"The Helicopter War" mission discussion thread

I posted "The Helicopter War" mission here: http://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/421082/

I would be glad if people posted comments, bug reports etc. in this thread.

The mission is a further development of my earlier CSAR and airmobility missions.

In the current version (Aug 11) the mission has the following features:

-it is a dynamic mission, i.e. mission plays differently each time it is played because the mission events occur at randomly chosen locations and/or dynamically evolve during the mission based on other events occurring in the mission. For example the location of the pilots to be rescued in CSAR tasks is determined by the actual A2A combat ejection events during the mission.

-it can be played either in SP or MP.

-you can play either the blue or red side

-Using F10 you can access a to-do-list, then use FM homing to fly to the desired location where you will complete the task. Possible tasks are CSAR of pilots down, reinforcing and/or picking up combat troops, and strafing enemy supply convoys.

-In parallel to human-controlled Hueys, AI Hueys (blue side) and Mi-8s (red side) also complete tasks from the to-do-list. Coordinate your actions with other human and AI flights.

-Your actions will influence the mission: if you rescue a pilot, he will respawn in the mission. If you resupply troops, they have a better chance of eliminating enemy troops. As a side loses too many troops, it will eventually run out of troops. Troops can be replenished with truck convoys, therefore strafing and eliminating these convoys will starve the other side of troops.

-There are enemy AAA scattered throughout the theater, making your life a little more difficult.

Have fun.

Sounds cool. Will definately give it a try. It´s been a while since my last Huey flight.

EDIT: Just tried it in SP and encountered a problem. I startet with a Huey and crashed on the way to friendly troops. Meanwhile another (AI) Huey was on the way with troops loaded and he unloaded it. After the task for the Infantry was finished we had a task to pickup the same troops. Since my original Huey crashed I took over the controls of that (AI) Huey and landed on the green smoke. But there was no dialog on the radio menu to load the troops? I`ve tried it with one more Huey but the same result. Please see the attached screens.

It looks like a really immersive mission.:thumbup: Have some rep.

Sounds cool. Will definately give it a try. It´s been a while since my last Huey flight.

 

EDIT: Just tried it in SP and encountered a problem. I startet with a Huey and crashed on the way to friendly troops. Meanwhile another (AI) Huey was on the way with troops loaded and he unloaded it. After the task for the Infantry was finished we had a task to pickup the same troops. Since my original Huey crashed I took over the controls of that (AI) Huey and landed on the green smoke. But there was no dialog on the radio menu to load the troops? I`ve tried it with one more Huey but the same result. Please see the attached screens.

It looks like a really immersive mission.:thumbup: Have some rep.

Hi Eagle Eye,

Thanks for the feedback. There is no menu item to load or unload troops in the field. The code should automatically recognize when you land close to friendly troops (within 500 m).

However, I have never tested taking control of an AI helicopter (didn't even know that was possible, how do you do that?), so the code may not work when you do that as this situation was not intended when I coded the mission (however there shouldn't be a problem when you switch to another client Huey). For example, the menu items do not get initialized for the AI choppers, only for client ones. In the current version I explicitely exclude AI choppers from having menu items, but I could easily change that. Once you tell me how to take control of an AI helicopter, I can change that and test it.

Hi Eagle Eye,

 

Thanks for the feedback. There is no menu item to load or unload troops in the field. The code should automatically recognize when you land close to friendly troops (within 500 m).

 

However, I have never tested taking control of an AI helicopter (didn't even know that was possible, how do you do that?), so the code may not work when you do that as this situation was not intended when I coded the mission (however there shouldn't be a problem when you switch to another client Huey). For example, the menu items do not get initialized for the AI choppers, only for client ones. In the current version I explicitely exclude AI choppers from having menu items, but I could easily change that. Once you tell me how to take control of an AI helicopter, I can change that and test it.

How can I switch to another client Huey in single player (playing MP most of the time)?

Didn`t find a way so I just clicked on a AI Huey and then on that tank icon (left corner) on the map. Didnt know before that this will work but it did.:) I know that icon to take control over vehicles with Combined Arms module.

Another question: Spotters are set to immortal? I had a red spotter UAZ following a blue convoy and thought it`s better to kill him. But that UAZ was undestroyable.

I appreciate that you are working on such stuff.:thumbup:

How can I switch to another client Huey in single player (playing MP most of the time)?

