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Bunyap

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Everything posted by Bunyap

  1. Just to clarify, was it the actual wingmen, i.e. 2,3, and 4, or was it the second section? The second section will automatically abort an attack and rejoin under certain conditions. They are only a placeholder I rigged into the mission until proper 8 and 12 ship controls can be added by the developers so I wouldn't fret too much over their behavior. If it was the wingmen, did they happen to be within range of the 88mm flak at the time? I think I saw what you are talking about today and I'm 99% sure it was a threat reaction maneuver. They sometimes climb out of threat range, going as far as 10 miles from the target before turning back to engage from higher altitude and a better angle. It makes a lot of sense looking at it in Tacview after the fact, you just have trust them and let it play out sometimes. Do you have any more details you could give me? Specifically, which radio command did you use, did they have bombs or were they down to guns, how long did you wait, and did they rejoin on their own? I'm glad to spend some more time on it if you have something I can try to reproduce step by step. ED has been very quick to respond to AI fine-tuning requests in support of the campaigns.
  2. No, no idea why it is not working for you. I flew as far as mission 4 in 2.5 today with no problems at all. All I can recommend is deleting the .miz files from the /DCS World/mods/Campaigns/P-51D Mustang Charnwood Campaign folder and then running a repair. You should see that option under the Eagle Dynamics folder in your Windows start menu. That will download fresh copies of the missions. Nothing else occurs to me right now but let me know if it continues to act up. We will figure something out.
  3. Hi Reflected, I have been looking at it all morning and I can't duplicate it or find any other similar reports. As far as I know, campaigns should pick up right where they left off after the update. All I can really tell you is what you already know: either restart or fly the rest as single missions as shown at the bottom of this post https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=197455 Hopefully somebody can come along with a better answer. I'll let you know if I find more info on it.
  4. The DCS 2.5 Open Beta included an update to the Viggen that, among other things, allows for accurate route timing using the CK37 computer. Thanks very much to RagnarDa at Heatblur for squaring this away for us! I hope others will share their own tips and techniques as well but here are the four functions I find most useful: Prior to takeoff, the CK37 displays a countdown to the optimal takeoff time. This assumes a fuel efficient speed is followed along the route all the way to the target and takes any ingress points you create into account. In practice, this serves as a good cross check for the latest time you can take off and still comfortably make the planned time on target. Another very useful feature you can use at any time is the Current Time display. Taxi, takeoff and package push times are listed on the lineup card so this mode can be used to keep track of those during the mission. There is no right or wrong way to do this but I fly with the selector in TID until I'm close to the IP. This gives me a read-out of how far ahead or behind of schedule I am. I know I am in a good position in relation to the other flights if the time is close to 0:00. We also have a timing reference displayed in the HUD. The line tells us if our airspeed is too fast or too slow to hit the next nav point on time. If the vertical fin is above the Flight Path Vector, I either slow down or change course to delay my arrival. If the fin is below, I either speed up or take a more direct route to the nav point. Nav timing really is as simple as that.
  5. Yeah, absolutely. With one exception, we went with the loadout they used on the actual missions these are based on as shown below. The Mustangs used by the RAF over Normandy were not rigged for rockets. The one exception is mission 7. That one was so typical of the missions flown by Typhoon squadrons where rockets were used that I just had to see what it would be like. The point to me is to have fun and learn from the experience so a person can easily change loadouts to their taste.
  6. Thanks Reflected, we really appreciate it! I don't have access to 2.5 or anything but I know that type of crash has been reported. It should be squared away but if not, I'll be the first to bring it up. Being able to strafe is a big deal in these to say the least. We had hoped the new missions with the static smoke would be available with with the last update but I'm afraid they did not make it in. In fact, if mission 2's briefing has that error, they actually reverted back a version. Thanks for pointing that out! The updated missions have some more tweaks to improve performance so with luck they will fix at least some of your issues. That 2.5 update can't come soon enough.
