Creating bogey aircraft

I'm trying design missions for a multiplayer group of 20+ players and in doing so I would like to be able to include some more realistic procedures regarding rules of engagement and the declaration of radar contacts. The idea would be to increase the difficulty of air-to-air engagements by forcing pilots to properly IFF and/or VID targets in certain cases.

Is there any way in the ME or through scripting that I can create hostile aircraft that will pretend to be not hostile until within shooting range and then "go active" and lock and launch on the enemy fighters? I'm aware of some of the ROE functions and radar functions, but it seems difficult to truly make DCS consider a hostile aircraft "not enemy" until it attacks.

Does anyone have any experience with trying to create ambiguous bogey contacts for friendly fighters to investigate? Were you able to create a contact that would only engage after certain conditions were met? What were the results and what techniques did you use?

Bumping for visibility.

Delete default CAP action.

Add set option -> ROE -> WEAPON FREE and Perform task -> CAP to Triggered Actions.

Set option -> ROE -> WEAPON HOLD in Advanced Waypoint Options at WP0. Your fighter will now start just flying its waypoints without engaging target.

Create a trigger:

UNIT INSIDE MOVING ZONE (GoodGuy, BadGuy, DesiredZoneRadius)

AI TASK PUSH (BadGuy, ROE : WEAPONS FREE)

AI TASK PUSH (BadGuy, CAP)

This will cause the "BadGuy" aircraft to engage once the "GoodGuy" aircraft closes within a distance determined by a zone called DesiredZoneRadius (place it anywhere on the map)

Adjust nature of triggers as necessary to restrict engagement areas/targets/etc.

I'm setting up something similar - I have a randomized group spawn at the beginning of the mission (random flag value that triggers each group).

Let's say one is a russian plane that won't shoot at the player, and the other one is a north korean plane that will attack.

I set the russian group to weapons hold and let them de-acticate their radar via advannced waypoints.

The North Korean group is set to weapons free, but via advanced waypoint menu, you can let them use their radar only for the attack - at least with a group of MiG-21s, this worked quite well.

For fighters with better long range capability, I guess the way described by feefifofum might be even better. I'm gonna test that one. Especially because you could also tell the bogey to turn around as soon as it has been intercepted.

@mattag08

Alternatively, you could try swapping friendly for foe at a given distance.

Example:

- Spawn friendly F5 at an arbitrary distance from the player

- When player gets within a given radius, that friendly F5 will despawn.

- Enemy F5 will then spawn at that approximate location

- Enemy F5 will then engage the player

Delete default CAP action.

Add set option -> ROE -> WEAPON FREE and Perform task -> CAP to Triggered Actions.

 

Set option -> ROE -> WEAPON HOLD in Advanced Waypoint Options at WP0. Your fighter will now start just flying its waypoints without engaging target.

 

Create a trigger:

UNIT INSIDE MOVING ZONE (GoodGuy, BadGuy, DesiredZoneRadius)

AI TASK PUSH (BadGuy, ROE : WEAPONS FREE)

AI TASK PUSH (BadGuy, CAP)

 

This will cause the "BadGuy" aircraft to engage once the "GoodGuy" aircraft closes within a distance determined by a zone called DesiredZoneRadius (place it anywhere on the map)

 

Adjust nature of triggers as necessary to restrict engagement areas/targets/etc.

This seems to be very close to what I'm looking for. Thanks for the help!