Habu23

From memory the rest of this tasking is activated once the UAZ reaches a trigger zone next to the compound. Once the UAZ drives up to it, the pilot and some guards should exit the vehicle and proceed to the compound. The latest DCS patch might have changed AI behavior or the conditions for this tasking, but I recommend re-saving the mission file in the editor just to be sure. Habu

Hi Greg, Looks like an awesome event your putting on! I can't make it because of the day and time, but I'll pass it by UOAF for any willing European pilots. Force

Hello all, Just to chime in, the mission should work properly as long as you save it in the editor before flight. Unfortunately with every patch some things drastically change. Most noticeably, infantry fire ranges, or the distance that the enemy will actually fire on friendly units, seems to change every patch. The result is calls for "intense ambushes" from the ground JTAC when nobody is actually shooting. I have also noticed a few patches ago that flares had no impact on the accuracy of MANPADs. Fortunately, this seems to be fixed in the latest patch. @P*Funk, I can guarantee you broke the mission when you added an AI into Boar flight or at least changed it somehow. The triggers require the aircraft names to be identical as the normal mission as well as the coalition, which is Belgium for Boar flight. Give that a try. Thank you all for your comments. With so many patches and upcoming changes (EDGE) it is extremely difficult to keep these missions working properly. Fortunately Bactria has had minimal issues when it comes to this. I will resume development on a successor to Bactria once EDGE gets released. Habu/Force

To be honest Boar flight was designed to accommodate singleton pilots and two-ships who want to interact with the DCS JTAC. Unfortunately every patch seems to impact these AI JTAC's one way or the other. For a much more engaged and authentic experience, try Tusk flight and Hawg/Pig in that order. Habu

Hi CrazyD, Thank for your comments and kind words. I'm not sure about the "11", but it was my intention that they be identified differently "11, 12, 13, and 14". If you are flying the two-ship Boar flight with the in-game JTAC, this is an issue with the DCS simulation whereby client groups are individual ones rather than a collective "four ship". The mission was designed to be flown cooperatively in multiplayer. If your flight lead calls in to the JTAC, just treat his remarks as applying to you all, although the AI JTAC will not make this explicitly clear. Once the JTAC has been called on a specific task, it will not issue any more tasking until that one is complete. Habu

After researching this issue it appears that this has been a problem since v1.2.4. Whenever a helicopter is set to "Parked on Ramp" or "Hot on Ramp" and the ship is moving with the helicopter on the deck, the helicopter will slowly slide in the direction of the ship until its rotors and fuselage crash. It would be very helpful if this bug were fixed, because it essentially ruins maritime operations with helicopters. I tested this bug using the FFG-7 frigate and CG-47 Ticonderoga class cruiser. Habu

Hi Ranger, We flew Piercing Fury last Sunday for our UOAF DCS event. Great mission! Here is a 20 minute portion from my perspective flying the UH-1H. http://www.twitch.tv/forcemajeure23/c/2985724 And the whole event: http://www.twitch.tv/forcemajeure23/b/464196092 Habu

