JTAC, using WP

[Dynamo]

Hi All,

 

Made quite a few missions, mostly using a FAC to direct me to various targets, i.e. insurgent compounds, escaping vehicles etc.

 

However, the majority of attack types are type 3. Only once when I made an invisible and immortal Humvee and put him danger close to the targets (within 200m measure on the map) did he clear me in for a type 2. I have also never had a FAC use smoke markers (can get them to use laser when appropriate).

 

Fairly easy to set up a smoke marker using triggers, but are there any tricks/tips to getting the FAC to mark with smoke without using the triggers?

 

Cheers for the ideas.

[DocSigma]

I have a mission where the FAC gives me a Type1: Soldiers are danger close to opposing soldiers. Cleared hot immediately, no data link, no mark. Have to use coords given by FAC to locate based on distance from friendlies. Its a mission i've been working on while learning the ME but the FAC call is an ancillary to the primary goal of the mission.

[nomdeplume]

Did you try the unarmed HMMWV or the HMMWV armament? I think they need to be armed if you want them to use smoke.

[MadTommy]

Last time i ran one of my missions with a AFAC flight. The chopper (can't remember its name.. the AFAC one!) Afac/Jtac marked a convoy with WP.. i.e smoke and gave me the coordinates. It also told me to attack with guns, even though the convoy was guarded by a chaparral & vulcan. Seemed a little risky to me!

 

EDIT: i can post the mission if that helps.

Edited January 14, 2011 by MadTommy

[Greb]

When he puts a marker its' always WP. No choice for smoke as far as I can see. Would be a nice option.

[MadTommy]

When he puts a marker its' always WP. No choice for smoke as far as I can see. Would be a nice option.

 

if he puts smoke its always WP.. but Jtac do mark in other ways too. Depending upon the environment etc.

[Greb]

if he puts smoke its always WP.. but Jtac do mark in other ways too. Depending upon the environment etc.

 

I just wish we had a clear option for what type he uses.

[DocSigma]

In any mission i've flown i've never had a FAC mark with smoke, just WP, IR, Laser spot.

[nomdeplume]

Okay yes technically it's WP they use to mark targets, not smoke...

[Ripcord]

I guess the guys at DCS decided or were told that the JTACs are trained to use WP instead of smoke? I wonder if that is by design. However I agree the smoke marker feature is too cool to not have in the game -- makes me try to think of some ways to integrate that into a battlefield scenario using triggers, except that would really take away from the existing comms structure with the JTAC. I can think of maybe three that I could perhaps model:

 

1. CSAR -- the downed pilot wants to mark his position for the sandy helo. Maybe there are some friend ground forces or special forces trying to link up with him to get him out, and they could also mark enemy forces moving in to get them.

 

2. CAS -- maybe in addition to a JTAC there could be an additional ground unit in distress, engaged with enemy a little bit out of range of the JTAC, that needs immediate CAS and is able to mark enemy positions, or even their own as they try to fight their way out to safety. This could be an engagement that is already underway when the player reaches the ingress point, and maybe even it is intended for other flights working on the battlefield, a kind of dynamic situation unfolding there in front of them as they were getting ready to check in with other controllers, either AFAC or JTAC. The player would almost certainly notice that and have the option to 'check-in' with that unit or just check in with the JTAC. Maybe the 'activate additional menu selection' feature would work well here.

 

3. Static pre-briefed targets -- maybe some special forces are tasked with putting smoke on a bunker or a building or something where bad guys are under surveillance. No direct comms with them, just a few messages from a controller somewhere that they are ready to place smoke and then smoke placed. This might be an alternative to IR or laser-spot for certain kinds of targets. Not sure however how tactically accurate this might be, maybe some more research is needed here about the different types of tacticaly situations in which smoke might be employed this way.

 

Of course you are back to scripted comms messages using triggers and timers, just like in FC2, but there might be creative ways to do that -- after all it can be mixed in with JTAC and Air FAC and other elements of the mission, so the mission is still interactive.

 

What about predators? I haven't experimented with them yet... would they ever place any smoke?

 

Ripcord

Edited January 15, 2011 by Ripcord

[Greb]

I guess the guys at DCS decided or were told that the JTACs are trained to use WP instead of smoke? I wonder if that is by design. However I agree the smoke marker feature is too cool to not have in the game -- makes me try to think of some ways to integrate that into a battlefield scenario using triggers, except that would really take away from the existing comms structure with the JTAC. I can think of maybe three that I could perhaps model:

 

1. CSAR -- the downed pilot wants to mark his position for the sandy helo. Maybe there are some friend ground forces or special forces trying to link up with him to get him out, and they could also mark enemy forces moving in to get them.

 

2. CAS -- maybe in addition to a JTAC there could be an additional ground unit in distress, engaged with enemy a little bit out of range of the JTAC, that needs immediate CAS and is able to mark enemy positions, or even their own as they try to fight their way out to safety. This could be an engagement that is already underway when the player reaches the ingress point, and maybe even it is intended for other flights working on the battlefield, a kind of dynamic situation unfolding there in front of them as they were getting ready to check in with other controllers, either AFAC or JTAC. The player would almost certainly notice that and have the option to 'check-in' with that unit or just check in with the JTAC. Maybe the 'activate additional menu selection' feature would work well here.

 

3. Static pre-briefed targets -- maybe some special forces are tasked with putting smoke on a bunker or a building or something where bad guys are under surveillance. No direct comms with them, just a few messages from a controller somewhere that they are ready to place smoke and then smoke placed. This might be an alternative to IR or laser-spot for certain kinds of targets. Not sure however how tactically accurate this might be, maybe some more research is needed here about the different types of tacticaly situations in which smoke might be employed this way.

 

Of course you are back to scripted comms messages using triggers and timers, just like in FC2, but there might be creative ways to do that -- after all it can be mixed in with JTAC and Air FAC and other elements of the mission, so the mission is still interactive.

 

What about predators? I haven't experimented with them yet... would they ever place any smoke?

 

Ripcord

 

I will try some of those out ripcord. My next mission I was wanting to get the predator in Place!

[Dynamo]

Solved, marked by WP

 

Did you try the unarmed HMMWV or the HMMWV armament? I think they need to be armed if you want them to use smoke.

 

 

Thank you nomdeplume, I have always been using HMMWV unarmed or just an infantry man as FAC. Using an armed HMMWV and he started using WP and also gave be both a type 1 and 2 engagement (set up to engage 2 groups).

 

Although he got a bit twitchy when he cleared me in with rockets, calling blue on blue when rockets landing away from him, even though I was using the correct final headings.

 

 

I have got the predator to give target locations through a JTAC, but I assume due to the platform, it wouldn't be able to mark with WP/smoke.

 

Thanks for the help guys!

Edited January 15, 2011 by Dynamo

[Wags]

For JTAC, always use an armed unit with a sensor. Armed HMMWV is best choice. I've added a note to the GUI manual about this.

Edited January 15, 2011 by Wags

[Greb]

For JTAC, always use an armed unit with a sensor. Armed HMMWV is best choice. I've added a note to the GUI manual about this.

 

Good to know!

[Ripcord]

Matt, good gouge there.

 

As for the topic of the thread, I'd like to ask your input. Are there any situations or circumstances in which a JTAC or Air FAC would place smoke?

 

Ripcord