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Starfire13 edited this page Nov 15, 2021 · 16 revisions

Now that we have a good basic understanding of what DCS Liberation is, thanks to the Getting started guide and we covered the basic UI elements, let's start a campaign.

For the example of this tutorial, a custom campaign has been picked by the author to illustrate the different buildng blocks and how they depend on each other.

Select a campaign / theater

image

As shown on the screenshot, the campaign auther set a few defaults:

  • default factions
  • suggested start date

For better illustration, the corresponding files will be shown as well

Pro tip: for more information on the format, go to custom campaigns

As shown in the campaign example below, the author designed it around a specific map/region/timeline and factions, to create the desired scenario.

Players have full freedom to change those, but will have to handle the consequences of their choices.

Default factions define the general availibilty of aircraft for a campaign. However, the final list of aircraft shown in the Air Wing Configuration dialogue depends on a few things.

  1. Is the aircraft part of the faction?
  2. Is the aircraft capable of doing the required tasks/mission types?
  3. Does a custom squadron exist? if not, one will be auto-generated
  4. How does the campaign setup look like, in terms of starting squadron slots and their defined tasks/mission types?

Air Wing Configuration

As you will see on the screenshot above, the faction "US Navy 1985" has more aircraft available in the faction, than shown in the Air Wing Configuration dialogue.

Why is that so???

Well - let's look at it step by step:

First of all, let's look at the campaign configuration

The players owned control points, at the start of the campaign are:

  • the carrier group defined as Naval-1
  • the airfield Gazipasa
  • the FOB Bozdogan
  • the FOB Latchi

Every of those control points consists of mission profiles aka squadron slots that need to be filled by the best suited airframe for that task.

So at Naval-1 we would like to cover the following mission types:

  • 2x BARCAP
  • 1x SEAD
  • 1x Strike
  • 1x AEW&C
  • 1x Refueling
  • 1x Anti-ship

As you can see below, the campaign author, had a very specific set of aircrafts & squadrons in mind.

If you look closely at the Air Wing Configuration screenshot above, you will notice that two aircrafts that are technically available to the chosen player faction, are missing:

  • F-14A Tomcat (Block 135-GR Late)
  • F-4E Phantom II

Why, you keep asking?

Well for Naval-1 ...

the BARCAP slots already have preferred aircraft defined, either via:

  • the aircraft name itself, or
  • the squadron name, implicitly matching the aircraft

VF-101 and VF-101 are both F-14B squadron, so the planner already has enough input to make a choice --> F-14B

See Squadron example

That rules out the F14-A and since the F-4E Phantom II is not CVN compatible, it's out as well.

Naval-1

Naval-1:
    - primary: BARCAP
      secondary: air-to-air
      aircraft:
        - VF-101
    - primary: BARCAP
      secondary: air-to-air
      aircraft:
        - VF-102
    - primary: SEAD
      secondary: air-to-ground
      aircraft:
        - A-4E Skyhawk
    - primary: Strike
      secondary: air-to-ground
      aircraft:
        - A-4E Skyhawk
    - primary: AEW&C
      aircraft:
        - VAW-125
    - primary: Refueling
      aircraft:
        - VS-35 (Tanker)
    - primary: Anti-ship
      secondary: air-to-ground
      aircraft:
        - VS-35

image

Let's have a look now on an airfield like Gazipasa, which is also part of the players starting control points.

Same pattern as above with the carrier group.

At Gazipasa we would like to cover the following mission types:

  • 1x AEW&C
  • 1x Refueling
  • 1x Transport

That automatically rules out the placement of any combat focused aircraft/squadron.

The example below also shows, that even if an aircraft is defined, that is not available to the chosen faction, the planner will look for the best suiting airframe and place it.

