Mission: Suppression Fire (SP)

[MBot]

Provide ATGM suppression for an attacking BTR battalion. Should be a fairly easy mission as long as you pay attention and do what you are supposed to do. As the title indicates, this mission is an attempt to simulate suppression, which is a important effect when employing fire power. As such it is not the primary mission to destroy the enemy (although this is desirable) but to force him to take cover and therefore take him his ability to take action. In this ATGM variation you are supposed to suppress infantry units equipped with TOW missiles (simulated here with TOW HMMWV). In the mission this means you have to put fire on a designated area (you will not be able to spot individual targets), each time you put enough fire power on target it will delay the activation of TOW units for further 60 seconds. Make sure you have enough weapons left till the end. It is a crude way of simulating suppression, but I think it is a nice workaround until one day such effects will be integral of the AI of each individual unit .

 

http://cid-f33d8b1019e6f4ac.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/Public/SuppressionFire.miz

 

I hope you enjoy :)

 

 

 

 

Sitrep:

Your squadron of the 45th Helicopter Regiment has been deployed to support the operations of the 413th Mechanized Rifle Regiment, 4th Guards Tank Division. You are currently stationed at Krasnodar Center AB. Our ground forces continue their offensive on the plains west of Krasnodar.

 

The APC battalion of our regiment has been tasked to take a strong defensive position east of Fedorovskaya (OBJECTIVE FORTRESS). US infantry units have dug in along a 2 km long tree line on a N-S axis. It is believed that one or two anti-tank platoons equipped with TOW missiles are among those troops. The US forces are dug in too well to be neutralized with preparation fire. Because of this we will allocate strong fire support to this operation, forcing to enemy to stay in cover while our mechanized infantry assault their position.

 

Battle Plan:

Two companies of the BTR battalion will execute the assault, one company is held in reserve. In addition to the mortar battery of the battalion, a 122mm artillery battery of the regiment will provide fire support. A MRL battery of the division has been allocated to neutralize the villages Kosovichi and Vasilevskij north of OBJ FORTRESS.

 

Callsigns:

KING - Battalion HQ

STONE - BTR assault force

SABER - Mortar battery

SWORD - 122mm battery

MACE - MLR battery

KNIGHT - Ka-50 flight

LANCER - Mi-24 flight

 

Mission:

You are tasked to lead a flight of Ka-50 (callsign KNIGHT) to provide ATGM suppression on OBJ FORTRESS. Proceede to your initial point and get in contact with the battalion HQ (callsign KING) to receive your final targeting information. Once our BTR (callsign STONE) start their assault, put area fire on your assigned sector of OBJ FORTRESS to suppress the employment of enemy TOW ATGM. Our troops are expected to advance about 3 minutes in ATGM range, distribute your fire evenly throughout the duration of the assault.

 

Remain in between the phase lines (PL) of the battalion. Remain east of PL WALL. Small arms and light AAA are expected in your area of operations. Chaparral and Hawk SAM are expected outside your area of operations.

[MBot]

Just noticed a small error in the OOB. Mechanized rifle regiments of tank divisions do not have APC battalions. So the parent division in the briefing should have been a MRD instead of a TD. Now who would have cought that? :)

[slug88]

Wow. I'm about 15 minutes into the mission right now, and I had to minimize the game and let you know how impressed I am. The scripted events, the radio messages, the little details, they all combine to create a truly excellent effect. If the rest of the mission is anywhere near as impressive and immersive as it has been so far, this will easily be one of the best single player missions available. I will report back with my thoughts when I've completed it. A tentative congratulations to you, MBot, on a job very well done. Kudos also for the unique concept, I'm curious to see how well you implemented the "suppression" concept.

[MBot]

I am happy you like it :)

[slug88]

Well I finished the mission, though I didn't have time to post my thoughts last night. Overall, I'd say it lived up to the expectations set initially.

