Surrexen

Operation Black Spire is a persistent, open world PvE playground for the Nevada (NTTR) map. The mission will randomly choose targets throughout the map. You can fly any role you like, and if you are on your own, you can use the radio menu to request support flights of AI planes to assist you. Most modules have been included. You will be flying against USAF Aggressors who will be utilizing everything at their disposal. The mission utilizes Moose functions and custom scripts which have been included in the mission file. To allow the mission to provide persistency, it is necessary to de-sanitize 'lfs' and 'io' in MissionScripting.lua. The mission will still be able to run without this, but persistency won't happen. Current version is v100 (Preliminary version) Check the mission briefing for AWACS/Refuelling frequencies etc. Notes on requesting support flights: - CAP/CAS/SEAD/Aerial Drones and Pinpoint Strikes are available to call in, you can choose the sector they will fly to - Only one flight of each type can be active at any given time, so choose carefully - AI flights will start near Nellis airfield and will await a "Push" command via radio when you are ready for them to proceed with an attack - Pinpoint Strikes will only attack a mission target if the target is within the sector they are called to Other radio options - Check Current Objective will remind you what the current target is - Target Report will give you coordinates and distance to the target, and if the target is a group it will tell you how many units are remaining in the group - Abort Directives will allow you to send support flights back to base - Skip Mission under Black Spire Options will allow you to put the current mission back into the pool and draw another one - Black Spire CAP options will allow you to enable the Nellis Viper squadron, and separately, a choice between Nellis Defence Tomcats or Hornets - Black Spire Sound Options will allow you to toggle sound events for weapon firing on or off To Enable Persistency: Inside your DCS installation there is a folder called Scripts. Inside that there is a file called MissionScripting.lua, if you want persistency to work, edit this file (make a backup first if you like) and make the bit that looks like this: do sanitizeModule('os') sanitizeModule('io') sanitizeModule('lfs') require = nil loadlib = nil end Look like this instead: do sanitizeModule('os') --sanitizeModule('io') --sanitizeModule('lfs') require = nil loadlib = nil end Once you have done that, start DCS and launch the mission. The mission will then write out a list of dead units and statics to a pair of lua files inside the DCS root folder (it will update this list periodically, every 2.5 minutes at the moment). Once these files exist, the mission will load those files when it starts up and remove the units and statics that were previously destroyed so you can pick up wh ere you left off Note: MissionScripting.lua will need to be changed any time an update or repair is run. Download here: https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3307434/ If you would like to support the missions development, you can donate here: https://www.paypal.me/Surrexen Please keep in mind this is a preliminary build and as such I expect a lot of things will need adjustment. I figured some of you might like to check it out over the Christmas period, so .. Merry Christmas! Some things to note: 1. This is a cold start mission (at least for the time being) 2. There are currently 105 mission targets 3. You will be fighting all sorts of planes, not just the usual red forces, so check your targets! Will probably expand this list out further at a later date. 4. There are a lot of SAM sites in the Tonopah area so be warned, I expect it will be a hard nut to crack. The major SAM sites and/or their locations will not be changed under any circumstances. 5. I will probably add a guns only section in the map somewhere at a later date so you can go up 1v1 against different stuff away from all the rest of what is going on here. 6. I would suggest leaving the AI as air-starts as I've seen a few take off issues when they start from the ground (ie. leave it the way it is so it says 'multiplayer mode' for air-starts). That's all I can really think of right now. Go get em'.

Operation Black Spire (Nevada) preliminary version is awaiting approval. Will post details about it once I see it's gone active.

v106 up Changelog v106 - Corrected unit placement after today's Normandy map update With the changes to the Normandy map underway, I'll wait to see what happens with it before doing any further work to it. But the extra airfields are going to be extremely useful. The possibilities are now much greater than before.

You need to de-sanitize again after the ED update.

With the Normandy map having received an update, it appears I will have to do some fix-em-ups on some unit placement etc as some units are now under trees. Might be a while before I can get this done.

