The problem with the ME

[BM357_TinMan]

The problem with the ME is not the complexity of the thing.  While this does present a bit of an impediment and a steep learning curve, in the long run, the complexity actually is a giant plus as it allows for much more diverse and interesting scenarios.

 

No, the actual problem is the total lack of comprehensive and clear step by step instructions for each aspect of the M.E. that would teach the end user, with the desire, ability and time, how to use this thing.  To be sure, the community has done excellent work figuring out important aspects of how to use this thing and offering resources to teach their fellow users what they have learned.  I, for one, am most grateful to Prangster and his efforts.

However, the community can only do so much trying to "reverse engineer" what the editor can do and how to make it do this.  Especially since there are things in the editor that have not been completed or have not had all the bugs worked out yet.

The other HUGE problem with the editor is that there is no "test" option in the stupid thing.  You have to save the mission, load the mission, play the mission to see if something you've done is actually going to behave the way you thought.  This is crazy time consuming and a huge impediment to learning the editor.

So, in short, 2 things would go a long way to making the editor, and by extension, the game itself, successful:

1.  Comprehensive and clear documentation
2.  Some sort of a "test" feature that would allow you to have the mission play out in the editor somehow so you can make sure your truck is going to turn and the right time or a flight of interceptors is going to activate, takeoff, etc at the appropriate time.

[Gambit21]

The editor needs a lot of  things...I have an extensive list.

However attention to the editor is not on the agenda...no time or money for this.

Right now I just want it stable.

[TP_Jacko]

TynMahn

 

1. Have you found JimTMs Very well written mission editor manual. What more are you needing.

2. For running the mission to test is not so slow. First start the game. Then open the editor design and save your mission as a single player. Leave tge editor open then switch to the game and run the mission to test it. You can test a mission for multiplayer this way but in SP mode. To save time you can place your player aircraft near a trigger and test an individual aspect not fly the whole mission.

 

Any help?

[BM357_TinMan]

TynMahn

 

1. Have you found JimTMs Very well written mission editor manual. What more are you needing.

2. For running the mission to test is not so slow. First start the game. Then open the editor design and save your mission as a single player. Leave tge editor open then switch to the game and run the mission to test it. You can test a mission for multiplayer this way but in SP mode. To save time you can place your player aircraft near a trigger and test an individual aspect not fly the whole mission.

 

Any help?

1. yes, I noticed it after I wrote the post.  I will be checking it out in the coming days

2. This is very good and will go a long way to making mission building less tedious.  You didn't used to be able to have both open at the same time.

[WWSitttingDuck]

If you open up the game, then editor, landscape will be locked at times for editor, and you will not see terrain.  Fix for this is to copy entire game to another drive.  Run game first, then ME from the copied directory.  You still get the warning the game is already started, but you will always get terrain.  But, if you have subtitles in your mission, you have to open and save it one more time without the game running to get them to show up.in a MP sever.

[TP_Jacko]

If you open up the game, then editor, landscape will be locked at times for editor, and you will not see terrain.  Fix for this is to copy entire game to another drive.  Run game first, then ME from the copied directory.  You still get the warning the game is already started, but you will always get terrain.  But, if you have subtitles in your mission, you have to open and save it one more time without the game running to get them to show up.in a MP sever.

 

 I don't have this problem.

[Urra]

If you open up the game, then editor, landscape will be locked at times for editor, and you will not see terrain. Fix for this is to copy entire game to another drive. Run game first, then ME from the copied directory. You still get the warning the game is already started, but you will always get terrain. But, if you have subtitles in your mission, you have to open and save it one more time without the game running to get them to show up.in a MP sever.

Are using the terrain.cfg file? Disable it if so. Edited September 7, 2017 by TunaEatsLion

[[DBS]Tx_Tip]

Don't run game and editor at same time...

[SYN_Haashashin]

Agree with Tip....

 

Haash

[BM357_TinMan]

Don't run game and editor at same time...

 

Agree with Tip....

 

Haash

 

?

[Gambit21]

I never run both

[WWSitttingDuck]

lol...ok...well if you want to run editor, kill editor, start the game, test your mission, kill the game start editor, wait for mission to load, edit, kill editor, start the game, wait for the mission to load, test, kill the game etc etc etc....thats your choice....

