SF2V / WOV Air & Ground Expansion Packs

[+EricJ 4,244]

I'm assuming you're going to upload a more "complete" version of this?

[+eburger68 201]

EricJ:

 

Yes, I anticipate uploading a terrain update package Saturday morning or afternoon that will have all the new target areas listed in Malibu43's post.

 

Eric L. Howes

[+wilco 11]

Impressive!

[Canadair 16]

Incredible. this is a reason itself to finally install SF2V. If I could figure out how to keep everythign contained in one folder and not have mods scattered all across my computer.

Two questions

How big is the full modded SF2V according to your install?

Is it planned to release a massive final version including all the packs?

[+eburger68 201]

Canadair:

 

My SF2 Mod Folder with the Expansion Pack installed is currently 3.5 gb. And, yes, we will do a final release that includes everything. We're waiting on the release of SF2I to see what new features/changes we might have to accommodate if folks install the Expansion Pack with a merged installed that includes SF2I.

 

Eric L. Howes

[+EricJ 4,244]

EricJ:

 

Yes, I anticipate uploading a terrain update package Saturday morning or afternoon that will have all the new target areas listed in Malibu43's post.

 

Eric L. Howes

 

Nice, thank you!

[+eburger68 201]

Hi All:

 

The Terrain Update package is now posted:

 

http://forum.combatace.com/topic/48008-sf2v-air-and-ground-war-expansion-pack-v2-0-terrain-update/

 

Twenty-two new target areas are included. If you run into bugs, please report them here.

 

Eric L. Howes

[GwynO 16]

Thank you for the hard work on this project. SF2V will never be the same!

[stingray77 4]

VERY true! I love it, too... It SO MUCH adds to the air of SF2V - it's just awesome...

 

 

I've done some more testing meanwhile.

Here are a few things I stumbled over yesterday evening.

 

Flying Fighter Sweep over NV in a F-104 (mission date was rather early like '67 or so)...

 

Issues from "light" to "severe", maybe:

 

- FixPack3 adds a good shadow model to the F-104 - great so! Unfortunately it also adds such a "strange line" from cockpit to same spot in the shadow, that I already experienced with the OV-10... (It seemed as if the line was more visible with the Silver1 model than with the Camo - but that might have been the perspective or sth.)

Start a flight in the morning, go to "external" view and orbit over the Starfighter on the runway - you will see that line soon.

Anything to be done about this?

 

- applying rudder makes it deflect "the other way round"; apply left rudder, the vertical stabilizer goes RIGHT - THAT's strange! Or does it (for some reason unknown to me) work like this on the Zipper?

 

- and (VERY strange) arriving over the target area, Red Crown directs me towards incoming bogeys. Able to target them, but *whatisthis???* there is just the red rectangle but no aircraft in it!

Target info (red lower right corner) names target as "MiG-17PF Fresco-D" - speed 0!

Checking back with the ReadMe of the XP2 (FixPack1) it reads that "Fresco-D" would be the original TW-MiG-17-model (the one coming with the XP would be "Fresco-E") - so it seems that when applying the XP, I deleted the MiG-17 coming with it, but have no TW-MiG for I have no merged install. Can THIS cause my problem? (Thought I did everything according to the book!?)

Then I should find XP-MiG-17(E)-data in the XP-folder to put back in, right?

Or is it that the mission asks for a Fresco-D which I do not have - only the E from the XP!?

 

Thanks for your comments and help...

 

Oliver

[+eburger68 201]

Stingray77:

 

I don't see the line you're referring to with the shadow. Even if I did, there's nothing I can do about it.

 

As for the invisible MiG-17PF, it sounds like you installed the files for the TW MiG-17PF (from the \Optional folder) without having SF2E installed with SF2V as part of a merged install (the requirement, as stated in the ReadMe). You'll need to remove the MiG-17PF that you have installed now and restore the MiG-17PF from the original Expansion Pack, plus the various updates to it from the succeeding fixpacks.

 

The reversed rudder will be fixed in the final release.

 

Eric L. Howes

[stingray77 4]

Eric,

 

thanks for your reply.

 

Okay for the line - not much of a problem...

 

And concerning the MiG: yeah, I already figured that was my mistake. I will try to remedy this (or if I run into problems, simply wait for the Gold to be applied to a "fresh" Mod-folder...)

 

Finally thanks for taking up the "bug" wit the F-104's rudder.

 

Great support!

 

Oliver

[+331Killerbee 840]

eburger68 and Malibu43,

 

If nobody has told Yall yet, The Campaign Code for First Eagles was left in SF2 Titles. Here's one Example below for use in any futher Campaigns Yall' come up with....

 

[GroundUnit001]

GroundObjectType=M113

UnitName=1st ARVN Infantry Division

ForceID=1

Nation=SVietnam

BaseArea=Hue

RandomChance=100

StartObjects=80

MaxObjects=100

Experience=50

Morale=40

Supply=40

UpgradeType=NEVER

Intelligence=40

Formation=USTank

MaxObjectPerMission=10

 

 

331KillerBee

[+331Killerbee 840]

Actually, Here's some more that actually work that Yall' can mess with....

 

 

 

 

 

These would fall under [ForceXXX] in the Campaign_Data.ini.....

