[SP] Operation Hellfire (Review Complete)

[Krieg]

New version is up! List of changes:

Added savegame upon landing.
When troops are unloaded, boats will return to ships.
Fixed the never ending cutscene.
Now when you switch the flags, action is removed.
(Hopefully) Fixed all Pitbull issues.
Fixed some briefing issues.
Corrected spelling issues in overview.
Moved the ending triggers a bit, so player can maneuver more.
Fixed the gear selection!
Boats should not explode anymore.
Improved the outro!
Medical tent should not be overran by tanks now.

@savedbygrace

Thanks for your effort, but I already found the inferior, primitive way, and I think it works out. I will still check the script out!

[savedbygrace]

By the way, that script could simply be copied into your existing script, you could place a semi colon in front of all of your existing lines to test the angles I chose. It was created inside of your outro so it follows your scene. Also, it was just an example of some things that can be done with the camera.sqs, it was not meant to be a replacement for your efforts.

[Krieg]

I will try that out!  

Only thing that OFP camera scripting misses, in my opinion, is "setCameraAngle" command.

Code: ("Nonexistingcommand.sqs") [Select]

_cam* setCameraAngle** "90"***

* Name of the camera
** The command itself
*** Number of degrees the camera angle should be, in this case 90 degrees.

[savedbygrace]

The camera angle is automatically computed by the target in which it is facing, whether that is the sky, grass or object. There is no need to try and calculate an angle when all you have to do is point and shoot.
If no target is specified, the center of the screen becomes the target.

[Krieg]

So, basically just a "_cam camsettarget Null" would do?

[savedbygrace]

I've never actually attempted that particular command with a null target as every angle needs some form of a target, whether it's an object, or [x,y,z] coordinate of 3 dimensional space. In fact, I'm not certain that there is such a thing as a null target when concerning the camera, as even dead space becomes a target. You may have to clarify what exactly you are attemtping to do for me to help you further.
Have you attempted the camera.sqs script yet?

[Krieg]

In latest outro of Operation Hellfire when camera switches from the spec-ops guy to exploding mines I used game logic to define next spot where camera will be, but when camera reaches that command, camera starts looking at the ground instead at flying as straight as it flies the rest of that angle. It is kinda hard to explain in words, but you'll know what I am talking about once you watch the outro.

I'm not certain that there is such a thing as a null target when concerning the camera

Apparently, there is and there is not. I tried adding a new target to script, the "Null" one, but it did not change anything, nor it reported any error, but I guess it considered "Null" a object.

Have you attempted the camera.sqs script yet?

Although I am eager to see it in action I have tight schedule today, so I will most likely try it in a hour or so.

[savedbygrace]

It only takes 10 seconds to set up the trigger and perhaps 5 minutes to get comfortable with it. Once you use it....I promise you will never make cutscenes any other way. It allows you to produce precise camera shots with tremendous ease. Well worth the time exploring it.

If you used a game logic to define the "target", then you assigned an [x,y,z] coordinate with z == 0. If you assigned the gamelogic as a "position" without assigning a new target, the camera will move to the new position in the commited time assigned but never remove it's focus from the current target.

I will also mention that the more you use the camera.sqs script, the more comfortable you will be with using [x,y,z] coordinates over gamelogics and other units as targets or positioning simply because it leaves one less entity to include into a project.

I will attempt your newest version now.

[Krieg]

All I got to say for camera.sqs is one big WOW  !

It makes almost all other techniques obsolete and makes a lot of camera angles that I thought were impossible to make possible and easy to make!

I am definitely making new intro and outro for this mission!

[savedbygrace]

I played version 0.4 just now.
I'm sure it was pure luck this time around but one of my helis survied and continued picking off targets great and small across the map.
I did not see an armor counter attack on Morton this time, probably because of the heli, I engaged som enemy in the woods this time whereas before, they would never leave the camp.(not sure if that had anything to do with the chopper either) The camp was easy too as the armor threr was already taken care of by the heli and the static m2 in figari was taken out by the heli.

I noticed the savegame at the beach and thought another would be appropriate at the cutscene when you setpos the player.(I prefer the version 3 method of allowing the player to proceed on foot. Just setpos the armor on the beach and have them push in land.) I experienced one play where the armor never proceeded to Figari and another where they beat me there and wiped out everything and as I crested the final hill to approach, the enemy were scattering like dogs into the fields, ending the mission.

I see the camera angle of the gamelogic as you mentioned but know you will certainly change this around since you have the camera.sqs handy.

The improvements have made things better.

[Krieg]

one of my helis survied

Pure luck. Russians usually manage to take it down by small arms.

I did not see an armor counter attack on Morton this time

You were not meant to see it. It happened because I synchronized tanks' waypoints (the ones at the camp) with the wrong trigger.

thought another would be appropriate at the cutscene

I will add that one.

the version 3 method of allowing the player to proceed on foot.

