Another server is coming out with a DCS: Persian Gulf map and we have the team behind Hoggit’s Georgia-at-War (GAW) to thank for it. Let’s talk about the announcement and some of my own experiences testing the server in their run up to being fully operational.

PVE on the Persian Gulf map

Using the same formula as Georgia-at-War, Hoggit is a newbie friendly community oriented at providing players of all skill levels a fun place to experience multiplayer. That doesn’t meant that the team hasn’t gone all out at adding some very realistic features and making sure that things like SRS for radio comms is available, ATIS reports for airfield information (active runway, QFE, etc.) and a challenging threat environment are all present.

PGAW is a PVE experience where you fly with your fellow humans against an AI continent controlled by an AI-commander who tries to take over your airfields and bases. The human contingent includes a wide variety of fixed and rotary wing aircraft with multiple roles to play in the conflict.

Here’s the fictional setting behind the scenario:

Iranian forces have stormed across the Strait of Hormuz, both closing the Strait to shipping traffic and occupying Oman and parts of UAE. After an international outcry, a coalition including the United States, France, Sweden, and additional nations convened and has been steadily resupplying existing allied bases in the region in preparation of armed intervention. Fight alongside your friends to push Iranian forces back from their positions and re-open the Strait of Hormuz.

And the feature list:

• PVE Gameplay – Fight alongside your friends over the Persian Gulf with a wide range of DCS World modules (featuring the F/A-18C, F-14B, A/V-8B, A-10C, etc)
• REDFOR AI Commander – PGAW features an AI battlefield commander that will dynamically assign out tasks to the AI red air and ground assets. Each time you login is a new experience!
• CTLD for helo operations – bolster the blue forces by re-taking enemy-held FARPS and building friendly SAM-sites.
• Frequently crewed ATC and GCI roles. Connect with SRS and interact with a real person that will vector you into an engagement or help you get back home after the fight.
• Join Hoggit and the Bluefor Coalition to retake the ground that has been lost and try to secure the Persian Gulf!

And of course you can join in with the Hoggit group on Discord as well.

First experiences

The Hoggit team has been working hard to built up the PGAW scenario so that it is just as fun and interesting as their GAW setup. The basic arrangement is the same with a main base to operate from and a series of objectives including FARPs that need to be destroyed or captured depending on the scenario.

Building this up takes time and there’s been some instability issues where the server or multiple players were crashing out to desktop. I’ve personally had a bunch of these but I’m hopeful that those are fixed or will be fixed soon. PGAW, like GAW, is ever evolving so problems get solved and new features get added as time goes on.

Despite my first time on the server being during the early beta testing experience, I’ve still had a ton of fun flying with my fellow pilots. In one situation I was flying top cover for a small group of helos taking one of the forward FARPs. While they deployed troops on the ground we were knocking down enemy helos and air cover.

In another situation I was firing laser guided Mavericks at targets being designated by a JTAC deployed by a helo team.

PGAW offers a different experience than GAW in a lot of ways purely because of the map. There’s plenty of urban areas with tall buildings that can make for some interesting situations when flying against SAM and enemy aircraft cover. The visual is of course very different too with the expansive deserts and mountain regions too. Island fortress targets are not something I’ve tackled yet but I can see taking a small team out to eliminate one fighting back CAP and SAMs all the way.

Of course there are are always those annoying moments too like when a F-14 indiscriminately fired a lot of AIM-54s at targets with me being one of them. Still, those tend to be far and few between and you commonly find people working together and I love to see that.

I’m sure I will be bringing more of these experiences to the blog when I get a chance to play next.

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