Catch & Keep - Integrated Warfare (multi-module, single/multi player)

[cfrag]

Catch'n'Keep - Multi-Module Dynamic Base/FARP Capture (Integrated Warfare Series)

Current version: V.20230522

Download: please click here

Discussion: Please add your comments below in this thread

Summary:
"CnK" is a single/multi-player dynamic mission in which you are tasked to capture multiple FARP and airfields. You start from a Tarawa-class LHA carrying different helicopters and two Harriers. Once you have captured an airfield, you also gain access to fixed wing aircraft (note: the initial airfield capture step can be skipped).

Arrayed against you are AI-controlled REDFORCE troops that will try to re-take any FARP or airfield you may have captured. 

Like all my "Integrated Warfare" scenarios, a successful mission requires that at least one (usually more) of the players fly two or more different airframes (rotor- and/or fixed-wing) before the mission is a success. CnK has a heavy emphasis on helicopter warfare; it can be won flying only helicopters, but having fixed-wing support for CAS and SEAD makes this scenario much easier. 

A new wrinkle is that when you crash an aircraft, that aircraft's slot is blocked for the rest of the game, forcing you to capture other airfields or FARPs to re-gain access to that plane type. So: bring it back in (more or less) one piece, and it will be repaired and ready for re-use. Crash it, it's gone.

This scenario requires at least one player being able to fly a troop transport: Huey, Hind or Hip.

Main Features

• Dynamic theater (AI-spawned and controlled antagonists)
• Fixed and Rotor Wing (Rotor troop transport required)
• Automatic Recon function for all Blue airframes  
• Intelligent slot blocking (spawn restricted to the airfields that you have captured)
• Crashed planes are removed from the game, so fly carefully
• Limited number of pilots (lose all, lose the mission)
• Automatic player CSAR to rescue downed pilots and replenish pilot pool
• Helicopter Troop transport (JTAC for auto-lasing, Assault to capture/hold locations) 
• Multiple planes per player during same play-through, all planes start hot
• Single Player (very difficult!) and Multiplayer (2-4, CoOp)
   

Duration:
A fast 2 player (win) takes some 180 minutes. Average play-through (win) is about 300 minutes with 2 players. Play-time with 4 experienced players averages around 140 minutes

 
Requirements:

• Caucasus Map (free with DCS)
• At least two of the recommended modules (see below)
• Multiplayer (even for single-player) for slot blocking to work
• Host (only host) must have SSB installed for slot blocking to work

Number of recommended players: 2-4. 
You play as BLUEFORCE. A single-player win is possible. Single-player mission duration is significantly increased (5+ hours)

Capture and Keep: Description
This is the the next iteration of my 'integrated warfare' series. In this scenario, your goal is to first locate, and then capture, all five enemy FARPs. Once you capture an airbase or FARP, you can spawn, refuel, repair and re-arm  airframes there.
 
You play the role of multiple pilots, flying multiple aircraft, and you are expected to switch airframes while the scenario is running. You start the game with helicopters / Harriers only, and only after capturing Anapa-Vityazevo will you gain access to fixed-wing aircraft. Players can choose to skip the initial step and immediately gain access to Anapa (see below for how to do that).

Your goal is to capture all FARPs, so keep an eye out for enemy attack groups that try to re-capture any FARP. You are limited to 7 pilots, so make sure that you rescue downed pilots (with a CSAR mission) whenever possible.
 
Minimal Modules - REQUIRED

• Attack Helicopter (Ka-50 or Hind or Gazelle or Apache) 
• Transport Helicopter (Huey or Hind or Hip)

You need an attack helicopter or Harrier to take out Anapa-Vityazevo's defence. 
You need a troop-carrier helicopter to capture enemy FARP

This scenario can be won with only helicopters. Are you good enough?

