New, full-featured SP Mission: "Midnight Run"

[Bahger]

That's very useful info, Keats, thanks; it explains the "Mark...No Mark" glitch that has popped up in other missions where I'd been trying to use infantry to mark with smoke.

 

DCS should revise the ME so that mark and smoke designations are not available for the designer to use with non-armed units (not that infantry is not "armed"), otherwise the result is just ambiguity and glitchy output.

 

I'll see if I can put a Humvee in the spotter squad without destroying mission logic. Stand by and thanks again.

 

(PS I just tried to send you rep but that function is borked, too.)

Edited April 9, 2013 by Bahger

[Bahger]

Update (see above post): I changed the JTAC unit to an armored HMMWV in the runway-start mission (file attached) but encountered the annoying "Mark...No mark" glitch on one run, and an inexplicable "Terminate" command on another. I am now completely convinced that the JTAC "Mark" functionality is broken.

 

Could someone else run the mission as amended to confirm?

Midnight Run Runway FINAL_2013_02.miz

[Bahger]

I have now noticed some other problems. The tasking messages when the player reaches anchor point DeNiro step all over each other when I'm sure I was able to separate them before using interlocking triggers, as advised by grimes. Between that and the misbehaving JTAC Mark/lase function, I'm a little frustrated. If keats, or anyone else, would care to fix the mission and repost for testing, I'd happily update it in the DCS upload database, giving due credit!

[Keats]

Don't forget to set designation to laser in the mission editor (currently it's set to auto). Works for me. However, in my case Warrior lases the ground just in front of the bunker, so you will STILL have to lase the target yourself, unfortunately.

 

EDIT: I have to confirm that lasing behavior is weird though. Just tested it again (with designation set to auto): as soon as I overflew the target I got a 'Terminate, no mark' message, along with Warrior designating the ground around the target instead of the target itself.

 

I'll see if I can reproduce the problem with the tasking messages stepping on each other.

Edited April 10, 2013 by Keats

[Bahger]

Thank you, Keats. Here's the problem with JTAC "Lase" and why, even dismissing the currently glitchy, "Mark, No mark" behavior, I am reluctant to use it in mission design in its present state:

 

You now need an "armed" unit to be able to lase a target. This unit will also supply a data link. Once you get that, the lase becomes redundant, as the datalink is guidance enough. I'm going to see if disabling ELPRS for the FAC vehicle will disable to datalink.

 

What I want the player to do when there is a JTAC "lase" task is to put a Markpoint on the ground (all waypoints are at navigational altitude) as close as he can to where he thinks the target is. He slaves his TGP to that, but needs the lase for target refinement, in other words, he needs the lase/LSS search to guide him to a small building that he might not find otherwise. if he has a pinpoint datalink to slave to 15 miles out, what's the point of going through the whole lase procedure?

[Keats]

I managed to reproduce the problem with messages stepping over each other and fixed it.

 

 

This was a timing issue: if the player arrives at DeNiro before TF Midnight dismounts its infantry a new tasking message would be heard before Midnight even announced they were dismounting. I added a flag that becomes true after the infantry dismounts and is a requirement for new tasking to be generated.

 

 

Also, because of the inconsistent and unreliable lasing behavior I took the liberty of changing Warrior back to an infantry unit, without marking and datalink. All he does is provide the player with a set of UTM coordinates that are accurate enough for the player the find the target by himself with the TGP. Accordingly changed the briefing to state "talk on" instead of "laser" guidance. Hope that's okay with you, Bahger.

 

See the link for the updated files: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/110703480/Midnight%20Run%202013.zip

[Bahger]

Thanks, Keats, I really appreciate your work in making my mission playable after several code updates. It's sad that the "lase" and "mark" JTAC functions are broken; JTAC is the heart and soul of this hi-fidelity A-10C sim and the devs should not allow it to deteriorate to this extent, especially as in some ways it worked better in Beta.

 

I look forward to playing MR in this latest form. It's actually quite a tricky mission; totally dark and very task-saturated. Spotting a moving convoy from 18,000ft at night with nothing but no-grid directions from ground forces is nothing short of sadistic...who designed the wretched thing? Oh, whoops. In testing the .miz I got good at using "Mark" (TMS right short) to put a mark on the ground that I could slave my TGP to but you still have to be quick, have decent SA and be able to identify landmarks on the TAD. Not an easy mission.