London in Flanders terrain

[+quack74 329]

On the other side of the pond in the Flanders terrain there is , what appears to be, England. Can anyone out there with terrain building skills add a big city (London) or even a couple of smaller cities, surrounded by a couple of airfields? Some cool Home Defense missions could be made using Gotha's. Or even Handley Paige's headed for Germany. Just a thought. I know it's a crap load of work, but would be cool.

[Southside Bucky 1]

Hi Quack.

 

You know the 'Battle of Britain' terrain works in FE, don't you? I think you can fly from France to the UK using that.

 

I've created a few missions flying over my neighbourhood against the Staaken and Gotha...It's pretty cool navigating using the Thames river (which I live close to) as a guide.

 

Make sure you use Stary's excellent 'Searchlights' mod as well, it gives the game a whole new dimension.

 

Regards.

 

Bucky

[+quack74 329]

Battle of Britain terrain???????

 

I didnt know there was one. Very cool. Thanks bucky

 

BTW, where is it?

 

Is it the one in the SFP1 download section by Geopard?

Edited January 8, 2010 by quack74

[Southside Bucky 1]

Yeah, this one:

 

http://forum.combatace.com/index.php?app=downloads&showfile=5203

 

I think there are a couple of others which are modern day but the one above is WWII...Close enough for our purposes.

 

Be aware that the searchlights I referred to ( http://forum.combatace.com/index.php?app=downloads&showfile=8017 ) can't be turned off. So make sure you take 'em out of the 'GroundObject' folder when flying during daylight.

 

Don't go bombing my hood now, will ya?

[Bandy 3]

Not that there is anything wrong with the BoB terrain (which is very geographically extensive) I think it largely uses the WOE tileset, which looks very bland. The tile scale is also off for FE and the airfields are just, well, wrong.

 

You CAN fly across the channel in Edward's Flanders Terrain and England is there; I made the voyage in an SE5 a while back, but hit control-F12 and zoom over in the fly camera. But as you noticed or assumed, no civilization is developed. The Thames estuary is there, but the terrain cuts off well before where London would start. One could suspend reality and perhaps just put the western London suburbs (Greenwich?) and docks at the very margin with airfields closer to the channel.

 

This would be an excellent idea! High altitude zeppelin and Gotha intercepts, aircraft ferry missions over the channel to Candas gone awry, etc... I think I remember someone saying FE does not support ships, is this so?

[+sinbad 27]

This would be an excellent idea! High altitude zeppelin and Gotha intercepts, aircraft ferry missions over the channel to Candas gone awry, etc... I think I remember someone saying FE does not support ships, is this so?

 

Like this?

[Southside Bucky 1]

Yo, Sinbad! Howyadoon?

 

Still working on the project?

 

That Staaken camo scheme looks most excellent...Is it available to download?

 

 

Hi Bandy.

 

TBH, the graphic shortcomings of the BoB terrain has never really bothered me 'cause I only use it to fly night missions. It looks great in the dark.

 

Regards.

 

Bucky

[+sinbad 27]

Hi Bucky-

 

The Staakens are nearly ready- I got sidetracked with the Strutters- about seven months ago. They will need to post at the SkunkWorks.

 

I have done an extensive revision of the airfields in the BOB terrain -(with the consent of the primary author), so that part is manageable.

 

If there is really interest in the First Battle of Britain, I'll have another go, but the French Strutters are my first date these days.

 

As for the searchlights, yes the on/off feature is a bit of a bother, but the Jones Soft Genric modder turns them off and on before missions almost as nicely as one could in a panel within the game.

 

What can you tell us about the missions? It seems there may have been a sleeping giant lurking for FE.

 

Cheers!

[+quack74 329]

I for one will be using this BoB terrain. I like using the Gotha. And what better place to use it. Makes for good Home Defense missions.I dont know who has or is working on this terrain. I think Sinbad said he was. But my version has no objects and the airfields are just landing strips. Thats why I asked in my other post about creating ground objecsts from the terrain folders. If someone has created a good, full BoB terrain I definitely will download it and use it.

BTW Sinbad, Where Is That Zepp????? Looks awsome over England. The Staaken too.

 

 

 

Nice to here from you guys again

 

 

[Bandy 3]

I have been experimenting on replacing the BoB WWII terrain with tiles from Edward's photorealistic set. I think they are simply a great balance of performance and good looks. But the SF tiles cover a lot more area than FE tiles, so they look kinda funny from the air. There is a lot of work to do, and I've been side tracked, but if there is some interest...

