FC2024 | Kola Development Progress | Virtual Carrier Wing 17

[Raisuli]

48 minutes ago, pimp said:

I wonder if any streamers are going to have it today to show off the map before release?

Heck with the streamers/DCS content creators.  It's been Friday for over an hour in 'Straya, where's my map!! 

[YoYo]

1 hour ago, T.Power said:

Unfortunately not true in Rotors, they've mostly fixed the inhabited areas, but now the mountains can create a slideshow at low altitude, some of the texture meshes are broke too.  If you fly fixed wings it's mostly fine.

It's a massive drop off below a certain altitude, seems to be mountains that are the main issue now but it makes the map very unenjoyable in rotors.

Correct, so I will wait for some VR users opinions about performance here. I dont want to do the same mistake like with SA map.

[Marshallman]

HIP has the latest if no one has seen it??

 

[sthompson]

5 hours ago, Rudel_chw said:

 

but those campaigns are for two specific aircraft, what happens if you want to fly the Viggen or a Mig-21? ... using the Mission Editor is what really unlocks a map usefulness, not waiting for someone else to sell a Campaign.

I suspect that many (if not most users of DCS) are like me in that they do not try to master everything. They focus on one thing until they are good at it. For me that thing has never yet been the mission editor. The missions I've created suck compared to the ones I've played that were designed by Sorelo or Reflected, for example, as part of their campaigns. I'd much rather fly missions created by these masters of the craft than the boring ones I created myself. Maybe someday that will change, but for now, for me, the value of a map has a lot to do with the content that others have created for it, and not on what I can create myself. I'm sure I would find a lot of satisfaction in creating really good missions myself. But as of now, I don't have the time or skills for that, and I suspect I'm not alone.

BTW, you misquoted me. I said " I'm hopeful that Kola will be better due to the likelihood that we get two DLC campaigns from good campaign developers." You left off the "I'm hopeful that" part of my post, and that changed the meaning considerably.

[draconus]

22 hours ago, LordOrion said:

There's nothing to do with that: zero content so far.

Check the Tomcat. There's mini campaign and a bunch of single missions.

No one's planing to make Falklands War campaign?

6 hours ago, Rudel_chw said:

 ... using the Mission Editor is what really unlocks a map usefulness, not waiting for someone else to sell a Campaign.

One does not simply make a mission with multiple actor voice overs, well placed statics, tested AI movement and behavior with good story on top. Add to that complete lack of surprise if you create it.

[Czar66]

35 minutes ago, draconus said:

One does not simply make a mission with multiple actor voice overs, well placed statics, tested AI movement and behavior with good story on top. Add to that complete lack of surprise if you create it.

I have done for myself and friends that fly co-op with me 1 to 2 scenarios per map I own with a ton of randomization. Surely many mission targets can be samey but the air activity I have absolute zero clue to what expect next sortie.

Low amount of triggers.
Convoys activated by a random mission generator by a simple random flag value through radio command.

Air activity is set to be absolute random with % of spawn being its core.
Syria map scenario, for example, activity goes from southern Turkey border to Jordan.

Surely lacks the very valuable narrative and voice acting on well developed missions, but these kind of things you can do (I have zero formal education in programming or similar) can fill the gap if you don't want to face laggy multiplayer servers.

I've been flying co-op for 2 years now close to every week, I'd say 75% of the weeks with a friend, and not a single flight played the same.

I recommend for everyone to dab a few things on the editor. This comes from a multiplayer only person since 2014 towards the Hornet release. It's been a while I had the itch to go on multiplayer, a good while. I've managed to sink a ton of flight hours like this without the usual frustrations of multiplayer servers.

It is worth it, and no, if you made it, it doesn't mean you know what is going to happen. There are a lot of techniques/devices for randomization.

One of the things that's currently lacking is a random weather. I make one with a random number generator into the weather parameters every time I feel like it. The other thing missing is a generator for ground targets in DCS itself in your mission that you created.

You can set the ground targets with a random element to what you're going to strike. You know what the target is and where, as you can simply put the coordinates as plain text when the mission is triggered. But what's in between you and the target can be purely unknown. Likewise for the egress.

Edited May 2, 2024 by Czar66
Addition of last paragraph.

[Rudel_chw]

2 hours ago, sthompson said:

BTW, you misquoted me. I said " I'm hopeful that Kola will be better due to the likelihood that we get two DLC campaigns from good campaign developers." You left off the "I'm hopeful that" part of my post, and that changed the meaning considerably.

