Crazy/Highly Unusual Mission Ideas Thread - Vector Thrust

Post here if you have something crazier than flying F-14 in space while dogfighting against alien mechas.

Missions need a context, otherwise it's the same old "let's do another tunnel run."
You should make a campaign ideas thread (for modders) instead.

bornloser wrote: Missions need a context, otherwise it's the same old "let's do another tunnel run."
You should make a campaign ideas thread (for modders) instead.

This thread is more intended for discussing the mission's premise/concept ideas, not the entire design itself, not the campaign/mission design.

Edited by: Nergal01

Hmm, if that's the case, it's mission mechanics more than fully realized missions thrown into the context of a much larger story, as a sub par/mechanically simple mission, can be pretty meaningful if steeped in a high point in a story.

Edited by: IbizenThoth

Since carrier takeoffs presumably have some kind of catapult mechani, how about catapulting from some more unconventional runways, like train tracks, etc?

Edited by: MyHatismyFriend

MyHatismyFriend wrote: Since carrier takeoffs presumably have some kind of catapult mechani, how about catapulting from some more unconventional runways, like train tracks, etc?

How about taking-off from rockets or using this Zero-length launch stuff that's compatible with modern-day jets??

Edited by: Nergal01

V3000TT wrote:
How about taking-off from rockets or using this Zero-length launch stuff that's compatible with modern-day jets??

I always have loved zero length launchers. Could make for some interesting mission ideas. In fact, ideals are floating in my head for a new design now....

A C-5 galaxy is carrying half of a new experimental aircraft that your military wants to get its hands on. They send you in a lone EA-18 growler to steal it. You have to jam all communications, shoot down four escort planes (probably F-14s), then get in close and hack into the transport's autopilot (hacking is automatic but you will have to stay within radius for a while) and force it to change course. Meanwhile the opposing military will be sending more planes, first to shoot you down, but near the end they will get desperate and try to shoot down the transport. Eventually the transport will make an unscheduled landing near the border of your country (you may have to clear a path by destroying some windmills or something) where unmarked friendlies will collect the cargo at gunpoint. They will secure the cargo for study and you fly off and eject over the ocean, where a submarine is waiting to pick you up.

Why all the hacking and secrecy? Because the two countries weren't at war with each other! Yours just wanted to use the technology against a third country.

Edited by: bornloser

bornloser wrote: A C-5 galaxy is carrying half of a new experimental aircraft that your military wants to get its hands on. They send you in a lone EA-18 growler to steal it. You have to jam all communications, shoot down four escort planes (probably F-14s), then get in close and hack into the transport's autopilot (hacking is automatic but you will have to stay within radius for a while) and force it to change course. Meanwhile the opposing military will be sending more planes, first to shoot you down, but near the end they will get desperate and try to shoot down the transport. Eventually the transport will make an unscheduled landing near the border of your country (you may have to clear a path by destroying some windmills or something) where unmarked friendlies will collect the cargo at gunpoint. They will secure the cargo for study and you fly off and eject over the ocean, where a submarine is waiting to pick you up.

Why all the hacking and secrecy? Because the two countries weren't at war with each other! Yours just wanted to use the technology against a third country.

Reminds me of that certain Crimson Skies mission where you must *literally* hijack a British bomber....while airborne.

Well I figured it would be easier to break into the autopilot than to climb out into 500mph winds. Though now that i think of it you would have to turn off your jammer before breaking into the Galaxy's computer system.

Went through a few possible drafts for how to present this idea, but short and sweet seems best.

A vertical tunnel mission that goes straight down.

^

IbizenThoth wrote: Went through a few possible drafts for how to present this idea, but short and sweet seems best.

A vertical tunnel mission that goes straight down.

Journey to the center of the Earth? And destroy the Earth's core eventually?

Somehow reminds me of Rayforce's 4 last levels, or something like that

Edited by: Nergal01

I had a few hundred iterations of thought on what the general purpose would be, but nice touches would be branching tunnels, flying past falling structures that you just so happen to be falling faster than, destroying ventilation fans to continue your journey.

Crunching the numbers, it takes about thirty seconds to travel 12 kilometers (7 miles) at the speed of sound, which is how deep the deepest hole ever drilled is. At that depth, the ambient temperature would be close to 180 degrees C. I imagine that at those temperatures, it'd be pretty close to impossible to not start taking damage.

This would probably be a mission in which you are not expected to return, resulting in a "good" ending even if you don't make it out alive, as long as you destroy the target.

I'll probably put together a more detailed mission scenario later though.

