Tac Ops - Stepping Stone... With extra steps

[Cynicus 0]

Hey Everybody, long time player, first time poster.

 

This post is to give an overview of what I'm setting out to achieve with my current project, and I'd love to gather some feedback from anyone who might be interested. I’ll likely post this on the Workshop as well once I’ve got it in a working state, as I think others could also enjoy something that took so much time and effort to create.

To keep it brief, modding has recently become one of my favorite creative outlets, and I find it incredibly rewarding. Although I've modded several other games, this is my first venture into Arma. As a quick side note, I'm not particularly focused on creating my own stories from scratch, but I do enjoy improving and expanding on the stories and elements that are already there. Here is a sample of my work on mapping from a different game: CTA - Ger map 1 Redux (I’m putting this here so that anyone reading this can understand what kind of map work I talk about when I mean, I want to rework the map to make it feel more lived in)

 

Disclaimer: this is only My Idea for a rework - Have only done the research, must still compile EVERYTHING, so this is a nothing burger that will shape into something nice in due time (Hopefully).

 

Backstory

I recently returned to Arma after a two-year break and replayed the Stepping Stone campaign. While it was well-scripted, I felt that it had been developed under a tight deadline, as there seemed to be little focus on the overarching story, enemy defenses, and troop loadouts. So, I thought I would set out to rework this mission in several ways.

 

Firstly, I’m not going to touch any of the actual mission scripts or try to change any of that; I just want to rework and expand it to make it much more fun and rewarding. When looking at loadouts, I’ll aim to align them with a blend of real-world ideas, role-playing concepts, and Arma’s 2035 lore. The game has never been in a better state, with more awesome new equipment thanks to the Western Sahara and Quick Reaction Forces CDLCs, and we now know more about modern warfare tactics, like the impact of drones and electronic warfare on the battlefield.

 

With that said, let’s begin with a review of the overarching mission as well as the forces involved. (Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong or misinformed on any of the story!) I’ll then dig a little deeper into the details.

To start off, I’m a bit unclear on the purpose of the intro mission mentioning a holding force in the north while NATO makes a beachhead in the south and then works upward. Is this just meant to indicate they’re monitoring Chinese Shikras to ensure they don’t provide air support for the Scimitar Regiment?

 

The Story So Far

Here’s what we know: U.S.-led NATO forces aboard the lead ship of the U.S. Navy's 6th Fleet, the USS Freedom, begin sailing east toward the Republic of Altis and Stratis in response to the AAF's surprise attack against Task Force Aegis. However, before the operation to invade Altis can begin, NATO forces must first obtain air superiority over the Straits of Gibraltar. To that end, the 6th Fleet has been tasked with seizing the strategic island of Malden first.

 

U.S. forces, specifically the 21st Brigade Combat Team (21st BCT) of the 111th Infantry Division (111 ID) stationed with Carrier Strike Group 14 (6th Fleet), launch an assault on Malden, occupied by CSAT forces, including North African Scimitar Regiment troops and neutral Chinese forces.

In the early hours of July 24, 2035, a combination of heavy airstrikes and naval artillery bombarded the coastal town of Le Port. Light infantry from the 21st BCT proceeded to secure Le Port after its anti-air defenses were neutralized, and several more troops and vehicles were soon brought ashore to reinforce the existing ground elements.

 

As twilight turned into dawn, the BCT began its attack on Cancon. Spender was tasked with assaulting one of the outposts on Cancon’s eastern side, while the rest of the BCT's mechanized and recon elements struck other checkpoints and CSAT supply dumps on the north and south sides.

 

Timeline & Setup

So, if we pause here, here’s what the actual event timeline looks like: the early hours indicate bombardment began around midnight, with the first mission starting roughly 4 hours and 40 minutes later. In that time, NATO bombarded Le Port, landed ground forces, and established what I’m assuming is the smallest FOB at Camp Noe.

 

Let’s keep that timeframe in mind. It’s stated that Jared led his squad on the attack on Cancon, but there’s no mention of Le Port. I assume Jared and his team were preparing, checking equipment, and making ready during the Le Port operation so they would be fresh for the Cancon assault.

 

Once Cancon was taken, I assume they got some quick rest, loaded up, and received their briefing for the second part of the mission moving north to Dourdan and Houdan. By the time this assault happens, it’s 12:00 p.m. on July 25. And you know how the story goes from there. So this gives us a timeline of about +- 12-15 Hours.

 

Likely Timeline for Alpha leading up to the mission(This accounts for Fatigue and moral)

Day before: Rest rotation established; some squad members sleep while others prep and remain on standby.

Night (up to midnight): Controlled naps and rotations continue on the ship.

Midnight to 1:00 -  Bombardement Begins with forces moving into Le Port , Alpha and other forces stage and prepare to disembark, using this time to check gear and receive final orders as the bombardment continues.

4:40 -  Ready to start the first mission

After The First Mission: Likely a quick return to the FOB for rest, resupply, and a chance to recover and then Briefing before the next push Northern 

 

My Questions and Proposed Changes

Here’s where my questions, concerns, and proposed changes come into play. I’ll start by looking at the infantry missions and then address the SF missions.

 

Enemy Defensive Setup

From the intro, we know Malden has been under CSAT’s influence since 2030, meaning they could have spent years shaping the island to their needs. Even if Scimitar Regiment only started responding after bombardments began, they’d still likely have had a few hours, if not 12+, to set up defenses. They should have had a contingency plan for an invasion.

 

But in the current mission, NATO seems like an unstoppable force, and the enemy defense feels like a “cakewalk.” To add more realism, I plan to make Scimitar Regiment a genuinely formidable, entrenched force that requires cautious movement and hard fought battles to overcome. For example, capturing Houdan should feel like a real achievement.

 

Using a “what would a real-world force do” mentality, I’ll set up Scimitar Regiment with realistic defenses, starting with Houdan and applying similar logic to Cancon.

 

Strategic Entrenchment

There are too few soldiers in each town, and the QRF force is too close (the one SF squad takes out). Based on what we know about Scimitar Regiment, they’re mechanized with APCs, IFVs, and similar assets. So, using O&T Eden Expansion, I’ll turn Houdan into a CQB hell. This means layered defenses, makeshift barriers, kill zones, trenches, and static weapons. Houdan’s hills make perfect spots for snipers, AT/AP weapons, and maybe a hidden mortar or two. I may even add a hull-down vehicle or two for defense.

 

I’ll use Lambs AI and Drongo’s Defensive AI to set up a strong defensive AI, putting QRF mechanized forces on standby to assist defenders when called.

 

The town itself will feel more closed off, with locked doors, gates, booby traps, and AP mines on approach and not so many holes in walls for easy movement. I also plan to “populate” the village with items that add a “lived-in” look, as well as using scripts like Tinter’s Furniture script to ensure that all the additions remain performance friendly.

 

The idea is to create a believable defense by a smaller force using every possible advantage. Since they know they’re fighting NATO, they might “encourage” locals to pick up arms, with some defenders even blending into the civilian population, forcing NATO to carefully identify targets.

 

I’ll think through static defenses and trenches based on whether they’d have had five years (When CSAT took over and maybe started building up defences as a contingency plan should the Island be invaded) or only 12 hours to prepare. Most likely, it will be a mix.

 

Loadout Rework

The current squad loadout doesn’t fully align with what the squad is supposed to represent. Here, I’ll look at what fits the 2035 universe for a NATO light squad loadout, while also including RP elements like water and MREs via ACE’s Field Rations.

 

With the understanding they’ll be on foot for potentially extended periods, I’m opting for a lighter loadout focused on endurance but without sacrificing preparedness, considering how little they might have slept and how much they will be required to move with uncertainty as to how much rest they can get in between.

 

So once again we need to reverse and think about what would be happening leading up to their first mission, including expectations of what kind of enemy they will face as well as sustainment. So we have to factor in the following, this squad is a bit weird if I’m honest, as they seemingly keep on being referred to as light infantry, yet since they are only 7 squad members, they are structured more like a mechanised infantry squad.

 

Given that they’re operating on foot in both missions, with only occasional support from an IFV and then an APC, it seems more accurate to treat them as light infantry, with the vehicle support being more of a convenient bonus than a guarantee. They also face a lot of unknowns regarding deployment length and environments. From the briefing and maps, they expect to be moving through villages and towns, likely engaging at medium to short range, with some CQB as they clear these areas.

 

New Loadout Details:

• No NVGs: Since it’s a daytime mission, NVGs are just unnecessary weight.
• Goggles: Everybody gets Combat Goggles to protect ‘dem peepers, except for medic and DM that get tactical glasses.
• Assault Mags: Considering that the MX rifles can all take the 100-round quad-stack mag, I think it could be argued that everyone with an MX starts with a 100 Round Mag for the initial assault so that they have a lot of fire power for when they are closing in until they reach CQC, then they can switch to the lighter 30 rnd mags. I will try and keep everyone’s total amount of rounds the same.
• Pistols: Everyone that has one will retain their P07, however, instead of having 1 16 round mag inside and a second 16 round mag as backup, they will forgo the second mag but have the 30 round mag to start off with.

 

• Squad Leader (SL): I’ll keep SL’s 40mm grenades for explosive power, however, I will load it with an initial 3rnd Grenade to add to fire power. Yes, this gun will be pretty heavy on the initial assault. As SL, a rangefinder would make sense, but realistically, he’ll make do with binoculars, we’ll just say since he’s a grunt.. 
• DMR: Better scope for distance work; he’s the only one starting with a standard 30-round mag.
• Automatic Rifleman: Replacing the heavy SPMG with an MK200 for a lighter loadout, along with an improved scope.
• AT Specialist: Swapping the Titan for a lighter MAAWS Mk4 Mod 1.

 

In terms of rigs and helmets, I’ll match them to each member’s role. The medic gets a light helmet but a Carrier Special rig, the DMR has light armor and helmet, and the AT specialist has light armor but a heavier helmet for protection when exposed. Everyone gets combat goggles for eye protection except the medic and DMR, who have tactical glasses.

 

As for the SF OP. I’ve only given thought to the first one and not yet the second. And also, I only have an overarching idea of changes, haven’t yet thought everything through. I want to make that mission a little more fun and less tedious, as I feel like the extra running around the mission gives you doesn’t really add much but instead just comes off as filler to make the mission longer. So with equipment I want to reshuffle things, I’ll still see exactly what they start with, but right off the bat I want to give one of the SF guys the Commando Mortar and have him hang back for a bit and use it when the time comes. I want to give the main guy(You the player) the RC-40(Or whatever its called) drone/drones as they seem very “special forcy” and not just like a reggo asset. That being said, I want to make the enemy a lot more difficult by giving them access to either Suicide drones or grenade dropper drones, making it VERY dangerous for the SF guys to be detected, and really making it so that they need to keep a very stealthy mission. I’m looking into which EW mods I can use with it to make it more fun for you as the player as well, but this is still very much a work in progress. 

 

Anyway, I will update once I have actually started with the edits. This was just kind of an overview of what I want to do and to see if anyone else would be interested in playing this once I’ve done it and also maybe there is something that I overlooked, so If you have thoughts, suggestions, or see ways to further improve, I’d love to hear them as I refine this mission! Remember, this is only the start.

Edited October 31 by Cynicus
Grammar