[Release] QFireMissions

As discussed in the mortarspam thread, I'm releasing QFireMissions to the public.

So, {NQP!} presents.....


http://netquickposse.com/download/QFireMissions.zip

Extract the zip to your Gamedata/base folder

Here is a copy of the instructions. It's got a steep learning curve but after 30 mins or so it's a snap. Let me know if there are any huge bugs.



Let the SMAPPING begin!



QFireMissions
{NQP!}Qing
netquickposse.com

kudos:
ProjectileCam is obviously based on the MortarCam idea from TKB_Practice mod


Using it:

Print this page, there is a lot to remember at first
You need to bind a few (a lot actually) keys, in your configuration

Keys for writing new firemissions:
"***" indicates the keys you want to have easy access to

"Q>Create FM Group"; *** = designates a new firing position, where you are standing
"Q>Create Fire Mission"; *** = designates a new target, where you are aimed
"Q>Show Vector Data"; = Displays precise aiming data
"Q>Mark Target"; *** = plants a beacon at your crosshair (not a waypoint)
"Q>Vector Data"; = displays precision aiming data, turns on some tricon tools
"Q>High Visibility"; = blackens sky and cranks visibility
"Q>Toggle ProjectileCam"; = turns on/off projectilecam
"Q>Erase Group";


Keys for using firemissions:

"Q Next Firing Position"; *** = bind to a good key, cycles through your FM groups
"Q Elevation +"; = precision aiming, up (sensitivity depends on zoom)
"Q Elevation -"; = precision aiming, down (sensitivity depends on zoom)
"Q Azimuth Right"; = precision aiming, right (sensitivity depends on zoom)
"Q Azimuth Left"; = precision aiming, left (sensitivity depends on zoom)
"Q Keyboard Fire"; = fires. without jiggling the mouse
"Q Fire Missions OFF"; = shuts the system off
"Q Bright Beacons"; = brightens hud markers to maximum (toggle)
"Q>Mark Target"; = creates a beacon-type target at the spot behind
your crosshair, add as many as you wish
"Q>Clear Markers"; = clears all of the beacon-type target markers
"Q>Toggle Dual Targets"; = cycles through 3 beaconhud modes - HiArc, LoArc, Both
"Q>High Speed Host"; = accelerates your server to speed up test-firing for
new fire missions
"Q>Disable Move"; = prevents you from moving around too much when writing fm's
"Q>Toggle Timer Tone"; = plays a tone every second, to help you time sync'd shots
without taking eyes off the screen


How to use it:

Install TriCon2 Server http://www.tricon2.com/files/Tricon2Server.zip
Install TriCon2 Client http://www.tricon2.com/files/Tricon2GameClient.zip
Installing TriCon is optional, but is very helpful and it's use is automated by QFireMissions.


HOST a server - you cannot set waypoints if you are connected to a server, you have to host one. Do NOT use LAN GAME.

