Ok, had 2 solid weeks of bachelorhood. Got a lot done on the backside of things but, it is taking longer than I thought (normal).
Will be doing grandfather things for a week or so but here’s an updated Quick Start linked below.
I’m not releasing the current debug version until I get back as I have to test the audio a few more times (it’s finicky to get it sounding reasonable).
Thanks! And we can’t fly the Phantom until you drop the next version, right?
Correct. It’s in there and working on the NTTR (non-lethal-training setup) map but I needed 1 more day had to spend last day fixing water issues at the house 
Got my plumber hat on
Added the A10c2 [1] to the frecas in Syria also. More voices; few more words added to vocabulary; working in some small anti-gunboat tasks for CB ops; etc
A lot of it was to make my life easier changes as speeding file times.
From: somewhere in Austin, TX
[1] i should know this, but not sure how the A10 C2 relates to the A-10 C1. I have them both just need to stick the -1 in there and check it.
Been a while. I’m still slogging away at this.
My “Mass Gaggle” coordinated strike (with you, the player, taking part) was working okay in Syra. At Nevada (NTTR) things got icky. Seems I have the timing down almost too good - midair’s are a thing; vertically separating them by 1,000 kinda works but the AI is a little flaky (it’s an air show over the IP, so have to add more IP’s). So bumping this to 2,000 vert. separation at common fixes. It’s easy to understand but tuff to stuff into a system where you only have so much control). Anyway…
Some pix from the test mission on this subject (Weapons School 7201…Class 1 in the year 1972).
PS: This is in potato mode since I don’t care what it looks like for testing
Setup: “Alpha Strike” like mission. Bunch of Phantoms with some F-5’s thrown in (and Tankers, AWACS, and other assorted flying machines).
Start your engines:
Me, looking at a ramp full of Phantoms & Tiger’s:
Crew Chief(s) are ready to fire me up (they are auto-magically positioned no matter where you are or what you are flying - so I don’t have to do it manually)
Shutting down the runway (for everybody not involved in the strike)
This goes on for a couple of minutes:
Still coming…Mr. Mirage batting cleanup
Strung out on departure, from top to bottom [of the screen capture]
The greeting party, west of “the farms”. Target is a ‘bridge’ (simulated with an old boxcar of course cus there ain’t many bridges in this part of the desert).
More later (this takes a lot less time than a YT video)
Something is happening…[note: I’m still in the chocks; this is just an AI test]
Yeah, somebody is doing something productive (hard to see but a RED F-5 is chasing a BLUE F-5 so this ‘bot’ took a shot - and missed)
It’s a mess. Flying this ‘authentically’ (none of this is on the map) is hectic. FUN!
A lot of these AI guys are all getting sent home-they’re gonna get into “The Box”.
Coming Soon (C)
Only takes a few mouse clicks.
Got him trapped, at his six
These Chuckleheads decided to attack a SA-3 all alone.
Frist: I’m DONE WITH THIS - adding ‘features’ that is. Specifically new ‘mission types’ (taskings). Tis time to start testing/tweaking it hard…
PS, at the top: All this works without killing your PC. It’s been a struggle. The entire map can have ‘stuff’ (vehicles - things you place in the ME). It does choke a bit within the first minute but no way around that.
There are vehicle and aircraft moving about outside the AO (Area of Operations - where the war is). Now, somebody still has to put those things in there so it’s not like you see this now, but the code can handle it. AAA/Flak still causes slow-downs, so I have to limit it (boo). That’s DCS issue, IMHO.
“Had a B-1 going screaming by me on the last test - and I was surprised by it [being there]. IOW, It happened ‘organically’
Sorta. The point being I don’t want to know about everything that can happen. Too ‘scripted’ for me.”
It’s actually kinda easy to add things but the mech. to do that isn’t going to be released for a while - you use the mission editor to ‘drop’ things on the map, save it, then run DCSGrok (the desktop application that chews on all this stuff and spits out the mission.
