Celtic Wars - What If scenario...

[+Baltika 84]

Hi ndicki,

 

You will find that the SF campaigns are dynamic, and support moving frontlines. These are dependant on mission outcomes, and movement of the frontline is not scripted in the sense of moving at pre-defined times. It all depends how well you do in the air.

 

As to defining territory, well, I got a bit carried away, but at least I'm making progress:

 

 

The green dots are "FRIENDLY" territory, whilst red dots are "ENEMY." The frontline is defined in the terrain_movement.ini file, and winds all round the map points like a twisty turny snaky thing, but it works.

 

I think for the beta terrain release, I will include two sets of ini files. The first for a cold war scenario as pictured above, where the red territory is held by the Soviets, and the RAF are fighting a desperate rearguard action from the airbases in the home nations other than England (and Northern Ireland). The second set of inis will be for use with your Celtic Wars scenario, in which the colours are reversed - all of England is held by blue force (which will fit in with the way RAF is defined in the standard NATIONS.INI), whilst the Celtic Nations are held by Red Force (defined as ENEMY). This will allow the stock RAF to fly from England, and allow additional nations to be defined as ENEMY to fly against them.

 

Tally-Ho!

 

Baltika

Edited March 23, 2009 by Baltika

[+Piecemeal 450]

If you're looking for extra airfields to put in the Republic of Ireland why not place a Military facility Shannon Airport:

 

http://www.maplandia.com/ireland/mid-west/clare/shannon/

 

Or maybe I'm just saying that cos I live a mile from the runway at Shannon

[ndicki 22]

This is looking brilliant! That map is bang on, really!

 

I think I need to put my paintbrush down and start reading up on how campaigns work...

 

Incidentally, the Celtic Nations are all "ENEMY" in my Nations.ini, so well spotted! Are we having a Revolutionary Cornish Air Wing flying out of St Mawgan? (!!!)

 

Also, I wondered about the Bretons - but that would enlarge the scenario too much, and France would not agree to a break-up the way Britain might. They'd send troops straight in, and that would be that. So no. But for a book, it'd be an interesting side-scenario!

Edited March 23, 2009 by ndicki

[+Baltika 84]

Hi all,

 

Ultramax, a facility at Shannon is no problem. So far I am working from the list of active RAF bases allen posted. If I go down the path of adding all the civilian facilities in the UK, this map will never get released - feature creep is the worst enemy of most of my stuff right now. But for Eire, I will probably place airfields at most of the major airport sites, as otherwise they will be a bit short - I have just realised I have no idea if there is an Irish Air Force, or where their bases might be

 

ndicki,

 

Glad you like the look of it. You will notice it is a bit compressed in the North-South axis if you compare it to a good atlas projection. That is a function of TE at these latitudes - well, actually, it is because the DEM data is compressed in that way because of the curvature of the Earth. There is a workaround, but this was intended as a "quickie" and, like I said, I got carried away. If I go back to fix it now, I will have to re-place all the target areas and that will also probably stall the map meantime, and I am still aiming for a quick release. I had one of those "duh!" moments after I had posted the above screenshot. If I ever manage to finish my Baltic Sea / North Sea map, the projection will be much improved. Meantime, this is a good fun map to fly over, with lots of terrain differential, and is "close enough for government work," as they say.

 

Great minds obviously think alike on the subject of the Nations.ini

 

As to Cornwall, well, here's my current working Terrain Nations.ini file:

 

[Theater]

TheaterName=British Isles

Location001=Alba

Location002=Eire

Location003=Cymru

Location004=Kernow

Location005=Mannin

Location006=Breizh

Location007=Sealtainn

Location008=Orkneyjar

Location009=Foeroyar

Location010=Innse Gall

Location011=Northern Ireland

Location012=England

 

I would have included Brittany (Breizh) if I had thought about this properly before placing a ridiculous number of cities. Sadly it is now behind "the wall" 80k from the edge of the map. Ho-hum. We will just have to assume that your scenario is correct, and that the National French government squashed any attempt at breakaway before it got off the ground. OTOH, the Celts have gained a few Viking allies in the far North :yes:

 

And I assume, as good Celts, the Cornish (Kernow) would be keen to throw their forces into the struggle for freedom

 

OK, I have quite a few airbases to place, then I will fire up a beta for playtesting. Targetising will be fairly generic, but it will give a good, playable, target-rich map to mess around with.

 

Slainthe!

