NEUWUC - A complete combat simulation

[Wizard]

Hello everyone -

Well, a friend told me I should create a new thread and introduce myself. I am Geoff McLean, developer of Underway!, Underway Captain!, Captain! and Naval Engagement! (NEUWUC for short). Way back in 2004 I joined a virtual naval flying group and was astonished when I finally got into my first combat scenario with them. A whole lot of "Guns,guns,guns" "in 3,2,1./.halt", "Taking a picture", "sending it to the judge". So I started conversion of my turn-based 1 minute naval warfare simulator into a real-time, server based simulation. While it retains the "Naval" word - it really is a complete warfare simulation. The FS-9/FS-X portion name, "Underway!", comes from the fact that you can land on a moving ship if it has a landing pad or flight deck and stay on deck - even when you close down Underway!.

Being as most of you are FSX fans, I converted the original into FSX and we now have some 70 odd gauges in the dll. NE! is the server and controls all non-player platforms which include bullets, guns, missiles, torpedoes, radars, sonars and various platforms such as tanks, missile batteries, ships, submarines, - whatever.

And yes, I and many volunteers have been working on this since 2004 - I have several thousand hours of coding and testing and building platforms in this. We just completed a battery of tests and I am beginning to feel confident the system is ready for some other folks to join us in "beta" testing. This is not TacPack. U/W can be used in any platform, and whatever aircraft you might fly - we have *all* of it's weapons available for your use. You want to fly a P-3C and do anti-submarine warfare (ASW)? Sure - we have a scenario already built where you are given a SOSUS report on a Delta III SSBN - and you can go out and try to find it. You fly cargo planes - but always feel left out by the fighter jocks? Well, in NEUWUC, systems break down and critical parts are needed in the fleet all the time. Until that part gets to the ship, their (for instance) radar is down. You like to drive ships but don't have FSX? The Captain! program is for you. It has everything you need - except the view out the window. You are totally immersed in a Combat Information Center (CIC) like environment which controls all sensors and weapons, and when things get busy, they really get busy. You like to fly F/A-18's or F-14s? You'll have all the weapons they carry - just don't get too cocky - those SA-6 missile batteries and Kirov battlecruisers shoot back. If you do - you'll suddenly find yourself a high speed lawn dart.

Let me warn you though, NEUWUC is not for the faint of heart. While installation of the basic system is not hard, there is a lot of minor to-dos and lots of downloading (of additional ships, plains,trains, and tanks, etc). It is definitely not a one-click install. We do have various manuals and a rather good one for the Underway! gauges and combat loadouts for aircraft. And we have several folks that know the system well to help you out.

And the best part? NEUWUC is free! As long as the hosting service (and now an unabashed plug - http://UCClouds.com) continues to host us for free it will remain free for all. If you are a developer of gauges - Feel free to modify the graphics of my rather ugly gauges. Want to create some gauge which I have not? Feel free to contact me regarding what data is available and I'll either let you know or we'll figure a way to create it. We need ships of all types - many are already in the database, but we don't have any FSX models of them. I am looking specifically for developing our next battle scenario. (I'm thinking Cuba decides to invade a nearby country). We need both ship and aircraft drivers. Many things can be scripted in NEUWUC, but the best simulation is when humans play all the parts.

Vist http://navalengagement.net. Send me an email at neatmcleanresearch.com and tell me:
1: Your first and last name
2: a username
3: a password
4. An initial platform(s) you want to own.

I will then send your user id and create a shiny new platform for you and let you know it's side number (id).

Sign on to http://fsx-miramar.webs.com where you will have access to all the latest downloads. Also on their FTP server is a video we took of AMW-01 - a morning assault on Camp Pendelton, CA, after a large armored force of Mexican rebels attacked and overran the base. If you want to test your internet and computer speed this scenario will really tax it. Over 120 objects comprise the scenario - from tanks, missile batteries, BMPs, LVTs, LSTs, LPDs, CGs, DDs, - even the good 'ol USS Iowa (BB-62) is featured shelling the beach with her 16" rounds. This scenario was a test of all the capabilities of NEUWUC and is more of a demonstration but you can still have fun taking on the enemy forces. (if you have a U-Tube account you could post it for us - it's 86M though).