  7. A problem has been identified with illumination bombs on mission 10 that does not allow the player to complete the mission in the way we intended. The root cause has been identified and I am assured it will be corrected with the DCS: World 2.5 release. My recommendation is to pause in the campaign and finish after DCS: World 2.5 becomes available. This was intended to be the signature mission of the campaign and went through the most thorough testing we could devise. The only folks I can imagine are more disappointed than me are those who have attempted to fly the mission and failed. This is the environment that was intended and I hope you agree it will be worth the wait:
  8. I'll also move these here from another thread full of tips. There are also some very good demonstrations of SAM avoidance techniques provided here by the 476 vFG: See the link in the video description for Tacview replays of each. As you'll see, you really, really, need to pay attention to RWR tones. This is especially important if you choose not to track the threat locations called in by the other flights. All primary threats give you a warning as you approach. - This RWR Tone generator by 2-niner is extremely useful! The expected threats are always listed in the briefing so use this to familiarize yourselves with the tones before, or even during the mission: https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=184283 - This ELINT database by grunf is also very handy: https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=182490 Also, the RWR tone volume can be adjusted in the cockpit using this knob:
  9. This is a very simple mission I set up long ago to learn the RWR Tones, ECM, Countermeasures, and basic threat avoidance in the Viggen: Viggen SAM Avoidance.miz The goal is to learn the behavior of the aircraft systems and how to use them to evade these threats so my recommendations are to fly this mission with labels on and immortal set under your gameplay options. This will allow you to see exactly what is going on and determine which techniques work for you and which do not. As a reference, I would recommend part 10 of Chucks Guide to the AJS-37 Viggen. It covers ECM and countermeasure systems as well as anything else you would ever need to know about the aircraft. You can find it here: http://www.mudspike.com/chucks-guides-dcs-ajs-37-viggen/ The mission's route takes you past the primary SAM and AAA types you will encounter in the Red Flag campaign. Threat avoidance is a very deep subject and I do not know of any comprehensive guide for the Viggen. The best way to learn is by doing it so look for these things as you fly the mission: - RWR Tone generated by the different SAM/AAA systems - Distance you pick up the search radar tone - Distance you pick up the tracking radar tone - Time between radar tracking tone and missile launch - Difference in threat behavior with ECM or without ECM - Difference in threat behavior flying directly at the threat vs flying with the threat to your side (beaming/notching) - Effect of terrain masking, and how breaking line of sight between you and the threat affects their behavior - Effectiveness of chaff against radar guided SAM/AAA. - Effectiveness of flare against IR guided SAMs (the SA-13 is the only one in this mission) - Effectiveness of aircraft maneuvering without countermeasures against the missiles - How long the automatic chaff and flare dispensing programs last before you run out - How aggressive you can be with manual dispensing of countermeasures before running out Getting into these details is way beyond the scope of what a mission designer is responsible for but I'll do my best to pass along any additional tips on threat avoidance that occur to me here. Some of these only apply to the Red Flag campaign missions and not the simple practice mission linked above: - Do not arrive at the target early. I can't stress enough how important this is. Some missions have a specific time on target and some have a time window when protection in the target area is available. For example, mission 4's briefing states "Time on target is planned for 0926 but anything within a 0926-0936 window will allow us to hit the target with adequate SEAD and CAP support from the rest of the package. Springfield flights (F/A-18C) will be targeting known SA-10s and SA-15s operating southwest of bullseye. Monitor RWR and comms regarding this threat. The Dodge flight leads will make the decision to press on with the attack or hold between Belted and Quartzite based on a real time read of the situation." There are no intentional traps set for the player but you are one piece of a larger strike package. The mission will obviously be harder (but not impossible) if you choose to 'go rogue' and do your own thing. - Be prepared to identify and avoid some threats yourself. This is intended to be a realistic Red Flag. Missile shots are sometimes scored as a miss and SEAD or CAP are sometimes shot down. The AI SEAD and CAP flights have performed exactly as intended in every video or stream I have seen. Reacting to threats the other