SF2V / WOV Air & Ground Expansion Packs

[stingray77 4]

Cooool - I'm waiting breathlessly!!!

[+eburger68 201]

Folks:

 

In addition to adding a dozen new bridges to the NVN terrain, I've added the following target areas:

 

- Quang Khe

- Thai Nguyen Thermal Power Plant

- Hanoi Thermal Power Plant

- Uong Bi Thermal Power Plant

- Phu Tho Electric Power Plant

- Ben Thuy Thermal Power Plant

- Nam Dinh Thermal Power Plant

- Lang Chi Electric Power Plant

- Haiphong Thermal Power Plant (East)

- Haiphong Thermal Power Plant (West)

- Haiphong POL Storage (North)

- Haiphong POL Storage (South)

- Duong Nham POL Storage

- Ha Gia POL Storage

- Viet Tri POL Storage

- Bac Giang POL Storage

- Phuc Yen POL Storage

- Gia Thuong POL Storage

- Ben Thuy POL Storage

- Hanoi Air Defense Command & Control Center

- Thai Nguyen Steel & Iron Works

- Haiphong Cement Plant

- Van Dien SAM Support & Vehicle Depot

- Gia Lam Machine Tools Facility

- Yen Vien Industrial Complex

- Kinh No Motor Vehicle Repair Facility

- Vinh Yen Industrial Complex

- Phu Tho Chemical Plant

- Ha Dong Barracks

- Xom Bong Munitions Depot

 

I anticipate adding a half-dozen or so additional new target areas before release of the final Gold version of the expansion pack. After that, we will continue adding new targets and target areas (I have a good-sized list to work from), but release terrain updates to distribute those.

 

In addition to the new NVN target areas, the final gold release will have a few new aircraft textures, one new aircraft, a few new ground objects, revised and expanded campaigns (which include more units and aircraft types), an overhauled TYPES.INI for the NVN terrain to facilitate more intense campaign and single mission play, as well as plenty of bug fixes for various minor things.

 

Eric L. Howes

[+Dave 2,322]

Oh I can wait, have you contacted Old Diego about using any of his objects?

[+eburger68 201]

Dave:

 

At your suggestion, I just pm'ed him.

 

ELH

[stingray77 4]

Wow!!!!!

[+Jarhead1 27]

Dave:

 

At your suggestion, I just pm'ed him.

 

ELH

 

Phuc Yen Airfield too maybe?

[+Dave 2,322]

Phuc Yu Airfield too maybe?

 

Phuc Yu airfield?

[+eburger68 201]

Jarhead1:

 

You wrote:

 

Phuc Yen Airfield too maybe?

 

Phuc Yen Airfield is Noi Bai Airfield -- already covered in the default VietnamSEA map.

 

Speaking of which, having spent a good amount of time placing new terrain objects on that map, I am now very frustrated with how ridiculously over-sized the NVN airbase areas are - those huge, nicely mown squares of light green. Those things are taking up way too much real estate, which is a scarce commodity around Hanoi. As things stand, Noi Bai starts just a few miles north of Hanoi, with Bac Mai airfield dominating the southern edge. Just to the southwest and west are Hoa Lac and Dong Suong, and to the east Gia Lam. Between those five airfield areas, there's precious little non-airfield real estate left to use.

 

Eric L. Howes

[+eburger68 201]

Hi All:

 

Just a quick update on the Expansion Pack. In the past few days I've added the following new target areas to the NVN terrain:

 

- Hanoi RADCOM Transmitter Facilities

- Hanoi Radio

- Thai Nguyen Munitions Depot

- Trai Ca SAM Storage Facility

- Le Pap Electrical Transformer Station

- Cat Bi Munitions Dump

- Haiphong Electrical Transformer Station

- Hai Duong Barracks West

- Xuan Mai Insurgency School

- Hong Gai PT Boat Base

- Hong Gai Electric Power Plant

- Loc Chau PT Boat Base

 

I also spent some time working on the dock areas at Hong Gai and Haiphong, adding cranes, ships, and other structures to give the sense of an active port bristling with activity. I need to update a few more existing target areas (add AAA and a few more structures here and there), after which I'll be ready to upload what will be Fixpack 3 for the Expansion Pack Beta.

 

I hate to drag this beta into a third fixpack, but given the large number of changes I figured it safest to let folks have a look at it before releasing a final "Gold" version.

 

I anticipate uploading Fixpack 3 sometime this weekend.

 

Eric L. Howes

[+swambast 723]

This is just fantastic guys, thanks so much for your efforts - it will be THE reason I go out and purchase SF2V...!

[topcat II 6]

Outstanding thank you for this guys great looking foward to it!!!!

[+eburger68 201]

Folks:

 

FixPack 3 is now posted:

 

http://forum.combatace.com/index.php?showtopic=47787

 

This is a large update. If you want to get a quick taste for the new targets and target areas, then try flying Strike missions using the "Single Mission - Create a Mission" menu option.

 

Please post any bug reports in this thread.

 

Eric L. Howes

[+Dave 2,322]

Thank you sir.