We also have a hot range at Fallon where there are several missile batteries ready to shoot you down. I suggest taking an EA-6B or similar jammer with you. You like playing the Russians, Cubans, North Koreans? Yep, you sure can. And if we don't already have your platforms built we can do so. My ultimate goal? I want to see the Soviet VS American battle groups duke it out as I was trained in the 1980s for. 24 ships, Backfire Bombers, Bear-Ds, Fulcrums, Floggers, F-14s, A-6s, SH-2s, etc going at it with everything they can throw at each other. What fun it would be to get 50 people involved in a scenario. If this appeals to you do sign up!

Hope to see you on the high seas!

[StormILM]

Seems very interesting. With my current schedule & beta testing, it might be a bit hard for me to find a time slot for this but perhaps I may be able over the coming months. If you have any media(screen shots or video), it may help boost interest in your project.

[trowelmaster]

Seems very interesting. With my current schedule & beta testing, it might be a bit hard for me to find a time slot for this but perhaps I may be able over the coming months. If you have any media(screen shots or video), it may help boost interest in your project.


There are quite a few photo's that we took while testing certain systems located @ Miramar Flight Club (photo gallery), but give me awhile and I'll up load some for you all.:adoration:

http://pendercrafts.com/navalengagement/manuals/Underway!_manual.pdf

http://pendercrafts.com/navalengagement/manuals/Script_manual.pdf

http://pendercrafts.com/navalengagement/manuals/gauge_list.pdf

[SH427]

I'm really interested in this. No idea when I'll be able to join but I'm definitely going to be following this

[trowelmaster]

Here are just a few...8505850685078508850985108511Here is the new Miramar Flight Club Team Speak address, for when you need to get a hold of Wizard or anybody else... ts93.light-speed.com:3365, I'll try to be on during the eve. I don't have the permission to hand out the password just yet, but just right click on someone's name and give-um a poke (no pun intended) see ya..!


PS...The E-mail address is : ne@mcleanresearch.com

Current list of people that have joined so far...

1 MFC
2 MFC XO
66 Wizard
4514 Saltee
7398 sp762
6976 migbait
1000 Toto-Free
1001 jaws
7396 MFC-3/Gunner
7399 Chippendale101
5695 Mechanic
6975 MFC-STORM
6995 MFC-21/Nate
7028 MFC-24/Hammer
7134 uchi
7213 papa_zman
6474 Firekitten
6203 warchild
6961 pappy
7403 Pierrot
7404 sgray
7400 Cowboy
7401 Creepy847
7402 MFC-37/bulldog
7405 Rayban
7406 dtomlinson
7407 retnavycpo

[Wizard]

Ah, well, there goes my anti-spam attempt (the email address) :dread:

I am on the MFC teamspeak server from about 1700Z-2130Z most every weekday. I'm a FOKM member (Fraternal Order of Kept Men), so I am somewhat flexible in hours - I can be online as early as 1200Z.

Currently, the USS George Washington Task Group (USS Sterett, USS Gallery, USS Patuxent) are off the coast of Mayport FL, in an oparea defind by 30N-31N and 80W-81W, doing approximately 20 knots. Can't really tell you their current location or course because it changes as they make the circuit. TACAN is operational - no, you don't use the VOR radio to fake it. We have a TACAN gauge. Currently the GW's is down, but the Sterett is live on 181X. If the GW gets hers fixed it will be 112X. While the GW group is in DEFCON 5, you will probably want to set your IFF secret code to the the proper number and squawk your id. This *should* prevent you being shot down....

A little context on the pics Migbait posted - the ones of the interior of the helo show an ASW prosecution in motion. The little cyan I (maybe a Tie fighter on its side) symbols are sonobuoys, in this case passive ones with lines coming out from them giving approximate bearings to a noise source.

The last Picture looking down on the San Diego harbor was an exersize we ran earlier this year where an amphibious task force - 2 LSTs, and 2-LPDs, a FFG and DDG departed their respective docks, formed a column and proceed to sea. Lurking just outside the harbor was a Victor-III. When the first torpedo was fired all he** broke loose. We spent probably an hour in a cat and mouse chase lobbing ASROCs and firing torpedoes.

The first one - of the Sverdlov (yeah, it's mis-labelled - we don't actually have an FSX model of a Sverdlov) was taken during the Zirconian fleet's transit from Zircon to the GW off Pensacola. Many, many missiles flew and ended with most of the Zirconian fleet destroyed and the GW in serious trouble after three humongous missiles hit her (and I think 1 torpedo) and she subsequently sank. The second pic is of Migbaits Russian base showing off his latest ship the Kuznetsov, I believe. I know he itching to use her - what a powerful ship! The other pics are self-explanatory.

The id you put in for tail number will be assigned by NEUWUC team members. This is used to validate who you are to the server (you can't use someone else's platform) and allows others to see your platform on FSX.

