Wings Over Flanders Fields by OBD Software

An immersive role-playing simulation of life between flights for Over Flanders Fields.
 
Note 1: For more information, screenshots, etc., visit the Official Website.
Note 2: Get the full OFFice incomparable campaign engine which features OFFbase along with all supported mods and extra content in a complete package with one easy-to-use installer. This smaller package updates the OFFice software to the latest version, but to get 1.0.8's 'Skin in the Game' custom paint jobs just install the whole thing.
 
Note 3: If you're interested in joining and supporting OFFworld, the multiplayer version in development, send me a PM.
 
- OFFbase features persistent squadron-based play. Take turns flying multiple pilots in a squadron while sharing the same roster--and more. Separate wingmen are assigned and flights split as much as possible. See your other squadron pilots in the duty roster with you! Fly as a rookie pilot in your favorite squadron while taking your long-time veteran out on the occasion you work up the nerve. If your pilot dies, you can start a new pilot to take over for him with the same squadmates and everything, and continue your squadron's story throughout the war.
 
- OFFbase puts you right in the Squadron HQ, where you can visit the Adjutant to manage your career, kick back in Lodgings that you may share with a roommate and write in your journal, go down to the Mess for food or drink and see how your squadmates are doing (and listen to the squadron band in the evenings), head out to the Hangar to check munitions and fly campaign missions, or reminisce over fallen heroes at the squadron memorial. The quality of your squadron's facilities develops over time.
 
- OFFbase implements and expands Bletchley's Pilot Personality Profiles (3P) to give each pilot in the squad individual personality that informs how they behave and relate to each other. Engage in many different types of social encounters, mediated by personality traits. Personalities are composed of unique combinations of character traits, summarized by Attributes that rank characters in the following dimensions: Aerial Skill, Aggression, Charisma, Intelligence, Physicality, and Professionalism. With hundreds of billions of possibilities, the character's you'll meet in OFFbase are complex, distinctive, and completely individual in their behavior.
 
- OFFbase builds on 3P with academic game theory to make social encounters richer, more intuitive, and open to different styles of play. Will you try to out-do other pilots, enhancing your short-run prestige at their expense, or try to build both your reputations through long-run friendship and social support? Your success at playing different strategies depends on the rank, personality, and social skills of your pilot character, as well as who the other player is and what they're trying to achieve. Over multiple encounters you'll come to know how different characters react in different situations, and what strategies work for your character. The result is a natural learning process on both sides.
 
- OFFbase makes complex yet intuitive social encounters possible by giving characters in your squadron artificial intelligence. They remember how you and other pilots have treated them in the past, learn from their mistakes, and form social strategies to pursue their own goals based on their own rank, personality, risk preferences, social skills, and history. Some may try to boost their careers by bullying subordinates to make themselves look better, others may focus on building peer networks, while some may do a bit of both depending on who they like and who they don't and their feelings about their relationships and careers. The procedurally-generated rule-based AI system generates far more complex, dynamic, and unique behavior than traditional systems.
 
- OFFbase features a full dynamic squadron simulation: Non-player pilots have daily encounters with each other, developing their own prestige and goodwill to develop their reputations and earn their own promotions, while periodically going on and returning from leave, even transferring in and out. All this goes on even as you advance or skip time due to weather, injury, whatever. Watch non-player pilots in your squadron share a drink, talk politics, make friends, get in fights--building relationships that affect how their careers develop, and yours.
 
- OFFbase introduces Ground Crew, support officers or enlisted such as the squadron Adjutant, Chief Medical Officer, Chaplain, Munitions Officer, and even the Chief of the Mess Hall. Encounter and build relationships with them as well, which can affect your career, and your life, through gameplay. They may serve as stabilizing forces in dark times, or if a bad fit for a squadron disrupt morale. Encounter them in the Infirmary, Chapel, Hangar, and Mess Hall.
 
- OFFbase introduces Air Crew: Pilots of two-seaters will share quarters with their observer/gunner. You and your fellow officers will encounter them in the Mess and on the Airfield, as they build their own careers.
 
- OFFbase makes completing missions more rewarding, with additional benefits and costs to your career from shooting down enemy aces, friendly fire, pulling a hat trick by shooting down three or more enemy planes, and taking out ground targets and balloons. If a fellow pilot steals your kill, you can chew him out once you're back at HQ and try to take back some of the prestige he earned instead of you; or apologize and give back prestige if you steal someone else's kill. Some mission results may even affect the development of your pilot's personality by earning additional traits.
 
- OFFbase brings additional features to the game such as transfers between squadrons, player input on promotions, funerals for dead pilots, a fully-editable journal built from the flight and claims logs, and tracking of mission results for your squadmates. Yes that's right--what actually happens to your squadmates in the air while they fly beside you matters now, dependent on and influencing the development of their characters. A Frontiersmen also trained in first aid is more likely to make it home after being downed behind enemy lines, a Cowards more likely to surrender, and a Weakling more likely to be permanently maimed by injury--especially if he's on bad terms with the Chief Medical Officer! The detailed injury system tracks dozens of different wounds and maims for you and your squadmates, with more realistic recovery times--and more ways to be disabled and killed. Dealing in the Infirmary is dynamic and can depend on the support of squadmates.
 
