Devil's Cross Campaign

[shagrat]

Devil's Cross mission one can be done...

 

It's too bad that many many missions and campaigns are omitting this, and you're request to play kill-all-beat-all super hero. And people have fixated the idea that they failed unless they destroy everything.

Yep, agreed! It is a challenging hit-and-run mission, though. I played it yesterday and must say it is very real but nothing I would see as a "beginners mission" for the first campaign :doh:

 

I must admit the JTAC so many people have problems with worked for me, after checking and adjusting net -> GRP ID is the first thing I do after start up.

Really challenging was the random system failure(!) the sim engine decided to be funny when I was in orbit around CP and did the 9-line with JTAC.

 

CADC and some other stuff I don't remember failed... :helpsmilie:

 

I decided to continue and not to abort mission, since "our" guys out there desperately needed CAS to delay the f...ing tanks rolling toward there positions.

JTAC briefing included a very good picture of the AA cover and most important(!) an attack heading plus a data transmission triangle!

 

The key to surviving this seems to be two things:

 

1. go in low, stay low, get outta their low (and I mean 300 ft low not 1000 or more... :music_whistling:)

 

2. follow the path the JTAC choose for you!

 

I followed the valley with the small creek up to the IP, angled around the hill and synced the MAV seeker to the SPI I put on the red triangle through TADS. Slew it a bit to the left where the column was, got a lock - pickle, slewed the second and third the same way and got the hell outta there!!! Leaving the 4th MAV on the rack! No more time to slew it and the Shilkas chirping in my RWR, telling me to better break and turn!

 

Asked JTAC for BDA, gave an "unable to comply" when he asked me to re-attack and went through the hills to the southeast back to base...:thumbup:

 

So I guess it is possible to fly this mission as intended to, but it is definitely not a good starter for a beginner to learn and like this sim. :smilewink:

[shagrat]

Setting TAD to MGRS/UTM...

 

...I can't believe you can't use the TAD to set MGRS coordinates. There has to be a way to do that.

 

You can: switch TAD to UTM mode by clicking the L/L button on the MFCD.

The coordinates displayed change to MGRS/UTM grid. You can use the cursor to check coordinates on the TAD map now.

 

...but to set a SPI enter a new way point in CDU with the JTAC coordinates and slew the cursor to it and set it SPI with TMS up long.:thumbup:

[Para_Bellum]

Am I missing a step or a command here?

 

Rider

 

I had the same problems in that mission. Radioed my wingmen to attack at least a dozen times, sometimes when directly flying over the enemy tank columns. Finally they acknowledged the order and started to attack. I have no idea what exactly triggered this behaviour.

Edited March 4, 2011 by Para_Bellum

[Irregular programming]

Well I finally got 76 points for the first mission, my wingman died at the first run I made so I guess it could have been more.

 

It really wasn't clear what you were supposed to do, if you head back too soon you only receive 51 points.

 

I thought it was a really fun mission though, never had any problems with anything other than it not being very clear on what your objectives are.

Edited March 5, 2011 by Irregular programming

[jazjar]

Hmm, just a theory here, maybe the datalink problemos are due to no LOS with the JTAC. Just thinking.

[Irregular programming]

Hmm, just a theory here, maybe the datalink problemos are due to no LOS with the JTAC. Just thinking.

 

Doubt it, if that was the case they wouldn't get the nine-line at all.

[shagrat]

Devil's Cross *lite*

 

Well I finally got 76 points for the first mission, my wingman died at the first run I made so I guess it could have been more.

 

It really wasn't clear what you were supposed to do, if you head back too soon you only receive 51 points.

 

I thought it was a really fun mission though, never had any problems with anything other than it not being very clear on what your objectives are.

I had a look into the Campaign with the Mission Editor.

 

The missions are usually a scenario to delay enemy forces - the triggers and goals represent this delay nicely.

 

After take off the clock starts ticking.

 

If you (or AI) manages to attack the spearheads continuously they will hold and defend while buying time for your guys to do an orderly retreat.

 

Thus you may simply start and circle from one WP to another :music_whistling:

...but, if you try to run this campaign as intended and start attacking the aggressor force it is way to tough for beginners!

