homepage Forums Air Combat & Civil Aviation DCS World Eno's Firehouse and Crew's Hollo Pointe Server Lounge

Lol no I just worded it poorly. You mentioned someone playing with matches and I went "password!"

Had some weird anomalies last night... Guys couldn't join a variety of spots. Going to be hunting that down.

You know what I just figured out the issue with the logins / spawning I think...

We had an issue with CTTS where if you had over 100 units the dynamically spawned units numbers would overlap- and I can fix that easily!

I had an odd one last night, too.

The GRAD EX mission completed and counted down to a restart and when it did restart the mission was Paused. What was that about? That happens when the Load Mission is pointing to a non-existing .miz file but that was not the case.

WC

I'm still curious if it causes issues if you link to a mission, then change it (leaving the name the same) and don't re-link the mission...

Sort of like how we have to redo ctts initiation if we make changes to it. Even though it stays the same name.

It has worked fine for some time now. And after I added in mission load choices and that scheme of loading the next mission in sequence, I hardly change the miz filename version anymore -- just so I don't have to go back to every affected mission and reset the Load Mission action.

Oh, Teamviewer has a new mobile update. Of course I don't remember my account info.

WC

PM sent to Eno & Crew, RE: TS3 options & other ideas.

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In regards to that one Georgia Peach mission with the one convoy, I read the briefing expecting more then just the one column and likely some nicely placed hidden AAA/SAM threats. I decided to take 4-AGM65Ds for SAMS, 2x GBU-38 for things like bridges should I find destroying them of use, a CBU-97 for the convoy, and I have 6x GBU-12s for stubborn survivors, additional air defenses etc and a 7th GBU-12 as a counterweight for my TGP. I lightened up on fuel to about 60-65%.

Knowing Eno and his ability to hide air defenses, I flew high (16,000ft) expecting to spend a lot of time searching and avoiding SAMs. What happened? I flew to bullseye, changed the WP's altitude to 0ft to start scanning from bullseye. I moved my TGP not even a mile and BAM there's the convoy. A few passes later, including a double-unit kill (this is why you NEVER tailgate when driving gents!) and mission complete?!?!!?

Hey- you guys wanted to complete a mission... and you did. Wanted one that could be completed easily... well- there it is.

What this demonstrates is the classic challenge of a mission designer especially given the limitations of the AI on the ground. Want it to be something that can be completed... but not too easy. It was something a couple of A-10s (common in the firehouse) could do without being overwhelming. Just so happened we had about a dozen guys in last night which is great but it knocked the mission potential off kilter.

The idea with that mission is that it has a variety of options so it won't always be the same convoy. Unfortunately the convoy is limited to a small area (so it doesn't cross bridges.)

I've since slowed it down a bit and rolled the dice on making it cover a bigger area which involve crossing bridges.

I want to elaborate and go on a rant- but suffice to say that spending 20 hours on building an intricate mission just to have half your ground force stuffed on a bridge has got WAY old and I'm absolutely sick of it. So... there are limitations.

You're looking for a secondary objective... I can probably add one.

I've also discovered through grimes that the "random flag value" selection tends to favour first and last missions- which explains why I've been seeing my missions with 4 options on one aspect of a mission and 2-4 options on another aspect of a mission always being the same.

A couple of camera pics of my new rig and cockpit.
i5 [email protected]
GTX 780
40 inch Hisense TV found for $300 and some change on sale at Wally World. In real life it is stunning.
Very pleased with the whole setup for sure.



One of my first "modded" computers. This was pretty sick back in the olden days.

Ah no complaints I was just surprised! If we do get more admins it will help - change the mission to match number of players.

I'm having a fair number of cases where I am carrying too many munitions and near equal times too few. This of course would change flying as fast jet like the '18 where RTB and return to AO weren't so long. If I'm not being bullheaded I survive well in the A-10C - being my sole trade, I'm well versed.

My current main issue is my ability judging other client's skill levels in a given craft to expect whether or not to bring more munitions on wing or not. In cases of a long flight and/or cold start, I'd tend to bring more. If we have newer players - or someone is trying something new, I'd surely bring more equipment and attempt to wipe AAA/SAMs out if possible so they don't have to get shot down as much.

