[Sun] 05 June 2011 (yep, RPS are still here)

[Joseph-Sulphur]

So how about giving BLUFOR a Predator drone, and having the ambient civilian life module on? That would mean Aziz has to move stealthily, blending in with the populace, the sympathizers would have to be much more careful and BLUFOR would hopefully be able to check if their LZ is full of enemies.

[QuakePhil]

The Takedown... One of our chaps was already on the scene, and as I got into a nearby firing position I could see 3-4 BLUFOR soldiers prone on the ground immediately around the stationary bird. With my unknown comrade drawing their fire, I had ample time to execute them...

I was leading the team out of that LB. The problem there was that I was the only one who took any kind of evasive maneuver. I called out to take cover, but saw, with horror, as at least three of my fireteam members decided to go prone next to a wall, and a couple seconds later they were prone forever. Get into cover does not mean get your back to a wall in an open courtyard where everybody is getting slaughtered.

I had bullets whizzing past me, but I didn't go down because I kept moving. In arma, and anywhere else, you need to keep moving to stay alive. My fireteam was obliterated because they didn't move. Sure we didn't really know exactly where the fire was coming from, but we knew we were getting hit, and there was no reason to clump up like that and get slaughtered (unless you like sitting in spectator script, of course ) I was left to my own devices (I may even have gotten lucky as a bullet pinged off me without doing lasting damage) but I kept moving and I was able to track the enemy (with the other fireteams help, and tigershark orbiting) if only being 5 seconds too late -- had I at least half of my fireteam survive, it may have been a different story.

So, lesson learned: when under fire, keep moving until you are no longer under fire.

Also, to be sure, that kind of mission where aziz can just gun run it to the objective, is hard to hold off. If blufor sets up a roadblock and aziz drives straight into it, then ok, but otherwise? I still think some kind of time factor for aziz, such as even a 2-minute prayer inside the mosque (can we script in some kind of prayer ambience that would be cool, and of course it sends a signal to the sympathizers to protect Imam Aziz), will give blufor a fighting chance at capturing aziz. Preventing blufor access to the mosque seems to give aziz the edge, but since the whole point is for blufor to stop aziz from getting into the mosque, it seems like a more interesting gameplay mechanic to let blufor try and take the mosque (if it is undefended) and have aziz and his supporters fight his way into the mosque.

Another gameplay mechanic worth considering, if you want to keep the s&d aspect of it, is multiple "checkpoints" for aziz to traverse. For example, a farmer's market to get some goat milk, then a local gun shop for that laser sight Aziz always wanted for his AK, then maybe his harem on the other side of the tracks of the town, and finally the mosque for his daily prayer. Aziz may or may not have to traverse these in order, depending how hard you want to make it for blufor. (Of course with multiple checkpoints, blufor would need some kind of indication when Aziz in the vicinity if some of them, perhaps spies that trigger a hint)

[fer]

Another gameplay mechanic worth considering, if you want to keep the s&d aspect of it, is multiple "checkpoints" for aziz to traverse. For example, a farmer's market to get some goat milk, then a local gun shop for that laser sight Aziz always wanted for his AK, then maybe his harem on the other side of the tracks of the town, and finally the mosque for his daily prayer. Aziz may or may not have to traverse these in order, depending how hard you want to make it for blufor. (Of course with multiple checkpoints, blufor would need some kind of indication when Aziz in the vicinity if some of them, perhaps spies that trigger a hint)

I really like the idea of this. The "checkpoints" Aziz has to traverse could just be a selection of trucks or pick-ups which he has to get within 5m of to activate a trigger, and reaching one would then let him know the location of the next. From a scripting perspective this could be done pretty easily using the random-location-via-invisible-markers trick and some synchronised triggers. I suspect we could even get away without using a standalone script.

As regards the mosque being off-limits to BLUFOR, I think that needs to remain the case. That tweak was made earlier in the mission's development to prevent every playthrough becoming a camping expedition (or gunfight at the mosque). That said, with your checkpoints idea, Phil, perhaps the mosque could be merely one possible end-point for Aziz's run?

[QuakePhil]

Yeah, that can work. Regarding the search and destroy nature of the mission, the "search" aspect is somewhat negated by blufor knowing where to look for aziz (the mosque) and then of course you have this rule that blufor cannot go into the mosque to "destroy" aziz.

If anything, its an e&e for aziz into the mosque, at which point it becomes an attack and defend of the area immediately around the mosque. Unless, of course, you want the 8 people on blufor to start looking around zargabad for... for what? for someone who looks just like all the civilian AI walking around? Does that kind of "search & destroy" sound impossible to anyone else besides me? And the mosque being off limits means your most reasonable chance of success is to set up around the mosque (which is what I tried to do) and to do so quickly (which is why I put those potentially hot LZs in the plan)

[fer]

Unless, of course, you want the 8 people on blufor to start looking around zargabad for... for what? for someone who looks just like all the civilian AI walking around? Does that kind of "search & destroy" sound impossible to anyone else besides me?

If we explore your idea of sending Aziz on an extended point-to-point, then I suspect we can include something that makes it quite obvious when Aziz is at one of the checkpoints. Perhaps a forced animation, or somesuch. Throw in a UAV and put the two LBs in the sky early on, and you have the means to search for Aziz before deploying the infantry as a QRF. We could also ensure Aziz uses a unique civ model, and supply an image in the briefing.

[Liqourish]

Look for people straferunning

[Tigershark]

So how about giving BLUFOR a Predator drone, and having the ambient civilian life module on? That would mean Aziz has to move stealthily, blending in with the populace, the sympathizers would have to be much more careful and BLUFOR would hopefully be able to check if their LZ is full of enemies.

Ambient civ life is on. Predator is fine if we think the thermals don't give too much away. How do troops get to town then. Hummv?