Updated RotorOps: Mission Creator Guide (markdown)

RotorOps:-Mission-Creator-Guide.md

@@ -1,21 +1,19 @@
-# Customization
-
 The RotorOps mission generator can load custom templates that define the base mission, and friendly and enemy forces to be populated.  These templates are simply .miz files that can be created in the DCS mission editor.
 
-## Scenarios
+# Scenarios
 
-A Scenario is a mission template for the generator.  At its most basic, it defines the map, the conflict zones, and the friendly/enemy start points.
+A Scenario is a mission template for the generator.  At its most basic, it defines the map, the conflict zones, and the friendly/enemy start points.  But it doesn't stop there for mission designers.
 
 A RotorOps Scenario is simply a .miz file in the Generator/Scenarios folder.  If you add a .miz file here, it will show up in the generator.  
 
-### Changing zone locations
+### Easy: Changing zone locations
 
 The easiest way to get started with making your own scenario is to open one of the existing files, move the zones where you like, and save it as a new file.  Use the existing scenario templates as a guide, and keep the zone sizes and distances reasonable.  
 - Put zone centers over open areas.  
 - Imagine the path that ground forces will need to take between zones
 - Test your scenario for ground unit movement and travel time.  You can use Ctrl-Z to speed up time for testing purposes.
 
-### Advanced Scenario Creation
+### Advanced: Scenario Creation
 
 A Scenario template can contain almost any mission asset from the DCS mission editor, including but not limited to:
 - additional units
@@ -26,9 +24,54 @@ A Scenario template can contain almost any mission asset from the DCS mission ed
 
 Included in the RotorOps/sound directory is a large library of voiceovers for use in your missions.
 
-With some care and creativity in your scenario mission design, you can replay it again and again with the variety provided by the mission generator.  
+With some care and creativity in your scenario mission design, you can replay it again and again with the variety provided by the mission generator. 
 
-## Imports
+
+A scenario .miz file MUST have:
+
+1) Between 1-4 circular trigger zones called "ALPHA", "BRAVO", "CHARLIE", "DELTA"
+2) At least one trigger zone with a name that starts with "STAGING".
+3) A blue airport (recommend somewhere near/on-side your staging zone). 
+4) A red airport (recommend somewhere near/on-side your last conflict zone).  
+5) At least one Russian unit or static object.  Anything will work, even a cow.  You can set "HIDDEN ON MAP".
+6) At least one USA unit or static object. See previous point.
+
+
+Optional: 
+
+7) CJTF Blue FARP called "HELO_FARP" for automatic player placement. (Strongly suggest using immortal and invisible options for support vehicles, and add "static" to the group name to keep them from moving)
+8) CJTF Carrier called "HELO_CARRIER" for automatic player placement.
+9) Infantry spawn zones inside conflict zones. Add near buildings to simulate infantry hiding within. Name trigger zones like "ALPHA_SPAWN", "ALPHA_SPAWN_2, etc.
+
+Testing:
+You should test your scenarios to ensure that vehicles move between zones as you expect.  In some circumstances, vehicles may not be able to calculate a valid route to the next zone, and they will stop.  Make sure they can route correctly by testing your scenario in fast forward, with few defending units.  You can also get a good idea as to how long your scenario will take to complete.
+
+
+Tips:
+- Position the center of conflict zones over an open area, as this position will be used to spawn units and FARPs.
+- Position the center of staging zones over an open area of at least 1000 x 1000ft to provide space for logistics zones.
+- For very scenery dense areas like forests or urban areas, smaller conflict zone sizes are highly recommended (eg 4000ft radius).  A zone center near a roadway may also help keep units moving smoothly. 
+- The conflict game type can be played with blue forces on defense.  In this mode the last conflict zone is the only troop pickup zone.
+- Design your template so that it can be played in normal 'attacking' mode or 'defending' the conflict zone from enemy ground units starting from the staging zone.
+- Keep the zones fairly close together, both for helicopter and ground unit travel times. 
+- You can place static objects and units in a scenario template.
+- You can change mission briefing and other mission options in the template.
+- Drop your templates in the RotorOps Discord if you'd like to have them added in a release for everyone. Maintain a similar naming convention and be sure to credit yourself in the .miz name. 
+- Airfields can be captured with ground units.  You might consider placing conflict zones over neutral airfields for a rearming area, or perhaps unarmed client slots. 
+- Player/client slots are placed in this priority order:  Carrier named "HELO_CARRIER", FARP named "HELO_FARP", and the blue airfield.
+- Friendly AWACs and tankers will be placed at the blue airport if parking is available, otherwise they will start in the air.  
+- Enemy helicopters and planes will spawn at the red airport. 
+- Late activation FARPs might be useful for rearming far from the player spawn point.
+- In "Defense" or with "Swap sides" option, Blue and Red ships, helicopters, planes, and ground units will swap countries.
+- Turn off or limit civilian road traffic.
+- Pay attention to rivers and bridges, as a far away bridge crossing may break routing if it's the only way across.  See the testing notes above.
+
+FARP Locations:
+You can now control the FARP spawning location and heading by adding a static object (such as a mark flag) with group name 'ALPHA' etc.  Same for staging area logistics site..but the group name should be 'STAGING'.  Change the object heading to better align with roads or map objects.  The flags for these must be CJTFB country.
+
+You can dynamically insert complex arrangements of objects such as large bases with multiplayer spawns.  See the Imports section for more details 
+
+# Imports
 
