HPW FM + Empty Weight Mod + Gun Arc Mod

[Herr Prop-Wasche 7]

Thanks. I don't think the loaded weights make a difference, either. I was just thinking of them in terms of adjusting the revised empty weight for your AI empty weight mod.

 

I'll digest the rest of your post later--just checking in tonight.

[vonOben 55]

Hi guys

 

Very interesting discussion.

 

Looking forward to the result!

 

S!

 

vonOben

[33LIMA 972]

I've just uploaded version 2 of the 'solo' version of the AI Empty Weight Mod, with weight corrections (as per my earlier post) to the Fokker DRI, DVII, DVII OAW, EV, Nieu.11, Pup, & RE8. The Sopwith triplane I had already corrected in version 1, like the SPADs. Have not made any further changes to the Strutter; the OFF versions seem to be generic ones, more representative of the French models than RFC/RNAS, so I have left those as per the original mod.

 

Hopefully a 'merged' version won't be too far behind!

[Herr Prop-Wasche 7]

Great, thanks Lima. After I finish with grades on Monday I will be able to update the empty weights per your adjustments on my FM modded planes.

 

So far, I have made these "official" FM mods: All Albatross' models, Pfalz DIII, Sopwith Pup, Sopwith Tripe (one gun), and the Re8. I also have a couple of "unofficial" FM mods, including the Spad VII 150 and 180 hp version, Spad XIII 200 and 235 hp version, and the Fokker EV (FM not released yet). I can update the empty weight for the AI versions of these aircraft based upon the OFF empty weight data and release this as the combined 33Lima AI empty weight and HPW FM mod version 1.0.

 

Later, I hope to update the FM's for both the human and AI controlled aircraft for some of the planes with the more wildly incorrect OFF empty weight values, such as the Fokker DVII and the DFW, among a few others. This will be released as version 2.0.

 

How does that sound?

[33LIMA 972]

Sounds great HPW. At the moment I'm flying with your DM and all your FM mods (applied to player-planes only so I can use the AI empty weight mod) plus the flakmod and the arcmods. Looking forward to the new versions! I find dogfighting in OFF is already perceptibly more challenge, less frustration.

 

Would you recommend your front & rear gun mods for use at the same time as your DM mod? It's obviously possible as the former work on different settings, whose location I can see from the gun mod folder structure - how did you work that one out! I always hated sniper accuracy (like IL2 rear gunners, also the pilots in Flying Corps Gold had an uncanny ability to take you out every time in a head on pass) but the DM on its own makes planes a bit more resistant to non-vital hits. Do you reckon adding the gun mods on top of the DM, is a good bet? I would not want sniper gunnery to go to the other extreme!

[Herr Prop-Wasche 7]

Funny you should ask. I DO recommend both the front and rear gun mods for use with my DM mod. The gun mods help to reduce the insane number of kills that the AI tend to get even with the revised DM, and it also makes the rear gunners less lethal--although they still do pack a punch.

 

As for the different locations for the Mods folder--let's just call that a happy accident and leave it at that. Actually, I made a mistake with the folder structure of OFF. Fortunately, JSGME allows you to have more than one MODS folder in a particular game, so it all worked out in the end.

[33LIMA 972]

Thanks for the advice - I'll go with that. I had already toned down gun accuracy in Workshop (except for ground MGs, which are at Hard/accurate/hi RoF due to flakmod, I need to tone them down too I think). Even with that, I still think that AI gunnery is a bit too sharp - especially when I am the target! When I am, I can see the results for myself - even if I'm stunting, they seem to hit me nearly every time they open fire.

 

There was a post the other day, to the effect that 'Mods are nice, but things are pretty well fine as they are'. Have to say, I tick the 'strongly disagree' box on that one. Like the Romans said, there's no point disputing matters of taste, but in my experience, this set of mods, collectively, is already making OFF combat significantly more satisfying, by taking out or minimising most of the aspects I'd found unsatisfactory and/or frustrating. For example, I flew a QC in a Pfalz against SPAD 13s last night, and without the Empty Weight Mod, it was like back to fighting...well not UFOs exactly, but planes that had about 30 more horsepower than they should (which is effectively what they do have, without the mod). With your DM, so far I'm also getting much better results. Behaviour after a fire is now usually much more realistic, with a variety of outcomes, which is just great. Sometimes the fire seems to go out; sometimes it burns small & slowly allowing the plane to descend under control; sometimes the plane loses control quickly; sometimes the crew jump, sometimes not. When my engine is hit and goes 'clunkety-clunk', again, results seem more realistically variable. It certainly seems to maintain power and/or keep running longer, overall, which is very good. ArcMod means flying 2-seaters, the gunners have a decent field of fire, without being impossible targets when you're attacking them (your rear gun mod will solve tone down their accuracy) and flakmod means I can track enemies more easily, so I never need to resort to labels or the TAC for that. Olham's softer labels & smaller TAC mods mean when I do turn them on, the screen doesn't look like the Christmas illuminations in town. A lot of little things make a big difference. Each to his own, but this package is most definitely the way forward for me, till P4 arrives.

