Career Mode

[Mitth'raw'nuruodo]

I was initially very impressed with the career mode, with all the choices of squadrons, the awards and promotions, the representation of wingmen and command structure of the unit.

However a few dozen missions later it is becoming quite repetitive. It seems there are only 3-4 missions for the bf 109 that keeps repeating. Other than joining a new squadron with a different aircraft, or becoming sqd leader, do things get any more interesting with time?

Does anything like the following happen? Otherwise consider them suggestions -

1. Have a scripted "story" mission in each phase like sandbox videogames.
2. Assign new upgraded aircrafts to sqd along a historical path.
3. Add some interaction with squad members outside of battles such as rivalries and bonds.
4. Provide some usable rewards such new paintjobs or equipment available after certain achievements.
5. Add more mission types. More unpredictable events during missions. Unique missions based on campaign phase.
6. Track and hunt down enemy aces for special rewards / recognition.

[longcheck]

War is not only Hell but also boring. I fly a 109 and seek solace from repetition but those were the kind of missions flown. Upgraded aircraft (109 F4> G2> G4 and G6 come in time.
My personal recognition/satisfaction comes from surviving a career mission.

[shadowgravy]

Originally posted by Mitth'raw'nuruodo:

Does anything like the following happen?

None of these, except for aircraft upgrades when appropriate. For the most part the career mode is just a means for providing a string of consecutive missions with some overarching record keeping.

Scripted campaigns can offer more variety, hidden triggers, custom paints, special events, unique missions, etc. They generally do a better job of conveying a story than the default careers.

[Mitth'raw'nuruodo]

They should combine scripted missions with random missions.

Remember games like Freelancer? XCOM? Most sandbox RPG type games actually.

Once you or your squadron accumulates a certain amount of kills or some other such milestone via career missions, the next scripted mission is unlocked and the story moves to the next phase. I think it will create a better experience using resources that are already present. Whether you are reaching those milestones before or after their historical date essentially indicates what effect your pilot had on the history.

Ideally it should open up new historical paths. E.g. November 1942: winter is coming to dry up your supply routes and much of your air fleet will need to be sent away in defense of Afrika. The Soviets are planning a massive counterattack across the river Don to take advantage of this situation. If you can complete several exceptionally successful river crossing missions by November, the axis can secure the bridges on Don and thus have a chance to avoid losing the battle of Stalingrad and alter a crucial turning point of the war. Russia is forced into a temporary truce, freeing up more resources to defend against the allied invasion in Normandy.

There could be multiple tracked strategic objectives in the region that may affect campaign progression in different ways. As usual, the Air General asks for too much and gives too little resources. So the squadron commander may have to choose which ones to pursue across multiple missions at the cost of others. Send the right pilots (incl. himself) to the right kind of mission. That would be a proper dynamic campaign. Someday we can get there hopefully.

[Adler]

They should but they dont, you dont even see ju52 in stalingrad pocket where there should be tons of them flying supply missions. Career has not changed much in these years, progress is slow, there is no roadmap or anything like this. It feels like devs dont really care about it.

People end career with hundreds kills, every mission is filled with enemies, flying over stalingrad is bland, it's empty, things you destroy are fixed in next mission. But hey, we get bunch of new planes all the time, that you can use on flying these bland missions.

I would rather get 10 patrols missions with no enemies and then get surprise ambush than flying these 11 missions knowing that i will fight bunch of enemies on every one of them.

I remember people kinda making fun of DCS and being negative about it, that graphics are old and bad, damage model is poor, no feeling of taking part in ww2, no campaign etc.

And DCS now has great graphics, new damage model, INFANTRY!, soon there will be DYNAMIC campaign. I still like il-2 box but their lack of progress in SP experience is huge turn off and just makes you want to find some alternative.

We will see how it goes but DCS with campaign mode and new sim from MicroProse will be a strong competition and maybe il-2 will take some serious steps on making improvments instead of spamming expansions all the time.

I mean c'mon, game is 6 years old and we still don't have numbers on the planes? It's small thing but annoying as hell and knida shows that even something like this is ignored. Or how hard is it to exclude ju52 pilots from having their beginning score like "Destroyed 20 buildings, 10 ships, 8 fighters, 3 bombers, 2 trains", because transport pilots have stats better than most fighter pilots in real life...

[CAS]

I am a big Fan of the career mode!
For flying in VR is still so imersive that I still enjoy all the "boring" parts of flying.
Just keeping me orientatet watching the landscape, keeping an eye on fuel, or just looking close at some of the detailed instruments in the cockpit keep me busy .

In the long run it would be nice to see more different planes flying randomly (fx. Ju52?!)
I am missing the random trains and vehicle convojs from the old IL2.
I think ships are missing too.

Looks like we will finally get the plane numbers with a patch.
Hope they keep on patching the career mode!
It is great now but could be even better!

[unknown]

Originally posted by Adler:

I remember people kinda making fun of DCS and being negative about it, that graphics are old and bad, damage model is poor, no feeling of taking part in ww2, no campaign etc.

And DCS now has great graphics, new damage model, INFANTRY!, soon there will be DYNAMIC campaign. I still like il-2 box but their lack of progress in SP experience is huge turn off and just makes you want to find some alternative.

We will see how it goes but DCS with campaign mode and new sim from MicroProse will be a strong competition and maybe il-2 will take some serious steps on making improvments instead of spamming expansions all the time.

