RotorOps: Dynamic Mission Generator

[Supmua]

Will definitely check it out, thanks.  Seems like a must have for helo fans.

[GrEaSeLiTeNiN]

Great! Have been enjoying the previous beta. Just downloaded this latest. Nice to have the save directory option.

I noticed for Red Forces, the default in the drop down menu is now "Blue Default US Armor". It was previously "Red Default Armor (Hard)". Also, if I select only SP in the filter menu, I get only the Caucasus Conflict. Would it matter if I left the filter unchanged (ie. with MP, SP, COOP all selected) and use any generated mission in SP only? Thanks!  

[Grimm]

51 minutes ago, GrEaSeLiTeNiN said:

Great! Have been enjoying the previous beta. Just downloaded this latest. Nice to have the save directory option.

I noticed for Red Forces, the default in the drop down menu is now "Blue Default US Armor". It was previously "Red Default Armor (Hard)". Also, if I select only SP in the filter menu, I get only the Caucasus Conflict. Would it matter if I left the filter unchanged (ie. with MP, SP, COOP all selected) and use any generated mission in SP only? Thanks!  

Hmm there shouldn't be any missions with the single player tag right now so that's my error.

Admittedly the filters aren't very clear...but here's some expanded explaination:

Single-player only:  Missions designed for a specific airframe, or with scripting that only works with one player.

Co-OP only:  Same as above, but for small groups.  

Multiplayer:  Everything else...singleplayer to large scale multiplayer.

 

There are currently no examples of the first two...but some on the way.

[GrEaSeLiTeNiN]

On 4/15/2022 at 11:36 PM, Grimm said:

Hmm there shouldn't be any missions with the single player tag right now so that's my error.

Admittedly the filters aren't very clear...but here's some expanded explaination:

Single-player only:  Missions designed for a specific airframe, or with scripting that only works with one player.

Co-OP only:  Same as above, but for small groups.  

Multiplayer:  Everything else...singleplayer to large scale multiplayer.

 

There are currently no examples of the first two...but some on the way.

I've been playing SP only using the previous beta in Syria & PG. Had no issues using them in SP only unless I was missing something. Only problem was that if a player is in a last ownship crash not resulting in death, the player cannot respawn as there is currently no 'eject'. I don't suppose there is a way to save the current state of the mission to continue it at another time? 

Update: Leave Apaches as 'Client' instead of 'Player' and reselect in 'Choose Slots'.

Edited April 30, 2022 by GrEaSeLiTeNiN

[Grimm]

42 minutes ago, GrEaSeLiTeNiN said:

I've been playing SP only using the previous beta in Syria & PG. Had no issues using them in SP only unless I was missing something. Only problem was that if a player is in a last ownship crash not resulting in death, the player cannot respawn as there is currently no 'eject'. I don't suppose there is a way to save the current state of the mission to continue it at another time? 

 

Right, that's exactly what I was trying to say.  There are no 'single player only' missions right now.  All of them work well for single or multiplayer.  But before too long, there will be one or two mission exclusively designed for singleplayer/coop.  That's what the filters in the menubar are for.

Clear as mud right?  Obviously some work to be done there.

As far as the slots selection goes, I pretty much always choose the 'multiple slots' option when playing singleplayer so that I can slot into another helo when I die. 

[GrEaSeLiTeNiN]

11 hours ago, Grimm said:

Right, that's exactly what I was trying to say.  There are no 'single player only' missions right now.  All of them work well for single or multiplayer.  But before too long, there will be one or two mission exclusively designed for singleplayer/coop.  That's what the filters in the menubar are for.

Clear as mud right?  Obviously some work to be done there.

As far as the slots selection goes, I pretty much always choose the 'multiple slots' option when playing singleplayer so that I can slot into another helo when I die. 

Thanks for the clarification. I tried multiple slots on Nevada map but could not find any Blue helos when I open the mission in ME. Did I miss a step?

For the filters, was thinking shouldn't it be that when you check SP only, all missions should still show up since all of them currently work in SP as you have said? Then when SP-only mission are available, checking COOP or MP without checking SP, would result in the SP-only missions being unavailable. Otherwise, if a player checked only SP, he would miss out on all the other missions that can also work in SP.   
 

[Grimm]

1 minute ago, GrEaSeLiTeNiN said:

Thanks for the clarification. I tried multiple slots on Nevada map but could not find any Blue helos when I open the mission in ME. Did I miss a step?

For the filters, was thinking shouldn't it be that when you check SP only, all missions should still show up since all of them currently work in SP as you have said? Then when SP-only mission are available, checking COOP or MP without checking SP, would result in the SP-only missions being unavailable. Otherwise, if a player checked only SP, he would miss out on all the other missions that can also work in SP.   
 

Yes in the new beta 1.1.2 the slots are customizable for 'Multiple Slots' option.  Double clicking it, or selecting from the dropdown will open the dialog for changing the player helicopters you would like. 

[Parrotnut]

Thanks for this fantastic mission tool, i'm having a great time with it. Really awesome.

[Rick50]

On 1/9/2022 at 3:31 PM, Grimm said:

Splash Damage 2 script for more realistic explosions that no longer require direct hits.

