New Server Mission Uploaded With Exciting New Features (well I think so anyway!)

[Friar]

Posted on DML thread. cfrag has replied to say caused by unannounced change to the way some data is sent to one of the tables.

He has posted new scripts to fix this issue.

I will add them into the missions and re-upload.

He ended by saying that there may be others but bear with me I will get the fixes in as soon as I can.

[Friar]

UPDATE 23RD JULY 2024

Syria 10:00hrs only

• Added option to take LSO and Carrier Boss slots on Theodore Roosevelt (who wants to be first to kick a hard left just as Fen comes into land?)
• Corrected spawn positions for some planes as pointed out by @delta7
• Added EWR for enemy AI planes. "They do not know who you are but they will find you and they will kill you".

[Friar]

UPDATE 7TH AUGUST 2024

Syria Map

New scenario now available (built without DML so no script issues / crashes like before);

Welcome to NATO Operations Turkiye / Cyprus Air Force Bases

From here we will be launching our attacks on Syria.

MISSION SESSION 1
===============

Objectives For Mission (In No Special Order)

Secure Control Of The Skies
Strike Military and Tactical Ground Targets
Capture Harim Town
Capture Aleppo Town
Capture Aleppo Airfield

To capture an enemy location blue forces must be superior to occupying red forces. 

Tactical and Military Targets available for "Ground Pounding"

• Aleppo
  • Logistics Park
  • Train Station
  • Tv and Radio Stations
  • Weapons Store
• Al Safirah
  • SAM Site
  • Scientific Research Center
  • Military Base
  • Missile Store
• Jablah Hydro Electric Station
• Hin Shinshar Chemical Weapons Bunker
• Khirbet
  • Chemical Weapons Bunker
  • AAA Site
  • SAm SIte
• Palmyra Weapons Storage.

Pre-configured Way-points (You can of course plan your own)

HATAY HELICOPTERS
=============
WP01 - Home
WP02 and 03- Harim Town
WP04 - Aleppo Town
WP05 - Aleppo Airfield

INCIRCLIK AIRCRAFT (AIR TO GROUND)
========================
WP01 - Home
WP02 - Aleppo Town
WP03 - Aleppo TV / Radio Stations
WP04 - Aleppo Airfield
WP05 - Aleppo Weapon Storage
WP06 - Al Safirah SAM/Research Centre/Missile Storage/Military Base

AKROTIRI AIRCRAFT (AIR TO GROUND)
========================
WP01 - Home
WP02 - Jablah Hydro Electric Station
WP03 - Hin Shinsha Chemical Storage
WP04 - Khirbet Chemical Store/AAA/SAM Site
WP05 - Palmyra Weapons Store

GAME PLAY INFORMATION
================
Aircraft designated "(A2A)" when selected will spawn enemy aircraft flights.
Aircraft designated "(A2G)" will not. That is not to say they will not be attacked if someone else has spawned enemy AI.
You can of course set a load-out for ground attack on an "A2A" designated plane and vice-versa but taking off in an "A2A" designated plane will trigger the AI flights.

Town and airfield capture zones are marked by a dotted ring.

TROOP TRANSPORT
==============
Only Hueys can transport troops. They can be picked up from HATAY in the area marked. Once dropped they can not be picked up again (unlike with DML).
Once Harim has been captured they can also be picked up by Hueys from the new RRR area.

If the mission objectives are achieved I will endeavor to produce a new scenario rolling the map on with new objectives for the next session.

[Friar]

...But we may not have it all our own way.....

 

[Friar]

Area of Operations

 

[Friar]

