Open Conflict - Server Information

[cosmicdoubloon]

Okay so I've been thinking about this tanker idea, and have a proposal.

 

As you can see on the diagram below (MLG Paint Skillz on show!) I suggest the tankers could take an arrowhead style path which starts out at sea, comes over the top (or just behind) their SAM base (for a degree of protection) and then out the other side. This way it would intercept the most common entry/exit paths planes take to the conflict zone and so would make for a convenient detour which could encourage going for a-a refuel instead of going to an airfield and in the case of FC3 planes, doing a full shutdown.

 

For the protection, my thinking was this: whilst over the ocean they'll be protected by the ships, at the 'tip' of the arrowhead they'll have cover of the SAM base, and the majority of the player fighters, and at the far tip they'll be in the AI CAP cover zone. This way they'll be protected by something, but that something is destructible. Thoughts/ideas/concerns?

 

[Ciribob]

Sorry hotfix for SimpleRadio - Latest version 1.2.8.1 Adds support for more soundcards / hardware

 

https://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=2922441&postcount=887

[acdelta57]

Okay so I've been thinking about this tanker idea, and have a proposal.

 

As you can see on the diagram below (MLG Paint Skillz on show!) I suggest the tankers could take an arrowhead style path which starts out at sea, comes over the top (or just behind) their SAM base (for a degree of protection) and then out the other side. This way it would intercept the most common entry/exit paths planes take to the conflict zone and so would make for a convenient detour which could encourage going for a-a refuel instead of going to an airfield and in the case of FC3 planes, doing a full shutdown.

 

For the protection, my thinking was this: whilst over the ocean they'll be protected by the ships, at the 'tip' of the arrowhead they'll have cover of the SAM base, and the majority of the player fighters, and at the far tip they'll be in the AI CAP cover zone. This way they'll be protected by something, but that something is destructible. Thoughts/ideas/concerns?

 

 

love it. 1 question, who is flying the smiley face pattern? I vote Tu22AI so he doesn't scare me with those fighter warnings :lol:

 

This would really help the m2ks on redfor to refill at entrance of danger zone. As it is right now you must baby fuel coming all the way from Gudauta.

Edited October 10, 2016 by acdelta57

[FiftyCalTalons]

I like this idea. They're both protected and in a position where it would be more convenient to refuel there to stay on station instead of diverting to where they are now, or having to fly all the way back to base and land.

[cosmicdoubloon]

Having played on the winter wonderland version of OC for a couple days now I'd like to give some feedback.

 

First off regarding the temperature, I've noticed no crippling problems :) some aircraft have to be more careful in their startup such as the huey's batteries struggling, but in general no issues to report across all modules. Just remember your heating systems guys!

 

Interestingly the super cold weather has made the gameplay really fun. The contrails start as low as 4,100m (13,500ft) and persist through to 12,000m (39,500ft) which means most a-a engagements start in the contrail layer and makes target tracking easy, and has the bonus of looking pretty incredible to an observer when 6 fighters are duking it out in the skies above them! Had some great success in the mig-29 going in low with the radar off and then zoom climbing up at contrailing F15s from immediately below, and launching an R73 before zipping back into the non-contrail zone :pilotfly:

 

Similarly it's proved very helpful for the ground attackers and legacy planes, because its very easy to pinpoint and track both team's fighters from the contrails, and I've seen otherwise dead-to-rights attackers saved multiple times by them spotting the incoming contrails, giving them time to hide/run away/set up an attack.

 

Recently I've developed a magical ability to NOT die on my CAP runs and make it to a tanker for a top up, and boy trying to refuel when all 4 engines from the tanker are blinding you with their contrails makes it very interesting, practically have to hug the IL-78 to be able to see it!

 

I think the server is much better running the 'colder but clear' weather compared to the 'warmer (but still cold) and snowing'. I've noticed much better FPS and being able to see the contrails are so much better, even though the snow was pretty.

