DCS_MissionDev/Moose_CTLD_Pure/Player_Mission_Guide.md

Complete MOOSE CTLD System — Player & Mission Setup Guide

Welcome! This guide explains what logistics means in DCS, how the CTLD system lets players change the battlefield, and exactly how to use the in-game menus. It also includes a concise mission-maker setup section.

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What is CTLD and why it matters

• CTLD (logistics & troop transport) turns helicopters and transports into force multipliers.
• You request “crates” at Supply (Pickup) Zones, deliver them, and build combat units, SAM sites, radars, FOBs, and support vehicles.
• You can also transport troops and deploy them to hold ground or attack.
• Every delivered asset can change the front line: new air defenses, JTACs, EWR coverage, armor pushes, or an FOB that shortens logistics legs.

[screenshot: F10 -> CTLD root menu]

Tip: The loop you’ll repeat is Request → Deliver → Build → Fight.

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Getting started (players)

1. Spawn in a supported helicopter or transport.
2. Fly to a friendly Supply (Pickup) Zone.
3. Open F10 Other -> CTLD.
4. Use Logistics -> Request Crate to spawn crates; use Operations -> Build to assemble units/sites.
5. Use Navigation to get vectors and Hover Coach, and Field Tools to mark or create a quick Drop Zone.
6. Deliver, build, and watch the mission evolve.

[screenshot: Example Pickup Zone with smoke]

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Menu overview (matches in-game structure)

Below are the menu groups and the common actions you’ll see under each. Some options appear only when relevant (e.g., inventory enabled, crates nearby, zones configured).

Operations

[screenshot: Operations menu open]

• Troop Transport

  • Load Troops: Load infantry while inside an ACTIVE Supply (Pickup) Zone if the mission enforces this rule.
  • Deploy Troops (Defend): Unload troops to hold the current area and defend nearby.
  • Deploy Troops (Attack): Unload troops and order them to seek and engage enemies or move toward enemy-held bases (mission-configured behavior and speed). Static/unsuitable units will hold position.
  • Notes
    • Troop loading may be restricted to Pickup Zones. The nearest zone will be shown in messages if you’re outside.
    • Deployment is blocked inside Pickup Zones when restrictions are enabled.

• Build

  • Build Here: Consumes nearby crates (within the Build Radius) and spawns the unit/site at your position. Includes a “confirm within X seconds” safety and a cooldown between builds.
  • Build (Advanced) → Buildable Near You
    • Lists everything that can be built with crates you’ve dropped nearby (and optionally what you’re carrying, depending on mission settings).
    • Per item you’ll see:
      • Build [Hold Position]: Spawns and orders the unit/site to hold.
      • Build [Attack (N m)]: Spawns and orders mobile units to seek/attack within the configured radius. Static/unsuitable units will still hold.
    • Refresh Buildable List: Re-scan nearby crates and update the list.
  • FOB-only recipes can require building inside an FOB Zone when enabled (mission-specific rule).

Logistics

[screenshot: Logistics -> Request Crate]

• Request Crate

  • Menu is organized by categories (e.g., Combat Vehicles, AAA, SAM short range, Support, Artillery, etc.).
  • Each entry shows how many crates are required (e.g., “M1097 Avenger (2 crates)”).
  • Requests generally require being within the maximum distance to an ACTIVE Pickup Zone.
  • When inventory is enabled, stock is tracked per zone; out-of-stock types cannot be requested at that location until resupplied.

• Recipe Info

  • Browse categories and see each item’s description; use this to plan which crates you need to build a unit or a multi-crate site.

• Request Crate (In Stock Here)

  • Appears when inventory menus are enabled and the mission-maker has exposed this view.
  • Shows only items in stock at your nearest active Supply Zone and lets you spawn them directly.
  • Includes a “Refresh” option to update the list after requests.

• Crate handling tips

  • Crates are marked with smoke at spawn.
  • Use Navigation -> Request Vectors to Nearest Crate if you lose sight of it.
  • Hover pickup: hold roughly 5–20 m AGL, very low ground speed, steady for a few seconds to auto-load.
  • Crates have a mission-configured lifetime and will self-cleanup if not used.

Field Tools

[screenshot: Field Tools menu open]

• Create Drop Zone (AO)

  • Quickly creates a temporary Drop Zone around your current position for coordination or scripted objectives.

