Career mode: some thoughts and some plesant surprises

[AndreiTomescu]

Hello gentleman !

At my older kid's persuasion, I've tried for the first time in 15 years and clear for the first time since 2022, the career mode.

Chose Normandy map, wanted a Spitfire campaign, sorry, career, and asked and asked the chatGPT for a squadron that would best suit my needs. In honor of a (the) great campaign maker here, i choose the 331 (Norwegian) RAF squadron.

What i was looking for was a kind of  "no pressure" feeling, not having to do some job right in order to get to the next day, and some continuity/recognition.  Not to make a long story too long, I died during mission 6. Unable to continue (finish mission, not restart), Xantos software not working yet, i looked back at this totally new experience, before restarting from scrap.

 

- The missions are repetitive, true, but the immersion is good and the AI is really good sometimes (for ex, we were flying towards the objective with a bomb attached, when i noticed some dark spots in the rear. everybody stayed on course, i've turned to check out, despite being a lowly sergeant , and found out 2 G6 trailing us. Dropped the bomb, and despite that i've announced engaging the contacts i was left alone to deal with them. Shot one down, the other run away, in a weird direction, i followed straight into....a TRAP !! 2 other G6 s were coming towards us! Shot my running friend down and made a dash towards the coast with those other 2 guys hot on my tail)

 

- you get some promotions , medals, some kind of recognition.

 

- haven't encountered any bugs.

 

- clearly it's not a scripted campaign, but it quite a decent way of flying any plane you want

 

- obviously not totally historically accurate, but it has a good historic flavor and compensates somehow with the hole story following and newspapers, and such

 

- suggestion towards the devs: the missions are quite similar, whatever squadron you choose. I would program the software that generates the missions to follow more specific the mission type that the particular squadron had

 

Overall, a very nice surprise. But I still pray for more scripted campaigns featuring the British planes, thou.....

 

[Aapje]

In reality the missions were very similar, so that is accurate to history, but I would have liked (the choice for) more variety. PWCG does have that.

 

[AndreiTomescu]

So you recommend the extra "effort" in using the PWCG, right ?

[MDzmitry]

Ironically I also started my Normandy campaign with the 331 Sqn, but once the landing happened and first squadrons were already operational from frontline airfields, I decided that it was enough bomber escorts for my liking and went on to the 416 Sqn RCAF. 

Luckily my pilot's bio states he's also a Canadian, so he fit right in with the group.

 

The change of pace was immeasurable. Instead of having ~30 minutes to climb and reconsider my views on life and future, I had to rapidly climb towards the frontline mere 10-15 miles away while my head resembled that of an owl, spinning around and looking out for free hunting pairs of bandits. Had it been real life I would've either died or gone completely grey in approximately 10 sorties tops.

Edited September 7 by MDzmitry

[AndreiTomescu]

oh, so i can apply for changing the squadron later on? thank you!

i also downloaded at Aapje's advice the PWCG software, to see how it goes. The stock career was a bit appealing to me due to my....lazyness , i have to say...

[AndreiTomescu]

12 hours ago, Aapje said:

n reality the missions were very similar, so that is accurate to history,

you are right, but you see, i was hoping for "rhubarb" missions, like 2 planes in a somehow comando missions. the chatgpt said that the 64 squadron, for example, did that, also that the 331 din anti shipping patrols, but actually there are a bunch of mission types available (but not those) and only their frequency varies taking into account the squadron.

Do you think that in PWCG i could moddel the actual rhubard missions?

Like Juri did that AWESOME Invasion Watch campaign ?

[AndreiTomescu]

first of all, i'm a bit sorry for my previous enthusiasm. I feel like i've shadowed somehow the value of the campaigns

the career mode doesn't compare with the scripted campaigns, i saw it in the end.

I really want to give to the people making scripted campaigns my gratitude and appreciation for their endless hours spent into creating a world that's much more alive, dynamic, entertaining , thrilling and realistic that anything the career AI could generate in all my attempts.

Your work, guys, is wonderful, and now, by comparison, that really stood out for me even more than before.

Thank you.

[Skycat1969]

I understand what you are saying about the human creative work in scripted campaigns, but the careers aren't completely AI-generated. They also are crafted with a lot of human brainpower, except careers are designed to randomize certain variables within specified  parameters.

[MDzmitry]

True, while campaigns are what they are: a tightly-packed package of events and action - career gives us a more mundane view of the air war, with the daily routine of flying without being sure whether you'll even meet the enemy on this specific occasion.

