Looking for a few volunteers / beta testers

Hey,

I am almost finished preparing a first part of my first single player campaign and before I post it I thought it would be a good idea to do some beta-testing first to see if it would be interesting to anyone at all ;)

So, I am am looking for a few brave pilots who would immense themselves in the first seven missions and report back to me any bugs / problems / ideas they might have regarding the campaign.

Now, a few notes about the campaign itself:

1. This is my first attempt with the mission builder, but I am quite happy with the results. More sophisticated missions will follow (I already have a scenario more or less ready for the second part of the campaign).

2. The general idea is as follows: Georgia is given a true NATO Membership perspective. Soon after decision about that is taken in Wales, a previously unknown terrorist organization calling itself Caucasus Liberation Army (CLA) emerges, attacking civilian and military targets in Georgia. NATO is slow to react, but USA send a small squadron of A10s to help the Georgians fight their new enemy. Situation in the region is rather intense, with relations with Russia at their lowest since 2008, especially after annexation of Criemea and eastern part of Ukraine.

3. First part of the campaign evolves around anti-terrorist missions, so anyone expecting heavy action with lots of squadrons flying around, shooting at companies of tanks and batteries of SAMs will rather be disappointed. However, having said that, there are quite a few surprises in the campaign which should make it quite interesting. The campaign is designed for A10 only.

4. The whole campaign is story - driven, so there are some moments when not much is happening (as it would be in the real life). For instance first mission begins when all eight A10s are on their final approach to Kobuleti from Romania, but as time goes by it gets more and more intense with every combat sortie.

5. There is quite a lot of pre-recorded dialogues in the mission, but - since my voice acting abilities are not too good - I have used some text - to - speech programs and played with the recorded files in Audacity a bit. The results are not perfect, but good enough to increase the immersion. The idea is to ask some of fellow players to record the dialogues once I am sure that the campaign is playable and enjoyable for all of you :)

OK, this post is getting rather long, so to finish - if you're interested in helping and becoming a beta tester, let me know below or in PM. I should have the first version of campaign ready by Sunday and then I will be sending it out to those interested.

Thanks in advance for your help!

***EDIT ***

Beta version 0.4 can be downloaded here. The first mission bug should be fixed now.

Enjoy! I am looking forward to your comments and suggestions, either here on via PM (to make it spoiler - free). And thanks for taking your time to check it!

I am interested to test but have some questions...

So this is a A-10A or A-10C campaign?

What is the size of these 7 missions?

Has the campaign a realistic approach?

It is an A10C campaign.

Size of the missions - if you are asking about length, usually around 1-1.5h. Forces involved - varied (see answer 3), 2-plane flights as a rule, with 4-plane flight in two of them.

Realism - think that is my main goal. Since it is mainly focused on fighting insurgents / separatists, main opfor would be infantry (and manpads) plus some vehicles, but there are a few surprises. Missions are varied and connected, and anything you encounter has some explanation. Also the political background is based on real situation and events (in fact, I work on the region and on international relations professionally, which helps a lot).

I will send you the file once I put everything together :) thanks for the interest!

*edit: on realism, it is wirth to point that the missions in themselves are not too difficult (part of realism), and are more focused on immersion / atmosphere / plot.

I'd try it out but I don't really fly the A-10 much

Since i am not flying the A-10C i can look into the briefings whether they meet realistic requirements. Also i can assist you with voice acting (european accent) if required.

Thanks guys, I will send you the files tonight or tomorrow the latest! :)

Chameleon, it is not difficult, since the main enemy is not very advanced. At least at this stage.

xentxo - I'd be grateful for any comments on briefings / background. And also voice acting if the campaign is deemed worthy by the players.

I would be more than happy to test this, I've played the A-10C since it came out. This campaign sounds like just the thing I'm looking for, realism with a touch of storyline to it.

I can assist you with voices also, (British accent, I can also do New Zealand.)

I'd like to test it, but be aware that I haven't a lot of free time, so I cannot guarantee 100% to be able to thoroughly inspect it.

I am very interested! I've flown the A-10C a few years and have been looking for this kind of campaign.

Alright! I've updated the first post with the link to the campaign. Enjoy!

