Mission Briefing and Outro Loose

[RangerX3X]

I have two ending triggers in my mission, end # 1 and outro loose.

Both triggers correctly fire the corresponding sequences at the end of the game.

My issue is that in the briefing, it shows the text that I created for a successful mission using end # 1 as:

<br><h2><a name="Debriefing:End1">Mission Accomplished</a></h2>
<p><br>
The enemies rear area installation has been successfully assaulted.<br><br>

There were casualties to be certain, however these operations must continue if
we are to drive the Soviets out of the area.<br>
</p>
<hr>

But it did not use the text I created for failing the mission:

<br><h2><a name="Debriefing:End2">Mission Failed</a></h2>
<p><br>
Both objectives were not met. We cannot afford to allow the enemy access to
ammunition and fuel.<br><br>

Analyze the order of battle again and stick to the plan.<br>
</p>
<hr>

I changed End2 to Loose and it doesn't work either.

What is the correct tag for the briefing for it to appear in a mission ending because of loose being used in the trigger?

[THobson]

You cannot have debriefing text that is associated with a Loose end trigger.

If you set up an End2 trigger that activates when the mission has failed you can then have End2 debriefing text to show the text you want.

Outro Loose is an Outro that is played only if the mission ends with a loose trigger being activated.

[macguba]

The corollary of THobson's reply is of course that all numbered endings (End#1 - End#6) lead to the Win Outro, though each has its own text.

There are several possible workarounds:-

Loose -> cutscene in mission; no debrief text; no Outro

Loose -> hidden objective revealed which gives "debrief text";  Loose Outro

End#2 -> debrief text; one of two possible Win Outro scripts selected by passing information from Mission to Outro.  This is very difficult and not for the fainthearted.

[RangerX3X]

Thanks for the quick replies. Have a question - am I wrong in assuming that "loose" in OFP means that the mission is lost - i.e. the player survived but not all the objectives required were met, so the player "loses" the game without dying?

Or is "loose" in OFP something different entirely and not associated with an actual loss condition?

[macguba]

The numbered endings are all fundamentally the same:  the only real difference is that they give you different debriefing texts.

The Loose ending, aside from the absence of debriefing text and the different Outro, is fundamentally different from the numbered endings in one respect.

To make a numbered ending occur, ALL the triggers which are of that type must have fired.   For example, you may have three triggers, each associated with an objective and each type End#1.  The mission will end once all three of the triggers have fired.

To make a Loose ending occur, ANY of the type loose triggers must have fired.   So if you had three loose ending triggers, and only one of them was fired, then the mission would end.

In practice, this difference is actually rarely used.   Good mission designers tend to use variables to keep track of which objectives have been completed/failed, and then fire the appropriate ending trigger accordingly.

'Win' and 'lose' are very unhelpful words when talking about ending triggers.    There is no reason why you couldn't make a mission where firing the loose trigger would constitute a win (for example, by getting to one of several possible extraction points) while the numbered endings could constitute losses.  (Out of time, your buddy killed on the way, observed crossing the bridge, etc..)   More commonly, End#1 is win and End#2 and End#3 are losses.    Sometimes End#1 is a loss because that is the only possible outcome of the mission.  

[rado1265]

You can overpass this problem by using next available mission objective as a place, where you'll put the text for the loose debriefing.

Because of that the text will be shown on the objectives (left) side of the notebook of course, so don't forget to hide other (not needed) objective(s).