ASW Training Course (DCS:W)

[Minoslas]

Mbot has build a ASW traning course by Scripts to UH-1H and Mil Mi-8 DCS: World Modules

The mission enable to a UH-1 and Mil Mi-8 carry and use sensors and weapons to detect and Hunt sumerged submarines:

http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=116135 (Mission and Script in the post)

Welcome cadet to the Black Sea Fleet Anti-Submarine Warfare Research and Training Center at Novorossiysk. In this training course you will learn the basics of heliborne anti-submarine warfare. This knowledge will prepare you for operational ASW missions which surely are to follow.

Features of this mission includ script based solutions for submerged submarines and the basic ASW equipment, such as sonobuoys, dipping sonar, MAD and air dropped torpedoes. The under-the-hood simulation of these aspects is brought to the player by text output, sounds and some special effects. This mission will provide an opportunity to quickly try out this new mission type in a training environment. More difficult, "true" submarine hunt missions will follow by me and as I hope by other mission designers.

While this mission is set up as a multiplayer coop, it is currently only cleared for singleplayer use. You can either start it as a normal SP mission and select your helicopter of choice (Mi-8 or UH-1) at the mission start, or play it by setting up your own server. I have tested the mission in multiplayer with friends and we have experienced repeated disconnects and loss of syncing. I assume that this is somehow caused by the script, possible by the server being overwhelmed with script data. At least it looks like that. The exact cause is not clear to me yet though, and I also think that the amount of data being handled by the script is not extraordinary big. Please feel free to test this in multiplayer, perhaps we can figure it out together. Again, playing alone, either SP or as the host, should be perfectly fine.

The script behind this mission is set up for easy modification and I hope it will spawn missions by other mission designers. The script is divided into a main script and a config script, which holds all the mission specific data. So only the config script needs to be adjusted for a new mission, while the main script can easily be replaced with subsequent updated versions. Please feel free to copy and adjust the mission as you like. I will also post the scripts in the Mission Builders' Corner of the forum once this mission has been out for a bit, as I am sure a broader player base will discover some bugs first.

Lastly I would like to mention that while I tried to make this heliborne ASW environment as authentic and realistic as possible within the limits of DCS, I am by no means an expert on the topic. I do not claim that the systems and tactics portrayed here are true to real life. Almost everything I learned about helicopter ASW comes from playing Dangerous Waters. So this mission is also meant as a tribute to the awesome simulation by Sonalysts. Some players might even recognize some of the sounds

Some pics into DCS: World (using UH-1H module)

Droping sonobouys:



Sonobuoy display



Dipping sonar display



MAD display



A submarine in green and a torpedo in red in Show Truth mode (DCS:W for the moment no subsumerged visibility. Expected change with future new EDGE engine)




and future plans:

http://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?...38&postcount=7

I have some ideas for features that I would like to implement additionally. But after having spent quite a bit of time on the concept I wanted to release something which holds the basic equipment and see how well it is received by the community (and if there is even any interest in ASW). Features I would like to add are:

-Thermal layers
-Weapon presets
-"Virtual" depth charges for the Huey and "bomb-conversion" depth charges for the Mi-8 and the flyable fixed wing aircraft. The latter would converse a bomb into a depth charge by removing the in-game bomb shortly before impact and spawning a scripted depth charge in the water below.
-Surfacing of damaged subs.
-Random spawned wrecks on the seabed that trigger MAD.

I would like to expand the sonobuoys but here we quickly come to a limit of what can be done with text output and F10 user input. I decided to go with a simple omni-directional passive buoy which which provides pre-processed data (imagine a guy in the back working the station and giving you his assessment). I think it also supports gameplay as this buoy requires the use of other sensors to determine target position.

While of course the Mil Mi-14 and AB-212 served as inspiration for the script, I did not model any specific system. The torpedo is loosely based on the Mk-46 while sonobuoys, dipping sonar and MAD represent approximately the 1960s state of technology. I think this fits well to the level of data output that can be achieved with text, anything more modern would require integrated top-down view situation displays.

[Minoslas]

http://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?...2&postcount=25

Well I couldn't figure out yet what's wrong with the weapon menu in MP. But at least I wrote something pretty cool today. Dipping sonar will now show the outline of the coast.

