UOAF Event Checklist
Contents
(optional) fix weather on frag if using custom weather maps
- Install weathermaps locally, download here https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Tv1gQQlAAoNRp5vVEXZcc7P3FJZQVnW5/view?usp=sharing and extract to `C:\Falcon BMS 4.35\Data\Add-On NTO Polar Vortex\Campaign` OR download this folder from the server: `C:\Falcon BMS 4.35\Data\Add-On NTO Polar Vortex\Campaign\WeatherMapsUpdates`
- Copy the nearest time weather fmap file from `C:\Falcon BMS 4.35\Data\Add-On NTO Polar Vortex\Campaign\WeatherMapsUpdates` to `C:\Falcon BMS 4.35\Data\Add-On NTO Polar Vortex\Campaign` For example, we fixed your frag on the server today by copying 11600.fmap to C:\Falcon BMS 4.35\Data\Add-On NTO Polar Vortex\Campaign because the campaign time is 1625.
- In weather, switch `weather model` to `Map Model`, select the fmap file in step 2, then make sure `"maps auto update" `is checked
- Save wth
- Confirm it worked by looking at the briefing text for weather forecast
Pre-Event Start
- Start BMS AWS EC2 instance from discord bot command use
/start-server BMS
- RDP to EC2 using DNS bms.uoaf.net
- Bring up dedicated server/IVC using instructions here ~30 minutes before the event
- Verify or load the correct xxxpre file on server
- Start IVC Server
- Launch BMS (via the legacy launcher shortcut on the desktop, not the new alternative launcher)
- Select Comm and host: “self” or “Host BMS Event”
- Navigate to Campaign/Saved and select xxxpre file
- Check max player setting equal or more than 50
- Select server location. Normally a transport ac on a remote location of the theatre as a training flight and in briefing status!
- Stop server by halting clock!
- Post into #saturday-bms-events with context to alert the community the server is available:
@BMS Events The server is up for BMS Event # XXX and is starting in X minutes
BMS & IVC Server: bms.uoaf.net
Alternate IP/hostname for those outside of North America or those with poor connections: alternative.bms.uoaf.net (alt.bms.uoaf.net)
Please confirm your setup is working and then connect to the server and test your IVC with any available player.
If you're new and have never flown with us, please join our more casual, and lower stakes friday night flights session (see #friday-night-flights) first OR if you can't make it, ask for a "check ride" in #pickup-flights by pinging @BMS Pickups. A member of the community will you run through a 1on1 or much smaller session to make sure you're up to speed. As a newcomer you are also expected to:
- Meet basic requirements: SOPs/Basic Requirements
- And observe our general standard operating procedures: https://codex.uoaf.net/index.php/General_SOPs
- Read the briefing in advance of the event, and complete all Theater setup. You're expected to have everything ready BEFORE you join the event.
Please ask someone with a "green" name (UOAF roster member) if you need help with anything above.
Event Start
Note on bot usage: make sure the UOAF Event Bot is online. You can use the bot commands in any channel (e.g. #briefing-room). Bot commands are limited to roster members.
- Bot: Use
/start-event
to start the event. This will also start the 15 minute slotting period. - Introduce event #
- Introduce Moderator/s
- Introduce Package Leader
- HW Readiness
- Run an Instant Action to ensure that your controls and Track-IR are functioning properly
- Restart BMS. You MUST restart BMS (since BMS 4.34)
- Look for new people, if so:
- Ask each one to CONFIRM they have seen the advice to new players here, read SOPs, installed theater, read briefing and general requirements
- Check Upload/BW for connection
- Determine Upload Speed (http://www.speedtest.net), note megabits
- Convert upload speed to kilobits, 1 mbps = 1000 kilobits, eg. 2 mbps = 2000 kilobits
- Share IVC/server IP and alternative IP in #saturday-bms-events
- Copy the server up message from "Dog the Server Monitor" in #alerts and share it in #saturday-bms-events
- Tell folks: If you encounter blue text or latency issues in the past or if they have a questionable connection to use the alternative IP [note to moderator: it's using Amazon Global Accelerator, the regular IP is not]
- Slots
- Open the slotting sheet (see post by the event bot). Make sure that the sign-up sheet matches the Discord Display Names (i.e. the name that is displayed next to the user icon in the channel) of people in the event rooms (check for typos, ...). People in red are no shows, either fix their names in the sheet or delete them. Check the Bot message for unslotted people and make sure that they are entered into the signup sheet.