UPDATE 11TH AUGUST 2024

Syria Campaign Map

• Added CH-47F (Chinhook)
• I now have a better understanding of how standard DCS troop transport works so have introduced the following
  • Troops can be transported by Huey or Hook.
  • Troops are provided in Sections of 6 (intended for the Huey) and Platoons of 24 (intended for the Hook)
  • As at this release there are a finite number of troops available. 4 x Sections of 6 and 4 x Platoons of 24. Units can not be spawned in repeatedly. Once these units are used or killed. That is it for this mission session. (I am looking to add more units based on territory capture)
  • Each helicopter is assigned a unit to pick-up at spawn in. For example - "Mission Update - Pilot of Huey-1 you have been assigned 82nd Airborne Section-1"
  • You can now however load more than 1 unit (if your capacity allows) should you wish.
  • Troops can only be picked up and dropped off at specific points on the map. I have created Green zones for pick-up and Orange zones for deployment.
  • The two zones are linked via way-points for the troops. For example troops picked up at the green zone in Hatay can only be deployed to the Orange zone at Harim. Once deployed they will follow their own way-points to achieve their objective. They will head for Harim town.
  • If you deploy your troops anywhere else they will make their way to what should have been their next way-point. You can not pick-up and drop off ad-hoc like we could with DML
  • Once they have achieved their objective they will proceed to a Green zone ready for extraction.
  • There may be more than 1 group of troops waiting for extraction at the Green zone. So for example if you are in a Hook and there are 3x6 Sections waiting, you could pick them all up in one go if no one else is playing that role.
• Added MC 2000 back in

[Friar]

UPDATE 12TH AUGUST 2024

Syrian Template V3

• Change to the way troops are generated for picking-up
• Added new Orphanage building right next to Aleppo TV and Radio stations which MUST NOT be hit! if you fancy a precision bombing exercise. Shutting down the countries communication channels should be a high priority on the tactical strike targets agenda.
• Added allied convoy heading to the area of Fence Gate Post 2 to facilitate a FOB for helicopter RRR and troop pick-up (giving shorter flight times).

The limitations and the potential for issues for pilots repeatedly wanting to pick-up troops was bugging me (a player crashes after take-off for example or on landing attempting to deploy the troops and needs to go again). 

After trying different solutions I have finally settled on one that works quite well. It is probably overkill for what will be used but it has taught me the logic on how to do such things without using scripts. I can if required scale it back if it proves to be an issue.

Players wanting to transport troops will now do so by first going into the Communication menu and selecting F10 "Other". In there will be the options to request a Section (group of 6) or a Platoon (group of 24). Each pick-up location will have its own item in the menu. At the start there will be only two, one for "Request Hatay Section" and one for "Request Hatay Platoon".  

As other positions become available for initial troop pick-up menu options will be added dynamically. For example I have added a new allied convoy that will depart from Hatay and head towards Fence Gate Post Two. When (and if) it arrives it will facilitate RRR for helicopters plus eventually the option to pick-up more troops for location capture deployment.

When the option is selected the next available unit of the chosen type will be enabled and stood ready for boarding at the compound. There are now 8 Sections available for pickup and 5 Platoons. A player in the Hook could for example request 4 sections be made ready. In game there are 4 Huey slots and 4 Hook slots.

This request can either be made once you have landed in the compound or before you have taken off. It does not matter.

Once the maximum number of Sections and Platoons available have been requested for the location the option to request them will be removed from the menu for that pick-up zone.

I would suggest one Section per Huey (I think the game will allow you to take more but lets try and keep it real) and a maximum of 24 troops (either 1 Platoon or 4 Sections) for the Chinook. Again the loadout capacity / availability is higher. Plus I have not yet tested the impact to the server once a platoon is deployed and makes its way to the target area with the potential for all the soldiers to be firing.

If the game struggles to move the Platoon correctly I may have to do away with the Platoon option and just have lots more Sections.

To board the troops there is a standard DCS option on the Comms menu "Airborne Troops". You select that, then "Embark", This gives you another option called "Embarking" where you are able to select the name of the group you wish to board from those that have been made ready. For example if two of you have landed and have both requested Sections they will both be listed for both players so some cooperation is required.

Once selected they will run towards you and "board" your helicopter. You will receive a notification message once they are all aboard.

To disembark the troops there will now be an option for Disembark and Disembarking where you select the name of the unit you wish to unload. Once unloaded they will head towards their given waypoint(s), which is why we now have to unload in specific areas (labelled and designated on the F10 map in Orange with triangles around the edge. The pick-up zones are Green with squares around the edge)

I appreciate these recent updates are heavily Helicopter focused but if anyone wants to suggest other scenarios for the fixed wing jockeys I am more than willing to try and accommodate them. For example it was an idea from Fenrir and Fruitbat about splitting the A2A and A2G and also having enemy AI attacking our bases, which was put in for the previous update.  

