Learn how to create and install custom DCS Liberation campaigns, place YAML and MIZ files correctly, and fix campaigns that do not appear.
To create a custom DCS Liberation campaign, build a clean theatre template in the DCS World Mission Editor, pair it with Liberation’s campaign-definition file, then place both in the campaign resources folder for your Liberation build. Restart Liberation and select the template under New Game; do not install it as a native DCS campaign.
What files does a DCS Liberation campaign need?
A custom Liberation campaign normally consists of a DCS mission template and a definition file that tells Liberation how to use it.
| Item | Purpose |
|---|---|
.miz template | Defines the theatre, strategic locations, coalitions and other map data imported from the DCS Mission Editor. |
| Campaign definition | Usually a YAML file containing the campaign name, description, theatre reference and path to the template. |
| Optional dependencies | Identifies any terrain, aircraft, asset packs or community mods needed to generate and fly the campaign. |
A Liberation save is different: it contains the progress of one running campaign, not a reusable campaign template. Likewise, the generated mission for a turn is an output file rather than the campaign’s source.
How do you create a custom Liberation campaign?
The safest method is to clone a bundled campaign for the same DCS terrain and modify that copy, because Liberation’s schema and naming conventions can change between releases.
- Match the target version. Build against the same Liberation release that will run the campaign. Files made for older releases or related forks may require changes even when their extensions look identical.
- Copy a suitable stock campaign. Choose one using the same DCS map and, ideally, a similar arrangement of airbases, carriers, forward bases and front lines. Copy both its definition file and referenced
.miztemplate rather than editing the originals. - Give the copies unique names. Update the template reference inside the definition file so that it points to the renamed
.miz. A single incorrect character or an extra folder level can stop the campaign loading. - Edit the template in DCS World. Open the copied
.mizin the DCS Mission Editor and change the strategic setup. Preserve the stock template’s conventions for coalition ownership, control points, connections, carriers, off-map locations and any specially named objects. Liberation cannot turn an arbitrary hand-built mission into a working strategic campaign automatically. - Edit the campaign definition. Change the visible name, description and other supported values by following the keys already present in the copied file. Keep YAML indentation intact, retain unknown fields and use the exact terrain identifier expected by that Liberation build.
- Check dependencies. Remove unintended references to paid maps, asset packs or community units. If a dependency is deliberate, state it clearly for anyone receiving the campaign.
- Generate a test turn. Start a new campaign, confirm the intended factions and bases appear, generate the first mission and open it in DCS World. Also commit a debrief to confirm that campaign progress survives beyond the first turn.
Testing only the New Game screen is not enough. Broken control-point links or unavailable units may not become obvious until Liberation plans its first packages. Our walkthrough of the normal Liberation turn cycle covers mission generation, flying the turn and committing the result.
Where do you install custom DCS Liberation campaigns?
For standard portable Liberation packages, custom campaign files belong in the application’s resources/campaigns directory alongside the bundled campaign definitions and templates.
- Close Liberation. The campaign list is normally built when the application starts.
- Extract the download elsewhere first. Check its folder structure instead of dragging the archive itself into Liberation.
- Copy the files without changing their relative paths. If the package already begins with
resources/campaigns, merge that structure into the Liberation folder. If it contains only a matching definition and.miz, place them where the bundled campaigns use those file types. - Restart Liberation. Open New Game and look for the campaign by the name stored inside its definition file, which may differ from the archive name.
- Keep a separate backup. Replacing the Liberation application folder during an update can remove locally added campaigns.
Do not install a Liberation campaign under the native DCS World campaign directory, Saved Games/DCS/Missions or Saved Games/DCS/Mods. Liberation reads the campaign source and then exports a flyable mission for DCS World.
Why does a custom campaign not appear or load?
A missing campaign is usually caused by an incorrect folder structure, an invalid definition file or a campaign built for another Liberation version.
| Symptom | Likely cause and fix |
|---|---|
| Campaign is absent from New Game | Restart Liberation, remove an extra nested folder and compare the installed layout with a bundled campaign. |
| Error appears while reading the campaign | Check YAML indentation, required fields and the exact filename of the referenced .miz. |
| Campaign opens on the wrong theatre or DCS refuses to load it | The definition and mission template disagree, or the required DCS terrain is not installed. |
| No useful flights or front line are generated | Check control-point ownership, strategic connections, available bases and faction-compatible aircraft. |
| DCS reports missing units | Install the campaign’s required assets or replace those units with ones available in the intended setup. |
| Campaign worked before a Liberation update | Restore the backed-up files, then compare their definition with campaigns bundled in the new release before loading an old save. |
Can custom Liberation campaigns require mods?
Yes, but every player and server must have the required DCS World units installed and recognised, while terrain and official asset requirements must also be met.
A campaign definition appearing in Liberation does not prove that DCS can load every object in its generated mission. For dependency placement and recognition problems, use our guide to setting up mods used by Liberation campaigns.
Do changes to a generated mission update the campaign?
No. Editing a generated .miz changes that turn only; permanent strategic changes must be made in the source template or campaign definition and then tested in a new campaign.
Mission-level adjustments can still be useful for weather, player slots or one-off corrections before flying. Our explanation of editing a generated Liberation mission in DCS World shows where that fits without confusing it with campaign authoring.