Gazipasa

# Gazipasa
  41:
    - primary: AEW&C
      aircraft:
        - E-3A
    - primary: Refueling
      aircraft:
        - KC-135 Stratotanker
    - primary: Transport
      aircraft:
        - C-130

US Navy 1985 does not have an E-3A available, but it got another aircraft that can do AEW&C - so that's why the E-2D will be picked.

image

Same for Refueling - KC-135 is not available, but the S-3B Viking (Tanker) can fill that role.

image

And for the transport task, no C-130 is available, but the HSM-40

image

The same patterns apply to the last two player owned control points, FOB Bozdogan & FOB Latchi

FOB Bozdogan

  # FOB Bozdogan
  FOB Bozdogan:
    - primary: Transport
      aircraft:
        - HSM-40
        - UH-1H Iroquois

FOB Latchi

  # FOB Latchi
  FOB Latchi:
    - primary: CAS
      secondary: air-to-ground
      aircraft:
        - AH-1W SuperCobra
    - primary: Transport
      secondary: air-to-ground
      aircraft:
        - UH-1H Iroquois

Since both FOBs have Heliports, even w/o the defintion of a specific aircraft, the planner would only have rotorwing aircraft availble to fill the set mission types.

UH-1H Iroquois image

AH-1W SuperCobra image

Faction configuration

US Navy 1985

{
  "country": "USA",
  "name": "US Navy 1985",
  "authors": "HerrTom",
  "description": "<p>Highway to the Danger Zone! For Tomcat lovers.</p>",
  "locales": [
    "en_US"
  ],
  "aircrafts": [
    "AH-1W SuperCobra",
    "A-4E Skyhawk",
    "F-14A Tomcat (Block 135-GR Late)",
    "F-14B Tomcat",
    "F-4E Phantom II",
    "S-3B Viking",
    "SH-60B Seahawk",
    "UH-1H Iroquois"
  ],
  "awacs": [
    "E-2C Hawkeye"
  ],
  "tankers": [
    "S-3B Tanker"
  ],
  "frontline_units": [
    "M1043 HMMWV (M2 HMG)",
    "M113",
    "M163 Vulcan Air Defense System",
    "M60A3 \"Patton\""
  ],
  "artillery_units": [
    "M109A6 Paladin",
    "M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System"
  ],
  "logistics_units": [
    "Truck M818 6x6"
  ],
  "infantry_units": [
    "Infantry M249",
    "Infantry M4",
    "MANPADS Stinger",
    "Mortar 2B11 120mm"
  ],
  "air_defenses": [
    "ChaparralGenerator",
    "HawkGenerator",
    "VulcanGenerator"
  ],
  "aircraft_carrier": [
    "Stennis"
  ],
  "helicopter_carrier": [
    "LHA_Tarawa"
  ],
  "destroyers": [
    "PERRY"
  ],
  "cruisers": [
    "TICONDEROG"
  ],
  "carrier_names": [
    "CVN-71 Theodore Roosevelt",
    "CVN-72 Abraham Lincoln",
    "CVN-73 George Washington",
    "CVN-74 John C. Stennis",
    "CVN-75 Harry S. Truman"
  ],
  "helicopter_carrier_names": [
    "LHA-1 Tarawa",
    "LHA-2 Saipan",
    "LHA-3 Belleau Wood",
    "LHA-4 Nassau",
    "LHA-5 Peleliu"
  ],
  "navy_generators": [
    "OliverHazardPerryGroupGenerator"
  ],
  "requirements": {},
  "doctrine": "coldwar",
  "liveries_overrides": {
    "F/A-18C Hornet (Lot 20)": [
      "VFA-106",
      "VFA-113",
      "VFA-122",
      "VFA-131",
      "VFA-192",
      "VFA-34",
      "VFA-37",
      "VFA-83",
      "VFA-87",
      "VFA-97"
    ]
  }
}