Edited November 28, 2011 by 33LIMA

[Herr Prop-Wasche 7]

Finally done with grading. Whew!

 

Now I can work on the FM side of the AI Empty Weight Mod. Hopefully, I will have something either tomorrow or Wednesday.

[CaptSopwith 18]

Finally done with grading. Whew!

 

Now I can work on the FM side of the AI Empty Weight Mod. Hopefully, I will have something either tomorrow or Wednesday.

 

What kind of grading Herr Prop-Wasche?

[Herr Prop-Wasche 7]

Not road grading, thankfully!

 

Grading exams for my Introductory Psychology classes at my local Community College.

 

It doesn't pay much, but helps put bread on the table. Now, if only I could find a job that puts a new computer on the table!

[CaptSopwith 18]

Not road grading, thankfully!

 

Grading exams for my Introductory Psychology classes at my local Community College.

 

It doesn't pay much, but helps put bread on the table. Now, if only I could find a job that puts a new computer on the table!

 

I'm in the same boat with you Prop! I'm a PhD student and a graduate teaching assistant. Tonight I have a mountain of history book reviews and reflection papers to grade. I doubt I'll see my bed until rather late. It's nice to know I'm not the only pilot here whose job involves a little "red ink!"

[Herr Prop-Wasche 7]

Yep. Sometimes, a little to too much red ink!

[Herr Prop-Wasche 7]

Sorry about the delay in getting my FM version of the empty weight mod ready.

 

I was working on the mod when I realized there were a few minor errors in the FM for the N28 and the Albs. Plus, I wanted to add a new FM for the Fokker EV. Well, once I started tinkering I started to change a few more things and got bogged down a bit. Then, while working with the N28, I thought I had stumbled into how to get the Fokker Dr1 to do a flat spin, so I took what I thought would be a brief detour into the world of the Dr1 FM. Oops. You can guess the rest of the story...the fix didn't work quite as well as I had hoped, and I spent a lot of time on other aspects of the Dr1 FM. The good news is that I think I am on my way to a better FM for the Dr1--eventually. The bad news is that this work has delayed my work on 33Lima's mod.

 

I still have a little testing to do on the FM's for the N28 and the Albs, but I can have a basic version of the weight mod uploaded by tomorrow if people can't wait. Also, would anyone be interested in doing a little FM testing for the Dr1? I may not be able to recreate a flat spin, but there are a few things I've done I'd like to get some feedback on.

[33LIMA 972]

Sorry about the delay in getting my FM version of the empty weight mod ready.

 

I was working on the mod when I realized there were a few minor errors in the FM for the N28 and the Albs. Plus, I wanted to add a new FM for the Fokker EV. Well, once I started tinkering I started to change a few more things and got bogged down a bit. Then, while working with the N28, I thought I had stumbled into how to get the Fokker Dr1 to do a flat spin, so I took what I thought would be a brief detour into the world of the Dr1 FM. Oops. You can guess the rest of the story...the fix didn't work quite as well as I had hoped, and I spent a lot of time on other aspects of the Dr1 FM. The good news is that I think I am on my way to a better FM for the Dr1--eventually. The bad news is that this work has delayed my work on 33Lima's mod.

 

I still have a little testing to do on the FM's for the N28 and the Albs, but I can have a basic version of the weight mod uploaded by tomorrow if people can't wait. Also, would anyone be interested in doing a little FM testing for the Dr1? I may not be able to recreate a flat spin, but there are a few things I've done I'd like to get some feedback on.

 

 

Be happy to take the DrI for a spin, HPW, but as I have next-to-no experience of flying it in OFF (or the other sims either!), I probably wouldn't be able to distinguish a better Dr1 FM from Falcon 4's proverbial 'smokin' hole in the ground'.

 

Happy to wait for the results of all the good work!