[trowelmaster]

To help spark some interest here's a thought, how about a scenario using the Normandy scenery found @ ( http://fsclassics.com/ww2-theatres/normandy/normandy-1944-for-fsx/ ). The possibility's are endless....

[Navy Chief]

Looking forward to trying this out. I joined under the name of "retnavycpo". Unfortunately, I can't try it until mid July, once I complete moving to Pensacola. But I will see you online then! NC

[Wizard]

Great Chief! See you then.

In the meantime, I am working on an ugly version (aka quick and dirty) of the Koni class of firgates for the Cubans. I don't make 'em pretty, but they resemble fairly accurately pictures and drawings I have of them. Typically my platforms involve less than 40 hours of work, so they are blocky, usually all gray, but from a mile away they look reasonable.

We are more than happy to entertain any scenario that someone wants to run. We will need an Order of Battle (OOB), where everything starts (lat/lon preferably in floating point format - ie 35.234 N), and unmanned platforms - ie missile batteries, transiting ships, etc. Autonomous platforms can be set up in defensive mode - or to shoot at a certain time), and any files - scenery or otherwise needed. unmanned platforms can be given a track to follow - even manned one until they are used. For instance in the GW group mentioned above, I won the USS Sterett - and when I'm not in it it cruises with the GW grou0p. When I man it, I change it's status to independent and can maneuver independently.

[Wizard]

A very ugly, but functional Koni class FFG is now available for download on the http://fsx-miramar.webs.com/ website. It has no textures and is all gray. I do have a driveable version if anyone cares - contact me for it. This will be needed for our upcoming Cuban Crisis scenario.

[trowelmaster]

I would very much like to get some feed back from anybody on what type of war time scenario you think would help spark some interest for all the flyers out there....thanks MIGBAIT...!

[Navy Chief]

I would very much like to get some feed back from anybody on what type of war time scenario you think would help spark some interest for all the flyers out there....thanks MIGBAIT...!

Personally, I would like to see a scenario involving the attack on Grenada. I was there, onboard the Indy, with VA-15! NC

[Wizard]

Wow! Grenada. My ship did the recon on the waters surrounding the island prior to invasion. Our charts were signed by Ponce de Leon. Horribly outdated - and we were scared ****less because the water was so shallow and we had that big 'ol SQS-26 on the bow. FF-1052s do not fare well running aground.

Is there some place where we could get an Order of Battle (OOB)?

[Navy Chief]

Wow! Grenada. My ship did the recon on the waters surrounding the island prior to invasion. Our charts were signed by Ponce de Leon. Horribly outdated - and we were scared ****less because the water was so shallow and we had that big 'ol SQS-26 on the bow. FF-1052s do not fare well running aground.

Is there some place where we could get an Order of Battle (OOB)?

Oh my, I wouldn't even hazard a guess as to where to look for such a document! If asked about USN aircraft specs, I can easily find out such info! But Order of Battle? I am clueless! NC

[Navy Chief]

Update: I did a quick Google search. Wiki does list a Order of Battle for Grenada!

http://wikigrenada.com/wiki/Invasion_of_Grenada#Order_of_battle

8989

[trowelmaster]

Update: I did a quick Google search. Wiki does list a Order of Battle for Grenada!

http://wikigrenada.com/wiki/Invasion_of_Grenada#Order_of_battle

8989


23 Naval vessels in all, not including the Caribbean peace force, time to get busy on the research...!

[Wizard]

Great link! Now we need the Grenada OOB - According to my refs Grenada only had a couple of very small patrol boats with M-60 and .50 cal (sized) guns. So most everything must have been ashore - I see references to some Soviet guns and BTR/BMPs. I wonder if they had any SAMs? From the Wiki it sounds like it mostly small arms combat - but they mentioned NGFS, (Naval GunFire Support) so there must have been something to shoot at...

[Navy Chief]

Great link! Now we need the Grenada OOB - According to my refs Grenada only had a couple of very small patrol boats with M-60 and .50 cal (sized) guns. So most everything must have been ashore - I see references to some Soviet guns and BTR/BMPs. I wonder if they had any SAMs? From the Wiki it sounds like it mostly small arms combat - but they mentioned NGFS, (Naval GunFire Support) so there must have been something to shoot at...

