This is a true Dynamic RTS Multiplayer Campaign, "DCS WW3".
This Dynamic Campaign is a mix of Flight Simulator and a Real-Time Strategy Game. All actions are done using the F10 Map in real time.
Players need to build facilities using the F10 Map, make money to purchase ground units, SAM sites, EWR, air units to help your to capture an objective area.
All ground and air assets are under your control to perform different actions and NO "Combined Arms" module is required.
Hello fellas,
after extensive coding, we are proud to present to you,
a true Dynamic RTS Multiplayer Campaign, "DCS WW3"
Download link in the last session of this post.
========= A true DYNAMIC battlefield =========
Players are divided into 2 teams to capture an objective area.
You need to build Supply Depots (for generating income), SAM sites, EWR, Ground Forces and Air Forces to help reach your objective.
The campaign is smartly coded in a way such that you can in real-time control the movements of every Ground Units and Air Units and give instructions to perform different tasks, all WIHTOUT needing to own a "Combined Arms" module.
All actions are performed realtime in game using the F10 Map functions, thus the game is essentially a mix of a Real-Time Strategy Game and a Flight Simulation Game.
========= Detailed Game Mechanics =========
Players are divided into 2 teams, each starts with (1) a Airforce Base and Carrier (for procuring air units) and (2) a FOB (for procuring ground units). All bases cannot be built or destroyed or further acquired.
Your objective is to capture a "Capture Point" by moving your ground units to it and deterring the enemy from approaching it. Capturing the objective area generates scores, which determines who is the winner.
Each team is given a region under control (designated by the "No-Cross Line").
Within the controlled region you can build (1) Supply Depots (for generating income); (2) LongRange/MedRange SAM sites ;and (3) Early Warning Radar cum Command Center.
The closer your supply depots is from your FOB, the more income it generates, and also more risk of losing it to enemy's fire.
Long Range / Med Range SAM sites are available for purchase. All SAM sites are controlled by EWR, which is also a command center for controlling the SAM sites. Skynet IADS is incoporated to maximize SAM Sites' lethality. For details see "Improved AI" session below.
========= Gameplay Strategy =========
(a) Position your SAM sites to protect your Depots and frontlines. Beware of enemy's Artillery Force (e.g. MLRS) which can easily anihalate the lightly armored SAM units. On the other hand, move your Artillery forward to strike deep and destroy enemy's SAM sites.
(b) Form a strike package with different aircrafts (CAP, SEAD, Strike) to attack enemy's supply depots. Each depot takes 10min to build. So destroying it severely hampers enemy's cash flow.
(c) Preserve your aircraft. Aircraft successfully returning to base will have their costs fully refunded. The costs of every units were referenced to real life cost data as far as practicable, which means aircrafts are very expensive. Turn away and go home if you can't win the fight.
(d) Use Armor (Main Battle Tank units) to push through resistance. Mass produce cheaper IFV units to control the battlefield and deter enemy's artillery force.
(3) Don't land at the wrong airbase. Each team is assigned with a dedicated airbase and aircraft carrier. Landing elsewhere will not have their costs refunded.
(f) A summary box is displayed in the F10 map to summarize aircraft fuel states, ammo count, etc. Make sure to check the fuel states of the aircrafts and instruct them to refuel before they run out of fuel. (Yes you can manually instruct them to refuel)
========= Facilities available =========
(a) Supply Depots (DE)
For generating incomes. The closer it is to the FOB, the more incomes it generates. Income generation is 70% at 40nm and 50% at 80nm.
(b) Early Warning (EW)
EWR cum command center for controlling SAM sites. Destroy it to reduce enemy's SAM effectiveness.
(c) LRSAM (LR)
Patriot Battery with 16 MIM-104 missiles.
Requires a ECS and CC to operate.
Will auto-refill ammo but it takes time.
Remaining ammo will be shown in the F10 Map.
(d) MRSAM (MR)
SA11 Battery with 8 missiles.
Requires a CC to operate.
Will auto-refill ammo but it takes time.
Remaining ammo will be shown in the F10 Map.
========= Air Units available =========
(a) CAP (CA) - Combat Air Patrol
Randomly picked from F14/F15/F16/F18. Each armed with 6 Aim-120C/AIM-54C MK47 as main weapon.
(b) CAS - Close Air Support
A10CII with 6 IR-Maverick. Don't send CAS aircraft until air superioty is secured.
(c) SEAD
F16/F18 with 2 HARM
(d) Strike (ST)
F16/F18 with 2 GBU-38
(e) AWACS
(f) Tanker (TAAF or TANV) (TAAF means tankers for boom refuelling. TANV means tankers for basket refuelling. You will need both.)
(g) UAV (for reconnaisance)
========= Ground Units available =========
(a) ARMOR (AR)
4 x M1A2 Main Battle Tank
(b) IFV (FV)
6 x M2A1 Bradley Fighting Vehicle with ATGM
(c) SRSAM (SR)
2 x M6 linebacker
(d) Artillery (AT)
4 x M109 Paladin SPG + Supply trucks for rearming
(e) Missile Artillery (MAT)
3 x M270 MLRS (armed with M61 cluster bomblets for killing light vehicles)+ Supply truckes for rearming
(f) Supply trucks (SU)
Move it to units that run out of ammo to rearm. Rearm takes time.