- OFFbase accelerates immersion with a built-in mod manager (OFFramp) that automatically orders and activates JSGME mods appropriate to your campaign, if installed. See notes on mods below. This is accomplished through a fully-modable rule-driven scripting engine that supports plugins to the OFFice: OFF Incomplete Campaign Editor system, integrating access to Pilot dossiers, OFF Workshop settings, CFS3Config settings, JSGME mods, and OFFbase gameplay rules. Bletchley's historical ammo loudout rules and a number of other mods included in this distribution are implemented in this system. Modders: see very preliminary info in the OFFice\modrules\ folder.
 
Gameplay:
 
An officer or crewman's Reputation can be built in three different ways: success in the air, Goodwill from higher-ranking officers, and Prestige from socially dominating your peers. Each character has a unique set of Traits, yielding different preferences and skills toward these goals. As your campaign develops, you will observe changes in morale, upgrades to your airfield and lodgings, earn new personality-building traits through promotions and achievements, and take part in the lives and deaths of your dynamic, humanlike squadmates.
 
To further the latter two goals, you will frequently (depending on your traits), Encounter your fellows, as well as witness encounters they have with each other. The social encounter system is based on a continuous iterated prisoner's dilemma game. Both players face a trade-off between short-run prestige from besting their opponent in the encounter and long-run goodwill from cooperating to build friendships. If both players jockey for short-run prestige, the result is negative-sum competition where gain, if any, only comes at the other's expense. If both players seek to build long-term social support to advance their military careers, the game is positive-sum cooperation that can increase both pilots' Goodwill toward each other, providing a daily boost to reputations so long as both players continue or even deepen their friendship.
 
Even more interesting is the myriad cases in-between. You may come on too strong and embarrass someone, or come across as off-puttingly needy. You may also find yourself at the mercy of a vicious bully, or in a parasitic relationship with a high-ranking officer who praises you to superiors only to reflect well on his command while back at the squadron mercilessly putting you in your place in front of the other men. Willingly suck up to superiors if their goodwill seems worth more to your career than the shame, or buck them to defend your prestige at the risk of ill-will.
 
The possibilities are almost endless because non-player characters also have reputations, and adaptively develop their own strategies based on their personalities, social skills, feelings, and memories in order to exploit their own trade-offs between short-run prestige and long-run goodwill. All this sounds complicated, but in practice decisions and their consequences unfold naturally, and the evolution of relationships should be dynamic, intuitive, and fun. Not only is it about learning which pilots are trying to befriend you and which are out to build their careers at your expense--but also teaching AI pilots to cooperate and learning when and when not to exploit their trust.
 
Should your reputation fall to "Disrespected" you're in danger of being transferred to another squadron if you don't turn things around. Lean on your friends for support, though calling in the chips in the short-run can damage friendships in the long run. If you do well and your reputation becomes sufficiently "Honored" you'll be due a promotion to a higher rank and the chance to further develop your personality. Promotions and the new traits they bring cost prestige, so you'll start off at a lower reputation. Not everyone has what it takes to make it at a higher rank--those who climb the ladder too fast may step on too many toes, and end up in another squadron.
 
Your pilot's mood serves as a guide to how he's doing in recent encounters. If he's upset, his reputation's been harmed either through losing prestige or goodwill or both, and he'll have a tougher time cooperating with others. A good mood means recent encounters have been helpful to his reputation, in the short- or long-run or both, and more open to others. You'll get some idea of the mood of others when you encounter them, and the squadron's morale reflects the aggregate mood of its members. Since mood affects behavior, the effects of encounters spill over through social networks. A skilled and patient or stubborn player can have a profound impact on the social development of his squadron, through good times and bad.
 
Different personalities are more naturally suited to building their reputations by some means more than others. No-nonsense skilled-pilot types advance more quickly from flying and successfully completing missions, while smooth-tongued sycophants are more apt to milk the goodwill of superior officers at the cost of prestige, aggressive social animals readily suffer ill-will to dominate more social encounters for that prestige, while introverted loners try to avoid encounters in the first place.
 
Every character will have a unique experience, even with the same squadmates. Your replacement pilot may have a tougher time making friends in a squad deeply mourning your popular former ace--or be just thing to help restore morale after the death of a tyrannical flight leader.
 
Simply put, the game rewards role-playing.
 
The deeper investment in building the career of your pilot and developing relationships with squadmates not only further customizes and enriches the campaign experience, but makes death in the air all the more terrifying, and thus OFF even more fun. Who'll carry your casket to its final resting place? How will your squadron remember him? Play OFFbase and find out!
 
Installation:
 
First make sure JSGME 2.6.0 is installed. This is included and installed automatically in the full OFFice package.
 
Download and run the OFFice exe, and it will automatically extract the OFFice folder into your root OFF installation (usually "C:\ OBDSoftware"). This will also create shortcuts for OFFbase and OFFset (see OFFset.readme.txt) on your desktop and/or start menu, as well as documentation for the OFFice suite and included mods.
 
OFFbase will ask to run at Adminstrator level as this is required by JSGME. OFFbase can elevate the OFF manager, but you should set CFS3.exe (and TrackIR5.exe) to run as Administrator as well.
 
To play OFFbase, simply double click one of the installed shortcuts.
 
Updating:
 
To update OFFbase to a newer version after 0.7.8, just run the new setup exe to upgrade your existing install. The installer will automatically deactivate all JSGME mods for safe updating.
 
OFFbase 0.8.6 and later will notify you if newer versions are available at Combat Ace.
 