Flight after flight, day after day, chipping away doing what the chosen unit was most likely doing in that given time period until the war is won.

 

The only thing I wish we had is being able to switch to a different pilot in your unit if you happen to die on a sortie. 

[Aapje]

PWCG is more alive than the career mode, but of course the campaigns are usually the best.

[sevenless]

2 hours ago, Skycat1969 said:

I understand what you are saying about the human creative work in scripted campaigns, but the careers aren't completely AI-generated. They also are crafted with a lot of human brainpower, except careers are designed to randomize certain variables within specified  parameters.

 

Exactly. Careers are a series of predefined scripted missions. Which ones are selected in a given squadron and the series of their repetition are defined by the squadrons files. BTW: Thanks to the devs everyone with an editor can change the squadron files to their individual liking, if you find your squadron career a little too boring.

 

[Mission=1101] // Intercept Bombers
[Mission=1102] // Intercept Attackers
[Mission=1103] // Intercept Recon Planes
[Mission=1105] // Airfield Defense
[Mission=1107] // Diver Interception Patrol
[Mission=1123] // Free Hunt
[Mission=1128] // Armed Reconnaissance
[Mission=1133] // Patrol Beachhead
[Mission=1135] // Intruder Mission
[Mission=1151] // Escort Bombers
[Mission=1152] // Escort Attackers
[Mission=1153] // Escort Transports
[Mission=1201] // Attack Vehicle Column
[Mission=1202] // Attack Armored Column
[Mission=1203] // Attack Artillery
[Mission=1204] // Enemy frontline attack
[Mission=1205] // Attack Railway Junction
[Mission=1206] // Attack Airfield
[Mission=1209] // Attack Troops
[Mission=1213] // Attack V-1 Launch Site
[Mission=1215] // Traffic Interdiction
[Mission=1216] // Attack Enemy Beachhead
[Mission=1301] // Support Advance
[Mission=1302] // Air Support
[Mission=1305] // Ground Forces Request
[Mission=1306] // Visual Control Post Mission
[Mission=1403] // Photo Recon
[Mission=1404] // Artillery Spotting
[Mission=1501] // Bomb Artillery
[Mission=1502] // Bomb Strongpoint
[Mission=1503] // Bomb Troops
[Mission=1504] // Bomb Enemy Airfield
[Mission=1506] // Bomb Railway Junction
[Mission=1507] // Bomb Supply Dump
[Mission=1508] // Bomb Bridge
[Mission=1510] // Bomb V-1 Launch Site
[Mission=1512] // Bomb Enemy Beachhead
[Mission=1601] // Cargo Delivery
[Mission=1602] // Cargo Paradrop
[Mission=1603] // Paratrooper Drop
[Mission=1604] // Glider towing
[Mission=1901] // Fighter Transfer
[Mission=1902] // Bomber Transfer

 

[and so on and so forth...]

[Kubert]

I have a quick question about career. Battle of Normandy to be specific.

 

There were no P-38J squadrons active before 6.June 1944? During  Preparation phase?

[LukeFF]

2 hours ago, Kubert said:

I have a quick question about career. Battle of Normandy to be specific.

 

There were no P-38J squadrons active before 6.June 1944? During  Preparation phase?

 

Not with the J-25 model, which is significantly different than earlier J models.

[migmadmarine]

Yeah do rather wish we had a J-15 as well

[Varibraun]

I just want to add my thanks to the Devs and @LukeFF for adding the "random" options to the Career mode.  That "little" change to the engagements made it playable for me.  So now in addition to my ongoing PWCG play, I keep 2 Ironman Stock Careers in progress (WWI & WW2) which I never had before. 

 

I look forward to seeing how they have refined this in Korea where, as I understand it, we will be able to continue to fly with the same squadron with a different pilot after a loss of the player pilot.  I just hope that a progression through the ranks mode is in the works even if it isn't present at release (where I think you will only be able to fly as the commander).

[jg123410]

I agree @Varibraun. I have noticed that the stock careers have more to offer and play better lately.

 

Cheers

Edited September 14 by jg123410

[AndreiTomescu]

On 9/10/2025 at 6:14 PM, sevenless said:

everyone with an editor can change the squadron files to their individual liking, if you find your squadron career a little too boring

so... i open cp.db with notepad and... do what? thx....

[sevenless]

3 hours ago, AndreiTomescu said:

so... i open cp.db with notepad and... do what? thx....

 

UnGPT the scg.gpt file which contains the squadrons.cfg and edit that file with Notepad ++

 

General principle here: 

 

 

and here:

 

 

Edited September 14 by sevenless