🎯 MOOSE Dual Coalition Zone Capture

📖 Introduction

The MOOSE Dual Coalition Zone Capture system is a fully-featured, balanced territorial control framework for DCS World missions. This script creates dynamic capture zones that both RED and BLUE coalitions can fight over, with automatic victory detection, tactical information displays, and comprehensive player feedback systems.

📋 Requirements

Essential Components

1. DCS World - Any recent version
2. MOOSE Framework - Latest version recommended
   • Download from: https://github.com/FlightControl-Master/MOOSE
   • You need the Moose_.lua file
3. This Script - Moose_DualCoalitionZoneCapture.lua

Mission Prerequisites

🚀 Quick Start Guide

Get up and running in 5 minutes:

1Mission Editor Setup

1. Create trigger zones at locations you want to be capturable (e.g., airbases, towns)
2. Name each zone starting with Capture - for example:
   • Capture Severomorsk
   • Capture Murmansk
   • Capture Zone-1
3. Create two ground unit groups named BLUEHQ and REDHQ

2Load MOOSE Framework

1. In Mission Editor → Triggers → New Trigger
2. Type: MISSION START
3. Actions → DO SCRIPT FILE → Select Moose_.lua

3Configure Zone Ownership

Open Moose_DualCoalitionZoneCapture.lua in a text editor and edit the ZONE_CONFIG section:

local ZONE_CONFIG = {
  RED = {
    "Capture Severomorsk",
    "Capture Murmansk"
  },
  BLUE = {
    "Capture Banak"
  },
  NEUTRAL = {
    "Capture Contested Valley"
  }
}

4Load the Script

1. In the same trigger, add another action
2. Actions → DO SCRIPT FILE → Select Moose_DualCoalitionZoneCapture.lua

📐 Detailed Setup Instructions

Step 1: Creating Trigger Zones

In DCS Mission Editor:

1. Click the Trigger Zones button (or press F5)
2. Click New to create a zone
3. Set the zone type to Circular or Polygon
4. Position the zone over the area you want to be capturable
5. CRITICAL: Name the zone with any name you choose (e.g., "Capture Severomorsk")
6. Adjust the size to encompass the tactical area
7. Repeat for all capture locations

Step 2: Creating Command Centers

The script requires two "command center" groups to function:

BLUEHQ Setup:

1. Place any BLUE ground unit (e.g., M-1 Abrams, Infantry, HMMWV)
2. Name the GROUP (not the unit): BLUEHQ
3. You can make it immortal via triggers if desired
4. Location doesn't matter - can even be in an unreachable area

REDHQ Setup:

1. Place any RED ground unit (e.g., T-90, BTR-80, Infantry)
2. Name the GROUP: REDHQ
3. Same rules as BLUEHQ

Step 3: Script Loading Order

Create a MISSION START trigger with these actions IN ORDER:

1. DO SCRIPT FILE: Moose_.lua (MUST be first)
2. DO SCRIPT FILE: Moose_DualCoalitionZoneCapture.lua (MUST be after MOOSE)
3. (Optional) Any other scripts that depend on this system

⚙️ Configuration Options

Zone Ownership Configuration

Edit the ZONE_CONFIG table at the top of the script:

local ZONE_CONFIG = {
  -- Zones that start under RED coalition control
  RED = {
    "Capture Severomorsk-1",
    "Capture Severomorsk-3",
    "Capture Murmansk International"
  },
  
  -- Zones that start under BLUE coalition control
  BLUE = {
    "Capture Banak",
    "Capture Kirkenes"
  },
  
  -- Zones that start neutral (empty/uncontrolled)
  NEUTRAL = {
    "Capture Contested Valley",
    "Capture No Man's Land"
  }
}

Advanced Settings

local ZONE_SETTINGS = {
  guardDelay = 1,        -- Seconds before entering Guard state after capture
  scanInterval = 30,     -- How often to scan for units in zones (seconds)
  captureScore = 200     -- Points awarded for capturing a zone
}