 
Mods:
 
Get the full OFFice incomparable campaign engine which features OFFbase along with all supported mods in a complete package in one easy-to-use installer. Many of these mods are further developed and enhanced with powerful new features compared to their old stand-alone counterparts available separately.
 
OFFbase will give you a choice which mission, damage, flight model, sound, music mods and so on in the OFFramp mod manager.
 
 
Usage:
 
You'll no longer launch Over Flanders Fields yourself, OFFbase will do it for you when ready. Instead, launch the OFFbase program from your desktop or Start menu shortcuts or launch the OFFbase.exe program in the OFFice folder manually.
 
Whenever OFFbase has you run the OFF Manager, do just the one task or mission expected then quit OFF to return to OFFbase.
 
OFFbase may ask you to set some settings before allowing you to play. Follow its instructions.
 
You'll be asked to choose a nation and squadron to play your existing pilots. If you need to create a new pilot here, you can launch OFF Manager. Leave OFF when done creating the pilot and the list will update.
 
Make your choice and click the "Play Squadron" button. You'll then be asked to choose a pilot in your squadron. You can compare the current date of the squadron listed in the left pane with the last reported date of your pilot in the middle pane to see how much leave your pilot will receive to sync up. You may also edit and save your pilot's background here.
 
Choose your pilot and click the "Play Pilot" button to begin the OFFbase experience! You'll be asked to choose a personality class for your pilot, then fly a transfer mission to your new airfield to check out the squadron's facilities and people. Follow the prompts, it should be a fairly self-explanatory introduction.
 
Note: Be sure to check ‘Air Start’ for your initial transfer mission!
 
When you're squadron has been toured, you're on your own. Chat with the Adjutant and visit the Mess Hall to learn more about your squadmates. Go to the Hangar to fly campaign missions in OFF, or just do some exploring around the base.
 
OFFbase will automatically set your active pilot for the campaign so you no longer need to manually switch between pilot dossiers in OFF Manager to fly different campaigns.
 
OFFbase sets the Outcomes section of the OFF Workshops Dead Is Dead to offer advanced outcome handling. Most crashes are reported as fatal by OFF, but this just triggers custom crash handling. If your pilot is killed or captured, do not delete him in OFF. Instead, quit OFF to return to OFFbase and resolve his fate. If he does ultimately perish, after the funeral he becomes part of your squadron’s institutional memory.
 
When adding a new pilot to a squadron, be sure to create him at a date prior to your current squadron date to avoid overwriting all of your squadmates.
 
See the OFFbase Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).

OFFice: the incomparable campaign engine for Over Flanders Fields creates a dynamic campaign unlike any other combat flight simulator. Far more than just a collection of mods, OFFice deepens the historical accuracy, sensory immersion, and emotional terror of flight and combat in The Great War, while rooting the campaign in the day-to-day life of the officers and crew of an aerial squadron.
 
Note 1: For more information, latest news, additional screenshots, etc., visit the Official Website.
Note 2: If you're interested in joining and supporting OFFworld, the multiplayer version in development, send me a PM.
 
 
Major goals of enhancing and expanding OFF:HitR:
 
Persistence: Squadron-based campaigns continue when your pilot is captured/killed, so you can carry on the war as another pilot with the same mates. Living pilots can transfer between squadrons and continue their careers past the bounds of OFF aircraft availability. Start by flying two-seaters and transfer to a fighter squadron on promotion. Even take turns flying multiple pilots in a squadron, handy when one is out for injury. Track outcomes for your squadmates so their deeds in the air matter. Unleash the true power of OFF’s exemplary campaign engine!
 
Immersion: Steeped in historical detail, OFFice campaigns offer dynamic difficulty and realism over the course of the war with more appropriate squadron roles and access to technological developments as well as more dynamic and engaging missions. But persistence is only immersive if pilots are not disposable. The secret: “flying to live rather than flying to kill”. OFFice realizes this vision to a degree unparalleled in a combat flight simulator with:
OFFbase: the barmy automated squadron experience for OFF, an immersive role-playing simulation of life between flights! Turn your squad’s roster into a bunch of learning, thinking, interacting artificial intelligences, toss in a bunch of ground crew (and observers for two-seater campaigns), and drop yourself in among them with your pilot’s own unique personality. Emergent sandbox gameplay with unique, adaptive, goal-seeking characters harnesses fun to a purpose--the deeper investment in your pilot’s personal journey makes every trip up feel a matter of life and death, for your fellow flyers as well. Manage not just your career but help steer your squadron through years of war and loss. Lead through social encounters as well as your deeds in the air. Build deep, long-lasting friendships and social circles, while struggling bitterly with enemies--all affected by events in the skies. And vice versa; you’ll find it truly changes how, and why, you fly.

See the included OFFbase.readme.rtf for an expansive list of features and usage notes.

Ease: Take the headache out of configuring and customizing OFF. Finding, installing, and using mods correctly can be daunting, let alone setting up Workshopsp and CFS3Config. But OFFice is a coherent and customizable package that just works--in fact it makes OFF itself easier and safer to configure by imbuing the wisdom of the OFF community’s technical experts. Realizing settings for immersive simulation flying is a snap. There’s no better means for beginners and experts alike to get the most out of OFF, and no easier way to start.
See more on the OFFramp, OFFset, OFFput, and OFFfov components of the OFFice suite geared toward ease further below. First, more of the fun stuff...

