NIGHTHAWKS: AH-64D

[Grimm]

I made a pretty unique Apache mission (I think).  It PG at night, attacking an insurgent camp, trying to stop a VBIED from blowing up your buddies, and taking out an armor convoy.  With voiceovers and music and atmosphere...I burnt myself out working on this one lol.

It's single-player or coop with one Apache and one Blackhawk.  Be warned this is not for the milsim crowd.  It is just pure fun and does not take itself too seriously. 

I wanted to make a mission that could be good casual fun and highly replayable.  What makes this unique is a radio menu choice near the beginning of the mission that decides a separate path for the Apache.  It is also playable as the Blackhawk (UH-60L mod required) as a troop transport mission.  And then, to top it off, this will be a template in RotorOps mission generator so that it can be generated with other parameters like enemy aircraft and ground forces options. 

Hope you enjoy!  

https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3322036/

 

Edit:

This has now been added to RotorOps as a template mission, so that you can change options as you like!  

https://dcs-helicopters.com/download/

Edited May 7, 2022 by Grimm

[Grimm]

If you give this a try, please let me know your feedback.  If there are any issues or things that can be improved I'd like to do that right away.  Thanks!

[spikenet]

Ive flown it a few times (tweeking my VR settings), great fun but a bit confusing what is going on or what to do. I couldnt see anything in F10 menu to choose tasking, only music tracks. I'm being told on the radio to hit bomber on the road which I'm trying to find then it blows up raven. I head south and hit stuff there no drama then randomly fly around until I Winchester. I need to read the menus better, the song track selects the initial tasking

Thanks for the mission, love the voiceovers and regardless that I'm a rookie in the apache I'm having a good time.. haha I actually figured out how to use the goggles, looks awesome at night!

Edited April 30, 2022 by spikenet
lessons learnt

[sirrah]

Thanks for the mission @Grimm! 

I just flew the SP Apache version ("destroy camp" option).

Here's some feedback:

• The voiceovers are very nicely done! (I read that the mission focus lies in atmosphere over realism, so not having to bother with radio freq's is an understandable choice)
• Personally I'd rather fly the mission without music. Maybe you could make it an option? (Thunderstruck is a bit too mainstream/cheesy if you ask me )
• Just like @spikenet, I had some issues finding out where to go to after selecting the "camp attack" option. Decided to just follow the Blackhawk. Once over the pickup zone, I used George's superhuman target spotting skills to find some targets (artillery) and engaged those. Decided to head back to base with two Hellfires left. On my way back I switched from PNVS to NVG and only then did I spot the AFAC laser. I engaged the targets that were lased with my last two Hellfires and rockets and that did the trick. "Mission complete" when I got back to base. (perhaps you could throw in a message to advise the player to use NVG to detect the target location. Also, a mission kneeboard with maybe some MGRS coordinates to enter in  the TSD would add a lot of coolness to your mission) 
• I went above 500ft on a few occasions, without any trouble from SAM's. If you really want to force players below a certain altitude (like 800ft for instance), you could add a trigger to spawn enemy CAP. Although that might make it very difficult for some.. (just an idea though)

All in all I thought it was fun! I'll definitely try again when I have some more time. On my next attempt I'll swap to the CPG seat, enable NVG and do the target spotting myself.

[Grimm]

Thanks for the feedback guys! I'll be making some adjustments to address all of these points.:

In the meantime, a few tips:

• Try to pay attention to the voiceovers for tracking the VBIED and insurgent camp
• VBIED: look for explosions (missed missile impacts from the drone)
• Insurgent camp: look for the drone laser in NVGs after Blackkite says sparkle on target
• Raven and Gunslinger should stick together until waypoint 3, then they can focus on their own tasks.  Basically stick together until Dingo says he's popping smoke.
• The target/threat area is centered around waypoint 4

 

Edited April 27, 2022 by Grimm

[Grimm]

 

[Razor18]

Is the NVG the original in game stuff, or is it modded? I remember the view under the goggles was a bit more out of focus, am I wrong?

[Grimm]

3 hours ago, Razor18 said:

Is the NVG the original in game stuff, or is it modded? I remember the view under the goggles was a bit more out of focus, am I wrong?

No mods there.  I find it important to adjust the gains for NVGs and the PNVS in the Apache.

[spikenet]

Hey Grimm, I cant seem to destroy the mi-24 black kite is lasing. use up my hellfires and cannot get target destroyed

 

Also, can anyone point me to the procedure to get the hellfire to guide in on jtac laser in the apache?  Currently I'm using George as normal.

[Zarma]

Set the missile on the correct code, use HI or LO trajectory, WAS missile as pilote, acquisition point close to the target and fire.

The missile will go to the acquisition point and correct his trajectory on the laser spot.

 

[spikenet]

2 hours ago, Zarma said:

Set the missile on the correct code, use HI or LO trajectory, WAS missile as pilote, acquisition point close to the target and fire.

The missile will go to the acquisition point and correct his trajectory on the laser spot.

