Mission Entrypoints And Lifecycle

Mission Entrypoints And Lifecycle

For the machine-role truth table, per-role boot timelines, and global flag -> waitUntil dependency graph, read Lifecycle wait-chain reference before reordering any init call.

description.ext

The mission metadata and UI resource graph is assembled from:

• version.sqf
• Sounds/description.ext
• Music/description.ext
• Rsc/Header.hpp
• Rsc/Styles.hpp
• Rsc/Parameters.hpp
• Rsc/Ressources.hpp
• Rsc/Dialogs.hpp
• Rsc/Titles.hpp
• Rsc/Identities.hpp when not VANILLA

It also sets loadScreen, disables spoken sentences, disables channels 3 and 6, and leaves disabledAI=0.

version.sqf is included here and again by initJIPCompatible.sqf, but it is not committed in the current repo checkout. Treat it as generated terrain metadata from LoadoutManager, not as an optional nicety: a fresh source mission needs version.sqf produced or supplied before it can preprocess cleanly.

initJIPCompatible.sqf

This is the first major runtime script. It creates early logging, determines server/client/headless roles, runs version detection, initializes common constants and parameters, applies environment time, then dispatches common/server/client/headless init scripts.

Important lifecycle flags include:

• clientInitComplete
• commonInitComplete
• serverInitComplete
• serverInitFull
• townInitServer
• townInit
• WFBE_GameOver
• gameOver

Boot Graph And Parameter Gates

The high-level boot chain is:

description.ext
  -> initJIPCompatible.sqf
  -> Init_Version.sqf / VERSION_SET
  -> Init_Parameters.sqf + Init_CommonConstants.sqf
  -> Init_TownMode.sqf / townModeSet
  -> Init_Common.sqf / commonInitComplete
  -> Init_Towns.sqf / townInit
  -> Init_Server.sqf, Init_Client.sqf and/or Init_HC.sqf

Common/Init/Init_Parameters.sqf:5-10 copies each description.ext Params class name into missionNamespace, so parameter names are live runtime globals. initJIPCompatible.sqf:142-162 can then override several of those values for air-war/debug modes before later init code consumes them. The most easily misread gates are WFBE_DAYNIGHT_ENABLED, WFBE_C_AI_DELEGATION, economy/supply mode constants, WFBE_C_BASE_START_TOWN, module toggles such as EASA/ICBM/IRS/CM, and map-icon blinking.

Headless mode is especially stateful: WFBE_C_AI_DELEGATION == 2 means HC mode in configuration, but initJIPCompatible.sqf:168-170 downgrades it to 0 when the detected OA build does not support HC. That downgrade happens during boot, so bug reports can show a different runtime value than the lobby parameter suggested.

WASP should not be described as a live parallel bootstrap branch. The old WASP block in initJIPCompatible.sqf is commented out; current WASP behavior is wired per feature from client/server init and from the specific WASP scripts documented in WASP overlay.

Common Init

Common/Init/Init_Common.sqf compiles most shared helpers and config. The central idea is that config arrays and helper functions are available to both server and clients before side-specific runtime code starts using them.

Major common responsibilities:

• combat handlers: reload, AT, AA, artillery, alarm;
• economy helpers: team funds, side supply, income, commander team;
• structure and town helpers: factories, closest town/camp/depot, side structures;
• network helpers: Common_SendToClient, Common_SendToClients, Common_SendToServer;
• config loading: core models, gear, root definitions, defenses, groups;
• module initialization: ICBM, IR smoke, CIPHER, boundaries.

Server Init

Server/Init/Init_Server.sqf is authoritative. It compiles server functions, creates resistance center, initializes side logic and team state, starts global town scripts, starts cleanup/restorer loops, starts anti-stack if enabled, publishes server FPS, runs performance audit on server, launches day/night authority, and starts victory/resource loops.

Notable server loops:

• Server/FSM/server_town.sqf
• Server/FSM/server_town_ai.sqf
• Server/FSM/server_victory_threeway.sqf
• Server/FSM/updateresources.sqf
• Server/FSM/server_collector_garbage.sqf
• Server/FSM/emptyvehiclescollector.sqf
• dropped item, crater, ruin and mine cleaners;
• building restorer;
• Server/Module/serverFPS/monitorServerFPS.sqf.

Client Init

Client/Init/Init_Client.sqf initializes player-side behavior. It compiles client functions, registers damage/fired handlers, adds map/menu/action behaviors, starts day/night client sync when needed, applies skill/module actions, sends join/anti-stack handshakes, and starts client update loops.

Global gameplay hotkeys are wired here through findDisplay 46 KeyDown handlers. Gear filler hotkeys are separate in Client/Init/Init_Keybind.sqf.

Headless Init

Headless support is gated by the OA version check in initJIPCompatible.sqf. When supported and configured, Headless/Init/Init_HC.sqf loads client PVF handling and common init pieces needed for delegated AI.

Headless/Init/Init_HC.sqf currently uses a fixed delay and then sends ["RequestSpecial", ["connected-hc", player]] to the server. There is no explicit waitUntil {serverInitFull} barrier in that file, so HC timing bugs should be investigated against Lifecycle wait-chain and AI/headless together.

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