New Mission Ideas Wishlist

[Pursuivant]

Since we'll soon have flyable cargo aircraft and flying boats in IL2, I'd like to propose some new mission types for IL2. Obviously, this is a wish list. Many of my ideas probably aren't practical.

Cargo Plane Missions

Paratroop Drop - Also represents secret agent/partisan drop missions (Note: bombers such as the B-24 Liberator, SB-2, and DB-3 could have secret agent/partisan cargo loadouts).

Paratroops can only safely be released below certain speeds, above a certain height, and only when the plane is flying more or less straight and level (drop is slowed or stopped if the plane is pulling Gs).

Each paratrooper which makes it to the ground alive, within the landing zone, gives the player points.

Paratroops are dropped all at once, using existing animations. But, paratroops must ready themselves for jumping prior to the jump, which takes a few seconds, so you can't just press the "drop bombs" button to make them jump. This means there will need to be a new command "ready paratroops" (also opens cargo door) and then "drop paratroops".

Cargo Drop - Represents aerial supply/resupply missions. (Note: Bombers such as the B-24, B-17 could be fitted with cargo loadouts to represent Operations Manna & Chowhound, etc.).

Cargo can only safely be released below certain speeds, above a certain height, and only when the plane is flying more or less straight and level (drop is slowed or stopped if the plane is pulling Gs). Drop speed is slowed or stopped if crewmen are killed or injured.

Each cargo unit which makes it to the ground undamaged, within the landing zone, gives the player points. Points are lost if cargo lands within enemy territory.

Each cargo unit is dropped separately, but must be readied prior to drop (representing the crew maneuvering it into position). There is also a delay after the "drop cargo" button is pushed representing the time required for aircrew to kick the cargo out the door (literally!). This means two commands "ready cargo" (also opens cargo door) and "drop cargo" (can be same as drop paratroops/bombs).

Due to time required to ready various cargo units, drop missions can take minutes to complete.

Cargo Pick-Up - This is a variant on Rearm-Repair-Refuel. Airplane must land and stop within a certain distance of a pick-up zone (set in FMB - can be an object or area). Cargo is loaded at a rate of X Kg per minute - loading speed and Kg increments set in FMB. Mass is added to the plane as the cargo is loaded. Player gets points for loading each unit of cargo, and for taking off with a partial or full load.

Realistically, due to time required to load cargo, planes can spend minutes or hours on the ground. Normally very boring, unless you're under fire! To make things more interesting, the FMB can be set to load cargo at an unrealistically quick rate.

Cargo Drop-Off - As above, but in reverse. Unloading time is typically faster than loading since unloaded cargo doesn't need to be balanced and strapped into place. Player gets points for landing, and for each cargo unit unloaded.

Passenger Pick-Up - As for Cargo Pick-Up, but passengers board the plane. This is much faster than loading cargo, but animations might be needed as each passenger is seated. Passenger figures can be killed or wounded, but can't bail out while the plane is in the air.

Med-Evac - As for Passenger Pick-Up but passengers are badly wounded mean on stretchers and take longer to board the plane. They start the game badly wounded, so any further damage will probably kill them. They can't bail out, either on the ground or in the air. Occasionally, one might suffer severe bleeding, or die, while in flight.

Passenger/Med-Evac Drop-Off - As for Cargo Drop-Off, but passengers unload themselves very quickly compared to cargo. Med-Evac passengers take longer.

New Game Objects Needed

Marker panels in different colors - To mark drop zones for cargo planes, as well as target zones for ground attack.

Ground flares in different colors - ditto

Ground launched aerial/parachute flares - ditto, and to mark location of life rafts/lifeboats.

Air launched aerial/parachute flares - To mark target/drop zones for night bombing and cargo drop missions.

Cargo parachutes in different colors and sizes - red, blue, yellow, green, white, natural (cream color), camouflage. 24', 28', 36', and 48' diameter - Selectable as loadout or FMB object - so you can have parachutes in the air when the game starts. (Note: multiple parachute objects also allows aircrew of different nations to have different chute colors - German aircrew during Battle of Germany used yellow or cream color. Allies used white.)