 

Not sure what you did with the dynamic weather but that's given some crazy flying conditions! we've been getting crosswinds of 9m/s + at some airfields and I've been blown IN to the water a couple of times now when doing an SU33 carrier takeoff and the wind has caught me off guard. It's great fun and an awesome challenge, I've seen crabbing helicopters and bush pilots looking like their almost flying sideways at times :D (slight exaggeration, but its proving a great challenge)

 

Changing the AI from AI Mirknirs to MiG23s has been a success in my opinion. The MiGs are easier to combat in the legacy fighters and mirage but they still manage to shoot quite a few people down by virtue of their two decent radar missiles, and the extra numbers mean they can assist each other better if the fight becomes a WVR dogfight. They also prove damn difficult to track at low level by virtue of their grey colour scheme blending in with the snowy terrain. I hope the Mig23s are here to stay :) Have you thought about maybe doing a similar downgrade on the F16s, and making them F4 phantoms? 3 F4s armed with 4 sparrows + 4 AIM9s could prove an interesting opponent!

 

Also I like your idea of forcing the AI respawn if medic helos are shot down. People quite often are complaining in the chat about being downed as the medic helos and I think the instant CAP respawn could go some way to alleviating that. Or, maybe have it so that the AI CAP respawns instantly and, as a one off event (for that shootdown), spawn in at increased strength of one extra plane (so 3 F16 or 4 MiG23) to serve as retribution for breaking the Geneva convention! With either option I think it should come with a global message along the lines of 'Your team/the enemy team has shot down a medic helicopter! AI reinforcements have been scrambled to provide additional protection' to serve as a notification that blindly firing 2 AMRAAMs at that helpless huey/mi8 is just plain rude ;)

 

All in all keep up the awesome work, and thanks as always for hosting such a great server Mirknir.

 

Let me know what you think of my idea for the tanker routes, you deserve a medal for dealing with us chirping in your ear constantly ;)

Edited October 11, 2016 by cosmicdoubloon

[acdelta57]

Good stuff cosmic! I will be on this week as I originally was not going to be on at all. Hope to see you around! I'm in need of a helo party!

[cosmicdoubloon]

Good stuff cosmic! I will be on this week as I originally was not going to be on at all. Hope to see you around! I'm in need of a helo party!

 

How about a UN helo party? medic hueys/mi8s escorted by mistral equipped gazelles?? ;)

[acdelta57]

How about a UN helo party? medic hueys/mi8s escorted by mistral equipped gazelles?? ;)

 

excellent!

[NASA6]

How about a UN helo party? medic hueys/mi8s escorted by mistral equipped gazelles?? ;)

 

TRAITORS :cry: !!!!!!!!!

i am missing a lot

[Mirknir]

Yo guys,

 

Here are some more thoughts after reading all your comments:

 

Weather

Yea the first Open Conflict server was testing more weather pattern until the ka50 couldn't handle cold weather and one engine wouldnt start (even with autostart)

I like to try dry very cold weather because of the variety it brings and yea, especially more contrails.

It reminds me how the fights in the game X3 was changed when I installed the X-tended mod and trails were added to ships :)

I am glad you guys like it.

 

Dynamic weather is also something cool but, for me, it lacks a bit of control over wind force and direction.

Both parameters are consequences of the cyclone/anticylone I setup so yea, sometimes winds can change or go crazier than I anticipated.

 

AI CAPs

I am glad the MiG23 CAP are a nice change ; actually they were there in the first Open Conflict version.

Also, it is to be noted that AIs behave differently from one plane to another and last time I checked, the MiG23 AIs were doing well and the F4 AIs were very bad.

That's why I can't put any planes in the map ; some are badly supported by AIs.

 

Now for the F16 AIs, yea they are still there, spawning in rotation with the MiG23.

Reading your comments and thinking about it, this more powerful CAPs could be put in a separate pool and act as retribution CAPs.

You would have the weaker regular MiG23 CAPs and the more powerful retribution F16/Su27 CAPs.

Regular CAPs would be on a regular respawn schedule like now.

Retribution CAPs would spawn only on some conditions like a medic helicopter has been destroyed recently or an over-stacked team keeps on killing stuff.

Both CAPs could also have different routes ; one going deeper than another.

This might be a bit harder to code/tweak but it could be interesting.