______________

Ah, suddenly remembered one of the peripheral ideas that connected with this one. Due to the heat generated by the Earth's geothermal activity, water would naturally be piped into the facility, for power generation and cooling. If it were simply allowed to vent out, the entire shaft would be filled with steam, making it impossible to see without assistance. I imagined a lidar module that would allow you to see, but with the caveat that it resolves only what is ahead of you, with a scanning motion, mapping out the path. Of course, the lidar had a maximum range beyond which it can't resolve, so it will map the interior, with the data coming into your systems, but if you get to the edge of your lidar's range of resolution before it scans again, you will be flying into darkness.

Edited by: IbizenThoth

Here's a rather-depressing mission flow from me:
"This operations supposed to be your nation's final push to occupy the enemy's capital city and eventually bring the end of this seemingly neverending conflict among nations.

You and other 4 squadrons are tasked to maintain air superiority around the city's outskirts, where the ground team will prepare themselves to stage the final phase of the operations. As you and your forces slowly marching towards the enemy capital, you feel suspicious that there's hardly any hostile contact around the radar, only 2-3 enemy planes encountered so far. Heck, even the ground forces are surprised they hardly encountered more than 2 armored divisions in the city outskirts....until one of your squadron's plane goes haywire and start shooting at you (either hacked or infected by certain deadly computer virus)...slowly other planes and ground vehicles also got hacked and start shooting each other. Amidst this horror, you can do nothing but hear your comrades screaming all over place while slaughtering each other (NB: assuming pretty much all ground vehicle crews are locked inside their vehicles too). Eventually, you notice that your HUD also goes haywire and the IFF went crazy after the enemy shows up...they appears as friendly on your IFF while all your allies appears as hostile, moreover YOUR PLANE AUTOMATICALLY FIRES MISSILE/SPW WHENEVER YOU TARGET ANY FRIENDLY UNIT (enemy on IFF by now, in other word, your plane automatically locks on nearest friendly and AUTOMATICALLY fires missile on them no matter what).
Things get worse as your AWACS also get hacked/infected and start giving the (real) enemy forces coordinates of your force's positions and keep saying gibberish words on the comm. Moreover, the enemy brought dozens of cruise missiles...enough to wipe out entire assault force.
Miraclously, the hacking/virus effect on your plane suddenly went out, and as you return to 'sane' condition, the base command explained that they've managed to restore the control of your plane (don't ask how), unfortunately there are two, no, three much worse news:
-You're basically the only allied survivor, entire army as well as your squadrons have been completely wiped out.
-Apparently the enemy hacked/infected the AWACS first; your AWACS is now the source of this 'infection' and at the moment they're using it to hack/infect an allied satellite as well, you have no choice to shoot it down. Failure to do it in time, and you'll learn that the enemy have managed to reveal your base's position via the hacked/infected satellite, and they immediately launched a nuke towards your base and there's nothing else to stop it.
-There are still a bunch of enemy planes (mostly elites) roaming all over the map. Good luck surviving their constant onslaught.

Should you done it in time, at least you've managed to prevent the enemy to confirm your base's coordinates and nuking it eventually. Instead, the enemy got a (almost) wrong coordinates; totally pissed off that their 'grand strategy' failed, they launched a nuke towards that coordinate....only to find THAT coordinates is in your nation's territory (let's say...your hometown?).

As you slowly leaving the combat zones and completely shellshocked that you can't save (almost) anyone from certain destruction while keep listening to base command that "it can't be helped", you realize that you don't have enough fuel to RTB, and your plane's in totally busted-up condition to keep flying. Therefore you have no choice but to eject above a barren wasteland...in the allied territory at least. Deep sorrow and thirst of vengeance is the only thing that keep you from commiting suicide while you waited for the SAR team to rescue you, even worse that you can still hear those screams from your comrades back while you witnessed them slaughtering each other during that horrific event you can never forget, nor forgive...."

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED?

ya, I admit I've editted it a lot of times because 5 out of 10 attempts of editing this ends up in FUBAR instead

Edited by: Nergal01

Suddenly I feel like this'll become a quasi "campaigns/story" thread, since missions are driven by the story's requirements after all.

IbizenThoth wrote: Suddenly I feel like this'll become a quasi "campaigns/story" thread, since missions are driven by the story's requirements after all.

That's my original intention for creating this thread actually.....but only limited to individual mission instead of the whole campaign.

But since we started talking about general mission ideas & stuff, they're welcomed as well.

These ideas are very welcome, especially because lately I’m interested in updating the “alpha campaign”. Another campaign may be already in development, but the existing “alpha” campaign could be used to test and showcase some interesting missions without having an elaborate connection to a story.

I’m also looking for ideas for more conventional missions in order to make use of some of the content already available, like the ziz, patriot SAMs, Abrams, etc.
These ideas can request new units or content not yet available, but if it uses too much new content it will be less likely for that mission to be added in the next updates.