Once you are in the server, hosting a game:
Bind your keys in your Settings-Configuration
Write down all the keys you used, just print this and write on it
Join the team you want to create firemissions for
Select your mortar (firemissions are weapon-sensitive)
Hit "Q>Vector Data" to turn on your vector data hud and trigger TriCon
You now have all weapons, 999 ammo, beacon-boosters, and are invulnerable
Hit "Q>High Visibility" to replace the sky with one that lets you see clearly out
to 1000 meters (base to base on Katabatic)
Hit "Q>Toggle ProjectileCam" to enable the camera that follows your projectiles
(hit 'jump' to exit projectilecam)
Fire a test-round into the target area
After it hits, you will be in free-float camera mode.
Fly around the target area and mark all the locations you want to hit
Look at the spot you want to hit, zoom in so your crosshair is accurately centered
Hit "Q>Mark Target" to create a beacon under your crosshair.
You should see a beacon target marker appear
Mark all the spots you want to hit. Marking the targets cuts down on a lot of
test-firing later
If the target is out of range (you only see one circle, not two circles with a line
between them) move closer, to where you get both circles
Once you are close enough that you can hit the targets you have marked, hit your
"Q>Create FM Group" key. It should ask you to name the firing position.
By default it will include your player name, it's recommended that you
include it to make sharing easier
I recommend you use ALL CAPS for your Group name so it is easier to pick
out when there are 16 waypoints on your screen
If you look down at your feet, you should see a new waypoint with the name you just
entered. Don't move around, it will decrease the accuracy of your targets
Aim at your first target (the upper circle on the a target beacon)
Zoom in on it, centered under your crosshair, and fire
Your camera will follow the mortar as it flies to the target.
Watch closely where it hits. It will leave a 'football' where the mortar
lands
Keep adjusting your fire and refiring until you get the perfect shot
In some cases, TriCon's PracticeMode comes in handy (it's already
on) as it shows how much damage the shot did to an object.
Choose the shot that does the most damage.
DO NOT MOVE OR LOOK AROUND YET
Now that you are aimed perfectly, hit your "Q>Create Fire Mission" key
It will ask you to enter the range to target. It's already filled-in so
just hit enter
It will ask you to name the waypoint, and it will 'suggest' a name.
The suggested name will show what you hit, whether you fired on
a HI or LO arc, and the transit time for the mortar round
You can enter your own name, or just hit enter to accept the
suggested one
An 'X' waypoint will appear under your crosshair. Now, whenever you are standing
on the marker at your feet and you center your crosshair on that 'X' you
WILL hit the target, EVERY time.
You will also see a triangle-marker and a giant bullseye at the point of impact.
This is for mapping out farms - you can easily tell where you have already
targeted so you can get evenly spaced coverage over a large area.
Aim at the next target beacon, repeat.
You can have up to 15 targets in a Fire Mission Group. After that you have the
option to create a new FM Group in the same firing position, giving you
another 15 targets from that location.
After you are happy with that firing position's target saturation, move to the next
firing position
Since you will probably want to hit the same targets, the beacon-markers you made
will still work for the new firing position.
When you find a satisfactory firing position, hit your "Q>Create FM Group" key again
It will ask you if you want to create a NEW GROUP or REPLACE GROUP. Hit
NEW GROUP
Again, you must name it
Fire away!

To clear beacon-markers, use "Q>Clear Markers" key

At some point you will:
A) create a totally useless Fire Mission Group
B) create a Fire Mission that hits a damn tree or hits the wrong base
C) totally screw everything up

To fix these, you have some options:
A) You can delete a Fire Mission Group by cycling to the group in question, then
hitting the "Q>Erase Group" key, I think
A) You can delete a FM Group by cycling to the group in question, then using the "Q>Create FM Group" key, selecting REPLACE GROUP, and then hitting escape
when it asks you to name the new
group
B) Break out notepad and find the file that has the errant waypoint. They will be
in base/prefs/firemissions/mapname/teamname/whatever.cs
C) Exit Tribes 2, find the folder with the garbage in it, delete the files.
You cannot delete the files while T2 is running or you will quickly UE


OK! Now it's time to take over the world:


Join a server with the map you set up, join the right team
Get yourself a mortar
Hit "Q Bright Beacons" to make your waypoint markers stand out brightly (nice on maps like Katabatic)
Hit your "Q Next Firing Position" key to activate the waypoints
Keep hitting "Q Next Firing Position" until you get to the one you want
Move to the firing position
Aim at your feet, turn in a circle. If the X stays centered, you're good. If not, adjust your position until it is reasonably centered. The tougher the shot, the more accurately you must stand on your marker.
Aima t



NOTES:

QFireMissions uses Storm and Inferno as team names, nothing else. So if you are on a server that changes team names, they will still show up as Storm and Inferno

Maximum range is achieved between 68% and 70% elevation (don't ask me, I didnt make the game). Anything under 68% is considered LO ARC and anything over 70 is HI ARC.

To hit a target with 2 mortars simultaneously, you must fire HI, then LO, with your shots timed. Since QFM will add the time-to-target as part of the firemission name, this is pretty easy. Lets say you have two waypoints, "HOF HI: 12.2" and "HOF LO: 5.3". That's 7 seconds apart, so you fire at HOF HI, then wait 7 secs and fire at HOF LO. For turrets, it's better to fire 3 shots - 1 HI then 2 LO... and you can destroy it in 3 instead of the usual 4. Friendly Cappers BEWARE!!!

"Q>Toggle Dual Targets" uses hi-arc targets which T2 doesn't always handle very well. If you are close to the target it willsometimes show the target marker under or behind you...

Weapon Types - QFireMissions uses 3 weapon classes, MORTAR, GRENADELAUNCHER and DIRECTFIRE. You can create firemission groups for any weapon, but only 3 types are needed to do so. Obviously disclauncher targets will work for any direct-fire weapon. To write FM's for weapons other than mortar, just select the weapon, create a new FM Group, and make your FM's. It will not mix up your GL FM's with your Mortar FM's, for example. Base++ players, sorry dunno what to tell you. If that disclauncher is as accurate as I hear, you'll be seeing super-accurate blind discspam from 1000 meters away soon.