Operation Bactria v3.1 Released! Download Link, v3.1 Compatible with DCS: World v1.2.5 Hello all, Last night I uploaded a new version of Op. Bactria into the user files section of the ED website, and only now have I found enough time to inform everyone of this patch! I'm not a big fan of having to issue patches because I prefer to release large, complete updates that are properly tested and add new content. I first considered issuing a patch to bring v1 to v1.5, but I scrubbed this attempt and made v2.0 by adding additional content. So far, this is the first "maintenance patch" I have ever issued (and hopefully the last). Despite my best efforts, I recently discovered that a task in Pig Flight would not properly end. The problem was quickly resolved when I discovered that a flag was set to "false" when it should have been "true". Others also reported that a task in the two-ship Boar flight was also broken. For some strange reason the "group dead" condition has historically led to problems in missions after a few DCS patches. I experienced this issue for the first time during Op. Bactria v1 so I switched most of the "group dead" evaluations to "unit dead". When I added Boar flight in Op. Bactria v2, I mistakenly reused the "group dead" condition again, planting the seed for future problems. The task worked fine in v1.2.3, but after 1.2.5, it failed to work for no apparent reason. I read in the recent ED patch notes that the "group dead" condition had been fixed, but to avoid any future problems, I have abandoned "group dead" in favor of "unit dead" when it comes to single targets. Because this is a small patch, no additional content was made but I did add a new feature that allows players to reference the grid of the current tasking by simply using the F10 radio command option. These entries will automatically be removed and updated appropriately as the mission progresses. A frequently requested feature since v1, my hope is that it will eliminate people from having to hastily scribble down the grids given by AWACS so that they can enjoy the ambiance of the mission and the briefing. I also enhanced gameplay slightly by moving some units around. Occasionally, some groups of enemy were not firing as much as they should have. These problems should be fixed now. I would like to remind everyone that development of Op. Bactria will probably halt as the file size is at a maximum (9.44MB to accommodate 171 voice files). I am currently working on a new mission that will utilize the concept of Op. Bactria but will unfortunately have to wait until the Nevada theater is released. As always, I sincerely appreciate any and all feedback and please keep me updated about problems or bugs. I'm about to embark upon another "DCS dark age" for several months where I will be away from my main computer, so please bring me up to speed whenever there is a new DCS patch regarding the mission. Habu

@Mulishaknight, I found out the problem. It turns out that the trigger assigned to detecting the destroyed targets was not registering because the condition was "Group Dead". This should normally work as it did back in v1.2.3, but now it doesn't. Changing it to "Unit Dead" seemed to fix the issue. Please read below. @Surgeon, yes this is possible due to a new trigger called "Radio Transmission". When I built this mission with standalone v1.1.1.1, this trigger did not exist. I could try to implement this idea in the current build of Op. Bactria, but I would literally have to redo the entire mission. I am currently working on a mission concept that will use what you described while combining the randomization framework of Op. Bactria. This mission is intended for a Nevada release and will have to wait until we finally have access to it. @Everyone, due to the issue that mulishaknight experienced and an additional bug I found while playing through the mission, I'm planning on releasing a small update hopefully by this weekend. No new content will be added, but I will include a new feature that adds a radio action option with the grid of the current tasking in case it was not written down, copied incorrectly, or if the task briefing disappeared before CDU entry. I have also moved some units around slightly to improve gameplay. Stay tuned later this week. Habu

I'm glad the mission is working as intended. When you returned to the IP, was the tasking complete and did you receive explicit clearance to return? It's likely that the tasking was not actually finished. Habu

I just read that any mission involving group activation/deactivation in v1.2.5 will crash immediately. Unfortunately there is nothing I can do at the moment to fix this issue. A hotfix for v1.2.5 will have to be released. Thank you for your reports. Habu

This is not uncommon if you do not save the mission in the editor after a new patch. Try loading the mission in the editor and saving it, then fly. This should work. Habu

Thank you all for your kind comments. Please inform me if anything doesn't seem to work properly. Throughout most of the year I spend a sad amount of time away from my main PC and patch-checking for the mission is sometimes not an option. Again, please keep me informed and I appreciate all feedback. Habu

Thanks for letting us know your issue. The mission will generate new tasking only when the existing tasking that you were given is completed. Its likely that the troops did not disappear per say, but rather they simply got lost in the trees and were very difficult to find. I would try and be as efficient as possible with the gun and mix your attack runs with rockets as well. The GBU's are also the most effective way to suppress the infantry contacts. If you ever run out of ammo, its best to simply RTB and load up the mission unless you can PID the target with a markpoint. Smoke markers will only last for roughly 15 minutes after the beginning of tasking. Habu