OFFice features can be most easily organized around some of the personalities you’ll encounter regularly OFFbase:
 
Squadron Adjutant
Transfers between squadrons--voluntary and otherwise--so your persistent campaign doesn’t end until the war does. Begin your career flying bombers and transfer to a fighter squad when ready.
Smarter and more historically-accurate mission planning for your squad’s role in the war and in the face of inclement weather, with Dawn Patrol missions and optional historical Lone Wolf missions
More rational rank-based assignment of flight members and wingmen, and assignment of observer/gunners to pilots of two-seaters. Your German observer’s likely to outrank you, so remember who’s in charge!
Track flight members’ in-air outcomes--report them as crashed or missing, and even witness their claims!
More post-mission options and consequences, including the ability to submit claims for non-target and Lone Wolf mission balloons--become a balloon-busting ace early in the war, if you have the guts and skill
Write optional post-mission reports even without claims; edit these and any other writings in a squadron Journal synced to the Flight Log
Choose your pilot’s photo--your squadmates will become familiar faces as you interact with them on the ground, many even look their traits
Dynamic historical medal system with more than twice as many awards
American, British, and German campaigns get expanded historical news and more diverse names for squadmates based on historical popularity
Expanded enlisted ranks for crew in American and British squadrons
Escadrille La Fayette gets American pilots alongside French crew
Towns named in missions, e.g. “Verdun” instead of “british town 153”

Munitions Officer
Recommends loadouts for the specific mission you’ve been assigned
Advanced ammo including smoke and tracers when historically available, as well as incendiary rounds for targeting more resistant balloons
Sneak incendiary rounds into a ‘dirty’ mix for deadlier firepower--if you can get away with it--but who would brazen and inhuman as to use it full bore against planes or ground targets?
Historically-accurate ammo capacities and machine-gun rates-of-fire
Set your own gun convergence distance to perfect your aim
Custom skins can optionally be earned as historically appropriate--easiest for German flyers (linked to ammo capacities)
Mask and upgraded goggles to keep your face from chapping!
Choice among more detailed, higher quality in-game maps to navigate
Refined, less obtrusive TAC and labels for those who use such aids
Improved flight and damage models with some historically-timed engine upgrades, and with AI planes carrying the weight of fuel and ammo
Damaged/destroyed aircraft can result in Leave while awaiting repairs
More realistic and historically appropriate anti-aircraft fire, with difficulty adjusting dynamically for each side over time
Better arcs-of-fire for rear guns on two-seaters
Complete audio overhaul for more immersive sounds: engines, explosions, bullet hits bomb drops, pilot screams, ground gunnery, flak, machine gun sounds synchronized with historical rates-of-fire, and more!

Medical Officer
Detailed injury system with a diverse set of healable wounds and permanent and potentially disabling maimings
Injuries, maimings, and death depend on the reported severity, location and timing of the crash, health and skill of the pilot, access to medical care, relationship with and skill of the Medic, and luck
Visit the Medic and injured squadmates at your local Infirmary--and influence respectively their bedside manner and recovery
The persistent squadron means you can even encounter and try to cheer up the AI of your own injured pilots to hasten their healing!
Access to medical care varies, but becomes more effective over the course of the war
Across the lines you’re at the mercy of enemy medics and facilities!

Mess Chief
The food may not be much to speak of, but the Mess Hall helps monitor and manage your squad’s morale
Quality and availability of food change over the course of the war, with better Mess Chiefs able to do more with less
Witness encounters between squadmates in addition to taking part
Musically-trained officers and crew form a squadron band in the Mess that influences the mood of those in attendance
Additional music options for OFF Manager, including period-appropriate piano scores for French and German campaigns

Chaplain
Funerals for your dead pilots, convalescent home for the disabled, care packages for captured pilots, and prayers for those who need them
Squadron memorial lists your ended pilots and archives their journals so you can trace the whole story of your squadron in the Great War
The influence of your dead/captured pilots can linger as their careers become part of the squad’s institutional memory, shaping its future
Interactions and social networks are dynamic, so events on the air and ground spill over to affect peoples’ behavior
So don’t underestimate the role of the Chaplain in providing stability to your squadron--assuming he’s stable himself!

Everyone
Other pilots and squadmates pursue their own goals, building their own careers and social networks
Engage in and witness nearly 150 different kinds of encounters, some more personalized, and more rare, than others
Build friendships whose impact lingers even after death, and make enemies that transcend sides in the war
Build friendships whose impact lingers even after death, and make enemies that transcend sides in the war
Develop your character to expand their skills and capabilities as they gain ranks: advance your career, pursue a hobby, or change your approach to relationships
With 88 distinct personality Traits in billions of combinations, summarized by eight dimensions of Attributes, every character is unique
Tell your own personal story of life as a pilot in a historic squadron in The Great War

Much of this highly configurable and/or optional, configurable with:
 
OFFramp: rule all mods & plugins for OFF - More than just a mod manager, this dynamic scripting engine makes OFFice possible. Beneath the graphical interface where you customize your campaign and control OFFice features, ModRule plugins imbue the OFF Workshops and previously-standalone OFF mods with the intelligence, historical knowledge, and cooperative spirit of the OFF community. At the same time, powerful new ModRule plugins can tailor almost every aspect of the OFF campaign experience to heighten realism, immersion, and joy. Play OFF your way!
 
