Desert Combat Realism: The plan for a new release

[tanelorn]

I just made some minor updates to the DCR website. The most important was a feature list of all the special features in DCR. If you would like to see them, you can visit:

http://www.tanelorn.us/dcr/pages/index.htm

[tanelorn]

The betatest version of DCR co-op is now available for download. All the info is over at BF Singleplayer forums:

http://www.battlefieldsingleplayer.com/ ... opic=15746

[fo0k]

Feel free to post details here too and we can host files / include a forum in the mod downloads for you if needs be.

[tanelorn]

Finally, Desert Combat Realism, Co-Op revision, is ready for beta testing. I will greatly, GREATLY appreciate your feedback on this final revision of the once popular DCR mod.

I know it's been a LONG time since good 'ol BF1942 mods were being played en-masse. According to BattlefieldFiles.com, DCR final was uploaded waaay back in 2005. So, BF1942 and DCR definitely fall into the category, "old school". But I've been getting emails, forum PMs, youtube PMs, and the like ever since; requesting that I make DCR Co-Op compatible so it can still be enjoyed by small groups of players.

It took me a long time to find the time (and motivation) to dig back into all that code, but finally (and with the priceless help of 4CentsShy) I've got DCR set up with co-op compatibility. Not only that, it's much improved over DC's co-op quality! 4CS has heavily revised the AI's behavior and pathmapping on DC maps, along with many stock maps. So... here it is!

First off, I highly, HIGHLY encourage you to visit the DCR website: http://www.tanelorn.us/dcr/pages/index.htm

There, you will find a list and links to the files you need to run DCR. Along with that, you will find a very informative special features list and supported maps list. There's other information as well, plus eye candy.

The beta version of DCR 1.1 is available directly off of my website at: http://www.tanelorn.us/dcr/dc_realism.zip
NOTE: The beta is a full install. COMPLETELY remove your original DCR if you have it installed, before adding the betatest version. You don't need to download DCR 1.0 Final to run this betatest.

IMPORTANT: Please, keep this URL to yourself and only others interested in beta testing and providing feedback. This is my website, and my bandwidth. The full release will use Battlefield Files, but not the beta. So...

DO: Download and play the beta, and share this with anyone who you think would like to participate.

DO NOT: Post this on any news site or large public board. At 200+MB, I can't handle a thousand curious people downloading the beta off my webspace.

DCR is ready to be played on your own, as a small private game, or on a dedicated server. There will be a dedicated server version of the final release, but the beta is full fat only.

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Now, on to the new stuff:
There's been a fair amount of improvements, cosmetic and functional, but nothing drastically different. The biggest change, of course, is the co-op. But there's also some nice new features / fixes...

- Added dynamic dust effects for tank guns and handheld machineguns
- Gaskin AA vehicle is fully developed
- The SCUD has a special emulator mode that lets you simulate the impact point of your missile first so you don't waste it
- The M163 now has a reticle. The nosecam key will activate it.
- Every map in the MP screen now has notes, telling you wether it is co-op compatible. There were issues with some non-co-op maps appearing in the co-op map list.
- The NCO class has been revised. He has a flag attached to make it easier to find him and rally on him. This can only be seen from the back. He has a M203 with red signal smoke rounds, and shouts, "Marking Target!" when he fires it.
- US troops say, "Reloading!" when they reload machineguns.
- Milspec binocular reticles are added for artillery call binoculars
- The DPICM artillery strike effect has been improved
- Lots of smaller items not worth listing here, (nor can I remember them). Overall, the mod is nicer to play.

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Special considerations for co-op play
As the point of this beta is to get your feedback on the new co-op gameplay, you definitely need to be informed on what to expect. This is not a perfect scenario. To be completely honest, the AI simply doesn't handle DC or DCR as well as it handles stock BF1942. DCR is full of special features that the AI simply can't interpret effectively. We've worked long and hard to get it to this point, but the mod is made for heavy teamplay and has lots of features that the AI code simply can't understand.

Here is a list of the main behaviors and problems of DCR co-op:

- In co-op maps only, the intermediate outposts allow for troop spawning. This is a compromise, as the bots tend to go on foot more as the round progresses.

- The physics of planes have been adjusted for slower flight and tighter turns in co-op maps. This is because bots can't handle helicopters, and the DCR physics for planes require larger maps than in DC. The SU-25 is in the process of being further tweaked for these maps, and is still a bit too fast for the co-op maps.

- Bots tend to engage a target quickly, firing one shot / burst, and then pause for a long time before firing again. If they switch targets, they will engage the new target quickly. This leads to rediculous standoffs. We are trying to figure this one out.