Salute

Friar

[fruitbat]

Real men beat gravity into submission in hellos, rather than pussy flying in things that glide.....😉

[Friar]

UPDATE 23RD AUGUST 2024

Syria Campaign M1 (Mission 1 - Harim / Aleppo Airfield)

• Added ability via comms F10 "Other" to "Request More Enemy AI"
• Made enemy AI more random. When an A2A plane is taken (or a request made) one of the enemy airfields is picked at random then a flight of planes at that airfield is picked at random to spawn in.

These features will be carried forward to other Syria Campaign missions.

Friar.

[Friar]

Added option to re-start the mission as well.

[delta7]

Does the Syria mission restart? I thought it was to be a persistent campaign with objectives to destroy and capture however when I was trying out F5 yesterday it seemed that all the air defence had reactivated at alleppo. Or is it still in trial mode?

[Friar]

I have not added "Persistence" yet. The server will roll the mission at 01:00 and 12:00. 

You can always re-start the mission yourself by going into the Comms F10 "other" option and selecting "Mission Commands" and then Re-start.

[Friar]

UPDATE 8th SEPTEMBER

New version uploaded Syria Campaign M1-v1

• A2G F14's added to carrier
• Carrier now has destroyer escort
• Air Boss and LO positions added (I may have already reported this but I think I lost them again)
• Enemy AI now triggered by entering flight zones rather than at spawn-in, giving reduced flight/engagement times.
• Extra defenses added to Harim and surrounding area.
• Airfield capture for Aleppo, Taftanaz and Abu Al Duhur now enables blue flyable units making them live RRR / spawn locations. The enemy may be miffed about this and try and get them back.
• Airborne troops are now split into two tasks. The 82nd and 101st will be available in all places troops can be picked up. This will be Hatay, Alpha FOB and Taftanaz (when airfield (when in blue ownership). 82nd Sections and Platoons must be used for attacking towns when it is not safe to drop troops inside the capture zone. When deployed they will travel across country towards the nearest zone that they need to capture. Range is not an issue for these units. Once they have taken control they will stand guard. The 101st Sections and Platoons must be used for capturing airfields and towns where you feel it is safe to deploy them on site. These troops will only travel towards enemy (if present) within a 300m radius. If no enemy present they will enable the capture of the airfield/town and stand guard in a circle where you deploy them. Both the 101st and 82nd can be picked up again and re used.
• Scoring Added (see below)

Player Scores

The mission will now award scores for enemy air kills, ground units and safe landings. Any points gained on a flight must be "claimed" by making a safe landing at any of the blue owned airfields or FOB's. You must remain in the safe zone (runway for aircraft or take-off areas for helicopters) for at least 10 seconds (so crashing into the ground in a ball of flames does not count as a "landing"  ). The carrier is also marked as a safe place.

Friendly unit kills will earn a deduction.

I am looking into setting buildings have a score as well so the TV and Radio stations may have a bonus value to make them an inviting target but the orphanage may be a big punishment ... DONE SEE BELOW

Player scores can be viewed through the Comms F10 "Other" menu. You can can view your own and the tally for the other players as well.

My hope is that these scores will be part of the on-going campaign and be carried over from one mission to the next, but one-step-at-a-time.

So you now have an incentive to look after your air frame and get it home. If you die or crash without saving the points they will be lost to you.

cfrag is working on a Bank option so my long term goal with the points is that they will be able to be traded for upgrades to the airfields etc. But this is very early days for this function at the moment. 

Enjoy and thank you for your support and patience as I develop this campaign.

 

[Friar]

Forgot to include

• Alpha FOB moved nearer to large clearing to make landing a bit easier. The building is marked by a white container next to it.
• If you own Combined Arms you can now transport troops in the new MaaxPro APC. So why not load up an 82nd section, drive them into the combat area, deploy them and then escort them in manning the 50cal.

[Friar]

UPDATE #2

Turns out it was easier than I thought to add scores for buildings.

So the key targets marked out with a black box will now score 150 points each (these are map object buildings, not objects I have placed to facilitate the location) if you fancy going after them. The exception to this is that the TV and Radio stations will score 300 points, however the orphanage that is now sitting between them will score -500

[Friar]

 Update - Ref Scoring.

