Cold War 1947 - 1991

[NELLUS]

From today's Catch me if you can:

[rossmum]

8 hours ago, Alpenwolf said:

What?! That's a new one! Just checked out the script and it's fine. Hope this was a one timer.

 

Sadly doesn't seem it - not the first time I've heard of CTLD units spawning as something else, mostly artillery turning into ammo trucks. IIRC Seal had an "Msta" turn into an M818 the other week.

[Admiral_ZIPANGU]

In my experience, if the code specification of the vehicle you want to spawn in the CTLD script is wrong, the M818 truck would have spawned.

[Alpenwolf]

39 minutes ago, Admiral_ZIPANGU said:

In my experience, if the code specification of the vehicle you want to spawn in the CTLD script is wrong, the M818 truck would have spawned.

 

Yeah, I know. And I haven't touched any of those in years, so...

[F16wannabe]

 

[Knock-Knock]

22 hours ago, Alpenwolf said:

 

Yeah, I know. And I haven't touched any of those in years, so...

Could be related to the all the new AI models we are recieving, that some naming got changed.

[Apok]

If we can get JTAC cargo on One night in abu dabi. Its pain to look for hiding units in urban areas.

Al Dufra airfield exchanged hands 2-3 times because we coldnt locate last gound unit on last airfield. 

[NELLUS]

Open Range

 

Edited June 1, 2021 by NELLUS

[ConkersBFD]

I have a question about EWRs dropped by CTLD. Tonight on Open Range blue couldn't get any answer on 251 again (the only default EWR remaining was far from the action so that might be why)
I dropped a fresh one with a helo and it only worked on 124.
My question is: is it a CTLD thing or can something be done about this ? It's always confusing as players usually don't understand what's happening and leave unless someone tells them to switch on 124.

If nothing can be done about it in mission edition, I suggest maybe adding a line about this in briefings to make it clearer.

Edited June 2, 2021 by ConkersBFD

[Alpenwolf]

15 hours ago, Knock-Knock said:

Could be related to the all the new AI models we are recieving, that some naming got changed.

 

Very likely, yes.

[Alpenwolf]

14 hours ago, Apok said:

If we can get JTAC cargo on One night in abu dabi. Its pain to look for hiding units in urban areas.

Al Dufra airfield exchanged hands 2-3 times because we coldnt locate last gound unit on last airfield. 

 

I get your point which applies to all missions with ground units hiding in urban areas. The problem with the JTAC is that it's way too exaggerated. It detects units hiding behind building. So to the JTAC units building are no objects really. However, if you're hiding behind a hill for instance, the JTAC wont see you.

 

In Once Upon a Time in Abu Dhabi the target area around the 4 airbases at the bullseye is somehow crowded. Usually CA operators and helicopter pilots get the job done without any aerial strikers. And I don't recall one session where it was a draw after 6 hours. There is always one coalition winning that mission unlike many other missions. Therefore, making any changes right now isn't really necessary as it is in e.g. Search & Destroy (will make some changes soon) and other missions.

 

9 hours ago, ConkersBFD said:

I have a question about EWRs dropped by CTLD. Tonight on Open Range blue couldn't get any answer on 251 again (the only default EWR remaining was far from the action so that might be why)
I dropped a fresh one with a helo and it only worked on 124.
My question is: is it a CTLD thing or can something be done about this ? It's always confusing as players usually don't understand what's happening and leave unless someone tells them to switch on 124.

If nothing can be done about it in mission edition, I suggest maybe adding a line about this in briefings to make it clearer.

 

 

It's supposed to be 251 MHz by default as it is in all missions and GCI operators can't do nothing about it. Sometimes it works in the mission Open Range and sometimes it doesn't. And it's only or mainly in that mission. Weird bugs these days...

As Knock-Knoch already said, it could and I'm sure that's the case with CTLD malfunctions due to more and more ground units being added to the CA module. It's causing unpacking crates including EWR behave in a peculiar way.

I'll try and contact Ciribob and see if there's some fixing going on for the CTLD script.

[Apok]

Well, without jtac we had to have mi8 fly around low and draw fire to locate enemy unit.

Was fun claiming and reclaiming airfield few times tho. Its a rare thing to happen. Not counting the waste of time.

Can we atleast have the change of Msta cargo that turns into truck. Something light. Even a tigr armored car would be fun. Blue use humves runing around.

[Alpenwolf]

1 hour ago, Apok said:

...

Can we atleast have the change of Msta cargo that turns into truck. Something light. Even a tigr armored car would be fun. Blue use humves runing around.

 

I'll see what I can do. Can't promise anything though as different units might cause the same or even a weirder behaviour.