aircraft do not deal with is part of the Red Flag experience. That is where this practice mission comes into play. - Use the terrain for cover The safest path along the route is not a straight line from nav point to nav point. Time is built into the route to allow for terrain masking. From the briefings: "The nav system uses an economical airspeed of around mach .6 to compute route timing. This speed is low enough to allow deviation from the exact route for ridge crossings and tactical low-level navigation while still remaining on time." Cross ridges at an angle so you can quickly cross back to the other side if a visual or RWR threat pops up. Consider whether it is wiser to fly through the middle of a valley or to hug a ridge on either side of it. Plan all this out before the mission starts or have a closer look at the map as you fly to the marshal. You have the time. Notes on threats in the order they are encountered in this practice mission: SA-19 - Distinctive radar search RWR tone - No launch warning so take the search tone seriously - Fires missiles optically without radar tracking - A low, fast aircraft is practically untouchable at greater than half the missile range - Simply change course 30 degrees left or right if RWR search tone is off your nose - Missile very easily defeated by maneuvering at any range SA-13 - Short range - Easily defeated by flare - If you see other acft dispensing flare, be prepared to do the same in that area - Periodically drop flare as a preventative measure if you are on a target run and can not look around for a launch ZSU-23 - ECM reduces tracking range - Chaff interferes with tracking (Some dispute this but that is how it works in the real world. I have no reason to assume it does not work that way here in some fashion.) - Tracking shots are easily evaded if you jink and keep the aircraft moving around SA-8 - ECM reduces tracking range - Dispense chaff at RWR radar track tone and break away from direction shown on the RWR lights. - Very easily spoofed by chaff - Almost no threat at all if you have an automatic countermeasures program running in the target area SA-15 - ECM reduces tracking range - Dispense chaff at RWR radar track tone and break away from direction shown on the RWR lights. - Missile can be spoofed by chaff but it takes a LOT. Proof: - The earlier you react the better. Do not hesitate. Break and start dropping chaff the instant you hear that radar track RWR tone - Do not depend only on the auto countermeasures programs, manually dump it out as well SA-6 - ECM reduces tracking range - Dispense chaff at RWR radar track tone and break away from direction shown on the RWR lights. - Terrain masking is your best defense against this and other med-long range systems - Use more chaff and force missile to maneuver if you have no terrain cover escape route and the missile continues to track Like I said, this is not a comprehensive guide but these are the things I consider when flying the missions. As always, please feel free to add to this thread! Viggen SAM Avoidance.miz
  10. Speaking of RWR tones, you really, really, need to pay attention to these. This is especially important if you choose not to track the threat locations called in by the other flights. All primary threats give you a warning as you approach. Even SA-19s launching with optical guidance give a warning as they acquire you with their search radar. - This RWR Tone generator by 2-niner is extremely useful! The expected threats are always listed in the briefing so use this to familiarize yourselves with the tones before, or even during the mission: https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=184283 - This ELINT database by grunf is also very handy: https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=182490
  11. Here are two more tips. These are mainly for streamers and video makers but I'm sure everybody will find them useful. - The RWR tone volume can be adjusted in the cockpit using this knob: - You can adjust the volume of radio calls by using the audio option sliders. From the cockpit, hit Esc, select Options, and adjust the Helmet slider to your taste. It is usually best to adjust radio volumes using cockpit controls but this serves as a good last resort for some aircraft.
  12. Thanks cuervo111! The rail bridge is labeled as such on the recon photo but I'll add a line to the briefing for you. I might actually need to pre-destroy it as well. I think either 'Tonic' or 'Presto' hit that bridge on mission 1. (Edit: No, it was a different bridge but I have a feeling its days are numbered in a future campaign. All the bridges in that area were worked over pretty well from late June to late July.)
  13. Yes sir, this one needed one more close read. The correct target is rail cars as shown in the images on page 15 and TOT should be 0822. Dodge 2 will hit artillery 4 miles to the southeast, and Colt 3 and 4 will provide SEAD. The rest seems ok but I'm running it one more time just to make sure. I'm updating the TOTs for the lineup card as well. They should all be in the 0815 - 0830 range. Thanks again!
