[Bonus Plugin] Group Management System (GMS)

[beastytech]

Excellent... thanks for the -u command... If I do a -u though, would that not remove All Groups that I have created???

Thanks for advice on the Carrier addon too I will try that out. Does that mean this GMS works better with smaller Patrol groups or groups where Wingmen usually Protect or Follow the leader without docking?

[Sandalpocalypse]

-u will only apply to that group

Ships on Protect, Follow, and Attack my Target will dock where the leader docks.

Using all 40 fighters in one GMS group means that all 40 fighters can only do one thing. The idea is that you can control squadrons by issuing orders to only one fighter, but you lose any flexibility if you're ordering around *all* your ships that way at once.

Some feedback myself: I've been using GMS with the Patrol command myself, and I've found only one significant issue: whenever the Patrol command sends a ship to the shipyard for repairs, GMS will near-instantly send it back to its patrol leader.

[jlehtone]

Some feedback myself: I've been using GMS with the Patrol command myself, and I've found only one significant issue: whenever the Patrol command sends a ship to the shipyard for repairs, GMS will near-instantly send it back to its patrol leader.

Knowing how Patrol works and how GMS works, that is rather elementary:

Patrol runs only on the leader, but issues commands to its followers. When follower is damaged, it gets "Dock at ..". But at that point the follower is no longer following the Patrol ship. Thus, it reverts to 'None' after docking. Player is informed though, and player must make the ship follow the patrol again.

But the GMS runs on every ship of a group. And when it sees the ship in 'None', it issues default command to the ship. That is either "Protect" or "Attack_same", depending on whether you used that other General GMS command. Either way the ship again follows the Patrol, and followers do as followers do.


@beastytech:
Fighters. In sector. Make groups of 5. Leave one to protect the Lead and rest (3) to Attack_same. Bigger groups spend too much time avoiding collisions. From 30 fighters you get 6 groups. These 6 (Lead) ships you can tell to do whatever you wish. The other 24 ships will support the Leads.

[beastytech]

Thanks... I went and used the other Carrier addon that was mentioned and it works great! I don't have any problems with using 40 ships they seem to annihilate anything in a sector and don't have much trouble in docking back into the ship either.

Thanks for all the help!

[Mencius]

Hi Everyone, I posted this in the main forum but was advised this might be a better place to get some answers.

I am trying to set up a group for the 2 x M3+ fighters which I dock on my M7. I have got as far as going into the command console, setting up the fleet name, number and ship type. The fighters then show up as two different names with (1) after them (1 is the fleet number) so I assume I have succesfully set up the group. The 2nd fighter in the group, the one I added to the group while running the command on the leader, has as its orders "protect leader".

Now the problem: I go into controls and I add keybindings to select group 1 and for actions that I want them to perform. I save the changes and go back into the game. Then I press the key and.... nothing. Nothing happens. I've been trying to get this to work for maybe a week now and I can't seem to do anything about it.

Could someone enlighten me on why this might not be working?

[ianrobo75]

What are the prerequisites for this command? I can't select it.

Edit: Ok I've found the setup command now, I was looking in the wrong place. I'm still getting my head round this slightly non-intuitive interface.
Also, I wish it would confirm commands verbally or with some text at the top of the screen. The latest message or command could be displayed but I guess this has been discussed many times in posts on the interface.

[Viper2904]

Will the ships fly in formation or do i have to actually assign them all to wingmen with a formation selected? I just started using formations and seems very strategic since the little fast ships quit colliding with me like when i use protect, seems to only work with the follow order though.

The wingman option is still a bit hazy to me (as to what it actually determines).

[moggy2]

the wingman option is to set a ship to be a player's wingman. It will then respond to shift+5, and shift+6 hotkeys that tell them to protect you or attack your target.

This group management plugin uses formations. It simply allows you to quickly put ships into a formation, and set their commands. With the hotkey plugin also included in the bonus pack, you can give orders to the groups quickly via hotkeys you can define.

[Brinnie]

How many groups can you have?

I can tell from the hotkeys that 6 can be assigned to keyboard shortcuts, can more groups be created?

[moggy2]

the number of groups isn't limited, but as you noticed only groups numbered 1-6 work with the hotkeys.

[Brinnie]

the number of groups isn't limited, but as you noticed only groups numbered 1-6 work with the hotkeys.

Thanks.

[Kurgen]

ok this may be a really stupid question but is GMS a script that you have to download seperately from the bonus pack or should it automitically appear with the pack installed because i have the bonus pack and have been plauing for ages but have never come across the GMS even tho i have looked for it exhaustively. it doesnt appear in the commands menu even with every bit of software in the universe installed in my ship.