That method happened because of the never-ending cutscene. But still, I will consider adding that method.

I experienced one play where the armor never proceeded to Figari and another where they beat me there and wiped out everything

I don't know what's causing it.

The improvements have made things better.

Glad they did! 

[Krieg]

New version is up!
List of changes:

• Re-remade the outro.
• Added "SITREP" script to the Puma and Pitbull squads.
• Fixed some briefing issues.
• Added random cover at the beach.
• Added random patrol in the forest.
• Added random Anti-Tank barriers after the camp.
• Now you do not teleport after signaling that Morton is secure.

Please report any new bugs and suggest improvements!

[Krieg]

It seems that there were no beta tests 0.5.
Anyways, I've fixed SITREP script bug which I encountered and new 0.6 version is up.

[RKurtzDmitriyev]

LOL, what a co-incidence! I was just thinking, "I really ought to test Operation Hellfire again."

Overview

Looks good!

Briefing

--Numerous errors in English. I've been called a pretty good writer, I can take a stab at revising your briefing if you like.
--Gear selection is much improved. You seem to be missing grenade launchers, though--such a heavily armed squad should have some M203s along with their sniper rifles and next-generation assault rifles.
--The most annoying thing is that I can't see my troops' experience. A bug in OFP prevents the group roster from showing up if your squad starts in a vehicle. Knowing who is most experienced is useful, because I know whom to give the important weapons. Of course it turns out that all of my squad has the same skill anyway, but this would have been nice to know in briefing. Perhaps remove the "moveincargo" initializations, place the squad on a remote island, and add a short black-in at the beginning of the mission, in which your squad is teleported inside the boat.

Mission

I cleared Morton with no casualties. I went to join up with Foxtrot and got ambushed by Soviet infantry on the edge of the forest, losing 3 men. I wiped them all out, though, and found Foxtrot. I couldn't get them to join me! (see below). I approached the camp anyway. I got within sight of the camp and engaged in a very nerve-wracking firefight. They killed me after wiping out my whole squad. Well, the enemy response around the camp is much improved.

--For some reason I couldn't get Foxtrot to join me. I walked right up to their leader, no dice. And yet when I played again in the mission editor, they joined me when I got close.
--Also when I first played, I got an error "missing bis_weaponpack". Mission behaved normally otherwise. And it seems to be working fine now. Maybe I just ran into a bad playing session
--The opening firefight at Morton is a tad laggy for me. I think it's probably CPU speed. It's tolerable, though.
--Although I like the cutscene after Morton is captured better than the first version I tested, it still seems cheesy. I can still hear people shooting in the background, and I'm in exactly the same place that I was when the cutscene began. It's just too hard to suspend disbelief, I have to say.
--The titleText that says "Everyone! Move in and secure the town!" blocks the sideChat that says "It seems that Ivan had large stash out here...[etc]", making it difficult to read.

Outro

Looks good, I like the camera angle you got on that dead Russian guy.

Overall

Probably would have been much more enjoyable if I could have gotten Foxtrot to join me. I'll have to test it some more to see if it happens again. Strange.

Other than that, only minor bugs to report, good job.

[Krieg]

Overview

Glad it works!

Briefing

If they are grammatical errors I think I can handle them. And also, I plan on revising story a bit, making it deeper than "I'm just an Lt. John Doe in yet another mysterious conflict with Russians." I'll be making a intro so I think that briefing should reflect upon it. At least "Notes" section.

I'll add some grenade launchers.

I will try to fix that as suggested.

Mission

Heh, you are obviously more experienced squad leader than me. At my best try I managed to get 3 of my men alive out of the Morton.

Foxtrot joined fine (at least in editor) for me. That is an odd error. I think a trigger with certain commands will do the work!

Dam! I thought I got rid of those errors. First "BIS_Resistance" and now "bis_weaponpack". It is a bug that occurs when you select a weapon that is in "bis_Weaponpack" and is "bis_weaponpack" is not on mission.sqm. Don't worry about it. I'll fix it.

I am not sure if lag in Morton is fixable, unless I change how the mission plays (i.e. don't make it a massive landing, which was the point of the mission).

Hmm... About the cutscene... I could use fadeSound to suspend possible shooting, but that does not seem like a good solution. Also, I will move ya a bit, somewhere else in the Morton. And try to improve cam angles.

I will try to fix that!

Outro

Glad it works out!

Overall

I'll test for joining bug too... And if it occurs any more I'll fix it with a trigger based joining.

Will fix all the minor bugs too!

Thanks for the test!  

Edit: I tried joining the Foxtrot squad, and had no problems. Did you try to approach every guy in Foxtrot?