Campaign updates

[NumenorBB072]

Good news!!

[Reflected]

So by now after all the hints, most of you figured out that I'm working on a 'Speed & Angels' F-14 Campaign with Paco. It will start as a RAG class, then you'll get sent on your first deployment into a conflict. We've just completed mission 2 and I already love where it's going.

Some of you may expect a training campaign, that will teach you how to fly the Tomcat from scratch. Like 'this button does this, then press this to kill the bad guys'. Nope. Sorry to disappoint, but by the time you start flying at the RAG you need to be familiar with every rivet of the Tomcat. There are training missions and videos for that already anyway. This campaign will really put you in the shoes of a RAG student, and teach you how to fly the F-14 like it was done in real life. You think you can do a nice loop? A 360 turn? maybe fly in formation? (I thought I could) Sounds easy? Well, I assure you that as soon as you're put in a realistic context with realistic requirements, it's darn hard, and requires precision, utter concentration and airmanship.

I've already learned A LOT by simply building and testing the missions - frankly, I feel more drained and exhausted after one of these training hops than after any DCS missions I've flown against whatever opposition. And this is a sign that the project is going exactly the way I hoped.

I'm grateful to Paco for dedicating his limited free time to this, and I'm really looking forward to building the rest of the missions.

 

[Spartan111sqn]

looking forward to get it!, I fully support such approach of flying!

I've done Zone 5 and it is a very good and realistic product, I like it, as I always say to you, COOP mode when possible will be another level.

Keep pushing!

[Jayhawk1971]

Can't wait! Hopefully by the time the campaign is released performance in general (and some maps in particular) will have been optimized (and/or availability of GPUs will improve).

Spoiler

I assume half of the campaign will take place in NTTR (RAG), and the other half on the Mariana map? Like "Lions in the Sky"?

 

[Reflected]

1 hour ago, Jayhawk1971 said:

Can't wait! Hopefully by the time the campaign is released performance in general (and some maps in particular) will have been optimized (and/or availability of GPUs will improve).

  Hide contents

I assume half of the campaign will take place in NTTR (RAG), and the other half on the Mariana map? Like "Lions in the Sky"?

 

Good guess

[Chipwich]

I can’t get enough of the Tomcat right now so this is very good news Reflected.  Thank you for keeping the pedal to the metal.

[TLTeo]

Something that actually teaches formation flying would be nice. On the other hand, flying off an AI will be super annoying since they don't exactly care whether you're next to them or not. Is there a chance these missions will have us fly with a fully loaded gun, just for the sake of re-living the days when I was learning to AAR?

[Reflected]

Flak update!

[BuzzLine]

Amazing ! I started to replay Big Show on the Channel map but I'll wait a bit for the update to roll in. And I guess I'll have to replay Wolfpack and BNBoB too. Looking forward to it, many thanks for your hard work.

Does it make a difference in the Horrido or Jagdflieger campaigns too ? Maybe I'll replay them anyways, just in case.  

[Reflected]

I changed the German campaigns too, but not much difference - as you're on the same side as the flak - well, mostly.

[Reflected]

Here's a little update on 'Paradise Lost', my upcoming UH-1H Huey Campaign along with some important campaign tips.

 

 

[BuzzLine]

3 hours ago, Reflected said:

Here's a little update on 'Paradise Lost', my upcoming UH-1H Huey Campaign along with some important campaign tips.

Looking forward to it !!! And thanks for the book recommendations. I suggest adding "Minuteman 2-3" to your list if you haven't read it already and aren't completely fed up with VN-era and Hueys.

Couple of questions : 

1. A feature I loved in "Persian Freedom" (a great A-10C campaign by ChillNG) was that whenever you had to call someone, the "press Space to call Magic on U3" trigger would work only if you pressed space *and* you were on the proper frequency. This saved me a couple of times from missing critical mission updates or fun banter. I see from your video that you've added this condition in your triggers for inbound communications, have you also implemented this for outbound ? 

2. Marianas map is very populated, with modern housing and such. Did you find wild "jungle" areas on some islands, to look like Vietnam ? Or did you use RemoveScenery (or whatever the thing is called in ME) to clear up some of the modern infrastructure ? 

Very impatient to try out your new work ! 

[Reflected]

Good questions:

1) I did add some safety catches, but I cannot guarantee that the world will wait for you to find the right freq, better pay attention all the time. Normally the conversations should only begin if the freq is right though.

2) Yeah, well that's what we have in game and we have to live with that...There are lots of jungly areas in the south of Guam which is 'bad guy country' in this campaign. If I really wanted to be anal about all the buildings I'd have had to implement hundreds of 'remove scenery object' zones, and it really wouldn't have added much to the campaign. It's a fictional conflict to begin with, I'm not pretending Guam to be Vietnam.

Edited December 8, 2021 by Reflected

[wowbagger]

13 minutes ago, Reflected said:

... I'm not pretending Guam to be Vietnam.

 

I sure will be.

I ain't no senator's son.

 

So looking forwards to this one.

 

[BuzzLine]

1 minute ago, wowbagger said:

I ain't no senator's son.

  As with Zone 5, I'm preparing my playlist for this campaign...  

We are most ... fortunate  to have this campaign coming soon.

 

Thanks @Reflected for the answers. Concerning the radio triggers, in the real world we have proper procedures to ensure both parties are listening before exchanging words. In DCS, once a message is gone it is gone forever. So I love it when designers implement a bit of safety so that players don't miss out on important things.  

(Guam is not Vietnam indeed but will we have B-52 flying out of Guam to carpet bomb ... Guam ? )

[Reflected]

Ahead of ya

 

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2A635AWoFotulhnAK0kfOb?si=7FfllmCLTpe_qpNcUu2vrQ

[BuzzLine]

21 minutes ago, Reflected said:

Ahead of ya

 

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2A635AWoFotulhnAK0kfOb?si=7FfllmCLTpe_qpNcUu2vrQ

After FTB, I should've known better. I apologize for my lack of trust. Well played, sir, well played.
 

Wait ... No Wagner ? NO VALKYRIES RIDE ?? How am I supposed to fly a straffing attack in a gunship if there is no Wagner ??????? Doesn't smell like victory to me... 

[Reflected]

Ahead of ya there too, but I have to stop giving out spoilers

[Coota0]

Can you give us an introduction to the Paradise Lost campaign? What's the year, who do you play as, overall goal?

[Reflected]

4 hours ago, Coota0 said:

Can you give us an introduction to the Paradise Lost campaign? What's the year, who do you play as, overall goal?

That's a great idea for another campaign update video

[Reflected]

 

[unlikely_spider]

41 minutes ago, Reflected said:

 

In the video, you say "this should come in the December OB update, but I can't 100% guarantee".

That said, can you 100% guarantee that it will be in the December OB update?

[Reflected]

Errr sorry I don’t understand. I mean it will probably be in the next update but I cannot be 100% sure because it’s not in my hands. 

[unlikely_spider]

5 minutes ago, Reflected said:

Errr sorry I don’t understand. I mean it will probably be in the next update but I cannot be 100% sure because it’s not in my hands. 

So, what you're saying is 100% certainty. Got it!

[BuzzLine]

1 hour ago, Reflected said:

 

"I hear they've got good surf there"

=> Oblig quote : "What do you know about surfing, Major, you're from g0ddamn New Jersey !" 

 

Can't wait ! And I hope really hope pretty please ED, cherry on top, that the update will drop next week as I'll be moving right afterwards and I probably won't have more than sketchy Internet at the new place for a while...