PSS: You don’t have to do anything except: Aviate, Navigate, and Communicate. Minus the 4-5 buttons clicks to start. Oh, and read the briefing. And pick some weapons.
I’ve been quiet because there were a few ‘taskings’ I wanted in there and it’s taken some time to do so. I’m not adding anything else: time to start testing.
There are so many things but, the high-level view:
CAP (different kinds) but mostly the OVERWATCH kind right now (overwatch is a version of CAP - you are orbiting and waiting for stuff to happen)
.
CAS (Close Air support)
“NAMED Operations”. Think “Operation Anaconda”. These will take place over some number of days (weeks?) where the goal is for the Good Guys to enter and take over territory (clean out a specific area of Bad Guys). This has BUFF’s going in and putting the hurt on them, followed by you and other CAS-types (from multi-role jets to the Apache, if you have those modules).
A Troops In Contact (TIC) can come up at ANYTIME - I can’t really predict it, by design. Might never happen [on a given mission] or it may happen every mission. Just depends. Taskings have a priority value: if what you are doing is of a lesser priority then the ABCCC will task you for the TIC, else they don’t bother you.
Pop Up Tasking:
Direct Strikes
Your start base can/will change over time, ie; if on a CV (you selected a Navy Hornet or Tomcat) they will move around as the campaign progresses (yes, this took some time to figure out how to keep all the ‘linked’ units attached to the CV). If you select the Apache your FOB may change - if I didn’t do this then the ‘war’ would leave you behind, stuck 100 miles from the FLOT.
There’s a lot. All on top of the COMM’s system. And this is “put your big boy pants on” stuff - no cheats, ie; not for everyone. I myself can only do one every few days (when I take a break from coding it all) because the mission types are taken from a LOT of research and often over long distances (though not always).
If you fly MSFT FS, in ‘tube-liners’ and like the long (or semi-long) haul flights you’ll like this. And you get to blow things up. It is 'Mission Oriented", if you will. Nothing at all like “Instant Action” (there’s already a button for that).
You can edit the generated mission but it is semi-indecipherable if you open it up and ‘peek’. Just Open Mission and click Fly (you can do minor route editing in the ME during the DCS (such as it is) briefing mech.
The semi-dyamic parts kinda work but is limited until ED cooperates. Your AI wingman is semi-useful. Barely. Varying weather (based on the map) - no winds yet: I thought it would hose up my departure timing, because there were things I didn’t know about but in the end the AI (specifically ATC at bases) is so lacking it’s no more disorganized with wind than without. I just haven’t turned it on yet.
Thanks for playing,
jross
EDIT-1: Updated link. Added a slide to explain the “AI Attack Loop” - what the AI does when you have them execute and attack.
EDIT-2: Added an entry in the “Tactics” section: CAS and refueling, with your AI wingman
DEPLOYED: Semi-Useful AI Wingman << Click this
Quick draft of a new chapter in the DEPLOYED Manual. May never finish a manual since nobody will read it - YT videos take more time but, alas, tis the way of things now…
This is really an important piece, up there with the communications system and the campaign itself.
If anyone has about 20 minutes might you take a look. Is about 6 ‘slides’ (yes, death by PowerPoint lives on!). Especially useful for those who have some knowledge of this stuff. I have to carve away, simplify and reduce this down to something that should help.
Spent a lot of time trying figure this out by trial and error - then cramming it into a larger system. Seems to all work as advertised - just have to understand DCS limits. During this process I came to realize that the way they behave (in this context anyway) kind of makes sense. Its just that they are lacking…erm…talent?
Keep hitting snags here and there. But starting to look like something. Testing the numerous paths taks a ton of time 
Adding BFM training (NTTR map) was needed. It’s simple but does the job. Bugged me that it wasnt in there so, another couple of weeks taken up.
Still a complete noob trying to get into DCS with so many other life distractions but the Phantom is what finally pulled me in… and this amazing work just looks like icing on the cake. Just plowed through this thread and holy cow, what a project. Can’t wait to finally get a chance to try it all out, hopefully sooner than later.