[+Hinchinbrooke 36]

Frankly, being a good Middle Saxon, from the Wixan tribe................ I think we should get an airforce. Headquarters, RAF Northolt. What remains (if anything) of the Queen's Flight. God Save our Sovereign Lord, Aethelberht.

[+Hinchinbrooke 36]

................although, tricky thing is, I have a Norman French name. Now, I don't think my fellow inhabitants have cottoned on yet........... what with the blonde hair.................... but if you could see yourselves creating a Norman airforce also...................... that would be great, in case things get desperate.

[+Piecemeal 450]

Hi all,

 

Ultramax, a facility at Shannon is no problem. So far I am working from the list of active RAF bases allen posted. If I go down the path of adding all the civilian facilities in the UK, this map will never get released - feature creep is the worst enemy of most of my stuff right now. But for Eire, I will probably place airfields at most of the major airport sites, as otherwise they will be a bit short - I have just realised I have no idea if there is an Irish Air Force, or where their bases might be

Slainthe!

 

Just for the info, Shannon Airport was and (to a lesser extent) still is a major stop off point for US troops and supplies on their way to and from Iraq and Afghanistan since around 2002. I remember talking to a lot of them when I worked there as a Security Guard.

As regards Irish Air Corps bases, the only operational one that I'm aware of is Baldonnell aerodrome in southwest Dublin county.

[+allenjb42 4,232]

But for Eire, I will probably place airfields at most of the major airport sites, as otherwise they will be a bit short - I have just realised I have no idea if there is an Irish Air Force, or where their bases might be

 

This might help in respect of the Irish Air Corps:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_air_force

 

I'm at work at the moment so can't check properly what aircraft, if any, we have available ingame. Presumably in this scenario, and as mentioned somewhere above, the Irish will get some assistance from Irish American mercenaries - flying what, A-4s and F-5s or something more modern?

[GwynO 16]

This might help in respect of the Irish Air Corps:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_air_force

 

I'm at work at the moment so can't check properly what aircraft, if any, we have available ingame. Presumably in this scenario, and as mentioned somewhere above, the Irish will get some assistance from Irish American mercenaries - flying what, A-4s and F-5s or something more modern?

 

How about L-39s, I guess the American Irish could club together for a few of these in a hurry. Or how about Bob Geldof pulls in a favour and gets his hands on ex Ethiopian Flankers and Fulcrums, seeing as he did inadvertently fund the war with Eritrea

 

As far as the IRA(s) go, could the pinheads wangle a few MiGs out of Gadaffi, he used to help them materially? There is the North Korea connection with the Stickies (Garland)

[ndicki 22]

What can the Libyans/Syrians get rid of fast? They'd be natural playmates of the IRA! I thought of perhaps one or two captured RAF Tornadoes, but as all there is normally in N.Ireland is choppers... I like the Neo-Noraid idea, and L-39s are dead easy to get. The aircraft wouldn't be US types, because I don't see end-users of US kit getting mixed up in this sort of scenario... And A-4s and things are going to be past the use-by date, too. The Russians have a load of monkey-model MiG-29s for sale, and they're getting uppity enough to send some toys, hence my Welsh Fulcrum. I needed a good excuse to skin that L-39, anyway. Whose is it? I hope he signed the Agreement!

 

Baltika, that map is going to be a monument to Celtic Ethnography! Fantastic! I can hear the screeching of bagpipes from Land's End to John O'Groats as the Celtic and Gaelic peoples unite to throw the Saxon invader from our isles!

 

How can we identify those of Norman extraction, though? They have to return to Scandinavia via Le Havre...

Edited March 24, 2009 by ndicki

[ndicki 22]

Kopis n Xiphos - How'd you say something like "People's Air Force of Wales" in Welsh? I'm Welsh myself - origin anyway - but don't speak a word. Family originates from Ruthin.

Edited March 24, 2009 by ndicki

[+Baltika 84]

All airbases from allen's list now included, as well as a stack for Eire and Scotland, plus a few surprises

 

On track for a release by the weekend.

 

Meantime, this should help get you in the mood:-

 

 

Och aye

[ndicki 22]

Bloody hell, I think I'll get back to England where it's safer!

 

 

This is a little quieter and less Pictish!

 

Edited March 24, 2009 by ndicki

[ndicki 22]

Actually, I've just been reading the tutorial about campaign writing. It doesn't look that complicated. (Famous last words...)

