Wings Over Flanders Fields by OBD Software

This is an SE5a of Number 61 Home Defence Squadron circa 1918
 
Original Model and Skin by OBD Software

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Greetings All,
 
Olham recently mentioned the scan of the 1918 National Geographic Western Front Map that I assembled from about 120 smaller clips and cleaned up for use when navigating in OFF. This is a high quality JPEG copy that I originally posted in another download link on the forums several months ago, and since it has been asked about I though it best to place it here to make it easier for folks to locate. This is a VERY large image, (7760 x 6550), so just be aware of that when you are downloading the RAR file and unpacking it. To use this map it is best to make a small clip of the AO you are currently assigned to fly and print it out, then use it as your cockpit map, just like our RL counterparts did back in the Great War. Enjoy.
 
Cheers!
 
Lou
 
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A MOD for Over Flanders Fields, for 1915, that includes a new Weather file, new mission files and new AAA weapon files.

New mission files, new flak files, for OFF 1916 January-July

New mission types, new flak (Allied now switchinh from Shrapnel to HE).
 
1916(2) will cover July-August 1916. In the July-August period the E.IIIs appear to have been mostly held back by a combination of the lack of leadership and example (the death of Immelmann and the temporary grounding of Boelcke), problems with the synchronisation gear of the gun (thought to be the reason for Immelmann's downfall), reorganisation, and low moral as a much reduced number of Fokker pilots were faced with the Allied build up to the Somme offensive. During the first two months of the battle of the Somme the Allies gained almost complete control of the air above the battlefield, until the tide started to turn again at the end of August with the introduction of the new German scouts, a new influx of pilots, and reorganisation of scouts into the more effective organisation of the Jasta system. 1916(2) will therefore present a two-month hiatus for the 'German' player, with mostly 'lone wolf' and solo defensive patrols over friendly territory (still one or two line patrols, but not as many). For the Allied player it will be more or less a continuation of the earlier period, January - June.

New mission files. In late August the German air service is reorganised and the small scout sections are brought together into the first Jasta units. Boelcke returns, having recruited more pilots to form a new crop of fighter pilots, amongst them Manfred von Richthofen, and new scout types start to arrive at the front (starting with Halberstadts in the last weeks of August). This leads to a more aggressive attitude from September onwards, with flight or Jasta strength patrols starting to contest Allied domination of the sky over the battlefield. The British are still patrolling aggressively, despite the now inferior machines, with a policy of deep offensive patrols, long recon., and now frequent bombing missions to strategic railway junctions, airfields, and lines of communication. The photographing and detailed mapping of opposing trench systems also continues, with art.obs. and photorecon. by both sides. The German air service continues to send their solo photorecon. missions far into Allied airspace, but they need to fly ever higher as Allied flak becomes more effective, with the switch from Shrapnel to HE shells and development of better targetting doctrine and technology. By the end of the year the stage is now set for 'Bloody April' 1917, with the Allies struggling to push the German scouts back from their Front sectors where increasingly vulnerable Allied art.obs. and photorecon. machines are going about the daily task of registering the artillery, counterbattery, and photography...

Readme File 30/3/2011
------------
HPW Front Guns Bullet Spread Mod
 
by Herr Prop Wasche
 
Zip file contents:
 
HPW Front Guns mod folder and subfolders
HPWFrontGunsReadme.txt
 
Mod Description: The HPW Front Guns Bullet Spread mod adjusts the Accurate, Normal, and Less Accurate settings in the Main Guns selection box located in Workshop to make the front guns for both humans and AI somewhat less accurate, resulting in fewer kills per mission at each difficulty setting. The following chart gives the player an idea of the differences between the settings in the unmodded game and in the mod. Higher values indicate a wider bullet spread pattern, and thus a less accurate bullet stream.
 
Bullet Spread (OFF)
Accurate: .20
Normal: .50
Less Accurate: 1.00
 
Bullet Spread (HPWFGBS mod)
Accurate: .40
Normal: .75
Less Accurate: 1.25
 
Basically, this mod gives the player more options in his or her selection of bullet spread. In terms of bullet accuracy, the OFF Accurate setting allows for the most accurate shooting, while the HPWFGBS mod Less Accurate setting allows for the least accurate shooting. Notice that the Normal setting in the HPWFGBS mod is exactly between the Normal and Less Accurate settings in the standard game. I have found that this setting best achieves the goal of making the game more challenging while not excessively handicapping the AI's ability to shoot down opposing aircraft. The Less Accurate setting in the mod is for those very accurate shooters who desire a particular challenge. If you are currently shooting down more than 2 or 3 opposing aircraft per mission, you may wish to use this difficulty setting. Note, however, that your AI wingmates as well as your AI enemies will also have more difficulty shooting anyone down at this setting! Perhaps in P4 we can wish for separate front guns settings for the human and AI pilots, respectively. Hint, hint!
 
####EXTREMELY IMPORTANT####
INSTALLATION: This mod should be used ONLY with Jonesoft's Generic Mod Enabler. ALSO, BECAUSE THIS MOD ALTERS SOME WORKSHOP SETTINGS, ANOTHER COPY OF THE JSGME PROGRAM MUST *FIRST* BE INSTALLED INSIDE THE PARENT OBDSoftware FOLDER--NOT THE CFSWW1 Over Flanders Fields FOLDER!! THIS WILL CREATE A SEPERATE MODS FOLDER LOCATED INSIDE THE OBDSoftware FOLDER. COPY OR EXTRACT THE HPW FRONT GUNS FOLDER AND SUBFOLDERS INTO THIS NEW MODS FOLDER!! To activate the mod, you must run the JSGME program LOCATED INSIDE YOUR OBDSoftware FOLDER and then click on the HPW Front Guns file. Do not worry about having two copies of JSGME installed in OFF. I have tested this out and it does not seem to cause any issues with either OFF or my system. Just make sure you copy or extract the gun mod to the correct copy of JSGME, located inside the OBDSoftware folder.
####EXTREMELY IMPORTANT####
 
VERSION HISTORY
 
Initial release
 
------------
Thank you for downloading and using this mod. I hope that it adds to your enjoyment of Over Flanders Fields and HITR. I would again like to express my thanks and appreciation to OBD Software for their help and encouragement in the making of this mod. Of course, with the exception of the small tweaks contained herein, 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.
 
 

Readme File 31/3/2011
------------
HPW Rear Guns Bullet Spread Mod
 
by Herr Prop Wasche
 
Zip file contents:
 
HPW Rear Guns mod folder and subfolders
HPWRearGunsReadme.txt
 
Mod Description: The HPW Rear Guns Bullet Spread mod adjusts the Less Accurate setting in the Rear Guns selection box located in Workshop to make the rear guns for the AI observer somewhat less accurate than it is in the stock game. Please note that this mod does NOT alter either the Normal or the Accurate settings for the AI observer, on the theory that users who prefer these settings are masochists already who do not wish the bullet spread for the AI to be watered down any further. Instead, this mod is intended for those who feel the AI at the Less Accurate setting in the stock game is still just a little too accurate.
 
####EXTREMELY IMPORTANT INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS####
This mod should be used ONLY with Jonesoft's Generic Mod Enabler. ALSO, BECAUSE THIS MOD ALTERS SOME WORKSHOP SETTINGS, ANOTHER COPY OF THE JSGME PROGRAM MUST *FIRST* BE INSTALLED INSIDE THE PARENT OBDSoftware FOLDER--NOT THE CFSWW1 Over Flanders Fields FOLDER!! THIS WILL CREATE A SEPERATE MODS FOLDER LOCATED INSIDE THE OBDSoftware FOLDER. COPY OR EXTRACT THE HPW REAR GUNS FOLDER AND SUBFOLDERS INTO THIS NEW MODS FOLDER!! To activate the mod, you must run the JSGME program LOCATED INSIDE YOUR OBDSoftware FOLDER and then click on the HPW Rear Guns file. Do not worry about having two copies of JSGME installed in OFF. I have tested this out and it does not seem to cause any issues with either OFF or my system. Just make sure you copy or extract the gun mod to the correct copy of JSGME, located inside the OBDSoftware folder.
####EXTREMELY IMPORTANT INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS####
 
VERSION HISTORY
 
Initial release
 
------------
Thank you for downloading and using the HPW Rear Guns Bullet Spread Mod. I hope that it adds to your enjoyment of Over Flanders Fields and HITR. I would again like to express my thanks and appreciation to OBD Software for all of their help and encouragement. Of course, with the exception of the small tweaks contained herein, 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.
 
 

New mission, same new flak. 1917(2) covers the period May - December, starting with the winding down of the British Arras spring offensive and ending with the Battle of Cambrai in the autumn. During this period the French front was quiet, following on from the failure of Nivelle's offensive on the Aisne, and attention was now about to switch to the Flanders area. During one of the worst summers on record, wet and miserable, the British repeatedly tried to break through the well prepared German defences in Flanders - starting with the successful capture of the Messines-Wytschaete ridge in June, to prevent the Germans from gaining overlook of the preparations for the major British offensive of that year, the Third Battle of Ypres, that opened on 31st July but failed to make much progress, continuing sporadically after this initial failure into further assaults: on the Polygon Wood (end of September), Paschendaele Ridge (October), and then the Battle for Paschendaele itself between 30th October and 10th November. Finally, with the use of tanks, a partial breakthrough was achieved further south, at Cambrai, but it was ultimately a failure due to the lack of reserves needed to exploit the opening, and ended with a successful German counterattack south of Bourlon Wood. In this eight month period there was a considerable shift in air tactics on both sides of the line. The German air service, despite expansion by the end of the year to almost twice the size that it was at the start, was still struggling against numerically superior odds and an influx of British pilots now better trained, with technologically superior aircraft, and deployed in larger squadron-strength offensive patrols. To prevent the British regaining air supremacy over the vital 'active' areas of this front, the Germans responded by grouping their best pilots and Jastas into the first wing-sized formation, or Jagdgeschwader 1 "Richthofen's Circus", that could be moved along the front to wherever it was most needed. This had the effect, however, of taking the best pilots and units away from the 'quiet' sectors, and this allowed the British Corps machines to go about their daily photo.recon. and art.obs. missions in these areas with far less opposition than might otherwise have been the case. Both the British and the German air services also started to develop a doctrine of ground attack, a development of the 'contact patrol' into a full fledged 'battle' or 'protection' patrol aimed at the silencing or supression of the mg nests and hidden artillery batteries that formed the major obstacle to the advancing infantry (the product of a new doctrine of 'elastic' defence, developed first by the Germans along the Hindenburg Line and subsequently adopted by the British as well). Scouts, such as the DH5 and the Camel, were used for this by the British, whilst special 'Schutzstaffeln' two-seater units were used by the Germans. The period also saw the development of the first 'wireless intercept' missions on both sides, where the wireless signals from the enemy art.obs. aircraft were triangulated by listening posts along the line, and a pair or section of fighters, held at readyness, would be 'scrambled' to intercept (but often arriving too late). The British also extended the strafing and bombing missions into the German rear areas, targetting the lines of communication and airfields, whilst two-seaters would bomb the airfields and railway junctions by day and night. Despite these efforts the British had nevertheless failed to make a decisive breakthrough by the end of the year, and were about to be forced back onto the defensive as the German forces started to redeploy westwards after the end of the Russian campaign in the autum of 1917. The Germans knew that if they were to have any chance of winning the war in the west, they needed to strike now, before the USA's entry into the war tipped the balance decisively back in favour of the Allies...

New missions. 1918(1) January-April : German Spring Offensive in Pacardy and on the Lys. Poor weather in January restricted much British air observation, but as the weather improved it was clear, by February, that the German build-up was taking place against the British Third and Fifth Armies opposite the Cambrai salient. During this period Jagdgeschwader 1 was joined by two new German fighter wings, JG2 and JG3, to give the German air service a numerical superiority for the first time. But they were remaining quiet, for the most part, trying to conceal the extent of the build-up of air units in this sector, only bombing the British rear areas by night and sending out high altitude recon., photorecon. and art.obs. machines by day. The British responded to this build-up with a programme of intensive recon. and bombing of the German airfiels and rail network by day and by night. Fighter squadrons were also being used to attack airfields by day - in part, is an attempt to lure the German fighters into the air (mostly without much success). But the main work of the Corps machines was with their artillery units, ranging the guns on to enemy gun batteries, supply dumps and lines of communication in the front sectors. This was supported by the fighter units, flying squadron-strength 'Close' and 'Distant' patrols to keep the airspace over the front clear of German machines. On 21st March the German Spring Offensive was unleashed, aiming for Amiens. German two-seaters supported the attack with contact patrols, ground attack and art.obs., with the single-seater fighters flying above to protect them from air attack. As and when the weather allowed, British machines were also flying contact patrols and tactical recon. missions, with fighters flying line patrols and ground attack missions. The bombers were attacking rail junctions and bridges, mostly but not always, by night. After eight days of heavy fighting the German assault was held along the Amiens Defence Line, a line stretching from Mezieres to Ignaucourt and Hamel, and on 5th April the German attack towards Amiens was finally blocked, just ten miles short, at Villers Bretonneaux. On the 9th April the German focus switched to the Lys valley with a surprise assault on the weakly held British and Portuguese line in heavy mist. After the initial breakthrough and swift advance, this attack was also held, although in the ten days that it lasted the Germans managed to recover nearly all the territory lost to the British in the previouse autumn. By the end of April, however, both attacks had been halted. The Germans were aware, though, that a decisive breakthrough was still an urgent necessity - In April nearly 120,000 US troops had landed in France, to be followed by a further 220,000 in May and another 275,000 in June. German attention now switched again to the French sector, for one more throw of the dice before it would, finally, be too late...

New missions, May-July 1918. The German offensives on the Aisne, the Matz, and the Marne. During this period the technological pendulum started to swing back towards the Garman air service once again, as increasing numbers of the new types, and particularly the Fokker D.VII, started to give the German pilots an edge at high altitude over the Allied pilots. At the same time, however, the close infantry and combined armes support doctrines being developed and practised by both side brought the main focus of this air fighting right down to ground level, where the decisive moves were now being played out. After the failure to make a decisive breakthrough against the British Army in the north, the German focus of attention switched to the French sector. On the 27th May 1918 the German Army attacked the French and British positions on the Aisne. Within a few hours the Germans had punched a large hole in their line, crossing the Aisne and advancing for 12 miles, supported by ground attack and contact patrols flown by Schlachtstaffeln under an umbrella of near complete air supremacy provided by the Jastas flying above them. By the 29th May the German advance had reached Soissons, and was heading for Paris - only to be brought to a halt by US reinforcements rushed in to the defence at Chateau Thierry. This was followed by an Allied counter-attack at Bellau Wood on the 4th June, one that completely halted the German advance. The Germans once again shifted their focus of attack, and on the 9th June they launched their attack on the Matz. Once again they made swift early progress, 6 miles on the first day, but the French were ready for them this time and launched a counter-attack on the 10th July that halted the German advance. The Allied recon. and photo.recon work was intensified, as a further attack was anticipated, and the bombing of German rail centres began again, to try and disrupt the movement of German troops. When the third and final German attack was launched, it came on the 15th July, on the Marne against the French army around Rheims. But once again the attack was brought to a halt, on the 18th July, by an Allied counter-attack that pushed the German forces back right across the Marne. By the beginning of August Soissons had been recaptured and the initiative was once again in the hands of the Allies...

New missions. 1918(3) August-November. At the beginning of August the initiative passed back to the Allied armies. In the British sector Haig was planning an assault on the Amiens front -an attack by the British Fourth Army and French First Army, with massed tanks and aircraft to replace the long preliminary bombardments of the previous year. Air activity was increased on all British sectors, to conceal the point of attack and push back German recon. aircraft from the front. Bomber squadrons, heavily escorted, were tasked to attack airfields and rail centres - activity that was to be strongly, if selectively, opposed by large numbers of German fighters flying in groups of 20 to 40 aircraft, above the low-flying two-seaters on ground attack, counter-battery and contact patrols. The British and French offensive was launched on 8th August, concealed by a heavy ground mist. The German Army was taken by surprise, and Allied forces advanced by up to 8 miles on the first day. The British two-seaters concentrated on contact patrolling, counter-battery work and bombing behind the lines, whilst the fighters were used for ground attack and close offensive patrols. By 11th August, however, German resistance and reinforcements had brought the Allied attack to a halt. The British and French armies had advanced 12 miles. At the end of August another British and French assault was launched - this time, towards Bapaume with an assault to capture the Arras-Albert railway line along 33 miles of front, and a French assault between the British sector and Soissons. The aim this time was to overwhelm German forces and drain them of the capacity to counter-attack by attacking along a wide front. Bapaume fell on the 29th August, Peronne on 1st September. This sustained assault forced the Germany Army to retreat back from the Drocourt-Queant line to prepared positions further back, with Lens abandoned on 3rd September. On 12th September US forces launched at attack on the St. Mihiel salient, which was captured after just two days of fierce fighting. This was followed by a lull in the fighting, as preparations were made for the final Allied assault to break through the Hindenburg Line. Air fighting was intense throughout this whole period, and up to the end of October. The assault was finally launched with an attack towards Cambrai on the 27th September, followed by an attack in Flanders between Dixmude and St. Eloi on the 28th, and on the Hindenburg Line between Cambrai and St. Quentin on the 29th. By the beginning of October the Germany Army was in retreat, in almost all areas, although the air above the battlefield was still being strongly contested by the German fighter wings. On the ground, however, resistance was now crumbling fast, and German columns were in retreat along the roads back to Germany....

Corrects a very small error in v.1. There are no other changes.

This file will make your pilot wear a face mask and better goggles.
It does distort a bit strangely in parts, but it works okay.
 
You need to unzip it and put the two files from the folder here:
 
(your sim folder) > aircraft > shared
 
Best is to save the original files "PilotcapBrit1916-17.dds" and
"PilotcapHun1916-17.dds" first.
Enjoy!

ALBATROS D.V and D.Va Factory-new Johannisthal & OAW Skins / 1917 and 1918
 
Since several OFF-flyers had asked for generic skin templates which they could paint their
own emblems or decorations on to, I have made four such templates for the Albatros D.Va.
All four present the facory-new Albatros D.Va, freshly delivered.
I know that many of you are into weathering effects. Well, such effects can much easier be
added to a new plane, than to be removed. So please feel free to add as much weathering
and battle-wearing as you like.
 
While the D.V was only built by Albatros-Werke Johannisthal, the D.Va was also produced
at "Ostdeutsche Albatros-Werke" (OAW). I got a lot of help (see below) about the details of
these builds; the guys told me several differences between the two production lines.
Many may regard these as minor ones, and perhaps call us "nitpickers", but we wanted to
get it pretty close.
 
The differences I regarded here are these:
 
1. Albatros Johannisthal used salmon ribtape on the wings; OAW used light blue tape.
 
2. Crosses on fuselage sides were further back on Johannisthal planes than on OAW built ones.
 
3. The weight tables were different
 
4. Factory placards were placed under cockpit for OAW; on the nose onJohannisthal built ones.
 
5. Albatros-Logo looking in flight direction on the Johannisthal-, and rearwards on OAW-built ones.
 
Finally, there is proof that rudders were covered with upper dark Lozenge as well as light underside fabric. I didn't find any evidence so far for the OAW using the light, and Johannis- thal the dark fabric, but I wanted to present both versions and so I did it that way.
 
Although the work on these skins took me quite a long time, there surely are still many bits and details, which could be more correct, but I ask all nitpickers to overlook those, and still
enjoy the bird. These skins are made for your pleasure - and for your own paint shemes.
 
The helping hands, brains & eyes on this project were from:
 
elephant - nitpicking corrections and detail
 
Jim "JFM" Miller - help with detail pictures and some facts
Dave "Blowhard" Douglas - metal parts and wheel
 
Without your help I wouldn't have got so far - thank you guys!
I also wish to thank the OBD skinners for the countless skins with all
the historical details - you guys lured me into this hobby with your work.
 
 
HOW TO INSTALL A SKIN
 
Unzip the file(s) and move them into this folder:
 
[your sim] > campaigns > CampaignData > skins
 
You may change the Jasta number, but you must not - if you leave No. 1,
you would always find the skin faster in the briefing screen, where you
select a personal skin. Scroll below the historical ace skins, and mine
will be among the first skins.
You can, for your identification, change the names "Johannisthal" or "OAW"
into something personal, but keep the ending .dds - otherwise it won't work.
Enjoy!
 

ALBATROS D.V and D.Va Factory-new Johannisthal & OAW Skins / 1917 and 1918
 
Since several OFF-flyers had asked for generic skin templates which they could paint their
own emblems or decorations on to, I have made four such templates for the Albatros D.Va.
All four present the facory-new Albatros D.Va, freshly delivered.
I know that many of you are into weathering effects. Well, such effects can much easier be
added to a new plane, than to be removed. So please feel free to add as much weathering
and battle-wearing as you like.
 
While the D.V was only built by Albatros-Werke Johannisthal, the D.Va was also produced
at "Ostdeutsche Albatros-Werke" (OAW). I got a lot of help (see below) about the details of
these builds; the guys told me several differences between the two production lines.
Many may regard these as minor ones, and perhaps call us "nitpickers", but we wanted to
get it pretty close.
 
The differences I regarded here are these:
 
1. Albatros Johannisthal used salmon ribtape on the wings; OAW used light blue tape.
 
2. Crosses on fuselage sides were further back on Johannisthal planes than on OAW built ones.
 
3. The weight tables were different
 
4. Factory placards were placed under cockpit for OAW; on the nose onJohannisthal built ones.
 
5. Albatros-Logo looking in flight direction on the Johannisthal-, and rearwards on OAW-built ones.
 
Finally, there is proof that rudders were covered with upper dark Lozenge as well as light underside fabric. I didn't find any evidence so far for the OAW using the light, and Johannis- thal the dark fabric, but I wanted to present both versions and so I did it that way.
 
Although the work on these skins took me quite a long time, there surely are still many bits and details, which could be more correct, but I ask all nitpickers to overlook those, and still
enjoy the bird. These skins are made for your pleasure - and for your own paint shemes.
 
The helping hands, brains & eyes on this project were from:
 
elephant - nitpicking corrections and detail
 
Jim "JFM" Miller - help with detail pictures and some facts

Dave "Blowhard" Douglas - metal parts and wheel
 
Without your help I wouldn't have got so far - thank you guys!
I also wish to thank the OBD skinners for the countless skins with all
the historical details - you guys lured me into this hobby with your work.
 
 
HOW TO INSTALL A SKIN
 
Unzip the file(s) and move them into this folder:
 
[your sim] > campaigns > CampaignData > skins
 
You may change the Jasta number, but you must not - if you leave No. 1,
you would always find the skin faster in the briefing screen, where you
select a personal skin. Scroll below the historical ace skins, and mine
will be among the first skins.
You can, for your identification, change the names "Johannisthal" or "OAW"
into something personal, but keep the ending .dds - otherwise it won't work.
Enjoy!
 
Olham

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

 
 
<html>
Readme File 04/07/2011
 
HPW_GermanFM_Pack1.0 for OFF BHaH HITR Full Campaign and QC Battles
 
v1.0
 
by Herr Prop Wasche
 
Zip file contents:
 
HPW_GermanFM_Pack1.0\aircraft folder with aircraft.cfg and .air files for all Albatros scouts and Pfalz DIIIa scout.
readme.txt file
 
INSTALLATION: Important! This flight model mod is intended ONLY to be used along 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 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_GermanFMPack1.0\aircraft\Alb_DIII_AC1, etc. To load the mod, simply run JSGME, highlight HPW_GermanFMPack1.0, click on the top button, and then start your game. That's it!
 
Initial release 1.0
 
 
 
Thank you for downloading HPW's German FM Pack 1.0, the revised flight model for all Albatros scouts and the Pfalz DIIIa scout, used in Hat in the Ring, the official extension to Between Heaven and Hell, the WWI flight sim modification of CFS3 by OBD Software. This revised interpretation of the flight model, at this point, is for the Albatros and Pfalz DIIIa scouts ONLY (additional aircraft may be added in subsequent FM packs). The most significant changes to the FM of these planes involve changes to the top speed, ceiling, and dive speed in order to more closely comply with my understanding of the historical performance of these planes in WWI combat. Please refer to the following chart for a summary of these changes.
 
AircraftSpeed @ 500 ft.Speed @ 3281 ft.Speed @ 10,000 ft. CeilingMax Dive Speed *D II105.75 mph (3.25) 110.0 mph (4.0) 103.25 mph (2.75) 16,500 ft. 204 mph (-10.0)D III early106.5110.0103.518,000237.0D III107.25111.0105.018,000240.0 (15.0)D III OAW 106.5110.75105.2518,000237.0 (15.0)D V110.0 (3.0)114.5 (3.0)108.25 (3.25)18,250244.0 (-7.0)D V later110.25114.5108.2518,250247.0 (-10.0)D Va112.5 (4.0)116.5 (4.0)112.25 (5.75)18,250238.0D Va 200113.5 (2.5)118.75 (2.75)115.25 (3.25)19,500242.0 (-15.0)Pfalz DIIIa105.75 (3.25)109.75 (3.0)106.75 (3.25)18,750245.0 (22.0)
 
Note: Numbers in parentheses indicate speeds compared to measured OFF speed readings, with a positive number indicating a faster speed using the new FM and a negative number indicating a slower speed using the new FM. Differences of less than two mph are not noted.
 
* From 10,000 feet
 
The most noticeable differences are the slight increases in speeds for the Albatros DII, DV, DVa, and DVa200, as well as the Pfalz DIIIa. At the same time, the ceiling for the DII has been reduced by about 2,000 feet to reflect its somewhat poorer performance at high altitude. Dive speeds have also been increased in a few cases, and decreased in most other cases, in order to reflect the relatively slow dive speeds of most WWI airplanes, and to better reflect their comparative dive performance. For instance, the dive speed of the Pfalz has been increased to reflect its superior dive performance compared to most other German scouts in WWI.
 
Another major change to the Albatros series of planes from the DIII early to the DVa involves an increase in their maximum G's so that these planes should no longer lose a wing in a tight turn, except in very exceptional circumstances. On the other hand, Albatros DIII's and DV's are now more susceptible to losing a lower wing in a steep dive, due to excessive wing twisting caused by the effects of high speed on the lower wing spar of these so-called "V-strutters." For the ultimate in realism, I recommend when you first start flying with the new FM enabled, that you temporarily enable advisor messages and simulation warnings in Workshop in order to give you an idea for when you might be overstressing a wing in a dive. Then, after one or two flights, disable the messages--but don't make a habit of exceeding 170 mph or so in a dive for more than 1,000 to 2,000 meters or you may be sorry!
 
Finally, perhaps the most significant change to the FM of all of the planes in this mod involves a few slight adjustments to the center of gravity and center of lift settings in order to try and solve a problem that seems to effect the Albatros' and a few other planes in the stock game: the dreaded "hanging stall" or tail-first slide into the dirt which makes kills against AI pilots flying these planes very easy in most cases. With this FM mod, the AI seem to do a better job of avoiding this poor flying behavior at both high and low altitudes, making dogfights against these opponents much more challenging. Of course, no mod is perfect, and I cannot claim that I have completely solved this problem. Still, I think the flying behavior of most of the planes in this mod has been significantly improved.
 
Again, I would like to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to OBD Software for their help in the making of this revised version of the flight model. As always, with the exception of the tweaks contained in this mod, all work on the original flight model remains the sole work and property of OBD software. Finally, I would also like to especially thank the following OFF fanatics who helped me in the research, development, and testing of this mod: Creaghorn, Hellshade, Olham, RAF_Louvert, Bletchley, Lewie, and anyone else whose name I have accidently forgotten. Thanks, guys! If you have any questions or experience any problems with the installation of this mod, you can reach me at www.combatace.com, then look for the Over Flanders Field forum. Thank you and I hope you enjoy the mod. Happy flying! HPW </html>
 
 

 
 
Readme File 04/07/2011
 
HPW_AlliedFM_Pack1.0 for OFF BHaH HITR Full Campaign and QC Battles
 
v1.0
 
by Herr Prop Wasche
 
Zip file contents:
 
HPW_AlliedFM_Pack1.0\aircraft folder with aircraft.cfg and .air files for Re8, Sopwith Pup, and Sopwith Triplane.
readme.txt file
 
INSTALLATION: Important! This flight model mod is intended ONLY to be used along 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 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_AlliedFM_Pack1.0\aircraft\Re_QC1, etc. To load the mod, simply run JSGME, highlight HPW_AlliedFMPack_1.0, click on the top button, and then start your game. That's it!
 
Initial release 1.0
 
Thank you for downloading HPW's Allied FM Pack 1.0, the revised flight model for selected Allied scouts used in Hat in the Ring, the official extension to Between Heaven and Hell, the WWI flight sim modification of CFS3 by OBD Software. This revised interpretation of the flight model, at this point, is for the Re8, Sopwith Pup, and Sopwith Triplane ONLY (additional aircraft may be added insubsequent FM packs). The most significant changes to the FM of these planes involve changes to the top speed, ceiling, and dive speed in order to more closely comply with my understanding of the historical performance of these planes in WWI combat. Please refer to the following chart for a summary of these changes.
 
AircraftSpeed @ 10,000 ft.* Speed @ 3281 ft. Speed @ 500 ft. Ceiling Max Dive Speed **Pup103.75 (5.75)98.25 (-6.25)94.50 (-12.50)19,000 ft. 216 (-36.0)Triplane 101.50 (-11.50)108.75 (-9.25)111.75 (-10.25)18,500226 (-50.0)Re898.75 (-5.00)99.00*** (-12.50)94.75 (-12.75)16,000216 (-8.0)
 
Note: Numbers in parentheses indicate speeds compared to measured OFF speed readings, with a positive number indicating a faster speed using the new FM and a negative number indicating a slower speed using the new FM. Differences of less than two mph are not noted.
 
* in mph
** From 10,000 feet
*** 102.0 mph @ 6500 ft.
 
The most noticeable differences are the decreases in speed for all of these aircraft. For instance, the Re8 was reported to have had a top speed of 102 mph at 6500 ft. However, in the unmodified game, its top speed was measured to be 111.5 mph at 3281 ft. Therefore, I reduced its speed to more accurately reflect its historical performance. Similarly, the Sopwith Triplane was reported to have had a top speed of 112 mph, but in the game, its top speed was measured to be 122.5 mph. The other major change in the FM of these planes was to reduce the maximum dive speed to more historical levels. Again, in the unmodified game, the Sopwith Triplane has the highest dive speed in the game at more than 275 mph! With the new FM, the Tripe now has a dive speed that, in my view, corresponds more closely to the historical record. Please note that in most other respects, such as ceiling, climb, and turning radius, these planes perform just as well, and in some cases even better, than they do under the stock game. If you are a German pilot, you are still likely to get shot down if you try to engage either the Pup or the Tripe in a turning dogfight.
 
Another change to the FM I made in the case of the Sopwith Pup involved the same adjustments to the center of gravity and center of lift settings I made on the Albatros series and the Pfalz in the German FM pack in order to try and reduce the dreaded "hanging stall" or tail-first slide into the dirt that the AI tends to do on occasion. However, the problem is much less severe with the Pup, so my changes here were comparatively minor. As additional planes that have this problem are identified, I will issue further FM mods to try and deal with this problem. Of course, no mod is perfect, and I cannot claim that I have completely solved this problem. Still, I think the flying behavior of the Pup, Albatros, and Pfalz has been significantly improved with these FM mods.
 
Again, I would like to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to OBD Software for their help in the making of this revised version of the flight model. As always, with the exception of the tweaks contained in this mod, all work on the original flight model remains the sole work and property of OBD software. Finally, I would also like to especially thank the following OFF fanatics who helped me in the research, development, and testing of this mod: Creaghorn, Hellshade, Olham, RAF_Louvert, Bletchley, Lewie, and anyone else whose name I have accidently forgotten. Thanks, guys! If you have any questions or experience any problems with the installation of this mod, you can reach me at www.combatace.com, then look for the Over Flanders Field forum. Thank you and I hope you enjoy the mod. Happy flying! HPW
 
 

.
 
Here is the next in the series of WWI British ordnance survey maps: the Lens Sector of France, Map 11. I’ve again assembled this one from many high quality screen captures of the original example, which resides in the Lloyd Reeds Map Collection of McMaster University’s online library, (my sincere thanks to that fine institution for providing this and many other original WWI maps free of charge). After reassembling the image I cleaned it up a bit and it's now ready to work along side the Tournai and Hazebrouck maps.
 
Again, I hope those of you who fly OFF using paper maps and compass will find this wonderful old map useful.
 
Cheers!
 
Lou
 
.
 
 

My modded ViewUI.xml presents a smaller "TAC" screen;
and also softer, less loud colours of the "Labels" - they merge more with the sky and landscape.
 
The file has to be placed here:
 
[your computer name] > AppData > Roaming > Microsoft > CFSWW1 Over Flanders fields
 
You don't need to back up the original file, because there is a
"MasterCopy of ViewUI.xml", which you can always activate by deleting the "MasterCopy of".
Enjoy!

Installation:
 
1) JSGME: simply unzip file into MODS folder.
 
2) Manual: Copy news files into your OBD Software\Over Flanders Fields\campaigns\CampaignData\News folder. Don't forget to back up the old files first!

JSGME Installation: Open up the HPW Weather Files 2.zip file and open the HPW Weather Files 2 folder. Inside this folder, you will find the following files:
 
1915 ActiveSector
1915 QuietSector
HPW 1916 Weather Active Sector
HPW 1916 Weather Quiet Sector
HPW 1917 Weather Active Sector
HPW 1917 Weather Quiet Sector
HPW 1918 Weather Active Sector
HPW 1918 Weather Quiet Sector
 
Copy these files and paste them into your JSGME MODS folder.
 
All of these files can be used either with or without Bletchley's active sector/quiet sector mission mods. JSGME will show a warning if you use my 1915 mod with Bletchley's, but my mod only replaces his weather descriptions for 1915 and will not effect your mission types or the changes he made to the flak settings.
 
What do these files do?
 
These files adjust the mission frequency for your squadron depending on whether you are in an active or a quiet sector of the front. At various times in each year between 1915 and 1918, a particular region in France (Flanders, Marne, Verdun, Alsace) would become either active or quiet, depending on the level of air and ground battles (Alsace is always a quiet sector). The OFF Manager always tells you whether you are in an active or a quiet sector of the front. Simply activate the appropriate HPW Weather file for either an active or a quiet sector. In active sectors you can expect to fly more missions per day, and you are more likely to fly in poor or inclement weather. Quiet sectors, on the other hand, mean that you may fly only one or two missions a day, and that you won't usually fly in rainy or otherwise very poor weather.
 
HPW Skies (optional)
 
The optional HPW Skies mod will add a few more cloud types and will generally add a little more variation to very good and good weather patterns, and will give you a better chance of having almost completely clear skies in very good weather conditions.YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO INSTALL THIS FILE IN ORDER TO USE THE ABOVE WEATHER FILES.

ArcMod alters the arcs of fire for the observers' guns in all OFF Phase 3's 2-seaters (except the the twin-Lewis-gunned FE2b and the fixed-Lewis BE2c). The aim is to provide a better experience for 2-seater missions and campaigns, whether flying or gunning, and without making life too much more difficult when flying scouts and attacking them. The spur for this was the quite severe limits in the stock arcs, which sometimes prevents gunners from firing when it looks like they should. If manning the gun yourself, it becomes very clear how severely how your arcs of fire are limited, downwards in all directions, especially.
 
The main change is that ArcMod increases the depression limit for all aircraft (exceptions above) from 10 degrees stock, to 25 degrees. Elevation has been changed from 30 degrees (stock, except Brisfits) to 45 degrees (roughly the same as the stock Brisfit), again across the board. This will obviously give all observers a significantly better field of fire, including yourself when manning the gun, and thus a better chance of survival when attacked.
 
Lateral fields of fire have been adjusted a little. Stock, there was a fair bit of variation but I have instead put planes into two groups - those with observers sitting roughly level with a wing trailing edge get 90 degrees either side (0=fully aft) while those who can fire ahead over the upper wing (just the Hannover, Brisfit, Roland) get around 160 degrees, leaving just a small-ish gap dead ahead.
 
These new arcs are all somewhat arbitrary of course. Greater tho they are, they are still less than the theoretical maxima; but I hope they still take some account of the practical limits for effective fire, within the limits of the game engine. For example, I realise observers had some field of fire forward between the wings, but I have stuck with something close to the stock OFF approach, limiting the ability to fire ahead to those who planes whose observers can readily fire ahead over the upper wing, without risk to struts or wires - the Hannover, Brisfit and Roland.
 
ArcMod still leaves a significant 'blind spot' underneath in all directions, but it is naturally a smaller one and on balance I think is much more realistic. There is still a considerable blind area ahead as well, except for the Hannover, Roland and Brisfit. By comparison, the Rise of Flight DFW CV has much greater depression and has 360 degrees traverse (tho it will damage its own aircraft, unlike OFF).
 
Readme with installation instructions included (JSGME recommended)

This map is mostly useful for German flyers.
It shows the area from St.Quentin (top left corner), to Reims in the bottom right half.
 
Some German airfields in this map, and some of the Jastas there (among others):
 
Boncourt: 14, 21, 50
Chambry: 2, 26, 27, 36
La Selve: 13, 15
Marchais: 14
Puisieux Ferme: 4, 6, 10, 11
Sissone: 1, 9, 21, 50
 
The roads are the yellow lines.
More useful for navigating in OFF are the railroad lines (black). Enjoy!