Different cargo drop objects - mostly boxes or palletized cargo.

More paratroop types - Soviet, British, Japanese, Soviet Partisan, OSS/SOE agent.

Wounded Men on Stretchers

German Fallschrimjager weapons pods - dropped along with FJ troops.

[Pursuivant]

Patrol Aircraft Missions

Rescue Patrol - When aircraft spots a specified sea object (set in FMB), the mission triggers a ship or boat to sail (set in FMB) directly to the object's location.

Points are awarded for detecting floating objects, when the rescue ship detects the player's plane (to encourage the player to orbit the object that needs to be rescued), and when the rescue ship reaches the rescue object.

Land to Rescue - Player aircraft must land on water to pick up a floating object. Similar to Passenger Pick-Up Mission described above, but loading time is slower due to time needed to haul survivors out of the water.

Points are awarded when player detects the object to be rescued, when they land, when survivors are "loaded" and when the plane takes off again.

The plane should take on extra mass as survivors are loaded, and there might be limits to the number of survivors a plane can take on board. Each survivor takes some time to load. Rescue object vanishes when all survivors are aboard the plane.

Artillery Spotting - Player aircraft controls gunfire from specified friendly ship or artillery battery (set in FMB). If ship/battery is in range of a target, the player can type in range and direction for guns, then correct fire (left, right, drop, add a certain number of meters) until target is hit.

Player gets points for destroying targets using friendly ship's/battery's guns.

There will be a time interval between when the player calls in artillery, when the battery fires, and when artillery shells hit. Realistically, the player should also be able to specify single gun or battery fire, and shell type (smoke, white phosphorus, high explosive).

This type of mission already exists as a mod, so it should be doable.

ASV Radar Intercept - Player detects surface vessel on radar, then attacks at low level. Would require design and programming of at least one Air to Surface Vessel Radar.

ASV Radar/Leigh Light Intercept - As above, but plane is also equipped with Leigh Light for night missions. Would require design and programming of Leigh Light as optional loadout.

Mine-Dropping - Simulates dropping mines and similar ordinance.

Player gets points for dropping mines in drop zone, and for destroying ships using dropped mines.

Mines can only be dropped below a certain altitude and speed, and only work if dropped into water. Once dropped they are treated like bombs, but with fuses which only trigger when a ship object touches them (contact mines), or gets within a certain distance (acoustic and magnetic mines). Acoustic/Magnetic mines might have a high failure rate, representing countermeasures. Things like water depth would have to be ignored, or determined by mission builder.

Mine objects would need to be created and added as loadouts.

This type of loadout already exists as a mod, so it is doable.

Anti-Submarine Missions - Allows player to drop depth charges. Depth charges are treated similarly to aerial mines, but must be fused to go off at a certain depth (this can be treated like a delay fuse). Their effective "TNT value" increases with depth as well (simulating increased effects on submarine hulls under pressue). Can damage or destroy submerged submarines within the blast radius. Damaged submerged submarines might be forced to surface. Sunk submarines are replaced with oil slick effect.

This type of mission would require lots of animation and coding to give submarines a bit of AI. Damaged subs would need to be programmed to surface. Then, they'd either need to fight back or surrender based on damage (in the latter case - launch life rafts, then the sub sinks as it is scuttled). Subs on the surface would need to dive, being replaced with submerged sub object after a certain number of seconds. Sunk subs on the surface would need a sinking routine, finishing with an oil slick effect. Sunk submerged subs just produce an oil slick.

Submerged sub objects would need to artificially add range (since IL2 doesn't model water depth beyond a certain point) when figuring damage from bombs and depth charges.

New Game Objects Needed

Aircrew floating in water - For all nations, not just US and Japan. Both as bail-out sequence objects and as placeable objects in the FMB. Could probably just use model for US pilot, reskinned for British, German, etc. Could have both single and group object.

