Arma 3: Respawn

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Description.ext

A wide range of Description.ext entries let you configure respawn settings for your mission. See Description.ext - Respawn/Revive for a detailed documentation.

Eden Editor

Eden Editor offers a lot of settings to customise your respawn system, however not all functionalities are available. Furthermore settings made in the description.ext will overwrite settings made in Eden Editor.

Scripting

Scripting Commands

• playerRespawnTime
• setPlayerRespawnTime
• respawnVehicle

Scripting Functions

• Respawn Functions

Event Scripts

• onPlayerRespawn.sqf
• onPlayerKilled.sqf

Respawn Types

Type is represented either by respawn ID, or by its name.

respawn = "BASE";
respawn = 3;

ID	Name	Description	Default Templates	onPlayerKilled	onPlayerRespawn
0	"NONE"	Show singleplayer death screen	N/A	Template:task/	Template:task
1	"BIRD"	Respawn to a seagull	Spectator, EndMission	Template:task	Template:task/
2	"INSTANT"	Respawn on spot where player died	Instant, Counter	Template:task/	Template:task/
3	"BASE"	Respawn on a marker(s) start by following strings: Unit respawn respawn (used only when side variant is not found) respawn_west respawn_east respawn_guerrila respawn_civilian Vehicle respawn respawn (used only when side variant is not found) respawn_vehicle_west respawn_vehicle_east respawn_vehicle_guerrila respawn_vehicle_civilian You can have multiple markers simply by adding any text behind the name, e.g. respawn_west1, respawn_westBase etc. When no markers are defined, player is respawned on position where he started the mission. More about marker respawn can be found here. Alternatively you can also use the Respawn Position module.	Base, Counter	Template:task/	Template:task/
4	"GROUP"	Respawn to the next available playable unit in a group. When none is left, BIRD respawn is used instead.	Group, EndMission	Template:task	Template:task/
5	"SIDE"	Respawn to the next available playable unit of the same side (selected using team switch window). When none is left, BIRD respawn is used instead.	Side, EndMission	Template:task	Template:task/

Respawn Templates

Templates are pre-defined scripts called when player dies and respawns. They are defined in an array and can be combined together.

respawnTemplates[] = { "MenuInventory", "MenuPosition" };

Additionally, you can define side specific templates. When a side has no unique templates, it will use general respawnTemplates instead.

 respawnTemplatesWest[] = { "MenuInventory" };
 respawnTemplatesEast[] = { "Counter" };
 respawnTemplatesGuer[] = { "Tickets" };
 respawnTemplatesCiv[] = { "Spectator" };
 respawnTemplatesVirtual[] = {}; // Virtual players, used mainly in Curator (Zeus) missions

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When the respawnTemplates entry is missing, default templates based on the respawn type are used.

Official Templates

Class	Description	Preview
None	Singleplayer death screen. Default in singleplayer.
Spectator	Spectator Mode.
Instant	Currently empty.
Base	Currently empty.
Group	Cutscene showing a newly controlled unit.
Side	Cutscene showing a newly controlled unit.
Seagull	OFP-style seagull respawn
Wave	Adjusts respawn counter so players spawns together (wave delay is based on respawnDelay)
Tickets	Use a limited respawn ticket pool for players. Pool can be applied to everyone, a side, a group or a single unit. Use BIS_fnc_respawnTickets to update the amount of available tickets. Note that the template will have no effect if this function is never used, meaning players outside of all given pools will have infinite respawns.
Counter	Show a simple respawn countdown.
EndMission	Automatically fail the mission once all players are dead (for NONE, BIRD, GROUP and SIDE respawn types) or when all respawn tickets are exceeded (for INSTANT and BASE respawn types with Tickets template)
MenuPosition	Lets players select from available respawn positions defined either by respawn markers, see Respawn Types, by BIS_fnc_addRespawnPosition function or by the Respawn Position module. A new screen was released with 1.60 and brings new functionalities together with a new design. Item disabling Respawn positions can be disabled automatically (e.g., unit used as respawn point is dead) or manually by calling BIS_fnc_showRespawnMenuDisableItem
MenuInventory	Lets players pick a respawn loadout defined in CfgRespawnInventory. Loadouts can be added using BIS_fnc_addRespawnInventory function. A new screen was released with 1.60 and brings new functionalities together with a new design. Role selection Respawn inventories are sorted in to Roles which can be defined in CfgRoles. Item disabling Roles and loadouts can be disabled. This can happen automatically (e.g., Role/loadout limit was reached) or can be manually by calling BIS_fnc_showRespawnMenuDisableItem. Limits Roles and loadouts can be limited. This way only limited number of player can use given role/loadout in a mission. For details on how to do that see BIS_fnc_addRespawnInventory.

