Online War - FMB scripting

[TheEnlightenedFlorist]

Well, I've been messing around with changing spawn points for a while and I've got it mostly working except for one huge problem. The new spawn points don't update until I switch teams. For example, if I'm on red team and BirthPlace_1 switches to blue, I can still spawn there until I switch to blue and then back to red. I suspect it has something to do with the first mission still running after the second one is started, or the code isn't destroying BirthPlaces properly. It destroys "AiBirthPlaces". Do players use "AiBirthPlaces", or is that only for the AI. I saw no way to get a list of player "BirthPlaces".

Here's the code and the missions attached. If anybody sees any problems with it, please tell me. The spawn points and front lines will change sixty seconds after the mission starts.

using System;
using System.Collections;
using maddox.game;
using maddox.game.world;


public class Mission : AMission
{
    // MissionMarker class. Equivalent to "Front Markers" in FMB
    internal class MissionMarker
    {
        internal double x;  //x coordinate
        internal double y;  //y coordinate
        internal int army;  //army that "owns" the marker. 1 is red. 2 is blue.

        internal MissionMarker(double x, double y, int army) { this.x = x; this.y = y; this.army = army; }
    }

    //create mission markers
    private MissionMarker[] MissionMarkers = new MissionMarker[]
    {   new MissionMarker(12741, 16068, 1),
        new MissionMarker(17372, 11070, 1),
        new MissionMarker(23349, 23045, 2),
        new MissionMarker(29122, 22331, 2)
    };

    //wheter or not markers have been initialized
    bool markersNotInitialized = true;

    public override void OnTickGame()
    {
        //if markers are not initialized, they won't show up on the player's map
        if (markersNotInitialized)
        {
            //just setting the markers army equal to it's current army
            for (int i = 0; i < MissionMarkers.Length; i++)
                GamePlay.gpPostMissionLoad(CreateNewFrontLineMission(i, MissionMarkers[i].army));

            markersNotInitialized = false;
        }
    }

    internal ISectionFile CreateNewFrontLineMission(int markerNum, int newArmy)
    {
        //change the mission markers army to the new army
        MissionMarkers[markerNum].army = newArmy;

        //destroy all existing BirthPlaces/SpawnPoints, but only if the markers have been initialized
        if (!markersNotInitialized)
        {
            foreach (AiBirthPlace bp in GamePlay.gpBirthPlaces())
            {
                if (bp != null)
                    bp.destroy();
            }
        }

        //?? This must be the code that turns MissionMarkers into FrontMarkers
        ISectionFile f = GamePlay.gpCreateSectionFile();
        string sect;
        string key;
        string value;
        sect = "FrontMarker";
        for (int i = 0; i < MissionMarkers.Length; i++)
        {
            key = "FrontMarker" + i.ToString();
            value = MissionMarkers[i].x.ToString(System.Globalization.CultureInfo.InvariantCulture.NumberFormat) + " " + MissionMarkers[i].y.ToString(System.Globalization.CultureInfo.InvariantCulture.NumberFormat) + " " + MissionMarkers[i].army.ToString();
            f.add(sect, key, value);
        }

        return f;
    }

    public override void OnTrigger(int missionNumber, string shortName, bool active)
    {
        //call base classes OnTrigger method.
        base.OnTrigger(missionNumber, shortName, active);

        //if the trigger that was called is the trigger that we're looking for
        if (shortName.Equals("trigger1") && active)
        {
            GamePlay.gpHUDLogCenter("Trigger1");

            //change the mission marker at 0 to blue army
            GamePlay.gpPostMissionLoad(CreateNewFrontLineMission(0, 2));

            //load new mission to change base ownership
            GamePlay.gpPostMissionLoad("missions/Multi/Dogfight/triggerTest/changeBase.mis");

        }

        //not sure what this does either. Do some action. From where?
        AiAction action = GamePlay.gpGetAction(ActorName.Full(missionNumber, shortName));
        if (action != null)
            action.Do();
    }
}

[ZaltysZ]

Originally Posted by TheEnlightenedFlorist

I suspect it has something to do with the first mission still running after the second one is started, or the code isn't destroying BirthPlaces properly.

Mission loading is additive. This means that previous missions will still be running when you load the next one. This is why it is important to do clean up objects, if you don't need them anymore.

I suspect that BirthPlace has not much to do with creating planes, except as mean for UI making decision where it should show spawn points on map. Probably, we won't be able to handle this nicely until we get access to client UI (i.e. force refresh of UI).

Originally Posted by TheEnlightenedFlorist

It destroys "AiBirthPlaces". Do players use "AiBirthPlaces", or is that only for the AI. I saw no way to get a list of player "BirthPlaces".

I don't think "Ai" is artificial intelligence in this case. Players should use AiBirthPlaces.

[Ataros]

Originally Posted by TheEnlightenedFlorist

Well, I've been messing around with changing spawn points for a while and I've got it mostly working except for one huge problem.

Do you mean this code does not destroy a birthplace for players who already use it?

            foreach (AiBirthPlace bp in GamePlay.gpBirthPlaces())
            {
                if (bp != null)
                    bp.destroy();
            }

Probably there is a variable in code that stores player's recent bp. Can we access and change it with a script? Or onActorDead | placeExit (or what it is called) force a player to a default bp making him to select a desired bp again?


If we can change the frontline just by loading a new submission with moved frontline, why would we need the first part of the script defining the markers? I am a bit lost.

I came to a simple practical idea to prevent spawning after AF is lost:

1) set trigger starting final an attack on the airfield only when all ground units on it are killed
2) load tanks attacking the af
3) load submission containing new forntline and new bp based on trigger (tanks reached af)
4) spawn arty and tanks to patrol the af.
5) anyone from the side that lost the af spawning on it is killed by arty or tanks and learns a lesson to check the frontline position before spawning.

