Armchair aces 1915

[+ojcar 157]

Uploaded and waiting for approval.

 

From the Readme and installation notes:

 

Welcome WWI buffs! This is the first chapter in a series covering the (mostly) complete air war in Western Front in WWI. Next chapters coming in the standard two weeks!

 

The entire war is divided in mini-campaigns of a month-10 missions. I'm using the two stock maps plus the Vogesen map. This first chapter starts in August 1915, so until end of 1915 you'll have 50 missions per pilot! (and be in mind this is the shortest chapter)

 

The beauty of this approach is that you can follow your fav unit throught all maps, or you can simulate unit transfers for your pilot. You can start as a two seater pilot (as most Germans did), and then be "transferred" to a fighter unit. You can start as a RNAS pilot, and be in the RAF at the proper time, you can start in Escadrille 124 (the La Fayette escadrille) in French Army and end the war ir a USAS unit......A lot of possibilities.

 

This mod is intended for FE2, because in 1917 and 1918 you'll need the different Albatros, Strutters, SPADS et al with different engines that FE2 has. FE1 pilots will need to edit the campaigns to fly them, for example changing the name of the planes like AlbatrosD5_180 to AlbatrosD5....Please, don't ask me for a FE1 version. I'm doing 117 campaigns for the entire series and it's a lot of work!!!! Nevertheless, if someone want to make an FE1 version it has my agreement (if it's free for the people, of course).

 

So, be ready for a downloading fest.

 

Very important!!!! Read the Readme!!!!

[Panama Red 22]

Thank you for this and your great FMs that go with Stephens' new planes.

[+whiteknight06604 934]

I'd love to read the readme but it's in a format I can't open. ;)

[+Stephen1918 1,474]

Great work ojcar! I love the idea of a series of missions over a length of time.

[+ojcar 157]

Sorry for the late answer! I was at work.

Here it's the Readme for those with format problems. Armchair aces 1915 is also updated with it

ReadMe.txt

[Bulldog 0]

Sweet!

[33LIMA 972]

Just back from holidays in Spain yesterday and delighted to find this great present waiting from our Spanish friend Ojcar! Bravo!!!

 

This is EXACTLY the sort of thing FE needs most! Great stuff and many thanks Ojcar!!! :drinks:

 

I hope this will inspire someone (Stephen?!) to provide some of the planes needed to make the most of this - the early Bortdafarm German D-types (Halb, Fokker & Alb DII) and the Elephant for example, would all greatly benefit from replacements with better 3d models and textures, while we need a more representative 1916-17 BE2 (no skid undercarriage, fairing under engine), and a later-war German 2-seater like the LVG CVI or Rumpler CIV would also be great.

 

Can't wait to try this out - it makes coming home to the colder weather, very bearable!!!

[33LIMA 972]

I have come across a slight problem, posting the solution I found in case it affects others, too. Not with the new campaign, but with one (or more) of the extra planes.

 

I just started a 1915 KEK Douai campaign and my Fokker EI had an invisible pilot figure.

 

Looking at the plane's data.ini file I saw its PilotModelName is WW1GERPILOT. Looking at some planes whose pilots I CAN see, they use different model names - wwiPilotNew, wwiPilotNew3 etc..

 

So I renamed the Fokker's PilotModelName to wwwPilotNew3 and that solved the problem. I guess I may have to do this for some other planes, too.

 

IIRC I had seen this before once but hadn't tried to find a solution; perhaps one has been posted before, already!

 

It may be caused by FE2 lacking something that planes made originally for FEG need; or maybe there is a mod with the extra pilot models that I haven't got, which would make WW1GERPILOT (and Entente equivalents?) available, without having to hand-edit individual plane data.ini files; dunno. At least it's now working!

[+ojcar 157]

Errrr.....I don't know about that. My install is so modded that I don't know what is stock or not anymore..... Maybe the pilot comes in one plane....

 

About new planes, it's true, some of them are old models and are showing their age. Nevetheless, a good skin can do the work by now (look at gambit168 and other people skins made for Bort's Albatros, they are a great improvement). And of course, I'm very grateful to all modders work. We have a lot of free planes made in their free time. Skunkworks has a better model of the Halberstadt (yes, a DIII, but the difference between a DII and a DIII are in the different engines, and both of them are 120Hp, so I'm using the Skunkworks one).

 

The main problem is the lack of two seaters. I'd wait to redone planes that we have now, at least until we have FK8, DH9, Dorand, Farman F40, Caudron G4, Albatros later C series, Aviatik B, Rumplers, LVGs, AEGs, etc. Nevertheless, If someone want to rebuild an old plane I can adapt the FM easily from the Peter01 ones.

Edited March 4, 2012 by ojcar

[33LIMA 972]

Have now completed ('survived' would be a better word!) a couple of missions for KEK Douai and the great thing is the new campaign is providing a very satisfying new way of flying add-on planes, much superior to flying them in single missions. The long-awaited applicatiion of FE's campaign engine to all the extra planes is a big leap forward for this sim.

