Easy Scripting for Practice?

[Nola]

     So I'm just starting out. I have a server up and now I have no clue what to do! There's a lot of things I would like to add, such as missions, earplugs, etc.. I really need to start getting the jist of things though, so I'm hoping someone can point me in the direction of somewhat basic things to do that will help me learn about all of this. Sorry if I'm being vague here, but it comes with the noob territory.  :)

[stonXer]

Hey :)  Everything you require can be found in the top right Search function, this place is overflowing with info :)

[nedfox]

Get PBOManager, so you can pack/unpack complete PBO's so you can edit them

Get Arma Elitness , and decode the files that you unpacked.

 

Unpack your mpmission/EPOCH.MAPNAME..PBO , decode when scrambled.

 

Get used to how the init.sqf , description.ext and mission.sqm in there work, and try to figure out what all the lines in there do.

 

From there, when someone posts an earplug script, and points to editing init.sqf and dropping files into your PBO you have *some* clue how to do it.. If you persist, you'll get it.

 

Also, don't bother about the signature being lost when editing that file, there is NO harm doing it.

[Nola]

Get PBOManager, so you can pack/unpack complete PBO's so you can edit them

Get Arma Elitness , and decode the files that you unpacked.

 

Unpack your mpmission/EPOCH.MAPNAME..PBO , decode when scrambled.

 

Get used to how the init.sqf , description.ext and mission.sqm in there work, and try to figure out what all the lines in there do.

 

From there, when someone posts an earplug script, and points to editing init.sqf and dropping files into your PBO you have *some* clue how to do it.. If you persist, you'll get it.

 

Also, don't bother about the signature being lost when editing that file, there is NO harm doing it.

 

 

  

Thanks! I have some direction now.  :D

[Nola]

 

Unpack your mpmission/EPOCH.MAPNAME..PBO , decode when scrambled.

 

 

     So, I just started to play around with this in Eliteness and unpacked the epoch.Altis.pbo. Once I've done that how would I go about repacking it? Or do I need to if no changes were made? Eliteness has made a new folder named "epoch.Altis" in mpmissions and I'm not sure if it's safe to delete it.. Ahh, I hope I didn't mess anything up!  :wacko:

[Darth_Rogue]

Ahh, I hope I didn't mess anything up! :wacko:

You will. But that's when you will learn the most. Any good scientist will tell you that they learn tons more from failed experiments than they do from successful ones. Determination and an open mind is all that's needed to learn this stuff.

[nedfox]

Basically, when you open a PBO with pbomanager, you can copy&paste a file you edited in there. Rightclick file, copy , click the PBO tree in the manager (top line), paste, done :)

[Floyd]

As an Arma noob myself, I want to thank the community here for the patience and help they give. While I've gotten a handle on unpacking/packing .pbo's, file locations, etc., I still fumble around with .sqm files (but eventually I get them). Limited scripting and learning the basices of the language is something I suppose I'll absorb over time. Though, I will readily admit the my business and career choice often leave me with no time to do much other than sleep and work 9 months out of the year. As such, I'll probably never be able to contribute any code back. So I thank everyone who does and is willing to share. (And willing to hand hold when I can't even copy and paste correctly).

One thing I haven't quite figured out is how the @epochhive/addons work in relation to the regular mission.pbo. I gather that the code there works server side and is not required by the client, but what determines that?

tldr; Thanks! for helping us noobs out. We try, but we often struggle over the most mundane of things.

[Darth_Rogue]

The stuff in the @EpochHive folder loads as part of the mod.  It is totally server side and is not needed by any connected clients.  Addons like SEM or VEMF use public variables to push certain data to clients from the server, such as AI spawns, crate and vehicle spawns and whatnot.  Things that are loaded in the mission file are things that each client must have in order to run that aren't unique to the server.  Things like the loot spawning script augment what happens on the server's own loot spawning.  Each client AND the server needs those files in order to work properly, hence the reason for including it in the mission as opposed to be only on the server. Another factor that plays into it too is that sometimes there's certain things you just don't want clients to have access to, such as certain settings or maybe even entire scripts.  Those things can be ran server side (as long as they are written correctly) and it keeps the data secure and proprietary while still allowing proper functions to run.   Long story short, whether a script or addon goes client side or server side is determined by the type and scope of the script.   I'm sure there's folks here who can explain it in more detail, but that's the general idea.

[Face]

1. Download Notepad++ if you haven't already
2. Download and install the SQF syntax highlighter + autocomplete plugin for Notepad++
3. Make this website your scripting bible: https://community.bistudio.com/wiki/Category:Scripting_Commands. Bookmark it, add it to your search engine list, and use it to learn what each scripting command does and how to use it. Never leave home without this.

[nedfox]

tldr; Thanks! for helping us noobs out. We try, but we often struggle over the most mundane of things.

Arma (or even OFP) scripting is far from mundane.. It's a whole programming language on it's own and need to be learned, just like c++.. Learning how local or global variables work, learning the bloody typos those Czech programmers made (dammage LOL) when they created OFP is a whole burden on it's own.. But the rewards are a fully programmable sandbox, resulting in goodies like Dayz , Wasteland and Altis Live.. And who remembers CTI in OFP ?? MAN those where the days..

 

Keep on it, learn as any programmer from your mistakes and create whatever you like, based on a physical "correct" military sim.. Can't get much better then that !

[Nola]

     Thank you guys! You have no clue how much the insight helps! (I'm sure you do though.)  :)