I’ll read the manual… nothing annoys me more than having to watch a 15 minute video when I could have just jumped to the correct page to answer my question…
Don’t feel obliged to make it just for me, but if you do make it know at least one person will be thanking you for it!!
To me a YT video takes 5X longer. I have a pile of video clips cluttering my virtual desktop showing bits of the test (of the wingman executing your commands). Editor’s in the movies don’t get enough credit.
Ctrl+F rules them all.
From the FWIW department…
Full testing is going a wee bit slower than I’d hoped.
Low clutter now but you can add things like Kml/Kmz files automatically by just dropping them into a folder. Obviously the area specified must be in the general area the chosen campaign maps is located…
Note to self: add a ‘don’t bother me with this question again’ checkbox. 20 minute job. Later.
DEPLOYED is perfect, for me, here: a few clicks and Instant Atmosphere, with a task to accomplish. Had to print out the variables that are displayed for the curriculum to make debug runs easier.
I can punch out other, different, campaigns here, at the NTTR, pretty quickly too; once I have the basics ‘planted’ (you can put ‘placemarks’ anywhere, via the mission editor - full the thing up[1]) and certain properties will change the types of bad guys, good guys, locations, routes, yadda, yadda.
Does require a separate miz file but the desktop app automates all of this…“so you don’t have to” as the advert goes.
Here’s the Weapons School Class 7201 (that’s Class 01 in the year 1972, with as close to period-specific aircraft, both yours and the AI, as DCS allows without mods[2]):
TRAINING SCHEDULE
[DAY 1] Area Familiarization
FCF: Functional Check Flight | Single-ship
AOR Familiarization | Single-ship
[DAY 5] Area Familiarization
Instrument Training - Local Area. | Single-ship
[DAY 7] Area Familiarization
Instrument Training - Cross Country | Single-ship
[DAY 9] Area Familiarization
Instrument Training - Cross Country | Single-ship | Night sortie
[DAY 10] Area Familiarization
Instrument Check Ride | Single-ship
[DAY 11] Basic Training
Bomb Range
[DAY 13] Basic Training
Bomb Range | Night sortie
[DAY 15] Basic Training
Bomb Range
Low-level Nav & Attack
[DAY 17] Basic Training
Low-level Nav & Attack | Night sortie
[DAY 19] Basic A2A Training
A2A 1V1 | Single-ship
[DAY 22] Basic A2A Training
A2A 2V1
[DAY 25] Basic A2A Training
A2A 2V2
[DAY 30] LFE (Large Force Exercise)
SURFACE ATTACK
[DAY 31] ‘On-Call’ CAS & Interdiction
Airborne QRF
Interdiction
NOTE This is concise as it needs to fit into the UI - this is just the text variables for use by me. As noted above if you feel the need to say, re-do the Instruments ‘ride’ just answer yes to the “Do Over” query the next day.
Thanks for playing
[1] This creation allows me to use one miz file as a ‘home’ for everything, anywhere. And I can add to it over time. It’ll update just by running DCSGrok again - and sort out the dynamic loading in the sim via the lua code. I still think they have a memory leak in there (or I’m not groking the lua garbage collector) as this works but not as well as I’d expect it too. More research and testing is needed but it is working (the modified Quad Tree scheme I mentioned a long time ago).
[2] I may regret saying this but…it should NOT be that big a deal to have mods inserted for AI (be nice to have more Vietnam-correct stuff at Nellis in 1972). I’ve written it with this in mind so it should ‘just work’. But I do NOT need this extra ‘path’ to test right now.
Very exciting work. If I can get a few days of free time together I need to check this out!
Same.
The last few runs have been promising. Creating a YT video that introduces ‘it’ and how it works needs to be completed; the quick-start manual needs updating.
Any thoughts or insights here are appreciated…
I’m testing through the NTTR training campaign. In the Air-to-air part now. Other than (in the Phantom/Tomcat) Jester acting like he’s never done this before (he’s still way to excitable for my taste - interrupts the comms a LOT) it’s working fine. Kinda fun too.