Prevent enemy tanks from capturing your airfield

Use your F-117 to sneak past the enemy air defenses and destroy an Iowa class battleship in port. Then cross the return line before enemy fighters show up

Modify the existing missions to so the enemies fly a larger variety of planes

timeSymmetry wrote:
I’m also looking for ideas for more conventional missions in order to make use of some of the content already available, like the ziz, patriot SAMs, Abrams, etc.
These ideas can request new units or content not yet available, but if it uses too much new content it will be less likely for that mission to be added in the next updates.

-Armored column kill-fest where you must fly close air support? (or something closely resembles AC4's desert mission...Whiskey Corridor?)
-Recon mission involving surveying a location where Ziz are being constructed (to be more specific, 'almost finished').
-A canyon-run/low-altitude speedrun mission where you must avoid MRISA's killsat shot (assuming it's been deployed/introducted in previous mission) while intercepting an escaping recon plane (opposite of AC4's Safe Return, minus the ridiculous jammings)
-A 'voluntary field testing' to test the LIWAC gun (could be optional mission)
-Assisting allied fleet during coastal raid
-Fending off an enemy airlift operations (airdropping M113s? Perhaps Sheridans too?) behind your defense line? Might require at least C-17/C-5 and Sheridans though. Or BMDs.
-Escorting an escaping allied agent out off the borders while being pursued a bunch of armored columns and A-10s?

Edited by: Nergal01

How about a mission where the ZIZ is friendly, and you have to escort it from enemy fighters while it LIWACS the shit out of another enemy superweapon? Star Wars-que ZIZ to ZIZ fleet battles?

Well, here's an off the wall mission idea.

A friendly special forces/intelligence operator/operative calls in for help in the middle of a mission to destroy enemy air defenses around a city. "How?" one might ask. No one is really sure how the operator got a hold of your squadron's comm channels, but that's not really the point, since this operator doesn't really care too much to explain. Instead he tells you that he'd like if you dealt with some annoyances on his tail so that he can escape from the city. Then he appears on the map as a friendly unit called "sportscar" and now we see the 007 gist of things. He zips around the city, dodging past enemy patrol vehicles, Pacman style.

There will be two different kinds of enemy units, military and police. It's your decision on whether or not to destroy law enforcement. Military units will probably consist of guntrucks and the like, being much slower than police vehicles.

He will take something of a secondary role in your mission, as you are to continue neutralizing enemy air defenses, but there will be points when he is boxed in by enemies or hits a dead end at a road block/security checkpoint. If you do not extricate him within a certain period of time, he will be captured, and his sub-plot will end.

As you approach the close of the mission, the operator calls in that he is about to make it out of the city, only having to make it across the bridge. A few police helicopters will have followed him out of the city, and he will let you know that they're there with a cool quip of some sort. As he closes on the bridge, you begin hearing enemy transmissions stating that they are going to raise the bridge in order to trap him. You destroy the control room, our operator makes it out, you RTB. A nice added touch would be that if the bridge does rise a few degrees, the operator will just gun his engines and jump it if it's not too steep.

Key point must be made about the operator's personality: He will thank you whenever you help him, and he will like you more as the mission continues. Also, he comments on enemy transmission.

Enemy: "They've destroyed battery A!"
Operator: "Yo, buddy, that was you, right?"

Enemy:"They've downed Red 3!"
Operator:"I downed half a handle of that with one of their officers the other day. Red 3 is some good liquor. Nasty hangover though."

Enemy:"The battery on top of the Cloud Hotel is gone!"
Operator: "Never did get a chance to try the strudel there."

Enemy SAM:"What's wrong with my radar? I can't track him!"
Operator:"Sorry bud, that was me."

Enemies can't hear him though... unless

Enemy Police:"We have him cornered. We just need to back him into Elm street."
Operator: "Thanks for the tip, bub."
Enemy Police: "Who is this!"
Operator: "Ah, oops, wrong channel. [laughs]"
Enemy Police: "It's him! Track this signal!"
Operator: "Since it's not obvious where it's coming from, right?"