Seamen floating in water - identical to aircrew floating in water, but different skin. Could have both single and group object.

Aircrew floating in life rafts - For nations that had life rafts (US, UK, Germany). Both as bail-out sequence objects and as placeable objects in the FMB. Will launch aerial flares when friendly aircraft get within X distance.

Lifeboats with survivors - Will launch aerial flares when friendly aircraft get within X distance. This has already been made, but hasn't been included in the game.

Carley float with survivors - For nations that had them (US, UK, possibly others).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carley_float

Otherwise identical to lifeboat.

Rafts/wreckage with survivors - as for lifeboat, but perhaps no flares.

Oil slick/debris from sunken ship/sub - both as post sinking animation, and as placeable object in FMB. This has already been made, but hasn't been included in the game. Useful because it is visible at greater distances than lifeboats/Carley floats.

Oil slick/debris from sunken airplane - both as post crash animation and as placeable object in FMB. Same purpose as oil slick from ship.

MTB/PT/E-boats for nations that had them - US PT boat, British MTB, Italian MAS. These represent sea rescue craft.

Different Artillery Shell Effects - For different sized guns and different rounds. Most important would be smoke/white phosphorus used as marker rounds.

Different aerial mine types - For nations that used them.

Aerial depth charge types - For relevant nations.

New submerged sub objects - 25 m increments down to 300 m.

[Nil]

Great ideas! it makes sense since we have our new babies!

[Jack_Aubrey]

Does the game support now the artilleries over buildings???
If not it would be nice to allow the placement of 88 and others over buildings... that way bunkers that clearly have gun placement on their roof could be used properly.

[Pursuivant]

Does the game support now the artilleries over buildings???

No. IL2 doesn't allow you to place gun or vehicle objects on top of building objects. But, a recent step towards the creation of proper flak towers was the introduction of multi-turreted tanks.

[Pursuivant]

Continuing the wishlist:

Miscellaneous New Missions

High Altitude Photo Recon - Player must fly straight and level at a specific altitude while taking pictures.

The initial point for the photo recon run, the end point, and the altitude must be set in the FMB.

Player gets points for flying the correct flight path starting from one point on the map to the other. The mission fails if the player's plane is at the wrong altitude or doesn't fly straight and level while taking photos.

No new effects or objects are needed, although new loadouts would be needed for aerial cameras mounted in suitable planes.

The existing screenshot key could be modified to create photo recon pictures (with camera angle pointing straight down from the camera aircraft's belly and a black and white photo filter added).

A new post-mission debriefing option would be needed to that the player could see the photos taken on his mission.

Low Altitude Oblique Photo Recon - Player must circle a specific point on the map, or fly past it at a certain angle and altitude. Cameras are smaller, so resolution isn't as good, requiring the player to get closer to the target.

Similar game mechanics to High Altitude Photo Recon, except that cameras are mounted so that the lens points left or right rather than straight down.

Pathfinder Mission - Simulates operations to drop flares, smoke bombs, or incendiaries, either to mark a target zone for the main bomber stream during night bombing missions, or to mark a drop zone for a paratroop or cargo drop.

The target zone must be set within the FMB, possibly using something like Front Markers.

The player gets points for dropping specified ordinance within the target zone, and possibly points for each friendly plane which subsequently drops bombs, cargo or paratroops in the zone.

High Altitude Area Bombing - Player must drop ordinance within a designated drop zone while flying straight and level.

The target zone must be set within the FMB, as described for Pathfinder missions.

The player gets points for dropping his ordinance within the target zone, possibly with bonus points if he hits exactly in the center of the zone. He might lose points for dropping ordinance outside the zone (simulating hitting friendly troops or non-military targets). The usual points accrue if the player actually destroys objects within the zone.

Incendiary Bombing - The player must drop incendiary bombs within a designated drop zone.

This mission is identical to Area/Carpet Bombing missions, except that it requires special incendiary loadouts for the relevant aircraft. Incendiary bombs would also need new game mechanics/coding in order to work properly.

