Bored - How to find specific missions?

[dresoccer4]

Hey guys - so I've been playing DCS for many years now and own all of the modules. I've done the training for them all and are proficient with all the weapons systems. This has given me many hours of fun and learning. However, and it pains me to say this, recently I've finally begun to get bored with the game. What I want is easy, customizable access to the thousands of user created contents out there, which is currently difficult if not impossible to do. 

 

I've already started a topic on how the user content search function needs a complete overhaul as its essentially functionless. What I'm wanting to know from you guys is if you've found a work-around to find specific content that you're wanting to search for. 

 

For example, I want to see all of the missions for the F/A-18 in the Syria map that provide SEAD gameplay. I want just recent missions (within the last year, as older mission files are prone to break) and if possible sorted by popularity or quality to get the best ones. 

 

Has anyone found a way to do this sort of detailed searching? I feel like if I can figure this out it will greatly enhance the re-playability and expand the breadth of possibilities within DCS and reinvigorate life into it. Thanks for any insight or tips!

Edited September 2, 2021 by dresoccer4

[zildac]

This is really tricky at present given the existing User Files search functionality, an overhaul of said search function would be most welcome,  I agree. Being able to be more specific with requirements would be great. That would also of course mean that when the files are submitted, that additional metadata is included, either by the submitter or ED.

Edited September 2, 2021 by zildac

[DaWu]

Get liberation and make your own SEAD missions with two clicks 

[dresoccer4]

50 minutes ago, DaWu said:

Get liberation and make your own SEAD missions with two clicks 

 

liberation is interesting and i will check it out more. but sort of a different beast than what i'm trying to get in the OP

[Steel Jaw]

2 hours ago, DaWu said:

Get liberation and make your own SEAD missions with two clicks 

 

Link please.

[zildac]

2 hours ago, Mower said:

 

Link please.

 

https://github.com/dcs-liberation/dcs_liberation

 

And briefing room:

 

https://github.com/akaAgar/briefing-room-for-dcs

 

[crispy12]

Learn the mission editor? YOu can create whatever you want

[StevanJ]

On 9/2/2021 at 8:07 PM, dresoccer4 said:

Hey guys - so I've been playing DCS for many years now and own all of the modules. I've done the training for them all and are proficient with all the weapons systems. This has given me many hours of fun and learning. However, and it pains me to say this, recently I've finally begun to get bored with the game. What I want is easy, customizable access to the thousands of user created contents out there, which is currently difficult if not impossible to do. 

 

I've already started a topic on how the user content search function needs a complete overhaul as its essentially functionless. What I'm wanting to know from you guys is if you've found a work-around to find specific content that you're wanting to search for. 

 

For example, I want to see all of the missions for the F/A-18 in the Syria map that provide SEAD gameplay. I want just recent missions (within the last year, as older mission files are prone to break) and if possible sorted by popularity or quality to get the best ones. 

 

Has anyone found a way to do this sort of detailed searching? I feel like if I can figure this out it will greatly enhance the re-playability and expand the breadth of possibilities within DCS and reinvigorate life into it. Thanks for any insight or tips!

 

Back in the day we had a pretty cool Rating System, but it was abused by a user then deleted.
Now you have to cross/ search ie FA18> Campaign> Popularity. Then gauge that which attracts you to it..

Or you can use the search engine, and find the mission you want via serach terms, hoping the mission builder has entered the correct tags..

 

On 9/2/2021 at 8:15 PM, zildac said:

This is really tricky at present given the existing User Files search functionality, an overhaul of said search function would be most welcome,  I agree. Being able to be more specific with requirements would be great. That would also of course mean that when the files are submitted, that additional metadata is included, either by the submitter or ED.

 

We already got an overhaul with the new forum..

[Glide]

On 9/2/2021 at 12:07 PM, dresoccer4 said:

I feel like if I can figure this out it will greatly enhance the re-playability and expand the breadth of possibilities within DCS and reinvigorate life into it.

I watch the sun rise or set almost daily in DCS.  There are so many airfields in DCS that are carefully crafted for your enjoyment.  I also set the date to the current date so I can watch the seasons pass.  I hardly ever pull the trigger these days because I enjoy the flying more than the fighting (until the Viper is complete ).  It's all about expectations.

