Mission Planner/Data Cartridge Concept Art

[Thorimus]

Hello,

I got so tired of returning to DCS every year only to be met once again by the spreadsheet and the old briefing page that I decided to make my own.

As it stands, DCS is severely lacking in the mission planning department. The most important part of any real mission is planning, and currently we still have no way of easily pre-planning our waypoints, even for aircraft that - traditionally - live and die by them like the Viper or Viggen. The data cartridge feature for the Hornet, teased years ago, is also nowhere to be seen.

As part of getting back into image editing, I decided to make my own concept art of what I'd like to see replace the aircraft selection, Briefing, Mission Planning, and even Re-arm screens. Chiefly, I wanted to allow players to:

- Configure waypoints, target points, popup points, etc according to their mission and aircraft instead of having to use the existing waypoints, spending 30 minutes punching co-ordinates, or using tacked-on systems like that for Heatblur's aircraft.

- Create and manage groups, including being able to choose from the already-available callsigns. This allows flights to actually use the in-game groups and callsigns properly and organise into coordinated and cohesive flights. Players also have an overview of other groups and their tasks. This requires a new aircraft spawning system, similar to the one basically every other game on the planet (and MOOSE/MIST) uses, where players are simply spawned into whatever parking spot is available instead of fixed, late-activated aircraft (though that can absolutely remain an option for high-effort singleplayer missions and campaigns)

- Be able to configure every aspect of their aircraft such as weapons, fuel and ammunition; but also data cartridge options previously only found in the ME or not at all, such as default MFD pages, rocket pod modes or bomb laser codes. Players can also easily synchronise loadouts.

 

I came up with a concept for a three-tab planner where the first tab replaces the aircraft selection screen, and the second and third replace the mission planning and re-arm/refuel screens:

START Tab: This is what the player sees after joining a server and choosing a side. Here, the player has an overview of friendly forces. They can see all other flights, and by selecting them in the PLAYER FLIGHTS (which in hindsight should have been called OTHER FLIGHTS since it includes AIs) section they can see their waypoints and their task. They can also join another flight or create their own under MY GROUP, choose a starting base, and a callsign. They can spawn at any base that is on their side, has enough of their aircraft in its inventory, and a free parking space, obviously including FARPs and carriers. This page also has the traditional briefing and weather information. This tab can be restricted by the mission creator for highly curated or singleplayer missions.

Threat and detection rings can also be displayed. In the far future the WEATHER section could feature weather radar imagery.

FLIGHTPLAN Tab: Here, the player can configure their group's waypoints, including special waypoint options such as Target, Orbit, or other special types such as those used by the Viggen. If a target's position is known, the waypoint can be fixed to it for PGM delivery. There is also a MISSION TASK option to let other players and controllers know what the group is up to. The tab also allows configuration and adjustment of radio channels. All of these options can be locked by the mission maker if so desired or appropriate.

"?" icons open small windows explaining what each option does.

AIRCRAFT Tab: Here, the player can select their loadout and expendables, as well as their data cartridge, like the re-arm menu. This tab and the FLIGHTPLAN tab can be recalled at any friendly airbase via the radio or ESC menus without reloading the aircraft in order to re-arm and refuel during continuous operations.

Imgur post with annotated versions

A feature like this is critical to any game that calls itself a combat flight simulator. I really hope this inspires Eagle Dynamics to finally improve this aspect of DCS.

This, together with native mission state-saving, would in my opinion allow the community to effectively create their own dynamic campaigns, serving not only as a stopgap but also as a step towards a native Dynamic Campaign in the very far future. Even regardless of such plans a feature like this, on its own, is very important.
I find it difficult to believe this is too difficult for the team that managed to make volumetric clouds work in a twenty-year-old game engine.

Peace

[isotaan]

I've been thinking that DCS has been needing something similar for some time now. The current MP UI is a serious turnoff, and the inability to conduct flight planning is a significant limitation.

[nickos86]

I think (and maybe the data show otherwise) that the real growth engine of DCS is MP gameplay. Instead of building MAC and trying to overshoot - just make a really good MP experience with the current SIM. Instant dogfight modes, MP environment like the AWESOME suggestions above (allowing planning and coop) - will make a HUGE impact 

[norman99]

I think the huge problem with enabling more mission planning options, especially flightplan/waypoint changes, is that the underlying DCS mission concept is entirely reliant on scripted actions/triggers that are themselves heavily reliant on aircraft waypoints.

Allowing users to freely modify flight-plans, such as moving or adding waypoints, changing times, speeds of altitudes, etc, will very quickly and easily break missions.

[Swift.]

5 hours ago, norman99 said:

I think the huge problem with enabling more mission planning options, especially flightplan/waypoint changes, is that the underlying DCS mission concept is entirely reliant on scripted actions/triggers that are themselves heavily reliant on aircraft waypoints.

Allowing users to freely modify flight-plans, such as moving or adding waypoints, changing times, speeds of altitudes, etc, will very quickly and easily break missions.

Couldn't the same thing be said about being able to edit waypoints in the jets as we already can? It's not like people aren't routinely using 3rd party programs to act as a DTC of their own.

 

To the OP though, these look like really slick renders, thanks for sharing. The one thing I will continue to stress whenever this kind of thing is brought up, is that no matter how good or bad the GUI is, the MOST important feature is having all this data stored in a plain text lua. Because if we can't save load and share these loads around, then it's completely useless.

Edited December 21, 2022 by Swift.

[Thorimus]

8 hours ago, norman99 said:

I think the huge problem with enabling more mission planning options, especially flightplan/waypoint changes, is that the underlying DCS mission concept is entirely reliant on scripted actions/triggers that are themselves heavily reliant on aircraft waypoints.

Allowing users to freely modify flight-plans, such as moving or adding waypoints, changing times, speeds of altitudes, etc, will very quickly and easily break missions.

As swift said, we can already change waypoints - just not very easily. And as mentioned, almost all of the settings would be lockable my the mission creator for heavily scripted missions, like campaigns.