• Smoke My Location

  • Green / Red / White / Orange / Blue: Mark your current spot with smoke to help other players find you or the build point.

Navigation

[screenshot: Navigation menu open]

• Hover Coach: Enable / Disable

  • In-game guidance messages to help you nail the hover pickup window (AGL, drift, speed, “hold steady” cues).

• Request Vectors to Nearest Crate

  • Prints bearing and range to the closest friendly crate.

• Vectors to Nearest Pickup Zone

  • Bearing and range to the nearest active Supply (Pickup) Zone; if none are active, you’ll get helpful direction to the nearest configured one.

Admin/Help

[screenshot: Admin/Help menu open]

• Show CTLD Status

  • Quick summary of active crates, how many zones exist, and whether Build Confirm/Cooldown are ON.

• Draw CTLD Zones on Map / Clear CTLD Map Drawings

  • Draws labeled circles for Pickup/Drop/FOB zones on the F10 map for your coalition; clear them when you’re done.

• Debug → Enable logging / Disable logging

  • Toggles detailed logging (mission maker troubleshooting).

• Player Guides (in-game quick reference)

  • Zones – Guide
  • Inventory – How It Works
  • CTLD Basics (2-minute tour)
  • Troop Transport & JTAC Use
  • Hover Pickup & Slingloading
  • Build System: Build Here and Advanced
  • SAM Sites: Building, Repairing, and Augmenting

• Coalition Summary (if exposed by mission maker)

  • A roll-up of coalition CTLD activity (counts, highlights). Exact placement depends on mission configuration.

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How players influence the mission

• Build air defenses (SAM/AAA): Protect friendly FARPs/FOBs and deny enemy air.
• Deploy armor and ATGM teams: Push objectives, ambush enemy convoys, or hold key terrain.
• Build EWR/JTAC: Improve situational awareness and targeting support.
• Establish FOBs: Create forward supply hubs to shorten flight times and increase the tempo of logistics.

[screenshot: Example built SAM site]

Practical tip: Coordinate. One player can shuttle crates while others escort or build. FOBs multiply everyone’s effectiveness.

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Mission setup (for mission makers)

Keep this section short and focused. You can find the defaults and toggles inside:

• Moose_CTLD_Pure/Moose_CTLD.lua (main CTLD implementation; see the CTLD.Config table)
• Moose_CTLD_Pure/Moose_CTLD_FAC.lua (optional FAC/RECCE support)
• Moose_CTLD_Pure/catalogs/ (example catalogs with ready-to-use recipes)
• Moose_CTLD_Pure/init_mission_dual_coalition.lua (ready-to-use minimal init for BLUE+RED)

Load order (Do Script File in Mission Editor)

1. Moose.lua
2. Moose_CTLD.lua
3. A catalog file from /catalogs/
4. Moose_CTLD_FAC.lua (optional FAC/RECCE)
5. Your mission init block (you can use Moose_CTLD_Pure/init_mission_dual_coalition.lua as-is or adapt it)

Minimal snippet (example) — keep it to the point:

• Create a CTLD instance per coalition with: CoalitionSide, AllowedAircraft, Zones (Pickup/Drop/FOB definitions), and key toggles.
• Optionally create a FAC module instance and run it.
• Optionally merge a crate catalog.

Hint: See the shipped init_mission_dual_coalition.lua for a clean example of both BLUE and RED.

Zones you must create in the Mission Editor

• Pickup (Supply): e.g., ALPHA (BLUE), DELTA (RED)
• Drop: e.g., BRAVO (BLUE), ECHO (RED)
• FOB: e.g., CHARLIE (BLUE), FOXTROT (RED)

Use the names referenced by your init script. The example init uses flags to control active/inactive state.

[screenshot: Trigger zones for Pickup/Drop/FOB]

Frequently configured options (where to change)

All of the following live under CTLD.Config in Moose_CTLD.lua or can be provided in the table passed to _MOOSE_CTLD:New({...}) in your init script.