 

I don't suppose you have come across anything that makes (or points to a possible way of making) aircraft visibly judder when they approach the stall? FE does this very well and combined with an audible buffet sound, it's a great indication of when you're flying to the limit, and that pushing harder will bring on a stall. At present with OFF it's like stumbling into an invisible brick wall you know is close in front but can't see or hear until...whack! and away you go. I'm working on an improved stall sound (there is one in CFS3/OFF but it's more like 'Whispering Grass' than buffet and I'm working on a more audible and more realistic 'shake, rattle and roll' buffet sound, possibly based on the stock wheel rumble sound). But it would be better still, if the planes visibly shuddered as well, at the same point the 'Warning - near stall' message was displayed, so you could see and hear a stall coming, without having to rely on counter-immersive text pop-ups, or even instruments.

 

Doubt there is any way of making planes judder at the right moment, but I figure if anyone's found it, something that might help, it's you!.

[Herr Prop-Wasche 7]

Sorry, haven't found a way to make the planes shudder to signal the nearness of a stall. Perhaps it is buried away in CFS3 code that I do not have access to. If anybody can find it, it would be RexHannover, the coding guru behind P1, P2, P3, and presumably, P4.

 

So far, with the exception of adjusting the speed slightly and making it less twitchy, I haven't been able to get the Dr1 to behave significantly different than it already does in P3. I think the number one problem is the lack of any modeling of gyroscopic precession in CFS3, and thus OFF. I think torque and p-factor are modeled to at least some degree, but the lack of g-p makes it hard for the Dr1 and Camel to possess their historical "unique" features that made them such good turn fighters in the Great War.

 

Re your weight mod. The bad news is that my mod to your mod is still not complete. The good news is that 98% of my FM testing is complete, and all that remains is the copying and pasting, so I hope to have something ready in the next day or two.

[33LIMA 972]

Sounds good. Have been flying with the combimed mods the last few days and all is well. I dunno if it's the new DM, but have noticed several times planes i hit going on fire (great!) then the fire going out quickly (not so great!) and so having to come in for another crack at an enemy I thought was finished. But maybe it was always like that. Have definitely noticed simce enabling your latest DM that when I get engine damage, it doesn't conk out or lose power so quickly, and forced landings seem much easier to make without a wreck, which I think may be due to the reduced chances of serious control (cable?) damage. Anyways, looking forward to the new FM mod!

[OlPaint01 0]

@ HPW

 

Just curious...how is the new FM package coming along. How about an update status for us who await expectantly.

 

OlPaint

[Herr Prop-Wasche 7]

Hi guys.

 

As usual with these things--especially FM tweaks--this is taking longer than I imagined. I finally decided to work on a fairly extensive overhaul of the FM for the planes that were in my Allied and German FM packs, plus the addition of a few more planes such as the Fokker EV and the N28. I am also going to include variants of the Sopwith Pup and Triplane, as well as the Spad VII and 13. The neat thing about this is that one version may fly slightly differently than the other version in several respects. For example, the Spad VII 150 hp version has a top speed at sea level and is not a great high altitude performer. On the other hand, the Spad VII 180 hp version's top speed is at 2000 meters and performs better up high than it does near the ground, so you will have to adjust your tactics either when you fly with or against it.

 

Of course, each change to one variable means that 2 or 3 other variables are affected, so I have to go back and test fly each plane after I change a variable to make sure that something else doesn't get thrown out of wack.

 

I finished making major changes to the last couple of planes last night and only have to test to make sure the last two or three planes still fly as intended. After that, I need to copy the files, write the readme, and post, so I am thinking I will be finished sometime this weekend--I hope.

 

I know a lot of you have been waiting for this update for a long time. Thank you for your patience!

[Abbay 3]

Salute

 

Glad to be here guys/gals...

 

Just out of curiosity, I openned the same "aircraft.cfg" files from the original OFF folder, the "HPW German FM", and the "Empty Weight Mod" to see the changes that were made. I am aware that a lot of work went into testing these numbers and I don't claim to know anything about how they affect the game. However, I do notice that the section titled "[WEIGHT_AND_BALANCE]" in the OFF "cfg file" are pretty much the same to "HPW German FM" file, and both are different from the "Empty Weight Mod" file.

 

So, my next question is: would replacing the numbers in the "HPW German FM" file with that of the "Empty Weight Mod" achieve the desired combined effect of both files or would that totally mess up the physics of the planes (assuming I use the exact same plane files)?

 

Thanks

Abbay

 

 

 

[33LIMA 972]

That's essentially what HPW is doing now (as well as further refining his FM mods) - creating a merged version of the empty weight and FM mods. I don't believe that bringing the AI planes' weight up to near their loaded weight should cause any probs with the FM mod, the AI seem to cope just fine.