Operation Ghost Rider, 1985 (Updated December 20, 2024)

[Kushan04]

A long-range strike from the UK on a simulated airfield 100 miles southwest of Goose Bay, Labrador by 10 F-111Es from the 20th Tactical Fighter Wing on October 18, 1985.

This exercise was one of the proof of concept operations for Operation El Dorado Canyon.

This scenario is designed as the exercise that it was. As such, the main objective is to get your strike force to the target area and back to England. By default, the simulated SAM sites have no weapons, and will not fire. Similarly, the OpFor early warning radars are not actively emitting.

Several special actions are available to increase the complexity and difficulty. These range from adding weapons back to the OpFor SAM sites and activating their EW radars, adding additional SAMs, to adding hostile interceptors. To counter these additions, the option to add additional supporting forces (CAP, AEW, OECM, and SEAD) for the player is available.

You will only get points for damaging or destroying the designated aim points. Any other OpFor unit engaged is simply the cost of doing business.

Also available on Steam: HERE

Looks forward to comments and critiques.

Version 2.1.2 (December 20, 2024):
• Updated weather Lua scripts.
• Added new scenario setup option to use historical or random for starting weather conditions.
• Reduced weather variability chance.
• Adjusted custom environment zones max seastate.

Version 2.1.1 (13 December 2024):
• Fixed FENCE check DBID.

Version 2.1.0 (13 December 2024):
• Updated database to DB509.
• Added Custom Environment Zones regions. The area of operations has been divided into three CEZs: West Atlantic, North Atlantic, and Eastern Atlantic/Northwest Europe. Global and CEZ weather will be randomized at the start of the scenario. Every hour weather will drift positively or negatively based on the current conditions. Real world average weather conditions are used as the baseline where applicable.
• Added new scenario realism setting: Take Off Fuel and Usage. Default: Aircraft will take off with full fuel. Default Command behavior. Realistic: USAF aircraft will have fuel adjusted to estimated realistic values after taking off. This should result in more accurate fuel usage. Unlimited: Aircraft will take off with full fuel. They will still use fuel but will be periodically refueled via in-game event. No tankers will be needed.
• Added new scenario realism setting: Enable System Checks. Turned on by default. This setting enables or disables the various aircraft system checks events.
• Updated scenario description and briefing.
• Fixed starting aircraft status. This will allow players to once again issue manual orders to aircraft before they are ready for takeoff.

[boogabooga]

Make sure that your lua script is friendly to reloading the scenario from a save other than the original scen. I'm getting a lot of Lua error messages (every minute ) about doing arithmetic on nil values...I suspect that the save is not going through the same initialization process as the the original and thus missing some variable instantiations.

The specific error is:
Lua script execution error: [string "USA_SpareAircraftRTB"]:1: attempt to perform arithmetic on a nil value (global 'USAAircraftRTBCounter')


I haven't gotten through the scenario, but what is the lua trying accomplish with the spare aircraft?

[Kushan04]

Make sure that your lua script is friendly to reloading the scenario from a save other than the original scen. I'm getting a lot of Lua error messages (every minute ) about doing arithmetic on nil values...I suspect that the save is not going through the same initialization process as the the original and thus missing some variable instantiations.

The specific error is:
Lua script execution error: [string "USA_SpareAircraftRTB"]:1: attempt to perform arithmetic on a nil value (global 'USAAircraftRTBCounter')


I haven't gotten through the scenario, but what is the lua trying accomplish with the spare aircraft?

No idea why that would throw an error. Has worked fine in all my testing.

I do reset all of my variables on scenario load thank you very much…

As for what it does, it’s the counter for the event that sends the spare aircraft back to Upper Heyford.

[boogabooga]

I made a save after five seconds.

If you run it, do you not start seeing lua errors every sim minute?

[Kushan04]

I made a save after five seconds.

If you run it, do you not start seeing lua errors every sim minute?

I think I see what happened, I forgot to store the variable as a KeyStore to reset it when a save is reloaded. It should be fixed now. See the first post for the download link. If you still have issues let me know.

[boogabooga]

The return-to-base LUA code seems to delete or destroy one of my units. Sometimes, it's one of the F-111s (attached). Sometimes it's the Portsmouth Air Base. I'm not sure if the issue is in Lua script, or a Command bug related to the script somehow.

