Recent info has been posted in the forums by Producer Matt Wagner about the campaign system.

Here are what I thought were the relevant quotes:

Recently, there have been a lot of questions and misunderstandings about the campaign system for DCS: Black Shark. What follows is a brief description that I hope bring a bit of clarity.

The campaign system in DCS: Black Shark is not linear, branching or dynamic; it is phased. Let me try to describe this: using the embedded Campaign Editor, you can create as many phases in a campaign as they wish. The one I’ve been working on for example will between 25 and 30. You can think of each phase as a folder. Now using the Mission Editor, you can create a mission using many of the new functions such as a trigger and resulting action system, defined random chance of units appearing, new targeting system that sets “zones” for units to search for and attack targets, etc. After you have created a mission, you can then assign the mission to any of the phases. You can place as many missions within a phase as you want. Obviously, putting more missions in a phase will reduce the chances of the same mission being flown when the user is in a phase multiple times. This process can actually go pretty quickly when you create a base-template for each phase and then add and modify to the template to create multiple, separate missions.

When the mission is created, you assign goals. A goal can be such things as the player surviving, primary target(s) being destroyed, friendly units not being destroyed, time limits, etc. Each of these goals can be assigned a numeric value. At the end of the mission, the goals are evaluated to determine if the player stays in the same phase, drops back to a previous phase or advances to the next phase. The only thing linear about the phased system is that the flow of the phases is linear (although it can flow forwards and backwards). In this manner, a player’s progress in a campaign can go back and fourth according to how the missions turn out. When you tie phases to front lines, it is easy to set up a situation where you have front line that ebbs and flows according to mission results. You will never had to re-fly a mission to progress in the campaign (unlike Lock On).

As you can see, this is not really not linear, branching or dynamic.

In later iterations of the campaign system (it’s is a work in progress), we plan on adding such things as resource management (units and stores) and squadron pilot management.

While it is certainly not out of the question that we will also do a dynamic system that algorithmically generates missions and a battlefield environment, the phased system is what we wish to perfect fist. In addition to providing much better game play possibilities than the linear Lock On system, it takes much better advantage of our Mission Editor system that we are developing for both the entertainment and military markets.

Thanks,
Matt
__________________
Matt Wagner
Producer, TFC/Eagle Dynamics

For me, I create a template for each phase that represents a current forward line of troops, and then add and modify the template to create the individual missions for that phase. I personally should for between 4 and 6 possible missions per phase, but this number of course can be determined by the campaign designer.
The campaigns for DCS:BS are currently in work and will focus on attack helicopter operations and fixed-wing CAS.

You can easily create a “depot” of units that will “activate” when another unit is destroyed. When activated with this trigger, the unit would then drive/fly to what location you specify.

You can certainly create unit activity outside the mission objective and assign such units value to the overall mission evaluation. So, even if you did not accomplish your assigned objective, doing extensive damage to the enemy in other areas along the battle front could still progress you forward to the next phase. It’s really up to the mission designer how they wish to set up the mission.

source:
http://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=30053

Sounds pretty close to the flexibility of the old Janes Longbow 2 engine, plus the ability to actually edit individual missions and create your own phased progression.

What do you think?

Related posts:

1. DCS forum highlights – Aug, 2008
2. DCS Blackshark (Russian version) goes Gold!
3. DCS: BlackShark English Manual now available