Thank you very much. Downloading and trying the first mission right now :)

EDIT: I tried the very first mission and I liked it. I find that it increases the immersion, even if I would have liked to have more alternatives while chatting with my wingman: in some occasions, in fact, I had only once choice, so I felt forced to continue speaking with the only one available option to see where it all was going to end.

With this premise, technically I met two problems, I dunno if they depend on me or from the mission itself:

1) sometimes subtitles appeared twice while chatting. That's something that never happens in other mission, both in single or multi player mode;

2) I landed succesfully in Kobuleti (by the way, nice surprise at the end of the runway), did all the taxy out, arrived to the parking zone and did even a system off of the aircraft to increase the realism of the situation, but, when I quit, I received a message about me not completing the goals and thus failing the campaign.

Replace Caucasus Liberation Army with Imarat Kavkaz for the sake of realism.

Also, this way you will be covering the whole region for future missions if they will be made.

More info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caucasus_Emirate

Baltic Dragon, check your PMs.

In addition to the descriptions that would interest me if i would fly this mission ...

Mission 1

#could be added

- you are 155 km east of Kobuleti-Airbase, act. alt 3700m ASL, act. course 090.

- Callsigns: wingman Dogde12, me = Dogde11

(- Wingman 250m on my right side)

(- where are the other 6 squadron aircrafts: positions, altitude, headings))

- Possible wind components at Kobuleti AB

RWY 25: 3 km/h crosswind from right, 6 km/h headwind.

RWY 07: 3 km/h crosswind from left, 6 km/h rear wind

#questions during briefing

- any NoFly zones near my route to Kobuleti Airbase?

- concerning the threat situation: could there be threats or are there known threats near my planned flightroute to Kobuleti Airbase?? If yes, what kind of? Known positions?

- is it save to use the Kobuleti ILS glidepath or should we do a steep or short approach?

- any Alternate airport?

- represent the green dots and fonts anything of importance on the briefing map?

- what are the Rules of Engagement during that mission?

- civilian airtraffic banned from airspace?

Campaign:

- campaign picture should be added

its not that I cant fly and be lethal with the A-10C its just that I'd rather fly a Su-25, difficulty doesn't bother me... you either got it or you don't, and whats difficult to one might be simple to others.

If you add some diversity to your slots I would test it.

Thanks guys for all the responses. My answers below:

Thank you very much. Downloading and trying the first mission right now :)

 

EDIT: I tried the very first mission and I liked it. I find that it increases the immersion, even if I would have liked to have more alternatives while chatting with my wingman: in some occasions, in fact, I had only once choice, so I felt forced to continue speaking with the only one available option to see where it all was going to end.

 

With this premise, technically I met two problems, I dunno if they depend on me or from the mission itself:

1) sometimes subtitles appeared twice while chatting. That's something that never happens in other mission, both in single or multi player mode;

2) I landed succesfully in Kobuleti (by the way, nice surprise at the end of the runway), did all the taxy out, arrived to the parking zone and did even a system off of the aircraft to increase the realism of the situation, but, when I quit, I received a message about me not completing the goals and thus failing the campaign.

As for number of options, I was thinking about it as well, but in my opinion the text-to-speech version just doesn't feel that good. Still, I'd be willing to add more options if I do the voiceovers once you guys think the campaign is worth the time :)

Subtitles - happens to me as well, it is connected with Radio Transmission option (as opposed to "message to all"). Not a serious issue and transmissions add so much to the ralism (in one of the later missions in the mountains you have to keep high altitude, or you loose the signal from your HQ). With "Message to" you get all the chatter no matter what frequencies or radios you use.

For ending the mission, weird - I will look into it.

Replace Caucasus Liberation Army with Imarat Kavkaz for the sake of realism.

Also, this way you will be covering the whole region for future missions if they will be made.

More info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caucasus_Emirate

If you read further briefings, you will see that GIS (Georgian Intelligence Service) is checking the links between CLA and the Emirate. The latter would be difficult to use as main enemy, as it is anti-Russian (and distanced itself from attacks against the US in the past).

In addition to the descriptions that would interest me if i would fly this mission ...

