Mission Editor Top User Requested Features

On 9/19/2022 at 5:44 PM, Thelma Viaduct said:

Off the top of my head:

Split waypoints for element and flight to create a formation flightplan. 

Radius turns/turning circles. 

Easy control over velocity & time over  target for self and other flights, crucial for synchronised airfield attacks. 

Graphical representation of time in threat circles, flightplan profile. 

Fuel/weight calculation requirements showing issues if applicable. 

Category flags showing potential targets in a particular category. 

Priority flags for important targets, command, rear HQ, field HQ, comms, logistics, POL, Depots, choke points, forward dumps, political, decapitations, NBC, battlefield, direct support, reserves, repair centres, counter air, airfields, ewr, defences, CCC. 

Target finder split in to class and type. 

EWR Coverage 

CAP Area

Awacs tracks

Head/Tail wind shown on takeoff and approach points. 

Time to be free/fixed or bound. 

Payload that can be assigned to a particular targwt waypoint x, y or z. 

Command mode showing current war status, air power of blue and red etc. 

Squadron relocate to alternative airfield. 

Generalised taskings to single or formations of aircraft. 

 

Along with your arrogant and condescending attitude, you're displaying something called 'cognitive dissonance', look it up. 

 

How you can form such a strong opinion from something that you have never used is kind of silly.

Tornados mission editor was state of the art in the day, especially for multi aircraft attacks (where you could split the formation at a choosen waypoint, so up to four individual jets in the same formation could have individual IP waypoints before reforming after the attack). It got developed later on and a similar version of it was used on an early 'real' Tornado mission planner.  Some of the above would be great to implement in the ED mission planner.

Undo / Redo functionality with history states would be tremendous for mission builders. 

Adding the possibility:

• to set the turn radius and/or angle of turn after or before a waypoint for AI and human players.
• to determine taxi paths at air bases + runway to use
• determine angle of dive in advanced action dive bombing
• allow us to use a numerical value for direction from in advanced action 

I would really love the ability to lay down roads, houses, bridges and overpasses.

A more realistic fuel management based on the payload, total weight, time required for the route flown. From this, the mission editor should display/calculate how much fuel you need.

I am a huge fan of this game! I know it's not my opinion of the mission, but please incorporate the perfect replay reproduction that so many of us are asking for! I want to see my flight or battle in the exact same replay every time.

30 minutes ago, ke51 said:

I know it's not my opinion of the mission, but please incorporate the perfect replay reproduction that so many of us are asking for! I want to see my flight or battle in the exact same replay every time.

Use server side track then or tacview.

Allow the editor to

• make a section of 2 to 4 AI planes take-off in formation, even after having taxied from their parking soot to the runway
• make single AI planes t-off from one of two sides of the runway in order to allow a human player to take-off in formation with an AI);
• do the same for landing 
• Make the AI do the most common patterns before landing (e.g. the navy overhead over an airfield)

thanks

 Allow all planes of a package to take off at a desired time whatever if they have to ramp, whaterver the lenght of the taxiway ( with few seconds spacing between the different flights)

If not already mentioned higher up:

select multiple units by drawing a box (mouse press and hold) instead of clicking each unit individually and holding down a key (mis-click = start over again…)

FIRE - Resue

United States Coast Guard

HELI  -  Dophin

Ship Legend Class

Canadian Coast Guard

Heli - 428

Ship Eikers

Tools for both -  Bambi Buckets, Wench with cable and usable basket.

                           - 418 - 218 - un60 - mi-8 etc

Add the unit "crew chief" and other ground crews to service static aircraft for immersion. All of them with 3-4 animations. 

Bring the hangars to life for that SP "eye candy" as you roll to the flightline. Great for single missions or campaigns. 

Give the crew chief the ability to scream obscenities at you for damaging aircraft. 

Things i miss the most:

- Undo
- Select multiple units and/or waypoints just by clicking and dragging over an area.
- Allow moving all selected units/waypoints by dragging instead of only 1 at a time
- Add "unit hit by weapon X" trigger, weapon in zone trigger is too slow and misses any fast moving weapons.
- Give mission designer some "cheat" commands to use, like force AI planes speed, give infinite fuel or trigger command to restore full fuel etc. these would help a lot when working around some AI issues.
- Allow mission designer to simulate or "force lase" a target with either a trigger ( On Activation unit X start lasing target Y with laser code Z) or alternatively add invisible static object that acts as a laser designated spot
- Add more aircraft hangars as editor placeable objects
- Let mission designer set the amount of HP objects/units have and if they are hardened and need penetrator warheads to damage

I'm used to ofp/arma mission editor where all of this works like a charm and its a bit frustrating trying to make workarounds in DCS editor.

