Re: Mission Editing Classes?

**1longtime** · 11-24-2009, 08:04 PM

Originally Posted by GeneralCarver

I'm not interested in classes per say. What I am considering doing with the experience I've gained over the last year is to share it via a Pod cast with examples you can download.

Why Podcast? Because its the fastest way for me to create training material without a huge commitment in time to writing a Manuel, capturing, fixing and editing images, or editing video.. all time monsters. So, that will be the format if I commit to this in the future. You'll get a small lesson focus. And you would download an RAR which would contain the audio podcast recording of me talking about a subject. It would also include example missions you could open in your editor. The sample missions would be the focus. Don't think COMPLETE mission, but just a mission to open which would have an example of how to do something and I'd be talking about the example.

The best way to learn this stuff is to "do it". This is also the strength of the pod cast. You can follow along as I go.

Carver, a podcast would be really cool. A screencast would be even better. I'm a self-study type of person, but something like an example starter template with a podcast talking me through a simple mission would be gold.

I recently read some instructions on how to un-PBO a mission using Kegety's Arma Tools ( cPBO which is mentioned here and here ). However, when I unwrap someone's mission I'm often looking at code blocks for waypoints and task completion and wondered how much is hand coded vs how much is from a template or tool that I don't know about.

All in all, I'm not afraid of code but I am afraid of wasting time learning code that is autogenerated somewhere, or missing some template or simple technique. I'm trying to learn with MrMurray's Mission Editing Guide too, but it's very big (300 pages) so it's taking a while.

Anything you can contribute to the mission noobs would be greatly appreciated.

**GeneralCarver** · 11-24-2009, 09:32 PM

Hmm. ok. Welp, screen cast is out of question. Your talking gigabytes of info. a Podcast could fit within 50 megs and won't use up all my monthly bandwidth when uploading!

**Inkompetent** · 11-24-2009, 09:48 PM

Originally Posted by 1longtime

However, when I unwrap someone's mission I'm often looking at code blocks for waypoints and task completion and wondered how much is hand coded vs how much is from a template or tool that I don't know about.

Everything in the mission.sqm file (or at least 99.99% of it) is done in the usual in-game editor. The contents of several fields are of course done manually, like the initialization field for units, and the condition and on activation fields for triggers and waypoints, but generally all manual writing of those are also done in the editor.

The only things done outside of the editor are the additional files, like .SQS and .SQF scripts, description.ext file, briefings, and such.

To open another person's mission in the editor, simply unwrap with it cPBO, then put the folder into your My Documents/ArmA2/missions directory (or My Documents/ArmA2 Other Profiles/profilename/missions if you use a custom profile rather than the default one). It is now openable in the editor, even without restarting the game

**Fer** · 11-24-2009, 09:58 PM

It might be worth making a distinction between learning how to script and learning how to make a mission. Newcomers to mission-making frequently mistake one for the other, often because of two key factors: a) the vast majority of mission-related resources in our community relate to scripting tasks; b) most newcomers are bursting with [over-]ambitious ideas that can only be realised with extensive scripting. Sadly, those two factors tend to work against each other and prevent many newcomers from completing their first mission (it is precisely this issue that F2 attempts to address).

What I suggest would be invaluable is some form of guidance that emphasises what is possible with little or no scripting. Concepts of mission *design* are rarely covered in community documentation, but this is where experienced mission makers can add tremendous value. To provide an example: simply talking through and critiquing a mission concept with an experienced mission maker can provide huge learning for the newcomer, as well as save him/her from a great deal of wasted effort.

So perhaps some good topics for a podcast might be:

1. How to make a good, simple, attacking coop with the editor (and perhaps a framework like F2) and no custom scripting?
2. How to make a good, simple, defending coop etc.

That's the real gap, I suggest.

**Inkompetent** · 11-24-2009, 10:05 PM

Indeed. And there are some really good missions here at TG that are done more or less solely in the editor. Can't recall any names off the top of my head, but aside from some moderately advanced trigger-code they were almost or completely script-free. Would be good to highlight those as examples. ^^

**1longtime** · 11-25-2009, 01:46 AM

RE: Inkompetent--

Thanks, I suspected alot of that code was generated by editor tools. It was just too uniformly spaced...

...and Fer's post is full of good ideas. At my noob stage, I have difficulty differentiating between a scripted action, a triggered action, or something that AI just normally "does." In other words, I'm still learning my ABCs.

**Dredge** · 11-25-2009, 10:41 AM

I am putting the polish on a very basic coop defend. If you want i can send you the pbo for it and you can look to see what it did. Very basic not too much scripting*.

*Script is mostly for Objectives update and the Win/Lose conditions

**1longtime** · 11-25-2009, 12:50 PM

Originally Posted by Dredge

I am putting the polish on a very basic coop defend. If you want i can send you the pbo for it and you can look to see what it did. Very basic not too much scripting*.

*Script is mostly for Objectives update and the Win/Lose conditions

Yes please do, a simple example would be helpful. I think I have an idea of how to do that, but still would be good.

**Dredge** · 11-25-2009, 10:29 PM

Here you guys go. Its not fully done but i have most of the stuff in there. It has some very basic scripting in it. Its basically a bigger version of Misty Mountain, with armor on the OPFOR side

. Take a look it should help you out. if you have any questions you can post them or PM me.

**Call911** · 11-26-2009, 12:39 AM

Originally Posted by Dredge

I am putting the polish on a very basic coop defend. If you want i can send you the pbo for it and you can look to see what it did. Very basic not too much scripting*.

*Script is mostly for Objectives update and the Win/Lose conditions

Thanx
@Fer if'n it was'nt for BAS_f/F2 I'd given up on editing along time ago. Sometimes I just have to step away take a break an come back later. Scripting an copy an paste works good too.

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