[StevanJ]

1 minute ago, Glide said:

I watch the sun rise or set almost daily in DCS.  There are so many airfields in DCS that are carefully crafted for your enjoyment.  I also set the date to the current date so I can watch the seasons pass.  I hardly ever pull the trigger these days because I enjoy the flying more than the fighting (until the Viper is complete ).  It's all about expectations.

Youve been playing Digital Non-Combat Simulator.. Good stuff..

[Glide]

I have changed the way I design my missions.  I have one mission before hostilities (no CAP or ground action), and one mission after the fight breaks out for each map.  That way I can fly in a populated world for practice, and then I just change up the combat mission until I lose more often than I win.  When I get to the point where I kick the AI butt all the time, I change it up. 

[schurem]

It's also good to use randomised triggers to activate stuff. It's a bit of a trick, but you can have the SAM be either three units of SA-6 or a single SA-15 or whatever. Same for targets and fighters. Makes the thing infinitely replayable.

[DaWu]

On 9/5/2021 at 3:10 PM, dmatsch said:

I have found that with the horrendous game AI that even with Liberation and Briefing room as well as downloaded missions, I'm spending 3/4 of my flight time fixing, tweaking fiddling, then finally giving up in frustration  

yeah that’s why I finally joined a MP squadron back in February. DCS was never that much fun before 

[dresoccer4]

On 9/12/2021 at 12:47 PM, crispy12 said:

Learn the mission editor? YOu can create whatever you want

 

oh i know the mission editor inside and out. that's essentially all i use these days, whether making my own missions but more often than not tweaking some downloaded missions. 

 

Thing is, with me, is if I design a mission then it's not as fun. as you know it so well it loses its mystique and unpredictability. sure you can throw in some random stuff, but for the most part you know exactly what's gonna happen, as you made it happen that way. that's why we need customizable search access to the literal thousands and thousands of user-created missions out there just waiting to be explored. It opens the door to almost limitless untapped possibility and a never-ending flow of new adventures waiting to be discovered  

[cfrag]

On 9/2/2021 at 9:07 PM, dresoccer4 said:

However, and it pains me to say this, recently I've finally begun to get bored with the game.

 

I can relate somewhat - at some point you can feel that you've all done it before, that missions feel repetitive, that you've counted every tree in Caucasus, driven every tank over the cliffs at dover, crashed into every dune in Persia, and discovered every Orange Cove in Syria... Twice.

 

Then I discovered the serenity of helicopter flying that can be had in non-violent missions. First, of course, you drive a helicopter much closer to the ground, and it feels more visceral than gliding over it in a fixed-wing. It also (to me) requires a different skill set compared to jets'n'props, and the view is, frankly, awesome (I drive in VR, which I feel is a prerequisite for having fun with helicopters - else they feel like work). I can gawk at the sun rise over a small pond that is surrounded by trees for half an hour - before even starting the bird. That glass bowl cockpit, combined with the fact that helis can take off from anywhere is really something; it allows me to constantly discover new places that I thought I already knew, but really didn't. And then there are these great missions to fly - without a time limit, TOT to catch, or SAMs to evade. Just lift off, pick up some person involved in an accident, and then fly them to a hospital. Feel good. Take your time. Be careful not to hit the wine too hard.

Or make some logistics hops around a fleet of ships - at night. Escort a convoy. Then do all of that over again in a different rotorframe (what's easy peasy in a Huey makes me break out in sweat driving a Hind or Hip)   

 

I'm currently kicking around an 'Air Taxi' mission concept that generates missions in a City (Haifa right now) and that forces you to compete with some AI helicopters that also want to pick up passengers (OK, definitely a time limit/stress factor involved here). Rewards are based on speedy delivery, with high-reward missions popping up at random, and only for a short time. Things like that - completely non-violent. Still great fun.

 

Then again, I also greatly enjoy writing missions, so I get some additional mileage out of that, too. Since you are comfortable with ME, and if you haven't done so already, maybe try your hand at writing some missions to fly with your friends. I find that doubly rewarding as we have fun flying, I like writing, and together we develop new ideas to try out. Plus, it takes the sting out of the abysmal search function for user-supplied content over at the download section  

 

[silverdevil]

On 9/23/2021 at 12:21 PM, cfrag said:

driven every tank over the cliffs at dover

 

lol. MLRS battles across the channel! but seriously building own missions, downloading new user missions, editing missions. thankfully there are other people that get bored and there are quite a few genius people that create missions and share.