Low Altitude Area Bombing - Identical to High Altitude Area Bombing, but planes use dive bombing or glide bombing to drop bombs and/or rockets within a zone.

New Objects Needed

Various flares, as described in previous posts.

Smoke bombs - for the nations that used them. Basically, bombs with contact fuses which produce a smoke effect when they exploded. Smoke effect size should depend on bomb size.

Incendiary bombs - for nations that used them. Special bombs which produce a fire effect when they hit the ground (or sometime afterwards if they have a delay fuse). After a set amount of burn time, they set fires in wooden buildings and other flammable objects. Treat this as a destruction effect which only triggers if a certain object overlaps the incendiary's location for a sufficiently long period of time.

"Trigger" boxes - a very simple object with a "panzer rating" and "destruction effect" which can be placed inside a building object in the FMB. When it is destroyed, it triggers some special effect - such as an explosion, fire, or smoke - and possibly gives the player points. These could simulate buildings used as ammo and fuel dumps, as well as strategic targets. "Friendly" trigger boxes make the player lose points if they're destroyed. These represent non-military targets, or targets which must be left intact.

Larger and more varied smoke effects - to simulate effects of smoke bombs, marker shells, fires, and previous bombing. These could be placeable objects within the FMB. Different sizes (huge, large, medium, small, very small) and colors are needed (white, gray, black, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple).

Larger and more varied fire effects - to simulate the effects of incendiaries, napalm, forest fires, firestorms, etc. These could be placeable objects within the FMB.

It might also be possible to create "2-D" smoke and fire effects over cities which are similar to the current forests. That is, they're nothing but textured 2-D "sheets" - possibly with very simple animated textures - until the player aircraft gets quite close, at which point they turn into sprite-producing effects.

[Spudkopf]

No. IL2 doesn't allow you to place gun or vehicle objects on top of building objects. But, a recent step towards the creation of proper flak towers was the introduction of multi-turreted tanks.

Just an left of field thought here, but vehicles are able to cross bridges, so then would it be possible to create a building object as bridge object and thus allowing a vehicle or gun to be placed on to of it?

[wheelsup_cavu]

Patrol Aircraft Missions

Rescue Patrol - When aircraft spots a specified sea object (set in FMB), the mission triggers a ship or boat to sail (set in FMB) directly to the object's location.

Several cool ideas in your posts.
Of all of them, at the moment, if it were to be incorporated in the "Official version" this one would be achievable with Catsy Trigger mod.

Does the game support now the artilleries over buildings???
If not it would be nice to allow the placement of 88 and others over buildings... that way bunkers that clearly have gun placement on their roof could be used properly.

No. IL2 doesn't allow you to place gun or vehicle objects on top of building objects. But, a recent step towards the creation of proper flak towers was the introduction of multi-turreted tanks.

Just an left of field thought here, but vehicles are able to cross bridges, so then would it be possible to create a building object as bridge object and thus allowing a vehicle or gun to be placed on to of it?

I would have to check but I don't think that vehicles will stop on a bridge. IIRC the waypoints can only be set on both sides of it and not set to stop in the middle.


Wheels

[Spudkopf]

I would have to check but I don't think that vehicles will stop on a bridge. IIRC the waypoints can only be set on both sides of it and not set to stop in the middle.


Wheels

I seem to remember in the early days using QMB and tooling around in the newly added Ju87 and attacking Russian convoys, I recall noting that if a convoy had started to cross a bridge and if I could hit just one end of that bride then the rest of the convoy would stall on the bridge and its approaches, providing me with some easy to re-locate sitting ducks that I could then take out at my leisure, as long as I made the neutralisation of the AA vehicle bringing up the rear as a priority I could then attack the rest of the column unmolested.

Not done that for a long time and so do not know if the behaviour still exists but maybe this could be a trick to stop vehicles mid object?

