CombatAce Needs Your Help!

[FastCargo]

Alrighty y'all!

 

Wrench and I are going to reorganize and clean up the knowledge base to make it more friendly for new guys and old heads. But we can't do it alone. We need your help.

 

Here is the proposed layout:

 

- Thirdwire Knowledge Base

-- For Those New to ThirdWire Sims (including Strike Fighters/Wings Over Vietnam/Wings Over Europe/Wings Over Israel/First Eagles)

--- Definition of Terms

--- Meaning of Acronyms

--- Directory Structure

--- Basic Operation

---- Menus Overview

---- INI Files

---- CAT Files

--- Useful Links

-- Running the basic sim

--- Patches/Service Packs

--- Multiplayer

--- FAQs and Issues

-- Beginner Modding

--- Adding Aircraft

---- Adding Aircraft Skins

--- Adding Terrains

-- Intermediate Modding

--- Adding Campaigns

--- Adding Weapons

--- Adding Carriers to Campaigns

--- Modding Terrains/Enviroments

--- Basic Aircraft Modding (INI, Skins, Weapon Hardpoints)

-- Advanced Modding

(don't need painful detail...more like links to tutorials..or copy of tutorials that already exist).

--- Creating/Modding Campaigns

--- Creating Single Missions

--- Creating Aircraft/Cockpits

-- Specific Fixes for Modded Installs

--- Aircraft

--- Cockpit

--- Enviromental

--- Misc

 

So what can you do?

 

We need folks for the following:

Writing articles and/or cleaning up existing ones.

Searching for fixes that are embedded in threads so we can consolidate them.

Screenshots of directories.

Though there are a lot of old heads here with a lot of knowledge, we would like some of the newer guys to write articles...because it's fresher in your mind what you were trying to learn about when you got into the ThirdWire series of sims.

 

I plan to make this thread a sticky. Please post if you rewrite articles, find fixes in threads, etc. You will of course get partial or full credit on any article you write or rewrite/update.

 

The more people who can contribute, the faster this can get done and the easier it will be for Wrench and myself.

 

FastCargo

[Caesar]

I'm in. Could probably work best with the "New to ThirdWire" and "Beginner Modding" based articles.

[+Gocad]

I'm willing to do articles about adding carriers to campaigns or terrain or about the use of the Squadronlist.

[tank03]

I do quite a fair bit of critical editing and writing for work so I'd have no problem contributing whatever I can. I'd be happy to edit existing articles to "clean them up" in terms of consistency of language, narrative flow, and content organization.

 

My TW knowledge is sometimes spotty but I think I'm firmly in the "Intermediate" level for most subjects and would be happy to contribute any new articles if given a topic. For those advanced topics, though I may not know the details, I think I could edit based on readability and ease of understanding rather than content.

 

As neither a modder nor a producer of new a/c I'm thrilled to have a chance to contribute back to CA.

 

Let me know whatever you may need of me.

[+Bongodriver]

You must have been reading my mind Fastcargo, I was litterally just thinking today that the knowledge base need updating.

 

 

Count me in.

[MigBuster]

Could do a piece on:

 

---- Adding Aircraft Skins

 

and

 

--- Patches/Service Packs

 

consolidating whats already there.

[Wrench]

Excellent my friends!!!

 

Let's go for it people!!!

 

Wrench

kevin stein

[DWCAce]

Something to go along with that... the Weapons Wiki (as far as I know) is a bit abandoned. I'll be trying to import it here in the future.

[Wrench]

No need for the weapons stuff...that's what the loadout fixes thread is all about in the KB

 

Now, some of the other stuff..campaign editings, etc would be usefull

 

Wrench

kevin stein

[ONETINSOLDIER]

how to customise nose art/tail numbers

[FastCargo]

I'm in. Could probably work best with the "New to ThirdWire" and "Beginner Modding" based articles.

 

Caesar,

 

Great!

 

Could you start with a 'Definition of Terms' article?

 

Basically, things like what's a CAT file, CAT extractor, INI files (just what they are), ThirdWire, skins, TGAs, BMPs, etc. Make the definitions relevant to the TW series in particular.

 

Thanks!

 

FastCargo

[FastCargo]

I'm willing to do articles about adding carriers to campaigns or terrain or about the use of the Squadronlist.

 

Gocad,

 

Cool...I know besides the knowledge base, that there are a couple of threads that explain it (adding carriers) in a different way. Use whatever you need to rewrite or alter the articles. Basically, try to make your article very new guy friendly. Assume the reader will have a knowledge of the basic directory structure and what an INI file is.

 

Thank you!

 

FastCargo

[Caesar]

Will get on that

[FastCargo]

Could do a piece on:

 

---- Adding Aircraft Skins

 

and

 

--- Patches/Service Packs

 

consolidating whats already there.

 

CoolHand,

 

Okay bud, you're in charge of those articles.

 

Thank you!

 

FastCargo

[+Gocad]

Gocad,

 

Cool...I know besides the knowledge base, that there are a couple of threads that explain it (adding carriers) in a different way. Use whatever you need to rewrite or alter the articles. Basically, try to make your article very new guy friendly. Assume the reader will have a knowledge of the basic directory structure and what an INI file is.

 

Thank you!

 

FastCargo

 

I will do my best.

[malibu43]

I can help with some of the beginner stuff. Let me know what I can do.

[Czech6]

For years I have cut and pasted fixes from threads into what I call document directories specific to each sim, and one labeled for common use. Some are out dated as new patches came out. I still refer back to them, especially when doing a re-install. Can I zip this up and send them in?

[+Dave]

http://forum.combatace.com/index.php?showforum=99

 

Ok categories are made and ready for our writers.

[malibu43]

I have a possible suggestion - I think it would be helpful if anyone writing an article that pertains to any specific aircraft use the name commonly associated with the aircraft in addition to the alpha/numeric designations. For example include the word "Hornet" in an article about the F/A-18, and the word "Intruder" in an article about the A-6. This will ensure that the article shows up if someone uses the CA search function.

 

Also, I have a couple fixes that I wanted to suggest for the Specific Fixes section. Are we free to post in there, or should I send them to someone?

Edited February 25, 2008 by malibu43

[+Dave]

Also, I have a couple fixes that I wanted to suggest for the Specific Fixes section. Are we free to post in there, or should I send them to someone?

 

 

Post them in the knowledge base.

[+Gocad]

How about a tutorial focused on creating skin templates?

 

I'm currently trying to create one and I do think that such a tutorial would be a good addition to the knowledge base. I'm not really offering my services here, since I do think that other members here have much more experience in making them and would therefore more qualified to create such tutorial (as long as there is time and interest to do so )