Stuck at "Deployment - Mission 2 / Escort" (DCS 2.5)

I tried this mission several times now but I always get a "Mission failed" because the convoy was destroyed. Now I'm at the point where it starts to get frustrating.... Does anybody have someusefull hints how to compete this mission in DCS 2.5?

I even started to take out enemies in the village (with the cannon) before the ambush started. I go into a hover in the village and search for the enemies. However, due to the amount of trees, it's hard to actually see them. Once the ambush starts and I see the "fireline", I start firing unguided rockets toward it. That seems towork for the first part of the ambush, but when the 2nd rush commences, it'salso hard to see where the convoy is located. Thus, there's the risk offriendly fire - again due to the amount of trees. And there seem to be firefrom both sides. They always take out the full convoy.

As soon as the fire starts, I also givethe wingman the command to attack ground targets. This doesn't seem to help alot. Or should I give him another command (attack bandits? attack my enemy?).

My prefered position for the attack is in the valley before the village (see screenshot) but I also tried a position on the hill to the south; without success.

However, I don't want to reduce the amountof visible trees or enabling the labels; that feels like cheating to me andruins a lot of immersion. Also, there's the danger of hitting aninvisible tree...

You can edit the missionfile in the ME. I did it for all the Mevedev missions because some units are spawned in trees and need to be moved a bit.

Move the enemy units out of the trees or play that mission with icons on and spam them with 80xS-8OFP2 rockets. Dont use the S-8KOM rockets because they have less HE/Fragments.

But if you want to play all the stock compaigns i think it is necessary to use the ME to make them playable. So better get used to using ME. ;)

Ok, thank you. I may give it a try. Hopefully ED will rework the missions. There are quite some (not just Ka-50) where all the new trees causes problems.

Yeah no problem and dont forget to replace your altered missionfiles when a new patch came out like today. Altered files should be backed up in the newly created backup folder or just backup them manually after altering them in a seperate folder.

Yeah, I noticed that when I edited the Elbrus Rescue mission and when the first hotfix was released...

I didn't have a problem with that mission but last night got stuck on the next one...

So how did you do the 2nd mission? Canon, rockets, wingman...?

All three. Ordered my wingman to attack, did a couple passes using just the outer rockets to thin out the enemies so they wouldn't chew up the convoy. Switched to the gun and started picking off targets using the helmet sight to get close to muzzle flashes and then the shkval to get right on target. Saved a little gun ammo. Used up my inner rockets. Went to mop up with the gun and my wingman finally did his first attack run and took out the last few with rockets. I'm wondering if maybe it took him a long time to attack because I was to close to the targets? Tragically though no matter how many times I try there's nothing I can do to save Sergey in the scout apc...

I'm stuck on that one too. The big problem with the wingman is if you tell him to engage ground targets, he flies out a several km to run in, by which time Sergey and all his mates are toast.

I guess it is quite realistic that you can't see the targets for the trees. When people plan an ambush, they don't stand out in the open smoking cigars until the convoy arrives...

It took me several attempts to work out which wingman command will have him engage the ambush. In that respect, I think the sim is a bit lacking, there ought to be a command to the wingman along the lines of 'attack anything suspicious and be quick about it'.

Also, it would be good if you could command the convoy to hold position if you see something suspicious.

So what command did you gave the wingman in the end?

Yeah, would be interesting if you could tell the convoy to hold the position.

I told him to head home and get the beers in whilst I take care of business

I too have a lot of problems finishing this mission with success.

I checked mission in mission editor and I will sum up problems that I think would improve mission. (mission is working fine, but it's not balanced to be completed regardless what you do, it's simply impossible to complete)

Summary:

1) Considering that after forward recon APC gets attack you have only about 2 minutes before convoy reaches ambush point, I would amend convoy to stop, until CAS support inspects and supports recon.

This is crucial problem why mission is impossible to complete.

2) Enemy infantry skill = expert / Friendly APC skill - Average

Basically friendly point APC is useless, while enemy infantry is going to shoot KA-50 down with couple of bullets. I would reduce enemy infantry skill to good or even average, considering there is 40 of them hidden in forest.

There are nice flags that can be used to add "halt" and "go" triggers for convoy.

Basically that is it, I've tried everything, even cluster munition :music_whistling: (ignoring that village near by and kids playing)

Simply convoy units are too soft to continue to push after ambush. They should stop and wait signal to move (i.e. destruction of all enemy units, or at least 80% of them).

