[Goober5000]

I thought it'd be a good idea to start a thread like this.  Spruce up this forum; add more activity.  Plus, with all the fs2_open enhancements, not everybody knows about all the new stuff that's been added, so it'll be cool for people to share the clever new ideas they've come up with.  Hopefully it may even encourage some people to learn to FRED -- there are a substantial number of campaigns in need of FREDders right now.

For starters, here's one of the simplest but yet most powerful sexp combinations now available in fred2_open - ending the mission by flying into a capital ship hangar (as opposed to warping out).  All you need is the following sexp structure:

Code: [Select]

Player Returns Home
--when
----<
------distance-ship-subsystem
--------Alpha 1
--------GTD Orion
--------fighterbay
------50
----end-mission

The ship name and distance can obviously be changed to whatever you prefer.

[Galemp]

Make sure you link that to an RTB message, otherwise you may find yourself unexpectedly departing.

[Goober5000]

Well, that's not all that different from prematurely pressing Alt-J, although you have a point.  How often are you going to be flying that close to your own ship's hangar?

[Sesquipedalian]

Isn't there a section for this on the Wiki?

[karajorma]

Just simply create a mission complete event that is triggered by any of the conditions that end the mission (win or lose) and chain it to that. Then add a RTB directive saying to fly into the hanger to the event Goober posted.

Personally I tend to find making a mission complete event very useful in every mission because when it comes to making the debrief you can make the AWOL - You will be court martialed event dependant on it.

I.e

When
-Event-False
--Mission Complete

Begin complaining at the player.

You can also tie in any bonus objectives etc to the mission complete event being true. This means that you don't complain at the player for leaving the field of battle early and then praise him for completing a bonus objective that didn't depend on anything else.

Of course you don't need a mission complete event but it often makes things a lot more easy to FRED

Originally posted by Sesquipedalian
Isn't there a section for this on the Wiki?

Yeah but this is a nice way to have a general discussion about what to put on there  isn't it

[Singh]

Make your starting points diverse by putting Alpha wing to appear near to a waypoint rather than a fixed position. it adds a bit of flavour to the mission and makes it bit more unique every time.

[TopAce]

I have something that only precise FREDers(like myself) may use.
If you want a ship's warp effect to appear right in the middle of the jump node, you can use this:

Place the Jump node to an exact co-ordinate(0,0,0 for example).
Place the ship to the same co-ordinates
Open ModelView, and see the size of the placed ship. Have a look at the length.
In FRED, Move the ship backwards(Z axis) with the half of its size.
So if you have a 322 meters long ship, you may place the ship at:
(0, 0, 166).
The Warp effect will be right in the middle of the jump node.

[magatsu1]

There's a reference guide somewhere that gives the specific distances for each ship.

Forget who's it was though.

[Goober5000]

I've had mixed success with that distance reference guide.  Some distances worked, and some didn't.

[Hippo]

link?

[TopAce]

That is only true with the initial velocity of 33%, or 100%.
The distance a ship jumps in depends on initial velocity and the ship's size.

[TopAce]

Recent experience: If the AI fails to achieve success with the 'disarm' or 'disable subsystem'(They destroy the ship without paying attention not to do so), you can use the add-goal SEXP inside an event, and therefore the Ai won't destroy the ship to be disarmed.
Also check if they have an anti-subsystem weapon, if it is not obvious. But it is not, because I fell into problems like this several times.
Solutions to problems are always around, and most of the times they are in the basics.

[kasperl]

if any of you come up with idea's that are no longer under discussion, please, please, please post them in the wiki. just make a new page for each little trick, and link from this: http://dynamic4.gamespy.com/~freespace/fsdoc/index.php/FRED%20Tips
do say if it is FSO or FS.

also, if anyone has time left, please, make a detailed post of what a single SEXP does, complete with examples, complete syntax, and possible uses, like this: http://dynamic4.gamespy.com/~freespace/fsdoc/index.php/is-destroyed-delay

post link here: http://dynamic4.gamespy.com/~freespace/fsdoc/index.php/Complete%20SEXP%20Reference

also, if it is indeed an FSO sexp, please add a link here:
http://dynamic4.gamespy.com/~freespace/fsdoc/index.php/New%20SEXP%27s

to link to something in a wiki, put the text in brackets and it will become a link to a wiki page.

[Goober5000]

Hmm, kasperl, I wonder if we should give you an avatar.  "Maintainer of the Wiki"... or at least the SCP stuff.

[kasperl]

Originally posted by Goober5000
Hmm, kasperl, I wonder if we should give you an avatar.  "Maintainer of the Wiki"... or at least the SCP stuff.

dunno who gave me the acces and avatar, but i think i have to thank you for it, and i will hereby do. also, i wish to thank Sandwich for providing me with this very nice title.

thank you  both, a lot.

[Unknown Target]

Originally posted by Goober5000
I thought it'd be a good idea to start a thread like this.  Spruce up this forum; add more activity.  Plus, with all the fs2_open enhancements, not everybody knows about all the new stuff that's been added, so it'll be cool for people to share the clever new ideas they've come up with.  Hopefully it may even encourage some people to learn to FRED -- there are a substantial number of campaigns in need of FREDders right now.

For starters, here's one of the simplest but yet most powerful sexp combinations now available in fred2_open - ending the mission by flying into a capital ship hangar (as opposed to warping out).  All you need is the following sexp structure:

Code: [Select]

Player Returns Home
--when
----<
------distance-ship-subsystem
--------Alpha 1
--------GTD Orion
--------fighterbay
------50
----end-mission

The ship name and distance can obviously be changed to whatever you prefer. [/B]

Link another SEXP to state that you first have to target the hangar

[karajorma]

You'll have to change your sig now

[Goober5000]

Originally posted by kasperl
dunno who gave me the acces and avatar, but i think i have to thank you for it, and i will hereby do. also, i wish to thank Sandwich for providing me with this very nice title.

thank you  both, a lot.

You're welcome. Now show yourself worthy by doing some good Wiki'ing and documentation-writing.

[kasperl]

please, look at the SCP internal.

[karajorma]

Originally posted by Unknown Target
Link another SEXP to state that you first have to target the hangar

That's a FREDders choice not a requirement for the SEXP to work.

The FREDder could choose to end the mission as soon as the ship gets close enough (if for instance the whole point of the mission is to reach a capship with several shivan ships following you).