WOV Carrier Modding Idea

[Pappa Goat]

I've an idea to provide high quality, accurate and optionally populated carriers for WOV, yet lack all adequate modeling skills and or software.

 

The game originally only has two carrier models:

 

• Essex Class (SCB-125 in ground objects) WW2 carriers modified under the SCB-125 program, giving them an angled deck and various other changes. (Identifiable with only 2 catapults).

• Kitty Hawk Class (CVA-63 in ground objects) carriers which are identified by being larger and having 4 catapults.

 

All the carriers in the game are inaccurately placed as either one of the above. Whereas realistically there are the names of 5 carrier types present in the game:

Essex Class SCB-125 upgrade - 2 catapults, central elevators

CVS-11 Intrepid

CVA-14 Ticonderoga

CVA-19 Hancock

CVS-20 Bennington

CVA-31 Bon Homme Richard

CVA-34 Oriskany

 

Midway Class SCB-110 upgrade - 3 catapults, central elevators

CVA-41 Midway

CVA-42 Franklin D. Roosevelt

CVA-43 Coral Sea

 

Forrestal Class - First of the super carriers constructed for jets. 4 catapults elevators to side of deck

CVA-59 Forrestal

CVA-60 Saratoga

CVA-61 Ranger

CVA-62 Independence

 

Kitty Hawk Class - 4 catapults and improved elevator configuration

CVA-63 Kitty Hawk

CVA-64 Constellation

CVA-66 America

 

Enterprise Class - First Nuclear powered super carrier. Similar in appearance to Kitty Hawk Class, minus the smoke stack, and a different tower.

CVAN-65 Enterprise

 

Models exist for all these groups, however some are a good effort but lower quality (most irritating is the low res of the flight deck, its just a blur when coming in at a low angle to land), and some are very very very high quality populated models with lights and everything, yet populated with post-Vietnam era aircraft which would need some tweaking. I thought it would be good to have high quality models for each carrier with lights, visible numbers, cables, working blast deflectors and deck crew, or just carrier class without numbers, and the option of populated or unpopulated with Vietnam era airframes for use with WOV or other time periods or on slower computers. (stock aircraft models with folded wings needed).

 

• Essex Class SCB-125 - In game model is good, could be populated with deck crew, lights and appropriate early 60's aircraft.

• Midway Class SCB-110 - Capsuns CV-43 USS Coral Sea Model http://cplengineeringllc.com/SFP1/ Good basic model, lower quality deck and no extra bits hanging off, rails etc, could use improving and populating with early 60s aircraft, lights, cables and deck crew.

• Forrestal Class - A couple models out there, such as Capsuns CV-59 model http://cplengineeringllc.com/SFP1/ which is low res. OR this superb CVA-60 model http://flight-deck.u...0_saratoga/0-30 which is a high res model with lights, deck crew and F-18s. The latter would be best, but if the carrier numbers could be changed for each carrier in the class. The F-18s replaced with late 60s aircraft (and cleared off the catapult on the bow of the ship), working blast deflectors put in (& some of the deck crew moved out the way and placed in more accurate work stations) and also catapults 3 and 4 need to be staggered one further back than the other to be accurate for the Forrestal Class (and so the aircraft don't touch).

• Kitty Hawk Class - In game model is good. Could use lights and populated with deck crew and late 60s aircraft.

• Enterprise Class - Capsuns CVAN-65 model http://cplengineeringllc.com/SFP1/ which good, even with a Puma on the deck, but could use improving a little, lights, deck crew and late 60s aircraft. Or alternatively, this superb CVN-68 model http://flight-deck.u...uss_nimitz/0-29 could be used, the carrier number changed, and aircraft changed to late 60s, and deck crew moved as with the CVA-60 model.

Any ideas, or takers?

Edited November 30, 2010 by Pappa Goat

[Fubar512]

You cannot "populate" an existing model, as all the addons that you've mentioned are by necessity, part of the model's .lod file. In short, new models are required.

 

Marcelo's Kiev has parked Yak-38s and Ka-27s arrayed around the flight deck, though no crew members, and no lights.

 

Lights can either be incorporated into a new model (though they'll always be on), or added to a model on a per-mission basis, using the method outlined by OldDiego in the modder's forum. The latter method allows them to turn on and off with light level, as they are effectively part of a "virtual" aircraft model.

[Pappa Goat]

Well yeh... that is what this is all about, what I am talking about is remodeling them. It would be a case of taking the existing models and changing them in something like Autodesk 3D... in the carrier models I've seen lights are just blobs of bright colour that are not effected by shadow or natural light.

[Fubar512]

Well yeh... that is what this is all about, what I am talking about is remodeling them. It would be a case of taking the existing models and changing them in something like Autodesk 3D... in the carrier models I've seen lights are just blobs of bright colour that are not effected by shadow or natural light.

 

That's easy to fix in user-created (scripted) missions: http://combatace.com/topic/43084-ship-lighting/

[orsin]

Is it possible to Mod a carrier with a "weapon" that uses a lod file of a whole set of crews parking planes, stock weapons, etc?

[Fubar512]

Is it possible to Mod a carrier with a "weapon" that uses a lod file of a whole set of crews parking planes, stock weapons, etc?

 

I've tried that many years ago, and it did not work then. However, that's not to say that it won't work with the current ('08) patch or on SF2. Give it a try.

Edited November 30, 2010 by Fubar512

[Pappa Goat]

Threads gone. Interesting idea with the weapons LOD idea. I think though, int he long run re-modeling the carriers is the most reliable option. I'm not talking about scripting though, I'm talking about 3D modelling to provide quality and accurate models using whats already out there as a starting point. Lights, decks crew and some parked aircraft already exist on carrier models out there.

 

Bare minimum all it needs is someone to hash out higher res decks for some of the models. Next step could be if someone wanted to add deck lights, cables and crew borrowed from existing models, then part 3 fix up some appropriate airframes with folded wings n park them.

 

Modelling, NOT scripting!

Edited December 1, 2010 by Pappa Goat

[FastCargo]

Easy to say, much harder to do.

 

FC

[Pappa Goat]

... ... which is why I'm appealing here for anyone with the skills and software that might be interested!

[Fubar512]

Next step could be if someone wanted to add deck lights, cables and crew borrowed from existing models, then part 3 fix up some appropriate airframes with folded wings n park them.

 

Modelling, NOT scripting!

 

 

Again, one cannot simply "borrow" those items from any other model, as they are fixed components of an existing .lod file. As I've mentioned before, one must create an entirly new .lod file incorporating similar components.

Edited December 1, 2010 by Fubar512