[Pursuivant]

Even more Mission Ideas

Fighter Missions

Close Escort/Shadow - Player gets points for remaining within X distance of a particular formation of aircraft (distance and formation set in FMB) for either a certain amount of time, or between two or more waypoints. Player also gains points for each friendly aircraft in the escorted formation which remains undamaged/undestroyed during the close escort mission.

Air Superiority - Player gets points for remaining within a specific area of space for a certain period of time (area and time required set in FMB). Player also gets points for each friendly aircraft in his formation which successfully completes the mission. AI aircraft given this mission will "loiter" in the area, flying in circles or a "racetrack" pattern at the specified altitude, without the need to specify waypoints. At the end of their loitering period, they will automatically fly to the next waypoint.

Intercept/Rendezvous - Player gets points for getting within a certain distance of a certain formation of aircraft (friendly or enemy). This mission is a bit different from your standard "fly to a certain waypoint" because the target formation is the "waypoint".

Timed Intercept/Rendezvous - As above, but the player only gets points if he meets the target formation within a certain time period.

Land to Conquer - As for Air Superiority, but player gets points for successfully landing in a certain area and remaining there for a certain period of time. This is an unrealistic mission, but it's a classic for multi-player "capture the airfield."

One Last Patrol Plane Mission

Lifeboat/Life Raft Drop - Player gets points for dropping air-dropped lifeboat or life raft within X distance of a certain object (distance and object set in FMB). Lifeboat/supplies can only be successfully dropped if the aircraft is flying below a certain speed and above a certain altitude for parachute dropped lifeboats, or below a certain speed and altitude for directly-dropped supplies. New loadouts would be needed for appropriate aircraft (notably B-17 and B-24)

New Objects Needed

Empty Liferaft - For appropriate nations.
Uffa Fox Lifeboat
A-1 Lifeboat

http://spacepropeller.com/mirror/.w.wiki/Airborne_lifeboat

One Last Cargo Plane Mission

Glider Tug - Player gets points for releasing towed glider at a certain point and altitude. He gets further points if the glider successfully lands within a specified landing zone. He loses points if the glider is destroyed/lands in water. Glider release altitude and point, and glider landing zone must be set in FMB.

Glider tow line can break and tow plane and glider can be damaged if tow plane exceeds a certain speed or pulls excessive Gs, especially when taking off or landing with a glider in tow.

New keyboard commands - similar to those used for paratroop or cargo drop missions - would be needed for readying glider crew for tow line release, and to release the line.

Recon Plane Missions
Mostly covered by patrol plane missions and existing mission options.

Forward Air Controller - Player gets points for accurately directing fire from other friendly planes, basically a fraction of the points gained for destroying a particular object, or putting ordinance within a target area. Player loses points if friendly planes destroy friendly objects or place ordinance outside target area.

A new mechanism - possibly related to the existing "Padlock Ground Object" function - would be needed to allow player to "paint" or "mark" specific targets or areas.

Recon By Fire - Player gets points for getting close enough to hostile units (specified in FMB) that they shoot at him. Each unit that shoots gives the player some fraction of its value if destroyed.

A new mechanism within the FMB that allows ground units to hold their fire until enemy planes are within a certain distance, and/or only fire at certain targets would make this mission even more challenging.

Generic Missions

Emergency Landing - Aircraft (or aircraft formation) lands at the nearest non-hostile airfield. Not so useful for actual missions, but handy for AI. Can be combined with priority landing. Might trigger dropped flare effect prior to landing to simulate wounded crew/mechanical failure.

Priority Landing - Aircraft (or aircraft formation) lands first (or ahead of non-priority aircraft) at designated airfield, ahead of non-priority landing aircraft. Can be combined with Emergency Landing. Might trigger dropped flare effect prior to landing to simulate wounded crew/mechanical failure. Handy for FMB if you want the player aircraft (or formation) to land first rather than orbiting waiting for AI aircraft to land.

Formate - Aircraft (or aircraft formation) joins one or more other aircraft formations and begins to operate as a single unit. This allows aircraft (or formations) to take off from different airfields and then join up. Could also be a player in-flight command.