Edited by: IbizenThoth

Not sure if this should belong here or here :

My version of the first mission:
"Shortly after completing the final phase of the training mission, suddenly your AWACS informs that there are multiple unidentified planes heading towards your way (AC5 prologue style, but these doesn't have any markings at all, nor it shows as hostile on IFF), and fortunately while your instructor (if there's any...for some major shout outs, he flies either F-14A or F-4) requesting permission to engage, those unidentified aircrafts fired at you first, therefore your squad instantly gets clearance to engage. As you engage those mysterious planes, your base goes red alert and giving the usual "This is not a drill!" warnings to all pilot, shortly the AWACS explains that the base's under attack by several bombers with no markings too. As you shot down the last unknown jet and head back to the base for some assistance, another enemy squadron shows up right behind your squad and on pursuit vector AT UNUSUALLY HIGH SPEED (three times the speed of a normal Flanker? Your guess. Also cue epic BGM change), your instructor thinks that they're the enemy's ace squadron since they all fly black-painted (or red?) jets (either Su-27 or F-15E), and there's 'no use resisting' and told the entire squad not to engage them at all costs and head back to safe your base from those pesky bombers. This is basically the campaign's very first ace squadron encounter, but it's pretty much like that AC4's Yellow squadron 'introduction' scene where you can't do anything but to retreat to the designated area (they have 100% more plot armor this time, so not even your instagib LIWAC could scratch their paint jobs that make them three times faster).

As your squadron approaches the airbase, you and your instructor feel something strange that those black jets have disappeared from the radar. Not even your AWACS realized that they've been on your squad's tail minutes ago and then disappeared without any trace. Anyway, no time to think, looks like other squads (*coughnuggetscough*) are having a hard time getting rid of those bombers, but at least they have made enough effort to prevent the damage getting worse. With the appearance of your squadron the remaining bombers are no major threats, and surviving enemy units are begining to withdraw eventually. After you land, you realize that your instructor took a photo of one of those enemy aces' jet. "I'm pretty sure we'll encounter them again someday. Better stay out of trouble for now," he said. But as you examined the photo, you see that the squadron bear a familiar looking insignia you could have sworn you've seen it once before....."

END OF MISSION 1

Edited by: Nergal01

Nice, but I think the black jets should be YF-12s instead

Ibizen gave me an idea for a Sonic Wing Command based mission.
(SWC is a fanfic i've written)
Similar along the lines of his, but different objectives and lines.

Location: Cincinnati, US
Date: 04-12-2017
OPERATION FRONTLINE

Briefing:
The Kentucky State Police, in Coordination with the Ohio State Troopers and both State National Guards, have turned Cincinnati into a Fortress.

Our Invasion and Liberation of the US cannot continue if this fortress still stands.
The Fortress is 40 miles in Circumference, and protects waterways, so we cannot enter the water.
Luckily, there is a Secret Agent, Callsign Blade's EDGE, Which has been tasked with Destroying the City's Power stations, Television Stations, Radio Stations and the Major Structures holding the wall up.

However, we will need your support.
You will need to take off in a Mi-24 and move to destroy the City's Many Air to Air Defenses at the Airport, ICAO code, KCVG, Tanks at the Military Outpost at the Airbase, Lunken, and Destroy the Bridge once Blade's Edge crosses the line over the Ohio River to Kentucky, where she will escape to a aircraft waiting for her at KCVG in a locked hangar,

OR,

Support Blade's Edge by Killing Kentucky and Ohio Law Enforcement which pose a imminent threat to her, Destroy the Erlanger I-75 to halt traffic and Reinforcements from the south, and Cover Her Takeoff from KCVG.

Possible Quotes:

AWACS J-MELO: Ematoria 1, This is J-MELO, Maintain Low Altitude. You are entering the American Air Defence Engagement Zone.

(If cover is Blown)
Radar Operator: Alert! Lyokoian (Player's Nation) Mil 24 Hind! Scramble the Apaches!
AWACS J-MELO: Ematoria 1, What part of don't blow your cover don't you get!? Retreat at once! You have been spotted!

(If cover not blown)

AWACS J-MELO: Terminate Radio Silence. Cincinnati's Walls should be in Visual Range.
AWACS: Edge, at the time, it will be 10:44.
Sword's Edge: 1044..Sync.

(At time of Mission's Start)

AWACS: Edge, Detonate at 10:45.
Edge:...copy.

(after detonation, during pursuit)
Car 15: Car 15 to Base, I have sight of the Suspect, it is a Mercedes 600SL.
Base: Copy *static* 15, Expect *static* there in *static*

AWACS:Jamming is Enabled, it should help with making their job harder.

(Mi-24 going after Police)
Car 24: Chopper is going after us, Armed to the Teeth with Rockets, What is this thing doing here!?
Car 15: Hell if i know, Call the Guard! Tell them we need Anti-Air!

(Spinning top building destroyed)
Car 33:The Raddison was Destroyed by Enemy Fire! Where's that Anti-Air!?
Edge: Probably Looking for the keys to the AA Truck, or the Cellphone charger for his Car. Idiot.
Car 92: Radio Frequency Comprimised! We are Comprimised!

(Tanks at Lunken destroyed)
Lunken Command: Damn it! Our tanks are gone! What now!?
AWACS: Assume the Fetal Position?
Lunken: Who was that?
AWACS laughs

I can't think of anything else.