Gilligan

Seems like a pretty rare/niche occurrence and that it will be difficult to nail down exactly what is going on. I appreciate you guys taking a closer look at it, however.

This could also be a result of the modeled "INS Drift" feature, which accumulates error over time in the mission. More aggressive maneuvering tends to accumulate drift faster. I have found that over longer missions, the SPI indicated location for steerpoints tends to drift by a couple hundred meters one way or another, especially if I've had to do some hard maneuvering. CZ'ing does not reset the SPI to the "correct" location. Hard to believe this is true-to-life behavior (post GPS and with GPS Correction) as it renders pre-planned JDAM strikes (without TGP correction) basically impossible, however this is supposedly modeled correctly.

I've seen at least one other thread on it happening in multiplayer. I agree they are likely connected, since the HTS can command the slew of the TGP, if the HTS is malfunctioning and directing the TPG to slew somewhere weird then that makes sense. When I turned both of them off to egress from the target area my Steerpoint SPI's stayed where they were supposed to be instead of jumping around like they were when both sensors were powered on. So at least that "Fixes" the Steerpoint SPI from moving. I didn't try powering them back on to see if that would change anything as far as getting the sensors working again, however. Interesting, if it ever happens again I'll have to try that. I agree it seems like the HTS bugging out is commanding the TGP to slew at "nothing" or whatever defaults the HTS reverts to when it is failing to lock. That is unfortunate, as this bug seems to be relegated to longer or more scripted flights/missions. The issue being caused by threats activating/deactivating makes sense, as a major part of the Weasels over Syria campaign are scripts that try and simulate more realistic SAM behavior by having them power on at specific points/ranges and then off again to spoof HARM shots. So it's possible I was locking/attempting to lock the Snow Drift during one of these scripted power on/off cycles, which caused the HTS to wig out. If it happens again in a shorter track I'll be sure to save it. I've sense completed that mission and one other long mission which used the HTS and TGP pods heavily over a longer, scripted mission with similar SAM behavior but did not experience the bug again.

Bind it to the input: "Paddle Switch - Depress"

Finally cleared this one with the 100 score. Man, that was a tough one.

I know what you mean. For now I have submitted the track file on the main viper bug reporting section and its being reviewed. I'm sure if it's something I did they'll tell me, though I have read other threads about the HTS pod suddenly failing mid flight on people. The TPOD issue is new, however I have a feeling it might be tied to the HTS issue. When I turned both off to egress and land it stopped moving my SPI/steerpoint diamond and left it where it was supposed to be, which makes me believe it was definitely something going on with one or both of those sensors. Thanks, I have no doubt I'll be able to find it so long as the TPOD is working correctly. it was just tough to make out details when the tpod was jumping around like it was. Unfortunately we only get so much resolution on the MAV screen, but it was at least holding a lock for me at the time.

No, I didn't have it on that attempt, but I know what you're talking about. I was able to lock and find the SA6 sites prior to the HTS going down. so it was working initially, as was the TPOD. I wasn't in markpoint mode, or any other sub-mode that would inhibit it from locking, as far as I am aware.

Got the clear finally, but missed the command center. I had some DCS bugs that really took the difficulty up a few notches. Both the HTS and TGP bugged out on me - HTS stopped locking anything when I was going after the SA11 site, and then the TPOD started jumping off the selected steerpoint/locked SPI and just looking north. reported both with trackfile so I guess I'll see what comes of it. Still managed to drop the 105's on the three TELs, but mistook a Shilka for the command center with the mav sensor and took it out instead. Ill probably try for the 100 score again.

Was flying mission 11 in the new Ground Pounder Sims Campaign for the Viper, Last Out: Weasels Over Syria, and while I was trying to knock out the final set of mission targets I encountered a set of bugs that were new to me and made completing the mission exceedingly difficult. 1st the HTS pod stopped locking targets. I was not in Markpoint mode, nor did I, to my knowledge, change any settings or do anything that would cause the HTS to stop locking targets, but I could not lock any radar emitters on the HAD screen. Specifically I was trying to get the Snow Drift Radar but I couldn't get any of the others I tried either. Possibly related to this, maybe not, the TGP would not stay on the currently selected Steerpooint or locked point/area/INS track SPI. It continually popped off where I wanted it looking and, as far as I can tell, just started looking dead north of its own accord. I could CZ it back to the steerpoint for a moment, but it would jump back off to the north after somewhere between 0.5 and 5 seconds. Sorry for the very large trackfile, it is a very long mission. https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/pr7kpe1gzdqk096bcdllc/Weasels-Last-Out-M11-Vipers-1.trk?rlkey=4xb78i7n24trubcuhz6qszcp7&st=b0i4ry0y&dl=0 I start experiencing the bug after the first two SA6's are gone and while trying to engage the SA11 site. Should be about 1 hour in.