 

*SPOILER*

 

 

 

The mission's greatest strength is the feeling of combat going on all around you. From the MLR's in the beginning, to the infantry deployment at the very conclusion, there's enough going on at all times to give the illusion of a living world. The radio messages add a great deal to this, and I give credit to the designer for pulling off a fairly convincing performance (the sound effects in the background were a very nice touch). Some variety in the voices would go a long way, however. I'm sure that you could find a few volunteers on these boards to help fill a few roles for your next production.

 

Anyway, I ended up failing the mission; I let a few too many BTR's get taken out by the TOW's. My first minor criticism involves the message I recieved after the infantry had completed their assault; it felt a bit gamey that within moments of the infantry occupying the objective, I had the battalion commander telling me that the casualties were too high and that I had failed my mission. I think it would feel more effective, and more dramatic, if instead it went as follows: after the infantry occupy the tree line, the battalion command informs you that the objective has been occupied and that you are released from his command. It should be very short and to the point, in accordance with military radio discipline. Then, when the player is on his way back to base, perhaps when he's within a kilometer or so of the field, the player could receive a follow up transmission from battalion, with something like "thanks for the help, we took heavy casualties, however the objective is occupied" in the case of a "mission failure" like I encountered. I'm guessing that in real life, the judgment of mission success or failure would wait until debriefing on the ground with the unit commander, and so at most it should only be implied in the communiques in mission.

 

A further critique is that there didn't seem to be nearly enough infantry to fill out a company. Though two or three BTR's were taken out before disembarkation, this should have made a difference of a couple squads only. It's quite possible, however, that from my vantage point 50m high, I simply didn't make out all the soldiers. So this critique may very well be completely unfounded. Am I correct in thinking that there should have been on the order of ~90 soldiers on the field once the company disembarked (3 rifle platoons * 25 men, 1 weapons platoon * 15 men)?

 

Overall, these are very minor issues, and they're more than offset by the things I've already praised. I was also pleased to note some randomization in the beginning; I had to refly the mission just after taking off the first time due to joystick issues, and I noted that the airport activity was different the second time around. It's those kinds of details that can really bring the world to life, and I would strongly encourage all mission makers to utilize the random triggers as you have done so here.

 

So, once again, congratulations on a job well done, and thank you very much for the effort. I plan on trying this one again this evening, and making an effort to use my wingman as something more than stationary overwatch this time.

[slug88]

Another quick note, I really like the use of phase lines and strictly defined airspace protocols in the mission (and in the other missions where I've encountered them). Not only does it make everything seem more professional, but to me at least, it adds to the immersion by suggesting that I have to stay in a narrow corridor because there's stuff going on outside this airspace and I might cause conflicts and confusion and may even get shot down by being somewhere where I'm not expected to be. AFAIK, in reality air assets, and especially helicopter assets, and especially in the Russian army, are very strictly controlled, with very specific and well defined mission goals. Missions like this that stick to that principle feel more authentic, and place the attention to where the designer intends.

 

This was one of my criticisms with the missions in the GOW campaign, in that it feels as though you are in command of the sky, free to fly wherever you'd like and to accomplish the mission in whichever way you please. This leads to gamy and unrealistic situations, like the player penetrating the enemy line and single handedly annihilating the entire Georgian artillery and command force in every mission.

[MBot]

Thank you for your detailed feedback, it helps a mission designer a lot to know what people like and where he can improve.

 

You are correct that the amount of infantry was to low. I think I had only 2 men per BTR for only one of the two companies. The reason for this was the fear of a major fps hit. I noticed that there is a fps problem with infantry in general, where fps for me drops from 70 to 30 when the viewpoint crosses a certain distance (without any noticeable change in model detail). I guess the reason for this is a faulty set LOD. Because of this I decided to stay on the safe side and keep the infantry count down, as you don't see them very well from the air anyway. But kudos for noticing.

[uhoh7]

Another very nice mission Mbot, great object placement. The bunkers look great too. I have been wondering how to simulate entrenched positions, and you have done a superb job n this mission.

