Close Air Support - ECAS

[StrongHarm 13]

I did a realism poll on the general forum to make sure I'm on the right track with my CAS Missions.. here are the results:

Well, if this is accurate it looks like only 13% of the community has a problem with realism. 52% preferring hardcore realism and 35% preferring more practical realism. So this answered my question of: am I on the right track with my Close Air Support Missions? I'm happy I can continue in the same spirit. Anyone have any suggestions on features you'd like to see that make the realism more practical for the Arma3 experience in CAS missions?

[ankyle 10]

Logged in just to say awesome job with the mission, I hope you do many more. How long does it take to write these missions?

[StrongHarm 13]

Thanks Ankyle! I'm really into the details, some of which a lot of people won't even notice, but I'm fanatical about achieving a high level of detail. For instance, I wrote a series of scripts to randomize the hats and other gear on the special forces teams that you help rescue in ECAS. Of course, you can't see them from the air very well, but I didn't want 16 SPECOPs troops wearing all the same gear. There are something like 48 BLUFOR troops when the mission starts, but all are killed but 16, and that has to be precise. The positions they're in when they die was important to me so their bodies could be seen from the air. I had to have at least one fall from the cliff. I didn't want to just programmatically kill them all, so I have them run to specific point, decrease their skill, give them OPFOR targets, and have them fire with bad accuracy. The result is I'll get maybe 0 - 2 OPFOR targets dead but all intended BLUFOR targets die right where I want them to, on the edge of the cliff.

Another good example is the aircraft that's being worked on across from the player aircraft. I probably spent 40 total hours placing everything and everyone where I wanted them... to include 2 hours just putting duct tape in the proper place. The voice editing takes a lot of time as well, I use Audacity and GoldWave. Where scripting is concerned, I just use the command reference. If you read through them, most have clarification and examples. BIS did a superb job with the scripting language!

I'd say ECAS took about 200-300 hours total. I enjoy the creative process of making the missions nearly as much as actually flying in them. I'll definitely make more, but probably only after the MANW contest is over. ECAS was voted down in the Steam Workshop by people who didn't put in any comments about why they didn't like the mission. I suspect it's because they're planning on being in the contest and are trying to suppress competition. The result is that I've only had about 3k subscribers. When people enjoy my missions it pays for the time I put into them, but if the mission is buried and no one can find it to enjoy it, I feel my time was wasted. So I'll wait until the contest blows over. I've already started Close Air Support (Day3) which is SP, and Close Air Support (Squadron) which is MP. I'm not sure which one I'll finish next.

[corporal_lib[br] 396]

StrongHarm, you should create a CAS campaign - don´t need to be long, 4 to 5 missions - maybe the first could be quite educational, with 2 pilots sitting on a sandbarrier, discussing friendly the principles of a CAS mission ... like an outro/intro - just with at least 50% of your outstanding attention to detail! (and of course I´ve noticed the mechanics doing maintanance all around the base and most of the detail I´ve put in this superb mission ;)

cheers!

[ankyle 10]

200-300hours geez

I wouldnt worry too much about what the guys are wearing in the mission, you can't see them from the airplane haha, but I understand your dedication to detail. I really liked the use of the real audio.

[StrongHarm 13]

Thanks, the real vid I got the coms from is in the workshop vids and pics if you're interested.

The ambient radio is from Red Flag. I put that in Close Air Support(Day2) as well. This time I broke the coms up into 3min segments and randomized the execution. That way every time the radio starts you don't hear the same thing... since ambient radio is interrupted by mission brief, CCT, etc.

I had a subscriber state indignantly that my real audio wasn't real, since it mentions Ghosthawks.. and "Ghosthawks ain't real!" LOL. I had to explain that the mission briefing and AIROPS coms where I mention Ghosthawks is my voice acting.. it's the CCT coms doing CAS talkon that are real! hahaha.. People are awesome.

[StrongHarm 13]

I've had a lot of comments on Steam asking if I'm going to make a fixed wing version of Close Air Support(Day2). The answer is that CAS(Day3) will have conditional tasks based on whether you're in fixed wing or rotor wing when you request the task from ALTCOM. I'm also considering embedding this mission into Day3 to make it a task.. but I haven't decided yet.

[StrongHarm 13]

After watching this playthrough vid of ECAS:

I wanted to make one of my own. Although his intentions were great in doing the playthrough vid, he didn't really seem to grasp the mission completely.

I just had surgery at the VA hospital a few days ago and I don't think I'll be feeling up to making a vid for a while. Is there anyone out there who's fully read the mission briefing and understands the mission well enough to do a full playthrough vid that clearly shows all features and gives some tips on success? Nothing professional or anything, just record it if you're doing a playthrough anyway, and maybe add a little commentary if you feel like it. I'd really appreciate it. Although I enjoyed watching SilentDeath308's vid, it would be cool to see something more explanatory. I was hoping Jester814 would do one.. his vid for Close Air Support(Day2) was a hoot... or maybe dslyecxi since he's an avid flyer.. but those guys said they're busy. If not I'll make one when I'm operational again.. shouldn't be too long.

[StrongHarm 13]

Close Air Support(Day2) just exceeded 30k current subscribers with 50k+ total. Close Air Support(ECAS) has had very little activity, but I think it's a better mission. The few people who have played it give extremely good reviews. If you haven't tried these missions, please do. I put a lot of hard work and detail into them.

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=250649307

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=176755778

[StrongHarm 13]

There have been questions about the UAV/SADL link in the workshop discussion, here are some answers

StrongHarm [author] 10 hours ago Delete

@br1jez- I verified it's working as designed. What you're looking for is an action menu item called 'UAV/SADL Link'. You should be able to hit spacebar to open the action menu, but if you've changed the default key for action menu, you'll have to use that key instead. Once the action menu is opened, you'll find that I moved 'UAV/SADL Link' to the top of the action list. This allows you to hit SpaceBar (or ActionMenuKey) twice quickly.. once to open action menu, again to activate it.. instead of having to scroll through the action menu to select it. Calibrating the camera to the position of OPFOR and having the quick doubletap action makes it more convenient in flight and emulates a TGP targeting pod on the aircraft.

StrongHarm [author] 3 minutes ago

... oh, and you have to be in the jet with engines spun up.. since it simulates an aircraft system (UAV feed through Situational Awareness Data Link(SADL))

StrongHarm [author] Just now

... one more thing, you don't have to calibrate the UAV from the computer in the hanger, you can do it from the cockpit at any time. I just threw that in for the sake of immersion.

[StrongHarm 13]

Despite the work I put into this it's still rated under 'Fly like Superman' and 'Someone Stole Your Pizza' heheh.

[corporal_lib[br] 396]

Probably just because your audience (mature players that look for an authentic experience, not a CoD-ish approach) isn´t used to this youtubish behaviour of rating, liking, favoriting... they just add, play and enjoy, sometimes feedback here or at steamworkshop... don´t put yourself down, Strongharm, likings and favorites aren´t true benchmarks of quality when the community is flooded with kids ;)

Believe me, your missions are well regarded among some fine gentlemens in this community =D

Keep your outstandi missions coming, Sir!

cheers!

[StrongHarm 13]

Thanks Lib, I appreciate it. It's just perplexing; a lot of the comments in the workshop elude to the fact that it's the best mission they've ever played.. yet there are so few people who have subscribed. Maybe the community is thinning out...

[StrongHarm 13]

Added Jester814s playthrough of the mission to the Mission Workshop media.. since I haven't been able to make a walkthrough vid yet. He's not a superb pilot and never claimed to be :) He is always entertaining though.

[StrongHarm 13]

I get the question a lot in YouTube/Workshop: 'Is that a real radio recording?'

Answer: The ground coms (the CCT who's calling the CAS in) that's real.. it's from a guncam recording from an A-10. The ambient radio of other aircraft is real.. it's from RedFlag Nellis Ops. The tower and mission briefing is me.

[StrongHarm 13]

Revised

Edited July 15, 2014 by StrongHarm

[meat147 1]

You could add an real 9 Liner Sheet:

Just as an Image on a Pinboard.

[StrongHarm 13]

I had considered using a full 9-line, but didn't want to inundate the community. There was some debate about my missions being too realistic and involved. I chose to go with abbreviated 9-lines as a compromise. I may create a strike mission in the future with precision talk on though.. I'll just have to add a difficulty disclaimer I guess.

---------- Post added at 12:53 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:51 PM ----------

A subscriber of this mission left an exceedingly kind note I wanted to share. Thank you!

If you haven't tried this mission, and you like the flight component of Arma3, I hope you'll take the time to subscribe and enjoy it. If you think it is worthy of a thumbs up, please take the time to click the icon. This will help other people find the mission so they can enjoy it as well.

Phenomenal, as your missions are, I enjoyed this one a lot. It took me a few tries but (not having flown the planes in Arma 3 before) I got the hang of it and was able to complete the mission. I must say that this one is very satisfying to complete, and the fact that this is based off a true mission just gives me the willies.

I am, once more, impressed with the detail that has been put into your mission, from the sounds used with radio chatter, to the accuracy in how you depict military operations. I also love that bit you put in with the Aces High music loop, the mechanics are always a nice touch to your mission and really make it feel more real.

I'd love to see more content from you!

Also, for Close Air Support (Day2)

This is fantastic! It is by far the most enjoyable attack helo mission set I've played and very immersive too. The voice acting, the radio chatter, the airfield activity, and just the sheer amount of detail you have put into this masterpiece is impressive and outright phenomenal.

I enjoyed playing as the pilot and I'll certainly enjoy playing as a gunner and JTAC. Thank you so much for this contribution to the Arma 3 Community!