OFFfov: the OFF field-of-view optical vanguard – This ModRule plugin helps set aspect-ratio-correct FOV settings by projecting a 3D model of your screen into the gameworld. Fly OFF close to a big screen as a true visual simulation, preserving perspective so objects are as close as they appear--or just make it look right for gaming. Your optimized FOV is applied to all OFFbase campaign aircraft seamlessly and automatically in all positions, including forward gunsights and rear gunner, as well as correctly integrating modded aircraft.
 
OFFset: the OFF settings manager - Backup and Restore all your painfully-crafted OFF settings (Workshops and CFS3 Config), in full or in part. Handy if you need to reinstall the game or update graphics drivers, but also use settings profiles to switch between different play styles, or pre-configure hardware with settings recommendations from the experts. An OFFramp ModRule archives your settings on first run, so you can safely experiment. See the included OFFset.readme.rtf.
 
OFFput: the OFF Pilot UnderTaker – Cares for your dead and broken pilot files by rebuilding corrupted XML files (frequently caused by retiring multiple pilots in OFF Manager). It automatically protects against some common problems and gives you a panic button that works when OFF Manager goes haywire and tells you to delete your pilots! Won’t back up your pilots for you, but makes restoration a snap.
 
Realism profiles manage degrees of Dead Is Dead (DID) and Realistic Survival Strategies (RSS) community standards in OFF Workshops and CFS3Config, for a well-designed experience at any difficulty level.
 
 
Requirements:
 
OFFice is of no use and will not install without Over Flanders Fields: Hat in the Ring (OFF), OBD Software's breathtakingly deep WW1 combat flight simulator. The official Hat in the Ring expansion pack is recommended: Make sure you patch both to the latest version:
http://overflandersfields.com
 
NaturalPoint’s TrackIR is essential for included realism profiles and simulation field-of-view settings:
http://www.naturalpoint.com/trackir/
 
OFFice uses Microsoft WordPad (included with Windows) to view documentation.
 
The full OFFice suite requires 3GB free hard drive space on your OFF partition. OFFice installs itself alongside OFF.
 
 
Credits:
 
Producer - Lothar of the Hill People
Exec. Producer - OlPaint01
Research - Bletchley, British_eh, Hasse Wind, RAF_Louvert
AA, Balloons - Bletchley, Herr Prop-Wasche, Lothar of the Hill People
Ammunition - Bletchley, Creaghorn, Lothar of the Hill People
Damage Modeling - Herr Prop-Wasche, Buddy1998
Dead is Dead Rules - Siggi
Documentation - Lothar of the Hill People
Encounters - Lothar of the Hill People, Bletchley, JamesL
Game Design - Bletchley, Lothar of the Hill People, Creaghorn
Maps - Lothar of the Hill People
Medal System - RAF_Louvert, Lothar of the Hill People
Mask, TAC & Labels - Olham
Missions - Bletchley, Buddy1998, Lothar of the Hill People
Music Production - Andy73, Lothar of the Hill People
News & Photos - Creaghorn, Herr Prop-Wasche
Rear Arc of Fire - 33Lima
RSS Rules - British_eh
Skins - Bullethead, nbryant, Olham, RAF_Louvert, Robert_Wiggins, UK_Widowmaker
Software Engineer - Lothar of the Hill People
Sound Design - Andy73
Weather & Skies - Herr Prop-Wasche
Weapons & Loadouts - Bletchley, OlPaint01
 
Additional Testing - CaptSopwith, Cavaliere57, cptroyce, FreiherrWulff,
JamesL, Robert_Wiggins
 
 
Third-Party Sources and Included Tools:
 
Audio Compression - FLAC: Free Lossless Audio Codec

http://flac.sourceforge.net  
Bloom/HDR Shaders - ENBSeries

http://enbdev.com  
Icons - Simon Child, The Noun Project

http://thenounprojec...om/Simon Child/  
Installers - Nullsoft Scriptable Install System

http://nsis.sourceforge.net  
Maps and Topography – Google
 
Mod Management - JoneSoft Generic Mod Enabler 2.6.0
 
Music Sources - Piano Society http://pianosociety.com

- fair use clips (see included documentation)  
Runtime Environment – REBOL 3 Alpha

http://www.rebol.com/rebol3/  
 
License:
 
This software is free to use and benevolently modify via the ModRules interface, but not free to redistribute or otherwise misappropriate. Simple rule: don't be a jerk. Seriously. By agreeing to use this software, if you're a jerk about it you forfeit all your personal property to the program authors. So just don't be a jerk.
 
Finally: while much of OFFice is geared toward making your OFF experience easier, safer, and more reliable, your mileage may vary. OFFice is provided 'as-is', without any express or implied warranty. In no event will the authors be held liable for any damages arising from the use of this software.
 
 
The Fine Print:
 
OFFice will edit your pilots and OFF Workshop and CFS3Config settings! That's the entire point. You should BACKUP your pilots frequently anyway:
campaigns\CampaignData\Pilots\ in your OFF install

The OFFset plugin in OFFramp will archive your OFF Workshop and CFS3Config settings on first run, and can easily backup and restore them whenever. See OFFset.readme.txt.
 
The OFFput plugin in OFFramp can rebuild your XML files should they become corrupted or lost. With OFFice, there’s no longer any need to backup or worry about the UIsel.xml or UnlimitedPilots.xml files in your Windows user profile, and restoring pilots from backup is a snap.
 