100% I still do not think DCS is quite up to the standard of il2, however they are catching up faster than I would have thought. I mean even as far as plane variety its really picking up steam as to the speed at which new aircraft are developed. I remember when a new aircraft for that sim took litearlly 6-7 years to come out and now we are getting announcements of aircraft and actually see faster development of said planes. not sure if this is just an illusion, but that sim is really starting to come together. I mean the damage model, be it not as good, is definately passable. At the moment I would say they still have work as far as AI goes since the AI in that game tends to cheat to the point at which you notice it where while this game does have easier AI, the AI does not cheat indicating that this game has a more advanced AI and the improvements made in the last year have been pretty significant.

Il2 needs to up its game if it wants to stay ahead.

[Adler]

Keep in mind that that DCS has B17 and can support 4 engine planes, it even menages a lot of them at the same time. Something people really want in il-2 but always get a big "no" from devs. Yet they went to make western front which is kinda meh without these bombers. Also infantry in DCS is a great thing.

If il-2 will be stuck in this expansion loop of bland career, map, 10 planes then i think they can get not a nice surprice one day. I do hope they can change something instead of producing these expansions over and over, at least if this was not their main purpose but a way to making more improvments.

And i say it as someone who owns pretty much everything in the series.

[unknown]

Originally posted by Adler:

Keep in mind that that DCS has B17 and can support 4 engine planes, it even menages a lot of them at the same time. Something people really want in il-2 but always get a big "no" from devs. Yet they went to make western front which is kinda meh without these bombers. Also infantry in DCS is a great thing.

If il-2 will be stuck in this expansion loop of bland career, map, 10 planes then i think they can get not a nice surprice one day. I do hope they can change something instead of producing these expansions over and over, at least if this was not their main purpose but a way to making more improvments.

And i say it as someone who owns pretty much everything in the series.

100% agree. Like I said, they were able to get away with not having a lot of these features because its competition was just so far behind it, but now that its catching up, its very much necessary that they get on it since I expect that they are going to be getting a lot of people jumping ship for other simulators if they just remain where they currently are.

They are only ahead of the other simulators by a little bit these days. But a little bit will not last given the rate at which the competition is catching up.

[Thorstorm]

2 is already there.

Answer to 5 and 6... PWCG, look it up, it's pretty good.

I disagree with your first point, the fun of career mode is the unpredictability and random encounters.

3 yes, unfortunately the devs don't seem to care much about career mode even though it's been played by most of the playerbase, many interesting features are missing, career mode could be so much more, it's a shame.

[Mitth'raw'nuruodo]

Originally posted by Bearded Warrior:

I disagree with your first point, the fun of career mode is the unpredictability and random encounters.

That is the whole point my friend. The current missions are drab, repetitive and predictable. Some well written story elements, possibly with branching paths et al will add some much needed drama.

[Battle Bureaucrat]

That's what Scripted Campaigns are for in a way.
Career mode gives you pretty much the combat mission feel of a fighter pilot out there. Sorties getrepetitive? Well, that's what they were unfortunately. If you were a fighter pilot, one day you might not see any action, the other you'll scramble fast to intercept enemy bombers, some other day you go on a patrol... might find something or not. I play career for that pilot experience, break it up with playing a mission or two of scripted camapgins every now and then.

[shadowgravy]

The career mode should have optional side missions like 'capture Rommel's staff car' or 'shoot down Hitler's flying saucer.' And please put health pickups in the sky, and gold coins so we can buy secret engine upgrades. I think an evil nemesis squadron should be added, led by Red Skull. And lots of anime cut scenes between missions too. The player's squadron should all be waifus. And when you get promoted to general, you get to customize your own Mech.

[unknown]

Originally posted by shadowgravy:

The career mode should have optional side missions like 'capture Rommel's staff car' or 'shoot down Hitler's flying saucer.' And please put health pickups in the sky, and gold coins so we can buy secret engine upgrades. I think an evil nemesis squadron should be added, led by Red Skull. And lots of anime cut scenes between missions too. The player's squadron should all be waifus. And when you get promoted to general, you get to customize your own Mech.

lol

Though For real, it may be kind of neat if they added another layer to the missions. For example there being a chance that you get a radio call telling you to abandon your current mission and redirrect to a different mission. That is realistic and did happen from time to time and could be added into the loop and be randomly generated.

[shadowgravy]

I like the concept. I think it would be difficult to execute though.

[Mitth'raw'nuruodo]

Originally posted by Battle Bureaucrat:

That's what Scripted Campaigns are for in a way.
Career mode gives you pretty much the combat mission feel of a fighter pilot out there. Sorties getrepetitive? Well, that's what they were unfortunately. If you were a fighter pilot, one day you might not see any action, the other you'll scramble fast to intercept enemy bombers, some other day you go on a patrol... might find something or not. I play career for that pilot experience, break it up with playing a mission or two of scripted camapgins every now and then.

It does not. I would urge you to read some of the memoirs of WW2 pilots. I would say the career mode as it is now covers 2% of it.

And after all this is a videogame. It is not a job. It is not even training for commercial aviation. Unlike actual WW2 pilots there are no stakes involved and we have nothing to show for it be it money or any tangible awards. The sole purpose is to provide entertainment. As much as we love flying, doing the same three missions with the same aircraft again and again becomes terrible as entertainment.

If you accept the missions in the scripted campaign as something that happens in a WW2 campaign, there is no reason for not accepting missions like that in between the regular sorties as part of a WW2 pilot's career. You should not need to go to a different game mode. Your normal career as a WW2 fighter pilot should provide the occasional unpredictable moment of drama and madness in between the daily sorties.