Mission crashes during startup

[XyZspineZyX]

Gav,

What is it that I am doing wrong?!

I've created a new map (template). Made insertion zone etc and tested it. Worked fine.

Iv'e started adding some things like enemy actors and vehicles. Now it seems to crash...what is it that makes it do this? Could it be there are too many actors? Too many vehicles? Does it crash when paths are not set correctly?

If you have any idea, pls let me know so I can correct it asap.

Thx,






PME a.k.a. SPIK@

"Are you feeling lucky today,..punk?!"

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[XyZspineZyX]

Gav,

What is it that I am doing wrong?!

I've created a new map (template). Made insertion zone etc and tested it. Worked fine.

Iv'e started adding some things like enemy actors and vehicles. Now it seems to crash...what is it that makes it do this? Could it be there are too many actors? Too many vehicles? Does it crash when paths are not set correctly?

If you have any idea, pls let me know so I can correct it asap.

Thx,






PME a.k.a. SPIK@

"Are you feeling lucky today,..punk?!"

SPIK@'s:
http://www.villagephotos.com/pubbrowse.asp?selected=384029

Alliance:
http://www.villagephotos.com/pubgallery.asp?id_=319119

[XyZspineZyX]

make sure all the file names u r using are actual files and mess like that, also check ur ike logs

Jake

[XyZspineZyX]

Paul,

Unfortunately, there's loads of things that could cause it... Firstly, too many actors or vehicles - there's no such thing! Or not really, anyway. All that does is load up the hardware (RAM, processor etc) in your computer, resulting in "slow-down" - the gameplay will "stutter", but it won't actually cause a crash. The amount of loading you can put in a mission without having problems like that varies, depending on how good the system that's running the mission is. As a guide though, I have missions with over 100 enemy soldiers, plus all the scripting etc, and don't have problems running it. So it won't be that that's causing it for you. Remember though, that adding snow or rain significantly increases the loading (just as a "by the way")...

Setting a path incorrectly... Really, there's no such thing as an "incorrect" path. The soldiers (or vehicles) may not move where you wanted them to, so it can be "incorrect" in that sense, but that shouldn't cause a crash either.

It's most likely to be references to things that the engine can't find (actors, kits or something that you've later deleted, so the reference becomes invalid). The other thing you said... basing the mission on a template.

When you did this, you should have been in Igor, and selected File, New. You then get a dialogue box that asks you to select a template (optional). It's easier if you do this, as it has all the required zones for the map to work correctly (eg map central area, spawn points for MP etc). You said you did this, and it's difficult to do it wrong, so I'm assuming you'll have done it right to this point. What occured to me though, is you said you'd created an insertion zone? Check through all the zones on your map, because I think you get an insertion zone already when you use a template for a mission. What I'm saying is, you might now have two insertion zones on the map... Whilst I don't think that will cause a problem, perhaps the two are conflicting with each other? If you find any other insertion zone, I'd delete it to see if it helps at all.

For your first few missions, I'm afraid it really is a case of baby steps /i/smilies/16x16_smiley-sad.gif - keep things very simple, until you become more familiar with how Igor works. It's frustrating I know, but rest assured, you'll get there if you persevere - I can't tell you the number of times my missions used to crash!! Now I'm better at it, they don't tend to (until I send them to someone else!!), so I do more complicated things, but you have to learn to walk before you can run, you know?

[XyZspineZyX]

I did everything accordingly the instructions, so it should be ok. I did make a spawnpoint, but that didn't cause it to crash in one of my earlier tests. /i/smilies/16x16_smiley-sad.gif

I've read somewhere that the path you set for a vehicle must be near perfect, as they do not always walk/ drive the way you want (like you already stated too). I want to get a few truck from the embassy compound (Embassy termplate /i/smilies/16x16_smiley-wink.gif )
and have them drive trough one of the gates and proceed to the bank....Could a faulty path cause a crash? Or does it just cause the path not to be executed?

I tried another map before and same thing....Made an insertion zone and dropped in some enemies...that works...untill I drop in some vehicles and a path for a team and then it won't work anymore?!?!

Does a map start up without ANY scripting? Even without the Startup commands and all?

Reg,

PME a.k.a. SPIK@

"Are you feeling lucky today,..punk?!"

SPIK@'s:
http://www.villagephotos.com/pubbrowse.asp?selected=384029

Alliance:
http://www.villagephotos.com/pubgallery.asp?id_=319119

[XyZspineZyX]

About using a mission template:

delete all Comapnies, trigger-plans, stations you not going to use, and delete the script.

Now you'll have the map with sounds and zones. But it's tottaly empty: no actors no script, nothing will happen.

You can move the ins/extr zone if you need them, else delete them too.

Now you'll need Set 'Ghosts' to (player controlled platoon) in startup block, if you want to use the ins.zone, and want triggers to work on the 'Ghosts' (player).





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[XyZspineZyX]

Is it the vehicles or the team plans that cause the crash ?

Try to do one step at a time (adding vehicles, creating plans) to see what causes the crash (maybe both !).

How does the plan look like ?

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[XyZspineZyX]

Dunno San,...

I am making some changes and keep testing it. I go over and over, but nothing seems to cause the problem!?



PME a.k.a. SPIK@

"Are you feeling lucky today,..punk?!"

SPIK@'s:
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Alliance:
http://www.villagephotos.com/pubgallery.asp?id_=319119

[XyZspineZyX]

Questions, questions! /i/smilies/16x16_smiley-wink.gif

Okay. Vehicle paths do need to be set carefully. This is because, unlike actors, vehicles will not move around any obstacles in their way. So, if there's a tree next to a road for example, and your path is too close (remember that the vehicle is quite a bit wider than the lines of the path you set, so you won't have the clearance you thought you had), a truck would drive along, and then stop right in front of the tree. It wouldn't steer around the tree and then continue on its way. When this type of problem happens (the only real way to stop it is to carefully set the path, and then check the vehicle follows it in-game), the vehicle stops, and the path isn't completed. Which, incidentally, means that anything else in the plan after the path won't be executed. It will not cause a crash however - I have had this many times, and never had a crash from it.

With reference to yor embassy map, the problems you may have would be the trucks hitting the gates and stopping, or maybe lamp-posts or something like that. Set the path down the centre of the road and you should be fine. Even if not, it won't crash the system because of that.

As San said, try giving the enemies a plan and testing that, and then adding the vehicles. This will tell you whether you're having trouble with the plans or the vehicles. /i/smilies/16x16_smiley-happy.gif

A map will indeed start without any scripting at all. There is no need to have any startup commands. All that does is initialise things that you're going to use in later scripting. Even with no script blocks at all, you'll be able to run around the map, kill enemies that are there etc. What you won't be able to do is end the mission (apart from selecting "End Mission" or "Quit" after pressing Esc. To end the mission, complete objectives etc, scripting is needed. But a "mission" can be run without any objectives or end triggers.

Hope the above helps...