 

At the moment, flying an 80hp Fokker E1 is proving a real challenge. BE2's I can manage but I have had some really hairy dogfights against RFC Morane Type N's which IIRC have 110 hp engines and realistically in my campaign the Morane 'Bullets' are noticeably faster and more manoeuvrable. Atttempts to 'turn and burn' with them end up often in a desparate low-level spin recovery from trying and failing to turn inside them and spinning out. So I'm having to extend, gain height and come back in or even just make any escape I can. I hope the 100hp EII's will be appearing soon as I will be lucky to last a month in an EI!!!

 

The only other observation I would offer so far is that, not having used a ground MG mod before, the new MGs are very interesting. The only thing I am concerned about is that (i) they seem to open fire at very long range (ineffectively thank goodness) but at closer range even a single ground MG is very deadly. I saw one shoot down 2 SPAD VIIs over a German airfield, during a dogfight with Albatrosses which had just taken off, both SPADs shot down with pilot kills after being well-holed, from flying a couple of times over an MG. Might be desirable to reduce their engagement range and/or their lethality, but it is very early days yet. All in all this is a great (series of) mods!

[+ojcar 157]

I'm glad do you like it! It has been a lot of work (well, in fact, the REAL work start in the 1917 and 1918 campaigns, much more units). Be patient. Fokker EIII arrives in October! (no EII in campaign as is nearly equal to EIII and came to the front same time and no Peter01 FM for the EII). The main problem playing German is you being otnumbered the entire war. At least the two seaters come without escort in 1915!

 

PS: If you don't like Moranes against your EI, wait for 1916.....Your EIII (or worst, your Pfalz EI) against Nieuport 11, DH2, FE2, Bristol Scout D...

 

I'm having a blast too. I'm flying in 1 Squadron RNAS in the underpowered but nice Nieuport 10. Good luck and check your six!

[33LIMA 972]

I hope by the time the Bebés and Lattice-tails arrive, the Bullets will have helped me develop suitable tactics for fighting in an inferior plane - but I also hope to have just a little bit of a Fokker Scourge against the BEs and the Parasols, in between dodging bullets from the Bullets :)

 

I have got your recommended skins for the Alb DI and DII and they do make the primitive 3d model a little more bearble, for when the Day of the Jastas comes. You're right, the improved Halberstadt DIII, now that I have installed and flown it, is a MUCH better model than the earlier ones (tho it has some outline inaccuracies like the rudder too far aft - and it is actually a DII not a DIII, the latter had vertical centre section struts not the DII's cabane/inverted V, side exhaust not the DII's vertical stack, and square aileron 'horn' balances, not the DII's plain unbalanced ailerons). Maybe I installed something wrong but from cockpit view, my 'DIIII' also has feeds for twin MGs hanging in mid-air ahead of the cockpit, maybe an edit of the cockpit file can move these out of view the same way you can hide the DE5's ammo drum to enable the SE5 cockpit to serve for an RE8.

 

Anyway yes it's a great mod, I'm off to see if i can find some 2-seaters to convert to Fokker Fodder while avoiding those verdamter Morane Bullets!!!

[+ojcar 157]

About the Halberstadt, you can edit the HalbD3.ini file like me and you're done:

 

[AircraftData]

AircraftFullName=Halberstadt D.II

AircraftShortName=Halberstadt D.II

AircraftDataFile=HalbD3_data.ini

CockpitDataFile=HalbD3_cockpit.ini

HangarScreen=HalbD3_Hangar.bmp

LoadoutFile=HalbD3_loadout.ini

LoadingScreen=HalbD3_loading.bmp

 

I have the same cockpit issue, but I'm not a cockpit expert. Maybe you can use Bortdafarm cockpit in Skunkwoks model......

[33LIMA 972]

Well my own personal Fokker Scouge is now well under way at last!

 

First, I had another scary mission in my Fokker E1 with 2 comrades. We chased after a pair of distant enemies but could not catch up so diverted to some closer flak bursts which turned out to be 4 Gunbusses whom we closed in on, from below and behind. A last look behind us before attacking revealed my formation had grown from three planes to five, the newcomers being another pair of those pesky 60 Sqdn Morane Bullets, who succeeded in spoiling our fun! We were lucky to escape with only one plane lost and the pilot unhurt, I only escaped myself by fleeing at low level while my enemy rained fire down at me from above and only gave up I think because he probably decided I wasn't worth shooting down!

 

But the next mission was a different affair...near the objective the dreaded Moranes turned up - but from their different cockades, I could see these were from a French unit and moreover, they didn't seem to be of the same calibre as the RFC outfit. All four fell to our guns, and all were credited to me, tho in truth in at least 2 cases I merely finished off machines which I could see that my flight-mates had already damaged. Nevertheless, with the feeble EI I really had to work very hard for every kill, with my plane threatening to fall out from under me at every tight turn, forcing me to yo-yo to cut inside their turns or escape their attacks without stalling and spining out in the attempt.

