F-14B : OPERATION CAGE THE BEAR

TBH I will wait till proper mutex numbers will be implemented by HB, Nealius. But yeah with some skin sets from download area it is easy to do.

I am stuck on the Maykop airbase bombing mission. I've tried it like ten times and I can't pass it. I know it's cheating, but is there anyway to skip the mission?

Cheers!

Black Assassin, before you edit the logbook, take a look at pages 6 to 8 of this thread, from post #59 to post #75; I had the same trouble you have, but in the end, after watching carefully tacview files (I uploaded a bunch of them, you find them in post #66), I succeeded.

I'm not sure what version are you playing, but keep in mind that the F-18s will likely not kill the SA-10 before you get there, they usually launch all of their HARMs at max range and most of the missiles don't reach the target. What the Hornets will accomplish, though, is to force the SAM site to waste a big bunch of missiles on them, so that when you and your wingman get on target, it will usually shoot two/three missiles at you. When you see that the SA-10 stops shooting, that's your cue to get on the airport, drop the bombs on targets as fast as you can (ideally, no more than two passes) and get the hell out of there. I don't suggest engaging the fighters, because fuel will be an issue in this one.

As a matter of fact, another thing to do is to climb as high as you can to save fuel after take off, get to WP 1 at 25/30 k, easy on the throttle, then drop down to weed level as you get closer to Maykop; btw, I suggest that around 50/40 miles from the target you turn left, so that you leave WP2 at about 35/45 degrees to your left until you are about 15 to 10 miles away, then turn directly to it: this way you should get to the target more or less lined up with the taxyway and the aircrafts you have to hit and will be able to drop more bombs with the first pass; if you point directly to WP2 after WP1, you'll get there with an angle and will likely have to make more than 2 passes to drop all of your bombs (assuming release is set to single and not pairs).

I hope this will help you, ask away if you have doubts or need other tips.

 

I'm not sure what version are you playing, but keep in mind that the F-18s will likely not kill the SA-10 before you get there, they usually launch all of their HARMs at max range and most of the missiles don't reach the target. .

Unless this is a new bug, in the version included with the module, the hornets WILL kill the SA-10, either with the HARMs or with some creative triggers. As long as you push on time, that is.

Thankyou for the replies. I've never had any problem with the SA-10, it's always been destroyed long before I get there (I always fly toward the smoke plume).

It's mainly the new SAM that pops up (SA-6?) or my AI wingman dying on ingress due to low altitude flying (assuming the reason I'm failing the mission upon return is because my wingman hasn't hit his target?)

Do all of the parked bombers need to be destroyed for mission success?

Thankyou Kaba for such a fantastic campaign!!!

Thankyou for the replies. I've never had any problem with the SA-10, it's always been destroyed long before I get there (I always fly toward the smoke plume).

 

It's mainly the new SAM that pops up (SA-6?) or my AI wingman dying on ingress due to low altitude flying (assuming the reason I'm failing the mission upon return is because my wingman hasn't hit his target?)

Do all of the parked bombers need to be destroyed for mission success?

Thankyou Kaba for such a fantastic campaign!!!

Hey,

Mission objectives do not depend on the wingman hitting his target.

You do not have to hit all parked bombers to pass the mission, just a couple. Make sure you report in to Focus (radio > F10 option) when getting out of there.

Am I right in understanding that you hit some of the targets, make it back to the boat, but do not get the mission scores to pass the mission?

Thanks

Unless this is a new bug, in the version included with the module, the hornets WILL kill the SA-10, either with the HARMs or with some creative triggers. As long as you push on time, that is.

Copy that, Kaba, I assumed he was running into my same problems. :worthy:

About #1: I'm ordered to intercept bandits and escort... I'm there ready to join... Uhm, no, go for fighters... ok, but they are so far away... I'm half way there... Ditch it! Kill the vampires! alrighty...

Is it supposed to be like that? Not that I didn't like it or something was wrong... just felt unusual. I'm already at #3 and like the missions so far.

Oh, by the way. When I'm back home - AI lands after and then taxi right through other aircraft placed around the superstructure and aft starboard - it looks ugly :/

About #1: I'm ordered to intercept bandits and escort... I'm there ready to join... Uhm, no, go for fighters... ok, but they are so far away... I'm half way there... Ditch it! Kill the vampires! alrighty...

