Flanders In Flames Ruleset (for Flying Circus)

[Klaiber]

The Campaign Scenario:

The Flanders in Flames (FIF) Online War is an air combat competition.  It is a scenario-based campaign system that focuses on completing team objectives.  It is a test of skill for the team and the individual pilot.

Team objectives, by themselves, are not complex to complete.  However, doing so while actively opposed by a determined opponent can make them very difficult.  Thus, it’s important not to view FIF as merely a string of targets or assignments.  Instead, those objectives create the authentic feeling of aerial combat that FIF is known for.

 Code of Conduct:

FIF aims to encourage and develop a tight-knit community of mature, like-minded people who wish to enjoy a challenging, rewarding, and fun combat environment within IL-2: Great Battles.  FIF adheres to a code of conduct with several important guiding principles to accomplish this.  These include an atmosphere of sportsmanship, respect, and fair play.

Individuals, squadrons, and teams should always strive for the following:

• Respect the FIF rules and tournament coordinators.
• Respect your opponents and teammates.
• A commitment towards participation, including welcoming and helping new players.
• Avoiding a poor attitude, such as “win-at-all-costs.”

Suppose a tournament participant feels that someone has violated the FIF rules or acted in a manner that is contrary to the spirit of FIF.  In that case, they should contact their team commander after the session ends.  The team commander will then reach out to the FIF tournament coordinators.

Open-chat accusations or counter-accusations are not tolerated, and offending parties will be asked to leave the server immediately.

Minor rule infractions caused by a momentary error or accident will result in only a warning.  More severe rule infractions will result in more severe penalties:

• The first infraction by a player will result in a ban from the next session.
• The second infraction by a player will result in a ban from the rest of the Campaign.
• The third infraction by a player will result in a permanent ban from FIF.

Paint schemes that show incorrect national markings are known as “capture skins” within the tournament context.  “Capture skins” violates sportsmanship, respect, and fair play.  Their use within FIF is prohibited and will incur penalties unless placed explicitly for a mission (e.g., the Steal Prototype mission).

Killing an enemy pilot within their parachute (i.e., “chute killing”) is legal.  While many individuals and squadrons view chute killing as dishonorable, attempting to eliminate enemy pilots within a competition is valid.  It is up to individuals and participating squadrons to determine how they will choose to deal with this reality of virtual war.  Pilots who decide to bailout of a stricken aircraft may not end the mission until they reach the ground.

Server Setup and Session Information:

The FiF server will always have the most up-to-date version of the IL-2: Great Battles game applied.

If server-side modifications are used, details will be posted to all players well before the session.  Players should ensure they are “patched up” before the server launch.

The in-game “cockpit clock” is the primary time reference during each session.  When the server launches (approximately 15 minutes before the scheduled session starts), the in-game clock will be 15 minutes before the top of the hour.  Please note that this means that the FiF server will always launch approximately 15 minutes before the posted session start time.

After the first 3 minutes, players are encouraged to spawn into their aircraft.  Players may taxi and move around their spawn area during this time.  However, they must stay on their ground base.  To take off or leave before the official start of a session violates FiF’s code of conduct rules, and this action will incur either a warning or a severe penalty.

Players will be alerted to the impending start of a session approximately 5 minutes before the top of the hour.  Support vehicles at the airfields and ground bases will fire a red flare.

Confirmation that a session has started is a green flare.  A message will also be displayed, announcing the session’s start.

When 30 minutes remain in a session, a warning message will be displayed.  A similar message will show when 10 minutes remain.

Tournament Overview:

FIF is a passworded event.  All players must be registered and assigned to a team.

The FIF tournament structure is as follows:

Each session (or mission night) is approximately three hours in length.

Objectives completed during these sessions are tallied on the in-game map for both teams, and mission scores will be posted before the next session is run.  These easy-to-use aids allow all participants to track the tournament and their team’s progress.

Playing and Winning FIF:

At the start of a campaign, the Blue Team and the Red Team are assigned to an in-game side (either the Central Powers or the Entente Powers).

The teams will play two sessions (or mission nights) on that in-game side.

Every even mission number, the two teams will flip sides.  The team flying as the Central Powers will now fly as the Entente Powers.  The team flying as the Entente Powers will now fly as the Central Powers.  This switch ensures that both teams are treated fairly within the event and that all pilots can fly all aircraft.

The winner of a session is determined by the team with the higher Victory Point total, as shown on the in-game map, at the end of the session.  After four sessions, the Victory Point total is tallied to determine a winner for the Campaign.  If both teams have the same number of Victory Points after four play sessions, the Campaign ends in a stalemate.

General Aircraft Rules:

We are using a specific group of aircraft for FIF.  These aircraft are set for each phase of play and will not be changed.