 

Air Tankers

I like Cosmicdoubloon idea of moving them over to the coast.

They could go from Open Sea Fleet to FOBs, flying over SAM Base. Shouldn't be hard to try.

 

Do you guys think it is possible to have one altitude/speed that would fit both fighters and A10c for refueling?

I would like to avoid having to add 1 more tanker on each side.

[cosmicdoubloon]

 

AI CAPs

I am glad the MiG23 CAP are a nice change ; actually they were there in the first Open Conflict version.

Also, it is to be noted that AIs behave differently from one plane to another and last time I checked, the MiG23 AIs were doing well and the F4 AIs were very bad.

That's why I can't put any planes in the map ; some are badly supported by AIs.

 

 

Air Tankers

I like Cosmicdoubloon idea of moving them over to the coast.

They could go from Open Sea Fleet to FOBs, flying over SAM Base. Shouldn't be hard to try.

 

Do you guys think it is possible to have one altitude/speed that would fit both fighters and A10c for refueling?

I would like to avoid having to add 1 more tanker on each side.

 

Okay so in follow up to these two points I've done some offline testing these evening and have some findings:

 

yeah, the F4s might as well be piloted by brain damaged amoebas. They are beyond useless in dogfights and I was having 4 'excellent' skill F4s fully loaded losing to 2 'good' mig 21s armed with a standard 21 loadout (2 R3R and 4 R60M) quite reliably in a variety of situations (head on, BVR, WVR, chasing, with/without AWACS.. you name it I tested and they SUCK!)

 

I did discover that the F14s have a decent AI though so they could be worth trying :) just (for balance) leave them loaded with AIM-7s and not have 12 AIM-54s being flung across the conflict zone at some helpless A-10! :lol:

 

That said, maybe a pair of F14s with sparrows, aim-9s, and 2 AIM-54s could be an option for the 'retribution' spawn if the teams are stacked. Then I could accept the phoenixes being massive force multipliers to help the undermanned team. Only issue I see is the F14s using them to attack the tankers/AWACS, but this is countered by having them set as invisible to the AI (as they are already I think).

 

 

I have also done some tanker testing. All speeds given below are true airspeed/as inputted into the mission editor. Same for altitudes. Fuel was set at 65% with no external bags to simulate someone hanging around the conflict zone at low level for 45-60 minutes

 

I put as heavy a semi-feasable load (6xmavs, 5 MK84, 2AIM-9M, ECM) I could on my trusty hog and experimented with what it could get away with and found that a KC135 at 5000m (16,400ft) doing 450km/h (243knots/280mph) was the maximum feasable speed for refuelling, but the A10 was screaming the entire time at me! :D

 

When I reduced my combat load to my standard 'OC load' of 4xmavs, 2xrockets, 6xmk82, 3xbdu33 (for wind indication), 2AIM-9 and ECM I found that the tanker could be increased to 550km/h (297knots/342mph) before it became impossible to catch up.

 

I then reduced my payload further to simulate a refuel mid-mission (1xmav, 4xmk82, 2xbdu33, 1AIM-9, ECM) and the A10 was more than capable of keeping up with the KC-135 doing 550km/h.

 

I did check that the F15 was happy refuelling from the tanker at this lower speed and found no problems :)

 

My suggestion therefore is for the KC135 to be at 5000m/16,400ft doing between 500-550km/h /270-297knots. This way both the A10 and F15 can refuel on it, as long as the A10 pilot hasn't decided to be me and pretend to be a mini B52 with 9 mk84s... :music_whistling:

 

The IL-78 doesn't need to be changed in any way as the only planes that can refuel at it are the SU27/33 and the Mirage, and these are all able to refuel at it as it stands.

 

If anyone has anything to add please do :) I'm not that familiar with refuelling the blufor planes so if I've missed anything then feel free to chip in.

Edited October 14, 2016 by cosmicdoubloon

[marcoacv]

The best serve Open Conflict

 

Hello guys i was flying around in the server. I am using my nickname =BR=Wolverine. It's a very good server and good mission as well. Thx Mirknir for the great work.

