Waypoints accorded to strategic choices

[sanam]

So; the point here would be tho discover how to do this:

I want the player, at various part of the game, to be able to choose his strategy and therefore get the right waypoint to go along with.
At this point in my mission development, the player will have to choose between
-free the prisonners, join and lead them, and use them for the rest of the mission, hence he'll get a "Free Them Fast" revealed on screen (for cadet mode, I know)
OR
-Execute the main objective, then go for the prisonners and extract; with a different label on screen.

I think setWPPos is not applicable here, as the same waypoint is being moved, and you don't have a complete "tree" of strategic choices.

Multiple-Tree waypointing opens quite a lot of doors to the mission maker. On this sample only, he could as well save them first and go back later alone... A way to come to more freedom in-game, while giving complex opportunities to the scenario writer...

Thanks !!

[macguba]

In theory you can do this with switch triggers.  Since it may become complex, and as you say the waypoints won't be seen by Vet mode players anyway, I would suggest you have a completely isolated system of triggers and waypoints.

Set up a little test mission to figure out the best way to do it:  I'm not exactly sure.      Basically you put all the waypoints in sequences (main sequence, then the capture sequence, then the not capture sequence, then the take the town sequence, then the extraction sequence) with switch triggers at the start/end of each seqence to switch into the next sequence.    Control the triggers with variables.

If you're not familiar with switch triggers there is a tute in the Ed Depot.     This is a fairly advanced use of them so be prepared for a little blood sweat and tears.

AFAIK waypoints can't be created or destroyed, which is what you really need here.   You are right that setWPPos is not going to come into it much.

[sanam]

I, sort of, KNEW I would have to work on it this way, as no CreateWP command exists.

Switch triggers are OK, boolean variable creation too, Even firing scripts from there should be allright.

I will do as told, but my limit is:

Once a strategy has been choosen (Addaction, on-screen display, whatever) the right condition will be then True. Ok so far. Now How shall this condition put me On-Screen (damn lazzy cadets) the right Waypoint ?

But I'm on it anyway, and as I've been crawling seriously the forums in search of this, it may even become a usefull ressource. If I happen to achieve it.

I'll let you know- Thanks -Bye.

[sanam]

Got it all setup and done !

Not that much blood and tears, I must say.

BAS "choose Time of Mission" pack of scripts turned into "Choose Your Strategy" pack

In my sample mission, you now begin with "go there and choose" as first waypoint.
Then a PopUp asks you to choose between three opportunities, with WayPoints controlled by boolean variables. Once the choice is made, the according WP appears in cadet mode, and on your objective's Briefing Page accordingly, while the Markers swithing colour on the map.

At this stage of development, the mission ends upon reaching the choosen WP, but it would be easy to give the choice again or to switch to un-reached WP as next WP.

The strategy Choice is anyway available thru action-menu.

Once the choice is made by you, the AI will follow them (ie your leader if you are not the commanding officer)

Sure, the AI will not handle the choice by itself...

Bug: I had to go for the rather complicated CreateDialog command, with onScreen PopUp Trigger-activated, because no Addaction command reveals in a vehicle. Hence if in a vehicle, you need a trigger to get you the PopUp, and you gotta get out of the vehicle if you need to change your choice...

how to add an action to a vehicle ?

Send me PM if you're interested in further development of the pack, or just wan't to check it out.

I will post it to "script betaTest" and to EdDepot shortly.

Bye, from Peacepunk.
Thanks, to McGuba pushing me into this,
Cheers to BAS for the Description.ext the pack is based on.

[macguba]

You can use addaction on anything you like.    The action will appear when the player gets close to the object.

You can make the AI make the choice by generating a random number and picking the route based on it.   The command is (you've guessed it) random.

Glad to hear its working!

[sanam]

My "addaction" comes from init.sqs, and is
player addaction ["this","that.sqs"]

so not an object you come close of. I should try with a trigger adding the action. There is no "object" for sure, no memoryPoint like the action for a p3d model...

Now you do something, rather than encouragements:

drop me sample lines if any unit got to choose between
strart_1, Strat_2 or Strat_3 on a random base.

I woukd thank you a lot, cause I can see there Huge Replayability of missions as it set up quite dramatic changes in everything around the player...
Imagine "defend the Base" when you don't even know where they're coming from...

Cheers Mac, after this one I'll stop bothering you with many thanks.

Sure.

PeacePunk.

[sanam]

Srategy pack available !!

HERE

The DoFP strategy pack provides you with a demo mission (you'll have to unpack the PBO yourself, despite what the .nfo file said) that provides the player with multiple strategic choices available thru a Trigger-activated PopUp. The mission as a demo is located on .intro island (the small sandy one) and is at least 1.5 mandatory, if not 1.91.

The aim of the game is that for the large non-Legawarz mission I'm on, I wanted the player to be able to choose at least between two strategies, i.e. witch objective to go for first. I then thru triggers adapt the waypoints to the player's choice, hence the adventure changes completely. Looking forward to a good Replayability of the mission played a huge role in developping this project.

As you'll see, everything is continuously adapting, from briefing page to markers on map and even the Scoring system is tuneable. It's then up to you to steal the description.ext file and the several .sqs files to adapt it to your mission. It is an advanced tool intended for the courageous ones, as implement it features Description.ext and  script files edition to adapt to your objectives and waypoints. It's still simple enough if you just wanna use it on the three-choices availability as provided. Abundant doc is available, as well as heavy documented .ext &.sqs files. Not that a nightmare, once acquainted with.

 

Now download it, comment it and give me feedback.
"base Pack" comes actually from the BAS "choose time of your mission" set of  .ext & .sqs set of files.

Enjoy && comment !!