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Control Points

Posted: Tue 27 Mar 2007 2:58 am
by II/JG4_Ivank
How do you establish Control Points on a Template ?
Secondly does a control point change hands as a function of the DCS territory control inputs ?

Posted: Tue 27 Mar 2007 5:51 am
by IV/JG7_4Shades
Hi Ivan,
How do you establish Control Points on a Template ?
Presently there is no facility to build control points into the template file. Instead, the admin first just loads the template, then simply edits the Control_Points table by hand to suit. The map coords displayed in the status bar of the MP are the coords to be entered in the table, e.g. mouseover where you want the control point and use the displayed coords. Use "r" for Allied, "g" for Axis control., "n" for neutral. The point value for the control point is not used. Every time the DB is flushed, all control points are blown away, so if you get them set up just the way you like, take a copy of the Control_Points table for future reference.

Here is a sample from the recent Xtreme Okinawa campaign:

Code: Select all

Okinawa	"Naha Objective"	105000	27600	g	1000
Okinawa	"Motobu Objective"	133000	73000	r	1000
Secondly does a control point change hands as a function of the DCS territory control inputs ?
Yes it is automatic, just like airbases.

Cheers,
4Shades

Posted: Tue 27 Mar 2007 6:00 am
by II/JG4_Ivank
Danke Shades

Posted: Tue 27 Mar 2007 7:32 pm
by II/JG4_Ivank
A suggestion that this process could some how be implemented so that it could be done graphically via the template ?

Perhaps a specific object that the SE MB identifies as defining a control point.

Posted: Tue 27 Mar 2007 9:44 pm
by IV/JG7_4Shades
Yes, that has been suggested before. It would be easy enough to deem a certain scenery object to represent a control point and the DCS could create Control Point entries from each occurrence. Of course, there is no way to encode the name of each control point in the template without breaking FMB-compliance, but that might not be such a problem.

Anyone have any ideas about which scenery objects should signify control points? We would need one each for Allied, Axis and Neutral. Please post here any suggestions.

Cheers,
4Shades

Posted: Wed 28 Mar 2007 7:00 am
by II/JG4_Ivank
Perhaps a single panel marker. Red panel for red Object 180, white panel for blue object 181

Posted: Wed 28 Mar 2007 10:24 am
by IV/JG7_4Shades
OK, this feature is implemented, with the following definitions:
'March 28 2007
'- Updated subGetBuildings to detect instances of the following 4 objects and use them
'to initialize Control_Point records. The objects will be detected on template load (triggering Control Points) and then
'deleted from the campaign so no ugly racing poles will appear in the mission files. Template designers
'who wish to use other scenery objects to embellish the control points (sandbags, buildings, fences etc) can do so; only
'the racing poles will vanish from the in-game scenery.
Public Const MARKER_CONTROL_POINT_ALLIED As String = "House$RacingPoleRed" 'Object348 in FMB
Public Const MARKER_CONTROL_POINT_AXIS As String = "House$RacingPoleBlue" 'Object349 in FMB
Public Const MARKER_CONTROL_POINT_NEUTRAL1 As String = "House$RacingPoleStart" 'Object350 in FMB
Public Const MARKER_CONTROL_POINT_NEUTRAL2 As String = "House$RacingPoleFinish" 'Object351 in FMB
I didn't just ignore your suggestion Ivan, I thought about it some. I used the following criteria:
1) The objects need to be uncommon in combat scenarios, so they won't be placed by accident for some other purpose
2) They need to be unmistakeable in FMB
3) They need to have at least 3 variants (for Allied, Axis and Neutral)

So I settled on the racing poles. Stick them in your template wherever you want Control Points. In subsequent SE missions the racing poles will NOT appear in-game but the Control Points will persist as usual. Either of the two green racing poles is sufficient to define a neutral Control Point. By default, Control Points defined in this way will be numbered "CP1", "CP2", etc in order as found in the template. Once loaded, their names can be changed by editing the Control_Points table.

This feature, plus a few others, will appear in SEDCS3.0(A11), to be released in a day or two.

Cheers,
4Shades

Posted: Wed 28 Mar 2007 11:23 am
by Hitcher
Thanks for the new features!

Posted: Wed 28 Mar 2007 6:52 pm
by II/JG4_Ivank
Racing Poles ... good idea Danke

Posted: Wed 28 Mar 2007 6:53 pm
by II/JG4_Ivank
Racing Poles ..... Great idea Danke

Posted: Wed 28 Mar 2007 10:25 pm
by III/JG11_Mel
well done Shades - now when set will they appear on the SE MP so when I am logged in as JG11 will I be able to see all the enemy control points etc as happens now.

Also is there anyway to turn off the factories changing to blue or red etc when our units come next to them, its hard to be sneaky when the SE MP turns the facories to blue which is seen by both sides and indicates to the enemy that we have forces in that area. ??

Think we have discussed this before lol

Mel

Posted: Thu 29 Mar 2007 6:52 am
by IV/JG7_4Shades
Hi Mel,

My thinking on the display of control points was that they are to be fought over by both sides, so both sides have an intense interest in the control points and the local situation. So I made them visible at all times. Maybe that's not perfect in some situations - but for the moment the display model of control points is unchanged in SEOW.

About industrial control: I kind of like it the way it is. Remember there is a sizeable civilian population in any industrial centre, and this population will be full of spies and informants for both sides. It stands to reason that both sides would quickly know if any side controlled a major industrial asset, and to control such an asset you need a large force (as set in the DCS options). So you can't control big assets without making a noise about it! :)

You'll just have to move your forces through quietly in dribs and drabs.

Cheers,
4Shades

Posted: Fri 30 Mar 2007 8:54 pm
by III/JG11_Mel
LOL thanks Shades - the one thing we dont do well is sneak our forces around anyway. :lol:

Will have a shot at the new control points stuff when we do the next campaign in pearl Harbour

Cheers

Mel

Posted: Tue 18 Sep 2007 7:54 am
by DD_Friar
can i just ask, when building the starting template then, do i as the builder have to designate the area around, say an airfield that the enemy has to be within or in range of for it to have "caputred" it, a bit like scaling the "home base" on a dog fight map?

Posted: Tue 18 Sep 2007 8:05 am
by DD_Friar
having posted i sat back to think about it and, doh! am i right in thinking that a contro point would be, for example placed in the middle of an airfield and it is from that point the distance is calcualted as to whether vehicles are "in control" ?