========= Actions available =========
Open F10 Map, place a mark label. Type-in certain Command Phrases in the textbox for performing actions.
Detailed Command Phrases can be found using the in-game radio menu.
For Air Units, following actions are available:
(a) Go (G)
Navigate to the mark point, and then RTB right away. Aircraft will only self-defend against aerial threats.
(a) Hold (H)
Orbit at the mark point. Aircraft will only self-defend against aerial threats.
(C) Attack (A) / Search (S)
Similar to Go/Hold actions, but aircraft will actively search and engage targets along their routes.
Strike Aircrafts are set to attack depots as top priority, and carry out DEAD mission as second priority.
All aircrafts are smartly coded that they will RTB once out of ammo.
(c) Refuel (F)
Aircrafts will refuel at the nearest tanker and Hold at the mark point.
For Ground Units, following actions are available:
(a) Go (G)
Ground units go to the mark points using roads in column formation at their top speed. (Less fire power but faster)
(b) Attack (A)
Ground units go to the mark points offroads in line-abreast formation for maximum fire power. (Slower)
(c) Hold (H)
Ground units stop at current location, and re-orientate themselves towards the mark point in line-abreast formation for maximum fire power.
(d) Fire (F)
Only applicable to artillery. Fire at the mark position. M109 Artillery will fire 11 rounds per unit (44 rounds in total per salvo). M270 will fire 3 rounds per unit (9 rounds in total per salvo)
========= How to Purchase Unit/Facilities Exactly?? =========
!!! Detailed instruction can be found in the in-game radio menu. But I will also illustrate the command phrases here.
(a) Simply place a mark label on F10 Map, and type in the unit you wish to purchse (e.g. AWACS, EW,)
(b) Abbreviation shown in parathesis is accepted. For example, CAP is abbreviated as CA. Armor is abbreviated as AR. Both uppercase and lowercase are accepted.
(c) The facilities will be built at the mark point. (some facilities will be built with a delay timer for game balance). Units will spawn at either FOB/CV/Airbase and hold at the mark point.
========= How to Control Unit Exactly?? =========
!!! Detailed instruction can be found in the in-game radio menu. But I will also illustrate the command phrases here.
(a) First you need to sel ect air or ground unit by typing `A or `G commands. The ` symbol is on the upper left corner of your keyboard.
(b) Secondly you need to specify the unit's group number. For example if the group name is CAP-Blue-8, then the group number is 8.
(c) Finally you specify the actions you wanna perform (e.g. F,G H, A etc), which has been explained in the above paragraphs.
(d) Combining the above is you command phrase.
For example,
`A6G commands the 6th air group to GO to the markpoint and then RTB.
`A3F commands the 3th air group to REFUEL and hold at the markpoint.
`G15F commands the 15th ground group to FIRE at the mark point.
`G22A commands the 22th ground group to ATTACK at the mark point.
========= Improved AI =========
(1) Incorporation of Skynet IADS
Integrated Air Defence System is incorporated. SAM sites will only turn on their tracking radar once you are inside kill range, which makes SAM sites extremely lethal.
Early Warning Radar, apart fr om its EW ability, is also the command center for all SAM sites.
Destroying EWRs force all SAM sites to turn into autonomous mode, which means they are essentially blind and have their combat effectivenesses severely hampered.
(2) Overhaul of AI Aircraft logic
The original AI logic leaves a lot to be desired. We have re-written the AI logic and it makes much more sense now.
(a) The original aircraft AI, if assigned tasks other than CAP, would not actively defend themselves against aerial threats. In this AI remake, any aircrafts that carry air-to-air missile will address and engage the aerial threats as their top priority should they come too close.
(b) The original AI uses afterburners excessively and burn their fuels too quick. In this AI remake, the AI will only use afterburners when they are assigned the tasks to attack, and refrain from using it if they are assigned to orbit/hold.
========= Progressive Gameplay =========
Just like any RTS game, you need to upgrade your units to enhance their combat effectiveness.
As the game starts, all units are set to level 1 in combat skills.
You can use the in-game radio menu to upgrade their combat skills up to level 4.
========= Backdoor Function =========
The dynamic campaign is still under EARLY DEVELOPMENT and you may encounter many issues/bugs.
Please share your findings with us.
(a) If you found that money income is too slow, open F10 map, place a mark label, and for example type "setmoney1.5", then money income will be set to 1.5times faster.
========= Future Development Plan =========
This is only a beta version. You may encounter many bugs or issues.
Do let me know if you encountered bugs. A message box will prompt should you encounter one. Please share with me the content of the message box.
Subject to the amount of positive feedback and popularity, more features as listed below will be incorporated in the future.
(a) Currently only F14,F15,F16,F18 present in the game. More aircraft will be included.
(b) Naval warfare will be included. Guided Missile Destroyer is a planned feature which can launch Tomahawk Missiles. Bombers are also planned to counter naval assets.
(c) More maps other than Syria will be added.
========= Download =========
Only latest DCS beta version is supported.
You will need one of these plane modules to play: F14A/B, F15C, F16C, FA18C
You will need Syria Map to play.
NO Combined Arms is required.
