Missions Script - Escort

A forum for the discussion and development of programs to assist working on or playing with the Vegastrike engine and data sets.
Post Reply
pheonixstorm
Elite
Elite
Posts: 1567
Joined: Tue Jan 26, 2010 2:03 am

Missions Script - Escort

Post by pheonixstorm »

So whats the typical escort mission.. Convoy. At least thats what you should probably run into most. You could also do escorts for a damaged military wing. Caphip is nearly disable as is most of its escorts so it posts a bill for armed escorts. Another could be escorting a ship (a ship.blank) from a dockyard to another facility or a military drydock for further work.

Heres what would probably need to be changed or added in game.

1. Drydock graphic. Does it orbit around a planet or get its own nav point?
2. Auto-follow. I don't know if spec speed is the same for all ships so may need to have a convoy slave its nav data to the slowest ship. This kind of auto-pilot would allow the player to stay with the convoy and not worry about loosing anyone. You move when the convoy moves, jump when it jumps.

An optional audio addition could be random military pilot comm traffic disgruntled about the mercenary babysitters and becoming rather insulting about it.

Anyone have any other escort mission profiles to share?
Because of YOU Arbiter, MY kids? can't get enough gas. OR NIPPLE! How does that mkae you feeeel? ~ Halo
klauss
Elite
Elite
Posts: 7243
Joined: Mon Apr 18, 2005 2:40 pm
Location: LS87, Buenos Aires, República Argentina

Re: Missions Script - Escort

Post by klauss »

Actually, keeping formation in SPEC should be rather difficult, canon-wise.

From what I remember, ships can't stay close to each other while in SPEC, spec engines in both ships would interfere with each other.

So, although auto-follow is nice, we have to work out a canon-compliant way of escorting ships during long distance travel.
Oíd mortales, el grito sagrado...
Call me "Menes, lord of Cats"
Wing Commander Universe
shenle
Confed Special Operative
Confed Special Operative
Posts: 381
Joined: Thu Jan 31, 2008 3:25 am
Location: hiding in a dark corner

Re: Missions Script - Escort

Post by shenle »

How about temporal sync instead of spatial formations? This way a convoy/escort formation would function like this: each ship follows the same physical route, just a few seconds apart from each other. This should give spec enough space to function properly, and still make sure that whatever the main ship(s) run into, the escorts will get to also very soon...
make me a sandwich
make: *** No rule to make target 'me'. Stop.
klauss
Elite
Elite
Posts: 7243
Joined: Mon Apr 18, 2005 2:40 pm
Location: LS87, Buenos Aires, República Argentina

Re: Missions Script - Escort

Post by klauss »

Yep... that particular idea was lingering in my mind just as well.
Oíd mortales, el grito sagrado...
Call me "Menes, lord of Cats"
Wing Commander Universe
pheonixstorm
Elite
Elite
Posts: 1567
Joined: Tue Jan 26, 2010 2:03 am

Re: Missions Script - Escort

Post by pheonixstorm »

If any event. Do you think it possible (not matter the option) to have an auto follow?

Well, actually more like a nav linked auto-pilot. If we have to setup a convoy train with each ship specing a few seconds apart have the player target the convoy lead or any ship in the convoy then press a key to set the auto-pilot to follow the train or lead the train might be better.

Ok, so either the convoy lead starts the spec train and the player follows allow after targeting the convy (any member) and hitting a key

Or, the player targets the convoy (any member) hits a key and then specs away and the convoy follows

I'm thinking the second might be easier to do as far as coding. Once the player hits the key and specs the function loops telling each convoy member when to spec. Anyway, does this seem a more likely solution? We would also need to do the same for jumps. Maybe even a com option telling the convoy when to move out or stop, form up (hostile actions), run, etc.

Convoy missions (depending on the convoy) could be rather interesting if its long enough. But not too long as the player is stuck with the convoy until it reaches a destination.
Because of YOU Arbiter, MY kids? can't get enough gas. OR NIPPLE! How does that mkae you feeeel? ~ Halo
chuck_starchaser
Elite
Elite
Posts: 8014
Joined: Fri Sep 05, 2003 4:03 am
Location: Montreal
Contact:

Re: Missions Script - Escort

Post by chuck_starchaser »

I have had a plan to rewrite the autopilot for a long time; I'll be sure to add auto-follow.
Main problem is the lack of keybindings; but I'm thinking we could reuse the keybindings
used for flight group orders; --i.e. the same keystroke could be "follow me" if you're the
wing leader; or an order to your autopilot to follow the leader, if you're not.
pheonixstorm
Elite
Elite
Posts: 1567
Joined: Tue Jan 26, 2010 2:03 am

Re: Missions Script - Escort

Post by pheonixstorm »

Ok, so new convoy missions could come along nicely. Any other ideas on how to handle escorts?

What about the drydock escort. For either a damaged ship or moving an unfinished ship from one drydock to the next (say civie to mil docks for weapon additions or for adding top secret equipment..) The latter isn't the most realistic since everything should be handled at one dockyard, but it does give more mission types.
Because of YOU Arbiter, MY kids? can't get enough gas. OR NIPPLE! How does that mkae you feeeel? ~ Halo
chuck_starchaser
Elite
Elite
Posts: 8014
Joined: Fri Sep 05, 2003 4:03 am
Location: Montreal
Contact:

Re: Missions Script - Escort

Post by chuck_starchaser »

You mean towing?
Or a ship that follows you but is very limited in speed and accel?
This would all be nice for PU.
In Vegastrike (the game) we'll have to invent a SPEC-coordinator device or something...

EDIT:
Heck, this would be a good addition. Just like you can buy passenger seats and other add-on's, one
useful add-on that would open up job opportunities for you would be a propulsion coordination device,
which allows you to perfectly syncronize and harmonize your propulsion, steering and spec with another
ship, as if the two were tied together. When activated, the lower of the two ship's agility parameters
takes precedence. That is, if you are coordinated with a large ship, your maximum accel and steering
speeds become those of the bigger ship. When you turn off the coordinator, such as when you need
to fight attackers, the big ship tries to follow you, but probably can't.
pheonixstorm
Elite
Elite
Posts: 1567
Joined: Tue Jan 26, 2010 2:03 am

Re: Missions Script - Escort

Post by pheonixstorm »

"Hey Bob, merc guild post any new work?"
"Glad your here Mike, we have the perfect job for you today."
"Really? Another incursion into *insert enemy* space? Chase off more pirates??"
"Even better! How about Tug boat duty, decent pay no action..."
"Uh... Hey I gotta run, I think I left my engines running."

Wasn't thinking about towing, but I guess that could be an option depending on the players ship. I was more thinking about escorting the tug and its cargo. I guess either way you would need the same backend for it to work. Are there any decent tugs in the game or ships that look like they might handle tug duty?
Because of YOU Arbiter, MY kids? can't get enough gas. OR NIPPLE! How does that mkae you feeeel? ~ Halo
chuck_starchaser
Elite
Elite
Posts: 8014
Joined: Fri Sep 05, 2003 4:03 am
Location: Montreal
Contact:

Re: Missions Script - Escort

Post by chuck_starchaser »

Tons of them. All the NO-good ships would make good tugs.
Post Reply