Optional Modules
As soon as your side has captured Anapa/Novorossiysk, you also have access to the following modules:

• A-10 Hog (A and C) 
• F/A-18 Hornet
• Su-25T Frogfoot (free with DCS)
• F-16 Viper
• F-15 Eagle (Anapa Only)
• Mi-8 Hip

Recommended Module Mix: One each of

• Attack Helicopter (Ka-50, Hind, Gazelle, Apache) 
• Troop Transport Helicopter (Huey, Hip, Hind)
• CAS fixed-wing (Su-25T, A-10 A/C, F/A-18, Harrier)
• SEAD/CAP fixed-wing (F/A-18, F-16)

A Troop Transport Helicopter is required to capture FARPs. Troop Transport Helicopters are: UH-1 Huey, Mi-24 Hind, Mi-8 Hip 
 

HOW TO PLAY:
In Stage I (warm-up), you start from a Tarawa-class LHA, with orders to eliminate Anapa-Vityazevo's defenses. When the enemy forces there are neutralized, Blueforce recon moves in to capture the airfield (no troop airlift required). 

Skipping Stage I: Force Anapa Capture
Players can elect to skip the initial step of capturing Anapa: choose "Skip Phase I (Free Anapa)" from "F10: Other..." in communications. 

Once you have established a foothold in Anapa, the engagement begins in earnest. Your goal is to capture all five FARP in the vicinity. You can also capture Novorossiysk, but that is not required.

Your Task:
You are tasked with capturing all five FARP in the vicinity: Hilltop, Riverbend, Lower Elbow, Shoolhouse, and Outskirts. You do that by first eliminating all enemy units, and then landing infantry units close to the FARP before the enemy can bring in reinforcements. Once captured, you must hold on to the FARP, as the enemy will try to recapture lost FARPS. 
 

 
Airframe Slot Availability
Whenever you capture an airfield or FARP, you gain the ability to spawn from these (their slots become available), as well as repair, rearm, refuel, and you can return downed pilots from CSAR missions there.
NOTE: this requires that the mission-hosting computer runs SSB - see below) 

Capturing Airfields / FARPS
To capture an Airfield or FARP you must first destroy all enemy units in a 2km Radius of the airfield/FARP, and then put ground units (infantry units) inside the 2km perimeter. Two minutes after you have captured a FARP, it's services come on-line, and you can use their repair and re-arm facilities. Once captured, airfields and FARPS are also eligible to receive downed pilots from CSAR missions.

Tactical Overview
The F10 map always shows the current tactical situation. FARPs that you have captured appear as blue circles on the map. Make sure to keep them clear of enemy ground forces, as they can capture the FARP from you.

Automatic Recon
This mission has an automatic recon feature: once a blue airframe discovers enemy ground units, they are marked on the F10 map with a circle. Note that marks correspond to the unit's initial discovery position, and that they aren't updated. Units may have moved to different locations. Recon marks disappear after some time (30 minutes)

Airlifting Troops (Infantry)
Airlifted troops are used to capture FARPs and airfields. The Hip, Huey and Hind can pick up, transport and place infantry anywhere on the map. For this, use Communication -> "F-10 Other..." -> "Airlift Troops" (only available in helicopters that can transport troops). 
To pick up infantry, land close to them, and order them aboard with communication-->other-->Airlift Troops (if you have enabled auto-pick-up, they board immediately). To deploy troops, land the helicopter, and order them to unload (again, if you have enabled auto-deploy, they will deploy immediately)

Requesting Troops at FARPs and Airfields
Airfields and FARPS have infantry squads for troop insertion ("Assault" and "Marines") on standby. If there are no Infantry to load into your helicopter, request a team via the communications-->other-->Airlift Troops command. The requested squad then assembles inside their staging zone. If you are too far away from the staging zone, you will not be given the option to request infantry. If that happens, move closer to the FARP; on airfields, check the map for designated staging zones and touch down inside them.  

Assault / Marines (Guarding / Lasing)
You can choose between two squad types: 
Assault troops guard the location they are deployed to. They automatically seek out and attack enemy troops that get in range. This makes them the ideal choice to capture FARPs and destroy any remaining lightly-armed and unarmed targets. 

Marines are best used to laser-designate targets for attack aircraft. They do not move except to defend themselves. They can be used to capture a FARP or airfield, but have only limited defensive capabilities. 
They are best used as spotters: Marines are permanently on the look-out for enemy ground vehicles to laser-designate. Line of sight is required for lasing, so place them on a hilltop for maximum effect. They'll report in when they designate targets, and you can request a report any time from Communication -> "F-10 Other..." -> "JTAC Lasing Report", which (for simplicity) will give you the position of all currently deployed JTAC designator teams, as well as your range and bearing to their lased targets (i.e. they vector you to their lased target). 