I have this same problem. Can someone point me in the right direction please? Cheers.

[Brinnie]

ok this may be a really stupid question but is GMS a script that you have to download seperately from the bonus pack or should it automitically appear with the pack installed because i have the bonus pack and have been plauing for ages but have never come across the GMS even tho i have looked for it exhaustively. it doesnt appear in the commands menu even with every bit of software in the universe installed in my ship.

I have this same problem. Can someone point me in the right direction please? Cheers.

It's definetely part of the "Bonus Package (v3.1.07)"

http://www.egosoft.com/download/x3/bonus_en.php

which you need to install yourself.


Read more about it here:

http://www.xai-corp.net/project/XaiCorp-gms , it's the link on the first page of this thread, on the same site you'll also find some other related scriopts.

[Kurgen]

ok this may be a really stupid question but is GMS a script that you have to download seperately from the bonus pack or should it automitically appear with the pack installed because i have the bonus pack and have been plauing for ages but have never come across the GMS even tho i have looked for it exhaustively. it doesnt appear in the commands menu even with every bit of software in the universe installed in my ship.

I have this same problem. Can someone point me in the right direction please? Cheers.

It's definetely part of the "Bonus Package (v3.1.07)"

http://www.egosoft.com/download/x3/bonus_en.php

which you need to install yourself.


Read more about it here:

http://www.xai-corp.net/project/XaiCorp-gms , it's the link on the first page of this thread, on the same site you'll also find some other related scriopts.

Which would be why I can't find it in v3.1.05. [bangs head on keyboard at own stupidity]

Thanks

[Karlfrans]

Well, this sure is a useful script. But it could need an option to give a single command to the whole group.
For example, a group of M4s with a TL as their homebase could all at the same time be issued the command to for example "Buy ware for best price.."

[moggy2]

Well, this sure is a useful script. But it could need an option to give a single command to the whole group.
For example, a group of M4s with a TL as their homebase could all at the same time be issued the command to for example "Buy ware for best price.."

This is a basic framework for groups. It is quite possible to write a new script to add that fuctionality, without modifying anything.

[Karlfrans]

If I understand correctly, that means without getting modified tags or something like that ?
If so .. How to do that ? I have no experience on scripting, but I can manage opening some text file and put in the lines I am told, lol .

Edit:

Not to be greedy or whatever .. But I could really need a script, that would enable you to give everyone in the group the same command (other than just the hotkeys, they don't suffice)!

[Phier]

I'm having some issues with my personal fighter wing and if anyone has any tips or tricks to share I'd appreciated learning from from.

I'm using the bonus pack group controls and I have fight command software mark 3 installed as well.

The problem I have is getting them to follow my lead m3 when needed, and act independently when not.

I could get them to follow me, land and take off with me, but say I wanted to stay on board my current ship (elephant, new start) and launch the fighters, I'd have to do it manually.

Sooo I tried making one a lead for a GHK group and using the GHK commands for when I want them to go off solo, launch solo etc, and having them protect me otherwise.

This worked ok in testing until I landed, at which time they seemed to no longer be following the group leader, but they were all following my lead ship again. It seems the protect me command caused that.

So basically is there a way too keep a group linked together and yet still have it protecting me, to fly with me in formation, and yet still then be able to land at a carrier and order them as a group separately without me launching my personal M3?

[jlehtone]

Lets ignore FCS Mk3 (which probably does make a difference) and think how vanilla AI works:

* You have ships on "Protect Me". You are hit. All of them will do "Attack that enemy until it is dead" subroutine.
* You have one ship on "Protect Me". You are hit. That ship will do "Attack that enemy until it is dead" subroutine.
* Ship is running "Attack target of .." (offered by GMS). When the "leader" does "Attack that target until it is dead", this ship will do the same.
* You have a Group. Its members run "Attack target of leader". Leader runs "Protect Me" (given via GHK or whatever). You are hit. All of the group will do "Attack that enemy until it is dead" subroutine.

Group members revert to following their leader if their command becomes "None". Ship on "Protect .." continues to do so until told otherwise. Commands like "Dock at .." and "Fly to sector/position" do complete/end when done and then ships do "None". Anyway, it is better to treat the group like one ship, and only give commands to the leader.


But, as said these were vanilla, check that FCS Mk3 documentation on how you get most out of it.

[Ordogg]

Well i see all these GHK: Group options in the interface, but NO where to run the setup. Don't know what I'm doing wrong here, but its not very inituitive.