[GwynO 16]

Kopis n Xiphos - How'd you say something like "People's Air Force of Wales" in Welsh? I'm Welsh myself - origin anyway - but don't speak a word. Family originates from Ruthin.

 

Llu Awyr Pobol Cymru. However, I think you want to convey the same kind of meaning from "people's" as for example People's Revolutionary Army of Cannukistan and so forth? Unfortunately the word "people" in Welsh wouldn't carry the same semantic weight as socialism in Wales has tended to use other emotive words rather than people, such as community, brotherhood, republic and so on.. also it would be mercilessly slated by teenagers as Llu Awyr Pobol Y Cwm!! (

) How about Llu Awyr Gweriniaeth Cymru (The Air Force of the Welsh Republic) Or instead of Llu Awyr for Air Force, which carries an unfortunate stigma as with any Llu (force) of Royalist forces, Byddin Awyr (Air Army) Byddin has often been the choice of Welsh freedom fighters for over a thousand years, Byddinoedd Llywelyn, Byddinoedd Glyndwr, and Byddin Rhyddid Cymru (FWA). Edited March 24, 2009 by Kopis n Xiphos

[GwynO 16]

All airbases from allen's list now included, as well as a stack for Eire and Scotland, plus a few surprises

 

On track for a release by the weekend.

 

Meantime, this should help get you in the mood:-

 

 

Och aye

 

Cool band! I wish they had been at the Celt Fest in Cardiff last Saturday! Could have done with a Scottish contingent, the Wolfe Tones raised the roof as did Dafydd Iwan. I was hospitalised by Cerys Mathews but my friend says she was good! There's nothing like a good Celtic piss up with music is there?

[ndicki 22]

Llu Awyr Pobol Cymru. However, I think you want to convey the same kind of meaning from "people's" as for example People's Revolutionary Army of Cannukistan and so forth? Unfortunately the word "people" in Welsh wouldn't carry the same semantic weight as socialism in Wales has tended to use other emotive words rather than people, such as community, brotherhood, republic and so on.. also it would be mercilessly slated by teenagers as Llu Awyr Pobol Y Cwm!! (

) How about Llu Awyr Gweriniaeth Cymru (The Air Force of the Welsh Republic) Or instead of Llu Awyr for Air Force, which carries an unfortunate stigma as with any Llu (force) of Royalist forces, Byddin Awyr (Air Army) Byddin has often been the choice of Welsh freedom fighters for over a thousand years, Byddinoedd Llywelyn, Byddinoedd Glyndwr, and Byddin Rhyddid Cymru (FWA).

 

Byddin Awyr (Gweriniaeth) Cymru it is, then! Bit of a mouthful... !

[GwynO 16]

Byddin Awyr (Gweriniaeth) Cymru it is, then! Bit of a mouthful... !

 

'Tis rather! By the way, if you would rather say it as The Republican Air Army of Wales, rather than Air Army of the Republic of Wales, simply add "ol" suffix to Gweriniaeth, no need to move the word. Welsh syntax is great!

[ndicki 22]

'Tis rather! By the way, if you would rather say it as The Republican Air Army of Wales, rather than Air Army of the Republic of Wales, simply add "ol" suffix to Gweriniaeth, no need to move the word. Welsh syntax is great!

 

Now if I was REALLY evil, I'd ask you the expressions for "Danger - Jet Intake" and "No Step"... If you're going to do something, you might as well do it right! (I'm enjoying this...)

[GwynO 16]

Now if I was REALLY evil, I'd ask you the expressions for "Danger - Jet Intake" and "No Step"... If you're going to do something, you might as well do it right! (I'm enjoying this...)

 

Na, no worries, I can at least try :yes: Now danger is "Peryg" to refer to a general risky state, when a specific state is concerned it is "Perygl", so "Perygl" is better here despite the hyphen cutting the word from the state. As for "jet", well we didn't have jet engines back then so one school of thought would be to make the sound with the available Welsh letters (no letter "J") and render it as "Siet". The other school of thought would be to simply use the nearest literal translation of the original meaning of "jet" as in fast flow of water, giving "Chwistrell". Intake is straight forward as "derbyniad" however it may make more sense in Welsh to use "opening" instead, which is "Agorfa". Finished statement syntactically sensible and that is: "Perygl - Agorfa (or alt. Derbyniad) Chwistrell (or alt. Siet)"

 

"No Step" as grammatically foul as it is in English, in Welsh could be rendered as "Dim Camu" (no stepping) or to keep with the tradition of ungrammatical aviation lingo - "Dim Cam" (no.... step......)

