1915 Mod

[Bletchley 8]

Get it here: http://combatace.com/files/file/11860-1915-off-mod/

 

Whilst we wait for P4... 1915

 

This is a small historical mod that provides a much more detailed, varied, and historically accurate weather file for 1915 than currently exists in OFF; new 100% 'Lone Wolf' missions (Bomber & Fighter) that better reflect the air service roles in 1915 than the current 'generic' ones provided by OFF; and new Anti-Aircraft Artillery shells that are historically closer in their blast effects to the WWI HE and Shrapnel shells that were in use in 1915 (the current default AA shell in OFF is a direct copy of a WWII 88mm round).

 

There are 2 files: 1915 Quiet Sector and 1915 Active Sector. To install this mod, unzip the 1915 folder from the zip folder and drop these two folders, found within, into the JGSME MODS folder:

 

They are both installed (either one or the other, never both at the same time!) using the JSGME mods installer. If you have used HPW's damage mods, you will already have this installed in the CFSWW1 Over Flanders Fields folder. If not, follow the instructions given by HPW for installing this nifty tool :)

 

Drop them both into the JSGME MODS folder, then use JSGME to 'activate' one or other of the files, depending on the level of campaign activity in your sector (the OFF campaign will tell you when it is quiet or active in your sector). If the campaign transitions from 'Quiet' to 'Active' just de-activate the 1915 Quiet Sector file and activate the 1915 Active Sector file (and vice versa). This will give you a different set of mission types.

 

1915 Quiet Sector and 1915 Active Sector contain a number of files in common:-

 

OFFHistoricalWeather1915 This simply replaces the current OFF file of the same name in the OFF folder : OBDSoftware: CFSWW1 Over Flanders Fields:campaigns:CampaignData:Weather

 

Weapons this contains modified Alliedflak_round and Germanflak_round files that 'tone down' the blast value of both the German HE (TNT) and Allied Shrapnel rounds. The accuracy and the blast radius are not changed at all, so the chances of being hit remain the same - but with much reduced blast effects you should notice much more varied and generally less immediately fatal damage effects. A single direct hit will still finish you off, though :)

 

BritainBomberMissionTypes1915

BritainFighterMissionTypes1915

GermanyFighterMissionTypes1915

 

These contain the new mission types for your campaign - they are all 'Lone Wolf' (i.e. you will be flying alone on all missions), but you will otherwise be given a suitable mission to do, with a full mission briefing. This reflects the reality in 1915, that nearly all the missions were flown by individual aircraft (or at most a pair of aircraft). Making all of the mission types 'Lone Wolf' has, however, meant that although you will still be congratulated for a successful ground strike you will never be credited with any balloons shot down, and will not otherwise gain credits towards promotion for successful missions. If you are unhappy with this, you can still manually edit your pilot's data file to promote him or add the missing balloon kills (to be found in OBDSoftware: CFSWW1 Over Flanders Fields:campaigns:CampaignData:Pilots file).

 

Have fun!

 

Bletchley

Edited March 24, 2011 by Bletchley

[OlPaint01 0]

@ Bletchley

 

The file link is not working...And I don't see your file in the CombatAce OFF Download section yet

 

OlPaint01

[Olham 164]

This sounds interesting - will come back to it tomorrow and check it out.

[CaptSopwith 23]

@ Bletchley

 

The file link is not working...And I don't see your file in the CombatAce OFF Download section yet

 

OlPaint01

 

@ Bletchley, I'm also having the same problem.

 

That said, once the link is fixed, I'll be trying this one out! My thanks to you for working on this, I'm sure the mod will be a blast!

[shredward 12]

Just approved it - should show up now!

Thanks Bletch!

Cheers,

shredward

[cptroyce 0]

Great addition to OFF Bletchley..thanks for the mod! Anything that adds more realism to OFF is terrific IMHO

 

Royce

[CaptSopwith 23]

Great addition to OFF Bletchley..thanks for the mod! Anything that adds more realism to OFF is terrific IMHO

 

Royce

 

Hear Hear Royce!

[Bletchley 8]

Sorry, I was a bit quick off the mark in announcing it (the link worked immediately for me). But now that it has been approved by Shredward it should work OK. I passed the files on earlier to Shredward, to get OFF Dev. Team approval for posting this little bit of 'meddling', and I have been using it myself as a 'Home Brew' for a couple of weeks now to check that it doesn't mess up the OFF install. Using the JSGME Mods installer, all can be returned back to normal just by de-activating it if you do run into any problems :)

 

Bletchley

[UK_Widowmaker 571]

well done m8...gonna get it when I finish work!!!

[OlPaint01 0]

@ Bletchley

 

An Absolutely Marvelous Mod! Do you plan on extending the Weather Mod to include your extensive research for the day-by-day atmospheric conditions through to the end of the war? It would be tremendous, also, if somehow the SIA information that you and British_eh have summerized in the Realistic Survival Settings section could be Modded into the game as well. Talk about immersion - Wow Doggies!

 

OlPaint01

Edited March 25, 2011 by OlPaint01

[Hasse Wind 46]

I'll give this one a try as soon as I can. I'm flying a BE.2 career in 1915 (RFC 4, 150 hours) and that time period definitely needs some improvements. Thanks in advance!

Edited March 25, 2011 by Hasse Wind

[Creaghorn 10]

very well done sir .

couple questions though. is it for campaign or is it for QC?

is the less destructive AA going to stay in 1916 and further (which would be good) or is it going to be switched to normal AA after 1915?

if it's going to stay less destructive after 1915, is it going to be also there when, lets say, entering a campaign in 1918 or so?

 

cheers

[Hasse Wind 46]

Archie should reach its maximum effectiveness only quite late in the war. I've been using the easy settings for all my early war careers, and usually switch it to normal in 1917 for a more realistic threat.

[Creaghorn 10]

Archie should reach its maximum effectiveness only quite late in the war. I've been using the easy settings for all my early war careers, and usually switch it to normal in 1917 for a more realistic threat.

 

i don't mean the frequency and accuracy. normal is fine for me. i mean the destructionpower itself, if you get hit. this is reduced in this mod, if reading correctly

[Hasse Wind 46]

Ah, okay. I'm not at home currently, so unfortunately I can't test this mod and the AA effects. It sounds very exciting, though.

[almccoyjr 7]

Outstanding! Thank you Sir.

 

plug_nickel

[Bletchley 8]

"Do you plan on extending the Weather Mod to include your extensive research for the day-by-day atmospheric conditions through to the end of the war?"

 

No, from 1916 onwards the weather files that Shredward have done are excellent, and I don't think I could improve on them. It was just the 1915 weather file that was a bit 'sparse' :)

 

"It would be tremendous, also, if somehow the SIA information that you and British_eh have summerized in the Realistic Survival Settings section could be Modded into the game as well"

 

Yes, that is the idea. I am currently working on the period January 1916 - July 1916: after I have tested this for any glitches I hope to release that as a 1916(1) mod, to be followed by a 1916(2) mod (August-December). They will use the research that has gone into SIA-RSS.

 

"is it for campaign or is it for QC?"

 

It is designed for campaign, though I guess bits of it (AAA files?) might work in QC (?).

 

"is the less destructive AA going to stay in 1916 and further (which would be good) or is it going to be switched to normal AA after 1915"

 

The same AAA files will be included with 1916(1), but from 1916(2) the Allied guns will switch from Shrapnel to HE (Amatol) and will be the same as the German HE (TNT) rounds. They will then both continue at that level until the end of 1918. The original AAA round used by OFF is a WW2 German 88mm flak round, and by WW2 RDX was being used in place of TNT or Amatol - this filling was almost 100% more 'brisant' (burned faster, to produce much more explosive 'punch') than the equivalent WW1 AAA round, and was also somewhat bigger (most WW1 AA guns were of the smaller 75mm or 79mm calibre). Not sure if I have got it right yet (very difficult to judge). Accuracy is unaffected, as I have not fiddled with the AAA 'Noise' settings or blast radius, as this has been discussed at length here, just reduced the impact effect (slightly) and the blast effect (quite alot).

 

Bletchley

[vonOben 55]

Great idea Bletchley!

 

Thanks for this mod and I'm looking forward to your 1916 mod!

 

 

Cheers

 

vonOben

 

 

[Lewie 7]

Is the smoke color of the Allied Amatol AA rounds going to be white? And also will there be the 20mm German Becker, the 11/2 pdr British autocannon and the 37 mm autocannon that made the "Flaming Onions".

[Hasse Wind 46]

The smoke for Entente Archie has been white for a long time in OFF. But I don't think all the various AA equipment is modelled. That would be pretty hardcore. Maybe some day...

[Javito1986 14]

Wait, was there any Entente archie that wasn't white? That thought blows my mind . Imagine pink archie fire. It would be so cute while it's killing you!

[Bletchley 8]

"Is the smoke color of the Allied Amatol AA rounds going to be white? And also will there be the 20mm German Becker, the 11/2 pdr British autocannon and the 37 mm autocannon that made the "Flaming Onions".

 

Yes, both the Allied Shrapnel and HE (Amatol) rounds burst with white or light grey smoke - this is already present in OFF, so not part of the mod. In theory the other AAA types could be included, but the guns themselves would have to be included in the game first. They are not at the moment, and this would be beyond my very limited abilities (this is the first mod that I have ever done, for OFF or any other game). The 'flaming onions' were a form of larger calibre tracer or incendiary round, I think.

 

Bletchley

[Herr Prop-Wasche 7]

Now I see what yoou have been up to, Bletchley! Outstanding work!

 

Dowloading now.

[vonOben 55]

this is the first mod that I have ever done, for OFF or any other game

 

Bletchley

 

Congratulations to your first mod. Bletchley!

 

 

Cheers

 

vonOben

 

 

[gaw 5]

Perhaps.a link to the "JSGME MODS" installer/folder would be helpful here. Sounds marvelous....... Thanks!!!