Fix to stop bits falling off planes - remind me please?

[Mike Dora 171]

After initial huge scepticism, I have to admit that FE is growing on me - maybe it was the TrackIR that did it, being able to look around and even "lean out" really adds to the immersion. But - I still have a "thing" about major chunks of airframe falling off aircraft. I recall that there is some way of reducing this effect, can someone please remind me what it is?

 

Thanks

 

Mike

[+Tailspin 3]

Hi Mike. If you are talking about control surfaces...not sure you can prevent that entirely. For other components you can either add the line StructuralFactor=X to each component in the aircraft data.ini you want to strengthen (a value of 2.0 doubles, 3.0 triples, etc., the "hit points" required to cause damage). Also I believe (never tried it myself) if you change the line in the data.ini where it says DetachWhenDestroyed=TRUE to FALSE that will prevent components from detaching altogether. A caveat...I don't know how changing DetachWhenDestroyed= , will affect overall gameplay. I have added StructuralFactor=2.0 to all the TopWing L & R sections for all my aircraft and it greatly reduces the incidences of the entire top wing coming off with just a few hits. Its been my experience with some of the WWII German bombers that have high StructuralFactors (5.0 or 6.0) that they can be rendered practically indestructible. Good thing about this sim is you can experiment with some things and its easy to undo.

[Mike Dora 171]

Thanks Tailspin

 

I followed your advice, and have had an interesting couple of weeks of experimentation. In the end what I have set up is a combination of DetachWhenDestroyed=FALSE for midwings and wingtips, and StructuralFactor=2 for everything _except_ for V-strutters' lower wings.

 

This means that all aicraft are more resilient than with the stock models, but when wings come off, it is a whole wing not a (non-prototypical) wing "panel". The caveat for V-strutters' lower wings simulates the well-known weaknesses of Nieuports 11-27 and Albatri DIII-DVa - these obligingly come to bits _just_ that bit more easily.

 

The next challenge I have to resolve, is how to stop engines conking out and smoking after only a few hits. Last night I sent a Camel down trailing smoke after firing just 38 rounds at a couple of hundred yards, only 9 of which hit - and some of these knocked off a couple of control surfaces (shades of Stachel's claim for two victories when in reality his guns had jammed after only a handful of rounds.. ).

 

Should I set the "nose" StructuralFactor to some higher number?

 

Mike

[gbnavy61 1]

I was just going to suggest, stop getting shot.

 

But, I suppose that's not as helpful as you wanted.

Edited July 19, 2008 by gbnavy61

[Mike Dora 171]

I mean the other way round - I find no great satisfaction in pointing my machine at a target, firing a short burst, often from quite a long range, and seeing it immediately going down trailing smoke. Heaven knows I am no Ball or Boelcke, I would expect to have to try an awful lot harder to acheive a kill..

 

Mike

[gbnavy61 1]

Ah, I see. Yes, I would think that one would have to pour a lot of lead into a WWI aircraft to bring it down, unless you hit the pilot or possibly a fuel tank. It's all canvas and wood, so there's lots of places for bullets to go right through and not damage anything really.

[+Tailspin 3]

Mike, you can add armor to the engine. Add the following lines to the Engine section of the aircraft's Data.ini.

 

HasArmor=TRUE

ArmorMaterial=STEEL

Armor*RIGHT*.Thickness=6

Armor*LEFT*.Thickness=6

Armor*REAR*.Thickness=12

Armor*BOTTOM*.Thickness=6

 

SORRY, THE BOARD IS TRYING TO READ BRACKETS AS BBCODE SO REPLACE THE *'s WITH LEFT AND RIGHT BRACKETS ACCORDINGLY.

 

 

These are the values aren't that strong. They were originally added to help reduce the number of forced and "dead stick" landings by the AI in the original FE. Made the engines tougher to allow more damage to be done to the rest of the planes. The result was more shoot downs and less force downs. Of course you can experiment with your own set of numbers with this too.

 

There is another method of reducing overall damage that Peter uses with his new FM downloads. That is reducing the bullet weight in the GunData.ini. He has them set to 60% of the original values. This works pretty good and is less time consuming as it covers all aircraft at once. If you go this route remember you have to update the changes by saving them with the Gun Editor, or you can download Peter's latest FMs. He includes a modded GunData.ini and GunData.dat file in the download. However installing these files will overwrite any previous mods you may have done to the GunData.ini so back up your current files if you have modded them already. This works with stock data.inis so you'll likely have to readjust your StructuralFactors.

[Mike Dora 171]

Thanks Tailspin (I like the Pilot Officer Prune-type cartoon, BTW),

 

Next question. Where do I find GunData.ini and GunData.dat? I'm guessing I need some kind of utility program to "unpack" and/or "repack" them?

 

Mike

[+Tailspin 3]

Mike, the Gundata.ini is located in the ObjectData.CAT file in the Objects folder. You will need the SFP1e extract utility located HERE . You'll also need the latest Gun Data Editor located HERE . You can either change the gun data in the Gundata.ini or the Gun Editor but you must "save" the new data with the Gun Editor. This will create a new GunData.DAT file which is the file the sim actually reads. You don't have to repack anything. Just put the new Gundat.ini in the Objects folder. The newly generated Gundata.DAT should already be there. Sound more complicated than it really is. If you have any problems just ask here and I'll try and help you out.

 

The cartoon actually came from my Dad's WWII era Bombardier School class graduation book. The "funnel" the "cadet" is talking into isn't the intercom...its the urinal.

[Mike Dora 171]

Thanks again Tailspin,

 

The various tweaks have transformed my FE experience. In summary, I implemented the "StructuralFactor=2" for all major airframe components, set "DetachWhenDestroyed=FALSE" for all except main wing components, fins and tailplanes, lowered the bullet mass to 60% of the original values, and also applied a lower "MaxG" to the lower wings of all V-strutters (I'm still experimenting between 3.5 (N.11) and 4.5 (Alb DVa)).

 

Now while control surfaces can still be shot away, it takes a much more punishment to knock off something big (and wings come off in realistic complete pieces, not in unprototypical segments), and the V-strutters have a tendency to shed a lower wing if they dive too fast and pull out too hard. _Now_ it feels like the Western Front!

 

Many thanks again for your advice.

 

(Now all I need is for someone to create the final missing ac: DH4, DH9, Han CLIIIa, Halb CLII, a realistic BE2c/BE2e, and maybe some more German C-types?)(Not asking for much, am I?)

 

Mike

[+Tailspin 3]

You're welcome, Mike. Glad you got it set up like you want. That's the great thing about this sim.