[ConkersBFD]

2 hours ago, Apok said:

Well, without jtac we had to have mi8 fly around low and draw fire to locate enemy unit.

Was fun claiming and reclaiming airfield few times tho. Its a rare thing to happen. Not counting the waste of time.

Can we atleast have the change of Msta cargo that turns into truck. Something light. Even a tigr armored car would be fun. Blue use humves runing around.

 

Yeah that was a pretty epic fight we had ! Thankfully a Viggen was able to kill a few BMPs and clean some of the bases beforehand. 

But it really shows that one single unit can do a lot when deployed to capture an airfield. 

 

GG again, it was a crazy ending

[ConkersBFD]

4 hours ago, Alpenwolf said:

 

It's supposed to be 251 MHz by default as it is in all missions and GCI operators can't do nothing about it. Sometimes it works in the mission Open Range and sometimes it doesn't. And it's only or mainly in that mission. Weird bugs these days...

As Knock-Knoch already said, it could and I'm sure that's the case with CTLD malfunctions due to more and more ground units being added to the CA module. It's causing unpacking crates including EWR behave in a peculiar way.

I'll try and contact Ciribob and see if there's some fixing going on for the CTLD script.

 

Yeah CA and 2.7 don't seem to play well together at the moment. Hopefully something gets done so you don't have to spend hours hunting bugs. 

 

I hope we'll see you on the server soon, it's really packed these days and it's awesome. 

Edited June 2, 2021 by ConkersBFD

[Alpenwolf]

4 hours ago, ConkersBFD said:

...

I hope we'll see you on the server soon, it's really packed these days and it's awesome. 

 

 

Yeah, well... I kinda miss DCS but then again not really. Weird feeling. And you're either in or not. You don't fly DCS once or twice a month and I still somehow don't feel like flying DCS almost every night as it used to be the case. But I think I'll be back eventually. What else should I play? Nothing else is really interesting enough out there ;-)

[Knock-Knock]

@Alpenwolf

Ever considered including Nevada map, using Constant Peg as inspiration for the mission or missions?

 

 

[NELLUS]

Maybe it is my DCS, but I could not spawn the SU25/T’s on the Desert has eyes mission. All other units were spawnable. 

 

[Enigma89]

Any thoughts of adding a scenario where it would focus on objectives not on the deck? Maybe have a mission where B-52 formations fly over the map and have to be escorted to drop their payload. REDFOR defends. This would allow for the Mig-21 radar to be useful and to be used as they intercept and the F-5s can protect the B-52s in the best way they see fit.  B-52s formations could come every 30 minutes so this gives people a chance to join a current flight or to hold back and get alt to escort the up-coming waves.

 

Would be a change of pace from the deck fighting.

Edited June 3, 2021 by Enigma89

[rossmum]

Speaking of switching up CTLD units, is there any possibility of switching the red JTAC from the SKP to something drivable, like a UAZ or something? Occasionally the AI isn't very cooperative with regards to waypoints and it can be difficult to get it to go where you need it, while blue can just manually wrangle theirs over.

 

Now, using SKP-11s to set up roadbases as their real-life function was...

 

e/

  

2 hours ago, Enigma89 said:

Any thoughts of adding a scenario where it would focus on objectives not on the deck? Maybe have a mission where B-52 formations fly over the map and have to be escorted to drop their payload. REDFOR defends. This would allow for the Mig-21 radar to be useful and to be used as they intercept and the F-5s can protect the B-52s in the best way they see fit.  B-52s formations could come every 30 minutes so this gives people a chance to join a current flight or to hold back and get alt to escort the up-coming waves.

 

Would be a change of pace from the deck fighting.

 

There are a few missions where a section of B-52s attack if certain objectives are complete (Open Range is one, Catch Me If You Can is another, and that's often a night intercept - quite cool). I would like to see more like that, to be honest, along with more reasons to get off the deck beyond just the threat of a cheeky Avenger or Strela... but at the same time I feel like you'll still have people hugging the deck. The popular meta for the F-5 and MiG-21 is to fly radar-off and spot people above the horizon, and every now and then the F-5s who do go high get a cheeky reminder that the R-3R exists and they stop doing it. Likewise, flying the 21 up where it performs best is an invitation to get popped by a giraffe attack or an F-14. I guess the prevailing wisdom of "muh stealth" and common experience on GS has resulted in people being reluctant to turn on the bird cooker, that or they badly underestimate it (F-5 guys especially) or just don't know how to use it.

 

Funnily enough even most F-14 and MiG-29 players hug the deck, despite the latter in particular being absolutely, unquestionably best-utilised by cruising up high in lookdown mode and raining R-27Rs on people or swooping anyone lower in contrails.