- Bots prefer faster vehicles above all else, regardless of how we rate vehicle priorities. As such, you will often see the bots choosing scoutcars over heavy tanks.

- Bots have a tendency to use vehicles in the beginning of the round, but then switch to infantry focus for the rest of the game. This is partially due to DCR giving troops very effective AT weapons. The bots choose the form that they think is most dangerous to the enemy.

- Speaking of bot troops, the game gives bots unlimited ammo and no gun overheat. It's hard-coded. So, this creates balance issues with single-shot AT weapons like the AT-4. I will try to reduce the frequency that this kit occurs in the game before final release, but in the beta, you will encounter alot of troops with unlimited AT rockets on some maps.

- Bots can't handle helicopters. Locking bots out of helos doesn't work, as the bots ignore YOU when you fly the helo. So, we gave helos very low but not zero priority. You will occasionally see bots fly away in a helo. The gunner position of gunships is not locked, so if you give bots a chance to get in, you should be able to fly with a bot gunner. At this time, we are having problems getting them to use the AT missiles. But they will use the cannons.

- Bots are completely locked out of artillery vehicles. They can't handle the special weapon controls. But this has the problem of making artillery vehicles invisible to the enemy bots. If you feel that this is a balance issue, let me know.

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I have a feedback thread going over in the BF Single Player forums. I expect that to be the primary feedback thread. If you don't want to go over there and post feedback, go ahead and share your comments here. Thanks and have fun!!!

Feedback thread: http://www.battlefieldsingleplayer.com/ ... opic=15746

[Swaffy]

Thank you for all of your hard work. I will be glad to test out your mod, and provide feedback if I find anything that could use tweaking.

[tanelorn]

Crickets chirping...

[Swaffy]

The file seems to be broken.

[Edit] It's fine now. I have the mod without trouble. I'm going to play it and see what I can come up with.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Here's a couple of things I found while playing El Alamein:

- The T-55 Iraqi tank: The yellow line with arrows [the "shoot here" waypoint thing] is on the top machinegun spot instead of the turret cannon. You may want to fix that.

- The M60E4 American LMG: If you know how to edit weapon animations, you should seriously consider adding the box magazine to the reload. The M60 already has a beautiful texture work done to it, now it just needs some beautiful reload animations. It would be similar to the M249 reload animations how the box magazine and bullet belt are a part of the reload animations.
[A weapon with such work would be the 'golden gun' of the mod. It would be a blast to both look at and reload.]

- You could add some inaccuracy to the chainguns on some of the air vehicles such as the Little Bird. Those guns are not perfectly accurate in the real world.

- If you would like to add 3D iron sights to the M9, I can give you the scripting [Objects.rfa] from my mod for you to add. I have them very accurately lined up.

- On the AR-15 with the underbarrel Masterkey, you can use this line [which is in Blue] to "lift" the weapon up so the the soldier's hand is properly holding the weapon instead of being inside of it:
ObjectTemplate.createSkeleton animations/M9_beretta.ske
ObjectTemplate.useSkeletonPartAsMain M9_beretta
ObjectTemplate.addTemplate M9_berettaLod
ObjectTemplate.setPosition 0.0/0.3/0.0
[The M9_Beretta name is only used as an example. The "setPosition" line would go under the "ObjectTemplate.addTemplate gun_nameLod" line.]

[tanelorn]

Great, thanks for that. I was also dissapointed with the M60 animations. We tried to do the reload, but the pivots and object positions don't work for it, as it borrowed the M249 anims at the time. I didn't have anyone on the team who could work with animations.

I'll work with the masterkey with that code snippet and try to make it look proper.

I didn't think that the pistols were worth the trouble of doing ironsights for. It's kind of against their function, being a last ditch weapon and all...

The targeting rings dissapear based on LOD values. I guess for people with higher end machines, the LODs are drawn differently, so the target ring will dissapear at different ranges for different machines. I don't experience the ring in the machinegunner position. It's all based on the camera distance from the center of the turret. I'll mess around with LOD values and camera positions. Unfortunately, I can't personally detect the ring in the machinegun position. So I won't be completely sure that I fix it...

[Swaffy]

Understood.

I admire the Artillery strike [LASER Desginator] work done. I enjoy the radio calls, then a big boom later.

[tekk]

Understood.

I admire the Artillery strike [LASER Desginator] work done. I enjoy the radio calls, then a big boom later.

I downloaded it and actually really didnt enjoy much of it as it just wasnt my style but I must have overlooked the laser desginator, interesting