IL2 Great Battles Easy Mission Generator

[SYN_Vander]

In this thread you can find information about my mission generator tool Easy Mission Generator or EMG.

What is it?

• A utility that will let you generate single, cooperative and dogfight missions for the IL2 combat flight sim. It is similar to the Quick Mission Builder in the game, but more powerful. Missions can be customized using the detailed configuration parameters or they can be randomized. 

What is it not?

• A dynamic (single player/MP) campaign generator. These have already been developed by others. The underlying generator will not track planes/pilots/resources etc over time, although it is possible to create multiple missions and run them in chronological order, with airfields and lines changing over time.

Known issues

• I use a tool to make an .exe file from my Python scripts (so you don't need to install and maintain Python distribution). Unfortunately, most anti-virus programs will incorrectly flag or block this program. You will need to manually override this (if you trust it). 

Please find full details, installation instructions and downloads on this page:

IL2 Great Battles Easy Mission Generator

And for instructions:

https://sites.google.com/view/il2-great-battles-emg/tips-tricks?authuser=0

 

Edited November 25, 2025 by SYN_Vander

[Turbine]

Hey @SYN_Vander, Apologies as you've probably seen thins 1,000 times already.  I'm new to the IL-2 system and am running a dedicated server.  I installed your latest copy of EMG and the server side of it, but I'm getting the following info, along with no missions being generated:

 

INFO:
-------Starting ServerGenerator--------

INFO:Using mission rotation config: mission_rotation.json
INFO:SDS file written to disk as: D:\IL-2_Sturmovik_Great_Battles\data\Multiplayer\NerdNavy_cooperative.sds

 

Below is my server config folder.

{
    "il2_path": "D:\\IL-2_Sturmovik_Great_Battles",
    "server_name": "Nerd Navy - Battle of Bodenplatte",
    "mission_prefix": "NerdNavy",
    "number_of_missions": 5,
    "start_date": "01.03.1942",
    "skip_days": 90,
    "start_time": "dawn",
    "missions_duration": 9000,
    "map_name": "The Channel",
    "front_name": "The Channel",
    "game_type": "cooperative",
    "flight_size": 4,
    "plane_start": "on the ramp",
    "target_distance": "close",
    "lockPayloads": 0,
    "objectives_amount": 4,
    "ai_planes_count": 11,
    "ai_density": "few",
    "historical": "True",
    "generate_missions": 5,
    "msbin": 1,
    "no_mission": 0,
    "mission_rotation": "mission_rotation.json",
    "mission_order": "default"
}

[SYN_Vander]

1 hour ago, Turbine said:

Hey @SYN_Vander, Apologies as you've probably seen thins 1,000 times already.  I'm new to the IL-2 system and am running a dedicated server.  I installed your latest copy of EMG and the server side of it, but I'm getting the following info, along with no missions being generated:

 

INFO:
-------Starting ServerGenerator--------

INFO:Using mission rotation config: mission_rotation.json
INFO:SDS file written to disk as: D:\IL-2_Sturmovik_Great_Battles\data\Multiplayer\NerdNavy_cooperative.sds

 

Below is my server config folder.

{
    "il2_path": "D:\\IL-2_Sturmovik_Great_Battles",
    "server_name": "Nerd Navy - Battle of Bodenplatte",
    "mission_prefix": "NerdNavy",
    "number_of_missions": 5,
    "start_date": "01.03.1942",
    "skip_days": 90,
    "start_time": "dawn",
    "missions_duration": 9000,
    "map_name": "The Channel",
    "front_name": "The Channel",
    "game_type": "cooperative",
    "flight_size": 4,
    "plane_start": "on the ramp",
    "target_distance": "close",
    "lockPayloads": 0,
    "objectives_amount": 4,
    "ai_planes_count": 11,
    "ai_density": "few",
    "historical": "True",
    "generate_missions": 5,
    "msbin": 1,
    "no_mission": 0,
    "mission_rotation": "mission_rotation.json",
    "mission_order": "default"
}

Well, I can recreate the issue...now to solve it! 🤔

[SYN_Vander]

1 hour ago, Turbine said:

Hey @SYN_Vander, Apologies as you've probably seen thins 1,000 times already.  I'm new to the IL-2 system and am running a dedicated server.  I installed your latest copy of EMG and the server side of it, but I'm getting the following info, along with no missions being generated:

 

INFO:
-------Starting ServerGenerator--------

INFO:Using mission rotation config: mission_rotation.json
INFO:SDS file written to disk as: D:\IL-2_Sturmovik_Great_Battles\data\Multiplayer\NerdNavy_cooperative.sds

 

Below is my server config folder.