Options shared by MenuInventory and MenuPosition
Both templates feature a similar respawn UI and therefore share the following options:

• Timeout disabling
  • Mission designer can disable the timeout used between death of a unit and opening of the respawn screen.:

missionNamespace setVariable ["BIS_RscRespawnControls_skipBlackOut", true, true]; // Disable timout missionNamespace setVariable ["BIS_RscRespawnControls_skipBlackOut", nil, true]; // Reset to original timeout

• Autorespawn
  • A checkbox can be ticket to let the player automatically respawn once the coundown reached 0. If disabled player is not respawned immediately, but must confirm selection by clicking on "RESPAWN" button.

• Spectator Camera
  • The Spectator Camera used in here is slightly modified (no free camera available etc.) version of Spectator Mode. For full documentation see Spectator Mode documentation.
  • Mission designer needs to use the Spectator respawn template, the camera is disabled otherwise.

Custom Respawn Templates

New templates can be defined in global Config.cpp or in mission and campaign Description.ext files.
Example: Show text

class CfgRespawnTemplates
{
	// Class used in respawnTemplates entry
	class myTag_beacon
	{
		// Function or script executed upon death. Parameters passed into it are the same as are passed into onPlayerKilled.sqf file
		onPlayerKilled = "\myAddon\scripts\respawnBeacon.sqf";
		// Function or script executed upon respawn. Parameters passed into it are the same as are passed into onPlayerRespawn.sqf file
		onPlayerRespawn = "\myAddon\scripts\respawnBeacon.sqf";
		// Default respawn delay (can be overwitten by description.ext entry of the same name)
		respawnDelay = 20;
		// 1 to respawn player when he joins the game. Available only for INSTANT and BASE respawn types
		// Can be overridden by description.ext attribute of the same name
		respawnOnStart = 1;
		// By default onPlayerKilled and onPlayerRespawn function are spawned
		// set to 1 to run in unscheduled, called functions MUST NOT return an assignment or respawn will break
		isCall = 0;
	};
	class Spectator
	{
		onPlayerRespawn = "BIS_fnc_respawnSpectator";
	};
};

Loadouts and Roles

The main purpose of the roles is to make things more clear and simple for player when selecting loadout. All the loadouts available in a mission are now divided into various roles.
Mission designer can use roles already created in the game config, or custom roles can be defined in description.ext file. Loadouts with no role assigned are automatically assigned to the Default role.
Loadout config example:
Show text

class CfgRoles
{
	class Assault // Class name used in CfgRespawnInventory
	{
		displayName = $STR_A3_Role_Assault; // Name of the role, displayed in the respawn menu
		icon = "a3\missions_f_exp\data\img\classes\assault_ca.paa"; // Icon shown next to the role name in the respawn screen
	};
};
 