🎨 Understanding Zone States

Zones can be in one of four states, each with distinct visual indicators:

State Transitions

Tactical Information Markers

Each zone displays a tactical marker with real-time information:

• Force Counts: Shows R: (RED units), B: (BLUE units)
• MGRS Coordinates: When ≤10 enemy units, shows their exact positions
• Coalition-Specific: Each side sees their enemies marked
• Auto-Refresh: Updates every 60 seconds

Example tactical marker:

TACTICAL: Capture Severomorsk-1
Forces: R:5 B:12
TGTS: T-90@38U LV 12345 67890, BTR-80@38U LV 12346 67891

👥 Player Features

F10 Radio Menu Commands

Players from both coalitions have access to F10 radio menu commands under "Zone Control":

Automatic Status Updates

The script provides automatic notifications:

• Every 5 minutes: Zone control report broadcast to both coalitions
• On zone capture: Both sides notified when a zone changes hands
• On zone attack: Alerts when a zone comes under attack
• At 80% victory: Warning that one side is close to winning
• On victory: Dramatic announcement with 60-second countdown

Victory Conditions

🔧 Troubleshooting

Script Won't Load

Zones Not Working

Zones Not Capturing

Visual Issues

Checking Logs

The script provides extensive logging. To view:

1. Open DCS.log file in your Saved Games\DCS folder
2. Search for [CAPTURE Module] or [INIT]
3. Look for initialization messages and error reports

Successful initialization looks like:

[CAPTURE Module] [INIT] Starting zone initialization...
[CAPTURE Module] [INIT] Creating zone: Capture Severomorsk-1 (Coalition: RED)
[CAPTURE Module] [INIT] ✓ Zone 'Capture Severomorsk-1' initialized successfully
[CAPTURE Module] [INIT] Zone initialization complete. Total zones created: 11

🔬 Advanced Customization

Adjusting Scan Performance

If you experience performance issues with many units:

local ZONE_SETTINGS = {
  scanInterval = 60,  -- Scan less frequently (every 60 seconds)
}

For fast-paced action:

local ZONE_SETTINGS = {
  scanInterval = 15,  -- Scan more frequently (every 15 seconds)
}

Disabling Logging

To reduce log spam, add this BEFORE loading the script:

CAPTURE_ZONE_LOGGING = { enabled = false }

Mission Integration

The script sets user flags on victory:

• BLUE_VICTORY = 1 when BLUE wins
• RED_VICTORY = 1 when RED wins

You can use these flags in mission triggers to:

• End the mission
• Trigger victory cutscenes
• Award points or bonuses
• Transition to next phase

Modifying Messages

All player messages are in the event handler functions. Search for:

• OnEnterGuarded - Zone secured messages
• OnEnterCaptured - Zone captured messages
• OnEnterAttacked - Zone under attack messages
• CheckVictoryCondition - Victory messages

Zone-Specific Behavior

To create different behaviors for specific zones, modify the event handlers to check zone names:

local function OnEnterCaptured(ZoneCapture)
  local zoneName = ZoneCapture:GetZoneName()
  
  if zoneName == "Capture MainBase" then
    -- Special behavior for main base capture
    US_CC:MessageTypeToCoalition("CRITICAL: Main base captured!", MESSAGE.Type.Information)
  else
    -- Standard behavior for other zones
  end
end

Integration with Other Scripts

Access zone data from other scripts:

-- Get current ownership status
local status = GetZoneOwnershipStatus()
-- Returns: { blue = X, red = Y, neutral = Z, total = N, zones = {...} }

-- Broadcast status manually
BroadcastZoneStatus()

-- Refresh visuals manually
RefreshAllZoneColors()

💡 Best Practices & Tips

📞 Support & Resources

Script Author

Additional Resources

• MOOSE Documentation: https://flightcontrol-master.github.io/MOOSE_DOCS/
• MOOSE Discord: https://discord.gg/gj68fm969S
• DCS Forums: https://forum.dcs.world