{
    "il2_path": "D:\\IL-2_Sturmovik_Great_Battles",
    "server_name": "Nerd Navy - Battle of Bodenplatte",
    "mission_prefix": "NerdNavy",
    "number_of_missions": 5,
    "start_date": "01.03.1942",
    "skip_days": 90,
    "start_time": "dawn",
    "missions_duration": 9000,
    "map_name": "The Channel",
    "front_name": "The Channel",
    "game_type": "cooperative",
    "flight_size": 4,
    "plane_start": "on the ramp",
    "target_distance": "close",
    "lockPayloads": 0,
    "objectives_amount": 4,
    "ai_planes_count": 11,
    "ai_density": "few",
    "historical": "True",
    "generate_missions": 5,
    "msbin": 1,
    "no_mission": 0,
    "mission_rotation": "mission_rotation.json",
    "mission_order": "default"
}

Ah, found it. The entry "generate_missions" is a switch. value of 1 means to create missions and for any other value it will not. This is for test purposes and you should not change it. I think you (understandably) confused it with "number_of_mission" which defines the number of missions to generate ( but only if you do not use a mission rotation file).

 

have to warn you, the EMG server (batch) generator is totally unintuitive piece of software :). Just post any issues here and we'll get there.

Edited November 26, 2025 by SYN_Vander

[Turbine]

1 hour ago, SYN_Vander said:

Ah, found it. The entry "generate_missions" is a switch. value of 1 means to create missions and for any other value it will not. This is for test purposes and you should not change it. I think you (understandably) confused it with "number_of_mission" which defines the number of missions to generate ( but only if you do not use a mission rotation file).

 

have to warn you, the EMG server (batch) generator is totally unintuitive piece of software :). Just post any issues here and we'll get there.

Thank you so kindly sir.  As stated I'm new to the IL-2 system, and this is the best tool I've seen to get something quickly out onto a server with "minimal hassel".

Yes I did confuse it and will correct it.  I'm actually working on a python script to use with a special discord bot that will essentially generate these missions for me so I don't have to even log into the server to run it.  Much appreciative sir.

 

[Turbine]

5 hours ago, SYN_Vander said:

Ah, found it. The entry "generate_missions" is a switch. value of 1 means to create missions and for any other value it will not. This is for test purposes and you should not change it. I think you (understandably) confused it with "number_of_mission" which defines the number of missions to generate ( but only if you do not use a mission rotation file).

 

have to warn you, the EMG server (batch) generator is totally unintuitive piece of software :). Just post any issues here and we'll get there.

[UPDATE] I think I found the problem.  The server name between the sds file and the config.json file were not the same.  Once I fixed that it started to work.  Do you have a help guide on doing a much more elaborate multi mission using the rotation file?


Ok, I made the corrections but I am still missing something.  I thought it'd generate 5 missions based on "number_of_missions", but it only looks like 2.  I also don't see that it updated the sds file so I can run it.

Edited November 27, 2025 by Turbine

[SYN_Vander]

12 hours ago, Turbine said:

[UPDATE] I think I found the problem.  The server name between the sds file and the config.json file were not the same.  Once I fixed that it started to work.  Do you have a help guide on doing a much more elaborate multi mission using the rotation file?


Ok, I made the corrections but I am still missing something.  I thought it'd generate 5 missions based on "number_of_missions", but it only looks like 2.  I also don't see that it updated the sds file so I can run it.

Okay, let me test this and I’ll report back.

It’s possible that there is a bug in current code or in one of the config files and that it stopped at the third mission because of this. For the new version I already included a number of bug fixes.

I’ll try to add some more useful log messages as well.

Once it all works I recommend setting no_mission to 1 so it will delete the .mission files as this will slow down connection time for clients ( it will download this file, which is much bigger than . Msbin)

 

Edited November 27, 2025 by SYN_Vander

[SYN_Vander]

On 11/27/2025 at 12:20 AM, Turbine said:

[UPDATE] I think I found the problem.  The server name between the sds file and the config.json file were not the same.  Once I fixed that it started to work.  Do you have a help guide on doing a much more elaborate multi mission using the rotation file?


