campaign guide

A small guide to get you started with TvT basics ranging from Discord to the campaign design, the dynamic campaign engine and conduct.

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This document shall hopefully help you and your team understand what is required in a Team Versus Team (TvT) environment to win a war. This document will explain lightly how the campaign engine works and what your team, as a whole, should be trying to achieve to make gains on the battlefield. What this document is not, is a training guide or disclosure of tactics on how to conduct your flights in the war.

DOCUMENT STATUS

MANDATORY

  • DOCUMENT NAVIGATION
  • SECTION 01

DISCORD

Once joining a TvT for a particular side (Red/Blue) you will be authorised to fly by an FO administrator and some more Discord channels will become available to you. 

Here you will be able to find the following…

  • Server information: including IP and Passwords needed to connect to the server.
  • General: to openly discuss topics of interest about the TvT.
  • Intel: to discuss data or points of strategic value.
  • GCI: for GCI operator to discuss their schedule of ‘Sunrise’ and ‘Midnight’ and the frequencies they will monitor.
  • Flight Planning: a place to put up your flight information including Target info, Bullseye of operations, frequencies VHF/UHF, also your IDM and A-A Tacan channel so others can include your flight on their data-link. (This is very important to do and ALL flights should do it.)
  • Debriefing Room: A room to allow your team to keep up to date with mission successes and failures. Should NOT be used as a “hey look at all my kills” page but should divulge information which could benefit future flights and planning. Don’t forget to update your Intel channel with vital information.

The rest of the channels are voice channels and are self explanatory to use. In voice channels please
do not openly chat as someone maybe fighting for their lives and I am sure they don’t care what
you had for lunch. Use other appropriate channels. Please use the voice channels if you are flying.

  • SECTION 02

THE GENERAL ORGANISATION AND DEFINITION OF TvT

TvT (Team Versus Team) is one side against the other. There will be a mix of skills and a wide range of pilots on both sides. As a group you will have to decide how to utilize your teams experience and expertise wisely whilst also managing the “larger overview of the war”. The A.I are set on both sides to maximum difficulty from SAMs to Fighters and they will employ numerous tactics to put
you at a disadvantage. Fragging flights which have little bearing on the war movement or suicidal missions to strike aircraft carriers will loose you precious airframes/munitions and offer you very frustrating flights with a very low impact on the war. Think carefully and the following write up below will emphasise what you should be looking to do when you frag.

  • SECTION 03

DYNAMIC CAMPAIGN ENGINE AND MANAGEMENT

Just how ‘dynamic’ is the dynamic campaign? Falcon BMS Dynamic Campaign is extremely in depth. Built as a competent RTS from the ground up and with the inclusion of a full 3D environment in which you can change and influence progressof the war.

Much of the dynamic campaign magic lies deep in code which is out of Falcon Online’s control but what is in our control are the initial setup, battlefield logistics, tactics and staging area for the war. Each of our campaigns are meticulously designed, planned and executed with over 15 years of experience in solely creating and running TvT’s.

Both sides start with equal forces Air / Ground / Fuel / Supplies. A border and Front Line is established. Both sides have, as close as possible, equal amounts of factories, depots, power plants and assets which manufacture vital supplies & fuel. We leave all logistics to the A.I campaign engine, so the transport of supplies and movements of ground support and engineers are not controlled by humans.

All A.I fighter aircraft are on offensive / defensive airspace control only. No A.I Fighter Jet carries any Air to Ground munitions. If you want to strike something then this is your job.
All ground battalions and ground units are controlled by the A.I Campaign engine. You will often see huge tank or artillery battles on the ground as A.I forces fight it out. It can be pretty amazing to see from 28,000ft.

Helicopters play a vital role and their flights have two purposes. One is critical supply movement including airlifting and the other is Air To Ground. *These are the only A.I controlled unit which can engage ground targets. They carry Hellfire missiles and are deadly to a tank battalion.

The campaign dynamic engine runs continuously without pause as long as the server is running. So almost 24/7 until the war objectives are completed by one side or Falcon Online see no further gains to be made and call a ceasefire. Typically a war lasts around month and whether there are humans flying or not, the war continues to rage on and the campaign engine continues to fight.

*Falcon Online regularly take down the server for maintenance. This can last up to 15 mins, otherwise the server is up 24/7. This will be announced in the #server announcements channel in discord.

There are 3 states that your forces will be in: 

  • Offensive 
  • Defensive 
  • Consolidating

The INTEL Tab will keep you informed as to what state your ground units are in. If Offensive, do everything you can to support the battalions and attack targets in the designated/assigned area of operations. If Defensive, guard your units, provide denial of attack and clear any engaging forces. If Consolidating (campaign engine is tactically thinking of what move is next also taking this time toreorganise and regroup) then support the Air Operations or take the opportunity to remove threats which are ahead of your units. Maintain required air superiority over the A.O.