I have read that F/A-18s and F-14s are available aircraft to fly within NEUWC, but will A-7 Corsairs, A-6 Intruders, etc..., also be included as options? Thanks, NC

[Wizard]

Yes, indeed. And if we don't have a particular aircraft modeled it's no biggie. We just add the data to the database, set up the loadouts and assign a set of tail/BUNOs. I know we have the A-6 and A-7. I believe we have an A-6 panel, but we don't have an A-7 panel that I know of. Not hard to make, though integrating the gauges into the cockpit is usually preferrable. My SH-60 is a combination of both. I have separate windows for sensors, weapons, and the Tactical Data Display, but the U/W switch and time, chock switch, IR and RADAR LOCK warning lights, and TACAN readouts are integrated into the cockpit.

If there are any designers of cockpit layouts that want to incorporate U/W gauges, let me know and we'll "certify" your design and put a link to it on the MFC site for downloading. Please, though, this is only freeware. I don't care if you integrate it onto your own payware platform, but if it will be resold we'll need to talk about it. If we don't have a gauge that is needed, let us know. I'm sure we can provide a message scheme and data to provide what you need.

[Navy Chief]

Yes, indeed. And if we don't have a particular aircraft modeled it's no biggie. We just add the data to the database, set up the loadouts and assign a set of tail/BUNOs. I know we have the A-6 and A-7. I believe we have an A-6 panel, but we don't have an A-7 panel that I know of. Not hard to make, though integrating the gauges into the cockpit is usually preferrable. My SH-60 is a combination of both. I have separate windows for sensors, weapons, and the Tactical Data Display, but the U/W switch and time, chock switch, IR and RADAR LOCK warning lights, and TACAN readouts are integrated into the cockpit.

If there are any designers of cockpit layouts that want to incorporate U/W gauges, let me know and we'll "certify" your design and put a link to it on the MFC site for downloading. Please, though, this is only freeware. I don't care if you integrate it onto your own payware platform, but if it will be resold we'll need to talk about it. If we don't have a gauge that is needed, let us know. I'm sure we can provide a message scheme and data to provide what you need.

Is this simulation flown using FSX? If so, what model A-7 is this? Thanks, NC

[Wizard]

Yes, FSX is required for Underway! and Underway_Captain! Captain! does not require FSX - it is standalone, and I recommend it for ships and subs especially. Land vehicles can use it as well.

Which mod of the A-7? That I do not know. The weapons are listed in the Underway! Manual. By and large Underway! does not affect any of the flight characteristics of FSX platforms (except by disabling equipment when a hit is made). We do have the ability to have varients of aircraft - ie we have the F-14A and F-14D with different loadouts/weapons. If you want a specific mod of the A-7, let me know which it is, and if you can point me to a link showing the weapons it carries we'll add it. I *may* have it in one of my books, but not too likely - especially for non-US platforms.

[Navy Chief]

Yes, FSX is required for Underway! and Underway_Captain! Captain! does not require FSX - it is standalone, and I recommend it for ships and subs especially. Land vehicles can use it as well.

Which mod of the A-7? That I do not know. The weapons are listed in the Underway! Manual. By and large Underway! does not affect any of the flight characteristics of FSX platforms (except by disabling equipment when a hit is made). We do have the ability to have varients of aircraft - ie we have the F-14A and F-14D with different loadouts/weapons. If you want a specific mod of the A-7, let me know which it is, and if you can point me to a link showing the weapons it carries we'll add it. I *may* have it in one of my books, but not too likely - especially for non-US platforms.

I guess my real question is does the simulation use FSX aircraft? If so, then my choices would be both RAZBAM aircraft, the A-7E, and the A-6E! NC

[Wizard]

Yes, Underway! is at it's simplest, a set of gauges that interface between FSX and the Naval Engagement! server. You can fly any FSX aircraft with Underway! and you can drive any other type of FSX Vehicle with Underway_Captain!. The gauges provide functions that FSX does not provide natively - ie TACAN, chaff, ESM, ECM, "real" radar (ie bearing limited nose mounted radars with various characterists - range, bearing limitation, probability of detection, etc), and so on.

I had started on a set of gauges for X-Plane but got caught up in the FSX transition and have never gotten back to it. :a1089:

[Navy Chief]

Well, July 15 we move to Pensacola. I will be getting my "man cave", including my Flightsim setup arranged again. Am thinking by the end of July I should have things the way I want, hopefully! NC

[Wizard]

Great! We'll be waiting for you.:jump:

[trowelmaster]

9115911691179118 All nominal systems A-OK !

[trowelmaster]

Personally, I would like to see a scenario involving the attack on Grenada. I was there, onboard the Indy, with VA-15! NC


Here is a link that I found interesting , depicting almost all the events of the conflict: http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq95-1.htm

[Navy Chief]

Here is a link that I found interesting , depicting almost all the events of the conflict: http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq95-1.htm

Interesting article. One event of Urgent Fury that was not mentioned, was a accidental bombing of a hospital. There were at least 12 civilian casualties. It happened because the hospital was in an area where U .S. troops were taking fire. The hospital was not marked as a hospital. It was the commanding officer of my squadron, VA-15, that dropped the ordnance on it. NC

[Wizard]

In my own experience - before the major ops - we were down near Grenada, doing our survey. We were promised air support (yeah, right). We were definitely in international waters (I was in CIC as the TAO) when suddenly this high speed surface craft approached and was quickly within the minimum range of our 5". I do not recall what country's flag was showing, but I presume the CO (on the bridge) thought they were friendly.

Within seconds they had told us to "heave to, prepare to be boarded". Naturally the CO refused; we went to silent GQ, our security alert team drawing M-60s, M-16s, and shotguns. Meanwhile, I contacted JCS and requested immediate air support. Visions of the USS Pueblo danced in my head and I ordered Radio to prepare to conduct self destruction. Man, it was scary. A couple of weeks earlier (as I now recall), the USS Turner Joy had been fired upon by the North Koreans and the bullets had easily penetrated the thin aluminum hull (one destroying the television in the wardroom). So I knew if they opened fire the thin skin of the ship was very little protection.

I never knew exactly what transpired as the CO would not talk about it, but my feeling is that the little, high powered, gunboat skipper must have either gotten bored because we did not heave to, or decided that maybe it wasn't worth it to engage a US warship, so they left. 30 minutes later an F-14 flew overhead. Yee Haw! A day late and a dollar short. And what the heck was he gonna shoot at the gunboat - an AIM-54 Phoenix AA missile? Or, maybe his gun?

I remember that particular instant in time like it was yesterday. Wow! And I'd completely forgotten about Grenada until you brought it up.

[trowelmaster]

http://pendercrafts.com/navalengagement/movies/AMW-01.mp4.zip

[mirage3]

Very nice idea i think! i will try it!:thumbup:

[Navy Chief]

http://pendercrafts.com/navalengagement/movies/AMW-01.mp4.zip


I can't get the link to work to see the video, rats..............NC

[Wizard]

I suspect your have to be a member. IF so join. They are a friendly group with no strings attached.

Which brings up the subject - anyone have a youtube account who could post an 82M video? I don't mind this being posted - but I do not agree to their terms of use, so I cannot post it myself.

And please remember, this was a stress test with over 120 live platforms (not including the 16 inch rounds which were flying objects) , and my machine isn't nearly the fastest. I'm working on upgrading mine, by internet speed and copious graphics were being displayed.

[Wizard]

Fo those that were trying to see the U/W o-dark hundred movie - the site is back up and the movie can be downloaded. Sorry for the hiccough... Murphy's law struck yet again. :pop4:

[daisan]

It is a pity that a combat/management system like this has been discontinued in development. It had unmatched features. And more thinking about the future of the new simulators, where MSFS has no weapons system, Tacpack seems to be also stopped, FSCAI abandoned, and SSW vACMI also far away from scene. Maybe in a future someone can perhaps dream of something similar to NEUWUC and make It real...

[tgycgijoes]

Isn't this what Prepar3d does but you have to be a programmer to get it to do it. I'm just flying in it. I just looked at the Scenario Creator in Prepar3d just out of curiosity. Ed and I have used FSX at War and it is quite capable of doing this but again requires time and programming. We all want to have a "plug n play" I know, me too. I think that everyone who wants to fly combat is now at DCS from what I have been told.

[daisan]

No, it is nothing related to SimDirector. It is a different program

Not everybody has moved to DCS/BMS. There are plenty of groups flying military ops under VATSIM and IVAO, just make a search

So far we are using tacpack for weapons and sensors, CCP to add ships and vehicles, FSX@war to have destroyable objects and FSCAI to weaponize ships, aircrafts, vehicles, and to add AI fighting airplanes ( for dogfight). NEUWUC makes it all and more. You can also make repairs, having the complete record of each and every asset. If you over-G an airplane then it needs to be repaired, and maybe in you airbase you dont have the specific part, so you need to schedule a flight to the factory, etc. And it worked under multiplayer, it was really incredible

We were testers some years ago, and we enjoyed it a lot...maybe in the future we can test it again or maybe we are just dreaming...