 

I am enjoying this one too! I really look forward to flying for Wales! And for Scotland, and Cornwall, and Man, and Ireland and and just about everyone even England (or the French Germans as they are better known in Wales)

 

Feed me more to translate!

[Shaolin 0]

French Germans - I don't think the Brits will like that!

 

...but I do...

[deep 5]

Anyone speak Welsh, so I can make a nice decal to put on the aircraft somewhere?

 

Cymru am byth!

[GwynO 16]

French Germans - I don't think the Brits will like that!

 

...but I do...

 

I'm glad you like that! Well it is the truth, the English are by and large the result of two major influences on the South Eastern "corner" or "angle" of the British Island group. It is very important to remember though, that the Celts are the true Brits, as the word Brit comes from the Celtic word Prydain, the old name for the largest island of the group, a name that even the Romans were familiar with. After the Romans left, the South Eastern "corner/angle" was taken over by German(ic) speaking tribes, the Saxons and Angles (themselves from a corner, or angle, of Holstein). But the Germans lost in 1066 to some French Normans and subsequently became known as the English rather than as Saxons or as Normans, hence French Germans. But they continued to use the term Britain and British in describing the Island they now ruled as this had weighty overtones of the old connection with Roman times and the Celtic tribes that they (Romans) tried so hard to conquer.

 

Personally I like England, and a lot of English people, and would gladly live as Celtic nations side by side with them, after all they have done a lot of good for us! They pay out more at the minute than we do to them. The Celtic beef is: that it is unfair in principle that any one of the Nations of the British Isles should have the power to rule, own and so on, over the others, or take the others money! Hence the entire premise of the scenario, Celtic lands allying in conflict against the status quo. I think.. Ndicki correct me if that's not what you had in mind too matey.

 

Hope that isn't unjustifiably political, just setting out the backdrop to the whole Celtic thing for anyone who may not know what any of this thread means! Whatever, it promises to be fun, with lots of colour!

Edited March 25, 2009 by Kopis n Xiphos

[+Baltika 84]

OK, I am done creating target areas for this version of the terrain. I could spend hours just adding stuff in (and already have ) but given I may go over to a new atlas projection for the next build I have to draw the line somewhere. Forgive me if your home town isn't featured (yet). Here's where it's at:

 

 

There will, no doubt, be other stuff added before it goes up, but this is the final planning map. "Targetisation" will be somewhat generic (i.e. copied out of GermanyCE_Targets.ini ) but there are some surprises in there too.

 

Just don't expect it to be on The Wrench's level (Kevin, we are not worthy )

 

And thanks to ndicki for kicking this whole thing off. I have a stack of TE/campaign mods at various stages of development, creeping along, and this has been a blast of fresh air. So cheers for that

 

@Kopis, no harm in filling in the background on the genealogy of the British Isles. As a true Scot myself, I nonetheless have a queasy feeling flying over a virtual London as an attacker in this scenario. I've obviously spent too long defending the bloomin' place in BoB

 

So, this is all in fun. I look on it as an extension of the Six Nations tournament (rugby, for those out of the loop). Competitive, but not to be taken too seriously, have a good bit of banter with the opposition, and sometimes the small guy can win the Grand Slam. Well done Ireland.

 

Hmm. . . Maybe I have to put Twickenham in so I can drop bombs on the darn place (j/k)

[GwynO 16]

I look on it as an extension of the Six Nations tournament (rugby, for those out of the loop). Competitive, but not to be taken too seriously, have a good bit of banter with the opposition, and sometimes the small guy can win the Grand Slam. Well done Ireland.

 

Hmm. . . Maybe I have to put Twickenham in so I can drop bombs on the darn place (j/k)

 

That's a great way to look at it! It's all fun and games. Six Nations was bloomin awesome this year! Well done the Irish indeed! I had the pleasure of watching that game in the CIA (no, not that guy readin the paper on the bench mun, that great big thing next to the cinema) What a night! Welsh and Irish all over the place dancing and singing and drinking and not an angry fist thrown by anyone, even the coppers were using common sense and all!

 

Shame Scotland couldn't route the Old Enemy eh!? Better luck next year Boys!

 

And Twickers would be awesome to bomb! All in the fun of the game of course!

 

Anyone know that song about the bottle, that once held bitter ale?

Edited March 26, 2009 by Kopis n Xiphos