Alpenwolf

Reminder: Round 4 -> Saturday, 11.09.2021, 1800 zulu.

Once upon a time there was Leatherneck. Now, it's Heatblur Simulations and Magnitude 3 LLC. Both are great teams! I'm not sure whether they're slow or not, but I know they're damn good developers and their modules are top notch! I could wait

An F/A-18C Related Question: If I'm to give Hornets information regarding the whereabouts of various target areas, is assigning waypoints the best/only best way to do it? What if I'm to provide coordinates (longitudes and latitudes) in the briefing and pilots must configure those themselves. Would that be just as good? Also, the mission I'm working on is late 80's so I'm not sure what systems a Hornet had access to. Thanks in advance and please, answer only if you're sure of the information you're providing me with.

"Local SOP" is what I also thought about. Could be the case. Besides, there are different Mi-8 variants, so, maybe that causes discrepancies among all the different start up procedures. The engines' warm ups seem fine. Just looked it up again.

And there is that, you're right.

I was about to start a thread to post this very video, but I thought I might look for it here. Surely someone will have had posted and there you are I've been flying the Hip since day one, read the manual twice and still go back to it once in a while to check out a few things. Can we just all agree that the start up procedure is this video is rubbish? That is if we assume the one we have in DCS is the proper one? Or can one just start up this helicopter (or any helicopter/airplane) differently while following the SOP's regarding essential things only? As to this video, I'm mainly referring to the standby generator and the equipment test switches he turned on and off so often. But also the fuel pumps when he switched them all on, then switched off the right and left pumps off while keeping the feed pump on. I know he wasn't using external power for the start up procedure, hence switching on the feed pump switch only, but only after switching on all three. Huh?! Also, he seemed to be in a hurry and didn't allow the engines to warm up well.

... and the word has been confirmed!

Actually, no. I've tried that multiple times and players can still have a firing solution even when driving a BTR-80, M-113, etc. My guess is that a dedicated server reacts differently to setups and options configured in the ME. I see that in ARC frequencies and beacons for one example. A huge +1 to all the above!!! Great ideas and wishes! I love the CA module and I've always had it included in all my missions to encourage more players to get on the fun wagon with the rest of us! In that regard, I have a mission that will go online this Sunday around 1800 zulu if anyone is interested: Operation Close Air Support. 44.) Players should have access to all vehicles, especially, armoured ones. I wouldn't care much about driving a bus (not saying no if ED wants to sometime in the future), but combat vehicles are a must in my humble opinion. Godspeed, ED!

Yeah, LazzySeal told me about it. And I believe he was behind this feature and argued for it among the ED staff. Top bloke! Shame. That's Mike-Delta's favourite mission.

What mission?

Operation Mountain Peaks. Your MiG-19 couldn't carry any R3S missiles because there aren't any. The mission features the early stages of the Cold War, hence the absence of such missiles. Good flying!

Teamkills will always happen. Forcing someone to be on SRS and the right frequency would be great, but such a script would be tough to do. I was on TS all night long though. I could've reacted if someone had told me about it.

Interesting. The Su-25T's Fantasmagoria would pick up damaged units nonetheless. I just tested that in the ME. However, ME behaviour might differ from the multiplayer's. Well, in that case, I'd rather have the AV-8B's finish off what's left. I mean, I can't think of all 5 units being damaged to the extent they would stop emitting, but they're still alive. It might happen to 1 unit. 2 max. And it only might. With 6 x Tomcats now instead of 4, I hope Blue strikers would have more time and "safer" conditions to operate.

Ah, come on, you really think that's the case?! I know, it ain't. And it's not much to script. No matter how damaged a ground unit is in DCS, it will still fire all its weapons as if nothing happened to it. The damage model is no secret here, especially for ground units. So, you need to destroy the units completely, otherwise Eagles and Mirages are in trouble.

I don't know, that's for future plans. We'll see...

Server News: - Operation Close Air Support: - Added 2 slots for the SA342L's -> 6 aircraft. - The SA342L's take off from a third FARP, Warsaw, located between the two Blue FARP's, further north. - FARP Warsaw is marked only for Blue on the F10 map. - FARP Warsaw is not part of the objective. It has no air defences and no infantries to pick up. It's only for the SA342L's to operate from. - SA342L's are primarily tasked with hunting Red helicopters, especially, Mi-24P's. - Added door gunners for the Mi-8's. - Added 2 slots for the Yak-52 for Red as a reconnaissance plane -> 4 aircraft. - Added 2 slots for the Christen Eagle ll for Blue as a reconnaissance plane -> 4 aircraft. - Briefing adjusted. * We'll see how it goes with the two airplanes. I might replace them with the L-39 and C-101 while taking away all their weapons, so they only serve as recon planes. - Work on a similar scenario of operation Close Air Support has started. - The mission will feature the Ka-50, the Mi-24 and the Mi-8 for Red, vs the AH-64, the OH-58 and the UH-1 for Blue. Obviously, the mission will offer more challenges for both sides! Operation Close Air Support will go online again this Sunday, 12.09.2021, 1800 zulu. Hopefully, the added SA342L's will help Blue repel some of the Mi-24's fury.