 

 

Is it supposed to be like that? Not that I didn't like it or something was wrong... just felt unusual. I'm already at #3 and like the missions so far.

 

 

Oh, by the way. When I'm back home - AI lands after and then taxi right through other aircraft placed around the superstructure and aft starboard - it looks ugly :/

Thanks for flagging this Draconus, sounds a bit annoying! Any chance you have a track/tacview I could look at and see if things need tweaking? It sounds as if there needs to be a bit more time between certain things happening.

Re the AI, I'm afraid that's out of my hands as a core game issue. Agreed it doesn't look great and hopefully carrier development will improve it.

Please do keep letting me know how you find the rest of the missions, the feedback is really helpful.

Re the AI, I'm afraid that's out of my hands as a core game issue. Agreed it doesn't look great and hopefully carrier development will improve it.

Well, it's your decision to leave it like that. At least they don't collide, so there's no mess. If you did remove them there would be no such problem and performance would probably be a bit better. I can understand if you want to keep them though for the looks and realistic carrier load. Problem is still marginal since you have to look exactly there at the exact moments.

Slideshow happened to me just like in posts #66 and #82 in Mission #3. It was unplayable then so had to quit. It started about the time we merged with Mig-23s (16:35) after a few bomb drops and SA-6 firing all over the place.

Slideshow happened to me just like in posts #66 and #82 in Mission #3. It was unplayable then so had to quit. It started about the time we merged with Mig-23s (16:35) after a few bomb drops and SA-6 firing all over the place.

Could you please check to see if this issue occurs outside of the mission? Can you create a quick mission in the editor with just you in the F-14 and an enemy SA-6 site and get it to launch on you, see if this occurs?

In my first attempt at #3 it didn't happen (I just blew myself) despite SA-6 firing, bombing runs, Mig-25s/23s on the way, AAA spray... guess it's not that simple.

Make sure you report in to Focus (radio > F10 option) when getting out of there.

That was it! I managed to pass it now! :) Thankyou for all the help.

Hey guys,

Im struggling with Mission 7 (I think).It is the one where you have to take down the bombers attacking the city.

Even when I go full burners I manage only to take down half of the bombers and the Mission fails... I cant even recognize the second bomberflight. And everytime I try to lock someone Jester tells me its friendly even if I recognize it as a MIG.

Any tipps how and where to stop the bombers?

Edit: I passed the Mission now! I was using the backseat to identify the unknowns as hostile and fired my phoenix from far out...

Kaba, dude you are awesome sir! I just finished mission 2 flying MIGCAP for the attack packages and it was just awesome. I'm not even sure where to start it was just so well thought out and put together.

Take off and orbit waiting for my wingman to form up, set up my datalink to the E-3 check position of the strike tanker and recovery tanker climbing to 12k to move in with the clouds and save some fuel. Move to the MIGCAP area hearing lots of traffic from magic, my wingman, Jester, the SEAD and strike package, EWR and intermittent SAM. Hear Magic call out Bandits, we engage get a kill each with Phoenix at ~55 miles. Clean up the airspace, order the SEAD package in and return to station. See the SEAD engage the EWR and SAM batteries, call in the Strike package. Get a call for a gorilla group to the west, MiG21's this time. Maneuver for a good shot and to cut them off dodge SAMs that aren't dead yet and R77 launches. I get a kill with a Phoenix, get a kill with a Sparrow, score a hit with a sidewinder at the merge that doesn't kill another Mig21, knife fight trying to get in for another winder only to get on his rear too close. Score a few cannon hits, while staying up high when he dove low only to see him maneuver again on my wingman move into the saddle for another shot and see him lose control into the water. Meanwhile hearing SEAD clear the airspace and call feet wet ( I think), the strike package is doing their thing. At some point the alert 5 was launched and reports on station. Then a pop up group of high speed interceptors to the east between us as MIGCAP the new BARCAP is the strike and SEAD packages trying to get out to the water. So we boogie east at full burner hearing the new MiGs search radar. I engage the lead with my last Phoenix then lock have jester lock up the second guy with a Sparrow that I never had to launch, one of the BARCAP killed him. Finally magic calls all clear RTB, which is good because fuel is getting really low after the run from West to East to get after the last red flight. Climb up to 10k set the autopilot and have Jester tune the TACAN to the strike tanker and head toward a spot between the Tanker and the boat. See the S-3 with two F-14's in tow, I still have 6000lbs left so not worries. Spot a damaged F/A-18 below me so we dive down and form up on him and fly back to the boat. Get into the pattern with 4000 left, I had some damage from a near miss with a SAM or R77 so I mist me leaking some fuel. Watch all of the hornets come aboard. Take my turn to come aboard I floated her hit the DLC then realized I was behind the power curve closed DLC hit the gas, took off the power hit the DLC and speed brake realized I was long and rode it into a bolter, low fuel now the BARCAP is coming aboard. So trick or treat it is, take 2k lbs aboard and reenter the pattern, break and ride the grove down to an OK 2 wire. Taxi and shut it down do the AAR thing, realize I had 5 kills so an ace in a day, killing MiG 21's, 23's and a MiG 25 from long range.