During each session, aircraft are limited in number.

However, aircraft can be returned to service.  To do this, a pilot must land at an aerodrome that supports their type of aircraft - scouts to “scout aerodromes” and two-seaters to “two-seater aerodromes.”

When a pilot does this, their aircraft are added to the complement at that specific aerodrome, and the plane is saved from being used up or lost.

However, aircraft damaged during landing may be listed as lost.  It depends on how much damage the aircraft has sustained.  It is possible, however, to refuel, repair, and rearm your aircraft at the aerodrome without hitting the refly button.

If a pilot enters the game at the wrong aerodrome, is in the wrong aircraft type, or has the wrong load-out, he may hit refly without fear of losing his aircraft.

Basic Tournament Rules:

Teamspeak / Discord Rules:

There are no Teamspeak or Discord rules for FIF.

Squadrons and Teams may use Teamspeak, Discord, and any other voice-over-internet software as they see fit.

Dead-is-Dead:

FIF operates as a single-elimination “dead-is-dead” tournament for all pilots.

Because of this, each participating player is given one virtual life as a pilot per session (mission night).

However, a player may have an unlimited number of gunner lives.

Bailout Out:

Pilots may bail out and use their parachute if the in-game year is on or after 27 June 1918.

A bailed-out pilot may only “Finish Flight” in a parachute after reaching the ground.

If the mission’s in-game year is before 27 June 1918, the pilot is considered dead the second they leave the aircraft.

An accidental bailout while the aircraft is on the ground is considered a disconnect, and Disco rules should be followed.

Refly Rules (after Pilot Death or Capture):

If a player, acting as a pilot, dies or is captured during a mission night, that player will not be allowed to refly or re-enter the server as a pilot for the rest of the session.

The aircraft the pilot died or was captured in will be considered lost and will be subtracted from their team’s available total.  The pilot is marked as killed-in-action (KIA) or captured (prisoner-of-war - POW).

Players who have had their pilot killed or captured must either leave the server or switch to the role of a gunner.

There is no death kick on the FIF server to allow players to act as gunners in two-seater aircraft. 

Because there is no death kick on the FIF server, players are expected to respect their terminal events (death or capture), and not violate the tournament rules by reflying again illegally.

If a player hits refly after their pilot has been killed or captured and then does not immediately correct their mistake and exit, the player will be violating the spirit of the game and will be subject to severe penalties.

Refly Rules (Friendly Territory):

Landing at an active aerodrome will typically return your plane to service at that base, provided that the aircraft type is available there and it was not severely damaged.

If a pilot has landed at a friendly aerodrome and despawns, that player may refly at the discretion of the team commander (CO) after a 5-minute timeout.  This timeout starts when a player hits “Finish Flight” and goes to the map room.

If a pilot rearms and refuels their aircraft without despawning, they may take off again as soon as the ground crew has readied their aircraft.  They do not need to take the 5-minute timeout.

Suppose a pilot crashes in friendly territory and survives the event.  In that case, that pilot may switch to a new aircraft and take off again, provided that another aircraft is available at the discretion of the CO and after a 5-minute timeout.

Refly Rules (when under attack):

Pilots on the ground and under attack from strafing or bombing enemies may “Finish Flight” anytime.  The grounded pilot does not have to sit through the attack.  This allowance is not valid for a pilot who chooses to bailout a stricken aircraft.  A bailed-out pilot may only “Finish Flight” in a parachute after reaching the ground.

Refly Rules (Spawn Camping):

Spawn camping is not in the spirit of the Flanders In Flames tournament.

Pilots who safely land their shot-down or disabled aircraft on top of a spawn point must “Finish Flight” and despawn as soon as possible.  Sitting on the ground at a spawn point to act as a forward controller for friendly aircraft or position your rear gunner to shoot at enemy aircraft is unacceptable.

In any other situation, pilots may sit in their shot-down or disabled aircraft as long as they wish.

Bombing and Specialized Aircraft Rules:

Within the IL-2 Sturmovik: Flying Circus game, every aircraft that can carry a bomb and has it available in the mod list may use it on any target on the server.  In other words, if you can bring a bomb, you can use it.  This rule is not just limited to two-seaters; it includes scout aircraft.

This bombing rule departs from past events, where only designated bombers could attack specific targets.

Additionally, load-outs for all aircraft within the server will be locked.  Most aircraft will be stock front-line types with conventional weapons and equipment.

Each team will have a small number of specialized aircraft, however.  Specialized aircraft will carry unconventional or unique weapons and equipment that will allow them to carry out specific missions.  For example, some two-seaters are set up as recons, while some scout aircraft are up-armed as “ace aircraft.”  These specialized aircraft will be limited in number and thus very valuable to their respective teams.  Teams must decide for themselves who gets the honor of piloting them.