 

I'm interested in learning more... could you expand a bit into how this works?  

What wpns gets this effect? 

What targets will this affect? 

Is the effect no different than a direct hit, or is it temporary, or maybe varied depending on distance from impact point?

Can you give a radius that this affects for each wpn?

Are there weapons and targets that are not affected by this 'script' ?

 

Thanks, I know this is something that many have wanted particularly for helicopter rockets and cannons, so it very much affects the rotor community.... it would make the HIND soo much more effective given how much it's dependent on rockets!

 

Edited April 17, 2022 by Rick50

[Grimm]

16 minutes ago, Rick50 said:

 

I'm interested in learning more... could you expand a bit into how this works?  

What wpns gets this effect? 

What targets will this affect? 

Is the effect no different than a direct hit, or is it temporary, or maybe varied depending on distance from impact point?

Can you give a radius that this affects for each wpn?

Are there weapons and targets that are not affected by this 'script' ?

 

Thanks, I know this is something that many have wanted particularly for helicopter rockets and cannons, so it very much affects the rotor community.... it would make the HIND soo much more effective given how much it's dependent on rockets!

 

 

Lots more info on the this in the Splash Damage 2 thread in my signature.  My latest post there includes a helicopter mission where you can try it.

[Rick50]

Thanks!

[GrEaSeLiTeNiN]

Having fun! Just some feedback/comments:

a) Been trying out Blue on Defense. I like that the ground forces move making them harder targets compared to stationary ones in non Blue on Defense missions.. But could the moving enemy force come in from more than one location? Otherwise they can get wiped out before they reach Bravo which kind of makes it pointless to have Bravo or Charlie. Example is the Syria mission Mount Olympus. Enemy forces have a long way to travel.

b) For the non Blue on Defense missions, would be great if the ground forces could react/evade or move a little more instead of being mostly stationary target practice. I know DCS ground AI isn't great at the moment but I'm sure the ME experts can plan something interesting.

c) As DCS trees are impenetrable to rockets and hellfires at the moment, perhaps for maps with lots of trees like Marianas and Caucasus could somehow have fewer ground forces tucked under trees? One thing I do in Blue on Defense is to not check 'Force Offroad' so that the vehicles are less likely to end up inside vegetation.

Thanks!         
 

Edited April 23, 2022 by GrEaSeLiTeNiN

[Busardo]

Hi, im having really good fun! Thanks for this!

Im editing a mission moving the conflict zones and the units to another part of the map Syria, but when starting the mission its says that there must be ground units in the staging and conflicts zones, stoping to work...

What im doing wrong?

[shagrat]

vor 17 Stunden schrieb Busardo:

Hi, im having really good fun! Thanks for this!

Im editing a mission moving the conflict zones and the units to another part of the map Syria, but when starting the mission its says that there must be ground units in the staging and conflicts zones, stoping to work...

What im doing wrong?

You need to move the groups from the staging, alpha, bravo, etc. together with the zones. RotorOps looks for the ground units in these Zones and then tasks them to attack or patrol etc. with no ground forces in the zones there is not much conflict. 

[cfrag]

Really fun, thank you so much!

 

[GrEaSeLiTeNiN]

Would be great if there was an option we could check (eg. none, minimal, random) for the number of ground units ending up inside tree coverage. This would be useful for maps with lots of trees like Marianas where currently, some enemy ground units generated are embedded in the center of the jungle with tree canopies that are currently impenetrable by Rkts and HFs.   

[cfrag]

@Grimm is there any chance for a more expanded explanation of how the scenarios work - i.e. how I can roll my own scenario? I seem to dimly recall that @shagrat was working on some docs, but for the life of me can't find anything [EDIT: anything on scenarios]. I found some text files in templates/imports and templates/forces, but no such luck in templates/scenarios.

I'm probably overlooking something obvious. 

Great generator, thanks!

-ch

 

Edited April 30, 2022 by cfrag

[Grimm]

5 minutes ago, cfrag said:

@Grimm is there any chance for a more expanded explanation of how the scenarios work - i.e. how I can roll my own scenario? I seem to dimly recall that @shagrat was working on some docs, but for the life of me can't find anything. I found some text files in templates/imports and templates/forces, but no such luck in templates/scenarios.

I'm probably overlooking something obvious. 

Great generator, thanks!

-ch

 

RotorOps User guide: https://github.com/spencershepard/RotorOps/wiki/User-Guide

 

RotorOps Mission/Scenario/Template Creator Guide:  https://github.com/spencershepard/RotorOps/wiki/RotorOps:-Mission-Creator-Guide

 

RotorOps Discord (fastest answers to any questions): https://discord.gg/axV72dZrvY

[cfrag]

5 minutes ago, Grimm said:

RotorOps Mission/Scenario/Template Creator Guide:  https://github.com/spencershepard/RotorOps/wiki/RotorOps:-Mission-Creator-Guide

No idea how I missed that. Thanks!

-ch

 

[Grimm]

12 hours ago, GrEaSeLiTeNiN said:

Would be great if there was an option we could check (eg. none, minimal, random) for the number of ground units ending up inside tree coverage. This would be useful for maps with lots of trees like Marianas where currently, some enemy ground units generated are embedded in the center of the jungle with tree canopies that are currently impenetrable by Rkts and HFs.   

