Infiltration missions: How-To and Links

[Jason1]

Starting with DCG version 2.4 a new kind of mission is available which is triggered when you drag your player unit on the operation map to a map that is not adjacent to a friendly-controlled map. In these missions, you are only allowed to use infantry - any vehicles will be left behind. You will get your vehicles back when you return to a normal mission. The goals of these missions are not provided ahead of time - you have to check your objectives when you get in the game. So far, mission types include: eliminating an officer or a sniper, rescuing a downed pilot, and stopping a truck convoy.

You can make your own infiltration mission mini-scripts by building a mission in the editor and then editing the 0.mi file the editor makes into a mission .xml file.

Here are some notes about how it works that may be helpful if you want to add your own infiltration missions and share them here:

* When you trigger an infiltration mission by moving your unit to a
non-adjacent map, DCG looks at the missions folder and makes a list of all
missions that fit your campaign (by player and computer nation, dates, map,
as specified). Then DCG picks one and only one script from that list of
matching missions and pastes it at the end of the 0.mi file. (Before DCG
pastes it, it does a find and replace on those position tags, generating
new positions as needed).

* If you erase all scripts in the folder, you are left with only the
default victory conditions of win = eliminate all enemies/ lose = get all
your units killed. These apply in the normal missions, too of course, and
are not listed as objectives even though they are always active.

* I haven't done a map-restricted infiltration mission yet, but that
really has a lot of potential, because you could have the script based on
the map (which is not possible anywhere else in DCG). Obviously we can't
make scripts specific to each of our 100+ maps, but we can pick some with
interesting features like bridges, airfields, beaches, railyards, etc that
we can write infiltration missions which are restricted for those specific
maps.

* The only thing you have to be careful about is the IDs in the script
(both the hex ids like "0x8000" and the MIDs). I just erase the MIDs for
now and let MoW fill them in, but that makes it hard to add squads. You
could also use MIDs starting with a very high number (500?). For the hex
ids, I just find/replace all the "0x8" the editor wants to put in with
something else like "0xe" and leave the other three characters alone (I
don't know what the best strategy is for that - maybe we should ask
Instinct about it?)

[The Soldier]

Sounds like smething interesting!

[KnightFandragon]

I played one of these and won it before i even had a chance to see what was going on...the officer I guess was right beside my dudes and they shot him straight away haha. Also, what significance do these infiltration missions have on the regular push to the supply bases? I was on a 10 in a row operation and I did the infil mission but it cost me a map b/c ofc. the stand in army lost as they seem to always do. Which leads me to asking, why do the stand in armies and the 2nd army loose so often. I fought with my 2nd army once and he had quite an impressive display of several infantry squads, artillery, some 222's a few medium tanks and the Brits seem to be rolling out lots of infantry with like 1, sometimes 2 shermans. On a hard day, 2 arty, 2+ tanks and hordes of infantry.

[Dilust]

Why do not provide some bonus linked to infiltration missions? You have completed an infiltration mission and, once your battlefront reach this map, for the second time and for a field battle, you could obtain a squad of partisan or something like this - a sort of bonus...

[Zeke Wolff]

Right now Infiltration and asassination missions is just added for "fun", ie to allow you to get a chance to play a different kind of mission than just the ordinary "Take" or "Hold" ground missions.

We have discussed several ideas regarding what a player will receive for kind of bonuses when doing a infiltration mission, but hasn´t decided on anything yet (as far as I know).

~Zeke.

[Herr Flick]

Oh yes, it'd be extremely nice to have some consequences for them, ie. blowing up a fuel depot or yard of tanks would mean the enemy has no tank support in their next attack against the player or something.

[Jason1]

blowing up a fuel depot or yard of tanks

Hmm, those sound like good ideas for more infiltration missions!

[Trog]

Ideas that I am working on, but I want a reason more than a mission.

I wanted to work on what effect they have first but it seems getting them in then what effect they have is second but the end result is that we have them.

Extra sub missions, this would be any objective that when completed or failed would not lead to a loss of the map or a gain of a map.

Incentive- (reward or punishment) Some missions some people will not want to do, I do not want frustration for failing to complete any objective. The result is if you fail it takes you longer. With more time comes a chance the enemy will bring more forces to face you making your task even harder. When you can not gain reinforcements but the computer can the incentive is to move quickly while at the same time not throwing your men's lives away.

1- Commanding officer-

a.-This person for the computer should provide many benifits. Some of the bonuses that this "hero" unit can provide would be He directs the forces allowing them if they have a chance to conduct offensive operations. Removing him from the operational map for a day or more would prevent the computer from attacking. They are disorganized and in confusion till a new commanding officer can be appointed. As an infiltration mission you have gained information about where he is located generally moving from unit to unit to instpect the troops boost moral ect. You take a commando unit and attempt to eliminate him.

b.- One feature I would like would be waves of enemies spaced out either they come on the map in a one for one, (you kill one enemy and a new one replaces him, upto the total number of reserves) Or you have a complete wave of troops and a new unit shows up to help defend or attack after so much time if you have failed to achieve the goals for the map, generally 10-20 minutes between waves with 1-4 waves for a ratio of 2-15 times the number of forces you have depending on the front and the settings. If the hero unit commander were present on the map then he could speed up the waves being brought on the map. killing him could falter the attack, either slowing or stopping reinforcements depending on if they are attacking or defending. One other possible outcome could be that if the officer comes under fire or your troops approach him he could retreat providing the reward for this map, but since you did not kill him not gaining the additional effect of no attacks on the operational map.


Supply dumps and supply points-

Supply point- would be a map location that would represent a harbor or a transportation hub such as a rail network as such your unit is "in supply" even if you have lost yours but taken the enemies. This is the current DCG Model

Supply dumps- I would like to see this to be a location where enemy reserves are held along with possible fuel supplies, A possible infiltration mission here would be that if you were able to get a commando unit in and blow them up then till the next supply cycle enemy units when in battle could be made to switch from AI to user, The effect of this would be no longer would they have unlimited ammo or unlimited fuel. For this period the computer could be "tricked into running out of ammo" The disadvantage of this would be less ammo to take off off dead enemy but with proper management then you would already have sufficient stocks to hold out.

Airports or improvised airstrips- If one of these missions come up then taking them out would remove any chance for the computer to have air attacks till the next supply period.

Support units- A battery of artillery that supports the enemy troops has been found taking out this unit would take away any off map artillery that the computer could use till the next supply cycle.

But the main thing would be that choosing to do them would provide as much fun and purpose as any other mission along with wanting to do them more than once, Currently the repetitive nature of any operation is not a factor because of the long term goal, Either to gain units, or win campaigns to be able to command more units. The main thing is progress in moving your command thru the war no matter what your goals are, While at the same time providing enough challenge and yet not being too frustrating.

You can win every battle but, you can still have victory in defeat. One way to do this is to accomplish the goals that you set. Example might be keeping your units alive. The current model only allows you to continue your campaign if you win maps, Some new way to measure success have to be devised such as you are able to delay an attack, or you have faced 5 waves of troops and you hold one objective and you have x number of living units you have proven yourself as a commander in the face of overwhelming odds therefore you are not demoted and you are allowed to continue a new campaign.

Perhaps it is early war and you are play as the UK, you are fighting a delaying battle how do you measure a win while still loosing a battle? The current model avoids this and has you not doing the "retreat". To truely represent a war, there is the Tactical win and there is the Strategic win. This element of a Strategic win is what I would like to add in. and Infiltration missions are just one way to help accomplish this goal.