Edited June 3, 2021 by rossmum

[NELLUS]

2 hours ago, rossmum said:

There are a few missions where a section of B-52s attack if certain objectives are complete (Open Range is one, Catch Me If You Can is another, and that's often a night intercept - quite cool). I would like to see more like that, to be honest, along with more reasons to get off the deck beyond just the threat of a cheeky Avenger or Strela... but at the same time I feel like you'll still have people hugging the deck. The popular meta for the F-5 and MiG-21 is to fly radar-off and spot people above the horizon, and every now and then the F-5s who do go high get a cheeky reminder that the R-3R exists and they stop doing it. Likewise, flying the 21 up where it performs best is an invitation to get popped by a giraffe attack or an F-14. I guess the prevailing wisdom of "muh stealth" and common experience on GS has resulted in people being reluctant to turn on the bird cooker, that or they badly underestimate it (F-5 guys especially) or just don't know how to use it.

 

Funnily enough even most F-14 and MiG-29 players hug the deck, despite the latter in particular being absolutely, unquestionably best-utilised by cruising up high in lookdown mode and raining R-27Rs on people or swooping anyone lower in contrails.

 

I agree with you, the ground hugging is getting unrealistic and overdone. 
A lower cloud layer with sufficient elevation for strikers, but not enough for a dogfight would be a great solution. I think one of the reasons that flyers don't go on top is that they might be uncertain of their IMC flying skills. 
The cloud layers are usually broken, so pretty easy to descend thru, VFR on top conditions are possible.  

Edited June 3, 2021 by NELLUS

[Alpenwolf]

12 hours ago, Knock-Knock said:

@Alpenwolf

Ever considered including Nevada map, using Constant Peg as inspiration for the mission or missions?

 

 

 

The Nevada map never tempted me to be honest. I don't own and I'm currently (or permanently?) not planning on doing so.

 

11 hours ago, NELLUS said:

Maybe it is my DCS, but I could not spawn the SU25/T’s on the Desert has eyes mission. All other units were spawnable. 

 

 

Just checked. All good.

 

5 hours ago, Enigma89 said:

Any thoughts of adding a scenario where it would focus on objectives not on the deck? Maybe have a mission where B-52 formations fly over the map and have to be escorted to drop their payload. REDFOR defends. This would allow for the Mig-21 radar to be useful and to be used as they intercept and the F-5s can protect the B-52s in the best way they see fit.  B-52s formations could come every 30 minutes so this gives people a chance to join a current flight or to hold back and get alt to escort the up-coming waves.

 

Would be a change of pace from the deck fighting.

 

 

Just like rossmum said, there are the missions he mentioned and also the mission Swedish Delivery (currently offline and will undergo some updating before coming back online) where B-52's require escorting from Blue and destroying from Red.

The missions Mountain Peaks and Elbrus (both offline) take place over the high Caucasus mountains with the latter literally around the highest mountain in Europe, Elbrus - 5,642 m (ca. 18400 ft). I thought this would encourage pilots to fly high but instead they took to the valleys rendering EWR's and human GCI blind and worthless, especially in the mission Elbrus.

 

Currently working on a new mission in the Caucasus with probably R-55's and AIM-9B's (GAR-8's) only. Mi-8's and UH-1's included. No AJS37's. I'll see what I can do in regard to your request after I'm done with it. Will be a while though before I work on such a mission as other things are a bit more pressing.

 

3 hours ago, rossmum said:

Speaking of switching up CTLD units, is there any possibility of switching the red JTAC from the SKP to something drivable, like a UAZ or something? Occasionally the AI isn't very cooperative with regards to waypoints and it can be difficult to get it to go where you need it, while blue can just manually wrangle theirs over.

 

Now, using SKP-11s to set up roadbases as their real-life function was...

 

e/

  

 

There are a few missions where a section of B-52s attack if certain objectives are complete (Open Range is one, Catch Me If You Can is another, and that's often a night intercept - quite cool). I would like to see more like that, to be honest, along with more reasons to get off the deck beyond just the threat of a cheeky Avenger or Strela... but at the same time I feel like you'll still have people hugging the deck. The popular meta for the F-5 and MiG-21 is to fly radar-off and spot people above the horizon, and every now and then the F-5s who do go high get a cheeky reminder that the R-3R exists and they stop doing it. Likewise, flying the 21 up where it performs best is an invitation to get popped by a giraffe attack or an F-14. I guess the prevailing wisdom of "muh stealth" and common experience on GS has resulted in people being reluctant to turn on the bird cooker, that or they badly underestimate it (F-5 guys especially) or just don't know how to use it.

