Toughening up ground objects

[Grinseed 19]

Is there any way to toughen up ground object targets, like the 7.7mmK flak for instance?

Taking them out with a devastating explosion after a short burst of .303 is way too easy and unrealistic.

I've checked the data.ini for the 77mm flak. It has no armour entry like the aircraft and adding armour type and strength lines do nothing.

Is there anything else I can tinker with to make them withstand a little more bullet damage?

I could just dispense with shooting them after the Coopers run out but to my mind WW1-type CAS calls for a few strafing runs at least.

 

Cheers Grinseed

[Wrench 9,417]

you could add some armor to them.

 

you'll have to extract the data ini, from whichever ObjectData *** cat that its in (prolly 001), put the extractged data ini IN the truck's folder in the /GroundObject folder, and add the armor type and values to the components as they're broken down & listed.

 

Now, since most of my work is SF2 (from WW2 on up), I don't remember if all the types are used in FE/FEG/FE2

 

Wood

Aluminium

Steel

Titanium

 

there may also be a concrete, for structures

 

I'd go with Wood; add 10-15mm to the ]Truck[ section -that's probably the chasis/cab of the vehicle

 

like so, since it's an "open" vehicle, nothing on top. thickness is in MMs Add to the bottom of the secion shown:

 

[Truck]

ModelNodeName=truck

(snippage to remove unneeded stuff)

HasArmor=TRUE

ArmorMaterial=WOOD

Armor[FRONT].Thickness=5

Armor

.Thickness=5

Armor

.Thickness=5

Armor[REAR].Thickness=5

Armor[TOP].Thickness=0

Armor[bOTTOM].Thickness=10

 

save and close, and go test it out!

[Grinseed 19]

Thanks Wrench! On my way to try it out. Will report back.

 

Cheers Grinseed

[Grinseed 19]

OK, well, I tried what Wrench suggested above.

 

Unfortunately it did not work.

 

I tried various data arrangements, setting the armor from WOOD to STEEL with thicknesses from 5 up to 20 with and without animations and still the trucks are demolished in a single burst.

 

I tried swapping the [Truck] with the BeutepanzerIVF [Chassis] details, carefully swapping out all truck references in the 77mKFlak data ini. Again, no change.

 

I will keep experimenting with this, using entries from other ground objects.

However in my experience with observation balloons they seem to take more damage than trucks, yet Balloons have no armour settings in their data inis which suggests detonation points for ground objects maybe hardwired or located elsewhere in the game program.

 

Anyway I have a bit of tinkering to keep me occupied over the Xmas break.

 

Cheers Grinseed

[33LIMA 972]

Was thinking exactly the same thing about thoese flakwagen that go 'Boom!' at the sight of your Vickers/Spandaus. Hope you manage to crack it, a mod would be very welcome. Personally, I don't so much mind that hitting the guns with a burst of MG fire can put the gun out of action eg by causing crew casualties/supression and component damage, more the effect that accompanies it.

 

Crashing planes seem to be the same (altho it's good they force-land ok sometimes too) - major fireball or forced landing, nothing in between - so maybe the same factor is at work in both cases, and what solves one, may solve the other eg transition to 'wreck' graphic without the fireball effect and no (or minor) explosion or a quieter sound.

 

In the original FE, planes you shot down seemed often to explode like they'd been hit by a Strike Fighters Sidewinder and something was done somewhere, which toned that down, too. Maybe a post on the TW forums could ellicit an indication from tK as to what might be done.

[Grinseed 19]

Good news. Using all the advice I have received from Wrench and Capun I now have trucks and mobile AA that are much harder to destroy.

 

Actually I have the parameters racked up so high they are almost indestructible :) .... a little tweaking will fix that.

And 33LIMA you dont have to put up with the dramatic explosions but rather have nicely burning fires and smoke columns to mark your ground kill.

 

Give me some time and I will endeavour to deliver the tweaked file segments you can add to your own data files...maybe a week or so with any luck...testing takes time and I am about to move house

 

 

Cheers Grinseed

[33LIMA 972]

Good news Grinseed, looking forward to what will be another real step forward for FE!

 

..and good luck with the move!