A new Mission Editor Logic/ Multiplayer UI

I was reading trough some threads, with the current fiasco about "heavy missions" and what not.... when I came up with an idea.

Instead of having all these (client) slots, massive list of spawning aircraft at different airfields (needing scripts to limit numbers or deactivate slots when airfields are not captured), have all this functionality integrated.

Have the Mission Creator select a number of maximum active aircraft he wants to have, from a certain type(CAS/CAP) or variant (F-15/M-2000C).

When a user gets on the server, he won't have to scroll a mile long list of client slots, but have the number of the active aircraft of any type and when he picks an aircraft he wants to fly, a map, like the one in the quick mission screen will show up, letting him pick an (friendly) airfield (or FARP) he wants to spawn at.

No need to have a certain amount of slots being put on every airfield (having to split the spawning locations, so both sides can have a slot). Instead, make the airfield spawning location customisable. Pick which slots to be open and used and which not when spawning. Have the option to pick which types of aircraft spawn go where.

This way when somebody picks a slot, the game will sort it out and give him the first available there. When the base gets captured, the opposite faction will be able to use the same locations.

This will make the whole process more dynamic and plug and play for mission designers. You can still create and modify your aircraft groups, but instead of limiting yourself to putting them to a single airfield and than copy-pasting and adjusting a dozen other groups across other airfields (changing callsigns, board numbers, etc.), you just set your parameters, which airfields the aircraft can use and how many of them and the rest is history.

I believe this can turn a whole new page for DCS MP. Moving MP closer to the dynamic battlefield we all wish for (relieving mission designers massively)

I am not a developer, but obviously this will require a whole new logic for the ME to be designed and , I can only guess, but ED probably have their plate full, right now anyway.

Just an idea, hoping to spark some interest, share your thoughts on this. I know the chances of this being picked up are minimal (if any), but it is better than nothing.

Cheers !

A geographic display of spawn points would be a good way of displaying them. However realize that there are non-airfield starts like mid-air and generic "ground" which can be anywhere in three dimensions.

Filters by type would be excellent.

I don't know about the generic "pick an airplane out of the dispenser" mode as every single unit in DCS is individually configured. What configuration would it have?

Well, yeah, it did go past my mind, "what about the air spawns ?"

In reality, if you haven't made the mission yourself or have detailed information, you wouldn't know where exactly in the air you I'll spawn, but it won't probably matter to you.

So, my suggestion is to have zones you can predefine (trigger like zones, but not limited to a circle per say). Select if you want them to be on the ground or in the air and how many slots they should have (possible their locations via markers in the ME). Maybe the additional option for air spawns to choose how many can spawn at the same time depending on your "zone size", so you can avoid collision.

They will be displayed the same way on the map with a relative marker position on the map you can pick. Depending on how small you make your zone, you might have pin point accuracy or a big area

You will still have your individual configurations. It will be similar to how scripts use AI right now. You have the air group created as you do, but instead of putting it in the corner of the map somewhere as a late activation. You will drop it in a spawn list and configure it's spawn locations from there.

Hope this has made sense.

I waiting to hear more opinions, it will require a complete new logic for the ME, but I believe it will open up mission design for an easier and wider array of functions.

Cheers

I thought this might spark more interest, especially in Mission Designers, perhaps I should post this in the MP section as well.

For me - the three most helpful things would be:

Search (like controls) i.e Anapa and only groups with anapa in the name or spawn at anapa would be shown

Hide / Show slots when they're enabled / disabled

Map of spawn locations - so you can see just before you hit fly where you'll spawn on the f10 map

Setting a number of slots rather than hand placing would be a useful timesaver - but on the other hand the flexibility of placing each one to allow customisation is also great!

I see.

Your first two mentions, to me, seem like a solution for the current system we have, which can be a temporary solution.

The map I've already covered.

By customisation, do you mean hand picking which spawn slots to choose ? I've written a solution to that in my previous two post.

In general, I believe, my solution has all your worries covered.

You wouldn't need the "search" and "hide" functions as when picking your aircraft, you will be able to select an active airfield from the map.

In my case, the customisation, wouldn't be slot wise, but airfield wise, selecting which slots to be active (and for which aircraft)

The aircraft them self's can be still customised as the current groups, but you would just put em in a list of active aircraft, instead of hand placing them.

Thank you for sharing some of your time to check it out, I think with some more discussion, this might turn out to be a great idea.

Cheers

I haven't had time to really chime in on this but, as it is right now, my list is

1. control the spawn in menu by API

2. hide the opposing side units (people cheat and plan using this, know who is doing what)

3. ability to spawn in client units dynamically, right now we have to bake in all the units, over 1800+ on my map alone, hwy wish is to load an empty map, and people can see where the current war is at (updated map supplied by my external engine, html browser maybe), they can select the base and aircraft they want and it allows me to spawn in said aircraft, and place the person in it.

Another idea which will go well with this type of implementation will be, after you pick your airframe and the spawn location (which again will be a lot easier for ME to setup and you don't have to to place 1000 slots for both coalition) the ability to sort your payload and fuel before you spawn

Hope this isn't on too much of a tangent, but regarding such things; having no way of seeing what the opposing side (or even any side) have selected might make things a little more... interesting, as currently one can make semi-informed decisions about whether to pick this or that airframe, or this or that airfield/FARP based on what the opposition are flying.

Separating the red/blue/other team role selections would be very good. It would discourage snooping and condense the interface. The scroll list can get very long (with a tiny tiny scroll box). One should pick a team and then be confronted with the role selection within that team.

Also a single errant click can yank you out of your role (by assigning to that slot). The proximity of the scroll bar to the slot click areas means you're only 10 px away from ruining your whole flight if you want to look at the list.

Just wanted to BUMP this up.

With the coming of the F-14 and other 2 seater aircraft we need this more than ever before.

The current system was good back in the good ol days when you had small server with couple of slots and simple missions which had couple of active airfields and just a bunch of targets to destroy.

We need a new, and a basket method and a map with a loadout screen and callsign and so on will make the work easier for everyone and will extend on the list of great features DCS has. Will make MP a lot more easier on designers