 

Funnily enough even most F-14 and MiG-29 players hug the deck, despite the latter in particular being absolutely, unquestionably best-utilised by cruising up high in lookdown mode and raining R-27Rs on people or swooping anyone lower in contrails.

 

 

Again, any CTLD changes seem to result in unpacking crates other than what was sling loaded at the FARP/airbase. I'm afraid the script will require some heavy fixing as I just finished looking up some of its essential parts.

The script is one of the main things in all missions and it would be a blast if it keeps on malfunctioning like that.

[Enigma89]

4 hours ago, NELLUS said:

I agree with you, the ground hugging is getting unrealistic and overdone. 
A lower cloud layer with sufficient elevation for strikers, but not enough for a dogfight would be a great solution. I think one of the reasons that flyers don't go on top is that they might be uncertain of their IMC flying skills. 
The cloud layers are usually broken, so pretty easy to descend thru, VFR on top conditions are possible.  

 

I am relatively new to this server so take my comment with a grain of salt. I am guessing based on your comment and my limited play time, the low level clouds (almost fog) was added to give people an incentive to fly above the deck?

 

If that is the case, then I am not a huge fan of that. I mean, I don't want people flying on the deck but making it hard to see things in general is very frustrating. I wonder if adding more flak and SPAAA on the deck would help. That way, if you are trying to fly stealthy then you are going to not necessarily get lit up and die but a stream of tracers will illuminate you to basically everyone else flying in the area.

 

Just my idea but I don't have a ton of play time on the server. I am enjoying the server though.

Edited June 3, 2021 by Enigma89

[Alpenwolf]

2 hours ago, Enigma89 said:

I am relatively new to this server so take my comment with a grain of salt. I am guessing based on your comment and my limited play time, the low level clouds (almost fog) was added to give people an incentive to fly above the deck?

 

If that is the case, then I am not a huge fan of that. I mean, I don't want people flying on the deck but making it hard to see things in general is very frustrating. I wonder if adding more flak and SPAAA on the deck would help. That way, if you are trying to fly stealthy then you are going to not necessarily get lit up and die but a stream of tracers will illuminate you to basically everyone else flying in the area.

 

Just my idea but I don't have a ton of play time on the server. I am enjoying the server though.

 

 

The clouds are a new thing in DCS so I'm playing with them here and there in all missions. That's all. Having a cloud layer so close to the surface of the earth just to force players to fly higher isn't the way to do it and I never claimed that.

 

Surprisingly enough, I saw players flying higher than in any other mission in the currently offline mission, Sukhumi - The Beginning. No SAM's of any type included but loads of AAA's and R-55's vs AIM-9B's (GAR-8's) only. I think the absence or SAM sites makes it more comfortable to fly higher without having your RWR going nuts as it is e.g. in the MiG-21. Maybe the absence of R-3R's encourages F-5's and F-86's to also fly higher in that mission than anywhere else.

The mission needs to undergo some changes because having a WWll German tank acting as a Soviet one to counter the Sherman on the Blue side feels weird. We're getting more and more units for the Combined Arms module, which is great, but they're bloody uncontrollable which is such a downer. The M60 has finally received new textures after 15 years if not longer so one can only hope it becomes controllable soon among other units as well.

 

I can wait...

[Sideburns]

As hinted/mentioned/implied at you tend to do Hi-profile for fuel efficiency and enabling your own sensors at the expense of people being able to see you coming and more easily track you. Lo-profile costs a lot more fuel with a AAA / manpad risk but is generally more survivable from a SAM* and interceptor/fighter perspective, the biggest advantage really being denying the enemy advance warning of your approach, but also at the expense of your own sensor visibility. IRL you'd also find some planes prefer high alt whereas others prefer low alt in terms of handling etc which would have some bearing on mission profiles.

 

Given the short ranges involved with the CW server missions people on both sides have the fuel budget during a mission to effectively do a Lo-Lo-Lo profile at no real cost to combat effectiveness. To me the lo-lo-lo profile feels realistic if you look at the air campaign of the six day war (i.e. deliberate low level tactics to avoid radar). I also find it fun flying low, akin to real RAF tactics, but appreciate others might want a more Vietnam / Korea style high and low alt mix combat situation. It feels a bit contrite/annoying to put in fog or similar to force people up. A more realistic solution would perhaps be AAA / manpads / ground fire spread out liberally either side of the front line to discourage low level as mentioned, make 10-20kft more attractive as a survivable altitude beyond SAM reach, but appreciate the DCS engine can't handle large scale deployment of ground units to fully enable this. Anywho, just my 2 cents.

 

Great server, missions and fun as always @Alpenwolf. Cheers!

 

*Unless your talking, modern rapid response systems like SA19/SA15 etc, but given this is a cold war server discussion...