DiD SP Campaign - suggestions for rules?

[unreasonable]

My impression is that most SP players like the underlying sim and find the missions to be quite good (if a bit lacking in variety) but are alienated by the lack of identification with a pilot career. This is where I find myself so I am putting together a few simple rules for a pilot career using the SP campaign.

 

So far I have got the following:

 

BoS DiD Career rules.

 

The Objective is to fly DiD (Dead is Dead) at whatever difficulty level you prefer and see how far you can get.

 

xp is ignored, but getting your plane and your wingmen back successfully has consequences. The campaign might be easier if you have all your unlocks, but should be achievable without.

 

Make a good faith effort to achieve the mission goals, but remember that force preservation is also important.

 

Squadron Strength:

 

Start with 12 a/c

Take note of losses, including wingmen.

a/c landing damaged are w/o for the duration.

Assume replenishment of 1 per week (Axis) 3 per week (Soviet)

 

So you need to keep a small log with date, number of missions and losses.

 

If the mission gives you more wingmen than you have a/c available, that is because you are a scratch force made up of your unit and the other unit at your base. Ignore wingmen plane losses for that mission. (Your own still counts).

 

Air Activity: number of missions per day=

 

Maximim 4

Heavy 3

Moderate 2

Light 1

 

Cannot influence enemy activity (monster) level in campaign unfortunately.

 

Mission choice type:

 

Plane and chapter dependent: details to be decided. I was thinking of starting with a Lagg fighter-bomber role unit that also had to do the occasional interception.

 

Weather: take what the mission gives, but 1d6 chance to skip each mission; weather too bad, a/c grounded for that mission.

 

 

Chapter 1

 

Starts 10th Nov

Air activity: Axis Moderate, Soviet Light

 

 

Chapter 2 Uranus

 

Start 19th Nov

Air Activity: Axis Heavy, Soviet Maximum

 

 

Chapter 3 Air Bridge

 

Start 25rd Nov

Air Activity: Axis Heavy, Soviet Heavy

 

 

Chapter 4 Winter Storm

 

Start 12 Dec

Air Activity: Axis Heavy, Soviet Heavy

 

 

Chapter 5 Ring of Death

 

Start 24th Dec - end 22 Jan

Air Activity: Axis Light, Soviet Light

 

Consequences:

 

If you are killed, tough, start again.

If "wounded" miss 1d6 days (it is only a scratch, stop whining)

If bailed out - BoS unfortunately does not give us an automatic capture/evasion mechanism, player has to use common sense.

 

If bailed in obviously friendly territory, report to base with no loss of time.

If in deep in enemy territory, welcome to POW camp.

If somewhere in between, d6, 1-2 escape to base, lose 1 day, 2-4 captured, POW camp, 5-6 tortured and executed by partisans, NKVD, SS whatever.

 

Awards: is defending your race and homeland not enough! No.

 

OK (insert medal list here)

 

* * *

 

Any other ideas to make this as interesting as possible with a minimum of additional paperwork? We have a week before I have to start!

[FlatSpinMan]

These are all good ideas. I do something less thought-out, but I think I'll take on the ideas about squadron strength. I always just view AI as extras, but I liked in RoF how squadron numbers changed basedvon preceding missions.

[unreasonable]

Hi FSM - I have started early in a Lagg squadron - just completed day 2, day one rolled a one, mission scrubbed for bad weather. Day 2 apparently I am the only fighter on stand by to intercept(1-2 Intercept, 3-6 Ground Attack)! Scratch one He111 (fortunately no escorts), rtb unharmed.

 

Leaving day 3 to tomorrow now I am getting a bit tired.

 

What I want to do with the squadron strength is to give myself an incentive to help my flight survive as well as meet its mission goals - the stock career does not do this at all. Not sure how my numbers will work out. Since the SP game gives you no way to control either your flight numbers or the time of day, I suspect I am going to get some oddities. I shall put those down to the effects of vodka.

 

Now I need a (slightly silly) name for my Heroic Soviet pilot.

[FlatSpinMan]

Yes, the slightly silly name is they key, I find. So are you deciding mission type by rolling a die? 

[unreasonable]

I am indeed. I am going with a 1 scrubs the mission 2-6 continues. I am going to think about the choice for each chapter: since in Prelude the Soviets were husbanding their strength ready for the counter offensive I thought I would include some intercepts, but no escorts since the bombers and Il2s were being shielded. (In my imaginary battle). Maybe actually 1-3 intercept, 4-6 GA.

 

For Uranus I will go all out on Ground attack, then the later chapters add back a bit more variety, assuming I get that far.

 

I am not very good on Russian silly names. Germans are easy, because all their names are silly, and of course if we had British or Commonwealth flyers we could use my favourites like Rupert Foxe-Hunter or Jonah Wright-Whale (RNAS). I need to read some Russian novels to get a good idea.

[senseispcc]

I see that you play role playing games!

 

I am also very into them but I think it could be a even more frustrating experience than the actual campaign.

 

So I must say even if your suggestions are very neat and great fun in theory I am against them because they make the game heavy, frustrating (the unlock is already so) and longer than it is.  

But thanks for the ideas.  

[=LD=Hethwill]

Been doing mine like this

 

- Prelude chapter only using the Lagg-3, following chapter plane will be decided by amount of total victories. 5+ will be able to choose Yak or remain with Lagg. 10+ can also use the La-5

 

Not playing attack/bomber character.

 

- ALL Intercept missions, simulating interdiction orders as preparation for the counter attack, giving the enemy no chance to scout, bomb or harass our build up.

 

- Walk away from landings in base or friendly territory - auto alive

- Bail out in friendly territory - auto alive

- Bail out in enemy territory - flip coin ( or roll a die ) = half escape back to lines / half captured

 

Death is permanent death and will have to restart the chapter doing at least 6 missions.

Sadly not keeping a strict date/time log.

 

Will look into it as you doing it, but I found out that the briefings still lack in that chronology a bit so my brain gets messed while looking at the notebook.

Edited November 3, 2014 by =LD=Hethwill_Khan

[unreasonable]

I see that you play role playing games![/size]

 

I am also very into them but I think it could be a even more frustrating experience than the actual campaign. [/size]

 

So I must say even if your suggestions are very neat and great fun in theory I am against them because they make the game heavy, frustrating (the unlock is already so) and longer than it is.  [/size]

 

But thanks for the ideas.

I do indeed play role playing games, indeed I sometimes wonder if my RL is just a role playing game with better graphics!

 

What I am trying to recreate is the experience I had with Il-2 1946 modded with DCG, or RoF's career, where you care about your life and therefore start to act differently. For instance, by running away!

 

I would like to see BoS include this mode as a module so that I do not have to keep external logs, etc, but of course it should be voluntary!

[unreasonable]

Will look into it as you doing it, but I found out that the briefings still lack in that chronology a bit so my brain gets messed while looking at the notebook.

Yes I can see how that aircraft progression could work. Since I have not got the hang of Yak or La yet I thought I would stick to Lagg, but maybe if I am too successful a random transfer dice could be employed. I was thinking next of a 109 campaign with JG3 with a mix of F-4s and G-2s, although the weird thing is I am much better in an F-4!

 

The chronology could be an issue when I have more than one mission in a day, as I might end up with an evening mission first, then a morning mission. Like I said, blame it on the vodka.

[unreasonable]

First silly name for Russian pilot: Ivan Astikov. (You have to say it aloud).