Mando Missile ArmA (ACCEPTED)

[ViperMaul]

More Feedback

[It is cool when you can go below the mando_minairalt default 10 to defeat the radar lock] but the "warning missile lock" tone that you get when a SAM locked on to you but does not fire only lasts about 5 seconds then goes away giving the pilot a false positive that the SAM is no longer locked on to him when in fact the SAM still is. Is their a way to keep the lock tone the pilot gets on for the whole time the SAM has a lock?

I agree. Any way to repeat this. Say 5 seconds rest in between?

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Secondly...

Is their anything in the works t transfer the control of the mando missiles to the gunners of the cobras and not the pilots?

That is the first thing I noticed to. I know I can switch it to default to the Gunner seat. But what happens if you are flying solo. Can you code it in the next release so on-the-fly the pilot can transfer of MCC control to the Gunner seat and visa-versa?

______________________________________
Also I found a bug in the MCC

Steps To Reproduce:

• Start mando_sams.Intro (no MODs and no Sound Packs as Mando always beats up ViperMaul about )
• Jump in the Gunner Seat in the first striker to the left
• Target the nearest heli and Fire of 2 or 3 rounds. (Reload Times is fast huh?)
• Make a Note at how many missiles you have left
• Now Exit the MCC, BUT NOT the Gunner seat. Stay in the Gunner Seat.
• Switch from the Gunner Seat to the Driver seat. And Drive for say 5 seconds or so.
• Now switch from the Driver's seat back to the Gunner's seat and launch the MCC

RESULTS:
Note you have the missiles reset back to the initial max

EXPECTATIONS:
I expected to see the same amount that was remaining when I left the MCC as when I returned.

[Mandoble]

About the lock-on alarm proposal: No that way.

About the MCC control transfer to other members of the crew proposal: No transfers of MCC control will be implemented. In fact I see no sense with this, if you are a pilot you dont want to have any MCC control because you will not be able to keep control of the plane/chopper while the MCC is active (MCC is dialog based so you cannot keep handling the plane or chopper with your joy/keys/mouse). In a typical configuration you will give MCC system to gunners and normal targeting system for pilots.

I did test several times the MCC from gunner seat, fire some missiles, switch to driver, drive a bit, then switch back to gunner seat, activate again MCC and I always get the correct number of missiles left. I did test it in mando_sams.intro as well as in mando_at.intro.

EDIT:
was able to recreate the problem in dedi server, good finding 
To fix it, open mando_missilecenterdlg.sqs which is inside mando_missiles\mcc folder and near the end of the script change:

Code: [Select]

?_createtrigger: deleteVehicle _trigger
deleteVehicle mando_mccmark;

by

Code: [Select]

?_createtrigger: deleteVehicle _trigger
deleteVehicle mando_mccmark;
~1


[ViperMaul]

Mandabole,

Thanks for the posted fix. However, that is a different fix posted than the one you gave me that fixed the problem. Which one is the better fix?? The one posted or the one right after the for each statement your showed me in the same file?

Thanks in advance for the clarification.

Vipermaul

[Mandoble]

Both are the same in fact, you wait a second between each {publicVariable _x} block.

[ViperMaul]

More Feedback...

1: Current SAMs are NOT limited to LOS.

-Missiles can be set to activate AFTER a certain height, meaning LOS is irrelevant and SAM batteries can attack targets BEHIND terrain due to the limitation of Mando's radar tracking system.

Problem 2: Ability to maintain Contact even when Contact is no longer on the list.


Currently, if a SAM operator tracks a target, he will lose that contact if the target goes back under [the minimum Air Altitude currently set at] 25 meters. The visual track of the SAM operator will continue, and his ring/HUD will still track the exact position of the contact, even behind terrain. This is known [Edit: probably should be removed -VM]

HOWEVER:
Tonight we discovered that when this situation is occurring, EVEN WITHOUT A CONTACT IN THE CONTACT LIST (he flew under the radar altitude), the operator can click on the "Target Selected Contact" button,and he will have almost a full second of A: full target information and B: (most importantly) OPERATORS HAVE THE OPTION TO FIRE MISSILE. he may do this as many time as he pleases as long as he doesn't change contacts.


Problem 2: This seems to be an issue with Mando's MCC itself, but it is an exploit that will most certainly be used and, like last night, pilots will be shot down under 25 meters if they never had gone over it.

I haven't seen this myself but I trust their feedback here. Thoughts?

Ok I asked our pilots to re-verify that they are using the ToW mission file which has v2.2b3 and to clarify his findings. Here is what he had to say...

OK here's the update. We tested this on the current TOW mission.

