*This is an update to ZU Winter Harvest 4.0, Mechanics remain the same but some bug fixes required changes that will not allow an in progress campaign to be updated. If using persistence go to your “Users>’your name’>Saved Games>DCS.openbeta>Missions folder and delete the folder “ZU-WinterHarvest” game data folder to restart persistence.*
Welcome to Operation Zyma Urozhay Version 5.0. for F-16C Viper on the Caucuses Map. This is a sandbox, semi-persistent campaign where you play as a Ukrainian Airforce pilot flying newly acquired F-16C block 50 against Russian forces. The campaign has 7 stages where each stage has multiple identical missions with varying weather settings and a front line that shifts depending on your advancement through the stages.
F-16 Ukraine Skin:
https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3332024/
F/A-18 Ukraine Skin:
https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/files/3329531/
Bug fixes: South SEAD Su-24 AI unit not launching fixed. Some AI flights not spawning in CAP missions fixed. Russian A-50 with random spawning and persistence added.
In each mission there are 6 mission types you can choose at start, plus an unlockable special type. Each mission type has as many as 15 different targets in three different areas that will be chosen randomly, and some types are search and destroy based where you don’t have a specific target to attack but can locate targets on your own. 1000+ ground units are hand placed, and for performance, a script is used to “deactivate” (turn units into statics) in the sections of the map that aren’t the focus of the mission. Enemy Air, SAM, EWR and AAA units are always active so any part of the map will fight you back, but ground units will not engage each other or move in the non-focused on areas.
Your kills are tracked and count toward advancement to the next stage or can be measured against red4 score to lead to moving backward through the stages. Your effect on Russian IADS systems is tracked and persists from mission to mission and stage to stage, so working SEAD/DEAD on SAM systems in one mission will make later missions easier. For persistence to work, your build of DCS must be “de-sanitized”, which is an inherently dangerous modification that you must do at your own risk, read more at:
https://forum.dcs.world/topic/298332-what-do-the-sanitizemondules-x-lua-commands-do/ . To de-sanitize go to your “Eagle Dynamics” > “DCS World OpenBeta” > “Scripts” folder and open MissionScripting.lua with a text editor and comment out the “io” and “ifs” lines. This will need to be done after each DCS update as it will be rewritten. You can also use OVGME to selectively insert a modified file. Game save files will be saved to your saved games/missions folder.
Scoring is based off of the types of units you destroy with Tanks and SAM systems counting for more than IFV’s, Trucks and infantry. Aircraft and Strike targets also count toward your score. Success is based on achieving a threshold score that remains opaque to the player and advancement to another stage requires three missions total above that threshold. Without enabling persistence you must manually advance to the next stage with the skip function in DCS.