[Mirknir]

Okay so in follow up to these two points I've done some offline testing these evening and have some findings:

 

yeah, the F4s might as well be piloted by brain damaged amoebas. They are beyond useless in dogfights and I was having 4 'excellent' skill F4s fully loaded losing to 2 'good' mig 21s armed with a standard 21 loadout (2 R3R and 4 R60M) quite reliably in a variety of situations (head on, BVR, WVR, chasing, with/without AWACS.. you name it I tested and they SUCK!)

 

I did discover that the F14s have a decent AI though so they could be worth trying :) just (for balance) leave them loaded with AIM-7s and not have 12 AIM-54s being flung across the conflict zone at some helpless A-10! :lol:

 

That said, maybe a pair of F14s with sparrows, aim-9s, and 2 AIM-54s could be an option for the 'retribution' spawn if the teams are stacked. Then I could accept the phoenixes being massive force multipliers to help the undermanned team. Only issue I see is the F14s using them to attack the tankers/AWACS, but this is countered by having them set as invisible to the AI (as they are already I think).

 

 

I have also done some tanker testing. All speeds given below are true airspeed/as inputted into the mission editor. Same for altitudes. Fuel was set at 65% with no external bags to simulate someone hanging around the conflict zone at low level for 45-60 minutes

 

I put as heavy a semi-feasable load (6xmavs, 5 MK84, 2AIM-9M, ECM) I could on my trusty hog and experimented with what it could get away with and found that a KC135 at 5000m (16,400ft) doing 450km/h (243knots/280mph) was the maximum feasable speed for refuelling, but the A10 was screaming the entire time at me! :D

 

When I reduced my combat load to my standard 'OC load' of 4xmavs, 2xrockets, 6xmk82, 3xbdu33 (for wind indication), 2AIM-9 and ECM I found that the tanker could be increased to 550km/h (297knots/342mph) before it became impossible to catch up.

 

I then reduced my payload further to simulate a refuel mid-mission (1xmav, 4xmk82, 2xbdu33, 1AIM-9, ECM) and the A10 was more than capable of keeping up with the KC-135 doing 550km/h.

 

I did check that the F15 was happy refuelling from the tanker at this lower speed and found no problems :)

 

My suggestion therefore is for the KC135 to be at 5000m/16,400ft doing between 500-550km/h /270-297knots. This way both the A10 and F15 can refuel on it, as long as the A10 pilot hasn't decided to be me and pretend to be a mini B52 with 9 mk84s... :music_whistling:

 

The IL-78 doesn't need to be changed in any way as the only planes that can refuel at it are the SU27/33 and the Mirage, and these are all able to refuel at it as it stands.

 

If anyone has anything to add please do :) I'm not that familiar with refuelling the blufor planes so if I've missed anything then feel free to chip in.

 

Noted, I'll try to include this in a next update.

 

So much stuff to do... :pilotfly:

[Mirknir]

Hello guys i was flying around in the server. I am using my nickname =BR=Wolverine. It's a very good server and good mission as well. Thx Mirknir for the great work.

 

Thanks for the feedback, I have so much more stuff I want to do... But less free time lately :thumbup:

 

I may try to bring back disarming terrorist bombs but a bit different from before :music_whistling:

[noisy_lightning]

Is the server down?

 

Sent from my LG-D855 using Tapatalk

[Mirknir]

Is the server down?

 

Sent from my LG-D855 using Tapatalk

 

Again server keeps on disconnecting from lobby....

Not sure what happens

[noisy_lightning]

Again server keeps on disconnecting from lobby....

Not sure what happens

Can we connect with the ip direct? If so what is the ip please?

 

Sent from my LG-D855 using Tapatalk

[bertOC]

Sadly no IP connect when it's not in the lobby. The serverbrowser automatically saves the last IP connected to in the IP connet button.

[Mirknir]

Can we connect with the ip direct? If so what is the ip please?

 

Sent from my LG-D855 using Tapatalk

 

Yea the whole thing is down.... :mad:

 

I am investigating, stay tuned

[Mezner]

NOOOOOOOOO!!!! Hopefully the server gets up soon. Get my drinking and flying on lol.