- Fill Reserved Slots
- Make sure everyone is slotted, flight leads and package lead are happy
- Don't forget to mark package commanders in the signup sheet
- Once everybody is happy, call out the flight leads to make sure that everybody of their flights is in the game and seated
- Handoff control to Package Leader
Package Leader Briefing
- Explain the Plan
- Answer Flight Leader questions
- GO over landing procedures
- Final check on new comers: an experienced UOAF member should be in each flight.
- IVC checks in flight order, as per briefing (F1)
- until further notice hand DTC setup L-16 to flight leads
Flight Briefing
- Optional: If late-comers have shown up or people dropped out and the bot has ended the slotting phase, restart the slotting with the
/slot
command. Make sure that all participants are in the briefing room when issuing this command. Only slotted participants will receive the survey link and be tallied in the stats. - Players move to Individual flight channels for briefing
- Flight leader explains the plan: motherhood, threats, weapons, tactics, contracts
- Answer questions
Pre-Flight Procedures
- Players return to Briefing Room
- Package Leader or Moderator/s answer any final questions
- Take 4 minute break and sort out any issues, "well be turning at X of the hour" where X is the minute
After break: Moderator read SOPs
- Please mute but do not deafen discord during the flight
- Use Shift-T to chat in game if you have technical issues
- Do not use IDM on continous mode (CONT). Doing this will negatively affect the other flights.
- If you have an issue close BMS and IVC. Get your issues sorted out, use Instant action to check flight controls, then relaunch BMS and reconnect. Every time you enter 3D, you must restart BMS entirely.
- After you land and exit BMS or if you get knocked out, jump down into the debrief channel to chat with others.
- "Double-click your flight and your seat and save your data cartridge."
- We will commit as Taxi, everyone click takeoff then taxi right now
Moderator: Commit to 3D
- Save the Campaign with the same file name
- Goal is to have the server in 3d 1 minute before the first player flight loads into 3d on a taxi star
- Put the server into taxi
- It will load the server flight into taxi 1 minute before the 1st player flight begins their taxi take off (T-7)
- Note that it goes off of the take off times of all the player slots. For those with early take off times it's not enough to x64 speed while sitting in the slot. They need to leave the slot and wait until an appropriate take off time
- Once the server enters 3D, it should automatically stop rendering, turning the BMS window a solid color (probably black).
- 🚨🚨New in 4.37: to get the best possible server FPS, minimize the RDP window so that the BMS window is not displayed.🚨🚨
- This is the exact opposite of the 4.35-4.36 procedure. The memory leak is no longer an issue.
Post-game
- Exit the game
- Press escape, count down from 5 seconds
- Press E, count down from 5 seconds
- wait for sound to indicate you are outside of the cockpit view, then wait for 2d
- If stuck, alt tab out and select "Force Rendering Enabled" on the D3D11 disabler. Now you should be able to see the menu, and correct accordingly.
- Save Campaign/mission to xxxpost
- Close BMS
- Download xxxpost.zip to UOAF drive in designated folder (xxx+1)
- Pull the tape
- In the appropriate Discord channel (e.g. #saturday-bms-events), use the
/get-tape
command. This will start the conversion process of the ACMI tape. - Wait until the bot reports that the tape is finished. Pulling a tape can take up to 6 minutes. If you want to check on the progress, look at the eventbot-server window on the server.
- While the tape is in progress, you can start the Debrief.
- In the appropriate Discord channel (e.g. #saturday-bms-events), use the
- Shut down the server
- When the tape is finished and on GDrive and you have pulled the xxxpost file, you can shut down the server.
- In the start menu of the instance, just shut down the server like you would do with your normal PC (Start -> Power -> Shutdown)
- Verify that the server has stopped on EC2
Debrief
- Verbal debrief: for each flight lead
- Start with REDFOR, if applicable
- 4-5 minute time box per flight.
- High level beats of the flight plan and outcome
- What went well, by callsign
- What we can do better next time, by callsign
- Bot: end the event with
/end-event
. The bot will create the survey automatically and will send out messages to each participant (this might take some time in order to avoid Discord spam detection). Check the bot message. - Tacview
- Thank people who attended, let them know the formal debrief is over now and they can leave if they want or stick around for fun times
- No timebox - optional part for those who want to stick around and shoot the shit.
- Unstructured "lets look at cool shit" part
Post Event Survey
The event survey will be automatically tallied and posted to the #metrics-and-event-performance channel 72 hours after the event. If there are late-comers in the survey, the survey can be queried again at any time using the /survey
command