The FMB and AI would have to be reworked to allow disparate types of aircraft to join the same formation (e.g., mixed flight of B-239 & Bf-109G, or LaGG-3 and Yak-1, or B-17 and B-24) and to allow different flights to combine into one unit during the game.

Independent Formation - Aircraft (or aircraft formation) breaks formation with other planes in the flight and begins to operate as a separate unit. This allows large formations of aircraft to either break off to land at different airfields, or break into smaller units to attack widely dispersed targets. Could also be a player in-flight command.

The FMB and AI would have to be reworked to allow splitting of formations in the course of the game.

Teamwork Option - Alters victory conditions of any mission so that the player gains a share of points for all enemy units damaged/destroyed by his formation, but also loses points for each friendly aircraft in his formation which is damaged/destroyed. Player also scores points normally for individual kills/achievements. This option rewards leadership and gives players an incentive to keep AI friendly planes alive even during single missions. Can be "overlaid" on any mission.

[RPS69]

I seem to remember in the early days using QMB and tooling around in the newly added Ju87 and attacking Russian convoys, I recall noting that if a convoy had started to cross a bridge and if I could hit just one end of that bride then the rest of the convoy would stall on the bridge and its approaches, providing me with some easy to re-locate sitting ducks that I could then take out at my leisure, as long as I made the neutralisation of the AA vehicle bringing up the rear as a priority I could then attack the rest of the column unmolested.

Not done that for a long time and so do not know if the behaviour still exists but maybe this could be a trick to stop vehicles mid object?

On this subject, you may note that at some time after the destroyed vehicle is bumped more than once by the still operative ones, the destroyed one just disappears. Same as a plane that finished it's taxiing.

[RPS69]

Really nice post Pursuivant.

[P-38L]

Hello DT
As I am always very grateful to you.

Currently we have more powerful computers. Computers capable of supporting more graphic load and keep good frame rates.

The idea is to have life on land. Speaking of life, I mean vehicular traffic in cities, roads and paths. Trains also give you an excellent choice of realism. To schedule something, not necessarily tell the vehicle via a single pattern. But the vehicle can go back and constantly throughout the mission. Also give a range in the case of cities, so that the vehicle is constantly moving in the city. Trains can have the same characteristic, for which could be two train stations and would make a round trip. At night the vehicles could turn on the lights to move and trains could blow his bell when driven on the railroads.

I know that many people will say that being wartime vehicles not circulated and thus not go on their lights. But it is not always the case because sometimes the pleasure of flying on land and appreciate "life" in it, would be great. Besides being a period of war, life can not stagnate and this should continue.

There will always be a negative person to every new idea, always see a "but".

Thank you DT.

[Marabekm]

For supply missions:
Whichever airfield you want to get supplied, set a primary recon objective over it and check the block that's says you have to land to meet objective. Also set a protect objective over your cargo planes.

For rescue missions at see using float planes:
Japanese or American only currently. Set your guys being rescued in the water. The pilots are located under the stationary ships section. Again set a primary recon objective. Use the slider to minimize the radius, and make sure landing block is checked. Then set your float plane to land inside the recon objective radius.
No I think there is a way to make the pilots disappear after a set amount of time, but I am not sure. So if you could get timing right, then float plane would land, then a few minutes later the pilots object would disappear (simulating the rescued crew aboard) take-off and return home.

[Pursuivant]

For supply missions:
Whichever airfield you want to get supplied, set a primary recon objective over it and check the block that's says you have to land to meet objective. Also set a protect objective over your cargo planes.

That's a good work-around, but it doesn't take the unloading sequence into account after you land.

My wish-list idea for supply missions would allow you to land and have cargo "units" within the plane removed at a set time rate, removing mass from the plane. That way, you could then take off unloaded, and you'd get points for each unit of cargo unloaded rather than just for landing. That allows for "round trip" supply missions, or even multiple supply sorties within a single game mission.