It seems that there is a DCS object scoring bug for DML so, for now, building scores are not being recorded, all the other kills will be, air to air and ground units etc. 

These scores will be reported as and when you gain them (although they are not fully awarded until you land safely, for which you get awarded an extra 5 points)

If these messages become too distracting I can turn them off but thought it would be good to leave them in for now as we iron this process out.

You can get your stats and all scores through the comms F10 "other" menu.

Update - Alpha FOB Signal Smoke

I have added a little routine for when the Alpha FOB gets taken by blue forces an option will be added to the comms F10 "other" menu for FOB ATC. You will be able to trigger blue smoke for a short time to give you an indication of the landing zone, in case you can not see it. This option on the menu is only available whilst the FOB is in blue's control.

 Update - Alpha FOB MaxxPro APC

For those of you who have Combined Arms I have added 4 MaxxPro APC vehicles when blue takes control of the FOB. You can load up a Section of troops from here (they can be loaded and deployed just as the helicopters do, via the comms F10 "other" menu) and go off in search of trouble towards Harim if you want.

If you do, watch out for small packets of enemy troops.

 

I am away from tomorrow and not back flying again till next Thursday.

Regards

Friar

[FoolTrottel]

2 hours ago, Friar said:

(...)

 

I am away from tomorrow and not back flying again till next Thursday.

Regards

Friar

Have Fun out there Colin!

[Friar]

UPDATE 21st September 2024

Syria Campaign Map

• Added A2A and A2G Phantoms at Incirlik
• Patched scoring routines to resolve server crash.

If the scoring now works correctly, my next phase is to add the Persistence code, so we are getting close to running this map as an ongoing Campaign.

[Crash]

I hope to use Vaicom for radio etc so on the MP server, is the  Allow Player Export enabled?

[FoolTrottel]

9 minutes ago, Crash said:

I hope to use Vaicom for radio etc so on the MP server, is the  Allow Player Export enabled?

Not sure, but  these lines are in serverSettings.lua:

       ["allow_ownship_export"] = true,
        ["allow_object_export"] = true,

[Crash]

If it doesnt work I will contact Viacom discord for info.

[Friar]

Is there a setting that needs to be in the mission settings for this to work Crash? if so I will make sure its on, just let me know.

[Crash]

This is what the manual says

ABOUT MULTIPLAYER
VAICOM PRO is fully compatible with Multiplayer and has an advanced feature set for MP-specific use. In Preferences you can enable the ‘Use with Multiplayer’ option (if you have a PRO license) which allows you to use VAICOM PRO in the same way in Multiplayer mode as with Single Player mode. The plugin maintains a state picture of the mission environment provided by the multiplayer server. The addressable AI units are available for communications in the same manner as with Single Player in as far as mission design is compatible with standard functions.
Prerequisites
For working with Multiplayer, on the MP page the ‘Use with Multiplayer’ setting must be enabled. On the MP server, the setting Allow Player Export must be enabled.
MP Server Special Menus
Through the ‘Import F10 Menus’ function it is possible to add server-specific commands to the voice commands set. Imported F10 menu items get ‘Action’ in front of the phrase: for example an imported menu item ‘Push to Waypoint 2’ would become ‘Action Push to Waypoint 2‘ on import. This can then become anything you like in the keywords editor. This import will only work if the server has implemented the F10 menu in the standard compatible manner (which is the case for most servers).
MP limitations
Multiplayer mission designers can take great liberties in mission design, e.g. by introducing custom callsigns, custom menus and all kinds of other tweaks outside of the default spectrum. VAICOM PRO cannot support these by default. Where the mission design makes use of the standard features, VAICOM PRO will support them. But some limitations may apply on some specific servers. Nevertheless, VAICOM has a comprehensive toolset built-in to do complete dynamic AI comms in Multiplayer mode, working in mostly the same manner as in Single Player.

 

If you use radio for rearming, ATC info, in flight refuelling even talking to your AI crew it is better than using menus or the wheel for Jester

 

[Friar]

@Crash - I have had a look at the ME and can not see any applicable setting so I think it must be controlled by what FT found.

Anyway have a go on the server and let us know if it works or not. Caucasus map up at the moment, my Syria will be up for Monday. 

[Crash]

I will have a go before the GBS campaign tonight