Laser designators currently exclusively use 1688 as code; lasing is fully automated. For simplicity, we do not follow the JTAC nine-line protocol; the AI simply lazes targets that it wants pilots to destroy, and your laser munitions simply pick up the designator.
 

Losing Pilots, Changing Airframes & CSAR
There is a limit on the number of pilots that Blue side can lose (NOTE: does not apply to REDFORCE/AI). This limit is currently set at 7 (seven). If your side loses all their pilots, you lose the engagement. You can disable this option at any time during the mission 
 

Losing a Pilot
You lose a pilot whenever one of the following happens:

• you are killed
• you crash your airplane/helicopter and die inside it
• you eject (this pilot can be rescued, see below)
• you ditch your airplane/helicopter (i.e. switch to another plane) while not landed on your own airfield, FARP or carrier (this pilot can be rescued, see below)

Changing Airframes without Pilot Loss
You WON'T lose a pilot when you switch your airplane/helicopter while landed on your airfield, FARP or LHA. 

IMPORTANT:
'Any landing you can walk away from is a good landing' applies: while landed on your airfield, FARP or carrier, the condition ("health") of that plane is irrelevant, as long as you (the pilot) are alive and you are still inside the cockpit. So even if all that remains of your plane is twisted smoking wreckage, you can change into a brand-spanking new one without losing a pilot. If you, on the other hand, eject during landing or take-off, that pilot is lost (but can be rescued with a CSAR, see below).

CSAR Missions: Rescuing Downed Pilots
Whenever you eject from or ditch your plane, a CSAR (Combat Search And Rescue) mission is created for that pilot, somewhere close to the place where you ejected or ditched. A player can then fly a troop transport helicopter (Huey, Hind or Hip) and try to rescue the downed pilot. They then bring the rescued crew back to a friendly drop-off zone (airfield, LHA, or FARP). Note that not all ejections are safe:

• Ejecting over water will usually kill the pilot
• Ejected pilots on the ground will be killed when spotted by the enemy
• pilots may touch down in difficult terrain and require a hover rescue (much more difficult than a landing)
   

To rescue a downed pilot, use their ELT signal to home in on their location. The CSAR Report, available under Communication --> F10-Other..., lists all currently downed pilots and the frequencies of their ELT. 

Once you are close enough to the downed pilot, land and you automatically pick up the pilot. If you can't land due to inaccessible terrain, hover directly over the evacuee, and your crew will attempt a winch rescue. This requires that you hover in range for approximately 20 seconds. You'll see a count-down come up. Once it reaches zero, the evacuee is safely hooked and is winced aboard. 

Once the downed pilot is securely on board, return and land the helicopter on your LHA, Airfield or FARP. As soon as you land, you will be credited with the number of pilots you rescued (i.e. they will be added to your pool of available pilots)

Note that CSAR Missions are dangerous due to their potentially high reward, and the helicopter skills required. Weigh the pros and cons carefully before embarking on one. Be advised that Pilots can (and usually will) be killed if they are spotted by enemy troops. 

It is possible (and risky) to pick up multiple pilots on a single flight. Remember that each evacuee adds to internal weight, so be sure to watch your weight and balance.

Additional Notes
If you are shot down during CSAR, and manage to survive the landing (or ditch your helicopter) while carrying rescued crew, any rescued personnel plus your helicopter pilot will again be available as CSAR missions.

What happens when I run out of pilots?
From the scenario's perspective, you have lost, and a message to that effect appears. You can continue playing, and every time you enter a new plane, you will get an unmistakable notice that the scenario thinks you are cheating. But that's all, so you can continue to practice. 

"Eye Candy" Option
If you are using the "Eye Candy" option (auto-filling empty player slots with static stand-ins) in Multiplayer, you need the "stopGapGUI" plug-in (only for the server).

 
Installing Simple Slot Block (optional)
This mission blocks slots based on who owns the airfield. It supports an (OPTIONAL) elegant server-plug called "SSB" that, when installed on the server, makes the player experience much better when the player chooses a plane that is currently unavailable. Installing SSB in not required, and does not work in single-player (C'n'K substitutes its own slot blocking in that case)

To use SSB:

• you start the mission as multiplayer (even when you are playing alone)
• The computer that starts the mission (all other players do not have to do this) has Ciribob's fantastic "Simple Slot Block" installed. This requires you to once drop a small file in a folder - so it's manageable.
• To have crashed planes remove from the game, you must set 

  ssb.kickReset = false

If SSB isn't installed, or the mission is run in single-player, it defaults to its own slot blocking mechanism that lacks some of the finesse that SSB brings to the table. 