ProjectileCam uses special smoke for the mortar to make it easier to see

All explosive projectiles will leave a 'marker' where they hit, until you fire the next shot. The marker will look like the fired projectile. With plasma, it's 2 dimensional though.

ADVANCED:
Try these out...

"Q>High Speed Host" & "Q>Disable Move"
"Q>Toggle Dual Targets"
"Q>Toggle Timer Tone"

You can reposition the ElevHud by adjusting these values, versus default position
$pref::Qing::fmHudXOffset = 0;
$pref::Qing::fmHudYOffset = -100;


Post edited by Qing at 4/26/2002 10:49:48 AM




{NQP!}Qing --|-- NetQuick Posse --|-- TriCon 2 --|-- QScripts

^Props^

---

Go get my T2 soundpack here.

Thanks Qing!

---

Go get my T2 soundpack here.

Once I extract both the server and client to my machine...to host do I need to create a shortcut with:

-nologin -mod Tricon2

or something?

No, the Tricon part is pretty simple. You just extract the two tricon zips to your base folder, no shortcuts are needed



{NQP!}Qing --|-- NetQuick Posse --|-- TriCon 2 --|-- QScripts

My command line is
CTribes2\GameData\Tribes2.exe -online

but your normal command line will work fine



{NQP!}Qing --|-- NetQuick Posse --|-- TriCon 2 --|-- QScripts

as easy as mortar spam is already...is this really nesseccary? just removes the small amount of skill that used to be required.

Just another tool that is used against the 15 LD. Still, just relying on this alone won't achieve anything. Don't fool yourself into thinking that spending hours making spam spots will make you a good HO or a good player.

rofl...I can see it now...all the HO in pubs looking at the ground spinning around trying to center themselves on waypoints.
Post edited by The_Ham at 4/26/2002 11:04:58 AM

Hehe, yes, then dying. I tell you I have died a LOT since I started using this. You're the juiciest target on earth for a shockcloaker.

You sure you dont need any command line? I extracted your script and the other 2 tricon to my base dir and nothing appears under controls.

Like I said in the other thread, it's almost better NOT to use this in a match because it can really mess with your usual strategies and midfielders have gotten pretty good at homing in on smappers.

Works best for me on foggy maps. We scrimmed a team one time on Quagmire and I had an ammo station behind their base in the water. I put more than 200 mortars into their farm, HOF, stations, AA's and no one ever came to say Hi. Other teams, like GoD let me spam all day - they just moved their farm outside of my spam zone so I wasn't hitting much. I switched fire to hit their HOF spammer and voila, 2 LD's on me within 10 seconds.

It's handy in certain circumstances, like when you were going to spam anyway, and you're near a firing position, might as well make it count.



{NQP!}Qing --|-- NetQuick Posse --|-- TriCon 2 --|-- QScripts

LW, don't tell them that.

HEY EVERYONE, THIS IS THE BE ALL END ALL TO T2. IF YOU WANT TO WIN HAVE EVERYONE SPAM!!!

Everyone needs to do this!!!

Especialy AFT next Wednesday in our 12man match

LW, that's one I haven't seen in a while. Try restarting T2, if that doesn't work let me know. I made some changes to it today for the pub release and they haven't had much testing



{NQP!}Qing --|-- NetQuick Posse --|-- TriCon 2 --|-- QScripts

Almost forgot, the zip includes sample firemissions for WoodyMyrk (and _x), storm team.

Yep I had to restart T2 after installing all 3 and delete dso. Already made5 sets of 10 wp spamspots :>

What's funny is in a month look back on the fire missions you created today, you'll delete every one of them cuz they suck



{NQP!}Qing --|-- NetQuick Posse --|-- TriCon 2 --|-- QScripts

Who cares about HO spam, If this could be done for the tank (I don't see why not) we might have a serious problem. Tank = unlimited ammo, harder to kill.
Post edited by envy at 4/26/2002 11:44:22 AM

Nice, Q, very nice, I know from your forum that some of your teammates didn't want this public... but again the gren cam is just exactly what I wanted for X-mas, and I appreciate all the work you put into your scripts and especially Tricon.

Looking forward to our next scrim with you guys... and no I won't be spamming, merely hunting you down so I can hump your leg and thank you proper

Nah Qing, I've been using automatic air waypoints for months now, and have actually gained access to DEDENS airwaypoints as well. I know not to rely on it, I'm just messing around with your scripts.