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Post by edakridge on Feb 8, 2020 8:24:45 GMT -5
I was testing an escort mission for the 461st BG this morning and what a blast. I haven't figured out how to get the imperative instructions working yet, (So the AI will drop bombs) but I'm pretty sure that it's just a syntax issue. Meanwhile, I'm having fun flying and testing what I've written.
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Post by xpel on Feb 8, 2020 11:55:17 GMT -5
Nice Ed ! If you have reached so far, you've virtually done the "difficult" part. Since AI bombing is an "automated" procedure, haddled by FSCAI, as soon as your AI bombers reach in "engaging" targets distance - parameters, during their route...
For this to happen, you have to :
1. Make a "Teams" file in your Config_USER folder. Your team must include the atc_model names of your plane & AI Bombers (and any other AI atc_model names of your team). Opposing team must have a declared airport in their team, close to ground targets simobjects (closer than any other airport that you may have declared to your team - eg, your starting airport for the ASL mission ), so that these ground simobjects will be auto assigned to opposing team due to declared "hostile airport proximity". You can make a "virtual" airport in ADE if necessary. (Usually this isn't needed... but if there is a need for this, remember to run makerunways.exe after install, so that FSCAI "knows" about it.) For opposing AI airplanes, just declare their atc_model names in opposing team
2. Declare this Team file in Eras file, giving there the name of the Team file (as also defining the name of this Era)
2. Declare your AI Bombers in FSCAI's vehicles database. Just select a relative Level Bomber from FSCAI's menu (after you click "vehicles" tab) and edit with a new name, plus the atc_model name. Then "save as new vehicle" tab. It will then appear at bottom of vehicles list.
Now, you're ready. You spawn at your airport and run FSCAI. Choose your Era and you'll be auto assigned to your team. Choose your scripted ASL mission and as soon as simobjects will spawn, they will be assigned to relative teams properly. Now your AI bombers know that these simobject targets are hostile & will attack them.
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Post by edakridge on Feb 9, 2020 11:13:30 GMT -5
Chris, I feel like I'm getting closer. I already had the other files squared away. It was a syntax issue. I had the "Target" line of the asl file messed up. I also changed the "Route" line to read: Route=B24A,Points=B2402A,$PRNG,B2404A,B2405A,B2406A,B2407, instead of Route=B24A,Points=B2402A,B2403A,B2404A,B2405A,B2406A,B2407, and renamed point B2404A to $PRNG. I'm really not sure which change fixed it but I could see the label "FSCAI" falling from the AI over the target. However I didn't see any explosions, falling objects or damage to the FSX@War objects. I reinstalled FSCAI to make sure that I'm not missing any effects and they were already in place. I feel that I'm still missing a piece of the puzzle.
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Post by xpel on Feb 9, 2020 14:03:15 GMT -5
Don't forget to declare the FSCAI bombs ( title = AAW_M64 ) to weapons of your FSX@War pack, so they can damage the FSX2War targets. This doesn't explain though why you didn't see simobjects bombs falling or no explosion effects... Check your PMs also.
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Post by edakridge on Feb 9, 2020 14:56:48 GMT -5
Thanks for the tip about FSX@War! So much to learn, so little gray matter left.
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Post by edakridge on Feb 10, 2020 9:12:54 GMT -5
Okay, I flew the mission again this morning and I DID see the bombs dropping! I assume that the explosion or splash effects (practice range is on an island) are also going off as I started getting the stutters a few seconds later as I rolled in on the target. Thank You Chris and Dutch for all your help! I feel like I'm heading in the right direction.
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Post by Dutch Owen on Feb 10, 2020 17:00:02 GMT -5
Yeah stutters are a sure sign lots of bombs are exploding.
Glad you are getting it sorted out. A major goal in the future is to make all this easier and more obvious to a newbie. To the extent that's possible giving the complexity of what we're about here.
Work is proceeding on the next edition which will contain radar both airborne and ground, but that's a very complex interconnected system.
It'll be a while before it's ready for beta. How long, I can't say.
Dutch
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Post by edakridge on Feb 10, 2020 17:03:40 GMT -5
I agree that it is a pretty complex operation overall. Maybe a GUI for mission planning?
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Post by xpel on Feb 16, 2020 8:49:58 GMT -5
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Post by Dutch Owen on Feb 17, 2020 12:09:39 GMT -5
edakridge and xpel,
I want to thank you and all the testers for putting FSCAI thru its paces in mission development. Much has already been learned and enhancements are on the way, short and long term.
For a start as a thank-you I'm adding some new features to FSCAI to support the 461st Bomb Group and generally enhance the program.
Of special interest is an enhanced "Virtual Bombardier" function to guide you to a mission target bomb release point, and the ability for the user aircraft's gunners to shoot back at attacking AI without the pilot having to do anything to direct them. You will hear their machine guns firing when they engage enemy aircraft within range. You are no longer defenseless when piloting a bomber that's defined in the Vehicles database with defensive weapons. (AI bombers already had this capability, it now will apply to the user aircraft also.)
Also of general interest is efforts have been made to make the dogfight AI much more aggressive, and in testing I can confirm they are more tenacious, harder to evade, and shoot more accurately at you. We still have a ways to go on this, but it's getting better.
I hope to be able to release this version in the next day or two. It won't yet have the massive radar enhancements, but that doesn't apply to the 461st's era.
Dutch
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Post by hajolippke on Feb 17, 2020 13:45:44 GMT -5
Any chance to get the function of manually assign team-membership to Weaponized AI-vehicles? Or even put them on "neutral" individually?
HAJO
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Post by edakridge on Feb 17, 2020 14:39:18 GMT -5
Dutch, I thank you again for the work that you've put into it and these extra features will make it that much more fun!
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Post by Dutch Owen on Feb 17, 2020 16:42:35 GMT -5
Any chance to get the function of manually assign team-membership to Weaponized AI-vehicles? Or even put them on "neutral" individually? HAJO How would you like that function to be implemented? How would such manual assignment be done? In a mission you can assign each spawned object to the team of your choice. But I think you are talking outside the mission system here. Dutch
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Post by hajolippke on Feb 18, 2020 15:31:40 GMT -5
Yes, exactly, outside mission systems. This would work for Multiplayer and all sorts of FSX@War or CCP-spawned vehicles, or AI-traffic.
HAJO
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Post by Dutch Owen on Feb 18, 2020 17:19:10 GMT -5
The current Teams_[Era].cfg file allows you to assign teams based on airport templates or aircraft model codes, and it applies to all aircraft regardless of any missions. A mission explicit assignment overrides any default assignment from the Teams configuration but if there are none the Teams assignment applies.
By "individually" do you mean also be able to assign a specific model title and/or registration number to a team? And do you see that being done in the same Teams file?
Dutch
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