Syria 1982

{
  "country": "Syria",
  "name": "Syria 1982",
  "authors": "Khopa",
  "description": "<p>Syria and Arab armies in the 1982 invasion of Lebanon</p>",
  "aircrafts": [
    "Mi-8MTV2 Hip",
    "MiG-19P Farmer-B",
    "MiG-21bis Fishbed-N",
    "MiG-23MLD Flogger-K",
    "MiG-25PD Foxbat-E",
    "Su-17M4 Fitter-K"
  ],
  "awacs": [
    "A-50"
  ],
  "tankers": [
    "IL-78M"
  ],
  "frontline_units": [
    "BMP-1",
    "MT-LB",
    "PT-76",
    "S-60 57mm",
    "T-55A",
    "T-72B with Kontakt-1 ERA",
    "ZSU-57-2 'Sparka'",
    "ZU-23 on Ural-375"
  ],
  "artillery_units": [
    "BM-21 Grad"
  ],
  "logistics_units": [
    "LUV UAZ-469 Jeep",
    "Truck Ural-375"
  ],
  "infantry_units": [
    "Infantry AK-74 Rus",
    "Paratrooper AKS",
    "Paratrooper RPG-16"
  ],
  "air_defenses": [
    "ColdWarFlakGenerator",
    "EarlyColdWarFlakGenerator",
    "SA2Generator",
    "SA3Generator",
    "SA6Generator",
    "SA8Generator",
    "SA9Generator",
    "SA13Generator",
    "ZSU23Generator",
    "ZU23Generator",
    "ZU23UralGenerator",
    "ZSU57Generator"
  ],
  "ewrs": [
    "BoxSpringGenerator",
    "TinShieldGenerator"
  ],
  "missiles": [
    "ScudGenerator"
  ],
  "missiles_group_count": 1,
  "aircraft_carrier": [],
  "helicopter_carrier": [],
  "helicopter_carrier_names": [],
  "destroyers": [],
  "cruisers": [],
  "requirements": {},
  "carrier_names": [],
  "navy_generators": [
    "GrishaGroupGenerator"
  ]
}

Squadron example

---
name: VF-101
nickname: Grim Reapers
country: USA
role: Strike Fighter
aircraft: F-14B Tomcat
livery: VF-101 Dark
mission_types:
  - BAI
  - BARCAP
  - CAS
  - DEAD
  - Escort
  - Intercept
  - OCA/Aircraft
  - OCA/Runway
  - SEAD
  - Strike
  - Fighter sweep
  - TARCAP

Campaign configuration

Clash_over_Cyprus.yaml:

---
name: Syria - Clash over Cyprus
theater: Syria
authors: Maxl
description: <p>Syria invades Cyprus, forcing NATO to act. The United States 6th fleet is the first to respond in the Mediterranean sea.</p>
version: "9.1"
recommended_player_faction: US Navy 1985
recommended_enemy_faction: Syria 1982
miz: Clash_over_Cyprus.miz
performance: 1
recommended_start_date: 1986-05-12
squadrons:
  #BLUFOR CVN
  Naval-1:
    - primary: BARCAP
      secondary: air-to-air
      aircraft:
        - VF-101
    - primary: BARCAP
      secondary: air-to-air
      aircraft:
        - VF-102
    - primary: SEAD
      secondary: air-to-ground
      aircraft:
        - A-4E Skyhawk
    - primary: Strike
      secondary: air-to-ground
      aircraft:
        - A-4E Skyhawk
    - primary: AEW&C
      aircraft:
        - VAW-125
    - primary: Refueling
      aircraft:
        - VS-35 (Tanker)
    - primary: Anti-ship
      secondary: air-to-ground
      aircraft:
        - VS-35
  # Gazipasa
  41:
    - primary: AEW&C
      aircraft:
        - E-3A
    - primary: Refueling
      aircraft:
        - KC-135 Stratotanker
    - primary: Transport
      aircraft:
        - C-130
  # FOB Bozdogan
  FOB Bozdogan:
    - primary: Transport
      aircraft:
        - HSM-40
        - UH-1H Iroquois
  # FOB Latchi
  FOB Latchi:
    - primary: CAS
      secondary: air-to-ground
      aircraft:
        - AH-1W SuperCobra
    - primary: Transport
      secondary: air-to-ground
      aircraft:
        - UH-1H Iroquois
  # Paphos
  46:
    - primary: BARCAP
      secondary: air-to-air
      aircraft:
        - MiG-21bis Fishbed-N
    - primary: BARCAP
      secondary: air-to-air
      aircraft:
        - MiG-23MLD Flogger-K
    - primary: SEAD
      secondary: air-to-ground
      aircraft:
        - Su-17M4 Fitter-K
    - primary: Strike
      secondary: air-to-ground
      aircraft:
        - Su-17M4 Fitter-K
    - primary: Anti-ship
      secondary: air-to-ground
      aircraft:
        - Su-17M4 Fitter-K        
  # Akrotiri
  44:
    - primary: AEW&C
      aircraft:
        - A-50
    - primary: Refueling
      aircraft:
        - IL-78M
    - primary: BARCAP
      secondary: air-to-air
      aircraft:
        - MiG-21bis Fishbed-N
    - primary: BARCAP
      secondary: air-to-air
      aircraft:
        - MiG-23MLD Flogger-K
    - primary: SEAD
      secondary: air-to-ground
      aircraft:
        - Su-17M4 Fitter-K
    - primary: Strike
      secondary: air-to-ground
      aircraft:
        - Su-17M4 Fitter-K
    - primary: Anti-ship
      secondary: air-to-ground
      aircraft:
        - Su-17M4 Fitter-K  
  # FOB Morphou
  FOB Morphou:
    - primary: CAS
      secondary: air-to-ground
      aircraft:
        - Mi-8MTV2 Hip
        - Mi-24P Hind-F
    - primary: CAS
      aircraft:
        - Mi-8MTV2 Hip
        - Mi-24P Hind-F
    - primary: Transport
      secondary: air-to-ground
      aircraft:
        - Mi-8MTV2 Hip
  # FOB Mari
  FOB Mari:
    - primary: CAS
      secondary: air-to-ground
      aircraft:
        - Mi-8MTV2 Hip
        - Mi-24P Hind-F
    - primary: CAS
      aircraft:
        - Mi-8MTV2 Hip
        - Mi-24P Hind-F
    - primary: Transport
      secondary: air-to-ground
      aircraft:
        - Mi-8MTV2 Hip
  # Pinarbashi
  51:
    - primary: CAS
      secondary: air-to-ground
      aircraft:
        - Mi-8MTV2 Hip
        - Mi-24P Hind-F
    - primary: CAS
      secondary: air-to-ground
      aircraft:
        - Mi-8MTV2 Hip
        - Mi-24P Hind-F
    - primary: CAS
      secondary: air-to-ground
      aircraft:
        - Mi-8MTV2 Hip
        - Mi-24P Hind-F
    - primary: Transport
      secondary: air-to-ground
      aircraft:
        - Mi-8MTV2 Hip        
  # Ercan
  49:
    - primary: BARCAP
      secondary: air-to-air
      aircraft:
        - MiG-29S Fulcrum-C
    - primary: BARCAP
      secondary: air-to-air
      aircraft:
        - MiG-21bis Fishbed-N
    - primary: SEAD
      secondary: air-to-ground
      aircraft:
        - Su-24M Fencer-D
    - primary: Strike
      secondary: air-to-ground
      aircraft:
        - Su-17M4 Fitter-K
  # Larnaca
  47:
    - primary: BARCAP
      secondary: air-to-air
      aircraft:
        - MiG-21bis Fishbed-N
    - primary: BARCAP
      secondary: air-to-air
      aircraft:
        - MiG-23MLD Flogger-K
    - primary: SEAD
      secondary: air-to-ground
      aircraft:
        - Su-17M4 Fitter-K
    - primary: Strike
      secondary: air-to-ground
      aircraft:
        - Su-17M4 Fitter-K
    - primary: Anti-ship
      secondary: air-to-ground
      aircraft:
        - Su-17M4 Fitter-K
  # Bassel Al-Assad
  21:
    - primary: AEW&C
      aircraft:
        - A-50
    - primary: Refueling
      aircraft:
        - IL-78M
    - primary: BARCAP
      secondary: air-to-air
      aircraft:
        - MiG-21bis Fishbed-N
    - primary: BARCAP
      secondary: air-to-air
      aircraft:
        - MiG-23MLD Flogger-K
    - primary: Anti-ship
      secondary: air-to-ground
      aircraft:
        - Su-17M4 Fitter-K
    - primary: Transport
      aircraft:
        - Mi-8MTV2 Hip      
  # FOB Latakia
  FOB Latakia:
    - primary: CAS
      secondary: air-to-ground
      aircraft:
        - Mi-8MTV2 Hip
        - Mi-24P Hind-F
    - primary: CAS
      aircraft:
        - Mi-8MTV2 Hip
        - Mi-24P Hind-F
    - primary: Transport
      secondary: air-to-ground
      aircraft:
        - Mi-8MTV2 Hip