Sounds like some good proposals. I simply "gave up" on this mission and the whole campaign and played Huey/Mi-8 again... even though there are people who managed to finish this misssion with success, it simply may be impossible for some others. It would be nice if the convoy would stop.

The mission is not impossible to complete - others have said they completed it, and I have - several times, so saying that is just disinformation.

You know what's coming by now and you know where it is coming from.

Initially I found it difficult, too - though how many vehicles get destroyed is not a fixed thing. You need a certain amount to survive to get a mission success - I think I got 4 or 5 through once and got success.

Like I said - you know where the ambush is coming from, so be prepared to attack that area. I flew along normally to it - but I am a bit ahead of the convoy. I position myself for a rocket run - if you shoot up the area before they shoot at the convoy (and kill Sergey) it will count for nothing.

So - wait until the first contact (don't remember if it is the enemy firing or the call that its an ambush) and then immediately start raining rockets on the area where the bad guys are. It's all about laying down firepower.

Turn around and do a second run-in, by which time your wingman should be about ready to help - then just hang around the area above the road and poor cannon rounds on the remaining baddies. IIRC a second lot appear after you have killed off the first attackers.

I had similar frustrations as you guys - but once I had succeeded the first time, using this method, I did it every time.

Edit: I remember once being shot down by the "Golden AK-47" - it's just bad luck if that happens.

Edit 2: The place I position myself for the first rocket attack is well to the right of the valley at the point of the ambush. I'll find some old screenies.

From an AAR I posted:

The pics are from 1.2 (yeah - a while ago now) but the tactics are the same now.

Thanks, but IMO it's a lot harder on 2.5 becaues you hardly see the enemy in the forest. That's the main problem IMO. Anyway, I may give it another try once. The screenshot at least give you an idea of your tactics.

I couldn't see that much of the enemy in previous versions anyway - it's just a case of saturating the target area.

The mission is not impossible to complete - others have said they completed it, and I have - several times, so saying that is just disinformation.

You need to try it in 2.5 and you may learn otherwise. I would say my 20 attempts were decent shot and I will not pretend to be best pilot there is, but also, I'm not newbie :D

Not to mention, that idea of ambush is that you don't know where they are, thus second attempt is already kind of cheating if you get into position early and wait.

Initially I found it difficult, too - though how many vehicles get destroyed is not a fixed thing. .

And that is where you're wrong, because in 2.5 (either by design, or due to bug), trigger for mission failure happens when convoy lead APC gets killed (not Sergey). Thus 1 unit gets killed and it's over.

I probably could get 50% of convoy through, but it's impossible not to have convoy lead APC to survive and to prevent mission failure trigger going off.

It could be bug, but I have no way to verify as trigger is linked to unit name (not group name), and while in DCS versions up to 2.5 that may have been same thing, in 2.5 that is clearly not same thing.

And also, yeah.... 2.5 .... forrest... hides enemy so you have no way to know exactly where they are as they run around after you shoot at them so they are no longer in same spot and in 1.2 you could see them, in 2.5 you can't see where they moved... and ammo is quite limited in that limited time, so no chance to lob nice shots directly at targets, it's more suppression attack, which... in real life would be what would happen, not sniper shots.

IIRC a second lot appear after you have killed off the first attackers.

Also not true, they all spawn at same time... 40 of them, i.e 3 groups (1, 1-1 and 1-2)

Probably not as intended.

I'm not going to play silly quotes but what I said about how many vehicles are destroyed is entirely correct. You are talking about a specific vehicle, which is not the same thing.

Like I said - it's about pouring firepower onto the area. You can't aim at a soldier with a rocket to take him out! It's an area weapon and this is how you use it to destroy such enemies and succeed.

As for "knowing where the enemy is is cheating" is a pretty silly thing to come out with.

Okay - so fail the mission and then never fly it again, because it would be cheating, as you know what is going to happen. That must be valid for evey single mission that you have flown once. By your definition you are cheating by even attempting it a second time - or do you have some magic switch that makes you forget everything you've seen before?

It has been flown in 2.5 it has been completed in 2.5

Listen up, I can try and help you and you can continue to try and pick holes in that and pretend to be so clever, or you can just keep on failing and blaming anything but yourself, but I'm finished here because you're not worth the effort.

i must say in 2.5 this is a dam hard second mission, it seems easy enough but as they all spawn in the forest you cant actually see them to target, so you blanket the area, which always seems in the wrong place, and to this day I think my wingman, who is as much use as *** on a bull, has only attacked once with guns.

can the mish be edited and still continue on, as I know you cant save it, just need a few trees gone

I'm not going to play silly quotes

I don't find them silly. I find them useful reference to X

but what I said about how many vehicles are destroyed is entirely correct. You are talking about a specific vehicle, which is not the same thing.

