Err... Okay, I feel like an idiot

[macguba]

Nah, for the beginner this is much easier to comprehend.   This is the way BIS would do it.

Scripting is really hard, completely new, and (at first) doesn't relate at all to the mission editor.    Most people start from a position of wanting to avoid scripts at all costs, not least because the game is designed to used without scripts.

[Dionysos]

I'm about to start crying any second now...
The method with the Game Logic and the waypoints was succesful, almost. All the main characters messages are transmitted and displayed without a hitch. However, "hqman's" messages are still AWOL. It is as if he wasn't there. He is a resistance colonel named "hqman" who is in a town where there are no enemies so there is no way he can be killed.

WHAT IS GOING ON???   :'(

[macguba]

If a character is going AWOL, check him out.   Play the mission as a test unit watching said colonel and see what happens to him

However, in this case, it sounds like you have  spelling mistake or typo somewhere.   Check everything again very, very carefully.  

[marcus3]

did you ever get it to work?

[Dionysos]

Okay, I tried to play as a test unit and watched the colonel during the entire mission. Nothing happened to him. Then, the sideChat trigger was triggered.

Guess what?

The message which was AWOL before was displayed but not the other ones.
It is like this:

1. From player

2. From hqman

3. From player

This time, number 2 was displayed but not 1 and 3. This might be because the "player" unit was dead, I don't know. Anyways, why did message number 2 appear this time??

What the **** is going on?

[sharkyjoe]

Ok take a deep breath. Good news is that it all works at some point.  
I would take your guys and triggers, logics, waypoints, and whatever else that is related to the sidechat you have, group them together and copy (control "C" for in game copying) and transfer these to Desert island useing in ( pasted by control "V". ) Save it as Sidechat test or what-ever you want. Also go into mission folder and save everything  in there execpt for (mission sqm) to the new folder Sidechat Test. This way there is no interference, no enemy.
Now test and see.
It maybe timing error, two triggers going off at once, logic waypoints maybe waiting on another condition.
This is sounds compliacated, but is easy to do and good for bebugging.

[Morglor9]

i'd say figure out how to use a very simple conversation script.

[Dionysos]

I DON'T BELIEVE THIS!!!!!!!

THIS IS ALL A CRUEL JOKE!!!!!

Sharkyjoe, I followed your instructions and actually, everything worked smoothly. All the messages were triggered and displayed perfectly. Using this method, I was able to discover that I had forgot to set the timeout for the last logic waypoint. So I set it and tested it on Desert Island. Then, I went back to the actual mission and set the timeout...

NO DIFFERENCE! THE SECOND MESSAGE IS STILL AWOL IN THE MISSION, AS IF HQMAN IS DEAD OR MISSING! WHAT IS GOING ON!!!!!!!!!!??

[Pilot]

@Macguba
I repectfully disagree with you, A few lines of code isn't too hard to understand.  But seeing as Dionysos has already done it the BIS way, I won't press the issue.

@Dionysos
Did you change the right timeout?  Maybe you set the timeout for the wrong waypoint?

[macguba]

I repectfully disagree with you, A few lines of code isn't too hard to understand.

It really all depends on your upbringing.   If you are very familiar with triggers and waypoints then that is easier:  if you are very familiar with scripts then that is easier.    

The most important thing is to get the problem solved.   Dionysos, it is almost certainly some stupid little error of spelling or syntax:  or something so painfully obvious it is impossible to spot.   These things are very frustrating and very hard to find.    

OFP does occasionally go a little bit mad, and finding your own mistakes is a difficult task.   When I am completely stumped like this I delete the relevant triggers, waypoints and units and carefully recreate them, testing at every stage.   It usually works.

If hqman is apparently dead or missing, but in fact is not dead or missing, then you may have spelt his name wrong in his name field or somewhere else.   Check yet again.

[Dionysos]

That's it, I surrender! I am defeated!

I can't take this any more! I have been trying for days, following all the instructions from you guys, but I can not do this! Enough! The editor is hell bent on not letting me do this!

I'm just so tired... I want this to work, but I'll have to scrap the mission and start a new one. Thank you all for trying to help! You guys are the best there ever were!

[macguba]

Nah, don't give up.   Just put it to one side for a couple of weeks then come back to it.    With the fresh eye you'll have it working in notime.  

[Dionysos]

Macguba, what would I do without you? I'm really honored, being coached by the creator of the Un-Impossible mission. Thank you very much! I hope you will be around when I start working on the problem again!

[bedges]

dunno if this will be of any use to you, but i hashed together a missionette to show you how the scripting side would work. it's the very bare necessities so you can see what's going on.

i did also notice that if you define someone's radio with the

Code: [Select]

radioname = [WEST, "HQ"]

command, as a side other than the side which you want to hear the sidechat, it won't appear.

so for example, both characters in the sample mission are resistance. i defined one as west and true to your problem, his sidechats didn't show. but by using

Code: [Select]

radioname = [RESISTANCE, "HQ"]

there they were.

i've left that part out though, as it needlessly complicates things. i confess i've seldom used sidechats, so i don't know about getting different colours and suchlike, but hopefully this will help. i know how infuriating and frustrating these things can be, so hang in there