Page 3

Click on the (+) button along the bottom toolbar below the map. This will change your cursor to a magnifying glass so that you can zoom in. Place the cursor over waypoint #2 and click once. Now, click on the ‘New Aircraft’ button on the tool bar above the map. This will change your cursor into an airplane. Place the plane just above your flight path toward the left side of the map and left click. Then drag the cursor to a point a little below and well beyond waypoint #2. Left click again. . Finally, right click to return your cursor to an arrow. Good, you have just added another plane and given it two waypoints – starting and ending.
Now we need to turn this plane into a target. Click on the new plane’s starting point. Move to the information panel on the left side of the screen and make the following changes. Select the ‘A6M5 ZERO’ as the type of aircraft. Set the nationality as ‘Japan’. Leave the mission as ‘Fighter Sweep’. Choose ‘Honda’ as the unit ID and the payload as ‘Guns Only’. Hit the up arrow next to number of aircraft and change that to ‘2’. You can select any formation you wish but for simplicity’s sake leave it as the default of ‘Fingertip’. Leave the skill level as ‘Rookie’ and set the ‘Aggressiveness’ to ‘Average’. Finally select ‘Must be Destroyed’ as the Goal. By selecting ‘Must be Destroyed’ you have made that a mission goal. For you to successfully complete this mission, both enemy planes must be destroyed. Choosing ‘Must Survive’ means that the object must survive to successfully complete the mission. Choosing ‘None’ as a goal means it doesn’t matter what happens to the object it won’t count as a goal. Ignore the remainder of the fields.

As you gain proficiency, experiment with the different levels and see how it impacts the mission. Since this is your first mission and I want you to complete it successfully we’re using a fairly easy setting of ‘Rookie’ and ‘Average’.

Click on the ‘Route’ tab. Make sure it is showing waypoint #1. If not, click the left or right arrows to get there. The action will show as ‘Turn’. Leave that as is. Drop down to the altitude and change it to 3500 feet. We want the enemy planes and our plane to be at the same altitude so that we can see them and engage them easier. Go to waypoint #2 and change that altitude to 3500 feet also. Although, if you do your job properly those Zeros will never get to waypoint #2.

• Using the minus (-) button below the map, back out until waypoint #3 becomes visible. Then zoom in on it like you did for waypoint #2.
• Click on the ‘Pan’ button (the one that looks like a hand) then holding the left mouse button down, drag the map down and over to the right until waypoint #3 comes into view.
• Click on waypoint #2; go to the information panel on the left, click on the route tab then using the right arrow go to waypoint #3.

Try whichever one you want, just meet me at waypoint #3.

We are now going to add another target to shoot up on the way back to the base. Click on the ‘New Ship’ button along the top. Your cursor will turn into a ship silhouette. Place the first waypoint for the ship along your flight path a little in front of your plane then drag the cursor placing the second waypoint along the same line but farther out. This will give the effect of approaching the ship from the rear.

Click on the ship’s starting point then go over to the left side of the screen and let’s set up this target. Scroll down, under ‘ShipType’ select ‘HIJMS Tidori class Torpedo Boat’. You can choose any vessel you want but it might be tough to sink an aircraft carrier with just guns so let’s keep it easy for this first mission. Much like with the Zeros, select the other fields, ‘Nationality’ - ‘Japan’, ‘Unit ID’ - ‘PB75’, ‘Skill’ - ‘Novice’, ‘Aggressiveness’ - ‘Average’, and ‘Goal’ - ‘Must be Destroyed’. This now means that you have four goals you must achieve to successfully complete this mission:

1. You must survive – this is always a goal.
2. Shoot down the first Zero
3. Shoot down the second Zero
4. Sink the torpedo boat

OK, lets link everything together with some triggers and events, write up some accompanying text and go flying!

The complete mission shown plotted on the map.

A Few Words about Triggers and Events

Triggers and events are what give life to your missions. They can be simple or complex and can cause a mission to go different directions each time it is flown. Mastering triggers and events will allow you to design more exciting and challenging missions. In this tutorial we will set up simple triggers and events. To learn more, refer to some of the missions that came with CFS2. Open them up in Mission Builder and look at the different triggers and events. See how they interact and what effect they have on the game. Finally, experiment on your own as you build experience and confidence.

An event is something that happens. A trigger is the thing that causes the event to happen. An event can’t happen until it has been triggered. We have triggers and events in our daily lives only we don’t think of them in those terms. Trigger: the alarm goes off, Event: you wake up and get out of bed; Trigger: a police officer pulls you over, Event: your blood pressure rises; Trigger: you see a beautiful woman walking down the street, Event: your blood pressure rises. Notice that in the last two examples the same type of event can have different triggers.

In CFS2 an event might be enabling warp, the trigger could be arriving at a certain waypoint. Just like in the example above, the same type of event could have two different triggers. The event may be ending the mission. The triggers could be destroying all of the targets or leaving the combat area. Which happens first would determine which trigger is used.

Adding Triggers & Events