Dynamic Campaign Discussion Thread

[JayBird]

Hope they add option to save game and continue later

 

I don't know how the system would really work if this wasn't available

[BuzzU]

It looks like a 2022 release. Maybe.

[Pizzicato]

I don't know how the system would really work if this wasn't available

 

Yeah, I've seen a few posts along those lines and I don't really understand how anyone thinks a dynamic campaign could function without some form of game-state saving.

 

The bigger question for me is whether or not there's some kind of end state to the campaign. The few little pieces of info we've received so far suggest that it's a kind of massive, endless war that's made dynamic by the actions and achievements of the players (both online and off). While that would absolutely provide dynamism, I'm also hoping/expecting to be able to experience some form of closure.

 

One of the best feelings in the older dynamic campaign focused sims was that sense of the war slowly but surely shifting in (or out of) your favour. I always loved it when you started seeing significantly fewer CAPs and SAM threats out in the TOO, and when those units that you did see were older types, with fewer weapons. It was really cool when you went from seeing armed-to-the-teeth fourships of Su-27s and Mig-29s, to suddenly encountering a pair of Mig-21s with just a couple of short-range IR missiles between them.

 

Really looking forward to finding out more details.

[SDsc0rch]

Hope they add option to save game and continue later

 

 

no! you MUST start and finish THE ENTIRE WAR without leaving!!

do they get to click PAUSE in a REAL WAR?!?!?

:lol:

[kontiuka]

no! you MUST start and finish THE ENTIRE WAR without leaving!!

do they get to click PAUSE in a REAL WAR?!?!?

:lol:

Whenever you start a campaign, ED mails you a 2-4 of RedBull to get you through it.:lol:

[QuiGon]

From todays dev report:

The basics of the dynamic campaign simulation engine are working in the map view and we’ve been using this to test the RTS element of the system. To support this, we’ve been adding new icons to the map for items like factories, warehouses, logistic units, and more. Work is also underway on providing visual indications of ground force movements and emplacements in the map view.

[kontiuka]

From todays dev report:

interesting that the quote is from SithSpawn and not Nineline.

[Silver_Dragon]

The basics of the dynamic campaign simulation engine are working in the map view and we’ve been using this to test the RTS element of the system. To support this, we’ve been adding new icons to the map for items like factories, warehouses, logistic units, and more. Work is also underway on providing visual indications of ground force movements and emplacements in the map view.

 

NATO movement overlays?

 

Edited November 22, 2019 by Silver_Dragon

[twistking]

i really hope, that all, most or at least some of the dynamic campaign functionality will be directly available in the ME through UI without complex scripting.

 

i don't plan to make a "strategic level" dynamic campaign myself, but i would love to use some logic and functionality for dynamic mission making utilizing the newly developed AI and other features to make "tactical size" missions more dynamic, more unpredictable and more systemic in general.

[SDsc0rch]

fantastic news

[F4]

he basics of the dynamic campaign simulation engine are working in the map view and we’ve been using this to test the RTS element of the system. To support this, we’ve been adding new icons to the map for items like factories, warehouses, logistic units, and more. Work is also underway on providing visual indications of ground force movements and emplacements in the map view.

 

Ground force movements, RTS... that's caught my attention, because presumably the DC now contains some strategic-level knowledge such as what the goals might be in a given scenario and how to achieve them (rather than just randomly move around). Good stuff.

[QuiGon]

interesting that the quote is from SithSpawn and not Nineline.

I changed that in the quote as a little joke ;)

[mastershotgun]

dynamic campaign questions

 

Hi Guys,

 

 

Do anybody have any info about what the dynamic campaign actually is? Like what features they ED is looking to develop?

 

 

Will it by any chance contains a way to store/transfer variables between missions? Like exmple in wchich state my plane ended last mission (fuel, damage, armaments), did my wingman survived, what units were destroyed etc?

 

 

I would like also to see a way how to work with/transfer custom variables to track made up stuff...

[Ignition]

Sadly I think it will be really simplistic, at least at first.