I think we desperately need a couple more buildings as static objects, that integrate with the new maps.

Basically a couple of the one and two story buildings, walled compounds, huts, sheds, etc. from each map. So we have a way to add a specific "target building" in missions in places where no generic buildings are generated and which don't look obviously  like added from the old Caucasus map times.

The generic civilian airliner from the airports as a way to add civilian air traffic without C-130, IL-76 and KC-135s as "stand-ins" would be great and while we talk about neutral units, as in ROE "only shoot confirmed hostiles", the addition of civilians, basically insurgents and technicals (HL Dshk), but unarmed aka without a weapon so a pick-up without the Dshk and a guy without the Ak-47, would open the possibility to create believable scenarios where ROE are enforced and identification of targets is required and you are penalized, when "killing everything that moves".

A unit detected in zone trigger. Maybe add a modifier for the amount of time detected. For example: Unit detected in zone X time detected >1 second. 

So crossing a ridge with only a very brief detection wouldn't trigger an immediate response. But just having a detected in zone trigger would be great. And before anyone talks about  Is omniscient AI,  no it is not. I've tested it to deth, and even recreated the TopGun "good morning aviators" moment. So there is definitely a detection logic at play. It would be nice to be able to use it to script missions. I can think of numerous uses for this. I personally would love to use it to simulate alert, and QRF aircraft. 

The ability to attach functional vehicles to ships, and placed static objects. For instance placing a Roland on a Hanywind as is passes through the Strait of Hormuse to act as an add hoc air defense systems. Or placing infantry on a plased natural Gas platform. 

15 hours ago, FlankerKiller said:

A unit detected in zone trigger. Maybe add a modifier for the amount of time detected. For example: Unit detected in zone X time detected >1 second. 

So crossing a ridge with only a very brief detection wouldn't trigger an immediate response.

Yes, the detection trigger is heavily requested, but some added functionality like time detected and such could make it even more useful. Like you've said there are cases where something may only appear on the radar for a second. Not enough time to really gain any meaningful info. The mission designer might not want this to count as detection. However, there is some functionality to do this as is, such as by timing the detection with a flag counter. But if these things could be built into detection triggers themselves, that would be very useful.

Unit Detected in Zone Longer Than X. Pleas ED look into this. Not sure how such things will work after the dynamic campaign. But having to deal with alert fighters would be sweet. 

Event Action: Load Mission.  Add a checkbox for "Reload This Mission", as an alternative to the File selection.  If the box is checked then grey out the filename drop down box.

Mission editor screen: Move the map using the Left Mouse Button.  Regular play in DCS uses the Left Mouse Button.  Let's make it the same for the ME.

The ME is already great, but here's couple from my wish list:

• The ability to order Ai wingmen to carry out a runway or carrier break and land from formation, possibly activated in the comms menu 'Flight' command options.
• Nation flags on flag poles as static objects that can be placed anywhere.

To be able to set a group's IAS to a WP, not just GS.

Also, 'Unit's indicated airspeed lower/ higher than' trigger conditions.

Adding more triggers such as:
Group's AGL/ASL Altitude Lower/Higher Than
Unit's/Group's AGL/ASL Altitude Lower/Higher Than in the Zone

Part of Coalition AGL/ASL Alt Lower/Higher Than in the Zone

5 hours ago, Reflected said:

To be able to set a group's IAS to a WP, not just GS.

Also, 'Unit's indicated airspeed lower/ higher than' trigger conditions.

+1

How about 'Layers' that be be Locked/Unlock/Hidden similar to graphic image editors (Photoshop) so I can build a part of the story (Ex: Carrier Attack Grp) then locked it to avoid inadvertent editing mistake while building another part of the story.   

I see throughout the various suggestions the request for Undo/Redo or Step Back/Step Forward; it's very frustrating when you make a simple mistake but it totally screws up hours of work. 

'Layering' would significantly reduce these mistakes and also make it cleaner to work with by 'Hiding' layers so that can't receive Focus.