Which is exactly what renders your comment as not helpful. I'm talking that it's game over after 1 unit is killed. You played the mission so you probably know which one.

Like I said - it's about pouring firepower onto the area. You can't aim at a soldier with a rocket to take him out! It's an area weapon and this is how you use it to destroy such enemies and succeed..

:huh: Well, gee... thanks.

As for "knowing where the enemy is is cheating" is a pretty silly thing to come out with.

Ambush? :noexpression:

You know their location only because you played it before. Thus when you failed first time, next time, it was no longer ambush and you adapted your strategy. Thus, not as mission was intended.

Listen up, I can try and help you and you can continue to try and pick holes in that and pretend to be so clever, or you can just keep on failing and blaming anything but yourself, but I'm finished here because you're not worth the effort.

You are really sensitive. I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings. If you can't cope with people telling you are wrong, don't try to help.

Since I'm actually at home now and not at work, I can give precise mission trigger data.

Unit that triggers mission end is 1st unit of 9 units of convoy.

Group name: "Transport Leska-12"

Unit name: "Transport Leska-12 head"

Trigger is = Unit dead: "Transport Leska-12 head", sets FLAG 4 to ON

Once FLAG 4 is ON, in 15 seconds, mission is failed

Also there is trigger "Explosion1" which is activated once transport leska-12 is in zone and beside explosion, it activates all enemy ambush unit groups. Total about 48 infantry, excellent skill and all armed with AK-47. RPG's in mission are actually explosion triggers.

To make matter worse, unit "Transport Leska-12 head" gets exploded once 50% of convoy is dead, so it gets destroyed in trigger, thus triggering mission failed.

However in all my attempts, it got killed first, thus mission end in 2 min 30 sec since "Sergey" group gets attacked.

I'm sure there will be someone less sensitive about my comment that will know how to use this information

Is there any point in buying the Republic campaign from sale if these problems exist or has anyone experienced such problems with that campaign?

Personally I'd simply see a YouTube video from somebody who actually manged to complete this mission in DCS 2.5 ;-) I agree, you adapt your strategy because you know what's going to happen. However, you don't see the enemies and it's just firing "randomly" where "they migth be". I often saw the "Mission failed" very quick and I lost interest into that mission after maybe 15-20 unsuccessful attempts.

I've finished this campaign, using VR, it's very nice but I can't imagine someone can succed in it without "labels on" (I use really small ones, dots, chevrons, etc...).

Some missions needs all your ammo with minimal possible misses, while ennemy units are under cover by trees (DCS 2.5 new tree coverage change the missions into "impossible" ones, wich of course is still possible like in the movies...but so hard).

But I wanted to "spoil" how to succed the last mission, because I firstly thought it was too difficult because initial targets (units and bunkers in a "forest" base FARP) seemed unreachable.

And I tried so much times anyway.

In fact the trigger in last mission is to destroy a helicopter (with a "rebel chief" inside) that spawns on FARP at a time. The thing is that it needs an enormeous amount of stuff to be destroyed.

I tried on a custom mission to test resistance of transport helicopters when on ground or taking off. But it's OK with two Vickrs for exemple.

In the last "Deployement" mission, the target helicopter needs a BIG amount of everything to be really destroyed. Definitely buggy I'd say (I can't evaluate but I hit him with 5 or 6 vickrs + all my remaining rockets + hundreds of HE and AP rounds....)

So good luck for those who wants to make through it without "cheats".... may the force be with you ?

In that respect, I think the sim is a bit lacking, there ought to be a command to the wingman along the lines of 'attack anything suspicious and be quick about it'.

 

Also, it would be good if you could command the convoy to hold position if you see something suspicious.

^^^^this

I finished this campaign a few years ago and I remember one mission when you have to clean a village to make a convoy to pass. The convoy starts after you shoot one AAA and even tho you know there are still some APCs in the village, there is no way to tell them to hold. Very annoying.

AI wingman is most of the times useless. I used to use him with "cover me" command when I am approaching AOE zone and if there is a AAA waiting for you, he will say "engaging targets" or similar, so you know to stop and start looking around before the bullets come to you :) other then that he may shoot something but most of the times he is either refusing to attack, will stuck somewhere or instead of shooting vikhrs from distance he will fly on top of aaa/manpads and get shot.