Traffic Control in MP: Taxi and TO/Landing

[Gump]

is there any way for anything like this to be implemented in the MP game?

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we have control towers, and can hear radio instructions in SP missions, but not in MP.

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it would be ideal to be able to activate a request to taxi/to/land and get a visual and/or audible cue from ATC in MP servers, where it seems to be needed most. there is a lot of chaotic activity on the full real MP WoL at the AF's. the situation, at present, is a crowded AF with every pilot deciding for himself which direction to taxi (many times a guess), when to TO, when/how to land. it works ok, but there are many mishaps, as would be expected. could be much better.

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i've never seen any kind of flag/flare man. im not aware of any possibility to 'request' anything from tower/control.

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any of you mission builders have any ideas?

[Menacing_Ferrets]

Works in MP server, maybe just assign callsigns to Airfield object and Planes? Also object you assign as beacons will talk to your pilots.  Again assign your beacon object a callsign. AI planes will also use the radio in MP

 

I use search lights as beacons in this way

 

 

Airfield call signs are a list of trees,

 

Beacons are storms,

 

Planes callsigns are birds.

 

 

Hope this helps

Edited November 18, 2015 by Menacing_Ferrets

[JimTM]

I've seen these simple methods used to direct traffic to the runway:

 

- Position a windsock near the parking area (good for windy maps, but this method requires pilots who care about taking off into the wind).

 

- Place a bonfire near the start of the correct route to the active runway or on the active end of the runway.

 

- Place ground vehicles to block the wrong path to the runway.

Edited November 20, 2015 by JimTM

[coconut]

 

I've seen these simple methods used to direct traffic to the runway:

 

- Position a windsock near the parking area (good for windy maps, but this method requires pilots who care about taking off into the wind).

 

- Place a bonfire near the start of the correct route to the active runway or on the active end of the runway.

 

- Place ground vehicles to block the wrong path to the runway.

 

 

Good tips. Another thing that works great is to put two airfield towers at the start of the runway (an idea which I saw first on the FIGHTING LEGENDS server).

[Gump]

thx guys...good ideas for indicating runway direction and possibly taxiway direction,... must be 'understood / known' by players but, at least its something...

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however

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.... in MP, a player spawns, starts engines, and is ready for taxi or waits to taxi (for various reasons)...the majority of the time there are multiple planes spawning, starting and waiting for taxi... some players taxi immediately, some players wait for other players to spawn, some players take a coffee/bathroom break. so knowing when it is safe to taxi is just a guessing game.

...  i have not been able to find a way to initiate a request/conversation with ATC for a 'ready and request taxi' or any specific function other than just having my plane in a certain spot....

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i can arm and instruct my gunners with a keyin cmd - it would seem request for taxi/to/land could be made to work also? ATC could control/parse all inputs/requests and distribute commands, while also monitoring locations? hmmm i am thinking the game code isnt there for this.

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btw, flying campaign last night .. one mission/AF my 3 other wingmen never took off. got "ok to taxi" from tower (but we spawned on runway) but no other comms, no matter what i tried.

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[Sokol1]

Even a human ATC with a global vision of airfield will have trouble to control the spawn/taxi "Babel"...

 

 

 

I've seen these simple methods used to direct traffic to the runway:

Add some small objects in grass area in from spawn point and end of taxiways as "gift" for these than spawn and run in any direction... 

[[CPT]Pike*HarryM]

Maybe they could add some signs as placeable objects to indicate the right way to go, seems like a pretty simple object to implement...

 

[JimTM]

Har har. We need a street sign MCU.

 

I think Gump reeeally wants to get on the radio.   That would be cool though. Perhaps adding a post to the Suggestions thread may plant the seed.

 

OK, one more suggestion while we wait for ATC to respond: Place an animation operator near each airfield object with an animated arrow pointing the way to the runway. The operator would be triggered by an OnPlaneSpawned event. This would require an animation guru to create the arrow (or maybe even man with flag pointing the way).

Edited November 21, 2015 by JimTM

[coconut]

I don't think we can get new models into the game without a mods-on mode. There are a few 3d icons in the game that we could use (including an arrow), but they are meant to be visible from kilometers away, and are way too big for use during taxiing.

 

I have suggested to the devs to give a radius to subtitles. That way you could build traffic detection logic using check zones, and give instructions to the right people using these subtitles. Actually, I have developed such traffic detection logic in my Rush mission. When there is an aircraft on final, the flare truck at the start of the runway fires a red flare. I doubt that players understood what was going on, though. I did not spend too much time on it since the mission had other more pressing issues, but I'm sure it could be done.

 

Here are a few random ideas I haven't tried:

• "Follow me" truck that spawns when a plane spawns and starts moving. Must be careful not to collide with planes, which should be doable by having the truck drive off the taxi way.
• "Monkey see, monkey do". A variation of the above using an AI plane instead. If people see a plane taxi and take-off, chances are they will get the pattern. The downsides is that it consumes lots of CPU, but it might be affordable when using a single fighter.
• "Door truck". A truck parked near the taxiway at the entrance of the runway (is it called "the threshold"?) moves onto the taxi way when a plane is on final. Downside is the risk of collisions with planes, but the troll in me wants to try it anyway.
• "Traffic police agent". Same as above, but using an infantry model (which is collision-less). Make it appear on the taxiway, blocking access to the runway, when a plane is on final. I haven't been able to make animation operators work with soldier models since 1.103, unfortunately. But maybe I'm doing something wrong.

[Gump]

Har har. We need a street sign MCU.

 

I think Gump reeeally wants to get on the radio.   That would be cool though. Perhaps adding a post to the Suggestions thread may plant the seed.

 

OK, one more suggestion while we wait for ATC to respond: Place an animation operator near each airfield object with an animated arrow pointing the way to the runway. The operator would be triggered by an OnPlaneSpawned event. This would require an animation guru to create the arrow (or maybe even man with flag pointing the way).

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heh heh...what im looking for is 2way, active communication with ATC. the suggestions so far are very good creative PASSIVE solutions, which is apparently the only way to accomplish ATC in the current game code. and some, as coconut illustrates, may even accomplish a sort of multiplayer control.

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the problem i'm trying to solve is control/organization of multiple real players at AF's, with potential differences in taxi/takeoff/land  timing and skills....

... it is not unusual for a player to spawn and start engines but wait for his teammates to show up and spawn/ready. so an automatic trigger upon spawn/ready is limited in effectiveness. such a player needs to get the "ok to taxi" and direction when he requests it (or "wait, taxi/runway busy").

... sometimes there are so many planes on the apron that they are lined up and two rows begin. beginning to taxi like this is a hazardous guessing game, and causes collisions, jams and anxiety. I think this is one catalyst that causes some pilots to just point the plane, firewall the throttle, and hope for the best.

.... of course, landing is a haphazard event when the AF is crowded, too. especially when the plane is crippled and cant circle until 'all is quiet'.

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the key thing that is missing from the solutions is an INDIVIDUAL PILOT'S REQUEST for an AF activity. of course appropriate ATC response is vital. having your plane location trigger ATC isn't really the (complete) answer, especially when there are multiple players and ATC must make decisions, and pilots must understand ATC.

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but, given what we got, I guess the taxi direction is a real frustration that could be solved with current code capabilities. a capable ATC is going to need to monitor various inputs and situations (as sokol1 humorously states), so it would require a code module.

[Menacing_Ferrets]

I have suggested to the devs to give a radius to subtitles. That way you could build traffic detection logic using check zones, and give instructions to the right people using these subtitles.

 

 

scary as i was thinking this exact thing before i read your post coconut.  Would be awesome to direct subtitles to an area, and NOT the entire coalition.  Also was thinking a check zone maze to keep a player on the correct taxi way would be helpful.  A communication menu with ATC feedback would be the best answer methinks too.  

 

would be very cool, but as stated above, probably not a huge priority at this point.  Tonight I followed my squad the long way around the Airfield and was just fine with it as it was a good chance to get the salutations and jokes out of the way before our flight. Having good coms with human players solves this issue very nicely, but the more people on a server the less likely you are to have any control over this.  Chaos ensues due to the bovine nature of large groups of humans  Good topic though.  

 

It is cool that so many of the HUGE problems are already ironed out that we can discuss things like this.  Of course ATC coms weren't really what we think of today back in the early forties. There were protocols and training. Squads knew what to do, or heard about it to no end because if someone messes up it endangered  others' lives!  Give people one life in an online event, (i.e. close the airfield with a server input once everyone has spawned and only open it again once all live players have landed) and the results would be different.

Edited November 22, 2015 by Menacing_Ferrets