Happy you are enjoying the missions :thumbup: Tarawa ... well what can I say ... I don't Harrier much because out of all the planes I have, the Harrier brings me the most frustration, it never seems to behave (for me) due to bugs etc. I am sort of waiting on Razbam to add some British warships to I can add a proper Tarawa fleet on the Eastern side of the peninsula. I also want to add a couple more shipping targets on the Eastern side but haven't got to it yet due to all the fixes etc i've worked on over the last couple of weeks. Also since I've stabilised the code base, I'm in a mad rush to try to get the Nevada map to a passable state so I can get it out the door. As to why the Tarawa you added is causing delayed flights, I've got no idea. If you added the Tarawa to the same group as the Stennis, then I wouldn't do it that way as who knows what screwy things will happen. Anyway I know a few people have asked for the Tarawa so I'll see what I can do once the Nevada map is sorted.

We're going to Nevada next ... ... Soon . Edit: Rapidly approaching now. All code is operating in the map, all AI pathing has been done, persistency up and running ... now just adding all the mission targets in. 77 so far with a few sectors to go, so there will be plenty to do. Hopefully done before the weekend!

v120 is up. Changelog v120 - Contains a critical fix - Critical fix: Red aircraft will now engage player aircraft with radar missiles again (Rolled back to Moose from August) - Some script corrections - J-11A added - MiG-29A AI template loadout changed missiles R-27R to R-27ER

v114 up Changelog v114 - Critical fix: Red aircraft will now engage player aircraft with radar missiles again (Rolled back to Moose from August) - Some script corrections - J-11A added - MiG-29A AI template loadout changed missiles R-27R to R-27ER - Red border adjusted slightly to give red air a little bit more room to operate between West and East sides

Ok so a major drama is in the process of being solved. It was reported to me that enemy planes were not engaging with Fox 1 or Fox 3 missiles. It took me nearly 3 days of solid testing to duplicate and isolate the problem. It appears that the issue is related to newer versions of Moose, and that this issue must have been introduced around the time when I added 'precise' coordinates to the target report. I have now reverted back to a version I was using in August, and got it working with the precise coordinates for the target report and the enemy planes are now engaging player aircraft with radar missiles again properly. Because of the amount of rip and tear it took to isolate the problem, I now have the great fun job of reassembling both Snowfox and Clear Field with all the fixes and changes.

The JTAC is using standard DCS JTAC options, so they will use laser if they can. When the drones orbit the sector, they are not able to see/laze everything in the sector, but most things will be covered. For example, Abu Musa will be completely covered, but Havadarya is not. Also like usual, the JTAC will not laser buildings. Also I'm hearing there might be an issue with ranging in general at the moment so it might be something to do with that. Something is up with the red planes not locking on/using Fox 1 / Fox 3 missiles from range by the looks. They seem to want to close in very close before firing on player controlled aircraft. I have been investigating this for a couple of days and it looks like it is being cause by the more recent versions of Moose. I have realised that I don't have the J-11A from the FC3 pack included so I have added that in for the next version, along with some script fixes/adjustments. Not sure when this update will be ready though. Edit: Someone else on discord is telling me they aren't getting any lasers either. Investigating. I've just re-tested the drones and they do seem to be working Keep in mind if the drone isn't in position over the target it may not give you the option for a Type 2 scenario (which gives the laser). If you don't get a type 2, check out with them on the radio, wait for them to be closer and then check in again and see if it gives you a type 2 scenario. I just took out the Larak island silkworm site using laser guided mavericks whilst getting the target lasered from the drone.

Does anyone know what the default value of AI.Option.Air.id.MISSILE_ATTACK is set to? I'm assuming the default is 3 (target threat estimate) but can't find a definitive answer.

I take it you are flying FC3 planes? I think all the others can re-arm with engines running etc. Anyway yes you can of course edit the default loadout to taste. It won't break anything.

That's already in there ... under "Abort Directives" in the radio menu. The called flight will RTB. You won't lose campaign progress from the previous version.