THE PART BELOW REQUIRES A REWORK FOR 5.x

In DCS Liberation you may take control of planning decisions regarding the course of the ongoing war.

This is a turn based simulation. Each turn, DCS Liberation will generate a DCS World mission for you to fly. Note that, in general, only the events that occur while the mission is running will have any effect. There are exceptions to this rule such as ferry flights and airfield repairs, but missions will only be completed if they are completed while the game is running. DCS Liberation does not simulate combat if the player quits the mission before it completes.

Recruitment:

Note: These actions can be automated. See the Auto purchase options guide for more information.

On the map, click on an airbase (or right click and select "Open base menu") to open the base management menu. For the full demonstration, choose an airbase that is connected to the active front line.

Aircraft recruitment

In Airfield Command tab, click on the "+" button to order new aircraft:

Purchased aircraft will arrive at the airfield next turn. Orders can be canceled and aircraft can be sold using the "-" button. Sales are immediate and cannot be canceled, so be careful to not sell aircraft you need for the turn.

Purchases are limited by your available budget and by the amount of parking available next turn. Current aircraft, ordered aircraft, and aircraft transferring in or out of the airbase this turn contribute to the next turn's parking limits.

You will need to buy aircraft for your entire faction, not just your own aircraft. Ensure that you purchase aircraft capable of performing the missions you will plan next turn like BARCAPs, CAS, and DEAD. See the Mission planning guide for more information on mission types.

Ground unit recruitment

In the Ground Forces HQ menu you can recruit ground forces that will fight on the front line.

Ground units are very important, since they will fight on the frontline to progress toward the nearby enemy bases and defend your airbase against enemy attacks. Do not underestimate this part of the conflict!

Ending the turn

The units you bought will not be delivered until next turn. Spend your remaining budget and click the pass turn button to continue to the first turn.

Add a custom footer

Tutorials

Getting Started

  1. DCS Liberation UI
  2. Air Wing Configuration
  3. Turn Zero
  4. First operation
  5. Setting up a custom Strike mission
  6. Campaign "Battle of Abu Dhabi" Play Through Tutorial

Manual

Mission Planning

Frontline Stances

Frontline Movement

Base Capture

Performance Options

Auto purchase options

Fast forward & Turn-less mode

Unit Transfers

Squadrons and pilots

Additional content

Community campaigns

Preview Builds

Dedicated Servers

Dedicated server guide

WebUI for Dedicated Servers

Modding Liberation

Custom campaigns

Custom factions

Layouts (WIP)

Lua Plugins

Custom Loadouts

Modded aircraft support

Contributing

Contributing to DCS Liberation

Campaign maintenance

Core development guides

Developer's Guide

Adding a new aircraft module

Release process

Misc

Code of Conduct

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