 

Low level flying due to formidable air defenses on division (level) long range SAM btn + AAA + short range SAM + MANPADs and last but not least: the damn weather with a ceiling of 1000 feet! Sometimes the clouds cover the hills you need to pass for an attack run :doh:

All realistic, but in combination with slewing MAV seekers and evading air defenses it is really tough!

 

I tried today to adapt the Devil's Cross campaign into something like a *lite* Version, but I need to test and fly it first...

 

Basically I cleared the weather a bit and soften winds/turbulences and I thinned the Air defenses to a moderate level.

With standard loadout you now got the TGP and I optimized ramp positions (shorter taxiing).

 

I think I'll manage the basic play testing tomorrow and then upload...

[shagrat]

Hmm, lots of things going wrong after just reducing some air cover...

 

I read in another thread about problems with the supporting CAS flight. http://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=1130416&postcount=18

 

As well I noticed, that the Tornados flying SEAD sometimes get stuck taxiing.

 

After I tweaked the AAA and SAMs the JTAC stated 'mission complete no further tasking' when I reached CP. Strange!

 

I'm not sure if it was in my tweaks or in the original triggers.

 

I think I'll try to sort out the problems with the taxiing support flights etc. first.:helpsmilie:

[636_Castle]

Somebody posted a modded first campaign mission in the normal DCS:W forum. It adds messages that show you when crucial mission triggers are happening and fixes airbase ops. Basically there's two columns in that mission and you'll get assigned to one of them. They start rolling somewhere around 20 minutes after mission start. If you contact JTAC before the columns start rolling, you won't get any tasking. It takes the columns I think 58 minutes to reach their targets and you'll get about 10% mission score for every minute you delay them BEYOND that 58 minutes. Also that modded mission fixes the other CAS flight of A-10s that is supposed to be airborn already which really helps you out.

 

So get that modded mission, cause a bunch of delays in the column's route you're assigned to, and then don't exit the mission until at the very least 1 hour after tasking. You'll start noticing your mission completion goes up every 60 seconds or so after that.

 

Also using the mission planner for a campaign will mess up your datalink.

[MetaMarty]

The first time I tried this mission, I stayed low and found a line of AA in my path that completely destroyed me. I figured the clouds may be a way to stay out of trouble and decided to stay high as long as possible.

 

Contacted JTAC near IP point 1 at 14000 feet and it gave me the tank column coordinates. I hooked them in the TAD and point the MAVs at them. When within 10 NM, I pointed the nose down to 15 degrees and engaged PATH autopilot. I don't know if the MAVs are supposed to work through the clouds, but after a TDS up short, the first MAV locked and I decided to simply shoot it through the clouds. I repeated this procedure 3 times, slewing the MAVs a bit each time. In total, I shot 4 Mavs and hit 3 tanks without a single shot in my direction. I never entered below the clouds. Mission score was 51.

 

I doubt that this is how it should be done, but at least I killed 3 tanks. They never knew what hit them.

[ESzczesniak]

...I doubt that this is how it should be done, but at least I killed 3 tanks. They never knew what hit them.

 

...And they could have been yours firing through the clouds without an ID.

 

I work in healthcare where our party line is first do no harm. I think it applies to battle field encounters as well.

[PE_Tigar]

...And they could have been yours firing through the clouds without an ID.

 

I work in healthcare where our party line is first do no harm. I think it applies to battle field encounters as well.

 

I second that, I think I've whacked several Bradleys and a (very unfortunate this one) HQ M113 but frankly, with no TGP in conditions like that I was firing at what would best be described as white blotches. Now I did realize I can change the loadout, so I'll probably restart the campaign with TGP in each loadout and see how that goes.

 

And here are some other observations:

 

I'm at mission 5, and the last three missions I've been flying alone - the rest of my flight just stays in the hangars or a couple of meters in front of them. It's rather unfortunate that ED obviously doesn't have airfield ops nailed down yet, hope that this will be solved soon.

 

Also, although I've killed a number of (enemy and allied :/) ground targets, my A/G kills count both in campaign and in my log are still 0 (in mission debrief they're recorded correctly). Is this a known issue? Anybody else has it?