Assessing demand for user-made missions: A-10C/FC3, SP or MP?

[Bahger]

I'm dipping a toe in mission making again after a long layoff. I really welcome the idea of mission-making in DCSW for flyable aircraft in different, mutually-supportive roles. My first experiments in creating a scenario in which the player can either fly CAP in an F-15C or CAS in an A-10C have been encouraging; the system works and even if you do not have the required modules, I have learned how to program the ME to substitute AI flights for those client flights not chosen by the player (an innovation enabled by the ability to designate flyable a/c as "Client" as well as "Player" in both SP and MP.)

 

I'm wondering what the demand is, i.e. whether most of you have both A-10C and FC3, if you are more interested in SP vs MP and if you want PvP (i.e. humans flying both Red and Blue a/c) or PvsAI missions. My limitations are: I know more about Blue equipment and doctrine than Red and am more interested in playing/creating missions as NATO and the only flyables you're likely to find in my missions are the A-10C and the F-15C unless there is a demand for flyable red a/c in missions.

 

Please respond to the poll and comment here when convenient. Thanks!

Edited January 23, 2013 by Bahger

[Speed]

I prefer MP missions. I prefer more missions using Combined Arms commanders, or Ka-50, or Su-25/Su-25T. I am sick of the A-10C. F-15C is too easy unless you're flying against human opponents, and even then, I don't enjoy air to air as much as a good old ground war. So I can only vote on one of your choices.

[Bahger]

Fair enough, Speed. The best flying is usually in squadron-based MP but I find I like to be able to do a little tactical aviation on my own time and without all the coordination. I haven't flown the Eagle since LOMAC but acquired FC3 because it's integrated into DCSW. The F-15C is ertainly sim-lite compared to the A-10C and Ka-50 but it can be fun to fly a mission in the weeds in an A-10C and then watch the AI fly that role while you provide high cover in the F-15. For the moment it scratches my itch for a NATO A2A platform until DCS's fast-mover arrives in all its button-pushing glory.

 

I don't really know why, but I cannot develop much love for the Russian aircraft, or for helicopters vs. fixed-wing; respect, yes, love, not so much.

 

As for Combined Arms, that will probably be my next module. I'm still not entirely clear about how good, successful or finished it is. I'd like to be able to insert proper maneuver doctrine into ground-force components of my missions and to enable the player to deploy troops in coordination with air. I'll have to figure out, just as I have using both the A-10C and FC3 modules, how missions built with CA elements will play for those people who don't have it. Can you advise?

Edited January 23, 2013 by Bahger

[mwd2]

i think, the best that we have with DCS World, we have all options - you can build missions for you as SP to learn the aircraft and fight against AI. But you have also the options to build up missions for different human player with different kind of aircraft/ground forces to play together against AI or/and PvP -- > a wide spectrum of challenge for mission builder and player ... if we get a stable MP session in the next update :music_whistling:

 

With the upcoming feature of CA, to take control over AI aircraft by a human player, you will get (from my view) some new options for making interesting missions (in all prospects), too.

[Daryl1586]

I do practically all of my flying in MP missions and mostly against AI. I prefer this set up because it enables you to have more humans on one side.

 

I personally like the idea of an A-10C ground attack mission with F-15C support. The only thing I would add to that is maybe a 2 ship attachment of Su-25T's for SEAD strikes but I appreciate it doesn't quite mix right with the US aircraft theme.

 

I guess you could maybe add an AI F-16 package but I find having more of a selection of roles in MP missions makes them more interesting and requires good teamwork and co-operation.

[BRooDJeRo]

People like choice and different outcomes on the same manouvres.

[BRooDJeRo]

The mission called Separatist Aggression Part 1 represents what I perceive to be the most realistic scenario that I have seen so far in MP and in my opinion provides the greatest immersion quality. I would appreciate more missions based on this model. The biggest downer for me has been to enter what seems to be a coop MP mission with an emphasis on ground objectives only to find a gang of FC3 fighter jocks looking for the easy A10 kills.

 

 

In a red vs blue? (the easy A-10 kills)

[Bahger]

The mission called Separatist Aggression Part 1 represents what I perceive to be the most realistic scenario that I have seen so far in MP and in my opinion provides the greatest immersion quality. I would appreciate more missions based on this model. The biggest downer for me has been to enter what seems to be a coop MP mission with an emphasis on ground objectives only to find a gang of FC3 fighter jocks looking for the easy A10 kills.

 

Yes, I've played Separatist Aggression several times with friends and in my old squadron; it's a classic, and is programmed with a lot of randomization, which keeps it fresh. I use randomization, too, but nothing too sophisticated.

 

By "FC3 fighter jocks looking for easy A-10 kills" do you mean guys flying the F-15C? That would just be griefing. If they flying Red fighters, it's legitimate, no?

 

The biggest challenge in both MP and SP mission making -- to me, anyway -- is to construct a realistic level of challenge. I do not like making, or flying, missions in which A-10s have to go up against a wall of SAMs. I'd much rather make my missions much more procedural and doctrinal and ensure there is both SEAD and HICAP cover for strikers and CAS flights. Not everyone wants to play like this; some people want to fly MP like a shooter.

[GGTharos]

Hi Bagher,

 

Just FYI with respect to your poll question - there is a significant demand for SP missions, but you won't often find this mentioned on the forums. A lot of SP players don't even come as far as these forums ... though they might look for missions online, for example on the DCS site's download section.

[GGTharos]

Get you own gang of fighter jocks to cover you, and learn how to perform in A2A. Just because you're a slow A-10C doesn't mean you're helpless, but you need to do a little more than just fly straight at bandits (or your targets, with incoming bandits) while screaming for help.

 

The mission called Separatist Aggression Part 1 represents what I perceive to be the most realistic scenario that I have seen so far in MP and in my opinion provides the greatest immersion quality. I would appreciate more missions based on this model. The biggest downer for me has been to enter what seems to be a coop MP mission with an emphasis on ground objectives only to find a gang of FC3 fighter jocks looking for the easy A10 kills.

[Quirkitized]

Hi Bagher,

 

Just FYI with respect to your poll question - there is a significant demand for SP missions, but you won't often find this mentioned on the forums. A lot of SP players don't even come as far as these forums ... though they might look for missions online, for example on the DCS site's download section.

 

I agree with this. With the campaign that I made, I was fairly surprised to see even though I also made a two player coop version, the single player version was downloaded two to three times more than the MP version.

 

So don't rule out single player.