Have Fun,

-ch

Edited May 17, 2024 by cfrag

[cfrag]

New Version: 1.1.1 - January 26, 2022

Added Feature: Breakable Aircraft

The new version of Catch'n'Keep now removes player aircrafts that have crashed. If your aircraft buys the farm, that slot will be blocked until the end of the mission. This puts a hard limit not only on the number of pilots you have, but also on the airframes. Bring it back in one piece, and it can be repaired and re-used. Crash it, and it's gone. So now, both the number of pilots and aircraft are limited. Can you still hack it? Only one way to find out.

Note:
The crash-slot-block requires that you configure SSB accordingly, see OP.

 

[cfrag]

New Version: 1.2.0 - April 25, 2022

Added Feature: Apache

The Apache is now available on the Tarawa, Anapa and most FARPs (once they are captured). DML has been made current.  FARP buildings are now neutral (except for the service vehicles).

Enjoy,
-ch

[cfrag]

New Version 20230533

Added Features

• Added Ka-50 III
• Optional "Eye Candy" auto-filling player slots with static aircraft. In multiplayer, this requires a small server plug-in, see here.
• Moved to ED's User Files.

Enjoy, 

-ch

Edited May 22, 2023 by cfrag

[sirrah]

Thanks for your work @cfrag! Will definitely give it a go once life allows me (somehow missed this mission before)

 

I read that, although technically possible to do, it will take a very long time to complete single player. As I'll be playing SP; Does this mission in some way save my progress when I have to quit half way (the "sanitize" thingy)?

[cfrag]

13 minutes ago, sirrah said:

Does this mission in some way save my progress when I have to quit half way (the "sanitize" thingy)?

Yes. I wouldn't be able to complete it with my group otherwise either  . It does require you to de-sanitize the server's (or your own, if you SP) installation should you want to use it.

Use the communication menu to access the save feature (red arrow)

The save menu offers two features: save (which saves the current state), and reset (clear start next time). C&K automatically loads the last saved state, so should you want to start from the beginning, either delete the save file, or choose this item, and restart the mission afterwards.

Now, the yellow arrow above: The new Eye Candy feature fills the player slots of conquered airfields with static representations of possible player planes (it's DML's new StopGap feature that's also available as stand-alone). If this feature gives you grief, use that menu to turn the feature on and off.

 

 

Edited May 23, 2023 by cfrag

[sirrah]

9 minutes ago, cfrag said:

Yes. I wouldn't be able to complete it with my group otherwise either  . It does require you to de-sanitize the server's (or your own, if you SP) installation should you want to use it.

Use the communication menu to access the save feature (red arrow)

The save menu offers two features: save (which saves the current state), and reset (clear start next time). C&K automatically loads the last saved state, so should you want to start from the beginning, either delete the save file, or choose this item, and restart the mission afterwards.

Now, the yellow arrow above: The new Eye Candy feature fills the player slots of conquered airfields with static representations of possible player planes (it's DML's new StopGap feature that's also available as stand-alone). If this feature gives you grief, use that menu to turn the feature on and off.

 

Wow impressive!

Looks like a lot of work/time went into this. Thanks again for contributing to the community.

[cfrag]

Update 20230606 - minor maintenance

Small changes to the mission: improved compatibility, removed the 'strange Hornet', better support for player scoring.

Remember that the 'eye candy' option requires the stopGapGUI plug-in on the server (and only on the server).

[cfrag]

Update 20240517 - single-player slot-blocking, SSB now fully optional

Finally

Now you can play C'n'K as God has wanted you to: on your own, in single-player mode. The update allows slot blocking on single-player DCS, and servers that do not have SSB installed. Please be advised that having SSB installed on your server gives the players a better experience (they aren't allowed to select a slot, without SSB, they are kicked as soon as they enter their plane). But now you can (if you are good enough) solo C'n'K with slot blocking active.

Enjoy,

-ch

 

Edited May 17, 2024 by cfrag