[+eburger68 201]

Hi All:

 

One of our main goals for the SF2V Air & Ground Expansion Pack was to make North Vietnamese air defenses more varied and deadly. We think we've succeeded. If you make it a habit to fly straight and level over Pack 6, you will be walking home.

 

Below is a link to a ZIP file with three sets of files that you can use to change the effectiveness of the flak guns (37mm, 57mm, 85mm, 100mm, & 130mm):

 

https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/ehowes/www/sf2v/Flak_Levels.zip

 

The three sets of files correspond to different levels of flak effectiveness & deadliness:

 

1_Insane: only those with a masochistic streak should use this flak. Expect to see entire flights blown from the sky. Any campaigns you start are almost guaranteed to be very brief and extremely violent.

 

2_Deadly: significantly deadlier than the default "Normal" flak (see below). Take care to plot flight paths around flak-infested areas and get out of the target area as quickly as possible. Despite your efforts, chances are high that at least one of your wingmen will not make it home.

 

3_Normal: the least effective and the default installed with the Expansion Pack (as of FixPack 3). Flak guns are still many times deadlier than in the stock ThirdWire game. Best practices are not to fly straight and level through flak-infested areas and not linger over targets.

 

We recommend sticking with the default "Normal" flak, though you're welcome to test your nerve with the deadlier flak varieties. To change to a different flak level, simply copy the five sub-folders from flak directory you'd like to use to the \Objects\Guns directory of your SF2V Mod Dir, overwriting as prompted.

 

Eric L. Howes

Edited October 4, 2009 by eburger68

[+Dave 2,322]

1_Insane: only those with a masochistic streak should use this flak. Expect to see entire flights blown from the sky. Any campaigns you start are almost guaranteed to be very brief and extremely violent.

 

Oh you mean just like in Vietnam then? I am sure the Thud pilots would agree with me there.

[stingray77 4]

I added the FP3 right yesterday - and (from the very few things I've been able to try out already) again I can say: it's GREAT!

...So good to find shadows added to the F-104 (and I will not start complaining over the OV-10 again... )!

 

Anyhow I have a few things/questions, that I'm sure you will be able to answer easily:

 

- in the FP3 I did not spot any differences to the same data from FPs1&2 of the M60A1, MiG-17(A) and MiG-17PF; ARE they the same? So you might skip the comment's in the "Optional Installation"-section, as it's already been written and implemented in the previous FPs... Am I right, or what's my error in reasoning?

 

- from the readme I understand that the following are inculded in the FP3 by default:

• custom exhaust emitters (instead of the original "dirty")
• BUFFs (included) campaigns
• high detail tree complexity
• small/realistically sized trees
• original TW sun and stars by Cellinsky ("WideSky")

and the additional data included in the FP3 allow for changing / reverting those back, right?

Great then to allow for those "roll-back-availabilities"!

 

- (I guess I already asked this - so sorry for asking again) what will the "Gold" finally be? Some add-on to put on top of the FPs or some "full version" of XP2 to drop into a "virgin" SF2V-Mod-folder? (The latter would be quite clean, right - only a VERY large package...)

I'm asking because I found some data (some sounds, if I recall right) that were in the "objects"-folder directly and not in one the "aircraft"-folders... I would like to have a tidy environment; so my idea was to cut all that "roll-back-data" to some "back-up" and keep my SF-folder as lean as possible.

 

I appreciate your comments.

 

And thanks again for the tremendeous work and effort putting all this together! We owe you - big-time...

 

Oliver

[+eburger68 201]

Stingray77:

 

The Optional stuff is included in its entirety for the sake of completeness in the FixPack. The MiG-17s actually have different flight models from previous fixpacks.

 

All the stuff you list is included in FixPack3 in the locations described in the ReadMe.

 

The Gold release will be everything through FixPack3 plus whatever else we come up with before the Gold release -- mainly terrain target updates/additions. We will probably release a small update pack for those who have FixPack3 installed -- that will bring you to the Gold release level.

 

Eric L. Howes

[stingray77 4]

Hi Eric

 

thanks for your immediate reply. It clarifies a lot!

 

Oliver

[stingray77 4]

addition to my last post: I re-read the ReadMe a couple of times and finally got the idea behind those "optionals"... Great to let us have some ways to "screw" a bit ourselves (although I prefer to leave it the "standard" you defined - that CAN'T be wrong)...

 

 

Then another question: do you think of implementing the "Flak Levels" into the "Gold", too? I guess it would fit there quite nicely. (Another one of those "screws"...)

 

 

Finally: I was "testing" a little yesterday evening again (always sounds like work, what always is BIG FUN).

I already wrote about something similar and had to learn, there's not much to do about this - so I don't have high hopes, there might be a "fix" for this - but you never know...

I was looking for the added obejects (cranes, ships) around the harbour areas. (Which are many and add a lot of air to the scenery, by the way. ) The ships stood out from a distance, because all of them (well, except for one if I recall correctly) wore a dark black plume of smoke on their stacks. The smoke was much darker/more intense than the hazy air around (same as the original carrier the Navy campaign-missions start from).

