List of Dynamic-Persistent-Progressive Campaigns

Hello fellow cyber pilots.

I am compiling a list of campaigns which have the elements of Dynamic, Persistent, Progressive.

• Dynamic : Generates uncertain or random events and missions, non-linear campaign progress, as an opposite concept with a scripted campaign.
   
• Persistent : Saves campaign progress so far, thus a user can "resume" the campaign the next time plays. This is easy for a scripted campaign as it just needs single digit mission number in the logbook. However, for dynamic campaign, the campaign status unpredictably changes so there should be some other way to write down what exactly was happening.
   
• Progressive : There is a goal which can a user can achieve and thus win the campaign. As unpredictable by nature, there must be a way to progress the campaign towards to the winning condition and some codes that can evaluate the winning condition. Otherwise, it may be a mission but not a traditional meaning of a campaign.

Anyway, here we go.

1. Mbot's Dynamic Campaign Engine and its derivative works by various authors (notably CEF)

• This is the closest thing to a traditional "dynamic campaign", which we always had in Microprose simulation games.
• I don't know who was before Mbot, but it certainly looks like this is what started everything.
• Over the years many users (Mbot himself and CEF mostly) contributed many great elements and now it feels like almost complete.
• If you haven't, just do it. Worth it. If you are starting now, start with CEF's post here.
• Supported Planes / Maps: Newer fidelity modules mostly, older campaigns made for older planes but not vigorously maintained. Most maps are supported.
• Multiplayer: Mbot's DCE Engine now generates missions in multiplayer. See here for more info.

2. The Abkahazian war. AV-8 PERSISTENT campaign (and it's F18 + Supercarrier versions)

• This is like an open world adventure game (like GTA or Skyrim) , if Mbot's DCE is more like traditional dynamic campaign.
• Different but very important new addtion to the dynamic campaign scene.
• Mbot's DCE excels at AI tactical planning (he calls it ATO). There is no such thing here in Abkahazian War, but this is much, much more like a video "game". Story, atmosphere, progression system, tasks and surprises, limited resources and units, different and unique achievement and a story-driven tutorial and even an endgame contents (final mission)!
• It's still new so the installation can be a little tricky but there is also a workaround. Invest around 5 minutes in install and fully enjoy tens and hundreds of hours. Forum Link
• Supported Planes / Maps: Harrier, Hornet and Caucasus only so far.
• Multiplayer: No official support yet.

3. Operation Enable Sky

• This campaign is like a Jason Bourne movie. Fight through limited resource and time, under the pressure of ultimate failure.
• You have only 12 turns / tries to win and aircraft lost is irreplaceable. It's not easy, the weight of time constraint is thrilling.
• It's really new and more for small team MP rather than singleplayer, but the uniqueness of this campaign alone is worth a try.
• Usually other dynamic persistent campaigns try to provide vast area of battlefield, even a whole map, and many types of aircrafts in the game as possible. But this campaign only focuses on very short range (Like the 1st SAM defence line and field HQ just behind the frontline)
• Supported Planes / Maps: F-5E, Gazelle, Mig-21, Ka-50, Caucasus only
• Multiplayer: Don't know the new MiG-21 only version supports multiplayer, yet.

4. DCS: Liberation (Khopa's latest version) / shdwp's original

• They say it's more like Enemy Engaged Comanche and Hokum Campaign: Another unique addition to the scene.
• It's been here since 2018, original work was from shdwp, reloaded by Wrycu, and recently heavily upgraded by Khopa, and getting a lot of attention and praises! It even looks and works like a standalone game!
• Install and play is very straight forward and intuitive thanks to the beautiful UI. just download and run the exe file! (It's very early so still not a lot of documents yet..)
• Wrycu maintained original and stable version: github repo
• Khopa's upgraded version: Khopa's post and his github fork
• Supported Planes / Maps: Almost all planes and maps, even WWII.
• Multiplayer: Legacy version supports with workaround, Khopa's version more explicitly supports it.

5. Persian Power

• This is an important step forward from a MOOSE based dynamic mission generator. It has constant fighting between 2 AI factions, and you will help one team to win the war.
• Very straightforward, always something is going on and you can play solo or help (babysitting) AI. The goal is simple (destroy enemy ground assets) but it's great when you feel like to play some hero
• Low entry barrier, definitive sense of progress and contribution. I finished it multiple times and I know I will return very often!
• Supported Planes / Maps: Supports all planes not already in the slot. You may need to manually add your plane with ME. / Georgia, Nevada, Persian Gulf (see forum post)
• Multiplayer: Native support.

6. Operation Snowfox Escalation

• This is the last but not the least. A very complex, has many many tasks and functions, you can forever play solo and with friends in this persistent world.
• Before it was too vast to "complete the campaign", but new Escalation version breaks down the campaign into several "phases" which gives a great rewarding sense of progression!!
• Nevertheless, it's a great dynamic playground, maybe the best there is. If you are interested, you wont be regret it.
• Supported Planes / Maps: Almost all planes, almost all maps (see Surrexen's campaign list)
• Multiplayer: Native support.

Each campaign in the list can easily entertain you more than 50 hours as it turns DCS into a very different game. Imagine you bought XCOM or Civilization game but there was only the sandbox engine and no campaign (! what a strange game huh..) and years later the community made one for you.