 A breakthrough feature of mission design with RotorOps is the ability to import complex arrangements of statics and vehicles.  This allows you to create reusable mission assets like bases, FARPs, objective sites, or just about anything you can imagine building in the mission editor.  You can place these on any map, at your desired point, rotation and coalition!
 
@@ -49,7 +92,7 @@ To create a new import template:
 3) Make one unit group name: 'ANCHOR' This will represent the point of insertion/rotation in the target mission. 
 4) Save the template .miz file in Generator/Imports
 
-## Forces Templates
+# Forces Templates
 
 The friendly/enemy forces templates available in the generator are simply .miz files in the Generator/Forces folder.
 
@@ -74,7 +117,7 @@ Tips:
 - Only unit types are used from ground units.  Liveries or other attributes are able to be copied.
 - For aircraft, group size is currently capped at 2 units per group to help prevent issues with parking.  Only the first unit in the group is used as a source. 
 
-## How the script works
+# How the script works
 In a generated mission, you will find a DO SCRIPT trigger action similar to this:
 ```
 RotorOps.stagingZone('STAGING')
@@ -102,12 +145,12 @@ This can be called at any point to kick off the Conflict game, so you can move t
 
 **_Script loading timing: You must load the RotorOps.lua script immediately after the CTLD script.**
 
-# Mission Editor code snippets
+## Mission Editor code snippets
 Copy and paste these codes snippets into your waypoint actions.
 
 
-## Troop Drops
-### Drop troops from AI planes, helicopters, or ground vehicles. 
+### Troop Drops
+Drop troops from AI planes, helicopters, or ground vehicles. 
 Copy and paste this into a Run Script command (advanced waypoint actions) to drop 8 troops from a ground vehicle or aircraft. Works with both friendly and enemy craft.
 
 ```
@@ -128,6 +171,6 @@ Here, we're reading the flag for the 'ALPHA' zone and checking if it's between 0
 If you don't want infantry to move from a rooftop, or support vehicles to move from a staging zone,  you can name the group including the string 
 `noai` .  This is not case sensitive, and the string is configurable in the script options as well.  So you could name a group 'Ground-1noai' or 'Ground-3 NOAI' and it would prevent the script from controlling their movement.
 
-# Options
+## Options
 At the beginning of the script file you will find the available dynamic and static options.  The dynamic options can be changed from a DO SCRIPT in the mission editor at any time.  The static options must be changed after the RotorOps.lua script has loaded and BEFORE the startConflict() function.