The exploit of shooting at a ghost lock is still there. HOWEVER, problem #1 is not an issue on the server- there is no ability to set the missiles to track from a higher altitude so on the TOW mission, #1 is solved and missiles ARE LINE OF SIGHT.

The exploit of firing at the ghost contact (i.e., the MCC camera still follows a contact that broke lock, the operator hits "target selected contact" and thus he has 1/2 a second to press "fire missile") is still there. HOWEVER, because missiles are of LOS, the effectiveness of the exploit is minimal.

Yes, you can track a contact that went back below radar. Yes you can fire at the "lost" contact by pressing "target selected contact" and then quickly pressing the 1/2 second available "fire missile" button. However, because missiles are correctly LOS,the benefits to this are limited to open field, close range engagements- which is still an issue but not nearly as critical as it was last night on my mission.

[Mandoble]

Thanks for the feedback Viper.

The new version (not public yet) incorporates:
- LOS check for MCC, targets with obstructed LOS from MCC firing position are not displayed in the contact list. So now you may play with terrain masking to avoid MCC operated launchers. This only apply for vehicle,air,ships targets (radar acquired), this doesnt apply for REMOTE, RADAR or MCC MARK targets.
- When current MCC contact or current MCC target LOS gets obstructed, the current contact/target track is interrupted, same when any AIR contact goes below minimum radar alt configured in mando_missile_init.sqf.
- For non MCC launchers (visual lock), players will lose the lock as soon as the target moves more than 2Km away of the launcher. This doesnt apply for REMOTE or RADAR targets working in remote or anti-radar modes.

Hope these cover your two issues.

EDIT:
Of course, the ammo counter issue is fixed as well.

[ViperMaul]

Thanks Mando!
Yes that does seem to address those concerns!
Busy last couple of days. I will have our team check that out. I made it available today.

In the mean time, I have another beta 3 report for you.
This time I haven't confirmed that it is reproducible in your beta 3 demo missions but I thought I would share it with you to let you know we are still invested in helping you make this one of the greatest and one of the most robust set of scripts in the Arma community.

I have a bug to add to the list. It came to my attention and I was able to witness this on Saturday night, but was brought to my attention today. Basically we were doing practice/testing with the LD's and Cobra's. But the missiles kept landing off target. We just figured that was the way the Mando script was built, to allow some inaccuracy. But then we noticed that sometimes, wherever you aim the LD, the missile hits the exact distance to the left.

So in short, aim at building #1. Missile hits 50m to the left. Aim the LD at that spot of impact, missile hits the exact same distance to the left. It was like things weren't syncing or something. About 40% of the time, the missile is a bullseye hit. But there is a large margin of error so far in their accuracy.

[Mandoble]

Yes, that might happen with buildings because, surprisingly, their roofs are 0m above the ground and this bug may "fool" the missile guidance by few meters (or many, depending on how flat is the shot's trajectory). Check accuracy against normal targets like vehicles. Also, when a unit transmit the laser target position to the firing units, the closer laserdesignator object to the transmitting unit is transmitted, and in some cases that laser designator might not be "owned" by the transmitting unit.

[ViperMaul]

Thanks for the feedback Viper.

The new version (not public yet) incorporates:
- LOS check for MCC, targets with obstructed LOS from MCC firing position are not displayed in the contact list. So now you may play with terrain masking to avoid MCC operated launchers. This only apply for vehicle,air,ships targets (radar acquired), this doesnt apply for REMOTE, RADAR or MCC MARK targets.
- When current MCC contact or current MCC target LOS gets obstructed, the current contact/target track is interrupted, same when any AIR contact goes below minimum radar alt configured in mando_missile_init.sqf.
- For non MCC launchers (visual lock), players will lose the lock as soon as the target moves more than 2Km away of the launcher. This doesnt apply for REMOTE or RADAR targets working in remote or anti-radar modes.

Hope these cover your two issues.

EDIT:
Of course, the ammo counter issue is fixed as well.

Finally got that tested Mando and yes confirmed. Your fixes to the MCC in that patriot are confirmed to work. The pilot who originally gave the bug feedback says yup Mando solved the concerns.  We briefly tested the same concerns in the Vulcan just to see and it appeared that the LOS fix was not applied to the visual targeting that was attached to the Vulcan. We didn't expect it really but I am sure you will probably apply the LOS fix there as well.

Sorry for the delay. It was a very very busy week with real life.
Thank you so much for the fix.

Some how we need to get you in the same IM conference to give you much needed feedback about the new HUD.
Many love the features but many have suggestions.

[Spooner]

...in some cases that laser designator might not be "owned" by the transmitting unit.

From my testing, the laser designator target object seemed always to be owned by the server. Is that what you mean or are there other circumstances when the ownership might not be the server?