[Minoslas]

ASW Training course update v2

http://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?...0&postcount=32

The mission is now updated to version 2:

http://forums.eagle.ru/attachment.ph...2&d=1383482202

Here is the change log:

Quote:
-Fixed disappearing menu bug
-Smoke Marker Buoys endurance changed from 20 min to 6 min
-Dipping sonar max. washout depth reduced from 30 m to 10 m
-MAD detection distance now also depends on sub depth
-MAD detection distance increased to 400m
-Added thermal layer
-Sonobuoys can be dropped deep or shallow
-Torpedo search cone now affected by depth difference between sub and torpedo
-Torpedo search depth can be preselected
-Dipping sonar now displayes the coastline
-FAB-250 and Mk-82 work like depth charges
-Mi-8 has FAB-250
-Added Su-25, Su-25T and A-10C
Depth plays a much bigger role after this update. I introduced a simple model for a thermal layer, which will cut active sonar detection range (both for dipping sonar and the torpedo homing head) by half. This will force you to search on both sides of the layer with your dipping sonar. The search depth for torpedoes can now be preselected in the F10 radiomenu and allows to have a torpedo search either above or below the layer. Sonobuoys are likewise affected by the layer, cross layer the received signal strength is reduced. To compensate, sonobuoys can be dropped in either a deep (400m) or shallow (50m) mode. This will determine to which depth the buoy will lower its receiver.

Submarine depth now also affects the MAD detection range (additionally to helo altitude, which was previously already implemented). A deep sub will show a weaker signal even if you are directly above it and might even outdive MAD detection altogether!

The torpedo search cone is now limited to +/- 30° in every dimension. If the torpedo searches at a depth that is offset too much from a sub, it will not detect it even if you dropped the weapon right on top of the target. One reason more to select the correct search depth for the weapon before launching it.

All this makes determining the submarine depth quite important. The bad news is, it is impossible to determine the exact submarine depth! Like almost everything in ASW, getting target depth involves looking at all the sensor data available and then making the best guess possible

FAB-250 and Mk-82 can now be used like depth charges. Instead of exploding on the surface, these bombs now enter the water, descend to a depth that can be preselected in the F10 radiomenu and explode underwater. They have a rather generous kill radius of 25 m. Wiki talks about a kill radius of about 6 m, but I have increased it to compensate the fact that my subs are only point objects. I haven't used them much yet, but they seem to be pretty useless. I guess there is a reason why the major navies went for nuclear depth charges Still I think they are a fun little addition. The first one that kills a sub with a depth charge unassisted by Show Truth wins a virtual bottle of Scotch! You will truly be the first one ever, I haven't done it yet

Additionally I added the Su-25, Su-25T and A-10C to the mission. This is not meant too seriously, just to get a little taste of Viking style fixed-wing sub hunting.

[Minoslas]

http://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?...11&postcount=1

The ASW Script adds script based submerged submarines and anti-submarine warfare equipment such as sonobuoys, dipping sonar, MAD, depth charges and torpedoes. For a more detailed introduction and discussion of the features look here:

ASW Training Course

I am posting the script here for everyone to build their own anti-submarine warfare missions. I gave extra care for easy adaption and integration into your own missions. The script is divided into the main script and a configuration script. Only the configuration script needs do be adjusted to the needs of your mission (amount of ASW aircraft, amount of submarines etc.). The options of the configuration script are hopefully self explaining. If the main script is adjusted in the future, you hopefully only need to exchange the main script without any readjustment needed of your own config script.

It is important that the config script is run before the main script.

The ASW Script comes with some additional sound samples. Extract the attached ASW_Script_Sounds.zip, then add the sound files into you .miz mission file. Several of the sounds come from the game Dangerous Waters, so thanks to Sonalysts.

Something important to remember when you add your own scripting to the mission. The sensor output screens utilize the trigger.action.outTextForGroup command and will occupy the text output 100% of the time when active. If you want to add your own text outputs, use the custom functions TextToAll() or TextToGroup(). These functions can display multiple text outputs simultaneously.

TextToAll(text string, duration number, priority number)
TextToGroup(groupID number, text string, duration number, priority number)

Priority is the order in which messages are displayed, with 1 at the top and higher numbers below. Priority 1 is used for the sensor output screens, so use 2 or higher for your own text output.


Have fun and I hope to see many new ASW missions soon

[Yamato_NF]

wow, intresting....
this goes to show of the flexibility of the DCS World engine!

Yamato_NF