Persistent squadrons mean you will no longer be able to jump between the same squad during different periods of the war. OFFbase will synchronize multiple squadron pilots automatically--those at an earlier date put on leave until caught up with the most recent pilot in that squadron. So don’t be surprised!
 
OFFbase handles the outcome of missions itself--a key ingredient to tracking your squadmates’ outcomes too. It sets ‘Dead Is Dead’ in the OFF Workshops merely so all crashes that destroy your aircraft are treated the same and do not advance time. So don’t despair at the message from OFF that your pilot is dead--this just tells OFFbase your plane is done--your pilot may yet live. Rate the severity of the crash and trust the mercy of the simulated combat medics. You may be Injured, Hospitalized, Disabled, or Deceased, but in all cases you can continue your squadron’s campaign with a replacement pilot.
 
JSGME requires Administrator privileges to modify your OFF install, and so OFFice will ask for elevation to install and run. OFFice can launch OFF Manager and CFS3Config as Admin, but you'll need to set CFS3.exe (and TrackIR if you use it) to run as Administrator manually (right click, Properties).
 
OFFice uses JSGME to customize your OFF installation to create a more unique and historically accurate experience for each individual campaign. When it runs, do not interfere, and please wait patiently--it will take several minutes sometimes, especially on first run. Don’t worry if it says “Not Responding”, it’s just working really hard to customize the game.
 
READ THE INCLUDED DOCUMENTATION – ESPECTIALLY THE FAQ IN THE OFFBASE MANUAL
 
See also the OFFice/OFFbase Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).

February 2009
 
The original, large, paper map which is the basis of this set was lent to me by Hugh Baldwin, "Bletchley," back in October 2006. It was a project to bring some maps into the Over Flanders Fields W.W.I. flight simulation as well as supply maps for others interested in this period of W.W.I. history.
 
The original map was badly creased, ripped and worn and being very large I had to scan it in pieces, then paste it all together accurately in Photoshop and then restore it and enhance it. I've included a photo of what the original map looked like out of interest. The completed map was available for free down load on Polovsky's Over Flanders Fields website for several years. I had always planned on doing a series of smaller cut up versions for printing on standard letter size paper so that a OFF player could more easily use them in game. I have finally gotten around to doing it after the several requests after the release of OFF phase 3, "Between Heaven & Hell" this January 2009. I cut these up and added borders so that the feeling is one of more authentic maps of the period.
 
The main map is now divided into 16 segments, each indexed to a map segment by alphabet letters. Each segment overlaps so that there is no loss of detail and each segment is clearly marked in the upper right corner with it's index letter number.
 
I hope you enjoy these and they help in your flying in the OFF BHH game, or in any other historically accurate WWI sim.
 
Contact me if you have any questions. "rabu"
 
Please feel free to share these with others, but please give credit and do not alter them.
 
c2009 R. Hoag

Skin created from original OFF skins made by OvS/James Romano and Paarma/Arto Karttunen.
 
This skin's emblem is the Reichsadler, as it was designed at the time
of the Kaiser empire. The heraldic emblem of the eagle seems to go back
to the double-headed eagle, used for the arms of the "Holy Roman Empire
of German Nations" (Heiliges Römisches Reich Deutscher Nationen).
 
And for Widowmaker and OvS, I have added a little oil dripping.

Se5 skin and cockpit skin of Lt Rhys Davids 56 sqn for over flanders fields.

Aircraft skin contest submission

Aircraft presented to M von Richthofen in August 1917.
Oblt Kurt Wolff was shot down in this aircraft and killed on 15 september.

A gradual progression in accuracy and density of AA bursts as you progress from 1915 through to 1918.
 
When the campaign transitions from one date period to another just de-activate the current file and activate the next one.
 
I use this mod by selecting 'Normal' in Workshop settings for an 'active' front, 'Easy' for a 'quiet' front and 'Hard' for balloon attack missions. But on each workshop setting there is a gradual progression in accuracy and density of AA bursts as you progress from 1915 through to 1918, so you can just stick to one workshop setting if you prefer to use it this way, or find your own combination of settings.
 
This mod works well with my earlier mods, as it changes different files and settings, but. It will not work with any other AA mods that are installed via JGSME into the WWI Scenery folder.
 
Bletchley

EARLY SKIN FOR AUSTRAIN ACE Godwin Brumowski NON RED VERSION

zip.file Original art work by OBD

Here is a new skin for the Camel that was created using ideas gleaned from many old WWI aircraft photos. Enjoy!

zip file. Original art work by OBD

sopwith camel in the style of a stunt plane

Skin created from original OFF skins made by OvS/James Romano and Paarma/Arto Karttunen.
 
Painted like a Chinese teacup, this is an artwork, that took many hours.
And, as Widowmaker said, the ground crew would just get finished, when the war was over.
So, it's my most peaceful design (Lol!)
It was inspired by Herr Prop Wasche, who wanted an Albatros painted like a bird of prey,
and by Cameljockey, who used the name "Leutnant Feuervogel" (Lt. Firebird).
 
I wouldn't like to be the ground crew, when this plane collected hits...

This .rar contains the aircraft needed to play MP. It contains the Gotha and the Zeppelin and also the Gotha weapons and pylons files. There are readmes for each. But basically, you put the Gotha and Zeppelin folders into your CFSWW1/Over Flanders Fields/aircraft folder. The installation of the weapons and pylons is a little more complicated, but the readme is clear. Follow it and you'll be good to go. It also includes the Searchlights part of the "Gothas along the Thames" mission since that mission is flown regularly.

