Eagle Dynamics Matt Wagner wrote “The campaign will be real-time and basically be an AI-driven RTS playing out that the player participates in" . I think that's the best way. I would love to see a real time RTS very similar to BMS, run aside and controlling the DCS 3D environment. As in BMS, the AI headquarters would issue missions run by defaults by AI pilots, and play alone the campaign. Then a player joining the server can check the list of incoming missions, take a seat in one of it (i.e. just replacing one of the AI pilot), and request that the mission be rescheduled to the next 10-20 (?) minutes, time for other real pilots to join the package. The headquarter AI could also be replaced by most decorated players. Ideally pilots should be somehow evaluated on their ability to follow as much as possible the flight plan, not only their kill rate. Obviously the RTS engine would needs to encapsulate and unspawn all the units that are out of radar range, so no need to compute complex engagements between ground units.
Sorry, I am just dreaming awake…