  14. A new version of mission 3 is posted above with some changes to help streamline the flow of radio calls and make tracking of threats as you ingress more manageable. See this post for an example of what I mean: 'Allied Flight Reports' and the Red Flag Campaign I also took some of the teeth out of the defenses near the target itself, mainly to allow your wingman to make his attack without being disrupted. He has more common sense than us sometimes and aborts his attack under certain conditions, one of which being AAA firing at him from directly ahead. He will also abort his run if friendly aircraft are near his target when he is ready to fire so be sure you are at least 30 seconds behind Dodge 2 as briefed. Also, stay aware of your own position during the attack and maintain spacing to ensure you not flying in your own wingman's line of sight! To compensate and keep it challenging, some of the SEAD targeting was randomized to allow a longer range SAM or two to occasionally come into play. As always, be sure to check this forum post for tips and feel free to add your own! ------> Campaign Documentation and Tips
  15. Thanks Rudel_chw. :) Here is one more tip, especially recommended for those who are new to single player missions and have not developed an ear for the AI voices. Enable subtitles by selecting this checkbox under your audio options. This will display the text at the top left of your screen.
  16. There are also some very good demonstrations of SAM avoidance techniques provided here by the 476 vFG: See the link in the video description for Tacview replays of each.
  17. Here are a few more tips after watching a couple playthroughs and reading some feedback: - Route timing is built assuming an airspeed of about mach .6, the speed used by the nav system for timing calculations at the Nevada altitudes, and the approximate speed you get with auto-throttle (AFK) engaged. It is best if you maintain that for most of the flight and only start a high-speed dash to the target near the IP. Otherwise, there is a very good chance you and your flight will not have the fuel to make it back. - It is also very easy to get out of position if you get too fast too early. I'll write more on time-on-target management in a bit. - Your flight members will call 'bingo fuel' over the radio when they have enough fuel to land at Lincoln Co at an economical airspeed with a small reserve. Fuel management and directing your flight to RTB when appropriate is the player's responsibility and all part of the mission design. Be sure you account for fuel usage along the route and give the command to RTB over the radio when you are near the airfield. - Be sure to select the strike frequency after leaving Nellis, otherwise you will not hear AWACS threat advisory calls or be able to give orders to your flight. That is button 2 on the top row as described in the briefing. - The route from nav point B7 and onward is explained in detail in the briefing, but to clarify, fly from B7 directly to L1, Lincoln Co airfield. You have the option of ending the mission there. Nav point B8 is included for navigation on your way back to Nellis if you choose to take off again after refueling. - These are challenging missions but there are no intentional traps set for the player. Fixed SAM sites will always be at the location shown in the briefing but a small number of mobile SAM sites can be placed anywhere. The types and general number of unlocated mobile sites are always listed in the briefing. I just want to be clear that there is nothing gimmicky going on here with air defense placement and that air defense set-up is run just like at a real Red Flag. It is intended to require thought and preparation but it is easy to succeed if you understand the plan. - Before play testing began, the player's flight routes were tested extensively with the player's flight controlled by the AI. They managed to succeed at all missions on a regular basis when flying the briefed route and timing but missions can play out differently depending on the effectiveness of your CAP and SEAD support. You will always have a good chance of surviving if you follow the flight plan to the letter in terms of path and timing. However, that does not mean the planned route is always the best way to do it. Be sure to listen and look for threats and adjust your plan accordingly. See this post on 'allied flight reports' for more details: https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=199332
  18. Probably not but I wouldn't recommend it. :) You can skip that mission in the campaign by selecting this at F10 in the radio menu and exiting. That way, you don't have to fly it twice, or at all for that matter:
  19. Yeah, it was changed across the entire platform. I flew an A-10 mission a couple weeks ago when the change was made and it was a totally different experience. There was no delay and everything that came through was accurate. The only catch is that most, if not all, other missions and campaigns are not set up to take advantage of all the different ways to filter radio traffic. You will get a non-stop litany of 'passing waypoint', 'tally armor', 'tally utility' type calls that do not really matter and clog up the radio. I was only able to set things up in this campaign to minimize that because I knew the change was coming. Even so, I still have some tweaking to do to make sure calls do not step on each other as much. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here are some notes on how to manage the radio calls now that it is on my mind again. Four commands to filter traffic under advanced waypoint options: 'No Report Waypoint Pass' - No radio calls when allied flights on your frequency pass a waypoint 'Silence' - No radio calls at all from that flight. - Set at wpt 0 if you want them silent all the time - Set at a later waypoint if you want them silent at a certain point along their route. 'Set Frequency' - Changes flight's radio freq so they still transmit, only on a different frequency. - I haven't tried it yet but AI flights could be set to different frequencies after push like 'strike 1', 'strike 2', 'SEAD', 'CAP', etc, with the player able to switch to whatever they need to listen in on 'Invisible' - used on ground units to prevent 'tally' radio calls from other flights - for example, ground unit starts with 'invisible' set, CAP and SEAD flights pass over without making the 'tally' call, 'invisible' removed by a trigger, CAS units follow up and attack them - this is the toughest one to manage and will probably require an assist from the developers to get a system that really works well
  20. I just ran through the mission and everything was still set up as intended. There are groups set aside for the Viggens inside the zone mentioned in the briefing. They were not supposed to be in any specific place, just in the vicinity of 5 and 6. (Edit: Sorry, I misread your post! They were intended to be stationary at that location and not to be in motion.) Thanks a lot though. Don't hesitate to bring something up if it seems odd.