I did some more testing of this issue and I came up with interesting results. It appears that the issue is not a problem with LASTE calculations, but rather with wind implementation as it is defined in the editor. I usually practice my CCIP deliveries by placing a hefty, medium sized wind at constant headings and speeds per altitude interval. In the editor, I define the wind parameters as 5 m/s or about 10 knots at every altitude interval. At altitude, the wind is how I defined it, though the "288" is very strange. This number should read "115". When I descend to sea level, the wind speed picks up. If you set the wind speed at higher settings, this "amplification" effect appears to increase exponentially. From these results, it appears that the LASTE is in fact computing an accurate solution given the wind conditions at a specific altitude, but different wind speeds at different altitude intervals are causing the bombs to miss the target as wind speed picks up with lower altitude. This is a normal result, but the winds do not match the behavior specified in the editor. Habu

I can confirm that this is a issue that needs to be addressed. Before 1.2.4 LASTE would automatically correct the pipper by factoring in wind for CCIP and CCRP solutions. Now, it appears that there is no wind calculation in the solution. In fact, the CBU-97 pipper is very far outside the view angle of the HUD during medium wind deliveries. Habu

I haven't been able to fly Bactria since 1.2.4 was released but this development is frightening to say the least. Please keep me informed if you detect any more bugs or broken functionality. To make it so that the planes start from the ramp (as intended), click on the unit and look on the right side menu for something that says "Takeoff from Runway" or "Start From Ramp". All of these units should say they are starting from the ramp, and if they are not, just switch it back. If this still doesn't work, "reset" the field to "start from ramp" and it should fix it. I won't be available to look into Bactria until two weekends from now, so please keep me informed. Habu

Thanks Ranger79! @xatu_miller, when you changed the A-10's countries and skins i'm 100% sure you broke the mission because the triggers rely on such factions for it to work properly. If you absolutely must use custom skins, you can do so but make sure it is accessible for the following countries: Hawg (U.S.) Pig (U.K.) Boar (Belgium) Tusk (Germany) I would recommend re-downloading the mission and starting from scratch, after which you can change the skins but not the countries. Habu

Hi XtraChris, If you want to add more taskings per flight, you can edit the "flightname"MissionComplete trigger for any of the flights and make the condition for Flag 13 (Hawg), 23 (Pig), 33 (Boar), or 43 (Tusk) = to 4 (four taskings), 5 (five taskings), or even 6 (six taskings). I'm away from my main PC so this is all from memory, but I'm sure that is all you need to do. @Everyone, Sorry for the long delay, but I will be releasing an unofficial single player version sometime in May so stay tuned. I'm sure most of the singleplayer enthusiasts have already modified the mission to suit their needs, but I will nonetheless release a SP version so that it streamlines and unifies the conversion. Habu

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Those are some fantastic screenshots Talon-X- thank you very much for sharing. I have just figured out how to edit the mission file entry in the user files section, so the download link may be temporarily offline. If you are having issues downloading, it should be resolved in a few hours. I added a thumbnail for easier identification as well as more detailed information about the mission. Habu

The secret to avoiding IR SAM's in any environment is to preemptively drop flares when you break the hard deck on attacks and to keep dumping them until you reach a safe altitude and distance. My biggest recommendation is to use program M and run it about 2.5 times on each attack run. Program M drops 1 flare each second for 20 seconds. The MANPAD operator will usually not fire when there are so many flares in the air and the large number of flares will help you defeat the missile. I frequently tell people I know that "you have 240 flares, so use them"! Another tip is to balance altitude and distance on attack runs and the egress. The MANPAD operator is dealing primarily with slant range, so a mix of both altitude and distance is what will save your bacon. Too much of one and too little of the other will put you in jeopardy unless it is extreme (far away or really high up). Habu