Since the rate of cargo/passenger loading/unloading could be set in the FMB, to make missions more fun you could set the rates to x100 faster than realistic, allowing you to unload or load cargo almost instantly, so you spend less time on the ground.


For rescue missions at see using float planes:
Japanese or American only currently. Set your guys being rescued in the water. The pilots are located under the stationary ships section. Again set a primary recon objective. Use the slider to minimize the radius, and make sure landing block is checked. Then set your float plane to land inside the recon objective radius.

This is also a clever work-around, but again it doesn't take loading times and mass changes into account, nor does it take into the account that you've got passengers aboard.


No I think there is a way to make the pilots disappear after a set amount of time, but I am not sure. So if you could get timing right, then float plane would land, then a few minutes later the pilots object would disappear (simulating the rescued crew aboard) take-off and return home.

Or, turn it around: if you don't get to your objective in time, it "disappears" and the mission fails. Realistically, what that means is that the people you were supposed to be rescuing got captured or died at sea. Time until mission failure (i.e., object vanishes) could be set in FMB.

[Pursuivant]

One More "Rescue" Mission Idea

Capture the Flag - First unit to get within X distance (set in FMB) of a specific objective "loads" the object and makes it disappear from the map. That unit gets points for "loading" the object and possibly ends the scenario if the "sudden death" option is in play.

* The list of possible "capturing" units can be set in the FMB - ship, ground unit, airplane, type of airplane, etc. Likewise, "capturing" conditions can be set - loading times, distance to flag, etc. Landing might be required for aircraft "rescuers."

* Destruction Option: The "flag" is destroyed if the unit carrying it is destroyed, or if it is attacked. One or both sides lose points if this occurs.

* Goal Option: Capturing unit only gets points if the "flag" is moved to a certain location after it is captured. For an aircraft, landing might be required. If it is in play, the "sudden death" option doesn't take effect until the capturing unit reaches the goal area.

* "Hand-Off" Option: Capturing unit can transfer the "flag" to another friendly unit. If no friendly unit is within range the "flag" is just unloaded and can be captured by any other unit. This would require a key binding to "unload" the item. The list of "capturing" units can be set in the FMB, as can the conditions required for "hand off" (landing required, distance between units, etc.)

* Obvious Flag Option: The unit carrying the flag becomes obvious to some or all of the other units on the map.

* Recapture Option: The "flag" object is loaded aboard the "rescuer" unit and moves with it. If that unit is destroyed, the "flag" object reappears next to the wreck and can be "captured" by another suitable unit. Conditions which destroy the "flag" can be set in FMB (e.g., sinking/crash in water, airplane crash, etc.)

* "Sudden Death" option - Mission ends when "flag" option is captured.

* Timed Option: Both sides have a limited amount of time to "rescue" or "capture" the "flag" object. If neither side gets the "flag" within a set amount of time, the scenario ends and one or both sides lose points!

Ideas for how "Capture the Flag" missions could work:

Land-based Combat Search & Rescue Ops (CSAR) - The "flag" is an aircrew object. Enemy forces are moving towards it. A friendly transport aircraft must land within X distance of the unit to "capture" it and must then transport it to friendly territory to win the game. Enemy units just have to capture or destroy the aircrew, or destroy the vehicle in which they are riding, to win. With variations, this can represent secret agent/special ops pick-up operations.

Ocean CSAR - As above, but the timer is running - the aircrew will die at sea if not rescued in time. Only friendly ships or seaplanes which land on water can make the rescue.

Capture the Gold - The "flag" is a cargo unit. Only ground vehicles, ships, or transport aircraft which land can "capture" it. The cargo can survive air crashes but is lost if it sinks in the sea. It can be handed off between ground vehicles and/or ships which get within X distance of each other. It can also be transferred to a cargo plane (or vice versa) if the plane lands within X distance of the carrier vehicle. One side wins when they transport the cargo to a particular goal location (i.e., friendly territory).