Original OFF skins/templates created by James “OVS” Romano, Terry “Makai” Kerby and OBD Software.
 
 
Scheutzel joined Jasta 65 on July 12, 1918 until the end of the war. He was credited with 1 victory.
 
Open your Programs folder/Microsoftgames folder/CFSWW1 Over Flanders Fields folder/
campaigns folder/CampaignData folder/skins folder and place in there.
 
Enjoy!
FRO

Stars and stripes. Original art work by OBD

Readme File 1/16/2013
------------
HPW Ultimate Damage Model for OFF BHaH HITR Full Campaign and QC Battles
v1.3.1
 
by Herr Prop Wasche
 
Zip file contents:
 
HPW UltimateDM\aircraft folder with 477 individual aircraft folders, .xdp files and .bdp files
This readme.txt
 
INSTALLATION: Important! This version of the damage mod is intended to be used only along with Jonesoft's Generic Mod Enabler and should not be installed UNLESS JSGME has already been installed into your OBDSoftware folder. With JSGME, installation and use of this, or any mod, is very easy. Simply extract the contents of the zip file into the MODS folder which is created when you install JSGME into OFF. The mod is correctly installed if you see this readme.txt and the following folder structure inside the MODS folder: HPW UltimateDM\aircraft\Alb_DIII_AC1, AC2, etc. To load the mod, simply run JSGME, highlight the mod you wish to use, click on the top button, and then start your game. That's it!
 
An even simpler method is to simply click on the HPW UltimateDM.exe self-installer program created by Lothar. This program will automatically check your OFF and JSGME installation and install the mod into the correct folder. No muss, no fuss! Thanks, Lothar!
 
1.3.1
 
--Decreased wing-tip hit point values for the Fokker EIII.
--Slightly decreased engine hit point values for the Alb DIII early.
--Decreased engine hit point values for the
Hannover CIIIa.
--Slightly increased engine hit points for the Alb DVa 200.
 
1.3
 
--Engine threshold values adjusted again to reduce chance of engine fires and the "forever flying flamers" bug. You should see less fires than in version 1.25 but more than you get using Buddy1998's damage model.
 
--Engine hit points reduced somewhat on two-seaters and "pusher" types (DH-2 and Fee's) for better game balance.
 
--File structure revised in order to comply with Lothar of the Hill Peoples Offbase program and proper placement of JSGME inside the OBDSoftware game folder.
 
--Added HPW UltimateDM.exe self-installer program created by Lothar.
 
1.25
 
--Engine hit points adjusted for all aircraft for a better balance between scouts and two-seaters. Most scout engines have a few more hit points, while most two-seater engines have slightly fewer.
 
--Engine threshold values adjusted for all aircraft. Camel and Dr1 slightly less likely to catch fire, Albatros series more likely to catch fire than in version 1.1. ALL aircraft WILL catch fire eventually if hit hard enough. Fx_airexplosion and fx_enginefire moved from center fuel tank to engine, resulting in more realistic engine fires and explosions.
 
--Fuel tank hit points for most aircraft raised slightly.
 
--Fuel leaks adjusted so some aircraft--especially Albatros series--do not spring major fuel leaks as quickly as before. Small fuel leaks slightly more likely, however.
 
--Minor adjustments to hit points for wings and wing tips on almost all aircraft. Wings on most two-seaters are somewhat weaker (exception: Roland's wings approximately 10% stronger). Wings and wing tips for Fokker Dr1 and Se5a's somewhat stronger.
 
--Minor adjustments to ailerons, elevators, and horizontal stabilizers on some aircraft.
 
--"Break" level for pilot and observer reduced from 100% to 75% to see if this results in greater chance of pilot injury or death.
 
--More thorough testing of all aircraft to insure better game balance.
 
1.1
 
--Hit probabilities for aileron, elevator, and rudder cables reduced substantially so that hits to cables should be much less frequent than before. Hit points for all cables also increased slightly.
 
--Hit probabilities to pilot and center fuel tank adjusted slightly.
 
--Hit points for ailerons increased by approximately 150% and threshold values adjusted.
 
--Minor increase in wing tip strength.
 
--Hit probability to landing gear reduced by 50%.
 
--Minor adjustments to threshold values for engine, oil reservoir, and center fuel tank.
 
--For DH5 only, chance of fire and explosion to auxillary fuel tank removed and replaced with fuel leaks.
 
--For Spad VII and Spad XIII only, increased wing hit points by approximately 5% to reflect sturdy reputation of Spad series.
 
------------
Initial release 1.0
 
Thank you for downloading HPW's Ultimate DM, a totally new version of the damage model for Hat in the Ring, the official extension to Between Heaven and Hell, the WWI flight sim modification of CFS3 by OBD Software. In addition to the advances featured in my previous damage model modifications, this entirely new damage model brings additional realism to the stock damage model by significantly increasing the hit points of most aircraft components, but particularly the engine, wings, and tail assemblies, of virtually every aircraft currently available in HITR. As a result of these changes, air combat has now become longer, more intense, and more unpredictable than ever!
 