  • SECTION 04

WEATHER

The weather is downloaded, current, real world weather for the campaigns location/date and is fully dynamic. So places like Korea in the winter season or Lapland can provide some very challenging conditions with wind / fog/ rain/ and snow.

  • SECTION 05

HOW TO KNOW WHAT MISSIONS TO FRAG?

Just like any real war, air superiority is essential before committing to deep strikes. Air superiority will gain you the advantage on the battlefield in almost every regard and you will loose if you do not give this a very high priority.

Knowing what to strike is also very important. Power plants provide power to all the surrounding factories which in turn produce supplies. Depots store and allow the spread of those supplies to ground units. Engineers will actively seek and repair damaged assets including runways,
factories and other buildings part of the war machine. Ports take in supplies whilst airlift and supply battalions distribute supplies. If a unit is close to any of these objectives they can be resupplied. With so many contributing factors it can be hard to decide on
what to go after and prioritize. The dynamic campaign engine does give you priority targets in the INTEL tab and we highly recommend completing the tasks set there.

By having successful missions in Air Operations / Ground Operations on the INTEL tab, you will actually be feeding the campaign engine. Your ground units will receive a positive morale boost and help keep ground operations moving forward smoothly. An enemy battalion with low morale against an equal battalion with high morale is a battle easily won with minimal casualties. They will
literally destroy the opposition very quickly. This is absolutely vital to winning. The campaign engine works occasionally in mysterious ways but overall knows better than you all the positions of all the units and what the next goal is. Follow the INTEL tab religiously.

– Should you ONLY fly what the INTEL tab shows? 

– NO !

Sometimes targets of opportunity appear or a SAM defence system is preventing you working that area…. Use common sense, work as a team to identify the priorities and possibilities and choose sensible targets which can be achieved.

Again, no point ordering a strike if you do not have Air Superiority in that sector. Plan wisely.
Occasionally the INTEL tab will also give you unachievable targets. Again, use common sense and work on another objective given which is more reasonable.

  • SECTION 06

AIR TASKING ORDER (A.T.O)

Another important part of operations is keeping up to date with the Air Tasking Order. When you frag a flight you should reference this before take-off to see if you have available support in area of operations. Knowing ahead of time that an AWACS is not going to be ‘sunrise’ until 1 hour into your mission could be a deal breaker for you. Also if you require fuel to keep on station, knowing if there is a tanker available and nearby might be very relevant.

Keeping a close eye on the A.T.O will also divulge critical information of knowing where other fighters are in relation to your flight. This may give you ‘fall back options’ and could possible turn a
mission gone south into a success on the battlefield. If you are a flight lead you will need to brief your pilots with this information ahead of time.

  • SECTION 07

I’M A SOLO (LONE WOLF) PILOT WHAT CAN I DO?

It can be a dangerous game flying as a solo pilot in Falcon Online, that being said, you can still support, protect and fly missions but stealth is going to be a larger requirement for your missions.

Put up in the #discord (flight planning) your flight name, VHF/UHF frequencies and your chosen IDM so others can maybe come to help you out in a sticky situation or vice versa. Look carefully and plan cautiously and try to aid the war and keep your wits about you. If you become targeted you are going to need to run. 

Protect your airframe and get yourself into a safe place (SAM protected, or friendly/A.I air supported). Engaging whilst being outnumbered will get you killed.

Being a solo pilot can also make you a good mercenary to a wing. If you can act as an extra fighter to support another package, you just might make the difference to success or failure of their mission. You still play a vital role.

  • SECTION 08

O.C.A AIRSTRIKES AND AIRFIELDS

Taking out airfields will put a huge dent into the enemies fragging order capability. This will limit the amount of aircraft available for the enemy to frag(*depending how many squadrons are at that base).

 Please keep in mind that Airfields are usually heavily protected by SAM’s and if you do manage to take down the runway, engineers will consider this a high priority to repair. Once you get a runway down it is best to keep it down as when back operational it will be filling it’s ‘air tasking order’ against you. Also keep in mind that a runway that is down still can receive supplies via trucks and helicopters, so you maybe just giving the squadron time to be fully reinforced and possibly a future harder target if you cannot maintain it’s ‘destroyed’ status. Airfields require dedication to keep them down. Carefully and tactically chose as to which ones to hit. Keep an eye on the 2D map and decide which airbase is fragging flights which are of major concern to your campaign goals.

  • SECTION 09

THE SUPPLY CHAIN STRUCTURE

Power Plants(*) – Provide energy to major factories and installations. They provide a multiplier on all supplies produced by the factories it powers. The power plant itself does not produce any Fuel or Supplies.