  21. Maxzous, as you say, this is not really the place for anti-shipping. I would pass if that is what you are looking for. Tripleinside, the mission attached to the top post above fixes the issue. A replacement mission is also available here if you want to fly the rest of it: https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=199390
  22. Thanks but I think I will leave it the way it is. That is just a common colloquial way of putting it. Also, consider it from the pod's point of view. Is it the waves it is scooping or is it the electron flow the waves induce that it is scooping? I'm not saying you are wrong, just that it doesn't matter in the context of the mission briefing.
  23. As a heads up to anyone waiting on this update, the new files did not make it into Friday's patch. They will most definitely be included at the next opportunity but probably not until the 2.5 update later this month. In the meantime, I am working to bring the Operation Epsom missions up to the same standard. With any luck, those will be available about the same time.
  24. Thank you very much for your interest in this new Red Flag 16-2 campaign! This time, we are placing you in the role of a US Air Force exchange pilot that is flying an AJS-37 Viggen for the Swedish Air Force. To give you a taste of this campaign, we are offering you the first three missions as a free sample. Mission 1 covers your arrival at Nellis AFB, and mission 2 is an orientation flight of the NTTR Range area. These, in conjunction with detailed briefings, will familiarize you with the airspace, and prepare you for the missions that follow. Mission 3 is your first 'full up' Red Flag mission, placing you within a full large force exercise (LFE) package. This third mission is representative of the missions that follow in the full campaign. To fly this campaign sample, please save the following files to C:\Users\Xxxxxx\Saved Games\DCS.openalpha\Missions folder. They will then be available for selection in DCS: World by going to the Missions menu and selecting My Missions. Mission 1 Mission 2 Mission 3 The campaign introduction and mission briefings are attached below. The full campaign also includes a lineup card for quick reference in flight and two high resolution maps of the route. Introduction Mission 1 Briefing Mission 2 Briefing Mission 3 Briefing We hope you enjoy this free sample, and the full campaign is available here if you would like to continue with the rest of the campaign: https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/shop/campaigns/ajs-37_16-2_red_flag_campaign/ Viggen Mission 1 Briefing.pdf Viggen Mission 2 Briefing.pdf Viggen RF Introduction.pdf RF-AJS37-1.miz RF-AJS37-2.miz Viggen Mission 3 Briefing.pdf RF-AJS37-3.miz
  25. Our flight lead in mission 2 seems to be having difficulty avoiding terrain so here is a temporary replacement for that mission that clears the issue up. You should still have advanced in the campaign after it happened but that turn at Nav Point 4 was definitely not working as intended. If you would like to fly the mission again, here is an updated version: RF-AJS37-2.miz To fly the new version, save the file to C:\Users\Xxxxxx\Saved Games\DCS.openalpha\Missions folder. It will be available for selection by going to the Missions menu and selecting My Missions. This version will be included with the next update to DCS: World so there will be no action required after that. Thanks for your patience and if you are not an owner of the campaign, enjoy the free sample! In fact, mission 1-3 are about to be made available for free so more to come soon. Bunyap RF-AJS37-2.miz
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