Not elegant but brutally practical. Did not have time to test it yet.

Anyway we have to find out how to solve the issue in a more user-friendly way ...or ...isn't it a brutal military sim?

[TheEnlightenedFlorist]

Originally Posted by Ataros

Do you mean this code does not destroy a birthplace for players who already use it?

Not exactly. It doesn't matter if I've ever spawned from that particular base or not. If I was on red team before the switch, I can still spawn that base after the switch. On the contrary, if I was on blue team before the switch, I can't spawn at the new base after the switch. Of course, this all only applies to me as the host of the server. I can't confirm that the same is true of a client connected to a server.

Now that I think about it, I don't know what happens if I choose my army after the switch. It probably appears correctly then.

Originally Posted by Ataros

If we can change the frontline just by loading a new submission with moved frontline, why would we need the first part of the script defining the markers? I am a bit lost.

We can't load a new frontline by loading a new submission because as far as I know, there is no way to delete front markers that were created in a mission file. Basically, because we create the front markers ourselves in code, it's easier to keep track of them and change them. If you open my mission in the FMB, you'll see that there are no mission markers in the .mis file. I add these in code as soon as the mission is loaded.

The reason that we can change spawn points by loading a new mission is because we can get all of the birthplaces and destroy them one by one, then let the ones in the new mission replace them.

We can also create spawn points in code too, but I wanted to do that with a new mission because it was simpler. I'll try doing this tomorrow and see if it fixes my problem.

[TheEnlightenedFlorist]

The method I used to delay the start of a flight is as follows. There could very well (and probably is) be a better way.

1. Create a trigger that fires after the desired amount of time in the FMB.

2. Create an action that spawns the aircraft you want in the FMB.

3. Put code like this in the script file. Specifically in the OnTrigger() method.

public override void OnTrigger(int missionNumber, string shortName, bool active)
    {
        //call base classes OnTrigger method.
        base.OnTrigger(missionNumber, shortName, active);

        //if the trigger that was called is the trigger that we're looking for
        if (shortName.Equals("triggerName") && active)
        {
            AiAction action = GamePlay.gpGetAction("actionName"));
            if (action != null)
                 action.Do();

        }

"triggerName" and "actionName" are the names that you gave the trigger and action in the FMB.

[Ataros]

Originally Posted by TheEnlightenedFlorist

We can't load a new frontline by loading a new submission because as far as I know, there is no way to delete front markers that were created in a mission file. Basically, because we create the front markers ourselves in code, it's easier to keep track of them and change them.

IIRC the devs mentioned that frontline is replaced automatically. I experimented with it 2 weeks ago and it moved, again IIRC. Try it. I thought I mentioned this in my previous posts. I can be mistaken of cause, will try to find my test missions later.

Originally Posted by TheEnlightenedFlorist

The reason that we can change spawn points by loading a new mission is because we can get all of the birthplaces and destroy them one by one, then let the ones in the new mission replace them.

Great idea! I thought that we have to delete only one bp and that gave me headache ))
Later I think it will be possible to script removal of 1-2 af only.

BTW the greatest solution would be to have bp side changed automatically if a submission loads new frontline leaving the bp to enemy! That would be an excellent piece of code! C# geniuses are called for help

Originally Posted by TheEnlightenedFlorist

We can also create spawn points in code too, but I wanted to do that with a new mission because it was simpler. I'll try doing this tomorrow and see if it fixes my problem.

I think placing everything in code gives more flexibility for a larger war/campaign where everything has to be automated (many battles for many cities and airfields). But adds complexity to coding. For a small mission with 5-8 submissions it would be easier to use FMB imho both for frontline and spawnpoints if possible.

Originally Posted by TheEnlightenedFlorist

It's 4:30 in the morning here!

Where are you located?

[Ataros]

Attached my test mission.

Frontline moves in 1800 ticks then tanks clear the captured AF from remaining enemy arty.

2 spawnpoints are placed at the same spot. Do not work as intended yet iirc.

[TheEnlightenedFlorist]

Originally Posted by Ataros

IIRC the devs mentioned that frontline is replaced automatically. I experimented with it 2 weeks ago and it moved, again IIRC. Try it. I thought I mentioned this in my previous posts. I can be mistaken of cause, will try to find my test missions later.

Just tried it. You are correct. That makes things a little bit simpler.

Originally Posted by Ataros

BTW the greatest solution would be to have bp side changed automatically if a submission loads new frontline leaving the bp to enemy! That would be an excellent piece of code! C# geniuses are called for help

I saw a method that looks like it could tell me which side of the front a particular point is on so this is probably very possible. Just one more thing I need to experiment with.

Originally Posted by Ataros

Where are you located?

Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. Opposite side of the planet.

[Ataros]

Originally Posted by TheEnlightenedFlorist

        //not sure what this does either. Do some action. From where?
        AiAction action = GamePlay.gpGetAction(ActorName.Full(missionNumber, shortName));
        if (action != null)
            action.Do();

Attached is original mission. It is supposed to do as follows: on a flyby above an airfield a new enemy aircraft is spawn there and the af changes color to friendly.
Actions are listed in the mission file not the script. A surprise of the month for me! lol

[TheEnlightenedFlorist]

Originally Posted by Ataros

Attached is original mission. It is supposed to do as follows: on a flyby above an airfield a new enemy aircraft is spawn there and the af changes color to friendly.
Actions are listed in the mission file not the script. A surprise of the month for me! lol

Thanks. I'll look at that tomorrow. It's 4:30 in the morning here!