 

Mission 1

#could be added

- you are 155 km east of Kobuleti-Airbase, act. alt 3700m ASL, act. course 090.

- Callsigns: wingman Dogde12, me = Dogde11

(- Wingman 250m on my right side)

(- where are the other 6 squadron aircrafts: positions, altitude, headings))

- Possible wind components at Kobuleti AB

RWY 25: 3 km/h crosswind from right, 6 km/h headwind.

RWY 07: 3 km/h crosswind from left, 6 km/h rear wind

 

#questions during briefing

- any NoFly zones near my route to Kobuleti Airbase?

- concerning the threat situation: could there be threats or are there known threats near my planned flightroute to Kobuleti Airbase?? If yes, what kind of? Known positions?

- is it save to use the Kobuleti ILS glidepath or should we do a steep or short approach?

- any Alternate airport?

- represent the green dots and fonts anything of importance on the briefing map?

- what are the Rules of Engagement during that mission?

- civilian airtraffic banned from airspace?

 

 

Campaign:

- campaign picture should be added

Thanks, I will add some of these suggestions to the briefing - especially about flights positions, ROE and civilian airplanes. Good idea! The campaign picture will come as a final touch before the release :)

its not that I cant fly and be lethal with the A-10C its just that I'd rather fly a Su-25, difficulty doesn't bother me... you either got it or you don't, and whats difficult to one might be simple to others.

 

If you add some diversity to your slots I would test it.

I can send you separate missions with A10 changed to Su25 if you like, no problem. You will just have to alter your loadouts, as I know next to nothing about Russian ordnance :)

yes i would playtest if it had su-25, just make sure you give at least 4 waypoints and set altitude at like 3k for them.

I have uploaded an updated version of beta (0.1) - fixing some broken mission goals. The Su25 version for Chameleon_Silk should be ready in the evening.

Nope, sorry. Even with the new beta release, I landed in Kobuleti but nonetheless couldn't get past mission 1 :(

Nope, sorry. Even with the new beta release, I landed in Kobuleti but nonetheless couldn't get past mission 1 :(

Heh, that's because I think I updated all of the missions apart from mission one! :) will post a new version within 30 minutes. Sorry for that!

***EDIT***

New link is up here and in the first post. Hopefully it will work now, if not - just try to launch mission 2 as a separate one, so you don't have to play the first one too many times, it is not THAT interesting ;) And I will test how it works later tonight.

Hi,

I oppened the first mission after tried it unsuscesfully to look out what happens, and I think the problem is the area to check the mission goals, cause you have to exit the mission when the conditions are true -> part of group IN zone, and ussually you land and go to parking area... leaving the area.

If you want baltic_dragon, you can mark he player has landed marking it with a flag

player speed < XX (to avoid player or wingman overfly zone)

and

part of group in zone - land

then

FLAG XX -> ON

and later check if FLAG XX is ON to pass the mission.

There are others ways, but this is similar to the edited one.

PD: sorry my bad english

Hi,

 

I oppened the first mission after tried it unsuscesfully to look out what happens, and I think the problem is the area to check the mission goals, cause you have to exit the mission when the conditions are true -> part of group IN zone, and ussually you land and go to parking area... leaving the area.

 

If you want baltic_dragon, you can mark he player has landed marking it with a flag

 

player speed < XX (to avoid player or wingman overfly zone)

and

part of group in zone - land

 

then

 

FLAG XX -> ON

 

and later check if FLAG XX is ON to pass the mission.

 

There are others ways, but this is similar to the edited one.

 

PD: sorry my bad english

Thanks Zaz0, the end mission goals were giving me a bit of a headache. I have changed this and will test it tonight, hopefully progressing in campaign won't be an issue anymore. :doh:

In version 0.2, campaign still doesn't progress from mission 1.

That said, now going to try directly mission 2 to get some action.

P.S.: perhaps you should adopt another scheme for the versioning or you'll arrive pretty soon to 1.0 even if it's still in beta. In other words, you should slow down the release numbers a bit imho :)

Perhaps :) I finally manage to solve the problem with M1, but I still need some testing for the others. Next update after I gather some more feedback :)