 

 

AllowRandomAceCreation=TRUE or FALSE

 

UseFAC=TRUE or FALSE

 

RandomFACType= ANY or List the Type

 

RandomTransport=True or FALSE

 

RandomTransportType=ANY or list Type

 

RulesOfEngagement=TRUE or FALSE

 

LimitTargetToActiveRunway=TRUE or FALSE

 

MaxSecondaryStrikes= (#)

 

RandomCAP=TRUE or FALSE

 

 

 

And of course, "Known Aces" can be added to any [unitXXX].

 

 

 

 

 

331KillerBee

[+331Killerbee 840]

These are also in the Campaign.Dll of SF2.....Just hadn't figured out how they work.

 

 

CampaignEndWinMovie=

 

CampaignEndLoseMovie=

 

CampaignEndStallMovie=

[+eburger68 201]

KillerBee:

 

Thanks for tipping us off to those campaign settings. We'll go through them and see which of them might be useful for the final release of the Expansion Pack.

 

Eric L. Howes

[+Jarhead1 27]

Ok, just some FYI for yall, I downloaded and installed everything for this mod in exact order, and now, when i try to fly a Skyraider sqdn, in the loadout screen i have no weapons, and it loads automatically with 2 rocket pods and 2 fuel tanks. when it loads, even with a carrier plane, it is in the A Shau valley, on a hill, and I blow up. Do yall have any ideas as to why this is happening or has anyone else experienced this? All other planes work except for the spads. No idea why.

[+eburger68 201]

Jarhead1:

 

Are playing a campaign? If so, which one? Which squadron?

 

If you're playing Single Missions (Create a Mission), what type of mission are you trying? Which map? North Vietnam or South Vietnam?

 

Eric L. Howes

[+Jarhead1 27]

Rolling thunder, and its any Skyraider squadron i fly with.

[+eburger68 201]

Jarhead1:

 

OK, thanks for the info. I'll look into it and see what I can find.

 

Eric L. Howes

[+Jarhead1 27]

Sounds good Eric, as I love the spad and really wanna fly it in campaign mode. What better cas platform? lol

Edited October 17, 2009 by Jarhead1

[+eburger68 201]

Folks:

 

I've spent the better part of last night and today looking into SF2I and its impact on the SF2V Air & Ground Expansion Pack. I've installed SF2I to a merged install of SF2, SF2V, and SF2E (on a WinXP DX9 system). I've also unpacked all the CATs and sorted the resulting files, comparing key files with earlier SF2 releases. Finally, I applied the Expansion Pack with all the Fixpacks.

 

Here are the issues I've encountered so far (there are likely plenty more I haven't spotted yet):

 

- aircraft now use *_HOLES.DDS damage files

 

- Loading & Hangar images are now .JPGs

 

- default Loading image now a .JPG

 

- some Environment shader .FX files have changed in EnvironmentSystem.ini

 

- terrains not using Brain32/GH2 TOD/TGA/BMP files (defaults to TW terrain with missing tiles)

 

I also notice that TK has released a new GunEditor and WeaponEditor specifically for SF2I and later, so presumably we would have to run all the new guns and weapons through those for SF2I users.

 

Most of these issues are easily addressed. The last one -- the terrain problem -- is a killer, though. The game simply will not use the TODs and graphic files from Brain32 and CA_Stary. It defaults to the ThirdWire terrain files, and even then there are huge white patches all over the place -- presumably missing tiles.

 

I'm no terrain expert, but it looks to me like the core terrain files from Brain32 and CA_Stary that we're using in the Expansion Pack will have to be re-done, which is not a task that I or Malibu43 can do.

 

So, barring some miracle fix for the terrain problem, we're going to proceed with a final release of the Expansion Pack that will support SF2V merged with SF2 and/or SF2E only, but not SF2I. Before that final release I still have some new goodies to incorporate, plus I need to look into the bug that Jarhead1 reported with the A-1H in the RT campaign.

 

We'll look into doing a compatibility update pack for SF2I users down the road, should the terrain problems get resolved.

 

Eric L. Howes

[verde13 0]

Good to hear, looking forward to it.

[stingray77 4]

SAME!

[+Dave 2,322]

Eric

 

That is what I am doing with NF4+. I am glad we got SF2:I, but it needs to be taken apart to find outs what is what.

[+Brain32 265]

Most of these issues are easily addressed. The last one -- the terrain problem -- is a killer, though. The game simply will not use the TODs and graphic files from Brain32 and CA_Stary. It defaults to the ThirdWire terrain files, and even then there are huge white patches all over the place -- presumably missing tiles.

 

I'm no terrain expert, but it looks to me like the core terrain files from Brain32 and CA_Stary that we're using in the Expansion Pack will have to be re-done, which is not a task that I or Malibu43 can do.

 

Guys since I'm currently SF2:I blind I can only state my general thoughts...

First in previous SF2 titles terrain INI's were NOT saved in unicode, if the game is not caring for modded data.ini it might be that now unicode IS required...that's a simple fix and can be done in a matter of seconds. If this works it will most probably solve the white patches

 

Second the TOD's, if they require unicode I have no idea how to slove that, it's entirely possible that TK did al this with new terrain editor which saves files in unicode, if that is true then we will all have to wait for new TE...