Due to a suggestion by Creaghorn (thank you, Creaghorn), hit points for some components in the Ultimate DM have been increased by more than 500 percent in some cases! On the other hand, special effect "triggers," such as fuel leaks, oil leaks, fires, explosions, and "break" commands or failure levels for all components have also been reduced by a proportionate amount so the total failure of a particular aircraft component occurs just as frequently as it did in the stock and previous damage model mods. This helps to avoid the dreaded "flying tank" situation that some of the developers have sometimes mentioned in referring to previous test versions of the stock DM. The overall goal of this new DM, therefore, is to make dogfighting both more challenging for the experienced OFF gamer, but also enjoyable for the more casual, or less experienced, flight simulation fan.
 
To give you an idea of what I am trying to accomplish with this mod, hit points for most aircraft engines in the stock game average around 110 points. Therefore, under the stock DM, an engine that receives only 11 points of damage loses 10% of its power--and an engine that receives 55 points of damage loses 50% of its power! As a result, aircraft with only minor engine damage become unable to maneuver and frequently slam into the ground due to the lack of engine power. By substantially increasing the engine hit points, but also reducing the failure point by a proportionate amount, I have been able to recreate a situation where the engine still functions at close to full power, virtually up to the moment when it catches fire or fails completely! As a result, enemy aircraft will continue to turn, climb, dive, and remain able to fight you, up to almost the last minute. All aircraft (including your own) should no longer suffer from an immediate (and often quite noticeable) loss in engine performance after only a very short burst into the front of the plane. The same principle applies to the wings of all aircraft. No longer will you or your opponent experience an immediate and major loss of maneuverability after having your wing or aileron get hit by just a couple of bullets.
 
As mentioned above, other improvements to the damage model from my previous damage model mods have also been incorporated into this new version. For example, time period of service, overall aircraft reputation for durability or weakness, notable structural problems in various aircraft (weaker lower wings in Albs, for example), and overall game balance have also been considered in the development of this damage model.
 
Again, I would like to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to OBD Software for their help and encouragement in the making of this and previous versions of the damage mod. I would also like especially to thank Creaghorn and Hellshade for their comments, suggestions, and help in the development and testing of this mod. I would not have been able to complete it without all of their valuable help and encouragement! Thanks also goes out to all of the members of the Over Flanders' Fields forum to which this mod is dedicated. With the exception of the tweaks contained in this damage model, all work remains the sole work and property of OBD software. If you have any questions or experience any problems with the installation of this mod, you can reach me at www.combatace.com at the Over Flanders Field forum. Thank you and I hope you enjoy the mod. Happy flying!
 
HPW

This mod offers several alternative in-game maps for Over Flanders Fields based on modern Google imaging:
 
Lothar Google Map – Google’s Terrain map illustrating basic topography with modern cities and roads, much of which hasn’t changed from a map-eye view over the past century. While there’s a hint of the underlying topography, this is generally best for flying by human landmarks.
 
Lothar Google Earth – Google Earth satellite imagery was a long way from even hypothetical during the Great War, so this mod applies diffusion and texture filters for a slight painted canvas map effect. Important locations are marked as on the stock OFF map, but overall this is best for just flying by terrain.
 
Lothar Google Mix – This simply overlays the two above maps with transparency. Things may not line up exactly, especially at the extremes of the map, but overall this provides a subtler view of the road and city detail of the Google Map with more of the geographical richness of the satellite view.
 
In any case, the result is vastly more detailed, accurate, and useful than the stock OFF map, despite the occasional anachronism. Try them all to see which you prefer on utilitarian and aesthetic merits. And have fun exploring with fresh eyes the amazing terrain Over Flanders Fields and beyond!
 
Requires:
Over Flanders Fields
http://overflandersfields.com
 
JoneSoft Generic Mod Enabler 2.6.0:
http://combatace.com/files/file/13045-jonesoft-generic-mod-enabler-jsgme/
 
Installation and Usage:
The installer automatically extracts the mod folders into your OFF JSGME mods folder if OFF and JSGME are installed correctly. JSGME will be run when installation is complete, just activate the ‘Lothar Google Map’ or ‘Lothar Google Earth’ or ‘Lothar Google Mix’ folder to enable the mod. It only makes sense to activate one of the map mods at a time, but you can easily switch between them with JSGME.
 
Notes: The front no longer displays in the Briefing Room, but does so (and more accurately) on the in-flight map.
 
Credits:
http://combatace.com/user/48442-lothar-of-the-hill-people/

Hi Folks,
as promised here's my Update to Version 3.1. It contains ALL of my previous Mods + my Upgrade to Version 3.1 + my Engine-Sounds Update.
This Package is JSGME-ready and it works with OFFice as well
Please do just deactivate my previous Mods first, then unpack this one into JSGME and activate it. That's all!
 
Thanks to Lothar of the Hill People, who was so glad to help me creating an Installer!
Thanks to OBD Software for allowing us to create some small Mods.
 
Have Fun!

This is a jsgme package with flight model adjustments to the Nieuport 17 and Albatros D.Va for WOFF. Extract it into c:\OBDSoftware and use the jsgme switcher to enable the mods.

This is a skin for the sopwith triplane (joan) of 8 naval squadron
later called BINKY III. PILOTS WHICH USED THIS AIRCRAFT- P A JOHNSTON, E D CRUNDALL AND A G A SPENCE

Albatros DV 4476/17 of Ltn d R Ernst Udet, Jasta 37, Palempin, September 1917

SWIRL CAMMO ALBY 3 OAW AUSTIRAN FLIK 19

FOR THE AUSTRIAN ALBY3 OAW FALL MOLLTED LEAF PATERN