I guess it will generate the map with assets and depending on what happened it will generate the next mission, maybe using a simple database of assets.

 

 

I hope at some time it will store the state of the aircraft like g stress.

 

 

I hope it will be multiplayer compatible.

[sirrah]

Hi Guys,

 

 

Do anybody have any info about what the dynamic campaign actually is? Like what features they ED is looking to develop?

 

 

Will it by any chance contains a way to store/transfer variables between missions? Like exmple in wchich state my plane ended last mission (fuel, damage, armaments), did my wingman survived, what units were destroyed etc?

 

 

I would like also to see a way how to work with/transfer custom variables to track made up stuff...

Nothing is shared yet about ED's DC, other than that they're working on it and that it's a "long term" development item

 

Long Term - we have an initial list of tasks but still a lot to add and do not have exact expectations. Some Long term tasks can be delivered partially in iterations, some need to be fully completed.

 

So anything else you'll hear or read from unofficial sources, is just pure speculation :)

[QuiGon]

Dynamic campaign discussion thread: https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=64161

It contains pretty much all officially known information on the DC, like here: https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?p=4114837#post4114837

Edited May 14, 2020 by QuiGon

[mastershotgun]

Yes, I found those, but nobody is talking about dynamic campaign... For what ever reason everybody is talking about dynamic missions and just call dynamic campaign...

 

 

What I'm interested is in the campaign it self, I mean the missions are fine as they are, but if I want to tell a story I would like to track states between missions, so outcome of previous mission can effect following mission, if it make sense...

Edited May 14, 2020 by mastershotgun
spell check

[Mfezi]

I'm also interested in some official information about how the dynamic campaign will work and some of the main features that they have in mind - even if it is still a long way off. The Falcon 4.0 campaign system is one of its most outstanding features and I can only presume that ED would want to top that (even if ED's approach might have to be different because of the way DCS is designed). So far it has only been the odd remark in the official updates - I would love it if they could do an interview, longer discussion or perhaps dedicate one of the news updates to only talk about their vision for this feature.

[sirrah]

I'm also interested in some official information about how the dynamic campaign will work and some of the main features that they have in mind - even if it is still a long way off. The Falcon 4.0 campaign system is one of its most outstanding features and I can only presume that ED would want to top that (even if ED's approach might have to be different because of the way DCS is designed). So far it has only been the odd remark in the official updates - I would love it if they could do an interview, longer discussion or perhaps dedicate one of the news updates to only talk about their vision for this feature.

 

As much as I, and I think everybody here, would love to hear more about the upcoming DC, I think when ED starts sharing "what they have in mind for the DC", it will only result in endless ranting and moaning from the community when eventually not all of their ideas are implemented.

 

There's a reason that 9 out of 10 posts from Nineline and Bignewy state: "We will share any news, as soon as there is something to share"

[mastershotgun]

As much as I, and I think everybody here, would love to hear more about the upcoming DC, I think when ED starts sharing "what they have in mind for the DC", it will only result in endless ranting and moaning from the community when eventually not all of their ideas are implemented.

 

There's a reason that 9 out of 10 posts from Nineline and Bignewy state: "We will share any news, as soon as there is something to share"

 

 

Of course the community will be moaning... That is the main reason you have community on the first place ;) ED guys knows it and they love it. It means we care! And care = more sales, don't forget...

 

 

My opinion is that they are not releasing any info, because they do not know them selves yet... They are in the experimenting phase, I would say, and have more pressing priorities as it seems...

[QuiGon]

I would also love to hear some more specific information on the DC, as this is THE most awaited DCS feature for me (and probably for others as this thread can testify), but I guess it's probably too early in development for ED to be able to provide this information.

[Angelthunder]

Yea,i want to know what map ED plans to utilize the Dynamic Campaign first.Will it be the Modern Caucasus map or will they give all maps a DC for both WWII and Cold War/Modern eras.

[diogofalcao]

In the meantime, I am playing this dynamic campaign:

 

https://github.com/shdwp/dcs_liberation/releases

 

You guys have another one to share?