Thank you. Sounds like I'm on the right tack and getting closer. Some more patience dealing with the 11 once the 6's are clear and I might just have it. Appreciate the advice. And again, stellar work with this campaign.

Man, I know these missions are supposed to be tough, and while I've cleared most of them well enough, a couple have proven to be challenging, taking a couple attempts. However mission 11, pit of Vipers 1, is taking my lunch money and hanging me out to dry. Is there anything special I should be doing to pass this one? Every time I try something new, a different SAM threat is filling the gap I thought I might try and exploit. No threat has gotten me twice, but damn if there isn't a new one covering each potential opening I try and make formyself. Is there something I am missing that I should be doing for this one? TIA

If you get a solid air boresight at about the range you want to lock it at it will almost always be dead on when you set the point track and SOI shifts to the mav seeker screen. Sometimes if you are too close, even if you get a good lock, the mav won't be able to maneuver and get the hit regardless. IMO you need to have it off the rail before 4 miles.

How are you boresighting the mavs? on the ground or in the air? I have a much better correlation if I do it in the air at max range. I would try setting the boresight off the destroyed mortar site right at 8 miles or so. Once you establish the point track on the truck with the TGP, try zooming out a bit so it more closely matches with the view you get with the Mav seeker. Start your attack run at about 15 miles out so you have time to line everything up.

I bound that MFD OSB to a button on my throttle.

That is kind of what I figured, but I also was trying to make sure I flew North/North East towards waypoint 6 while staying out of Lebanese Airspace. I was right outside the SA2 threat ring. In hindsight I probably could have stayed on a more northly heading for a bit longer but once I got that first dialog I thought I was good to drift east a bit. Didn't matter in the end. Got the 100 score, and to be honest this is the first bug I've encountered across both of your Weasels over Syria Campaigns, which, considering their complexity, is no small feat.

Encounter a bug today regarding Rotor's AI behavior while playing through Mission 10. I'm not exactly sure what happened, and I don't have a track file as my wife was rushing me to wrap up and go get groceries, but I do have a tac view file if that helps diagnose what's going on. Mission went as follows: Took off from Akrotiri, ingressed through silver, dropped GBUs on the Fan Song and Low Blow at Mezzah. Tac View Link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/3e7zyho7x3cl27zpte64s/Tacview-20241222-133426-DCS-LOWOS-Mission-10-FINAL.zip.acmi?rlkey=zeiu46txjfn3ck5h78ic5b53x&st=o4yw4y66&dl=0

If you want to engage "targets of opportunity" in the viper you need to get familiar with the markpoint system - markpoints are a sub-type of steerpoint (Steer points 26-30) that you can createusing the aricrafts sensors, or by over-flying a spot on the map. I like to either use the HUD/JHMCS if I find a target Visually, or the TGP if I want to save the location of a radar emitter (SAM site) in order to engage it with Mavs/Bombs or even Harms. The process is fairly simple If you want to use the HAD/TPOD: Make sure you're in AG Mode Find your Radar Emitter in the HAD screen, Switch to TPOD and refine the location Hit "7" on the ICP - you will see the symbology in the DED change to STPT 26 with the nav data for that point (usually zeros). You should also see some text indicating which sensor it's going to want you to use - HUD, TPOD, OFLY, etc. To use the HTS/TPOD make sure TPOD is selected. Hit TMS up to enter point track, and TMS up again and you'll see the information for STPT 26 in the DED update with the current point the TPOD is looking at. Hit Zero on the ICP to set that created markpoint as the current steerpoint. - If you want to use the HUD or JHMCS make sure it shows HUD, on the DED. If you're just using the HUD put circle you'll see in the HUD on the target and repeat the process above (TMS up twice). Press 0 to set it as the currently active steerpoint. If you want to use the JHMCS hold TMS up LONG (like 3 seconds) and you'll see a big circle appear in your JHMCS symbology. Look at the spot on the ground where you want to put the markpoint, hit tms Up once to drop the circle (Ground stabilize). You can slew it a bit if you want to refine it, then hit TMS up a 2nd time to save it. Like before you'll see the coordinate info in the DED for that Markpoint. Again, hit zero to make it your current steerpoint. Good luck.