Factories (S*)– Produce Supplies Only (*multiplier)
Chemical Plants (S/F*) – Produce Supplies and Fuel (*multiplier)
Refinery (F*)– Produce Large Quantities of fuel only (*multiplier)
Naval Ports (S) – Take Supply Deliveries and Store them
Airbases (S/F)– Regular deliveries of Stores Supplies and Fuel
Army Bases (S/F) – Produce small amounts of Supply and Fuel
Depots (S/F) – Produce and Store Supplies and Fuel.

Supplies are distributed by Ground Supply Battalions, Air Mobile Helicopters and Transport Aircraft.
Any units close to any of the above list or in the territory of any of the above list can be resupplied.

*multiplier – gains are added if power plant is operational.
(S/F ) – Supplies / Fuel

  • SECTION 10

COMMAND CONTROL AND COMMUNICATION (C.C.C) AND RADAR SITES

Although attacking these sites will not provide you any advantage on the ground battle they do play a very important role in Air Control. An EWR Radar Site can pick your flight up and will provide the enemy solid data on your position. This could even lead to Q.R.A flight against you or a divert of an already airborne package to intercept you. Humans in 2D on the enemy side will now also be able to see your position on the map. By removing such targets you will be creating enemy blind spots or you may even be able to build a low level corridors to a high value target. Remove them as you see fit but always keep the larger goal and objectives in your plans. Removing an EWR site which poses no threat is a waste of munitions/fuel and possibly as a purpose later in the war as a
decoy by using a flight to divert precious enemy fighters away from your actual intended combat objective.

  • SECTION 11

POLITICAL GAINS

Taking any major city will provide your troops with Morale. Depending on how much of the surrounding infrastructure you have razed, may allow your ground units to benefit from taken supply and fuel in the area. Each TvT has two main objectives for you to conquer. 

Please refer to the campaign description for the theatre on our website to see what they are.

  • SECTION 12

AIRBASE STORES MANAGEMENT

Your Airbases are fully functioning airports with ATC and Ground Communications. Please utilize the correct channels (UHF 2/3/4) so others who are coming in to land or departing are also aware of your intentions and schedule. After each flight it is important to return to the base you took off from. This will return the jet to the stores. Each jet, once landed, has a minimum 1 hour ground crew maintenance period where all ordinance is removed and put back into your base stores.

Your aircraft are also in the supply chain. If you start running out of airframes you will need to wait for a re-supply to your base. Also munitions will also deplete over time with heavy use. If the weapon you want is marked LOW in supply think carefully if the job can be done with other munitions or you really need the last of those bombs/missiles. Think of other flights who may need them more. You may land on friendly owned airbases to take fuel. Unfortunately in BMS you cannot get resupplied with more ordinance at an airbase. You must frag another flight from 2D.

  • SECTION 13

AIR COMBAT IN A HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT

From the very second you are in the jet you are now a viable and legal target to the enemy. From being deep in your territory to being ‘on final’ the enemy can and will engage you. You must understand that if you intend to fly in hostile territory there are many things which are out to kill you. From SAM’s, manpads, A.I fragged flights and of course opposing human fighter pilots. You need to seek air superiority and control your airspaces.

The Artificial Intelligence is set to the maximum skill level in the air and on the ground. Fighter aircraft will employ tactical combat manoeuvrers against you. They will even utilize their radar effectively from STT, SAM, TWS or even go radar off to try and kill you. They will also employ standard air-force tactics to pince and bracket your flight. They will defend your missiles easily from long range shots unless you have the tactical advantage and they will chase you down if you flee if it is safe for them to do so.

Human pilots will be aggressive and will have varying skills across the board. Please be warned that all tactics can be used to engage you. We have a strong policy when flying online at Falcon Online, we do our talking in the sky, once back on the discord channels or web forums we are friendly, helpful and conduct ourselves in a good manor regardless of which side we are on. We do not tolerate, bitching, whinging, or complaining. Huge efforts go into making TvT’s and they are here for everyone’s enjoyment, don’t be the guy that ruins it. Someone shoots you down, take it like a man. Everyone gets shot down at some point…. Get back up in the air and get your blood pumping for the next sortie.

  • SECTION 14

POLICY ON CHEATING OR UNFAIR PRACTICES

Falcon Online has a ZERO tolerance on cheaters. Actively seeking ways to break the game, or meddle with campaign files will net you an instant ban. There is no discussion and there is no way back on Falcon Online.

If someone makes an erroneous mistake we will discuss with that person the error and take a decision based on the information we have. To avoid this please read the Campaign description and S.O.P’s for the campaign you signed up for. They are always on our website: https://www.falcon-online.net/

I hope this guide gets you started and understanding a little more about how the dynamic campaign engine works and how we build and design our TvT’s ensuring fairness and fun are the end result..

 

 “Good luck up in the sky pilots…”