NightJay0044 Editing Skills

[NightJay0044]

Alright, it's time for me to move on to my next objective in mission editing. I'm going to need the OFP community's help.

What will be my purpose in doing this thread. To get answers to many questions, I may have on mission editing. Learning and applying the information myself.

The more I learn the more I know, and the more I know the more much better mission I can make. I have the ideas, just not the know how...I would love it if people could respond to this thread, anybody who can provide me with as much advice as they can...Just imagine if I had the know how, woooooo, OFP watch out..!Anyways movings on....

Alright, I'll give OFP skills that I know how to do....Here goes nothing..

I know how to=

-basic knowledge of units, groups, waypoints, syncronization, markers.
I know how to implement many commands in the init field, on activation field, and not realy any in the condition field. I need to know a lot more on the init field and on activation field.

-basic knowledge of camera scripting:
I know how to do pretty much the basic commands on how to create the camera, but dont have them memorized, and I know how to change the aspects inside to get the camera to do somewhat of the things that i want.

-very intro/basic knowledge of scritping:
I know how to implement certain codes that you can use in the init fields, on activation fields and a few other things.. Not too much though, I know nothing about variables, or anything like that.

-Basic knowledge of description files.
I know how to change, onloadmissionname, onloadintro, onloadoutro. Those kinds of things. Theres not really here that I know how to do by heart.

-Basic Knowledge of Init.sqs Files.
I know how to hide objectives, and reactivate them in-game, but that's really about it, dont really know how to do much then that here.

That kind of sums it up a little bit. What I expect from people is to please provide me with as much information, help and links to gain my knowledge in this department. It will very much appreciated if everyone could pitch in here to this post. I'm very serious about learing to become a great God mission editor.

If you could also provide me with as much advice as you can on next steps/objectives/goals anything else along those lines that i should take to advance my knowledge in mission editing. Thank you all for you help and reading this.

 ;D

 :cheers:

 :toocool:

 :thumbsup:

 :joystick:

[macguba]

1.  Read all of the tutorials in the Editors Depot.

2.  Browse the FAQ and read all the entries

3.  Read the comref cover to cover, like a book.  Twice.

4.  Unpbo CWC and Resistance campaigns and investigate every mission in detail.

5.  Download all of the scripts in the Editors Depot, play with them a little, take them apart and see how they work.

6.  Similarly with the functions.

7.  Learn how to use all the Tools.

8.  Errr ... that's it!   You are now the greatest expert alive on OFP editing.    


Well ok, if you read the tutes at a rate of one a day it will still take you eight months or something get through them.   The points is that everything you need to know is in the Editors Depot:  browse through it and read.    It doesn't matter what you learn next, you have the basics in place already.    Just learn whatever interests you, or catches your eye.

I do very strongly recommend that you read through the comref like a book.   Don't stop to understand every command, just get a feel for what is there.    Similarly with the FAQ.   It makes life much easier when you hit  problem int he future - you think "hey I read about this somewhere ..." and you can go back and find it.

You are very lucky - when I reached your stage there were only a couple of dozen tutes and I'd read all the useful ones.  That was the point when I just started browsing the BIS campaigns to try and learn stuff:  and in those days unpboing a mission was a multistage process involving a DOS programme.  It wasn't something you undertook lightly.   Nowadays of course its very easy.

The other great way to learn is to experiment.  I made many missionettes.   I'd sit down and say "right, I want to make a coordinated attack with a coordinated counterattack."   Sometimes it would work .... well ok it never worked, but it would lead me back to the Ed Depot or the forums and I'd discover something new.   This process is vital because it teaches you about how the AI actually behave.   If all you've done is play the official campaigns and 50 missions you probably still don't really know what the AI can do because as a rule you kill them before they get the chance.  Or they kill you.   Or you are squad leader, which means you never get to see what an AI squad leader is capable of.

In other words, just experiment and study.   That's all there is to it.   There is no secret path of the "best" order to learn things.   Its just a matter of blood, toil, tears, and sweat.    If there is a secret, it is never to use anything taken from the forum without fully understanding how it works.

[nominesine]

Your question is very general in nature and deserves a general answer...

To learn scripting/description.ext/init.sqs stuff... cut and paste. UnPbo other missions, read the code in until you think you understand it. Then cut out the parts you need and use it in your own missions. That way you will learn how to implement more scripting techniques into your own missions.

And remember... the trick is not to become an advanced scripter (there are many of them already), the trick is to become a good mission designer (there are few around, compared to the number of script guru's out there).

Without missions, scripts are useless.

BIS missions and campaigns are, in my opinion, still the best examples out there. The CWC and the Resistance campaigns use very little scripting. Same goes for most of the SP missions BIS released.  Have a look at them first.

My philosophy is: You donÂ't need a script unless you have a problem with a mission that cannot be solved without scripting.