[Mfezi]

In the meantime, I am playing this dynamic campaign:

 

 

These user made dynamic campaigns are fantastic and I truly take my hat off for the developers. It is a great way to get something akin to a dynamic campaign in the meantime.

 

However, they are unfortunately not quite what a dynamic campaign like the one in Falcon 4.0 is. Once again, because DCS has a completely different base system, I don't expect them to copy Falcon's system, therefore my hope that they will provide a bit more detail in future. But I have played flight simulators since Wing Commander on the Commodore 64 (not to be confused by the much later space game by the same name from Origin Systems), through a large majority of the WWII and modern air combat simulators that came out throughout the 80's and 90's up to today. The campaign model of Falcon 4.0 just happens to have always stood out for me, as it really created an atmosphere of participating in something much larger.

 

I assume most people here know how the Falcon 4.0 campaign system worked, but for those who have only played DCS and one or two other simulators, let me give a rough idea of what it is about: The Falcon 4.0 dynamic campaign basically runs a 2D RTS-type war in real time over the entire map, and this war runs once you enter the campaign mode regardless of whether you fly missions or just stay in the UI. You can speed up time, of course, which lets you do things like letting the war develop for the first day or two before you get involved, or you can fast forward through each night if night flying is not your thing. The system then continually generates a large Air Tasking Order, which involve both small and large packages. A package usually includes multiple types of aircraft from multiple squadrons. Assets involved, whether they are participating aircraft, ground units or potential targets are drawn from a huge order of battle for each of the countries or alliances involved. Of course damage is tracked throughout the war, although certain things are repaired over time. Targets are not chosen randomly - they depend on the various active strategic and tactical priorities going on at that point in the war.

 

You are part of a squadron, again for which the pilots and aircraft are tracked (if the campaign balance is set up to highly advantage the enemy, it could happen that your squadron runs out of aircraft or pilots, although you do get replacement over time). You follow the real-time air tasking order and when an interesting mission comes up (let's say flying in the SEAD component of a large strike package looks like your thing), then you can decide to fly it. If you don't, the AI will fly it anyway using one of the other named AI pilots in the squadron. Which element you fly in the formation also depends on your rank, which means in the beginning you may only fly as wingman which in turn limits which orders you can give during the mission.

 

The system makes it possible to simply follow the ground war, or you can direct the ground war (either by setting strategic priorities or by setting goals on a more tactical level - like directing a tank battalion to take a town), or you can choose to jump in and fly at any point. If you jump in early enough when a new mission comes up on the ATO, you get to start with a dark cockpit, or you can start lined up on the runway about 2 minutes before takeoff, or you can start at any point during a mission.

 

What is so cool is that since this is effectively one giant RTS game, when you take off and watch as all the different elements of the strike package converge on the target area, you will see other aircraft returning from their strikes or CAPs or sweeps, others heading out, and others busy engaging enemy ground or air units. You can also listen in on the radio to the various fights going on around you. While you fly over the front lines, you see the 3D version of what was going on in the 2D map: Units engaging each other or moving around, the aftermath of earlier battles, etc.

 

Apologies to those who already know the campaign system that I described above, but I'm just trying to convey more or less how rich the system can be and the level of immersion you can get by just being one aircraft in a much, much bigger war. I have seen earlier mentions of an RTS system in the DCS dynamic campaign context, so perhaps what I describe for Falcon 4.0 is not so far off from what they are developing. I'm just hoping for a bit more info - therefore my previous request.

 

I know there are some in the community who tend to consider any input from the designers as a "promise" that must be kept at all costs and who will jump up and down if those "promises" are not realized fast enough, but I would like to believe that the vast majority of us are more realistic in our expectations and understand that some things are "ready when they are ready". I'm just curious as to the approach (or approaches) being considered by ED in relation to their dynamic campaign engine.

[QuiGon]

ED's Global Business Development Director gives a brief overview over the current development progess of the Dynamic Campaign here: