Wings Over Flanders Fields by OBD Software

Since posting the first version, which was based upon an online graphic with vibrant colors, I have wanted to post one that is more representative in color to what was likely in the field. I present it here.

Re-engineered the OFF file and added some color to the fuselage.

Fictional EIII with a green scheme and added trim.

My "Crossover" EIII with a regular cowl.

I call this "Crossover" as it is a mix of a WWII paint scheme on an EIII.

The 2.3 update for my DM is now ready! What was once a fairly minor change has morphed into something a little larger. Here are the major highlights:
 
2.3
 
--Hit points for elevator and rudder cables reduced in all aircraft.
 
--Probability of "hit" to aileron cables reduced in all aircraft. Hit points on aileron cables also reduced.
 
--Hit points for observer/rear-gunner reduced slightly.
 
--Hit points for central fuel tank increased slightly in several aircraft, particularly Nieuport's, DR1, and DH5.
 
--Rate of fuel loss due to hits to central fuel tank adjusted in all aircraft.
 
--Adjusted frequency of oil leaks from damage to nose and oil reservoir in several aircraft.
 
--Spad's, DH2's, SE5a, and all Albatros and Nieuport types somewhat less likely to catch fire. Roland, Hannover, and DFW somewhat more likely to catch fire.
 
--Probability of "hit" to left and right gear reduced slightly in all aircraft, hopefully reducing number of crashes due to collapsed landing gear just a bit.
 
--Hit points to wings and wingtips of Fokker Triplane reduced slightly.
 
--Corrected error in DH2_early models which caused central fuel tank to be only half-strength.

Jim McConnell "Hot Foot", Esc 124, 1916

Jim McConnell "Mac", Esc 124, 1916

Norman Prince, Esc 124, 1916

This is the OFF Map as painted in parts by Rabu.
I have "glued" the parts together and placed the airfield names right besides the airfield locations in the map.
Then I divided the map into four parts, each small enough to fit on a normal letter size paper from your printer.
The four parts are "NW", "NE", "SW" and "SE".
 
INSTRUCTION
 
1. Print out the four parts and let them dry. Cut them out and place them so, that they make sense.
 
2. Now glue the parts "NW" and "NE" together.
There is a 5 mm strip on Part "NE", appearing brighter. Put some glue on the rear right edge of Part "NW"
and glue that part onto the bright strip of Part "NE".
 
3. Then glue the parts "SW" and "SE" together the same way.
 
4. At last, glue northern half onto southern half of the map. Southern half has again that bright strip to fix northern part on to.
 
(God, all my life I wanted to write such an instruction!)

Fictional SPAD 13 representing the American 103rd in 1918.

Based upon a graphic found online.

Sunday, 23 September, 1917: Vlisseghem Flugplatz, Belgium.
 
Savage British attacks at Menin Road have strained our brave troops to the limit. After falling back to a new defensive line they are now holding their own and continue to fight with true mut. Our informants in England tell us the British are about to deploy a new form of gas weaponry in this general area of the front and have been massing the deadly canisters in a railyard near the outskirts of Ramsgate. It is rumored they plan on dropping these upon our troop marshalling positions at Izegem, and may be bringing them across by heavy bomber at any moment.
 
Your flight of Albatros D.III scouts have been given the vital task of escorting a wing of Gothas from Kagohl 3 over the North Sea to bomb the railyard and it's lethal stock into oblivion. You will take off and circle the field once to form up, then fly easterly towards Nieuwmunster Flugplatz to join with the Gothas. Climb to working altitude as you make the crossing and provide cover for the bombers along the way. You will have a full fuel load which should give you an additional 20 minutes of flying time, remember this if you get into any fighting, and be sure to lean out your mixture as much as safely possible in order to conserve benzin. You will no doubt encounter defenses over Ramsgate so keep a sharp lookout for enemy planes as well as AA. Once the Gothas have delivered their bombs you are expected to see them safely back home. However, if you do run across any enemy heavy bombers in the area it is a safe bet they are carrying the new gas canisters. You should do everything in your power to see that they don't make it across, for if they do countless numbers of your countrymen will suffer a gruesome fate.
 
The Kaiser realizes this is a lot to ask of your small jagdstaffel, but His Imperial Majesty has complete faith in your ability to succeed in this most vital mission.
 
Gott sei mit Der.
 
 

Loosely Based on a French Sopwith Triplane used in the Dunkirk area during 1917
 
Install to: C:\OBDSoftware\CFSWW1 Over Flanders Fields\campaigns\CampaignData\skins
 
Thanks to OBD for the Original Aircraft...and Quack74 for the idea

This is a skin for an Albatros D.Va OAW from Jasta 77b, 1918.
 
Albatros D.Va OAW were based at Vraignes aerodrome from 18. April - 23. April 1918
and at Foucaucourt-en-Santerre from 24. April - 30. May 1918.
 
The Jastas of the German kingdoms Bayern, Württemberg and Sachsen had the additional
letters b, w or s behind their numbers. So this skin is for the Bavarian unit Jasta 77.
The Balkenkreuz shows, that it's flying in 1918.
 
The emblem is showing a phantasy creature, a kind of Bavarian chimera: the "Wolpertinger";
an animal made of the parts of various creatures.
 
I want to thank OvS and Paarma for their countless original skins, from which I always work.
 
To get the skin into your sim, unzip it to:
[your game folder] > campaigns > CampaignData > skins

For MFJ 1 (Marine-Feldjagdstaffel) I wanted a skin, that would suit the Naval situation;
that would somehow fit with the north sea. And so I picked one of Paarma's skins, that
had an overall Lozenge camouflage - even on the fuselage. (I forgot, who's skin it was
originally - sorry).
The dark greyish-blue-green colours fitted well with MFJ-1's colour, which is yellow.
 
This Albatros D.Va shows the Balkenkreuz, which got introduced in March or April 1918.
MFJ-1 was based at Coolkerke by the North Sea.
Again I want to say a heartily "Thank you" to OvS and Paarma from OBD for all they have
created with so much love and detail - a fund of countless skins I shamelessly made
use of to compile my own ones. Hope you enjoy them.
To get the skin into your sim, unzip it to:
[your game folder] > campaigns > CampaignData > skins

Readme File 29/08/2010
------------
HPW Full Campaign Damage Model for OFF BHaH HITR
v2.2
 
by Herr Prop Wasche
 
Zip file contents:
 
HPWDM2.2\aircraft folder with 477 individual aircraft folders and .xdp files
readme.txt
 
INSTALLATION: Important! This version of the damage mod is intended to be used only in conjunction with Jonesoft's Generic Mod Enabler and should not be installed UNLESS JSGME has already been installed into your CFSWW1 Over Flanders Fields game folder. With JSGME, installation and use of this, or any mod, is very easy. Simply extract the contents of the HPWDM2.2 zip file into the MODS folder which is created when you install JSGME into OFF. The mod is correctly installed if you see the readme.txt and the following folder structure inside the MODS folder: HPWDM2.2\aircraft\Alb_DIII_AC1, 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!
 
NOTE: This mod may be used in QC battles AND the main campaign.
------------
 
Version History
 
2.2
 
--Engine hit points for Hannover, Sopwith Pup, Sopwith Strutter, and Sopwith Strutter B1 reduced slightly.
 
--Missing minor fuel leak due to engine damage added to Sopwith Tripe and Tripe 2G.
 
--Hit points for elevator cables in aft fuselage of Fokker EV, N17_Bis, N24, N24_Bis, N24_Bis_Lewis, N24_Lewis, and N28 reduced to be consistent with other aircraft.
 
--Hit points for observer/rear-gunner corrected so they are now the same as the pilot of the aircraft.
 
2.1a
 
--DH2 and DH2_m16 now somewhat less likely to catch fire than in version 2.1.
 
--Halberstadt scout now slightly less likely to suffer major fuel leak.
 
--"Fuselage_structure" changed to "rudder_cable" in aft fuselage of FE2b and hit points reduced from 28 to 18.
 
--Hit points for aileron cables in aft fuselage of Alb DV, DV later, DVa, and DVa 200 reduced to be consistent with other aircraft.
 
2.1
 
--Fuel tanks are now more resistant to major leaks but are still susceptible to minor leaks and are somewhat more likely to catch fire if substantially damaged.
 
--Wing and wing-tip hit points adjusted on some aircraft.
 
--Nose structures now slightly stronger in several early and mid-war aircraft.
 
--Somewhat higher probability of pilot "hits" for most aircraft.
 
--On DH5 only, fuel tank hit points now higher for main tank, slightly lower for secondary tank.
 
--Eliminates the "engine block popping out of the fuselage" effect seen in some aircraft.
 
2.0
 
Initial release
 
------------
Thank you for downloading HPWDM2.1, a total revision of my previously released damage model for Hat in the Ring, the official extension to Between Heaven and Hell, the wonderful WWI flight sim modification of CFS3 by OBD Software. DM2.1 uses information about the dimensions and specifications of every aircraft in HITR in order to develop revised hit points for each major component of every aircraft currently available in OFF. The correlation between the historical size and dimensions of each aircraft component and the number of hit points assigned to that component in the game has been adjusted so that this correlation in now generally positive, instead of negative, as it is in many cases in OFF and previous versions of my damage model.
 
Engine hit points have also been adjusted so that the average aircraft engine has approximately 5% more hit points. Hit points also better correlate with engine size or displacement. Most importantly, engine hit points now do not necessarily directly correspond with the chances of an engine catching fire. In the standard HITR installation, most aircraft are "set" to catch fire when 75% of their engine hit points have been used up. This percentage has been adjusted in almost every aircraft so that some will now catch fire when a smaller percentage of hit points have been used up, while others will only catch fire after a higher percentage of hit points have been expended. The overall result should be somewhat more durable engines and longer and more dangerous dogfights. Fewer aircraft (including your own) should suffer from an immediate loss in engine performance after only a very short, early burst into the front of the plane. On the other hand, once you notice your engine is no longer running smoothly, take it as a good sign that you may be about to turn into a blazing fireball!
 
Other changes from the stock damage model include: stronger wing roots with somewhat weaker wing tips, resulting in aircraft wings that suffer from fewer catastophic failures but that are more difficult to control when severely damaged, i.e. you may be able to still fly, but landing becomes a much bigger challenge; slightly decreased chances of crippling aileron control cable hits; slightly reduced hit points, on average, for ailerons and rudders; and increased hit points, on average, for horizontal and vertical stabilizers. Pilot and observer hit points have also been adjusted to make both you and your AI opponent more vulnerable to becoming wounded--perhaps fatally! However, in contrast to previous versions of my damage model, hit points for oil and coolant reservoirs have been increased back to, or close to, stock levels. Numerous other tweaks were made to take into account 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.
 
Finally, I would again like to express my thanks and appreciation to OBD Software for their help and encouragement in the making of this damage mod. Of course, 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!

This skin was created after Ernst Udet's D.V skin as made by Paarma / OBD.
You may fly it at Udet's side in Jasta 37, Phalempin, in summer 1917. Enjoy!
 
Unzip the file to:
 
[your game folder] > campaigns > CampaignData > skins

Readme File 19/08/2010
------------
HPW Full Campaign Damage Model for OFF BHaH HITR
v2.1
 
by Herr Prop Wasche
 
Zip file contents:
 
HPWDM2.1\aircraft folder with 477 individual aircraft folders and .xdp files
readme.txt
 
INSTALLATION: Important! This version of the damage mod is intended to be used only in conjunction with Jonesoft's Generic Mod Enabler and should not be installed UNLESS JSGME has already been installed into your CFSWW1 Over Flanders Fields game folder. With JSGME, installation and use of this, or any mod, is very easy. Simply extract the contents of the HPWDM2.1 zip file into the MODS folder which is created when you install JSGME into OFF. The mod is correctly installed if you see the readme.txt and the following folder structure inside the MODS folder: HPWDM2.1\aircraft\Alb_DIII_AC1, 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!
 
NOTE: This mod may be used in both QC battles AND the main campaign.
------------
Version History
 
2.1
 
--Fuel tanks are now more resistant to major leaks but are still susceptible to minor leaks and are somewhat more likely to catch fire if substantially damaged.
 
--Wing and wing-tip hit points adjusted on some aircraft.
 
--Nose structures now slightly stronger in several early and mid-war aircraft.
 
--Somewhat higher probability of pilot "hits" for most aircraft.
 
--On DH5 only, fuel tank hit points now higher for main tank, slightly lower for secondary tank.
 
--Eliminates the "engine block popping out of the fuselage" effect seen in some aircraft.

the previous posted no-tracer and withtracer effectfiles work quite well, but the trailersmoke effect file (the version where the bullets leave a trail of white smoke behind) was too unvisible.
 
JFM was so kind to send me a picture of Rudolph Berthold shooting trailersmoke bullets, thank you JFM! they are indeed very white and rather good visible. so i created an improved version of the effectfile where it matches the look in the pic quite good. it also takes a bit longer to fade away.
 
for anybody who wants to try it, here is the improved effectfile ready for download.
 
please first copy the original effectfile and paste it somewhere on your rig where it's save. then copy this effect version and paste it into
 
C:\OBDSoftware\CFSWW1 Over Flanders Fields
 
it's not an own creation though. i combined an existing OBD file with Rabu's version of smoketrail and tweaked it a bit. so credit should go to them.
 
Hellshade was so kind to make a short vid, so everybody can take a look at it before trying. please note that no matter which HD version you look at, youtube vids always have a loss of quality, so it's best to watch it fullscreen. in the sim it looks much better of course.
 
here it is

 
thank you hellshade! (btw. the last seconds are very breathtaking. good job)
 
original content are owned by OBD.
 
have fun
 
creaghorn
 
 

Readme File
 
------------
 
HPW Full Campaign Damage Model for OFF BHaH HITR
 
v2.0
 

 
by Herr Prop Wasche
 

 
Zip file contents:
 

 
HPWDM2/aircraft folder with 477 individual aircraft folders and .xdp files
 
HPWDM2_readme.txt
 

 
INSTALLATION: Important! This version of the damage mod is intended to be used only in conjunction with Jonesoft's Generic Mod Enabler and should not be installed UNLESS JSGME has already been installed into your CFSWW1 Over Flanders Fields game 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 by JSGME when you install it into OFF. 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!
 

 
NOTE: This mod may be used in both QC battles AND the main campaign.
 

 
------------
 
Thank you for downloading HPWDM2, a total revision of my previously released damage model for Hat in the Ring, the official extension to Between Heaven and Hell, the wonderful WWI flight sim modification of CFS3 by OBD Software. DM2 uses information about the dimensions and specifications of every aircraft in HITR in order to develop revised hit points for each major component of every aircraft currently available in OFF. The correlation between the historical size and dimensions of each aircraft component and the number of hit points assigned to that component in the game has been adjusted so that this correlation in now positive, instead of negative, as it is in many cases in OFF and previous versions of my damage model.
 

 
Engine hit points have also been adjusted so that the average aircraft engine has approximately 5% more hit points. Hit points also now correlate roughly with engine size or displacement. In addition, engine hit points now do not necessarily directly correspond with the chances of an engine catching fire. In the standard HITR installation, most aircraft are "set" to catch fire when 75% of their engine hit points have been used up. This percentage has been adjusted in almost every aircraft so that some will now catch fire when a smaller percentage of hit points have been used up, while others will only catch fire after a higher percentage of hit points have been expended. The overall result should be somewhat more durable engines and longer and more dangerous dogfights. Fewer aircraft (including your own) should suffer from an immediate loss in engine performance after only a very short, early burst into the front of the plane. On the other hand, once you notice your engine is no longer running smoothly, take it as a good sign that you may be about to turn into a blazing fireball!
 

 
Other changes from the stock damage model include: stronger wing roots with somewhat weaker wing tips, resulting in aircraft wings that suffer from fewer catastrophic failures but that are more difficult to control when severely damaged, i.e. you may be able to still fly, but landing becomes a much bigger challenge; slightly decreased chances of crippling aileron control cable hits; slightly reduced hit points, on average, for ailerons and rudders; and increased hit points, on average, for horizontal and vertical stabilizers. Pilot and observer hit points have also been adjusted to make both you and your AI opponent more vulnerable to becoming wounded--perhaps fatally! However, in contrast to previous versions of my damage model, hit points for oil and coolant reservoirs have been increased back to, or close to, stock levels. Numerous other tweaks are designed to take into account 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.
 

 
Finally, I would again like to express my thanks and appreciation to OBD Software for their help and encouragement in the making of this damage mod. Of course, 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 in the Over Flanders Field forum. Thank you and I hope you enjoy the mod!
 
HPW

hello all,
 
just a reminder for you and some improvements. that mod makes killing a lot harder!
 
now you can choose between 3 versions of bullets, as close to the real thing as possible.
 
 
 
effectsnotracer:
 
you don't see anything. no bullet and no smoketrail. just the muzzle from your gun. that's the typical M.G. with ordinary bullets. very hard for deflectionshooting. you have to get really close and aim good. typical usage in early airwar.
 
 
 
effectstrailersmoke:
 
no visible bullets, but quite visible smoketrail. (little bit like in flyboys). the smoke helps you to adjust your aim, but not too much, but more like it was in real. typical usage in airwar maybe from 1917 on.
 
 
 
effectswithtracers:
 
modified tracers. no more throwing tennisballs at the enemy but closer to how real tracerbullets look like. maybe comparable with the tracers in "crossing the line". since trailersmoke bullets and tracerbullets were not the same (currently they are) with tracers the smoketrail is reduced. it is visible though, especially on bad weather, but not as good as with trailersmoke bullets. usage probably from spring 1917 on in airwar.
 
of course you can use any version at any time :-)
 
to use any of the effects, just throw it into
 
C:\OBDSoftware\CFSWW1 Over Flanders Fields
 
please back up first the original effect file.
 
 
 
the improved tracer dds.files drop into
 
C:\OBDSoftware\CFSWW1 Over Flanders Fields\effects\fxtextures
 
please also back up first the original files
 
 
 
 
as a sidenote:
 
all 3 versions of the effect files have reduced visible effects when far away. from closer on you can see bulletholes and canvas ripped off etc. but no dust and particles which give you a very arcadish indicator if you hit the enemy or not and which makes you adjust easily. intention is not to take away eyecandy but to make shooting down a lot tougher as it really was.
 
to see how the mod will look like, please take a look at this video, made by Hellshade. thank you very much again for your support, Hellshade!

 
 
all original content belong to OBD software.
 
have fun
 
Creaghorn
 
 

I've always liked the Austro-Hungarian hexagonal camouflage--it reminds me of a Mardi Gras harlequin. The best part is, there was no standard to it, so artistic expression comes into play. Sadly, OFF doesn't include the KuK, and the KuK never had any operational Fokker D.VIIs anyway. But no matter. Pretend you're an Austrian pilot flying with the Germans to learn about the D.VII and decided to paint your ride in the style of your home country.
 
 

.
 
Strike fear into the hearts of the Hun when you comest in this unquestionable shape. There will be no wondering whether thou art a spirit of health or goblin damned, or if thou bringest with airs from Heaven or blasts from Hell. Your intents will be most assuredly wicked. (apologies to Shakey Bill fans everywhere for my paraphrasing of his Hamlet's diatribe)
 
Enjoy!
 
Lou
 
.

README File
 
INSTALLATION AND OVERVIEW: Simply extract the OFFUserBackupFiles.zip file to the OBDSoftware\CFSWW1 Over Flanders Fields folder where the OFFManager.exe file is located. I recommend that you immediately run the program and then rerun the program every time you make a major change to your OFF installation or just before you have to uninstall and reinstall OFF on your computer. To run the program, simply left click the program name and follow the instructions. Please note that in order to locate and copy some files, the program requires you to input the name of your operating system. When prompted, simply type either "XP, Vista, or Win7" and press the Enter key. The files will then be copied and placed in a new directory on your C: drive named MyOFFSetupFiles.
 
When you wish to restore your saved files to your new OFF installation, simply navigate to the C:\MyOFFSetupFiles folder to select and copy the files you wish to restore. IMPORTANT: Note that your files do NOT all go to the same location in your OFF installation. The files should be placed in OFF as follows:
 
In the \OBD Software\CFSWW1 Over Flanders Fields folder
ViewUI.xml
 
In the \OBD Software\CFSWW1 Over Flanders Fields\campaigns\CampaignData\Pilots folder
Pilot[]Log.txt
Pilot[]Dossier.txt
Pilot[]Claims.txt
 
The following five files should be placed as follows:
IF XP: C:\Documents and Settings\YOURNAME\Application Data\Microsoft\CFSWW1 Over Flanders Fields folder
 
IF Vista or Win7: C:\Users\YOURNAME\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\CFSWW1 Over Flanders Fields folder
 
ViewUI.xml
mine.xca
CFS3.xca
UnlimitedPilots.xml
ConfigOverrides.xml
 
---------------
REVISION HISTORY
 
v 1.2
 
Added Pilot[]Claims.txt to backup program