As there doesn't seem to be a way to "tone down" the darkness (as I had to learn before), is there maybe a way to detach/delete the smoke from the ships (including the original carrier)?

Except for some old steamships (whose smoke looks and "flows" differently anyway) the ships smoke is hardly seen in reality, anyhow...

 

Maybe some of you knows a solution to this.

 

 

[+eburger68 201]

Stingray77:

 

The different flak levels will be included in the final release in the \Optional folder.

 

As for the ship smoke, if you want to remove it from the ships you'll need to edit some INI files. For the Cargo Ship and Tanker, you'll need to edit the DATA.INI for each. The line you're looking for is:

 

ExhaustEmitterName=ShipSmoke

 

For the Russian Freighter, you'll need to edit the TYPES.INI for the terrain. In the entry for the Freighter, the relevant line is:

 

Effect=ShipSmokeEffect

 

Eric L. Howes

[stingray77 4]

Okay - that's a lot more than I have done so far. (Up to now, I have only been "user" - no "modder".)

But to understand (and maybe try myself):

key is to go into the named DATA.INI and TYPES.INI files (by means of notepad or similar, I guess) and re-edit those lines.

 

I assume there is a figure right next to the "ExhaustEmitterName=ShipSmoke" which needs to be set from "1" to "0" or so?

Or should one fully delete the "ShipSmoke" (or the whole line)?

 

Oh, and is this one possible to perform for the carrier's smoke as well? I guess no, or is it in a file in the mods-folder, too?

 

Sorry for this - maybe - dumb question (or that all this info might be very well seen from the "Knowledgebase" - so, sorry for my try to cut corners)...

Then again your hint sounds quite easy to "start with this kind of modding"...

 

Thanks for the info with the "Flaks", Eric . Seeing your "360°-enthusiasm", I already figured you would include it.

 

Oliver

Edited October 8, 2009 by stingray77

[stingray77 4]

Eric, I had no problem with the following:

Sampan1

Sampan2

Sampan3

Supply

SmallCargoShip and

CargoShip

That lit up the "smoky skies" already somewhat.

 

But in the "Tanker"-file there is no DATA.INI that I could change.

 

Neither did I find the Russian Freighters somewhere - not in the Ground Objects and not in the Terrains!? Where can I find those?

 

Guess I still need your help...

[+eburger68 201]

Stingray77:

 

You'll need to unpack the DATA.INI from one of the ObjectDataXXX.CAT files in your main SF2 installation folder (note your Mod folder). To do that, you'll need this little utility:

 

http://forum.combatace.com/index.php?app=downloads&showfile=7933

 

See here for instructions:

 

http://forum.combatace.com/index.php?showtopic=44027

 

If memory serves me correct, it's in one of the first two or three ObjectDataXXX.CAT files.

 

Eric L. Howes

[stingray77 4]

Thanks a BIG LOT, Eric!

 

From the utility's instructions I (theoretically) understand how to extract the "ObjectDataXXX.CAT" now.

 

And I will find the Tanker's and Russian Freighter's (and maybe/probably the Carrier's) .INIs in the .CATs somewhere?

 

I guess changing the data works just like the above (simply deleting the "ShipSmoke" behind the "ExhaustEmitterName="), right?

 

What's still not that clear to me, is where to put the changed data. The instructions say: "put it in the correct folder in the special mod folders".

 

Does that mean, that if I found the original DATA.INI in a file called "ObjectData006.CAT", I create a folder called "ObjectData006" in the Mods-folder and put my changed DATA.INI in there?

Or do I put it into "Objects" (directly - not into "Ground Objects" or sth.), because the original "ObjectData006.CAT" was found inside an "Objects"-folder?

Or will I see a proper location (like "Objects/Ground Objects/Tanker") after I extracted the .CAT and simply have to put the changed .INI to the same position?

The last sounds most likely/"best" to me - I will have to try this, I guess...

 

And last: the original "ObjectData006.CAT" remains in the "base" ThirdWire- (not Mods-) folder, as we are only tweaking a copy. So by adding another file with the same name in the Mods, the game looks there FIRST when starting the game and ignores the original data?

Just to help me understand...

 

 

Thanks again! And sorry for discussing this modding here - pls. accept my apologies.

 

Oliver

Edited October 9, 2009 by stingray77

[+malibu43 142]

Eric has been getting some amazing stuff done! Check it out:

 

Yen Bai Arsenal

Phu Qui Munitions Depot

Phu Van Munitions Depot & POL Storage

Vinh Son Radar Facility

Vinh Son Army Supply Depot

Vu Con Barracks & Supply Depot

Vinh Linh Radar Station

Bac Long Radar Station

Ta Xa POL Storage

Kep Air Defense Command & Control Center

Yen Son Ordnance & Ammunition Depot

Quang Suoi Barracks

Son Tay Barracks & Supply Depot

Chanh Hoa Barracks & Division HQ

Chap Le Barracks

Dao Quan POL Storage

Hai Duong Warehouse Complex & Marshalling Yard

Phu Ly Transshipment Point

Ai Mo Warehouse Complex

 

Some pics of the Hai Duong Warehouse Complex & Marshalling Yard: