Operations Command

[Roni]

Hi All

Here's an idea that has been slowly forming in my head over the past few days.

You play the head of operations for an aviation brigade.  Your base has two six chopper squadrons of transports (Mi 17s / Black Hawks),  two sqadrons of attack helicopters (Hind / Apache) and one of light observation helos (Kamov / OH58).

Every minute or so a new mission will appear as an addAction at your control tower.  Each mission will have an objective, a size and a danger rating, all of which will be described in the addaction title.  If you don't fulfil the mission within (say) 10 minutes then it will disappear.

For example - the new addAction might say "TransportLargeEasy" - you must assign a "large number" of transport helos to the task.  You can try sending only one or two, but this ncreases the chance of the mission failing, wasting your effort.  Similarly, of the mission is "Hard" then you may want to add some extra AH's for overwatch or force protection duty.

Your character can walk up to any one of the stationary helos and click on an addaction which is attached to each vehicle.  This sets up some public variable linked to that vehicle.  If you then go back to the command centre and click on the mission addaction the script will combine all of the selected helos into one group and send them off to the mission waypoint and back again.

When they return the helos will be down on fuel, ammo and health (more
script effects).  You can then direct your attached support units to refuel, rearm and repair any of these helos.

If any of your choppers are lost then you will be able to order new ones, but this will require 2-3 addActions to be carried out in quick succession ("Get CO approval" from HQ, "Requistion Choppers" at command centre etc).

To add to your troubles, the base will come under periodic attack by enemy planes and choppers.  You will have some AA units to defend the base which you will be able to supplement or replace by requistions as above.  You may also choose to put one or more attack or observation choppers on CAP, but this will lower the number that you have available to carry out misions. . .  :-\

In line with all of my missions (     ) the mission should have a time dilation script running so that each "day" pases in around 30 minutes, so you have to roster in day and night misions.

The mission will last until you reach a fixed number of successful missions or run out of choppers and quit.

Any takers for this type of mission or does it all sound like too much paperwork ?



RD

[bluehand]

Hmm - sounds a bit like managing aircraft carrier ops.  So many machines being repaired, some on defensive patrol overhead, some away on missions, some in reserve.

The biggest drawback (for me) is that all I get to do is stare at my airfield and chew my fingernails waiting.  Seems a waste of all that first-person action capability.  Could the player score extra points (and replacement choppers) by leading a mission himself, perhaps?

[Roni]

Could the player score extra points (and replacement choppers) by leading a mission himself, perhaps?

Absolutely !

The player should be able to do anything and everything that the team does.  He just might not want to send himself on misions if he has more pressing things pending.  

Remember that a player group leader can direct other units to execute addActions themselves, so if the player was REALLY good he might send some of his guys to the HQ, some to the flight line and so on and then get them to do all the work while he's away bombing bridges, ferrying wounded or whatever.

This would work really well if the player set himself up as the gunner on an AI piloted chopper.  He could do all his admin work flying to and from the target and then shoot up trucks while he's in the CZ !   :joystick:

A stay-at-base player might also want to keep a Stinger handy just in case his HQ comes under air attack !



Rags

[Kendo J]

DUDES.... you can script all of this and come up with some huge script that if you work on your own will probably be ready after OFP 2 comes out

OR................
USE
COC command engine.... as many units as you want to command. www.thechainofcommand.com

split into platoons if you want (they can move in PLt formation!)

helmet cams so you can watch the action

moving markers to track all of your units on the map

the ability to transfer personell to any squad

my favorite bit... your men tell radio in enemy sightings and update the map to show where they have been spotted... they also update on combat.. i.e. "We are taking heavy fire" or " bravo team - 2 men down" etc

and sooooooooooooo
much more!!!!!!

my biggest CoC mission is half an infantry battalion.. only half a batt because the other half is on R&R! it was made to exactly refect US orbats (order of battle).

that is 2 companies of 4 platoons each,
8 platoons, 6 are active infantry and 2 are supply
each inf platoon has 40 men in 4 squads
the supply is 5t arm (x2), fuel (x2), m113 ambs (x3), and armored escorts.

anouther example of my CoC missions are an airbourne company with 4 platoons of 24 men each (i.e. 3 squad of 8 to fit in ch47)
200 men in all including supply command etc...

trust me it is what you are looking for!!!!!!!!!!!!

Regards
Kendo
 

[Roni]

Hi Kendo

I know all about CoC and although I haven't played with the command rules I have downloaded and messed around the artillery files.

The point of the above mission isn't its size, but what you are supposed to do in it.  The mission could work just as well with one helo squadron and one layer led ops squad.  The point of the mission is to have the player thinking about rostering and keeping the dang things in the air rather than simply running and gunning.

AFAIK, once you start going up the chain of command (no pun intended !) you start spending les and less time shooting things and heaps more time planning things.  I really don't think that your average battalion CO ever actually pulls the trigger on his rifle, or if he does then this means that your btn is in VERY deep trouble !

As I said, the idea was to make a mission with a very different fell then your usual "steal truck, drive to X, blow up Shilka" sort of thing.

Cheers



Rags