Air-to-Air
Short range (WVR) BFM
WIPUse DCS Flight/Wingman Commands
“Cover Me”, “Pincer high/low/left right”
“Rejoin [formation]”We can influence some things via the following tricks - seems helpful you should know about these so you understand the “why?” parts.
DEPLOYED (as with all DCS AI) can only set initial, basic conditions. Then it’s all in the hands of the DCS AI engine. For training campaigns we must restrict you, the AI, or both.
- You are set to ‘immortal’. Especially helpful when you are new to the platform, ie; practicing, or ‘training’.
- The AI will not attack if they have no weapons. This is useful in the 1v1, basic BFM training - the ai simulates a gunnery drone here. They have no bullets anyway.
- But when we give them bullets they will engage - and poke holes in you. You crash and have to start the training sortie all over again. DEPLOYED models a “Fights On”, “Knock it off” sequence so you can practice repeatedly. However…
- Your AI wingman will continue to attack (in 2v1 scenarios) and it’s not easy to call them off. The only suggestion we have is repeated commands of “Rejoin”. The only alternative is to take all of their weapons away (making them useless). So, giving them weapons tends to cancel out the previous bullet: your wingman kills them all so your day is done. The alternative is to make EVERYONE ‘immortal’ - WIP[1].
[1] My guess is, if everyone is immortal you wingman will have a virtual fit - he’ll be working himself into a lather until the target of his animosity is dead, but it never will be.
What SEEMS to work, when everyone is ‘Immortal’:
- Call, “Knock it off”
- “Flight, RTB” >> DCS menu
- Wait a few potatos, then, “Flight, Rejoin” >>Dcs menu.
Reposition and when ready to have another go at it:- Call, 'Ready". When the Bandit is ready they call “Fights On…” (based on distance)
- Flight, Enage bandits .>> DCS Menu.
The RTB call seems to be the only way to get your ai to, “take a breath buddy, let it go”.
You can keep repeating this sequence until you or the Bandits run low on gas - they will call 'terminate" when that happens.
Ok, found a work-around until DCS changes. See this, now public, video:
The A2G one is in the oven. Got to find a newer PC (and editing software). Sheesh, this stuff is not my forte. But it’s short, under 3 minutes. Use the pause button.
The inspiration for my new ‘color palette’ (a brief image of it in the video):
Starting to understand this fancy new UI creation thing-a-ma-bob (WPF). Very different than on Windows 3.1 (not that I remember much from then, which may be a plus).
The audio always needs tweaking. Not a fun thing but my work flow there is improved. Have the timing down as good as I can. Dang Phantom cockpit is LOUD though; need to bump the volume on the (600 x 5 word vocabulary) audio clips. Pretty simple though.
Air To Ground AI Wingman.
This one was harder to do but managed to keep it under 5 minutes.
Just finished the A2A video. Text needs to stay visible a bit longer so tiny minded people like myself have time to absorb it. External sounds should be mixed lower as well, to hear your comms.
Otherwise good.
Yeah, after re-watching (after it uploaded ) I’m not happy.
I put a notice to use the pause key (people read at different rates was my thinking).
Since I’m calling it a ‘chalk talk’ I really need to change the background to a chalkboard. I have an idea. It will be simple (cos I’m not an artist).
Shocking how long it takes to do these. My software is 10+ years old (the PC nearly is), and not the best; I like the UI but it’s REALLLLLLY slow, like 5 seconds between mouse clicks. Arrgg! No time to learn a new one right now…
Somehow I missed the Boring Old BARCAP missions. Probably because in the Syria combat campaign there is little need (the AI does this chore) - maybe 
Since the code behind is all the same I can put a BARCAP in the NTTR; an A2A tasking (later)
But, since the model for this ‘engine’ is Desert Storm I’m putting it in there now (will be the next campaign now that they are releasing the Iraq map). Cant do much til I get airports to takeoff/land from.
My tools (code) are robust enough (my first CS word!) that it will only take a day or two to add them, and test them. Doin this right now…