[Mandoble]

Nope, There might be many players locking on targets at the same time in the same area and the players are be able to transmit their targets to REMOTE-enabled missile launchers, for example, other players in choppers or vehicles or AI missile armed units. When a player transmit his target, he wants to transmit just "his" laser mark, not the mark of a mate 50m to the left. Mostly because while a transmitted laser is ON, any missile fired against that laser mark will follow it even if the player moves the laser (as long as the laser is active).

[Mandoble]

Mando Missile ArmA 2.2 final will delay a bit while I make sure it will be able to hunt down targets under water as well as being fired below water. Meanwhile here are some clips including what is upcoming in the new version:

SEAD, anti radar raids including onboard RWR

New visual locking-on system

Missile commander from where players may control other SAMs

Long range interception

Mando Gun vs Mando Missile

SAMs and guns working together

Planck's torpedo launch test

Harpoon firing test,flight profile 1

Harpoon firing test,flight profile 2

Harpoon firing test, flight profile 3

AH6 with laser designator

[Nixer6]

First off, I would like to say that this is an incredible collection of scripting Art. I am humbled.

I have had this for awhile and did a couple of the demo missions. Yesterday I got tired of death by MANPAD in a mission I am working on and went looking for a good flare/chaff defense script. Then I remembered your Mando Missle suite....

Read this thread...got confused..so I started reading the script comments. 

I found this in mando_missileecm;

The purpose is to add an automatic missile defense system for a unit (chaff or flares).
The unit will use them automatically when needed.

Parameters:

Unit that has the CHAFF or FLARES packs
Minimum distance beetween incomming missile and the unit to drop flares or chaff
Type: 0 - Chaff, 1 - Flares
Number of chaff or flares packs, each usage substracs one to this initial quantity
radio: true/false, if unit sends radio messages indicating a missile incomming, chaff or flares dropped, missile evaded, etc.

Example AV8B with a chaff system (10 chaff packets):

[harrier1, 300, 0, 10, true]execVM"mando_missiles\units\mando_missileecm.sqf"

So I put this in the init box of a chopper;

Code: [Select]

res = [this, 300, 1, 20, false]execVM"mando_missiles\units\mando_missileecm.sqf";
It works great, launches the flares automatically and they are very effective.

But....I have  a couple of questions/wishes.

1. How or can I have both flares and chaff automatically?

2. I have no inventory of how many flares I have on board. How do I get that?

3. Is there a way to set it up for both auto and manual activation?

4. I get no message about an incoming missile, is that the "radio" message talked about in the script comments?
Yep, it sure does. Changed it to "True" in the init box and I now get messages.

Thanks again for your outstanding work.

[Mandoble]

Automatic flares are intended for AI while you may attach them also to drivable planes (automatic flares counter cannot be accessed), but for players the idea is to drop them manually and then you have the counter of flares or chaff left which you may access through "Show ordenance" action menu (you may reload these too with ammo trucks). Note that this has been greatly improved in MMA 2.2 final with the new HUD info, which is not public yet.

init.sqf

Code: [Select]

// Mando Missile ArmA initialization
[]execVM"mando_missiles\mando_missileinit.sqf";

Sleep 1;

// AV8B2 will have 10 flares and 4 AA missiles for the pilot (missile idx 0)
[["AV8B2"], 0, "", [4,0], [4,0], 10, 10, "mando_missiles\units\mando_missilevehicle.sqf", false, true, false, false, [3,-2,-2.5], "mando_missiles\units\keysets\mando_av8b_keys.sqf", 5, 10, 2, 0]execVm"mando_missiles\units\mando_assignvehicle_by_type.sqf";

// AV8B will have 10 flares, 2 AA missiles and 4 LGB for the pilot (starting with missile idx 0)
[["AV8B"], 0, "", [2,4], [2,4], 10, 10, "mando_missiles\units\mando_missilevehicle.sqf", true, true, true, true, [3,-2,-2.5], "mando_missiles\units\keysets\mando_av8b_keys.sqf", 5, 10, 2, 0]execVm"mando_missiles\units\mando_assignvehicle_by_type.sqf";

the 10,10 you see there is the max number of flares and actual number of flares.

BTW, here you may see the new hud and a new scripted Laser Designator in action
 

[Nixer6]

I found what you are explaining in the thread and/or in your example missions.

Thanks. For my purposes now though, I like the automatic version.  Got the warning sound working too. Which brings me to a question. If I have a couple of other sounds that I want to use in a mission, should I just include them in your mando_sounds.h file and in your sound folder. I shamelesslly "borrowed" your description.ext from an example mission. When I tried to use a sound I had defined I got an error.

Thanks again, and I am looking forward to exploring this much further in the future.