 

I'm really sorry ... I truly wasn't trying to change the meaning of your sayings, I was focusing on the fact that DLC campaigns for the less popular aircraft (and less popular maps) are so few that for me all maps are on almost equal rank on this regard.

1 hour ago, draconus said:

One does not simply make a mission with multiple actor voice overs, well placed statics, tested AI movement and behavior with good story on top. Add to that complete lack of surprise if you create it.

 

yes, but simpler missions are totally within my reach   

[Horns]

It's not out yet, I can't wait any longer... I've got #ebKola

[DD_Friar]

12 hours ago, Czar66 said:

The other thing missing is a generator for ground targets in DCS itself in your mission that you created.

@Czar66 - have a look at the DML Tool box by @cfrag. Its not a mod and you require no scripting knowledge. Within it is the ability to create clone groups. These can be a bunch of both static and live units. You can then use a random generator to pick the clone template you want activated. So for example you could have 3 or 4 different clone templates located in a position. The random generator will pick which one it spawns in.  Once the template is created you just place zones where ever you want that template to potentially be spawned in. You also have the option to randomise the heading and position within the spawn location, so even if the same group got used twice when running the mission on repeat their distribution within the zone may not be the same. I have used this many times. Another great feature is that I may have created a template and marked 20 positions where I might want that group to be placed. If I decided that I want to change the format of the group, I just change the template. I do not have to go to all 20 locations and edit the placement (oh for multiple unit copy and paste in the editor but that is for another thread). Check it out, I know it is a third party and not in standard but it really does add to mission building.

[Stratos]

13 hours ago, Czar66 said:

I have done for myself and friends that fly co-op with me 1 to 2 scenarios per map I own with a ton of randomization. Surely many mission targets can be samey but the air activity I have absolute zero clue to what expect next sortie.

Low amount of triggers.
Convoys activated by a random mission generator by a simple random flag value through radio command.

Air activity is set to be absolute random with % of spawn being its core.
Syria map scenario, for example, activity goes from southern Turkey border to Jordan.

Surely lacks the very valuable narrative and voice acting on well developed missions, but these kind of things you can do (I have zero formal education in programming or similar) can fill the gap if you don't want to face laggy multiplayer servers.

I've been flying co-op for 2 years now close to every week, I'd say 75% of the weeks with a friend, and not a single flight played the same.

I recommend for everyone to dab a few things on the editor. This comes from a multiplayer only person since 2014 towards the Hornet release. It's been a while I had the itch to go on multiplayer, a good while. I've managed to sink a ton of flight hours like this without the usual frustrations of multiplayer servers.

It is worth it, and no, if you made it, it doesn't mean you know what is going to happen. There are a lot of techniques/devices for randomization.

One of the things that's currently lacking is a random weather. I make one with a random number generator into the weather parameters every time I feel like it. The other thing missing is a generator for ground targets in DCS itself in your mission that you created.

You can set the ground targets with a random element to what you're going to strike. You know what the target is and where, as you can simply put the coordinates as plain text when the mission is triggered. But what's in between you and the target can be purely unknown. Likewise for the egress.

 

A short guide that explains how to do that would be amazing!

[LuseKofte]

I do not need click pits for realism. I need it for not having endless button assignments and remember them all. For me SU 25 is a pain in the neck to remember where I assign what the times I fly it. A very capable aircraft which I love. But I always have to take half a hour before a coop flight just to see where I put my assignments. Click pits are simply easier to maintain a ok ish handeling of any ac. 

[Beirut]

32 minutes ago, LuseKofte said:

I do not need click pits for realism. I need it for not having endless button assignments and remember them all. For me SU 25 is a pain in the neck to remember where I assign what the times I fly it. A very capable aircraft which I love. But I always have to take half a hour before a coop flight just to see where I put my assignments. Click pits are simply easier to maintain a ok ish handeling of any ac. 

 

You need Voice Attack, my friend. 

[Slippa]

1 minute ago, Beirut said:

 

You need Voice Attack, my friend. 

And he doesn’t mean shouting at.  I hope.

[tripod3]

Can’t find a map in steam.  Wrong release date forecast?

[BIGNEWY]

Just now, tripod3 said:

Can’t find a map in steam.  Wrong release date forecast?

patch / newsletter is about one hour away. 

[Beirut]

4 minutes ago, Slippa said:

And he doesn’t mean shouting at.  I hope.

 

We go way back, he knows I'd never shout at him.

 

...without a good reason. 

[Slippa]

^