[Stormkeeper]

I'm new to FS modding, so I thought I'd start with missions first. So here's the deal. I'm making this mission where the player has to guard a modified Aeolus cruiser(the Blade) as it moves to a science vessel (Query). I've pretty much got the movement part planned out. I'm trying to make enemy fighters and a single cruiser jump in as the Blade moves to the Query.

The problem i have is that the I'm not sure how to make that happen. I've tried delaying their hyperspace arrival, but I can't seem to get it to work. Another problem is that I intend for the Blade to destroy the cruiser before moving on, but the Blade just sails on by, pot-shotting the cruiser with flak, while the other cruiser does the same thing. They're not firing their beam cannons.

For reference, the enemy cruiser is a Fenris class cruiser,  and I'm trying to bring in 3 waves each of 4 Hercs and Myrmidons, and 2 waves of Medusas from the opposite side that try to hit the Blade with stilettos.

If you need to see the mission file, I can attach it later on.

[karajorma]

Are you using FRED2_Open or the standard Retail version?

FRED2_Open has an option on the mission specs screen that allows you to automatically set the beam cannons active for every ship in the mission. In retail missions you must manually release either all the turrets on the ships with the beam-free-all SEXP or use beam-free to individually free each turret.

For your warp in problem one way I'd suggest is checking that the two ships are a certain distance apart like this

when
- <
--distance
---Blade
---Query
--3000 <------------------------Change this number to be just a little bit smaller than the distance between the two ships. As soon as the blade begins to move in, it would trigger.

[Stormkeeper]

Thanks. I managed to get the little ambush to work, and I turned on the beams. Now I just need to fine tune the mission. Thanks for your help kara.

=edit=

I can't seem to get my messages to work correctly. The messages all rush out all at once. And how do i display that little objectives list that's always on the left side of your HUD?

[karajorma]

I can't seem to get my messages to work correctly. The messages all rush out all at once. And how do i display that little objectives list that's always on the left side of your HUD?

Are you using send-message-list for your messages? I suspect the problem there is that you've not realised that the delays are in milliseconds not seconds. Multiply those numbers by a thousand and it will probably start working for you.

As for directives all you need to do is create an event

when
-is-destroyed=delay
--Libra
--0

and then fill in the Directive Text box for that event. For instance in this case you'd probably add "Destroy Libra"

In many cases with Directives you'll want to chain them to an event that happens just before you want the directive to appear.

[Stormkeeper]

Yea, i'm using message list. Is the time cumulative for list ? That is, if the first has a delay of 25000 ms, then the second has delay of 35000ms, will the second message play directly after the first for 10000ms, or will it play for 35000 ms?

[karajorma]

The delay is the time you want to pass between the proceeding message and this one being added to the message queue. So if I have this.

send-message-list
-Message 1
-high
-Alpha 2
-2000
-Message 2
-high
-Alpha 3
-10000

Then the first message will be added 2 seconds after the event is triggered and the second one will added 10 seconds later (so 12 seconds after the event triggered). Notice I say that they will be added to the message queue rather than that they will be played. You can't guarantee the play time if you have other messages already on the queue. Similarly if you leave too short a delay the game may decide to finish playing the first message before playing the second.

IN the case you mentioned (with no other messages) you'd hear the first message after 25 seconds and the second one 35 seconds after the first one started.

[Stormkeeper]

I still can't get the directives text out. Is it an SEXP? If it is, which one is it, cause i can't figure out which one is for the Directives Text

[karajorma]

Look in the Events Editor. Below the box which the events actually go in are two text boxes. Directive Text and Directive Keypress Text. You select an event and enter some text. The event will then turn red meaning that it is now a Directive too.

Bottom left of this pic.

[Stormkeeper]

Huh. Sometimes its so painfully obvious when some one else shows you. *shrug*

Thanks for the help. Thanks to you, my first mission is almost completed.

=edit=

New question. How do i make fighters spawn from a fighterbay? Do i select 'docking' under the arrival section, or do i have to manually spawn them within the fighterbay? For reference the ship i want to spawn from is a stationary Hecate.

Oh, and if I assign shields to my cap ships, will the shields stick? Cause the shields seem to die extremely fast during capital combat.