That's weird. I never had to do that. Normally, the money goes in right away without me doing anything. Anyways, I just did and thank you for the generous donation! It really helps me with server's costs.

Mission's Change Log: - All MiG-29S's were replaced by MiG-29A's. - Instead of 24 x F-14B's and 4 slots, it's now 28 x F-14A's and 6 slots. So, all F-14B's were replaced by F-14A's. - Instead of 24 x Su-33's, it's now 28. Slots' number remains the same -> 4.

Good point regarding the F-14A's and MiG-29A's. Will do. There is no tasking whatsoever for the Huey's. I thought about adding them to enable some type of sling loading or CTLD, but it would've had been just too much. Besides, Blue can barely gain air superiority around any island. Huey's would be slaughtered and if completing the objective is dependant on them, you'd need a wonder for Blue to finally get the job done. It is tough enough on Blue already.

Round 4: Saturday, 11.09.2021, 1800 zulu.

The first engagements show that Blue did have air superiortiy for a while. Enough time for F/A-18C's to take out 5 units to enable 4 x F-15C's and 2 x M-2000C's if you ask me. AV-8B's could've done some damage as well while the CAP lasted. That's why I'm always reluctant when it comes to adding more units or removing some. No hard feelings, but it is quite often the player's or the players' fault, rather than the mission's design. If only the 104th guys had some time to fly just one round like they did in operation Tiberias to demostrate some high level of coordinated teamwork. On the other hand, they're part of an old squadron with pure dedication, so it's easier to do than it is for random solo players meeting occasionally online.

+1 I confirm. It's an old issue and I have it too.

As you surely know, it's not unrealistic for RPG's to knock out helicopters, especially when they're coming in for landing. You know, "We gotta a Blackhawk down, we gotta a Blackhawk down". So, I like that too. The chain capturing is one reason, but infantries behaving bad in terms of waypoints and running through buildings, fences, structures, etc., is the other and major one. Despite all of that, I really liked yesterday's session with the infantries being heavily involved, which gives helicopters yet a nother thing to do or worry about. The missiles are way too inferior as you've said it yourself and that's the only reason why I never bothered to add them. I could though as there's no harm in having them. I'll do it in time, mission by mission. I'm aware of the weight issue in the CTLD script. Units MUST have different weights, otherwise the CTLD script would malfunction in the mission. What I'm more interested in right now, is enabling APC's to carry infantries. That'd be incredible! Imagine driving an APC with the capability of deploying troops and then calling them back in and so on. The whole ground warfare dynmaic would change immensely!

Yeah, the L must and will be added. Blue ran out of helicopters way earlier than Red, especially, at the FARP's. They then started flying out of Fujairah Intl airbase and in time lost them all as well. On a side note, Red lost all Mi-24's (and only to enemy ground units, not helicopters!). However, 2 were saved and even made it back home to the Red eastern FARP, but unfortunately, they landed at the Mi-8's helipads. The storehouse showed 2 x Mi-24's, but when there is no slot there players simply have no access to them. If I'd add a reserve slot at the "wrong" helipads for such a case, and with a bit of bad luck Mi-8 and Mi-24 spawn simultaneously, both aircraft would explode right away! It's an inconvenient issue and quite a limitation in the ME tool. The only way to solve this properly is by having the bigger heliports (the ugliest thing in DCS by the way) with 4 helipads on them, so players can land wherever they want on the FARP and the unit is saved. However, sometimes and even with having 4 different helipads on that heliport players spawn on top of each other and the aircraft are lost. Which is why at some point I converted all heliports to single helipads, except in the mission Battle Over Sukhumi Unleashed for ME and scripting reasons, knowing that single helipads have their own limitations. Stuck in a loop here, folks Overall, I was very satisfied with the infantry units! I really underestimated these tiny little creatures on a big battlefield like yesterday's. The MANPAD's scored a total of 4 kills for Blue and 3 for Red. That's not bad! But what really struck me was the RPG's. These buggers destroyed 1 x T-72 and 1 x BTR-80 for Blue. Red RPG's destroyed 1 x Merkava, south of the Blue eastern FARP. All it takes is 2 hits and the tank is gone. Each RPG soldier carries 3 rockets. 2 x RPG's in every assault troop. Assault troops were mostly lost in open fields, which was a mistake committed by ground commanders while trying to move them from one town to another. But wait! Aren't BTR-80's and M-113's able of carrying troops in DCS?! Or do I need a script for that? If anyone knows, let me know, please. I'll investigate... Red won. Red even had 12 x T-72's, some APC's and infantries here and there towards the end. I guess, Red tanks did enjoy the taste of some Close air Support more than Blue tanks did.