 

My only minor critique is to suggest you alter your voice so a player gets the feel of different people on the radio.

 

Thanks so much.

[McVittees]

Enjoyed the mission MBot - mainly because of your voice comms. I really liked all the messages going about. Well done! Oh, I would have put a TP right on the tree line. That way there can be no doubt about where you want players to attack.

[GunnyMac]

I use this program for changing my voice

 

http://www.screamingbee.com/?ADTYPE=SB&ADID=1

[enigma6584]

Been playing your older version and have really been enjoying it. Well done MBot!:thumbup:

[Snacko]

I have a version of this mission for Multiplayer. But after the 1.0.1a patch it always locks up after I pass waypoint 2. Anybody else have any problems with this one after the patch?

[STP Dragon]

I did not fly your mission yet but I have a question from mission builder to mission builder. :)

 

infantry units equipped with TOW missiles (simulated here with TOW HMMWV).

 

Why TOW HMMWVs and no Stinger/Igla Manpads? :huh:

[MBot]

I did not fly your mission yet but I have a question from mission builder to mission builder. :)

 

 

 

Why TOW HMMWVs and no Stinger/Igla Manpads? :huh:

 

Well, they are supposed to represent a dug in anti-tank platoon and your mission is to suppress them until your mechanized infantry can assault their position.

 

 

Regarding the lock up after the patch. Possibly I have been using a trigger there that got removed with the patch. Need to have a look at that this evening.

[STP Dragon]

Ah! There mission is to attack other ground units! OK.

 

Why I'm asking:

In my missions I always try to give the player a challenge.

He have to be carefully or he will be shot immediatly.

TOWs are not quite challenging if their mission is to shoot at you.

 

In my point of view a good mission needs a hard SAM. (I don't know if you add some in your mission)

[MBot]

I usually don't put much SAMs in my mission because SAMs are more or less no-fly zones for a helicopter. Helos can't dodge missiles very well and since the game doesn't support pop-up tactics (no surprise effect, instant targeting, no confusion) there are no tactics other than to outrange them (which unfortunately 90% of the combat in BS is all about). So in most of my missions I use SAMs to limit the players movement (for example Hawk SAMs overwatching the battlefield to force him low) rather than than task him against threats that the Ka-50 is not designed to meet.

 

I make my mission with the philosophy that the player needs to have a high chance to survive and complete the mission in the first try if he applies some thought. I don't like missions you have to fly multiple times in order to "beat" them, real pilots don't have that chance either. So I add a level of threat that is usualy quite low compared to other missions (I presume they are still a lot more dangerous than most real missions).

[nemises]

I'd just likw to support MBot's thought process there...to me, I loose immersion if I fly missions with active SAM's / air defence...theres no way you'd be sent into an area that was protected by proper SAM coverage ... for me the immersion comes with realistic mission tasking.

If that means no serious risk of beeing shot down?..so be it from my view.

[STP Dragon]

You are right. Heavy SAMs like HAWK or Patriot are not to beat by a helicopter. Expact you find a way to get in very close range (see NightHawkHunter or Operation Pushback). I also use HAWKs to keep the player low. It's not challenging if the player can rise about 500m to overwatch the battlefield and took out all enemys. The player have to search for the enemys, have to change position... That's it what makes fun.

 

But a battlefield without Linebacker, Avenger, Vulcans, Shilkas, Tunguska or Rolands are boring... sorry...

All this SAMs can be easily destroyed by a Ka-50. (Tunguska with a manual Vikhr about 10Km)

In my point of view a battlefield without these kind of SAMs is not realistic. (if the enemy knows that there are aircrafts on the other side)

 

Yes, maybe the player will be shot. But only if he do a fault!

OK, this is a SP-mission... I basically build MP-missions... and what is a MP-mission without respawn?

We are here to have fun.

 

 

 

Edit: Sorry, I don't want to take your mission down! This is only the experience what I have.

My wingmans of the v52nd would kick my ass if I would delete all the SAMs in my missions.