- We don't have any reasonable way to determine unit placement at the moment.  I highly recommend that you open the mission in the Mission Editor and tweak any unit placements...fully possible that something ended up on top of a building.  

-Infantry spawns are typically in trees, on or around buildings, by design in the mission template.  This is to simulate troops appearing from cover.  You can turn the infantry spawns to zero if you don't want this.

-Troops in cover may be best dealt with by friendly troop transport and door gunners.  If you don't have anyone in this role, consider turning Infantry Spawns to zero.  Finding and killing them in an attack helicopter will be challenging.

-Trees interfering with good hits with rockets or hellfire I don't think is unrealistic.  The splash damage script helps a great deal with this... but in the Apache as pilot, the gun in combo with PNVS, properly adjusted FLIR, proper range settings, and a bit of practice will make you a god.

 

[Grimm]

The default generator settings put friendly forces in an offensive position.  You are to support the BLUE convoy leaving the staging zone.  If you wipe out the RED forces in the active conflict zone, it is captured.  If your other settings allow for it, a captured conflict zone will establish a FARP near the center for refueling/rearming/spawning.  

 

 

If 'Blue on Defense' is checked, you start in the last conflict zone, and you have to try to defend against the RED convoy.  If you wipe out the convoy, you win.  If they destroy all BLUE ground forces in the conflict zones, you lose.  If your settings allow for it, you will start with FARPs near the center of the BLUE conflict zones for refueling/rearming/spawning.

[GrEaSeLiTeNiN]

5 hours ago, Grimm said:

- We don't have any reasonable way to determine unit placement at the moment.  I highly recommend that you open the mission in the Mission Editor and tweak any unit placements...fully possible that something ended up on top of a building.  

-Infantry spawns are typically in trees, on or around buildings, by design in the mission template.  This is to simulate troops appearing from cover.  You can turn the infantry spawns to zero if you don't want this.

-Troops in cover may be best dealt with by friendly troop transport and door gunners.  If you don't have anyone in this role, consider turning Infantry Spawns to zero.  Finding and killing them in an attack helicopter will be challenging.

-Trees interfering with good hits with rockets or hellfire I don't think is unrealistic.  The splash damage script helps a great deal with this... but in the Apache as pilot, the gun in combo with PNVS, properly adjusted FLIR, proper range settings, and a bit of practice will make you a god.

 

It's the tanks deep in the center of a thick tree canopy that cannot be seen with FLIR (no labels) and cannot be destroyed since the default DCS tree canopy (as far as I can tell) is completely impenetrable to rockets and HFs but not at all to cannon rounds. Also, unless they have a planned route to move on, the current response of enemy armor when under threat/hits is only to move a little so they stay hidden. So yes, I have moved such units into less cover in the ME. But I'll take a look at the splash damage script also. Thanks. 

   

[GrEaSeLiTeNiN]

4 hours ago, Grimm said:

If 'Blue on Defense' is checked, you start in the last conflict zone, and you have to try to defend against the RED convoy.  If you wipe out the convoy, you win.  If they destroy all BLUE ground forces in the conflict zones, you lose.  If your settings allow for it, you will start with FARPs near the center of the BLUE conflict zones for refueling/rearming/spawning.

I like this mode. But it is best played strictly ie. no active pause/unlimited weapons/labels and start at default location. Otherwise you could wipe out the enemy convoy (which in missions like Mount Olympus has a long way to travel) before they reach Alpha.

[Grimm]

13 minutes ago, GrEaSeLiTeNiN said:

I like this mode. But it is best played strictly ie. no active pause/unlimited weapons/labels and start at default location. Otherwise you could wipe out the enemy convoy (which in missions like Mount Olympus has a long way to travel) before they reach Alpha.

Either a more difficult enemy forces template (ie including armor and anti air) or bumping up the 'groups per zone' for red should help increase the difficulty.

[shagrat]

vor 9 Stunden schrieb GrEaSeLiTeNiN:

It's the tanks deep in the center of a thick tree canopy that cannot be seen with FLIR (no labels) and cannot be destroyed since the default DCS tree canopy (as far as I can tell) is completely impenetrable to rockets and HFs but not at all to cannon rounds. Also, unless they have a planned route to move on, the current response of enemy armor when under threat/hits is only to move a little so they stay hidden. So yes, I have moved such units into less cover in the ME. But I'll take a look at the splash damage script also. Thanks. 

   

Splash damage script is included in the mission, by the RotorOps mission generator. It will produce a secondary blast over the impact of bombs/rockets, that emulates the missing shrapnel effects, in DCS. It's not a "god mode", but makes area effects against light or unarmed vehicles and infantry a bit more realistic/effective (aka you don't need to hit a soldier on the head with a M251 rocket to actually kill him).

As GRIMM said, there is no way to see if there is trees, or buildings, or other map objects where you spawn units. You can determine water, land, road, IIRC, but not if there's trees or buildings in the way.

So this is something the mission creator must do manually after the generator did its magic.