class CfgRespawnInventory
{
	class B_SquadLeader // Class of the respawn inventory, used by BIS_fnc_addRespawnInventory
	{
		displayName = $STR_b_soldier_sl_f0; // Name of the respawn inventory
		role = "Assault";Role the respawn inventory is assigned to
		icon = "\A3\ui_f\data\map\VehicleIcons\iconManLeader_ca.paa"; // Icon shown next to the role
		show = "side group _this == west"; // Condition used to make specific respawn inventories only avaiable for specfic sides, must return [[Boolean]]
		weapons[] = { // Weapons
			"arifle_SPAR_01_khk_F",
			"Rangefinder",
			"hgun_P07_khk_F"
		};
		magazines[] = { // Magazines
			"SmokeShell",
			"SmokeShell",
			"16Rnd_9x21_Mag",
			"16Rnd_9x21_Mag",
			"16Rnd_9x21_Mag",
			"30Rnd_556x45_Stanag_Tracer_Red",
			"30Rnd_556x45_Stanag_Tracer_Red",
			"30Rnd_556x45_Stanag_Tracer_Red",
			"30Rnd_556x45_Stanag_Tracer_Red",
			"30Rnd_556x45_Stanag_Tracer_Red",
			"30Rnd_556x45_Stanag_Tracer_Red",
			"30Rnd_556x45_Stanag_Tracer_Red",
			"30Rnd_556x45_Stanag_Tracer_Red",
			"HandGrenade",
			"HandGrenade"
		};
		items[] = { // Useable items
			"FirstAidKit"
		};
		linkedItems[] = { // Linked items, also weapon items, helmet etc.
			"V_PlateCarrierSpec_tna_F",
			"H_HelmetB_Enh_tna_F",
			"optic_ERCO_blk_F",
			"acc_pointer_IR",
			"NVGoggles_tna_F",
			"ItemGPS",
			"ItemMap",
			"ItemCompass",
			"ItemWatch",
			"ItemRadio"
		};
		uniformClass = "U_B_T_Soldier_SL_F"; // uniform
	};

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Export Function:

• The following function will copy a complete respawn inventory to your clipboard, see function header for more information, contact User:R3vo if you have questions.
  

Show text

/*
	Author: Revo

	Description:
	Retrieves loadout of unit and formats it for CfgRespawnLoadouts. Content is copied to clipboard and returned by function.

	Parameter(s):
	0: Object - Object to take the loadout from
	1: String - Class name of the respawn loadout
	2: String - Display name of the respawn loadout
	3: String - Icon path displayed next to display name
	4: String - Loadouts are assigned to a role, possible values:
		"Assistant"
		"CombatLifeSaver"
		"Crewman"
		"Default"
		"Grenadier"
		"MachineGunner"
		"Marksman"
		"MissileSpecialist"
		"Rifleman"
		"Sapper"
		"SpecialOperative"
		"Unarmed"
	5: String - Condition for the respawn loadout to be shown. Code inside string has to return boolean. _this refers to the unit inside the respawn screen

	Returns:
	String - Exports formatted loadout
*/

params
[
	["_object",player,[objNull]],
	["_class","REPLACE",[""]],
	["_displayName","REPLACE",[""]],
	["_icon","\A3\Ui_f\data\GUI\Cfg\Ranks\sergeant_gs.paa",[""]],
	["_role","Default",[""]],
	["_conditionShow","true",[""]]
];

private _indent = "	";
private _class = format ["class %1",_class];
private _displayName = format ["displayName = ""%1"";",_displayName];
private _icon = format ["icon = ""%1"";",_icon];
private _role = format ["role = ""%1"";",_role];
private _conditionShow = format ["show = ""%1"";",_conditionShow];
private _uniformClass = format ["uniformClass = ""%1"";",uniform _object];
private _backpack = format ["backpack = ""%1"";",backpack _object];
private _export = _class + endl + "{" + endl + _indent + _displayName + endl + _indent + _icon + endl + _indent + _role + endl + _indent + _conditionShow + endl + _indent + _uniformClass + endl + _indent + _backpack + endl;
private _weapons = weapons _object;
private _primWeaponItems = primaryWeaponItems _object;
private _secWeaponItems = secondaryWeaponItems _object;
private _assignedItems = assigneditems _object;
// From BIS_fnc_exportLoadout START
private _fnc_addArray =
{
	params ["_name","_array"];
	_export = _export + format [_indent + "%1[] = {",_name];
	{
		if (_foreachindex > 0) then {_export = _export + ",";};
		_export = _export + format ["""%1""",_x];
	} foreach _array;
	_export = _export + "};" + endl;
};

["weapons",_weapons + ["Throw","Put"]] call _fnc_addArray;
["magazines",magazines _object] call _fnc_addArray;
["items",items _object] call _fnc_addArray;
["linkedItems",[vest _object,headgear _object,goggles _object] + _assignedItems - _weapons + _primWeaponItems + _secWeaponItems] call _fnc_addArray;
// From BIS_fnc_exportLoadout END
_export = _export + "};" + endl + "// Visit https://community.bistudio.com/wiki/Arma_3_Respawn for detailed information";

copyToClipboard _export;
_export

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To add any loadout as available in your mission, you need to use the BIS_fnc_addRespawnInventory function!