[Southside Bucky 1]

 

...What can you tell us about the missions?...

 

 

 

Well, I've always had a keen interest in the first battle of Britain, but it's always been kinda secondary to the air war on the Western Front. But then a few months ago I read this excellent book:

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/First-Blitz-Neil-Hanson/dp/0385611706/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263130725&sr=1-2

 

And this:

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Baby-Killers-German-Raids-Britain/dp/0850528933/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263130805&sr=1-1

 

Then this:

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Search-Zeppelin-War-Archaeology-First/dp/0752441825/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263130931&sr=1-3

 

Then I got involved in an interesting and rather lively related discussion over at the Aerodrome forum:

 

http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/other-wwi-aviation/44286-elektronbombe.html

 

All of which has deepened my interest. Soooo,...I thought I'd have a go at trying to replicate a typical Staaken air raid circa February 1918. For the first time I experimented using the KMD and Le Missioneur both together. KMD for the general stuff and LM for its easy placing of ground objects.

 

I prefer using the Staaken because the Gotha's uber gunners are something of an immersion killer: At least you can have a go at the Staaken from below and behind.

 

Here's one I made earlier. It depicts the raid of 16/17 February 1918 when five Staakens were sent to bomb London (only four attacked). That night, Staaken R39 dropped the very first 1000kg bomb ever to fall on London...It hit and demolished the North-East wing of The Royal Hospital in Chelsea, which is a quarter mile from my house. Hence my interest.

 

Of the various British types sent up to intercept that night, I decided to use the Bristol Fighter because of the rear gunner's extra firepower and reloadable Lewis gun. If you prefer, you could also use the Camel (44 or 78 Sqn) or the SE5a(61 Sqn). Just change the player plane entry in the mission file accordingly.

 

It also features the searchlights and AA fire. I hope you like it.

 

Regards.

 

Bucky

Staaken 17.3.18.zip

[Southside Bucky 1]

Incidentally, because of the two colour horizon problem in FE, the upper night sky seems a bit bright to me. For more realism, I tried to make the upper sky a bit darker by using this entry in the 'ENVIRONMENTSYSTEM.INI':

 

[Night]

SunHeight=-0.170

SunBrightness=0.00

SunLightLevel=0.00

SunRadiance=0.0

TwilightLensFlare=0.0

SunColor=0.0000,0.000,0.000

AmbientColor=0.100,0.080,0.120

SkyColor=0.062,0.080,0.164

HorizonColor=0.106,0.122,0.155

//HorizonColor=0.120,0.140,0.238

FogColor=0.024,0.016,0.062

SunSpecularColor=0.0000,0.000,0.000

 

 

See what you think, but if anyone can match the two colours and make the upper sky even darker, let me know,eh?

 

 

Oh, and here's the engine sound sample I use for the big bombers; the Staaken, Gotha, AEG GIV and Handely Page 0/400. It gives 'em a bit more roar!

 

Add this line to your 'SOUNDLIST.INI'

 

SoundFileXXX=MultiEngine

(Replace XXX with the next concurrent number)

 

Then copy 'n paste this at the very bottom.

 

[MultiEngine]

Priority=LOW

3DSound=TRUE

DopplerEffect=TRUE

Looped=TRUE

NumBuffers=4

FrequencyControl=TRUE

MaxDist=2200.000000

MinDist=200.000000

InsideConeAngle=360

OutsideConeAngle=360

ConeOutsideVolume=0

 

 

Don't forget to replace the entry; 'PropLoop' with 'MultiEngine' in the relevant aircraft DATA.INI.

 

Cheers.

MultiEngine.zip

Edited January 10, 2010 by Southside Bucky

[+sinbad 27]

Thanks Bucky.

 

DL now.

 

I'll load and fly tomorrow.

[+quack74 329]

Thanks Bucky.

 

DL now.

 

I'll load and fly tomorrow.

 

 

Me too. Thanks bucky. Good to see wheels turning here again

 

Where's that Zepplin????? I need it!

Edited January 11, 2010 by quack74

[Bandy 3]

Where's that Zepplin????? I need it!

 

Isn't that Hinchinbrooke's zeppelin, available here at CA LINK

Peter01 has a flight model for it as well in the last FM pack...

[+sinbad 27]

Sorry, it isn't Hinchinbrooke's zeppelin. It is a model the L-30.

The primary author is P10ppy, who unfortunately has not been on line for a while now.

 

I have it on loan for development of the First battle of Britain.

 

At this point I do not have authority to release the L-30.

