back to the original problem. I really want to find out if there is an equivalent scripting command that has the same effect as blurting out "need repairs". I could look for the "SAY" line for that but it may just simply be a radio voice with no special meaning to the AI.

Louis

[Unnamed]

This happens in the "Heavy Metal" mission so I know it's nothing to do with my mission as such but it's very annoying. Perhaps it's a bug, I don't remember this happening when I played OFP a couple of years ago.

You did imply that you "should" have the ability to call for support? Even though it makes sense that the group commander of the vehicle would be the one to.

I've been messing around with the Addons and the Config.cpp, you can add your own actions that way.

But if your willing to use the action menu to make the call yourself, instead of the group commander. Then there is not much difference in using a standard radio call, Other than aesthetics?

You could enable the radio option when your vehicle reaches a certain level of damage, so at least you would not be looking at it all the time?

What doesn't make sense when you have an AI commander is that you can report other things that you need apart from repairs to the vehicle.

If the AI commander is not in the same vehicle, then you would use the radio, or shout very loud Otherwise it's up to him to make the call, privilege of rank and all that.

[louiscar]

I've been messing around with the Addons and the Config.cpp, you can add your own actions that way.

But if your willing to use the action menu to make the call yourself, instead of the group commander. Then there is not much difference in using a standard radio call, Other than aesthetics?

True, there *may* be a slight difference only in that the AI would know I am out of it so won't try to engage me and therefore make sure someone else targets the next threat.

This mission is pretty heavy and it relies on quick repairs as the enemy arrive in waves.

Interesing about the addon comment, I haven't explored this yet.

I will consider the radio call although I'm not sure what the action is to get the support units to come out. I should be able to find out though.

Louis

[Unnamed]

This mission is pretty heavy and it relies on quick repairs as the enemy arrive in waves.

Could you have a script that checks if any damaged has been received between waves, and simulates a call for support?

In other words something that looks as though yours, or another commander has made the call for repairs? It may require some scripting, but probably not much.

[louiscar]

I'm sure it can be done, it's just that right now I don't know how to do it.
This is because the support units have a support waypoint and once there they respond to a call with coordinates specified.

As long as I can find the scripting command that invokes the supporting units the coords I can extract (player position) easy enough I guess.

Louis