Expansion - a dynamic Mission and Sandbox [single and multi player]

Version 1.20 - 20240518 - "single-player slot block & Tomahawks"

In Expansion, you are part of an ongoing larger battle to conquer the region. You are free to choose your own aircraft and mission (be it close air support, CSAR, combat patrol or similar). Expansion is similar to, and inspired by, the fabulous "Foothold" series of missions created by Dzsekeb.
The mission starts with BLUE side holding only one airfield: Nalchik. AI will assign tactical objectives as it sees fit. The battle progresses around you in real-time and responds to your actions. Both side's AI Admirals task their units dynamically and according to their tactical needs - so plan your own flights accordingly.
Expansion supports all DCS player-controlled aircraft and comes with the ability to save and continue later.

ABOUT EXPANSION
In Expansion, you are part of an ongoing larger battle to conquer the region. You are free to choose your own aircraft and mission (be it close air support, CSAR, combat patrol or similar), and if you choose to help your side's current tactical and strategical goals, that helps a lot. Holding off Red Forces fr om capturing Nalchik is likely and routinely accomplished by Blue's AI without your help. Expanding Blue's reach to hold half of the map requires moderate player skills. Turning the tables on Red and holding three airfields requires focus and dedication. Winning the scenario is possible, and a true achievement. Expect a full play-through to take some 15 to 20 hours, usually a lot more - this is a dynamic mission after all, and the opposing side will become increasingly aggressive when it loses. Expansion supports "persistence" (see notes) to save and resume your campaign at a later date. Expansion supports (actually: thrives) as multiplayer, so bring your friends. Since it’s a Sandbox dynamic mission, you can leave it running on a server for anyone to join on their own time.
You can win Expansion in single-player, and it is a lot more fun in multiplayer.

Expansion's strategic objective is to capture all four airfields of the region:
-    Nalchik
-    Beslan
-    Mozdok
-    Mineralnye Vody

The mission starts with BLUE side holding only one airfield: Nalchik. AI will assign tactical objectives as it sees fit. The battle progresses around you in real-time and responds to your actions. Both side's AI Admirals task their units dynamically and according to their tactical needs - so plan your own flights accordingly. And yes, Red WILL try and re-capture any strategic location that you took. And it will succeed if you don't help.

HELPING YOUR SIDE
The overall battle is controlled by AI Admirals for BLUE and RED that task their troops. They will direct their forces and assign primary and secondary objectives.
Initially, you should focus on supporting your side’s secondary objectives, as they help your side to expand control over the battlefield, and allow your side to secure a steady income that you (the players) then can spend on tactical support.

INCOME
When your side captures strategic locations (for example: the "Gigawatts Power Plant" south of Nalchik), these generate income for your side. The more locations that your side holds, the greater your income.
Another source of income is direct enemy attrition: for every enemy unit that a player destroys, your side gains some income - provided that the pilot can land their plane at a player-controlled airfield or FARP.
A third source of income is rescuing downed pilots and returning them to a player-controlled airbase or FARP.
A fourth is successfully inserting troops into enemy locations to capture them.

Your side's income is regularly gathered and added to your side's available funds. Funds are available to all players on the same side. And funds are meant to be spent - "funds are only valuable as long as they are used". Use them wisely.

SPENDING FUNDS
You spend your side's funds in various ways:
- to directly repair and/or upgrade a location's defenses. For this you must land inside that location and come to a full stop. At that point you can access the menu to repair or upgrade local defenses. Note that all defenses must be repaired before you can upgrade. The cost for upgrades and repairs vary by location.
- to order strategic upgrades / repairs. This transfers funds to your control authority and the AI decides wh ere these funds are invested. The drawback is that you don't know where the funds will be invested. The advantage is that you don't have to be on location.
- to order support in the form of SEAD, CAP or CAS flights for a region.
- to order a strategic insertion force to attempt taking an enemy-held (or neutral) location. Which location to take is a decision made by your command authority.

And remember: there are few less useful things for a pilot than
-    altitude above you
-    runway behind you
-    fuel in the truck
-    unused funds in the bank

CAPTURING STRATEGIC LOCATIONS
You win Expanse by capturing strategic locations that increase your income, and then by using that income in smart ways to further your campaign. So make capturing locations all over the map your goal. The first step is to wear down defenses: SEAD and CAS the location until it's next to helpless. Be wary that enemy AI can (and will) order repairs and reinforcements, so if possible, loiter near a defenseless location until it's really captured. Once captured, spend funds to beef it up.

If you have helicopter pilots among your players, the easiest way to capture a location is to make sure that there are no enemy units inside the area (check the F10 map), and then place your own units inside the zone. Some Helicopters (Hind, Hip, Huey. Hook) can spawn and transport troops (check Other->Airlift Troops).
If you don't have anyone who can chopper a chopper over the shed, you'll have to tough it out: see which tactical objective the AI is working at, support it, and occasionally transfer funds to order a capture attempt.