Hi Vlerkies, Yes, the problem was created when you changed Boar flight from Belgium to the U.S. faction. As Grimes mentioned, the triggers are setup specifically for certain countries, otherwise everyone would hear other flight's tasking. In Op. Bactria, I had to edit my skins .lua file so that certain countries like Germany, the U.K., and Belgium would all be able to use American style skins. I'm away from my main PC at this time so I can't refer to the exact directory where these edits took place, but its very easy to make it so that non-U.S. factions have access to American skins without breaking the mission. Habu

Operation Bactria v3.0 Released! Download Link, v3.0 Compatible with DCS: World v1.2.3 Single player version coming soon. Roughly a year ago, I released Op. Bactria v1.0 and was very thankful for all of your support and enthusiasm for the mission. Last December, I announced that work on version 3.0 was underway. After learning about the v1.2.3 to DCS: World, I withheld release to insure compatibility and reliability at all costs: my primary focus in mission development. I want to apologize for the long duration of time that has passed until release. It was not intended to be so long, but the wait is no more! After several months of testing and development, it is now ready! Unfortunately, this will probably be the last development cycle for Op. Bactria. The file size is at its max, and unless ED creates a "file caching" system for multiplayer so clients do not have to download the same mission over again, it will be infeasible to add more taskings and thus expand the file size. On an average internet connection it will take clients roughly 1.5 minutes to download the mission file. I am formulating additional mission ideas that will utilize this proof of concept in other missions, though we will have to wait until EDGE and Nevada are released :). Please see below for more information about this version and a teaser made by Fluffer. Teaser A special video prepared by Fluffer for release: C3k-84ST1YA Updated Briefing Map Changelog: **New Content** - Op. Bactria is now a COOP14 with the addition of a new 4-ship, Tusk flight, with its own randomized tasks. The tasking for this 4 ship is, in my opinion, the most realistic and entertaining of all the tasks in the mission. Tusk flight focuses on the contemporary insurgency in Afghanistan. - Tusk flight introduces more complex logic that provides more possibilities for failing taskings. While this has certainly been improved over previous flights, limitations on file size and triggers have made failure conditions less numerous than I would otherwise like to have. - Each sound file has been remastered with a new "radio click" that is far more realistic and pleasing to the ear. Sound files have also been adjusted appropriately for volume. - At 9.44 MB, Op. Bactria v3.0 is only 600kb greater than v2.0 despite having 75 more sound files. This was possible due to new compression techniques and overall optimization. This was the surprise I was implying a while ago :). - Updated briefing map in-game has all relevant frequencies and tanker tracks included. - Mission has been made, tested, and released for DCS: World v1.2.3. Previously Op. Bactria was only tested for reliability with standalone A-10C. **Fixes** - New to Bactria v3.0, any member of the flight (i.e. lead, #2, #3, and #4) can activate the taskings by flying to the IP or to the target area. Before, only lead was able to activate these triggers. - Tanker speeds have been increased to allow more realistic and easier tanking. - All JTAC's for Boar flight should be working as per DCS: World v1.2.3. Their reliability cannot be guaranteed across different past and future versions of DCS: World. - Helicopter land feature has been utilized. - Grids that are given by AWACS have been reduced to six digits when necessary for realism and to facilitate easier recording and entering of target grids. Voice recordings will still tell 10 digit grids if player is interested in recording all 10 digits. - Taskings have been reworked so that if clients inadvertently fly over the tasked target area during AWAC's briefing on the new tasking, it will not trigger the next sequence of events. V3.0 should fix all issues with multiple sound files playing over each other. - Loadout possibilities are restricted as per airport warehouse inventories to maintain realism (i.e., stick with the default loadout) and F10 outside views have been restricted to fog of war. - Many taskings have been altered to improve gameplay, clarity, and functionality. **Credits** - Special thanks to Fluffer (www.unitedoperations.net) for helping me with the entirety of Tusk flight's voice recordings. Thanks to him, the dialogue is incredibly realistic and convincing. Check out his YouTube channel, integralsrulz. Enjoy! Habu