Battle Planner

General discussion of the Project Reality: BF2 modification.
AfterDune
Retired PR Developer
Posts: 17094
Joined: 2007-02-08 07:19

Battle Planner

Post by AfterDune »

Battle Planner


The Story
After I had my first experience in an iGi's Teamwork Night, I thought afterwards that it might have been good if we were somehow able to visualize our tactics/strategies and that every member of your team would be able to view the plan you've created. It was then that I came up with thinking about an online tool which would "have it all" and you could take on the role of commander/squad leader and literrally design your own battle plan.


Give me the features!
After countless hours of thinking, programming, designing and re-designing, the Battle Planner was born. I'll now try to list all of its current features (this may sound like a "walk through the tool", but it's the best way to get an idea of what it's like without trying ;) );
- Contains all the official 0.6 maps, except for two former vanilla maps, can't remember their names atm :p . The maps are 64 player maps only. I might add more maps in the future
- Select a map to create a battle plan for
- Create squads (there's one "global" squad which you can use for "global orders" or "points of interest". There are eight other squad-positions you can use, though you're able to add as many squads as you will)
- Once you've created a squad, you can assign tasks* to a squad
- You can add orders to a task
- Tasks and orders both have "position"-values, so you can determine the order of the tasks and orders. If you want to add a task before the first task, you now can.
- The following orders can be given to squads;
_- Move
_- Attack
_- Defend
_- Demolish
_- Mine
_- Artillery
_- Suppressive fire
_- Supply drop
_- Rally point
_- Possible enemy sniper
_- Possible enemies
_- Good sniper position (friendly mark)
_- Use smoke
_- Bunker
_- Firebase
_- AAA
_- Razor wire
_- Sandbags
- Setting an order is easy. For example, if you give a move-order, click anywhere on the map to define the start-point. Click again (anywhere) and that click defines the end-point. As soon as you clicked the map again, the order will be drawn onto the map. Some orders require only one click, like a bunker. Just click anywhere on the map and the order you selected will be drawn on the map.
- It's possible to share the plan with whoever you want. Just add an "access code" to the plan and give it to the ones you feel need to have it. You can easily open a shared plan by entering the access code. You're only able to view the plan, you can't edit it, unless you're the owner
- The "map view" has a zoom-feature. When you click the magnifying glass, the map "zooms out", so you have a better overview of the battlefield.
- With all those orders on the map, it may be hard to distinguish one from another. That's the main reason why I've added the "hide/show orders" button. Just click the "eye"-icon next to the squad-name and all the squad-orders will be hidden (or displayed).

* A task is mainly a "set of orders". For example, you can name a task "capture north desert". The orders that belong to that task define more -how- you want the squad to capture north desert. You can use orders to create "waypoints" for your squads.


So what does it look like?
Okay, okay, here's what it looks like (the images are from the help-section of the tool);

Image Image Image

Image Image Image

Image Image Image

Image Image Image


I want to try it!
Visit the tool here: http://battleplanner.imgoingin.co.uk/. Just click "register" if you don't have an account yet. After registering, you can start designing your own battle plan!
Last edited by AfterDune on 2007-09-05 20:44, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Changed the opening post, so it's up-to-date with all of the tool's features.
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RGG:Dale
Posts: 1024
Joined: 2007-01-07 19:11

kool

Post by RGG:Dale »

this is a good idea, but you should make it a sort of thing which can be brought up in the middle of the battle like xfire chat, so that people know what to do just by looking at the map and refering it to the battle planner or vice versa.

also your gona have to make it so that it can be transfered easily from comp to comp, and you should be able to save it so you can refer to "previous" maps.

also make it so that you can predict the other teams movements and it comes up with solutions to certain situations, should you pop smoke, get a nade in there, or retreat to a more suitable position. ie your out on open land and you recive fire and theres a wood behind you, so should you retreat into the wood or move out and pop smokes in the field, while one of you provides suppresive fire the other lot move in for the kill.

also your gona need a map of each of the maps in PR so youll need some good contacting with the makers.

Good luck and hope it suceeds maybe later it can be intergrated into PR, with the devs permision of course lol. :razz:
General_J0k3r
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Joined: 2007-03-02 16:01

Post by General_J0k3r »

sounds great. but don't these kind of tools exist already? no need to invent the wheel another time.
Wolfe
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Joined: 2007-03-06 03:15

Post by Wolfe »

Already been done. ATC For BF2
AfterDune
Retired PR Developer
Posts: 17094
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Post by AfterDune »

This ATC-application, does it work with the PR maps? If so, it's a great tool (haven't used it, just viewed some screenshots)

The tool I have in mind is browser-based and sharing plans is one of the keywords. Plus, you don't have to download anything and you can work on the plans anywhere.
thejackalkernl wrote:this is a good idea, but you should make it a sort of thing which can be brought up in the middle of the battle like xfire chat, so that people know what to do just by looking at the map and refering it to the battle planner or vice versa.
Well, you'll have to alt+tab to see it, since it's webbased.
also your gona have to make it so that it can be transfered easily from comp to comp, and you should be able to save it so you can refer to "previous" maps.
Yes, you will be able to save the plans. And of course you should be able to create as many plans for as many maps as you want. Is this what you mean?
also make it so that you can predict the other teams movements and it comes up with solutions to certain situations, should you pop smoke, get a nade in there, or retreat to a more suitable position. ie your out on open land and you recive fire and theres a wood behind you, so should you retreat into the wood or move out and pop smokes in the field, while one of you provides suppresive fire the other lot move in for the kill.
Yeah, I see your point. It's a good idea to mark locations where you think the enemy will be and all. Good point.
also your gona need a map of each of the maps in PR so youll need some good contacting with the makers.

