Bahger

I bet you're right, Quirk, it's probably a browser issue. I'm running IE9, which does fine for me in every other instance. Not sure I want to install another browser, especially as the missions are accessible from the links, just not from the My Files page. Hmm.

Sorry I've been AWOL. Please post here if you'd like to fly it today (Sunday). Thanks!

I'd be happy if someone else wants to fix this. Otherwise I'll take a good look at it in the upcoming week.

OK, Exorcet, I played this last night, enjoyed it; fat targets but significant defenses to keep you on your toes, I like missions where the RWR is doing its work, loudly. I have some comments, FWTW: - Only when I got in the Hog did I notice that I was supposed to be leading a 4-ship flight and you do not supply a UHF freq for the player's flight. Somewhow I was still able to communicate with the flight but the freq should be briefed. - Similarly, I enjoyed seeing -- and hearing -- the Tornadoes deploy but I had no idea from the briefing what their mission was -- SEAD, I assume -- nor was I given a radio frequency for them, even though they were part of my package. Being able to listen to package flights doing their job is great for both immersion and situational awareness; without it the mission gets too quiet. - Take a look at the loadout; 4x Mk82s are not a whole lot of use when there's a operational floor of about 18,000ft. I think this mission calls for all GBUs. Which brings me to my final point: - Take this with a pinch of salt because I'm a bit of a purist, but this is a deep strike/interdiction mission for which the A-10C would probably not be tasked when a pair of Strike Eagles could get there faster and put more precision munitions on those targets from even higher. If I had my druthers, I'd build a little more into the mission, using the Tornadoes as SEAD, then F-15Es as strikers, then use the Hogs as a CAS/strike element in support of ground troops, such as Rangers moving on the FARP. It just feels a little odd when you're flying an A-10C so far from a FLOT; integrating ground forces into the mission with or without dedicated strikers would make the Hog feel more at home in this scenario. Anyway, I hope this response is useful to you. It's an enjoyable mission that could just use a little polishing.

Great. I think the upload site may be a bit messed up. Or maybe there are no mods on duty over the weekend to approve your submission.

I've submitted a support ticket. Meanwhile can anyone confirm if the upload site is down and if not, why every mission I've uploaded since Beta now returns "Page not found" through User Files/My Files? Could someone do me a favor and try to access their upload files via User Files/My Files? Thanks!

Looks good. Please post the link when the DCS gods have approved it.

Many thanks, Quirk, for playing it and for responding to my occasional ME queries. I'm taking a little time off mission design to play your mini campaign and will report back. Please feel free to rate or comment on the mission download page (broken as of 04/5 11:15 PST) as this is probably the best way to get people to try it out. Thanks again!

Well, I think I'll need to acquire CA first and play around with it, before making my missions CA-compatible. I like the idea of it but, having been an early adopter of almost all the DCS flight sim products in btea, I think I'll let others work out the kinks in CA.

Yeah, I'm absolutely sure that the JTAC "Mark" process has been borked since DCSW. Another doozie is the inability of the AI to call out the right callsigns; not once has either a controller or an AI wingman identified an Enfield or Springfield flight correctly. Luckily these are not dealbreakers, though; I'm very glad the mission played out as programmed (by me, anyway...)

I'm pretty sure this is bugged. I set a FAC with eyes on a target to mark with smoke and in the 9-line sequence of commands, I hear "Marked by Willie Pete" then shortly afterwards, "No mark". This was never the case in earlier versions. I hope they fix it.

Hmm, good question. I have yet to dip a toe in CA, as I heard it was very Beta-ish. Usually I'm an early adopter but I just know I'd be spending as much time debugging it as playing it. One day though...

Excellent, glad to hear it, thanks!

Wow, that was made many versions ago, Zenra. I will take a look.

Thanks, IADC, hope you enjoy it.

Thanks, Quirk. And I really appreciate your help with some of the ME elements. I'd love to know what you think. I'm proud of this mission, it plays out well and the AI task-separation prevents the thing from becoming a free-for-all, making the player responsible for targets in his own sector, mo matter which client flight he selects. This may be my last .miz for a while.

Name: "Patrol by Force" Author: Bahger Mission type: MP+SP Controllable: A-10C Quick Summary: - CAS MISSION supporting an armored convoy approaching an enemy-held town - DEAD mission supporting airborne helicopter assault/infiltration - Strike mission against HVT - Extensive custom voice comms for enhanced tactical SA - Custom Mission Steerpoints for enhanced tactical SA Link for SP Link for MP Discussion thread here. Comments/recommendations/star ratings in DCS download page much appreciated.

(Bumping) Links are up, see first post.

Thanks, Zenra. There is precious little feedback but I prefer to attribute this to people with busy lives rather than mass indifference.

Hey Sorin, if you can get on a TS server, I'd happily talk you through anything the mission requires that you have not mastered yet. It may sound advanced but it's all pretty simple, really.

03/28: Links are up: Singleplayer Multiplayer "Patrol by Force" plays very well in both SP and MP. The mission is about target i/d, sorting and prosecution. In both versions, any client flight not chosen by the player will spawn as an AI flight with identical tasking. I've managed to discipline the AI flights to stick to their tasking and not poach the player's. If you want your AI wingman in SP to exercise similar discipline, make sure to use the F3 ("Attack with...) function so that he goes after targets at your SPI and not the other flight's targets. Custom radio messages are extensive and tactical. They enable the player to track the progress of the British armored patrol he's supporting and they inform him of the ground-based SpecOps FAC he will need to contact for tasking. The element I'm most pleased with is the SpecOps airborne assault, a Chinook with Apache escort which drops a security detail and three Humvees to close a back door escape route by which the mission's HVT (High Value Target) might otherwise escape. The HVT can also be targeted from the air within a narrow window of opportunity (again, custom radio messages supply tactical AI). The airborne assault is vulnerable to air defences whose positions are unknown at the beginning of the mission. To fly the mission successfully, the player should be competent in the following procedures: - cold start in < 10 min - JTAC procedure - UTM data entry into CDU from non-datalinked FAC - GBU delivery - Orientation via mission steerpoints ("Mission" option on Flt/Mark/Mission navigation rotary switch) I hope you enjoy the mission. Please feel free to add comments on the DCS upload page, as this is very encouraging to a mission designer who has spent many, many hours testing and debugging his work. Comments are also welcome on the briefing, attached here. Patrol by Force_Briefing.pdf

Nevada is a great idea, IMO. It resembles the theaters where Hogs have fought since Kosovo and because it's too politically sensitive for DCS to recreate those theaters, it's the next best thing, especially as Nellis is a legendary training theater.

Thanks, benargee. I can easily talk you through CDU input; it's easy and useful to know, both as a backup when datalink is either not working or the FAC is not equipped with it. I'll be in touch later in the week.

Please let us know when you've updates the .miz, IADC, I'm looking forward to playing this in its perfected form...

I feel your pain, IADC. People don't realise how time-consuming it is to build and test these missions...if they are to be any good. Your mission looks really tactical and immersive. I will play it and report back.