Didn`t find a way so I just clicked on a AI Huey and then on that tank icon (left corner) on the map. Didnt know before that this will work but it did.:) I know that icon to take control over vehicles with Combined Arms module.

 

Another question: Spotters are set to immortal? I had a red spotter UAZ following a blue convoy and thought it`s better to kill him. But that UAZ was undestroyable.

 

I appreciate that you are working on such stuff.:thumbup:

Hi,

Thanks for the feedback.

Yes, you can only switch choppers in MP. But you can always host an MP mission just for yourself. Then you can switch choppers even in "quasi-SP".

I'll try that with the tank symbol tonight, and see if I can make that work. I wonder if one needs to own CA for that (which I don't)

Yes, spotters are presently immortal. I'll experiment with changing that, e.g. making them only invisible (otherwise there is to large a chance that they will get eliminated before you arrive to strafe the convoy).

I'm enjoying this quite a lot in SP as it has more going on around you then CSARandAMjune16.miz which is also quite good and easier to stay alive in.

In the Helicopter Wars there is more of a sense of an active combat environment going on around you. In one recent flight I was trying to drop off reinforcements to my guys while the opponents heli was trying to do the same for his. Got interesting. I strafed their guys. My guys beat the ones left. I drove off the Mil-8. I crashed trying to pick my guys back up. Now I need a lift too and that actually would be a good thing to be able to do in the future.

Edit: I popped up the photos above and it looks to me like EagleEye landed on a little more then just the green smoke

I'll just say, that after a brief try, I find your mission very enjoyable, and I'm gonna play it a lot in the future :D

Hi Wolle,

First off, thanks for creating a fantastic and thoroughly engaging mission for the Huey. I'Ve played it mostly as single player and just once multi-player.

I really enjoy starting off and just waiting for the first call to come in and then head off to pick up a downed pilot or to drop off some re-inforcements.

My only niggle I have with this mission are the amount of times I get shot down by Mig-23s. I'm just toodling along at tree-top level, when all of a sudden I'll lose control and just nose-dive in to the ground. Then it'll show me a picture of the Mig-23 that shot me down, silent but deadly. Since the Huey has no RWR or ECM, is there anyway you can tell the Mig-23s to bugger off and leave the Hueys alone?

Cheers,

GK

The thing with the Mig's seems to be quite random as I don't have any problem some missions and other time.... BANG, down you go. I have a hard time buying that your typical Mig jockey would go skimming along at treetop level to nail a Huey using guns.

But other then that a very immersive mission with random events that fits the Huey very well

Edit: I just got nailed by another Mig 23 at tree top level. Maybe when we get door gunners who are smart enough to shoot they will also be able to at least warn the pilots about the approaching Mig. I don't like to use the map to look for threats. Seems like cheating to me.

Just tried and is one of the funniest mission I ever played. IT played pretty well and I picked pilots and delivered troops. Can't wait to do the same on the Hip. Hope you can do something similar in the mountains too.

Only problem I encountered is pilots landing on water.

I went in to pick a pilot up and there were 3 enemies shooting up at me got to of them just before I pasted over the stream turned around to go back for the other one and he ran into the stream and drowned LMAO.

Except for the unrealistic Mig behavior when they come down to the tree tops with you, I like the variability and re-playability a lot. It's good solo play and also multi-play.

When I first start I immediately load a squad of troops even though the first call is usually for a pilot pickup. Most of the time while your en route for that you get a call for re-enforcements nearby also.

Now if we could just call for a pickup ourselves after wrecking the Huey..... that would be great

Any plans for switching one side to all MI-8's now. That would be great !

wolle any chance you're still working on this? Tried it again tonight after the 1.2.16.37730 update and its still the best huey mission! Noticed a couple of bugs though, might have been introduced over the last few updates:

1. After picking up a pilot and dropping him off at the afb, the pilot counter inside the player huey stays at one. So i could sit at the airfield all day telling the same pilot to offload (he actually never gets out) and it will spawn as many f5s without having to go out and pick up another pilot.

2. After spawning multiple f5s, the mission stopped assigning me missions after i do F10, F2 requesting more missions. I probably broke it after telling the same pilot to hop out about 5 times.

3. I lost ability to alt-tab or even hit escape. Had to force quit to get out of the game.

Hope you still work on this mission, it really is great.