Sectors and Landmarks:

There will be two sectors on the FIF map: one controlled by the Central Powers and one controlled by the Entente Powers.

Each sector will contain two types of aerodromes: those for scout (fighter) aircraft and those for two-seat general-purpose aircraft.  An aerodrome’s exact number and composition are determined before the launch of the Campaign.

Each sector may also contain the following:

• Supply Trains
• Supply Columns
• Factory Icon designated targets
• Prison Rescue Icon
• Spy Mission Icon
• Encampment Icon designated targets  
•  Prototype Icon objective

 

•                 Artillery Position Icon designated targets  NA Spring 2025
•                 Active Recon targets   NA Spring 2025

This will be clarified before the Campaign begins.

Server Crashes and Discos:

If the FIF server crashes during a session, the affected session is scrubbed.  It will not be counted and will then be reflown at a later date.  This situation will be the only time a session is canceled.  Scheduled sessions should always be run, regardless of team numbers or the number of unintentional pilot disconnections (discos).

Unintentional pilot disconnections (discos) due to technical issues are almost always out of the player’s control.

Thus, no participating pilot will be penalized for game crashes/failures (like the 10019 error) or internet connectivity crashes/failures.

If a pilot discos due to a technical issue, they should immediately check in with their team commander (CO) and ask for clarification on the rules.  If the CO clears the pilot, they may re-enter the server and refly as if nothing happened.  This rule holds even if the pilot is in enemy territory.

However, while the pilot is now “okay,” the aircraft they were flying is lost and is deducted from their team’s existing totals.

Additionally, all pilots returning from a disco still need to take their 5-minute timeout (as if they landed).

Discos caused by technical issues are monitored through the honor system.  Any abuse of this rule, for either pilot or team gain, is a severe violation of the game’s spirit and FIF’s code of conduct.

If a player intentionally discos to avoid death or capture and does not immediately correct their mistake by exiting the game, severe penalties will be leveled against them.

Artillery Spotting: NA Spring 2025

The arty spot mission requires two players, one to fly the spotter aircraft and another to operate the arty gun truck. 

After the shooter selects the artillery vehicle, an 8x8 grid is displayed on the in-game map.  Each square on the grid is roughly 200 m, so the firing grid is approximately 1.5 x 1.5 km.  After choosing the artillery vehicle, the commander can raise the firing grid by pressing LWIN + 1.  Each square on the grid represents roughly 200 m.  The shooter selects the square to fire into by using the firing grid.  A red “X” indicates the chosen square.”  The artillery guns will now begin firing into that square.  The spotter aircraft will observe the shell’s impact and give the shooter his adjustment.  The process is the most straightforward when both the spotter and the artillery vehicle provide each other with cardinal directions and rough distances.

Note: (Arty barrages are unlimited and fire for approximately 5 mins. A fire command (button press)
re-sets the gun(s) aim to their last grid coordinate, and re-starts the fire cycle.)

Recon: NA Spring 2025

Recon flights should be done around 4500 m.  When the pilot reaches the area, they will receive a message.  The pilot selects the camera by hitting LWIN + 1.  Once over the target, the camera icon will appear in the lower right corner of the screen.  Each click of the icon will take one photo.  A text message will say when you are out of camera range.  You must then return to the target to take more photographs.  The pilot must take six photos, which will likely take multiple passes.

You will receive a text message reporting that the mission is complete and to return the plates to their airfield.  To complete the recon, taxi to the hangars and stop the aircraft.  After a few moments, the pilot will receive confirmation of the recon completion.  If the photos were taken of the active target, a message would be displayed, and the target would become active.

Note: The recon messages are displayed at the top of the screen – Recon 1 on the left, Recon 2 in the center, and Recon 3 on the right.

 

Convoy:

A convoy is made up of 8 cargo trucks and 2 AAA vehicles. Destroy 5 of the 8 cargo trucks for the points.

 

 

Prison Rescue:

To break the prisoner from the prison, you need to bomb the Headquarters building, the barracks and the gatehouse.

When this is completed, the truck will drive out and head to a near-by airfield. You must land at this airfield, wait for the message that the prisoner has been picked up, then fly back to your home base. Upon landing at your home base, after a few moments you should get a message indicating the prisoner has been rescued.

 

Spy Rescue:

When you enter into the area, the Spy will fire off a series of green flares alerting you to his presence. He will then drive to a near-by airfield to wait extraction. The enemy has deployed 2 squads of 5 men to stop the spy. You must stop them from killing him, and also you. When you retrieve the spy, fly back to your home base. Upon landing at your home base, after a few moments you should get a message indicating the Spy has been retrieved.