Midway woes

[keith]

Hey guys, just returned after a spell playing with my new toy - B-Bender Fender Baja Telecaster!

 

Anyways...

 

I am running SFP1 patched to 8.30.6.9 under Windows 7 b7077 on a Macbook Pro.

 

The sim runs fine. I used to have performance probs running Baltika's BoB mod on my old Acer but the MBP runs it fine.

 

I have downloaded all the required files, weapons pack, recompiled the gundata and weapondata inis.

 

1. When starting from the carrier in single missions, the flights start from about 500 yards to port of the carrier.

 

2. In campaign mode, some of the AI take off 'through' my plane, and the carrier and support ships are invisible.

 

3. After exiting from any flight using the 'esc' key, the sim crashes straight to the desktop.

 

Any ideas?

[+Wrench]

Lots of ideas....

 

you're staring in the 'open ocean', next to the boat (and I'm assuming single missions), as thats WHERE the runway is. Gepard has created an 'invisible airfield' for carrier based single missions. It also works good for seaplane bases.

 

As to the CTD on exit, you're probably running into the Vista-style (ok, Winge7) shaders problem in the terrains data ini. Open the Midway_Data.ini, and look for the following lines:

(btw, this is covered in the Knowledge Base under Vista Tweeks or something like that)

 

[NormalTextureMaterial]

UseEffectShader=TRUE <---

EffectShaderName=TerrainEffect.fx

 

There should be 2 or 3 isntances for the UseShaderEffect=. Change the TRUE to FALSE. This was fixed by the 08 patches, but said patches totally hose the flight models for the WW2 birds. NOT RECCMENDED TO PATCH BEYOND THE 06 LEVEL!!

 

so, you have several choices; disable the shaders and have flat water, run patched have nice water but uncontrolable aircraft, patch only to 06, disable shaders have flat water and nice handling aircraft.

That's about it!

 

as to the weapons pak, there's on 06 level WW2 ONLY pak available in the downloads section. If and when the FMs get fixed to 08, it is easily updated by using the WoI/post patch Weapons Editor. But....as I doubt we'll see the FM upgrades before The End of The World, you're kinda locked in to the 06 level, and no shaders. Expecially with Vista/W7.

 

The campaign stuff I can't help ya with. Hopefull, our campaign guy will drop in

 

wrench

kevin stein

[keith]

Thanks Kevin, I appreciate the advice

[+Baltika]

Hi keith,

 

Like Wrench says, in single mission mode, the runways are on the ocean. TK does not yet support carrier starts in single missions.

 

CTD issue, again, just like The Wrench says.

 

As to the campaign issue, first of all, are you playing the 1.1 version? The main d/l pack was updated to this standard shortly after release, so if you have only recently installed it, chances are, you are. If not, there is a quick hotfix update in the campaign d/l section. try that and see how you go.

 

If you are running v1.1, could you tell me which squadron you are flying and I will see if I can re-create your issue.

 

As to the disappearing escorts, again, that is a limitation of the game engine. Gepard has set up his terrain so that the carriers and escort group appear on the terrain as stationary target areas. Nice populated, heavily defended fleets for your bombing attack runs. However, those carrier groups do not operate as flyable from the deck carriers.

 

I have set up separate carrier stations for deck ops. There is no AI code for carrier escorts in the game engine (yet. . . hopefully!) so when you fly a mission from the deck, your carrier is out on its own. When I placed the carriers in the battle groups at mission start, either they plowed through their escorts with catastrophic results, or the headings were all screwed up. So, what you have is a best-available-for-the-moment set up.

 

However, I have not seen AI planes take off through my own plane. Hmmm - I have not seen an invisible carrier either for that matter. In your Objects\GroundObject folder, do you have a folder called CV-5 ?

 

Cheers,

 

Baltika

Edited May 15, 2009 by Baltika

[keith]

Hi Baltika - the problem is with all carrier-based squadrons - US or Japan. I have the CV-5 folder and I am running the program as administrator in XP SP2 compatibility mode.

 

I have checked the permissions of the CV-5.

 

The mission opens with me sitting in my cockpit but a second (and third) plane slowly moves 'through' my own. The F6 view is disabled. F2 and F3 work but F10 gives me an aerial view of my plane and one other - which runs into and merges with my own at a 45 degree angle... If I engage the autopilot my plane takes off - but the F10 view remains with the 'other' plane!

 

Would I be better off restarting with a WoV install rather than SFP1?

Edited May 15, 2009 by keith

[+Wrench]

I wonder if its a cat pointer issue??? It shouldn't be, as the AIRFIELD_SLB_kurz (the invisible airbase) has it's own data ini for aircraft placements.

 

All my stuff is in WoE, so I usually use the GermanyCE cat. I've never experienced the merged aircraft either...

 

wrench

kevin stein

[keith]

I have edited and recompiled the weapondata.ini but the Rufe has no floats.

[+Baltika]

Hi keith,

 

I have taken a look at this on my own install and I can't re-create your issue re carrier take-offs. Mind you, I am running SFP1 v083006 on XP SP3, so it may be a Windows 7 issue. The only thing I can think of to suggest is that you back up your CV-5 folder, download the CV-5 pack from capun's site and use that one, as I know gepard included some edited ships with his terrain in order to get them to burn properly as ground targets. Perhaps the edited ones don't work properly as carriers?

 

I don't think things will be any different on WoV, as I said I am running SFP1 for my PTO install.

 

As to the rufe, that rings a bell with me - I think it's an issue with the loadout.ini. Check that your loadout.ini entry (in the A6M2-N folder) matches the weapondata.ini entry for the floats. My loadout.ini entry reads Zeke_Float_White for station 3 in all configurations, I can't remember if it came like that stock now or not. From memory, I think that capun and Wrench have slightly different versions of this bird on their respective sites, so try the "other" one from the one you have installed and see if that makes a difference.

 

But, Wrench is the loadout master, so you may want to wait & see what he says about that :yes:

 

Hope you get it sorted. If you do, feedback on campaign difficulty/win-lose parameters would be most welcome.

 

Cheers,

 

Baltika

Edited May 16, 2009 by Baltika

[+Wrench]

Which Rufe???

There are two different versions, depending on if it amo-ri (sp? ok, light gray or the Early) or the gray/green (Late) camo. There's a float for EACH one, painted to match.

 

the loadout inis SHOULD specify which, as well as specific callouts in the A6M2-N_Early data ini, and the A6M2-N

 

The Rufe Pak available at my site IS the only correct one, with the correct floats and suchlike.

 

If Gepard edited some of the carriers to make them targetable, you will NOT be able to fly from them, and the flight deck (ie: runway bits) have been removed from them. Otherwise, they're unvulnerable and unsinkable.

 

And I definately think you may be experincing a Win7 problbem with the games. One or 2 other are experimentating with it, and for the modern stuff, it seems to be working.

 

wrench

kevin stein