[BM357_TinMan]

lol...ok...well if you want to run editor, kill editor, start the game, test your mission, kill the game start editor, wait for mission to load, edit, kill editor, start the game, wait for the mission to load, test, kill the game etc etc etc....thats your choice....

^^^  This is exactly the tedium I was referring to in my original post, item 2.  Being shown that I can, in fact, have them both open at the same time will be extremely helpful and can't imagine why anyone who knew it was possible would not.

[WWSitttingDuck]

Going to assume you have more than one drive on your computer.  Lets say the game is on drive c.  Copy your game onto your d drive.  Have to remember every time there is an update, you have to re-copy.

 

Before you start the game (and you have to start the game first)...Have to keep in mind the game (most of the time) will only display missions to run that were there when you started it.  Never a bad idea to open notepad, type in a few letters and save to your data/missions (for single player) or date/multiplayer/dogfight(for MP)  folder as test1.mission, test2.mission etc.

 

Start the game from your c drive, like you normally do.  Navigate to the game on your d drive and in bin/editor, start ME.  You will get a message the game is already running, just hit ok.

 

Open up the mission you are working on.  It does not matter where the mission is, can be on the c drive or the d drive, but I usually keep all my mission on the c drive installation.  Do your edits. Lets say you are working on a misson called Moscow Attack, and if you are like me, if you do edits, and don't want to save under the old file name, you call the second mission Moscow Attack ver a.  Because Moscow Attack ver a did not exist when you started the game some times (not always...never figured this one out), the new mission will not appear in the mission list, so this is where you save it as test1.mission, or any of the other files you already created. And, when saving missions, I ALWAYS rename the mission in ME in the missions property dialogue, and then copy what I put there, and then when I am in "save as", paste it in.  What is in the missions property dialogue is what shows up in the games mission list, not what you save it as.

 

Now don't close editor, just switch windows to the game, and run the mission.  If you see you need edits, kill the mission (but not the game), and switch windows to the editor, and make your edits.

 

When you are satisfied with your mission, you HAVE to open it up one more time without the game running and just save it.  If you look at your mission files when you are doing this with both open, you will notice the list file for the mission is 0kb.  This means no Briefing and no subtitles when you run the misison.  Re-saving without the game running it will allow it to create a list file

 

Note: Kuban map seems to be a bear.  It is hard enough just running ME by itself without have ME crash every 30 secs.  So no promises this will work with Kuban missions.

 

If i left anything out, sorry....let me know how it works out for you

Edited September 7, 2017 by sittingduck99

[Gambit21]

Yeah I should probably do this.

Thought about copying the game to my other drive before...not sure why I haven't.

[CanadaOne]

Clear documentation helps, video guides by patient enthusiasts help, but the reality is that the Mission Editor is actually a Missing Editor.

 

The truth is that there isn't an ME. There is a developers tool masquerading as a ME. It's not the same thing.

 

I remain mystified why the best combat flightsim on the market lacks a basic feature that combat flightsims have had for 20 years.

[Habu]

lol...ok...well if you want to run editor, kill editor, start the game, test your mission, kill the game start editor, wait for mission to load, edit, kill editor, start the game, wait for the mission to load, test, kill the game etc etc etc....thats your choice....

Yes our choice, but a wise advise, and i agree too with gambit and Haashashin, because dev do not support what you do. The edidor is not very stable, but using trick doesn't help. The time you earn can be divide by a problem you generate. For information, some crash from the editor corrupt my game since the 2.012, but it's your choice to use it, but if you have some problem, do not ask help.

[KG200_Volker]

Aaaaand ALWAYS delete the *.mission file before you load it in Dserver or editor or game, it cuts down 4-5 times the loading time.

[TP_Jacko]

Ok I do have my game on a separate drive I am not at home for now and cant remember where the editor runs from. I am not a super user like some of the gentelmen here but I have not had many crashes. Maybe its a bit more stable than the early days

[Urra]

Aaaaand ALWAYS delete the *.mission file before you load it in Dserver or editor or game, it cuts down 4-5 times the loading time.

Or just rename it by putting an x in front.

[KG200_Volker]

It's not needed as a file at all