I've learned my plane, now I must learn my fellow combatants!

Wesley I have NO CLUE how you could possibly bring too much ordinance haha. On an almost constant basis I load down the 25T beyond its maximum allowable weight and I still run out of things that go boom.

Are there any planned events tonight? It looks like I'll finally have some free time and should be flying all night.

Very nice, Rider!

That last pic reminded me of the puter I flew Gunship on.

WC

Hope to shake out GRAD EX on Hollo Pointe tonight.

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Eno talked a bit about mission dev above...

Let me launch a beer... and get my cat haha typing one-handed strapped to ground.

Man, it takes at least a month to develop a new mission just to get it to be presentable. Then it takes testing to see if all modes really play out -- single player testing mode helps but doesn't come close to what real players can shake out of a mission when you let lose the cats of war. Tack on another two weeks or more to fix the surprises, and add in the 'great new ideas' that come to mind only after seeing what is working. hehehe and seeing was is not.

Once the mission goes into release mode, it's a challenge to then add new platforms or objectives. That usually upsets the original concept.

Most of my missions are complex in terms of units on the ground and ADA and air threats. Some are what I'd consider 'simple', or less complex. I'm leaning more now to the simple less complex missions. When Nevada comes out we'll see what spills out.

But I have to say, 104th_Moa's Operation Rampant Bear is always going to be a model for the great ones. Lots of stuff, everywhere. Thunder of Kojori is like that.

Then there is Huey Apocalypse, Paradise and the new BeachAV8R's GRAD EX -- focused on the A-10 and HUEY, challenging and fun without a lot of sophisticated ADA threats.

At some point I want to be done with each mission's design and let it roll from there. The Highway now has a variety of a/c in it and I'm not convinced it is better because of that.

^^^

If you have an idea for a mission then present it in a summary. I'd be glad to look at it and give comment. Beach let me have some liberties with his GRAD EX --> multiplayer and it it turning out to be another good one.

WC

Yeah - Crew has a done a great job with a very rough idea I had with GRAD EX. What I like about it is that it is an eminently doable with fairly clear objectives and a few of them to give some diversity. Hope to hop on later tonight and do some more mission testing...but once again I'm on duty, so if I get popped I gotta run.. Just gotta get the kid in bed.

These mission designers have a tough task - that much I can tell you. They have a constant look at their mission, so it can be hard to figure out how difficult a mission is because, well..they know what is behind the curtain. So player testing, comments, suggestions, and feedback are essential to getting the right formula. And then there is the whole issue of ever expanding capabilities of the Mission Editor. Kudos (I hate that word..yeah..) to them for keeping up with it all and continuing to push out awesome new missions.



BeachAV8R

Silly Bast, you can't loop a Huey!

Bast and Wheel in formation, "Slick and The Beast"

Checked the mission and I'm not sure why the medevac wasn't working. Still scratching my head about it.

Hey Eno,

I got a chance to play with the medevac system tonight on GP routine 3. We had two pilots shot down with a significant amount of time between the two. I hopped in one of the Huey's to go rescue the first pilot, and about halfway to his crash site, the second pilot was shot down and ejected. Oddly I received a "come get me" message from the second pilot instead of the first. Once I approached the second pilot everything went pretty smoothly. He popped smoke, I landed and he "got in", and then I got the timer and high tailed it back to the FOB where he exited as soon as I landed.

I never was able to pick up that first pilot though. I never received a "come get me" message when I went back for him, and when I landed next to him, he refused to budge (So I left him to improve relations with the locals )

Thanks for that great report blind. I'll forward that to the creator and see if he can fix it. In his thread on the script he says feedback is all he asks for in return. Might be that the first pilot bled out or something?

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=107303

Of course a thank ou won't be far behind. He says there are scripts that do the sar better... And I'm looking but I still like how easy this one is to setup.

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?p=1990024#post1990024


There is a new update... It's not up yet that I can see on DCS UPDATE- but it's inbound.