New community Server

[Pikey]

Hello! My name is Mike and I create missions, campaigns, scripts and servers for DCS. I co-host MOOSE Community Lua server and test for Eagle Dynamics.

My virtual squadron 42 VFG  is winding down activity and I was looking around at virtual squadrons thinking that I couldnt find anything that fitted how I play DCS. I've noticed a move away from module oriented squadrons in DCS and an increase in multiple membership Discord based communites.

I don't believe the virtual squadron model is weathering very well. People can be restricted by airframe or timing. There needs to be more "JIP" based play, pickup groups and variety. Sure, we like a persistent campaign, but if you are tired, an aerobatics or race circuit might be all you have energy for. There is the "mods or no mods" issue, Pvp, PvE, TvT, milsim, milsim wannabe and casual, all in competition. If a community cannot move fast, all the new shiny things in DCS can be lost. For example - will your squadron be ready, day one for when the Hind releases? What about when whatever new map releases? Chances are that if you are in a Hornet squadron waiting to try out the Mosquito when it releases, you will have to look elsewhere.

So I want to change my squadron 42VFG into a server based community and I'm interested to see if people want to get involved. I dont want to focus on modules, I want to focus on people playing together in good content with some choices and their input. Perhaps you had a dream, this scenario you wanted to try, but you dont have the experience to write a game, or a script, or the time to understand the Mission Editor. Or maybe you did, but you want to get your mission on a server with people to try it out.

Our current squadron server is an i9 9700K 64GB that runs webhook events direct into Discord, collects stats through Perun and displays a webpage http://42vfg.co.uk/ . This can be adapted to anything people are interested - previously we had a lot of fun doing the RED Sims server which was a continuous and adaptive campaign usign the Herc mod to capture and move logistics in a moving battlefield. But equally, we had competitive racing nights, training servers or bespoke single use missions, TvT events as a squadron, so I can host most things. And I think more poeple should get to use this rather than being locked behind a squadron "membership".

This needs help and energy. It doesn't matter if its just that you are enthusiastic for having Monday Mod night, Fight club Friday or World War 2 Wednesday. Whatever you want, I just need to know if this is the right path for the usage of my time, hardware and software. So, the capacity for what can be done is there - search 'Pikeys server' in MP Browser, check out 42vfg.co.uk and/or join Discord https://discord.gg/T2k3AYWrxt to get a feel for what is possible.

 

If you like any of the ideas and want to be involved to help, I am open to partnerships as long as they are in the open for everyone's free usage. If you have a different idea but you want to use my hosting, technical or scripting capacity, again, so as long as the end result is for the broad communities benefit, I am up for trying anything that people want.

If you just want to come and help start it up or give feedback It would be appreciated. Maybe point out where I am going wrong and show me a server I might have enjoyed!

Discuss beneath or contact me via PM, nothing is off topic!
 

[Arikaj]

That's how I see it! 

Instead of a squadron type gameplay there should be what you are proposing. Why be limited to only one airplane when we have soo many to choose from?

 

Also I hate when somebody has to fill out a excuse form of why he isn't flying a squadron mission. I am not at work, I do not have to explain myself. A server based community will solve this since they are not bound by anything. 

I hate when somebody cannot fly a different campaign when he is a member of another squadron. 

We have two big server communities (in total of around 350 players) like this on the Czechoslovak scene and it works like a charm. A persistent campaign and sometimes just a fooling around days. This is a concept which brings more people onto the server during a certain day than a squadron. 

[James Corbett]

This is exactly what I have been looking for. A Sqn that does not limit to me just NATO aircraft or just Fixed wing. I do like the idea of what you are proposing. Relaxed environment to fly the aircraft you want to. 

[Pikey]

Really, if I do this like we did for "Red Sands" server, its not a squadron at all, it's just a Discord for the server. People can get notifications of downtime, vote on topics, discuss tactics for that specific mission, or even share intel. And it's got nothing to do with their alliegances to Squadrons, in fact you can use it with a squadron. The way the stats are setup, player names are related to the UID so if you add a tag, it instantly shows up e.g.

[S D]

Sounds good to me, shall keep an eye on this, definitely more up my street.

[Mars Exulte]

On 5/16/2021 at 1:15 PM, Arikaj said:

Why be limited to only one airplane when we have soo many to choose from?

  Primarily because it's infinitely easier to plan, organise, and create when you're working with a known quantity. If you have 10 people, and they're flying 6 dissimilar aircraft/helos, it is a royal pain to try to allow for that. Especially if you can't consistently plan around what they'll be flying. ''So many choices'' yes, and there is such a thing as too much of a good thing in some situations.

Edited May 18, 2021 by Mars Exulte

[Arikaj]

@Mars Exulte I do not agree with you. In my experience we just prepare a sheet where everybody sign ups one week prior with the airframe they want to fly. After that, the mission in the campaign is planned with the planes in mind and it works like a charm and everybody is happy. Just cannot be lazy with the mission planning  Ofc, a flight of x planes will consist only of one type of an airplane. 

 

[Pikey]

3 hours ago, Mars Exulte said:

  Primarily because it's infinitely easier to plan, organise, and create when you're working with a known quantity. If you have 10 people, and they're flying 6 dissimilar aircraft/helos, it is a royal pain to try to allow for that. Especially if you can't consistently plan around what they'll be flying. ''So many choices'' yes, and there is such a thing as too much of a good thing in some situations.

 

Ahhh, you are talking like me trying to arrange people and giving up. Multiple airframes are the death of single squadron small groups. You are highlighting why I am doing this. It's a move away from forcing the player into the mission and towards having different players on the same mission - which is the non squadron type approach that I am trying out. It's not what I wanted but I'd rather make content for people that play than try to keep building a squadron that is tired. Running these things is super hard work on your own. Instead, I can stop and anyone can benefit.

 

[Mars Exulte]

@Pikey

Oh yeah, I know. I ran a medium size clan a few years ago, it's like herding cats even in a less intensive environment than DCS. Not that I can criticise people much for not taking their video games super serial enough.... I personally am in the gray no man's land... I dislike the relative chaos of really casual groups, but equally am annoyed by clans that want you to fill out an MOS (and milsims are brimming with those types) so I mostly play by myself or with very small groups of friends.