RESCUING DOWNED PILOTS
Quickly, the map will be littered with pilots requesting extraction. Some helicopters (Hip, Huey, Hind, Hook and Gazelle) are equipped for CSAR. Land next to the downed pilot (or hover close to them), and then return the pilot to one of your airbases/FARPs. Doing so will give a substantial boost to your available funds.

A NOTE ON ENEMY AI
Initially, enemy strategy AI is almost docile - it is content with holding most of the territory and killing you in a vaguely unfriendly way. This changes with the number of strategic locations that you capture. Once you start closing in on it, Red AI becomes aggressive, and at some point, positively vicious. So, enjoy the time when it just tries to crush you.

A NOTE ON PERSISTENCE (SAVING THE MISSION)
Expansion automatically saves the state of the mission every 5 minutes, so should you wish to end and later continue the mission, the maximum you lose are 5 minutes. All typical restrictions to DCS mission saving apply:
-    your (server's) DCS installation must be 'de-sanitized'
-    upon reload, the day's time is reset to mission starting time (08:00 local)
-    ground units reset to full health
-    all airborne units are wiped
-    all currently open missions reset

To enable persistence, you must 'de-sanitize' DCS. Edit "\Scripts\MissionScripting.lua" in your main DCS installation folder:

Look for:
Do
    sanitizeModule('os')
    sanitizeModule('io')
    sanitizeModule('lfs')
    _G['require'] = nil
    _G['loadlib'] = nil
    _G['package'] = nil
end

and change it to:
do
    sanitizeModule('os')
    --sanitizeModule('io')
    --sanitizeModule('lfs')
    _G['require'] = nil
    _G['loadlib'] = nil
    _G['package'] = nil
end

(put double dashes in front of the two that contain "sanitizeModule('io')" and "sanitizeModule('lfs')"), then save the file. If you are ham-fisted like me, make a backup first.

From that point on, Expansion saves its current state every 5 minutes into a folder called "Expansion (data)" that resides inside your DCS missions folder. If you want Expansion to start from the beginning, delete that folder before starting Expansion.

NOTES FOR SINGLE PLAYER
If you run Expansion single-player, slot lockout for enemy airfields/FARPS aren't in effect, so make sure that you only request an airframe on an airfield that your side owns. Doing otherwise I consider silly and cheating.

NOTES FOR MULTI-PLAYER
If you run Expansion in multiplayer, the server (and server only) should run "SSB", a small server slot-blocking utility that prevents players from entering planes on airfields that do not belong to their side (yet).
You can find SSB here: https://forum.dcs.world/topic/156844-dcs-simpleslotblock-multiplayer-slot-blocking-script/

PERFORMANCE NOTES / CUSTOMIZATION -- Requires Mission Editor
ADDING YOUR OWN AIRCRAFT
Expansion supports all DCS aircraft, yet it comes pre-configured with only a limited set. If “your” aircraft isn't amongst them, simply add them in Mission Editor. Make sure to remember to add them to all airfields. DO NOT add them onto a numbered parking slot, place them with "FROM GROUND" instead (hot or cold, your call).

EYE CANDY
Expansion comes pre-configured to use 'StopGap', a little utility that fills empty player slots with static stand-ins. This makes airfields look much cooler and contributes little else but using up performance close to these airfields. See below how to enable / disable this feature should it crushes your PC’s performance.
StopGap is described in its full glory here: https://forum.dcs.world/topic/326213-stopgaps-script-to-fill-empty-player-slots-with-planes/

DIFFICULTY
Expansion runs on difficulty 1 (“Kindergarten”) by default. You can change it to other, “more manly” values (smaller than 1 reverts to 1). Ramping up difficulty means that your side starts with fewer funds, and RED is allowed to more might to crush you. I’m a wuss, and I prefer difficulty 1.

AUTO-SCALING DIFFICULTY
Expansion's enemy AI Admiral's aggression scales with the number of players. The more players participate, the more enemies Red can throw against Blue.  

HOW TO CUSTOMIZE EXPANSION
Everything in Expansion is controlled with trigger zone attributes, there is not a single line of code to change. The first step to customize Expansion is always this: click on the "view trigger zone list" (three interlocking rings). Then find the trigger zone described below.

Changing Difficulty
Open the trigger zone "expansionConfig". Look for the vaue 'difficulty' and change it to another value. Default is 1.

Turning Eye Candy ("StopGap") on/off
Open the trigger zone "stopGapConfig". Look for the value "onStart". Change it to "yes". Default is "no" (eye candy is off)
WARNING: stopGap for multiplayer requires that the server (and only server) has the small 'stopGapGUI' script running to work around a DCS bug and facilitate client synchronization. If your planes crash down to the ground when you enter their cockpit, your server needs to install stopGapGUI.

Hot/Cold starting
Expansion comes with most aircraft set to HOT START. Some people prefer cold starts (especially more seasoned players, who find some of the more unusual “hot”-started settings questionable). To change an aircraft to COLD, click on the aircraft, and choose your preferred starting method. ALWAYS USE "FROM GROUND". Rinse and repeat for all other instances of that aircraft on all airfields (and FARPS for helicopters)

Adding the Blackhawk
If you want to add the Blackhawk helicopter (a player-controlled MOD) the mission automatically supports its use in CSAR missions. Simply add it to wherever you prefer with Mission Editor. Expansion recognizes it for CSAR and Troop Transport missions.

MODIFY, BUT PLEASE DO NOT PUBLISH
You are free to modify Expansion to your heart’s content. I ask you to not, however, post your version of Expansion (modified or otherwise) on-line. Running your own version of Expansion as a mission on a multiplayer server is fine, though – and decidedly encouraged by me – I’d love to see how and what you make of Expansion.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Expansion would have been impossible without the kind support and deep bow to:
•    "Expansion" is inspired by Dzsekeb's phenomenal "Foothold" and "Pretense" missions. Expansion represents my re-imagination of Dzsekeb’s game ideas, and I’m humbled by his implementation.
•    My thanks to the kind people at 61st Griffins and bitboy for stress-testing Expansion
•    Voice Acting by Elevenlabs
•    Mission created with DML by cfrag

COMING ATTRACTIONS (?)
Expansion is a truly complex mission, and yet there already is a (growing) list of things that I may want to add if feedback warrants it:
•    Tie TACAN availability to an upgrade per location
•    Some devilish AI tricks like
   o      ‘revenge strikes’ for captured locations
   o      Stronger target prioritization (that May FARP is just “my precious”)
•    Bombing missions (purchasable from both sides)
•    DONE - AWACS support
•    Convoy escort missions
•    More/better audio effects

VERSION HISTORY
Version 1.0 – Initial Release

Version 1.01 – Minor Update  
• Turned off stopGap (single-player only) for all FARP helos to work around DCS 'sky falling down' bug  
• Activated stopGap's refresh option: once an hour
• AI difficulty > 1 makes AI more likely to do bad things to players  
• Better audio f/x for funds and TACAN responses  
• Mission restarts automatically after 8 hours runtime (multiplayer only)
• reduced verbosity  
• Changed mission date and time  
• Fixed a potential error when spawning AI flights

Version 1.02 - Minor Update
•    fixed rather silly and embarrassing TACAN sound bug
•    slightly moved all helicopters inside FARPS to be immediately within service range of FARP vehicles
•    reworked some TACAN descriptions to better fit with existing descriptions

Version 1.10 – “Swabbies & CSAR” Update
•    Added George Washington carrier
•    Added FA-18 CATOBAR - note 250 nm ingress!
•    Added F-14B CATOBAR - note 250 nm ingress!
•    Added Shell tanker for swabbie flights
•    Added ability to request Shell at will (swabbies only)
•    Added ingress and egress routes for swabbie flights
•    Provided all FARPs with their own Frequency
•    Frequency reference added to manual
•    CSAR missions now all have a time lim it of 3 hours before they expire
•    Persistence status no longer displayed
•    Repairing an owned location also repairs all FARP service vehicles for that location
•    Soundfx when csar times out / pilot KIA
•    Nalchick CAP also can use Eagle
•    Nalchick SEAD can also use Tornado
•    FARPs now correctly spawn resource vehicles on loading from storage
•    Income sound f/x

Version 1.11
•    Fixed a persistence (“save game”) bug that affected some units on airfields

Version 1.20 - "single-player slot block & Tomahawks"
•    now supports slot-bocking in single-player
•    now supports slot-blocking on servers that aren’t running SSB
•    fixed a cosmetic bug that appeared after winning the mission
•    upgraded Mineralnye's defenders
•    added Tomahawk missile capability
•    smart tomahawk target res points
•    insertions now deduct their price from funds
•    Tomahawk strikes can be ordered for all primary objectives
•    added some eye candy to the Washington
•    completing an objective nets §1000
•    an AWACS is available on-demand, once per hour, free

FEEDBACK WANTED
Expansion wouldn’t be what it is today without all the feedback that I’ve received. Keep it coming, and please keep it constructive. Naming your first-born after me is entirely optional. Please add your feedback in this thread:
https://forum.dcs.world/topic/348126-sp-co-op-mp-expansion-a-dynamic-mission-and-sandbox-all-aircraft/