Also, the scoring for destroying targets is still broken if the scenario is reloaded from a save, as in the example.

Otherwise, this scenario makes a great tutorial for the Strike Mission Planner.

[Kushan04]

The return-to-base LUA code seems to delete or destroy one of my units. Sometimes, it's one of the F-111s (attached). Sometimes it's the Portsmouth Air Base. I'm not sure if the issue is in Lua script, or a Command bug related to the script somehow.

It's working as intended. It's taking four aircraft, moving them to another side, and ordering them to RTB. This is explained in the mission briefing.

Also, the scoring for destroying targets is still broken if the scenario is reloaded from a save, as in the example.

I have no script that resets scores. If this is actually occurring, you need to make a save and a before and after screenshot and report in the Tech Support forum as it's not a scenario issue.

[boogabooga]

The return-to-base LUA code seems to delete or destroy one of my units. Sometimes, it's one of the F-111s (attached). Sometimes it's the Portsmouth Air Base. I'm not sure if the issue is in Lua script, or a Command bug related to the script somehow.

It's working as intended. It's taking four aircraft, moving them to another side, and ordering them to RTB. This is explained in the mission briefing.

No, I mean destroyed, in addition to the RTBs. In the scenario that I posted, it happens at 0540 Zulu, concurrent with the RTB event, so I assume that it is related. I get this:

AC_Destroyed_0540z.png (265.42 KiB) Viewed 1758 times

It did not run out of fuel. It did not get hit. It simply destroyed. In some playthroughs, it was the Portsmouth Air Base itself to be destroyed in this manner. Perhaps this needs to go to Tech Support?

Also, the scoring for destroying targets is still broken if the scenario is reloaded from a save, as in the example.

I have no script that resets scores. If this is actually occurring, you need to make a save and a before and after screenshot and report in the Tech Support forum as it's not a scenario issue.

If I let the attached mission run until the targets start to get hit, I get the followingLua error message:

LuaErrorTargetDestroyed.png (272.56 KiB) Viewed 1758 times

It seems that the variable 'side' is nil.

[Kushan04]

No, I mean destroyed, in addition to the RTBs. In the scenario that I posted, it happens at 0540 Zulu, concurrent with the RTB event, so I assume that it is related. I get this:
AC_Destroyed_0540z.png

It did not run out of fuel. It did not get hit. It simply destroyed. In some playthroughs, it was the Portsmouth Air Base itself to be destroyed in this manner. Perhaps this needs to go to Tech Support?

I think this needs to go to Tech Support. I have no script that does this, or one that removes Portsmouth AB. The only script that does anything to Portsmouth is one that adds a single additional tanker when using the Additional US Aircraft special action.

If I let the attached mission run until the targets start to get hit, I get the followingLua error message:
LuaErrorTargetDestroyed.png

It seems that the variable 'side' is nil.

I see what's happening! This ones definitely on me. I'll get an updated version out tomorrow.

This screenshot was extremely helpful. I didn't understand what the issue actually was. It's not an issue with scoring being reset on reload, the script is erroring out and not awarding any points to begin with.

[Kushan04]

Update posted that fixes the scoring issue reported by boogabooga.

[Kushan04]

No, I mean destroyed, in addition to the RTBs. In the scenario that I posted, it happens at 0540 Zulu, concurrent with the RTB event, so I assume that it is related. I get this:
AC_Destroyed_0540z.png

Had this happen to me on stream today but with a ship.

Was lucky enough to get a save right before (for another issue) and a save right after it occurred. Will be passing it to the devs.

[Kushan04]

Posted a new update. Made a few changes to briefing regarding the execution of the operation based on Jim Rotramels new book on Eldorado Canyon.

I took the opportunity to replace the various scenario setup special actions with the new Lua advanced HTML dialog box. It appears at the start of the scenario, just after the briefing. Default settings are still the historical exercise. I'd like some feedback on it. I think it's going to be the way to go for future scenario setup options.

[Kushan04]

Merry (early) Christmas everyone. Just uploaded a new update. This update adds several scenario features from my new Operation Eldorado Canyon scenario. This also includes the first usage (that I know of) of custom environment zones in a scenario.

[MauriceB]

Thanks for the update. This is one of my favourite scenarios.