 

Turning away after the last Morane plunged earthwards to rally the troops, I saw that they were now attacking a pair of Gunbusses which had wandered into the arena, and after a short chase, both of these also went down!

 

What a fight - a First Eagles campaign mission at its very best, this new campaign is a great way to experience FE's excellent addon planes! Brilliant!!! A must-have for First Eagles!

 

PS thanks Ojcar for the advice re the Halbs, will give that a go!

Edited March 5, 2012 by 33LIMA

[+ojcar 157]

Muahahahahahah! The kreaturre is ALIVE! (Skunkworks Halberstadt with Bortdafarm Halberstadt cockpit). This is the best I can. Far from perfect, but a little improvement. Are you interested?

[33LIMA 972]

Yes yes yes yes yes yes....that's a 'yes'

 

Did you do that just by following the instructions you posted, or did you need to copy files from one folder to another as well? I see the data panel bottom left is showing DII not DIII.

[33LIMA 972]

PS hope you don't mind Ojcar but I have posted a recommendation for your new mod over in the WW1 airwar thread at SimHQ. The good news needs to be spread!!!

 

http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/3533668.html#Post3533668

[+ojcar 157]

Well, you need (obviously) both planes (Skunkworks and Bortdafarm).

 

-Go to your HalbD3 folder and change the name of the cockpit folder (mine is changed to -----cockpit) just in case something goes bad...

 

-Go to your HalberstadtDII folder. Copy the cockpit folder into the HalbD3 folder. Copy the HalberstadtDII_cockpit.ini file into your HalbD3 folder.

 

-Go to youy HalbD3 folder. Open the HalbD3.ini file with Notepad and edit it this way (only some changes in the [AircraftData.ini]). Don't touch anything more!

 

[AircraftData]

AircraftFullName=Halberstadt D.II

AircraftShortName=Halberstadt D.II

AircraftDataFile=HalbD3_data.ini

CockpitDataFile=HalberstadtDII_cockpit.ini

//CockpitDataFile=HalbD3_cockpit.ini

HangarScreen=HalbD3_Hangar.bmp

LoadoutFile=HalbD3_loadout.ini

LoadingScreen=HalbD3_loading.bmp

 

-Open the HalberstadtDII_COCKPIT.INI file. go for these two lines under [CockpitSeat001]: Position and Offset and change into this:

 

Position=0.00,-0.815,0.765

Offset=0.0,0.05,-0.042

 

Save and you're done!

 

PS: Of course I don't mind about your post. I'm very proud you like it so much!

Edited March 6, 2012 by ojcar

[33LIMA 972]

Thanks for the clear instructions, which I have just applied and am now off to check it out!

 

I'm in FE heaven with this mod - other fronts and more planes are great but transforming the Western Front campaign experience to this standard is the FE killer mod and I'm very grateful for your work; which also beautifully compliments the work done by the other modders whose content this mod now showcases so very well.

 

All that could be wished for, now, for the Western Front is just a few more planes to fill the bigger gaps still left (and maybe ground action to match the period - but FE has never really needed much ground action as its great strength lies where it matters most, in the air, and I am very glad you chose not to delay these releases just to make the ground action and front lines fit a little better).

[+ojcar 157]

In fact there is groud action (I hope it works) at the correct times and the correct maps. It's needed some ground battles for your CAS missions. But not in 1915. In 1915 there is only a Fernch offensive in Verdun map (in September, I think). 1916 has the Verdun and Somme battles, so you can fly over the little men firing their rifles! The only thing it's the frontlines are the stock frontlines all the war

[33LIMA 972]

Ah I see, better still! I had started work on an RE8 campaign but this stalled when I could not work out how to position ground units and organise offensives. I hope and trust the 1917 and 1918 versions of Armchair Aces will feature one or more RE8 squadron campaigns from spring 1917 and ground attack missions will be fun later in the Hannoverana and Halberstadt CL types, whether or not the infantrymen can be destroyed. Anyhow, in the meantime, I don't mind 1915 being quieter on the ground, there is plenty happening in the air at the moment!

 

The Halb DIII cockpit mod is working just fine for me thanks, she is a nice little bird, and I look forward to flying her for a time in 1916!

[+ojcar 157]

All units in this series are flyable in campaign (except the Zeppelins, that are flyable only in single mission), so you'll have all the two seaters action you want.

[+whiteknight06604 934]

I just posted over at the A-team site about fixing the Halberstadt D.III rudder issue. I don't know enough about the plane and differences between models to post about anything else wrong . maybe he will have time to fix it.

[33LIMA 972]

She's still a pretty sweet-looking bird, the Halb, especially from inside with Ojcar's cockpit mod. the lower-nose countours could be a little more rounded and the interplane struts a bit less square and she's a DII I believe not a DIII but I'm quibling, with the 'pit mod I really like this plane, and Ojcar's campaign will bring it to life:

[+whiteknight06604 934]

I like it too. I asked to see if he could bring the rudder up more forward to sit in the pivot tube in the correct manner. The way the rudder just floats in space is kind weird right now. All in all it's pretty damn good though.