Good luck and hope it suceeds maybe later it can be intergrated into PR, with the devs permision of course lol. :razz:
Well, the initial idea is to create the top-down views of the maps myself. They don't look like the ones in ATC (3d and all). It'll be the view you get when you look at the map in-game and zoom in a bit (not the commander's zoom). If I create the tool, perhaps I can create/get some better maps later on, but not at first.
At the moment, I don't know how advanced it's going to be, should I create it. I'll let you know if I continue this little 'project'.

Anyhow, I'll have a look at ATC. Perhaps this application already serves all our needs. Still, a webbased planning tool would be great, I think.

Thanks for your replies (and the link to ATC).
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Darkpowder
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Post by Darkpowder »

We have a battleplanner facility, its called the PR tournament teams.
LiquidSnake
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Post by LiquidSnake »

You can add maps to the ATC but you need all the pictures of EVERY Flag to do that :-/
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Freshmeat
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Post by Freshmeat »

Darkpowder wrote:We have a battleplanner facility, its called the PR tournament teams.
PMSL lol good one ye....

Afterdune good idea, been thinkin about somthing like this my self, ill look in to it
AfterDune
Retired PR Developer
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Post by AfterDune »

According to the maps in the tool I'm talking about, those are going to be like this:

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BUT, the above image is way too small in size, PLUS I want to use a zoomlevel (not commander's zoom).
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bigmoose332
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Post by bigmoose332 »

It would be brilliant if something like this took off. As in, it was almost, a natural thing for players to do at the beginning of the game.
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G.Drew
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Post by G.Drew »

nic work there dune
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Red Halibut
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Post by Red Halibut »

/thinks.

I've got a new Nokia N800 internet tablet on order. with that by my side logged onto this idea of yours, I'd have the perfect tactical guide while commanding.
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"It is not the responsibility of a defender to leave the objective unguarded just so his opponent sucks less."
[BFD]Ells
Posts: 40
Joined: 2007-02-12 13:41

Post by [BFD]Ells »

Fantastic idea and very plausible to do in Macromedia Flash.
And It's web based.

A drag and drop facility is easy to set up, and this can be recorded back to a database for storage, and can even be printed, or updated during the game, as long as you alt+tab out.

I've done a similar thing for a spanish property site. They had a grid with different icons for properties, I.e. pool, garage, etc. and the admin drops the icon onto the grid which writes back to a database to display on a web page.
http://www.ells228.f9.co.uk/Icon-drag-drop.swf

Think of that idea, but the PR map and an overlay grid of icons you can drop on the map with the PR grid refs. Set your way points, cp's, etc. and save it. then everyone (passworded or not) can access it via the web page.

We can even set it up to zoom in on the map to get a detailed layout of the cp, or waypoint.
(will need a few screen shots to do this though)

Give me a shout if you get to the next stage as I'm pretty nifty with Flash and can help out. I can even set up the hosting space and database for it.
[email protected] < MSN & Email
(although I'm on holiday for the next week until the 27th)
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AfterDune
Retired PR Developer
Posts: 17094
Joined: 2007-02-08 07:19

Post by AfterDune »

Thanks for the replies everyone! Good to know there are people out there that are interested in it :) .

Ells, thanks for your reply too. Flash is a nice tool, but I must say I'm not too fond of it. I prefer to use basics like (x/d)html and css, with the support of php and mysql (have a Debian server running at home, which I can use while developing).
However, if I think I'm not gonna make it with the above 'tools', I will certainly give you a call. Thanks :) .

Regards,
AfterDune
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.:iGi:. Eggenberg4Ever
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Post by .:iGi:. Eggenberg4Ever »

That one for vanilla: I d/l'd it a whileback and it has some great wee tools but I could never figure out how to use it for PR.
If this could be implemented AfterDune you'll have done a service to mankind :)
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Topf
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Post by Topf »

Some TB members already integrated some PR maps in ATC.
http://www.k-clan.org

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El_Vikingo
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Post by El_Vikingo »

everyone get a lap top next to their pc and run ATC. So you can plan whiie play PR
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zeidmaan
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Joined: 2007-02-11 18:05

Post by zeidmaan »

In the Majestia something thread about the new map there was a great birds view screen shot of the map:
http://realitymod.com/forum/t17084-p2-m ... -room.html

I would LOVE to have screen shots of other maps too. I know its not "interactive" but it could help.
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AfterDune
Retired PR Developer
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Post by AfterDune »

Those images are really nice. Would be great to have those in. If the tool's gonna work out the way it's supposed to, I'll take a better look at those. Thanks for your reply, zeidmaan.
RGG:Dale
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Post by RGG:Dale »

AfterDune wrote:Yes, you will be able to save the plans. And of course you should be able to create as many plans for as many maps as you want. Is this what you mean?
yeah also you should be able to "map" your older plan onto a newer one

sorry i didnt reply earlier :-P
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