If the rest of the campaign is this good I'm in for some real fun. It was so immersive with all of the radio chatter and action going on. I didn't even realize a good hour and a half passed from the cat shot to trap. Well done!

@kaba: Seems like the slideshow bug from #3 is gone since the latest beta update.

In mission #5 (Intercept) you have tanker Tacans mixed up in the briefing (briefing image and mission settings are OK).

@Devil_Lettuce: pretty sure there were no R-77s (and Mig-29's) in the mission #2. Also E-2C instead of E-3 :)

3 times now doing mission #3 after I have dropped bombs on target I ask focus to rtb and all 3 times dcs crashed a couple seconds after.

I'll give the campaign another run after I'm done with that one converted Jane's F-15 campaign. I had the slideshow issues too so I'm eager to give it another go.

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I've made a large amount of changes and bugfixes and hope to have this pushed in an update soon.

3 times now doing mission #3 after I have dropped bombs on target I ask focus to rtb and all 3 times dcs crashed a couple seconds after.

That's bizarre, the mission logic just plays a sound and sets a flag. Have you had this issue in any other missions?

 

In mission #5 (Intercept) you have tanker Tacans mixed up in the briefing (briefing image and mission settings are OK).

 

Thanks for flagging - will fix that!

@kaba

I've just successfully finished your campaign and had a blast! Very immersive.

REALLY well done.

Thank you Sir!

Salute!

Slideshow

I'm also having the slideshow bug in Mission 3. For most of the mission, I was between 30 and 75 fps. When I pause it, it's 75 fps from inside the cockpit and 130+ with an external F2 view. When I unpause it, it's somewhere between 4 frames per second and 2 seconds per frame.

It happened just after I dropped my last Mk. 83 on a Tu-142. I was just about to quit out of frustration when an SA-10B Grumble blew my wingman to pieces and my frames came back. And then the MiG-23 following me shot me down, so I ended up failing.

Tried it again, had the slideshow shortly *before* dropping my last two bombs (but I was lined up well, so I was able to get them off the rack and hit two targets), but again, things went back to normal the moment my wingman died. This time, there was a good 30 nm between me and the MiG, so I was able to light the cans and stay out of his WEZ for the trip home.

That particular glitch notwithstanding, this has been a great campaign so far. Thanks Kaba/HB!

Cheers!

Note: I've attached the Tacview file, and I'm uploading a video of my perspective of the flight to YouTube. I'm posting this before it's done uploading, so give it a couple of hours (I have slow internet right now) from the time of this post for the video to become available. However, I didn't start recording the video until about 13.5 minutes into the flight, so you'll have to do a little math to match the timecodes. The framerate hit comes in at around 16:41 in the video and 30:30 in the Tacview

Tacview-20190927-033820-DCS.zip

Completed! The Bear is in the cage!

Thank you, kaba, really good work. I had a great time flying.

Just wanted to say thanks for the campaign and for including it with the module. I'm on mission five and enjoying it so far!

All the thanks belong to Kaba, it is outstanding work!

Thanks for the feedback guys.

A lot of updates and bugfixes have been made in the latest patch.

The long-awaited cold start version has also now been included.

Co-op version to follow as soon as possible.