Edited August 20, 2009 by =STP= Dragon

[MBot]

But a battlefield where every threat system immediately engages you once you are entering range and LoS is not very realistic either. Add to that the fact that vegetation provides no concealment/cover. I'm not saying that I am not putting AD in my mission. But the way AI units work at the moment, a realistic amount of air defense does not provides a realistic amount of threat in my oppinion.

 

I think that is one of the major gameplay flaws the current combination of the DCS environment combined with the Ka-50 airframe has. Inside a threat the game is too lethal to be much fun (by a combination of the true characteristics of helicopters in general and the real Ka-50; and by the simplicity of the combat simulation itselfe). Outside a threat the game is too easy to be much fun, you basically just hover there and blast away at everything.

 

I tried to work around that constellation in my mission by using various work arounds and tricks. But quite frankly Black Shark still turns out to get quite boring pretty quick combat wise. Unfortunately I heard the same thing from various friends already a long time ago.

 

Now that tuned into quite a rant :)

[STP Dragon]

No rant. :)

I think we have the same opinion.

It is not easy to find the middle between "be realistic" and "have fun".

My battlefields are a mix of many kind of units. All units have a realistic function.

Heavy SAMs against all aircrafts.

Groundunits against heavy SAMs to clean your (ka-50) way.

You (Ka-50) against groundunits (and small SAMs) to assist groundunits.

And the terrain and the number of small SAMs controls the difficulty of the mission.

 

This is my philosophy.

[Snacko]

But a battlefield where every threat system

I tried to work around that constellation in my mission by using various work arounds and tricks. But quite frankly Black Shark still turns out to get quite boring pretty quick combat wise. Unfortunately I heard the same thing from various friends already a long time ago.

 

I agree with that. It is no fun to fly into a SAM area and get shot down by things you cannot see. It is a little more fun to survive to shoot at stuff, but with no risk that gets old.

 

I have modded the labels so that they only show ground vehicles as ^, ', and . I am still tweaking the colors so they are not so bright. But I find that it makes it more fun to actually have a chance at finding SAMs without making them totally obvious.

 

This is the bottom portion of my labels.lua file in the Config/View folder:

 

AirFormat = {}

AirFormat[10] = ""

AirFormat[5000] = ""

AirFormat[10000] = ""

AirFormat[20000] = ""

AirFormat[30000] = ""

 

GroundFormat = {}

GroundFormat[5000] = "."

GroundFormat[10000] = "'"

GroundFormat[20000] = "^"

 

NavyFormat = {}

NavyFormat[10000] = ""

NavyFormat[20000] = ""

NavyFormat[40000] = ""

 

WeaponFormat = {}

WeaponFormat[5000] = ""

WeaponFormat[10000] = ""

WeaponFormat[20000] = ""

 

-- Colors in {red, green, blue} format, volume from 0 up to 255

 

ColorAliesSide = {150, 50, 0}

ColorEnemiesSide = {0, 50, 150}

[STP Dragon]

I agree with that. It is no fun to fly into a SAM area and get shot down by things you cannot see. It is a little more fun to survive to shoot at stuff, but with no risk that gets old.

That's right! And that's why I always use SAMs which lock you with a laser. :thumbup:

[dsobbe]

I have a version of this mission for Multiplayer. But after the 1.0.1a patch it always locks up after I pass waypoint 2. Anybody else have any problems with this one after the patch?

 

I have the SP version and am getting the same lockup after waypoint 2, just as the radio message to "contact battalion" plays.

This is a nicely done mission and I hope a 1.01 compatible version is made available soon.

[MBot]

I have the SP version and am getting the same lockup after waypoint 2, just as the radio message to "contact battalion" plays.

This is a nicely done mission and I hope a 1.01 compatible version is made available soon.

 

Strange, I can't find anything wrong in the editor. The changes regarding messages from 1.0 to 1.01 was pretty straightforward and mission were converted automatically.

[Snacko]

I wonder if something was changed that affected your audio messages?