Notes: They are all greatly fun, but mind that they all are still user-made campaigns and it may not work out of the box for you. There are already a lot of questions about installation and running the thing, however as you can expect the author is one person and he cannot fix everybody's errors all by himself. I hope you dont have much frustrations and even it doesnt work for you right away, try search the forum first!

Note2: Edited to reflect questions from the comments from hoggit post, such as supported aircraft, maps and multiplayer.

Hi, thank you for your effort :thumbup:

I also like these type of missions myself. It's always nice to have them all listed together.

I didn't know 2 & 3 so I'm definitely going to try these out.

I appreciate you are also listing the mission I created myself (nr 5).

Currently I'm scripting a similar but different mission concept that also meets the requirements of this line-up. It is still early development but I now have a working proof of concept where 2 AI factions can actually capture, lose and re-capture airbases.

Hi, thank you for your effort :thumbup:

 

I also like these type of missions myself. It's always nice to have them all listed together.

I didn't know 2 & 3 so I'm definitely going to try these out.

 

I appreciate you are also listing the mission I created myself (nr 5).

Currently I'm scripting a similar but different mission concept that also meets the requirements of this line-up. It is still early development but I now have a working proof of concept where 2 AI factions can actually capture, lose and re-capture airbases.

Thats a relly great news for me. I play persian power almost everyday and from what you just shared, i think the next one will be even greater!

Thanks for sharing and hoping it to be completed soon!

Thanks zakk for compiling the list and to all campaign creators.

Thanks zakk for compiling the list and to all campaign creators.

Thank you and I wish you enjoy them! Let's hope there will be many more like these !

AWesome!!!

hi zakk, thank you for putting this great list together. i would like to try some of these, and was wondering, if the campaigns could conflict with one another. i mean, can they only be run exclusively or is it possible to switch between different running campaigns?

thanks

hilok

On 10/26/2020 at 7:02 AM, HILOK said:

hi zakk, thank you for putting this great list together. i would like to try some of these, and was wondering, if the campaigns could conflict with one another. i mean, can they only be run exclusively or is it possible to switch between different running campaigns?

 

thanks

hilok

I dont quite understand what you mean and im sure you already solved it,

but it rarely matter each other basically they are all just mission files only runs when you select it.

So no, it doesnt conflict, unless you are developing a mission with lua script or something..

5 hours ago, omskTransmash said:

unless [...] a mission with lua script or something

thanks! that's what i was referring to. i think some missions edit stock .lua files, hence my question.

All these are doing is just placing items on a map and then giving you a mission. Then when you finish the mission it moves the items and you go again. 

The best we have right now is that a campaign Engine makes decisions, and creates a mission file. But once that mission is created and you enter 3d, the campaign engine has no input on strategy, and receives no output, on how things are unfolding. It cant react to a miscalculation or an advantage by retreating, sending in more troops, or scrambling a plane for CAS. It will only have the missions and packages it planned before the mission file was created. Basically at that  point it is only as 'dynamic' as the DCS AI.

Until a programs has the ability to see and manipulate in game assets in real time while the player is in 3d, it can not be dynamic. 

I tried DCS Liberation 4.0 with the Hind, the default weapons set it loaded, when I get in the air, gear up, turn on the switches in pilots pit to arm everything then I click up Petrovich to have him arm the missiles and all he ever says is "Weapons are disabled".

Does anyone know what I need to do to fix this. Petrovich works fine when I create my own missions and in multiplayer.

On 4/3/2021 at 10:17 PM, HILOK said:

thanks! that's what i was referring to. i think some missions edit stock .lua files, hence my question.

Most of the "persistent" missions requires editing stock MissionScripts.lua file, to gain access to the OS filesystem.
Although technically it induces more security risks, but if one can edit lua file with notepad, one usually knows what this means and how much risks are involved.

Hope you are having fun with perisistent missions!

On 6/30/2021 at 6:24 PM, tornadotowel said:

All these are doing is just placing items on a map and then giving you a mission. Then when you finish the mission it moves the items and you go again. 

 

The best we have right now is that a campaign Engine makes decisions, and creates a mission file. But once that mission is created and you enter 3d, the campaign engine has no input on strategy, and receives no output, on how things are unfolding. It cant react to a miscalculation or an advantage by retreating, sending in more troops, or scrambling a plane for CAS. It will only have the missions and packages it planned before the mission file was created. Basically at that  point it is only as 'dynamic' as the DCS AI.

 

Until a programs has the ability to see and manipulate in game assets in real time while the player is in 3d, it can not be dynamic. 

I'm so sorry that I have overstated "dynamics" of listed campaigns. Hope your dream realized sooner than later.

Until then some of us will enjoy these "not-really-dynamic" campaigns fully.

On 7/2/2021 at 9:38 AM, tusler said:

I tried DCS Liberation 4.0 with the Hind, the default weapons set it loaded, when I get in the air, gear up, turn on the switches in pilots pit to arm everything then I click up Petrovich to have him arm the missiles and all he ever says is "Weapons are disabled".

Does anyone know what I need to do to fix this. Petrovich works fine when I create my own missions and in multiplayer.

Hind is a very new addition and liberation (and its required components) need some time to follow up. 
Check with liberation 4.1.1 which is the newest as of 2021.08.31. Wish your problems are solved by now.