 

Beyond that, additional work is needed for both the cockpit and the FM.

 

Perhaps, as there appears to be some interest, all of the above can change,

but much is beyond my humble power.

[Bandy 3]

sinbad, will Peter01's zeppelin FM, or parts/portions thereof, work in the L30? Perhaps a little cut and paste may spruce it up

[+sinbad 27]

sinbad, will Peter01's zeppelin FM, or parts/portions thereof, work in the L30? Perhaps a little cut and paste may spruce it up

That is on the list, and it may work. I already have a lot on my FE plate.

 

Peter01 did a very creditable job with the Hinchbrooke LTA (a generic based on an RAF airship);

he is far better at FMs than I am, and I believe he has the same L-30 alpha files I have.

 

It may be worth a try, but I don't even think I qualify as the Sorcerers Apprentice for LTA FMs.

 

It has always seemed to me that "airships" really do behave more like submarines than aircraft. The basic problem is that the FM

in the game was designed for heavier than air machines with much less mass than lighter than air machines. LTA's have many characteristics that do not easily model with the hard coded FM mechanism we have in FE.

 

The L-30 Alpha is a marvelous Alpha, but even if all of the above were resolved, I have not heard from P10ppy for some time. It is still his model.

 

P10ppy does really fine work. I not only want to see the L-30 done, but I also would love to fly the Voisin he was working on.

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Edited January 12, 2010 by sinbad

[+whiteknight06604 934]

That is on the list, and it may work. I already have a lot on my FE plate.

 

Peter01 did a very creditable job with the Hinchbrooke LTA (a generic based on an RAF airship);

he is far better at FMs than I am, and I believe he has the same L-30 alpha files I have.

 

It may be worth a try, but I don't even think I qualify as the Sorcerers Apprentice for LTA FMs.

 

It has always seemed to me that "airships" really do behave more like submarines than aircraft. The basic problem is that the FM

in the game was designed for heavier than air machines with much less mass than lighter than air machines. LTA's have many characteristics that do not easily model with the hard coded FM mechanism we have in FE.

 

The L-30 Alpha is a marvelous Alpha, but even if all of the above were resolved, I have not heard from P10ppy for some time. It is still his model.

 

P10ppy does really fine work. I not only want to see the L-30 done, but I also would love to fly the Voisin he was working on.

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I hear you sinbad,I check in these forums a few times a day just hoping for an updat on the Voisons.I fell in love with them from the first screenshot.I don't care if I have to wait 80 years I will ;)

[+Gepard 11,171]

My two cents to this subject. It is unfortunatly impossible to expand an existing map. So you cant include London in Flanders terrain. It is outside the map (height data field) and then there is the "invisible wall" too, which is along the edges of a terrain which you cant penetrate.

 

It is also true, that the SFP1 tiles covers an 2000x2000 meters area, while FE use 500x500meters. If you want to improve the look of my BoB terrain you have two ways. Either you increase the size (pixels) of the tiles (for instance use 1024x1024 pixel instead 256x256) or you retile the entire terrain with FE tiles which is an very time consuming procedure.

 

By the way, perhaps it would be better to use the modern BoB70 terrain for a WW1 mod. Paris is completly new tiled there. A lot more targets and a Eiffel tower (not the best model i must say)

Edited January 12, 2010 by Gepard

[Bandy 3]

... By the way, perhaps it would be better to use the modern BoB70 terrain for a WW1 mod. Paris is completly new tiled there. A lot more targets and a Eiffel tower (not the best model i must say)

 

Wow, I did not know that was released! Great news. Can you fly under the tower???

All joking aside, I hope this project, which has such great potential, gets out of the project team beta stage.

 

If you are reading this thread mention your support!

 

Sometimes people involved in projects such as this perceive them as thankless tasks, and need to know that all those long hours buried in the code are going to pay off with enjoyment for others. Thanks fellows for what you've done so far!

[+sinbad 27]

I've asked Gepard to send me the new Bob70 file set.

 

When I get it, I'll try to update the work done on the previous version into the new tiles.

 

It is all still early Alpha, but I believe it can be done with a minimum of Excedrin.

 

Stay tuned.

[JFM 18]

Just mentioning that I am still very intersted in all of this. Not rushing anybody or anything, mind you. Just an FYI.

[+quack74 329]

Me Too. Home defense missions would be great. Gothas look out

[JFM 18]

I'll be in a Gotha (I have some presents to deliver to Bucky [ ]) so I better keep my eyes peeled!