• Logistics rules

  • RequirePickupZoneForCrateRequest: Enforce being near an ACTIVE Supply Zone to request crates
  • RequirePickupZoneForTroopLoad: Enforce being inside a Supply Zone to load troops
  • PickupZoneMaxDistance: Max distance to the nearest ACTIVE zone for crate requests
  • ForbidDropsInsidePickupZones: Block dropping crates inside Supply Zones
  • ForbidTroopDeployInsidePickupZones: Block troop deployment inside Supply Zones
  • ForbidChecksActivePickupOnly: If true, restrictions apply only to ACTIVE zones

• Building behavior

  • BuildRadius: How far to search for crates around the player when building
  • BuildSpawnOffset: Push spawn a few meters ahead of the aircraft to avoid collisions
  • BuildConfirmEnabled + BuildConfirmWindowSeconds: Double-press safety to prevent accidental builds
  • BuildCooldownEnabled + BuildCooldownSeconds: Per-group cooldown after a successful build
  • RestrictFOBToZones: When true, FOB-only builds must occur inside an FOB Zone
  • AutoBuildFOBInZones: When true, crates for FOBs inside an FOB Zone can auto-build

• Inventory system (per-zone stock)

  • Inventory.Enabled: Track stock per Supply Zone and FOB
  • Inventory.ShowStockInMenu: Show counts in menu labels
  • Inventory.HideZeroStockMenu: Enable the special “In Stock Here” menu at nearest zone
  • Inventory.FOBStockFactor: % of initial stock seeded when a new FOB is built

• Hover & pickup quality-of-life

  • HoverCoachConfig: Message timing and thresholds for the in-game hover guidance
  • TroopSpawnOffset: Spawn troops slightly forward to avoid overlaps

• AI behavior for Attack builds

  • AttackAI.VehicleSearchRadius: How far spawned vehicles look for enemies when ordered to Attack
  • AttackAI.MoveSpeedKmh: Movement speed for Attack orders

• Menus

  • UseGroupMenus: Per-group F10 menus (recommended)
  • UseCategorySubmenus: Organize Request Crate/Recipe Info by category
  • PickupZoneSmokeColor: Color for crate spawn smoke marks

Crate catalog (recipes)

• Use one of the provided catalogs under Moose_CTLD_Pure/catalogs/ or your own.
• Each entry defines a display label, side, category, stock, and a build function.
• Multi-crate “SITE” entries build multi-unit groups (SAM sites or composite systems).
• Typical workflow
  • Load your chosen catalog after Moose_CTLD.lua.
  • Merge it into each CTLD instance you created.

[screenshot: Request Crate categories]

Dual-coalition setup

• Instantiate two CTLD instances (one per side), each with its own zone names and smoke colors.
• Instantiate two FAC modules if you want auto-lase/RECCE for both sides.
• The included init_mission_dual_coalition.lua shows a minimal working setup.

FAC/RECCE (optional, from Moose_CTLD_FAC.lua)

• What it adds
  • Auto-lase with configurable laser codes, IR markers, map marks
  • Manual target lists, quick multi-strike helper
  • Artillery/Naval/Air tasking (HE/illum/mortar, carpet/TALD prompts)
  • RECCE sweeps: detects and marks units with DMS/MGRS
• Player usage
  • Look for an F10 FAC/RECCE menu in qualifying aircraft or groups
• Mission knobs
  • CoalitionSide, auto-lase behavior, code reservations, marker type/color, and on-station logic are configurable in Moose_CTLD_FAC.lua or via :New() overrides

Sanity checks and troubleshooting

• Use Admin/Help -> Show CTLD Status to verify counts and toggles quickly.
• Draw zones to confirm names/positions match your intent.
• If crates don’t spawn: check zone active state, distance to zone, and inventory stock.
• If builds don’t trigger: check Build Radius, confirm window, cooldown, and that the crates match the recipe.

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Screenshot ideas (drop your captures in the placeholders above)

• CTLD root menu with the five groups (Operations, Logistics, Field Tools, Navigation, Admin/Help)
• Request Crate with category submenus visible
• Build (Advanced) -> Buildable Near You list
• Hover Coach prompt during a near-perfect hover
• Vectors message to a crate / pickup zone
• Zone drawings on the F10 map (Pickup/Drop/FOB labeled)
• In Stock Here list (if enabled)
• Example SAM site placed after a build

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Appendix: File locations and names

• Main CTLD: Moose_CTLD_Pure/Moose_CTLD.lua
• FAC/RECCE: Moose_CTLD_Pure/Moose_CTLD_FAC.lua
• Example dual-coalition init: Moose_CTLD_Pure/init_mission_dual_coalition.lua
• Catalogs: Moose_CTLD_Pure/catalogs/

No large code is required; most options are cleanly exposed in the config tables. Keep snippets tiny when needed.