Trying to remember here, but i think the CAP will stay over the sector you call it too for about 20 minutes. Can't remember off hand what the other flights do ... Pinpoint strike pretty much goes home as soon as it bombs a target.

One of each type at a time. In your example I would send both SEAD and CAP at the same time, or I would escort the SEAD myself and halfway to the target area I would call CAP so that I can handover the job to them once I'm out of sticks. But you can have CAP and SEAD in one sector, while CAS and Anti-Shipping is operating in some other sector. Pinpoint strikes must be called to the sector that the mission target is in or they won't bomb anything.

v105 up Changelog v105: - Bug in mission validation for statics if the initial mission target was a previously destroyed static has been corrected - Target report target elevation now listed in meters as well as feet

v104 up Changelog v104: - Bug in mission validation for statics if the initial mission target was a previously destroyed static has been corrected - Target report target elevation now listed in meters as well as feet

v119 is up and contains a critical fix. Changelog v119 - Bug in mission validation for statics if the initial mission target was a previously destroyed static has been corrected - JF-17 default loadout for fuel tanks changed to centreline tank - Red squadron cruise/intercept speeds slightly adjusted (they are a little faster now) - EWR network is no longer invisible/immortal - 5 new mission targets (EWR radars) added - Red and Blue defence networks enhanced to include all radar capable ground and sea units - Bandar Abbas SA-5/SA-10 launcher positions corrected - Bandar Abbas Hawk radar positions adjusted slightly - Some EWR radar positions adjusted slightly - Target report target elevation now listed in meters as well as feet

v113 is up and contains a critical fix. Changelog v113 - Bug in mission validation for statics if the initial mission target was a previously destroyed static has been corrected - JF-17 default loadout for fuel tanks changed to centreline tank - Red squadron cruise/intercept speeds slightly adjusted (they are a little faster now) - EWR network is no longer invisible/immortal - 5 new mission targets (EWR radars) added - Red and Blue defence networks enhanced to include all radar capable ground and sea units - Some EWR radar positions adjusted slightly - Target report target elevation now listed in meters as well as feet

PSA: I've just found there is a bug with the mission validation script to do with persistency for statics, under some circumstances when the mission starts if it pulls a mission to do with a static that was previously destroyed, the script will not fire properly. I have corrected this and will get an update out as soon as I can. This applies to Snowfox, Clear Field, Jupiter and Secret Squirrel.

For the audio on weapon firing, no not really ... you either switch them off via the radio menu and it's off for everyone, or you leave them on. As for target elevation, I vaguely remember I need it in Imperial or something else goes haywire ... can't remember exactly. I can add target elevation in feet separately anyway. Edit: Target elevation in ft will be in the next version, it'll be rounded down to the nearest foot, but i think that will be accurate enough.

The next thing is there will be 5 more mission targets. The enemy EWR network will no longer be invisible/immortal, and the red squadrons have been added into the detection list along with all radar capable red ground and sea units. Change is in testing. :joystick: Helo stuff is back on the drawing board as things didn't quite work out. Helo's have brought me nothing but headaches :P

Helo missions in Snowfox and Clear Field are tough because the air dispatcher will vector bad guys to you once you are in Iranian air space. If you time your attack and call CAP support at the appropriate time it can be done though. I have already said, sticking FARPs everywhere in these missions would not be very realistic. I have spent several weeks smashing my head on the keyboard trying to figure out how to make helo's work well in these missions and came very close to having some extremely cool things to add in, but unfortunately once I plugged all the code into dynamic situations the thing fell over due to pathfinding issues (it worked perfect in single scenarios). I have had to put the whole helo thing back on the drawing board until I can come up with a workaround for the issues I have run into. Meanwhile, the next version will have a corrected position for the Bandar Abbas SA-5 (SA-10) site as I found exactly where the launcher locations were on the map (I was only about 300m out so it's not a massive change). Here is hoping we actually get the real SA-5 to come out soon to capitilize on this discovery!

I'm not talking about the floodlight, just the instrument lights and screens. They are dimmer when set to full than the last patch. The floodlights have their own issues separately.