5/1/98
Seoul Survivor

Brian Leff
bleff@minn.net

**************
Introduction:


Ten minutes ago, the war started.

Five minutes ago, the artillery started shelling.

Two minutes ago, enemy fighters took off and tanks began to roll.

One minute ago, you woke up with a hangover.

Time to fly.

**************

This is the first of what will be a mini-campaign of four missions,
each developed by a member of the staff at A.C.E.S., a flight 
simulation store based out of Minneapolis, MN.  It has been
thoroughly tested by both the other staff members and some of the
store's regular customers.  I hope you enjoy it.

"Seoul Survivor" was built primarily by Brian "Maple" Leff, with much
technical and strategic help by Capt. Dale "Fleabag" Freitag
[ret. USAF], former Dean of Academics for the Air Force's "Joint 
Employment Tactics School" and B-52 EWO.  Thanks for keeping me within
the realm of near-reality Dale!  

Flight testing by Dale "Fleabag" Freitag, Mick "Mouse" Pavis, Vinh
"Yo-yo" Doung, Nick Danner, and Paul "Shooter" Schroeder.

**************

Background:

Famine in North Korea has become widespread as crops fail for the 
third year in a row.  The farmers have no crops to sell, and therefore
no money with which to buy necessities.  Those lucky enough to live in
the capital city find that even the little money they might have
is insufficient to purchase what food remains as prices skyrocket.

The only relief that comes from the government is in the form of
words.  Rhetoric does little to fill empty bellies.  It cannot be 
spent on the basics of life.  Unrest begins to swell.

In an effort to stave off growing resentment and possible revolt,
North Korea's leaders turn their eyes south.  South Korea is rich.
Well established industry, food and wealth to spare, it seems the
perfect solution.  Propaganda ministers begin a campaign to foster
anger and resentment among the people towards their more prosperous
southern neighbors.

The stage is set.

**************

Briefing:

0540 Hours

Ten minutes ago, North Korea's government released a statement
declaring that it would no longer allow foreign powers to dictate
activities inside their sovereign territory.  Since they have never
given up their claims on South Korea, this can only mean that they are
about to forcibly reunite the two countries.

Since that release, JSTARS aircraft have detected a massive flow of
vehicles and armor towards the demilitarized zone.  AWACS planes are
currently tracking several flights of both fixed wing and rotor craft
also enroute to the DMZ.  

Bear bombers have been spotted warming up on the runway at Hyon Ni
along with several MiG-21s as probable escort.  Their target will
undoubtedly be Seoul itself.  A flight of F-16s based in Chuncheon is
scrambling, and will be airborne shortly to intercept the bombers as
they cross the border.  The bombers will be heavily defended, and
some may get through.  Watch for them.  Assist the F-16s if you can,
but your main concern lies elsewhere.

A column of T-72 MBTs was last spotted rolling due south towards the
DMZ at high speed, escorted in "blitzkrieg" fashion by MiG-27
fighter/bombers and Hind gunships.  Stop them at all costs.
Intelligence reports that the threat of chemical or biological weapons
being used is very high.  Allow nothing to get within five miles of
downtown.

Civil defense has been activated, and air defense stations around the
city are being manned.  South Korean officials have revealed that
Seoul Municipal Airport has a previously unsuspected stockpile of fuel
and ordinance.  You have been cleared to use as much of it as is
necessary to get your job done.

***

Your F/A-18 Hornet made an emergency landing yesterday at Seoul
International Airport with a dead navigation system and a pitot tube
damaged by a seagull.  While the techs repaired them, you took
advantage of the unexpected stopover to enjoy some of the "local
culture".  Now you are ordered to fly and defend Seoul, with nothing
but a mild hangover to keep you company.  And you thought the fun ended
when you fell asleep last night, didn't you?

***


Notes:


This is a moderate to long mission, the average time to completion
seems to be around 20-30 minutes.  Refueling is highly recommended.
Personally, I found myself "topping off the tanks" several times
before completing the mission.  I'm sure there are more efficient
ways to win than I used, but I've rarely been accused of efficiency.

Seoul Survivor is intended to be flown without looking in the "mission
editor" first.  That would spoil half the fun!  There are LOTS of
things going on, most of which you may never see.  Its kind of fun
at times to just run the mission, but watch from a Bear's or an F-16's
point of view.

While nearly any loadout would probably be effective, what worked best
for me was a load of 2 Sidewinders, 2 AMRAAMs, 1 centerline fuel tank,
and 4 Mavericks.








		WARNING  -- SPOILERS FOLLOW  --  WARNING


















Feel free to tweak the scripting for some of the MiG-23s or the F-16s.
The way they're currently set, nearly everyone should get slaughtered
in the big "interdiction furball", but the MiGs will triumph in the
end.  Just one or two minor tweaks though, and the F-16s can take out
all comers, even outnumbered as they are by nearly 2-1.  I wanted to
make it so the bombers would just barely squeak through.  Sometimes
one makes it through, sometimes all three.  The 16s always get waxed
though.  Cest le vi.

There are no Su-27s in this mission.  It hurt not to put them in, but
Capt. Freitag informed me in no uncertain terms that the North Koreans
have none.  Period.  They can't afford 'em.  MiG-29s?  Probably yes,
but no Su-27s.  Since one of my main goals was to stay as close to 
"reality" as I could within the constraints of the game, they had to
stay behind on this trip.

Another of my ideas (amphibious landing of enemy tanks behind
"friendly" lines) also got shot down in this way.  They'd use
submarines, but not amphib landers.  They just wouldn't bother. On the 
other hand, over 100 tunnels have been discovered stretching underneath
the DMZ over the years.  Heavy armor could never use the tunnels, but
lighter BMP and BRDM vehicles certainly would.  Nasty little surprise,
having a battalion, or even just a couple of platoons, appear out of
nowhere behind your lines.  And underground, even JSTARS wouldn't pick
them up before they surfaced.  South Korean policy is to dynamite
these tunnels as soon as they're discovered, whether someone is in
them at the time or not.  Effective, no?

I gleefully jumped on this as an explanation for the APC column that
"appears from nowhere" in this mission.  Yes, there's no reasonable
way a tunnel could stretch that deep into South Korea, but I claim
artistic license in this case.  Fleabag couldn't tell me the real
locations of the tunnels (classified information), and considering the
speed these columns move at, I needed something fairly close to Seoul.
Farther out, and the game would either take far too long, or be way
too easy.  Or both.

I wish I could have given you a wingman or two, and made this even
more realistic, but the mission editor only allows just so much.
Now if there were only a way to merge GSC's F/A-18 Korea graphics with
Mindscape's Su-27 Flanker mission builder... ;) 

**************

I hope you have as much fun playing this mission as I had building
it.  If you do, GREAT!  Please let me know, and what it was you liked.
If you don't, let me know that too.  Each new mission I make has
elements from the ones before, and they'll only get better when I get
feedback from the people who fly them.

  -- Brian