Airborne Soccer - Any airplane that gets within X distance of the "flag" can capture it. The flag survives if the unit carrying it is destroyed. Friendly planes can "hand off" the flag to each other if they get within X distance of each other. The unit carrying the flag becomes obvious to all. One side wins when they transport the flag to a "goal" area.

Capture the Objective - The "flag" is a building or airfield object. First unit to get within X distance of it wins the game. The "flag" object can't be moved or destroyed.

[P-38L]

Hello DT
Speaking of weather, it is possible to have the following characteristics?

* Random gusts of wind, whether the day is sunny.
* Moving clouds appear and gradually disappear.
* Variable weather

For more realistic maps:

* Smoke in the chimneys of some houses and factories that can turn off their smoke and randomly re-start.
* We have some watches to the public in buildings and churches, what about to have a working clock, so if you fly low and close, you can see the time. And in some cases the church bells are ringing every hour.
* Moving flags depending of the wind.
* Windsock in airports, with movement according to the wind.

To continue in the mission
* To have the R/R/R (Rearm, Refuel, Repair) option, with graduated realistic option that you can choose from the FMB or the difficulty options. This last option can be a complement to the mission ideas.

Thak you

[Pursuivant]

Speaking of weather, it is possible to have the following characteristics?

* Random gusts of wind, whether the day is sunny.
* Moving clouds appear and gradually disappear.
* Variable weather

Random gusts of wind seem like they would be the easiest to do, since all you'd need to do is add a randomization option to existing wind modeling.

Clouds that move might require some serious work on how the game handles graphics, and might result in a big drop to frame rates - at least if you have a lot of clouds in the sky.

Clouds that appear and disappear might also require some serious graphics work, and might also reduce frame rates.

Variable weather conditions are easy if you just have a setting to randomize weather conditions in the QMB! (Actually, "random" options for many of the settings in the QMB would be fun - random weather, random plane, random enemy planes, random mission, etc.)

Weather that changes over the course of a mission would take a lot more graphics and coding work, even beyond that required to get dynamic cloud effects. Basically, you'd be taking a somewhat elderly tactical combat flight sim, and trying to turn it into a state-of-the-art weather simulation program.

It might be possible, but I'm not sure that anyone would want to put in the work to make it happen.

For more realistic maps:


* Smoke in the chimneys of some houses and factories that can turn off their smoke and randomly re-start.

This might be useful, since smoking chimneys can help to identify ground objects, and lack of smoke from a chimney can indicate that a target is destroyed.

In the FMB, there could be the ability to "attach" smoke and fire effects to certain objects, possibly with pre-set "hooks" - so a train, ship, or smokestack always emits smoke from the top of its chimney, or a burning building always emits fire from its roof (or the middle of the mesh if it is destroyed).

Attached smoke and fire effects could be set in the FMB so that they go "off" or "on" under certain conditions (i.e., friendly/hostile aircraft nearby, object destroyed, at a set time, etc.)


* We have some watches to the public in buildings and churches, what about to have a working clock, so if you fly low and close, you can see the time. And in some cases the church bells are ringing every hour.

Essentially, this would be adding a "gauge" to a ground object. I'd imagine it would be possible, although there would be some coding work and certain building skins would have to be made to a higher resolution.


* Moving flags depending of the wind.
* Windsock in airports, with movement according to the wind.

This would make flag and windsock objects much more complex to create, since you'd need several different animations for different wind states. There would also be some coding work required to make the object pivot away from the wind, or change animations when wind speeds change.

I'm sure it's doable, but it might be a lot of work.


* To have the R/R/R (Rearm, Refuel, Repair) option, with graduated realistic option that you can choose from the FMB or the difficulty options. This last option can be a complement to the mission ideas.

Simple R/R/R has been done as a mod, so it can be done. Realistic R/R/R might be trickier to do, though, since you'd need to do lots of research into speed at which rearming, refueling and repair can be done for various planes - realistically, it can take hours to rearm and refuel a big plane, and days or weeks to repair a badly damaged one.

But, given that R/R/R is one of the most requested features in the game, I think it should be added as an option, even if it's unrealistic.