Just plan on doing 90% if not 100% of the work yourself. HARM launch, weaseling, and clearing most of the enemy fighters. The ships are going to have most the allied flights going defensive the entire time. Launch harms. Get low and defend. Try and get an AIM120 Launch or two off each time you turn back hot then defend aggressively again. If you fix a rough location of the ships on ingress, you can create a markpoint in that general area and then launch your harms in POS mode at that point as well. just make sure you have the HARM codes correct when you're setting up your jet. Its a little quicker than having to re-lock a radar emitter after each shot. EDIT: heres a tac view files of a success. I got 2 legitimate kills and one more where the J11 defended into the sea. Tacview-20241102-153008-DCS-F-16M4.zip.acmi

Generally, Steerpoints are set in the viper that correspond with any waypoints you set when creating a mission. If you're playing MP and the server does not have any pre-set way points then you will have to enter any steerpoints manually. To do this you'll need to grab the coordinates you want from the F10 map, make sure you're in decimal minute format. Once you have your coordinates, hit 4 on the ICP to enter the steerpoint menu. Here you can enter your Northing, Easting, and Altitude of your desired Steerpoints. Note, use the dobber to navigate around the menu, "North" is entered with "2", South with "8", East with "6" and West with "4". Most maps will require you to put a Zero in front of the East/West Coordinate, but not all. You can also enter coordinates in MRGS format, but this is limited to steer points 21-24. Pull up the steerpoint using the "4" button on the ICP like before, but enter "21" into the field with the steerpoint number, and then hold dobber right for 2 seconds. Wait a tick, and then the DED will change to MRGS format entry. When you're done entering the info make sure you highlight "CNVRT" and hit ENTR to save the steerpoint. If I want to find targets of opportunity, Press 7 on the ICP to enter Markpoint mode - Markpoints are a subset of steerpoints (26-30) that can be created using the aircraft sensors, HUD, TGP, or by over-flying a specific location. I like to set it to HUD, hold TMS up Long to use the JHMCS to look at where I want to drop the mark point. Hit TMS up once to drop the point on the ground where you want, you can slew it a bit form here to refine it, then TMS up again to save that spot. Press "0" on the ICP to make that markpoint into your current steerpoint. That ill orient the TGP on that spot to designate targets from there. I don't really use snow plow mode, personally.

Supplemental: If you press List -> 0 -> 8 -> 0 (List -> MSC -> BULLS -> SEL) on the ICP it will enable bullseye information on the FCR and HSD on the bottom left of the screen that corresponds to the cursor location on that screen. As in, once enabled, you can search on the FCR or HSD screen for a location relative to the bullseye. If you lock a contact it will give you the location of that contact relative to bullseye.

Heres a tac view file of the drone's position and flight path. Spawn is about 24,000 MSL with a slight descent. I intercepted it around 22,000 MSL. Bearing from Rota is approx 205 (25-30 Miles), or 350 from Anderson. it's flying a heading of approx 180. Good Luck. Tacview-20241101-234218-DCS-F-16M3.zip.acmi

Well now I'm just going to have to go back and see if I can manage it with the SA6's! lol

Quick question on mission 6 regarding the SAM spawns in the Bekka Valley. First off, solid campaign so far. Really enjoying it. First mission in the campaign to give me some trouble is mission 6, the night flight SAM hunting in the Bekka Valley with Boomer. I ended up having to try this one a few times to get it right, but I noticed that on my first two attempts that Is there something I did or didn't do earlier in the mission that influenced which SAM system spawned or is it random?

I found him visually, based on a brief radar return and the given AWACS position & heading I kind of guessed at where I thought he might be and searched along that bearing line. I started closer to the island and moved farther out as I searched and eventually spotted it. The C17's not taking off is most likely a bug. I did not have an issue with that.

Mission 4 I was getting some weird blue artifacting on the bottom of the clouds at 25k. Might just be a DCS thing with the fog update? Ulimately no impact on the mission playing out but it was weird.