 

Love the server

Keep up the great work Mirknir! =)

Edited October 15, 2016 by Mezner

[Mirknir]

Yea the whole thing is down.... :mad:

 

I am investigating, stay tuned

 

Ok should be back up with modem and router rebooted and restored to factory settings...

 

My internet provider tells me my line is now fine after the maintenance they did two weeks ago so I am not sure what's wrong ; I am not even sure it's on my side.

 

I also think it's strange that, when the problem occurs ; people can direct connect and play on the server but the lobby connection is lost.

It feel like the lobby connection is done when the server starts and no attempts to re-established it are done when it's somehow lost.

Any extra information on this would be nice if someone have inside information.

In the meantime, let's see how it holds...

 

ServerIP: 66.130.100.175:10308

[JDarksword]

Not on OC but I figured I'd leave these here

link is here if you want the liveries https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/1679487/

M2K US Navy NSAWC

[Bahnzo]

Mirknir, I flew my very first multiplayer on your server last nite. I was on the brink of throwing in the towel with DCS and it's limited mission/campaign system.....and that's all changed now. It was a lot of fun flying in a dynamic world like that, so thank you very much!

 

A question or two from the new guy.....only flying the SU-25T right now.

 

Is it possible to setup a flight plan with waypoints, etc?

 

I see the AWAC calling out stuff, is there a guide explaining that? I'm assuming they are calling out stuff using a bullseye....is there something that shows what my bullseye position is? Something in the plane or on the map?

 

You have two options for radio, the Simple Radio and Teamspeak. Which is used most...I tried using SR and never heard another person the whole night.

[Mirknir]

Mirknir, I flew my very first multiplayer on your server last nite. I was on the brink of throwing in the towel with DCS and it's limited mission/campaign system.....and that's all changed now. It was a lot of fun flying in a dynamic world like that, so thank you very much!

 

Thanks for the feedback, it mean a lot.

Creating and hosting a DCS map/server is not really a walk in the park, I am glad some people find a place on this ghetto server hosted under my TV :lol:

 

Is it possible to setup a flight plan with waypoints, etc?

I don't setup waypoints for aircrafts cause it's, like you said, a dynamic world and also a very open map.

You choose your mission.

In some advanced planes like the A10C, you can enter your waypoint in the cockpit ; but not on the su25T.

Skynet provides your with coordinates, heading and distance to objectives using the F10 radio menu or chat command.

Type '-help' in chat to start the help board.

 

I see the AWAC calling out stuff, is there a guide explaining that? I'm assuming they are calling out stuff using a bullseye....is there something that shows what my bullseye position is? Something in the plane or on the map?

 

The bullseye is a point from which some of the awacs or even teamates call are referenced.

The bulleye position is on the F10 map, the big red/blue circle bulleyes.

It's meant to encode the position sent over radio in case the enemy is listening.

An awacs BRA call means Bearing, Range and Altitude from your position.

The awacs will also give you the attitude or aspect of the target meaning IIRC how he is oriented comparing to your position, from hot (he is heading toward you) to flanking (he is showing you his side) to cold (away from you)

Merged means the enemy merged on your position and it's time to look up :)

Popup group is an aircraft that just appeared or reappeared on AWACs radar IRRC

 

Check this post

Also for more goodies if you are new, you can check

 

You have two options for radio, the Simple Radio and Teamspeak. Which is used most...I tried using SR and never heard another person the whole night.

 

I am not sure, just ask in chat when you join.

Edited October 16, 2016 by Mirknir

[Bahnzo]

Thanks, Mirknir. Some very informative stuff there. I did notice the BRA calls, but didn't equate that correctly, I just assumed all calls were bullseye.

 

Thanks for the links, I'm sure they'll help me ease into multiplayer. I've flown flight sims for a looong time, but until now I've never really tried mulitplayer on a *real* flight sim. Feels like a whole new world now.

 

 

Edit: another quick question.

 

I noticed the server resets every 4 hours. When it does this, does it reset the map?

Edited October 16, 2016 by Bahnzo