Ok, I made the corrections but I am still missing something.  I thought it'd generate 5 missions based on "number_of_missions", but it only looks like 2.  I also don't see that it updated the sds file so I can run it.

I have found the problem. Looks like I included a new scenario type in latest release (air defence) in my code that is not supported yet. You can't select it through the UI, but when scenarios are randomly chosen (as the servergenerator does in your example) it can be picked as option and the process quits. Anyway, I'll remove this scenario for now and will upload new version.

 

Edited November 28, 2025 by SYN_Vander

[Turbine]

13 minutes ago, SYN_Vander said:

I have found the problem. Looks like I included a new scenario type in latest release (air defence) in my code that is not supported yet. You can't select it through the UI, but when scenarios are randomly chosen (as the servergenerator does in your example) it can be picked as option and the process quits. Anyway, I'll remove this scenario for now and will upload new version.

 

Much appreciated sir.  Thank you.

Last question and I'm done harassing you.  Is there a way for it to pick up an SDS file that is sitting somewhere other than Multiplayer folder?

Full context for my question.  As stated before I'm new to the IL-2 system.  I originally come from the DCS community, and we have a discord bot that allows us to manipulate the servers from our discord.  I'm writing a python plugin for that bot that will also allow me to control the IL-2 server(s) on the very same box.  However Id like the ability to have the sds files for each server sitting in a different folder from Multiplayer.  Unless I'm missing something, the EMG for the server expects the sds files to be sitting in the Multiplayer folder.

[SYN_Vander]

New version of EMG out!

Release notes:

Version 92
-Added Zeppelin missions: You can now select a Zeppelin Raid or Zeppelin Recon scenario. These are the same as Bombing and Reconaissance, but here you can choose the Zeppelin for the lead flight
-Fixed bug for Northern France and Champagne maps: New fronts were not not configured correctly so it was possible to choose targets that are not supported, resulting in crash.
-Fixed bug for Odessa map: unsupported objectives were not filtered out
-Extended front "Paris" on Champagne map to accomodate for Gotha missions to Paris
-Bug fix: Removed "Air defence" scenario that was not fully implemented yet

Remember if you use Servergenerator you als need to update EMG itself to latest version!

Download here: https://sites.google.com/view/il2-great-battles-emg/home

 

5 minutes ago, Turbine said:

Much appreciated sir.  Thank you.

Last question and I'm done harassing you.  Is there a way for it to pick up an SDS file that is sitting somewhere other than Multiplayer folder?

Full context for my question.  As stated before I'm new to the IL-2 system.  I originally come from the DCS community, and we have a discord bot that allows us to manipulate the servers from our discord.  I'm writing a python plugin for that bot that will also allow me to control the IL-2 server(s) on the very same box.  However Id like the ability to have the sds files for each server sitting in a different folder from Multiplayer.  Unless I'm missing something, the EMG for the server expects the sds files to be sitting in the Multiplayer folder.

Mmm, not something you can configure currently as I use the Multiplayer folder relative to what you specify in "il2_path". I could add it to the server_config.json in a new release maybe. Is there no other way? symbolic link or such?

Edited November 28, 2025 by SYN_Vander

[Turbine]

59 minutes ago, SYN_Vander said:

New version of EMG out!

Release notes:

Version 92
-Added Zeppelin missions: You can now select a Zeppelin Raid or Zeppelin Recon scenario. These are the same as Bombing and Reconaissance, but here you can choose the Zeppelin for the lead flight
-Fixed bug for Northern France and Champagne maps: New fronts were not not configured correctly so it was possible to choose targets that are not supported, resulting in crash.
-Fixed bug for Odessa map: unsupported objectives were not filtered out
-Extended front "Paris" on Champagne map to accomodate for Gotha missions to Paris
-Bug fix: Removed "Air defence" scenario that was not fully implemented yet

Remember if you use Servergenerator you als need to update EMG itself to latest version!

Download here: https://sites.google.com/view/il2-great-battles-emg/home

 

Mmm, not something you can configure currently as I use the Multiplayer folder relative to what you specify in "il2_path". I could add it to the server_config.json in a new release maybe. Is there no other way? symbolic link or such?

Thanks.  Again much appreciated.
 

In terms of what I am doing, keeping the sds files contained to the Multiplayer folder, which also houses the default template sds files with the game install, my script can't seem to parse those out when someone selects them.  Ideal is to have them placed somewhere else, but i hadn't considered doing a mklink junction.  I will give that a try.