 

Great thanks, I have the correct code and use HI. I wasn't doing the acquisition point, just lobbing them at the target and many were missing.. will try setting an acquisition point near the target. Would be nice if george could help when doing JTAC operations.

[Floyd1212]

It has been said elsewhere that the missile does not get "programmed" to fly to the acquisition source, but it helps the pilot align the aircraft prior to firing the missile in the general direction of the intended target.

What is your range to the intended target?  There is a minimum range when employing LO and HI trajectory missiles, though I can't recall those numbers off the top of my head.

[spikenet]

2 hours ago, Floyd1212 said:

What is your range to the intended target?

That is one of the challenges I find just doing pilot duties, there seems no way to calculate that short of either creating a TG point or getting george to target and LP the target.

I've had much better success last few missions hovering at a good distance ~8km pointing the nose at the lased target and releasing the hellfire. I doubt this is ever done IRL as the CPG would manage all those tasks, storing a TG point etc.

Really enjoy this mission, got a bit of everything in it, tho those final tanks are tough!

[Grimm]

This mission has been added to RotorOps as a mission template, with the following changes:

• Added more text messages to make the mission progress easier to follow
• Updated a couple voiceovers
• Added Blackkite laser designation to VBIED path (active after Raven drops off the first batch of troops)
• Reduced difficulty of tank convoy
• Removed landed Mi-24 that was difficult to destroy
• Fixed timing of Blackkite designating insurgent camp

As this is now part of RotorOps you can customize options such as the enemies that you will be facing.

I will update the DCS user files with these changes as well at some point soon, but it will be maintained within RotorOps.

https://dcs-helicopters.com

[spikenet]

Thanks Grimm, by far my most played mission in the apache. Its so good, thanks!

I made an edit to the CTLD lua file to make the blackkite messages stay on the screen for 60 seconds so I can get a TG into the TSD.

[Grimm]

5 hours ago, spikenet said:

Thanks Grimm, by far my most played mission in the apache. Its so good, thanks!

I made an edit to the CTLD lua file to make the blackkite messages stay on the screen for 60 seconds so I can get a TG into the TSD.

There's also a 'jtac status' f10 menu option under CTLD that will display target info.  Not sure how long it stays on the screen for.

Gotta love the laser in NVGs though!

Edited May 8, 2022 by Grimm

[spikenet]

11 hours ago, Grimm said:

There's also a 'jtac status' f10 menu option under CTLD that will display target info. 

Yes, it only stays on the screen momentarily. Its a bit frustrating in VR entering points into the TSD. A wishlist for me would be an option to make the JTAC target message stay on longer, like 60 seconds.

[mbits]

Thanks. I'll be trying this again for sure.  First attempt I got the convoy and the VBIED (after struggling to find it until I saw smoke and then pylons). I was told to RTB, turned around to head home north and was promptly taken out by a missile from somewhere   Just when I had disabled tacview I could've used it afterwards.

I'm new to all this since the Apache came out so the challenge of night and finding targets was tough but rewarding.  I don't even remember getting the option to choose what targets to take. Update: just read the comment about the music making the choice. I heard talk of the VBIED, spent a while doing that, then took out the gathering south of WP4.  I'm sure I'll see what I missed on a replay.

All in all a busy but atmospheric, replayable and fun one.

 

 

Edited May 11, 2022 by mbits

[YoYo]

On 4/24/2022 at 7:27 AM, Grimm said:

I made a pretty unique Apache mission (I think).  It PG at night, attacking an insurgent camp, trying to stop a VBIED from blowing up your buddies, and taking out an armor convoy.  With voiceovers and music and atmosphere...I burnt myself out working on this one lol.

It's single-player or coop with one Apache and one Blackhawk.  Be warned this is not for the milsim crowd.  It is just pure fun and does not take itself too seriously. 

I wanted to make a mission that could be good casual fun and highly replayable.  What makes this unique is a radio menu choice near the beginning of the mission that decides a separate path for the Apache.  It is also playable as the Blackhawk (UH-60L mod required) as a troop transport mission.  And then, to top it off, this will be a template in RotorOps mission generator so that it can be generated with other parameters like enemy aircraft and ground forces options. 

Hope you enjoy!  

https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3322036/

 

Edit:

This has now been added to RotorOps as a template mission, so that you can change options as you like!  

https://dcs-helicopters.com/download/

 

Hi, can You do this mission for multiplayer - coop version too? It will be nice to check it with friends :).

btw. Or is it ready for this too (I see info about possibility to fly in coop)?

 

 

Edited May 12, 2022 by YoYo

[Grimm]

If you use RotorOps for this mission, make sure you open the generated mission up in the ME.  There's currently a glitch (in multiplayer exclusively) that causes the triggers not to work unless you first open it and save from the mission editor.  

 

@YoYo It is co-op for up to three players: Apache pilot, CPG, and blackhawk pilot

[YoYo]

Thx for confirmation :).