Carrier Ops in the Desert

[+Piecemeal 450]

Bugs aside, the new SF2NA game engine that specifically supports carrier ops on other terrains is proving to be a real breakthrough. Very interesting indeed.

Using the guidelines from PureBlue's thread in the knowledge base I've been able to add carrier ops to the stock desert terrain:

 

 

 

Ironically, some weeks ago I added a friendly segoing oil field in the "Desert3" terrain, complete with third party oil rigs which I obtained from the SFP1 download section :

 

 

As you can see in the above screenshot, there's part of the CV Battle Group passing closely by one of the rigs. Would any of our terrain gurus know whether a collision between ship and rig be avoided? There doesn't seem to be any collision mesh with Gepard's oil rig model. I suppose some would recommend moving the location of the oil field but I think that with a little editing these models could be set up as very tempting targets for Parani bombing raids.

 

Thoughts, anyone?

[arthur666 65]

Dhimar/Paran is perfect for carrier ops. Got a good 1985 campaign rolling along nicely.

 

Also, the new capabilities from SF2:NA have let me add an off-map US airbase to stage my B-52's:

 

[TargetArea076]
Name=Diego Garcia
Position=700000,820000
ActiveDate=0
Location=3
Alignment=FRIENDLY
OffMapAirBase=TRUE

Edited March 22, 2012 by arthur666

[+Piecemeal 450]

The new capabilities from SF2:NA have let me add an off-map US airbase to stage my B-52's:

 

[TargetArea076]
Name=Diego Garcia
Position=700000,820000
ActiveDate=0
Location=3
Alignment=FRIENDLY
OffMapAirBase=TRUE

 

i was thinking of that myself, though I hadn't got round to trying it yet. Wasn't even sure if the old terrains would support that feature. Nice one

[+Piecemeal 450]

The thing I'd be interested in is that although technically the oil rig is a static model, could there be a way of setting it up in such a way so that they could be open to cruise missile attack?

By the way arthur, you mentioned about flying a campaign in the Desert terrain; I presume there's no longer any need for the "Echo Station" prompts in the _DATA.INI and CAMPAIGN_DATA.INI files?

Edited March 22, 2012 by Piecemeal

[arthur666 65]

I presume there's no longer any need for the "Echo Station" prompts in the _DATA.INI and CAMPAIGN_DATA.INI files?

 

Your presumption is correct, sir.

[+Piecemeal 450]

Dhimar/Paran is perfect for carrier ops. Got a good 1985 campaign rolling along nicely.

 

OK; I've removed the carrier stations from the terrain _DATA.ini and CAMPAIGN_DATA.ini files, edited the campaign files by comparing them with the Iceland campaign files, yet the campaign still freezes when I try to start it with a USN, USMC or USAF aircraft (using Ctrl+Alt+Del method of closing it down. Strangely enough I can start the campaign if I choose an RAF or Merc squadron . At this stage I'm quadruple checking the files in question and trying this and that out but still no joy.

 

Anyone got any ideas?

 

Edit: If anybody wants to, I've decided to enclose the campaign INIs. Maybe someone that's successfully done something similar could give them a once over ...

CAMPAIGN3.rar

Edited March 23, 2012 by Piecemeal

[arthur666 65]

OK; I've removed the carrier stations from the terrain _DATA.ini and CAMPAIGN_DATA.ini files, edited the campaign files by comparing them with the Iceland campaign files, yet the campaign still freezes when I try to start it with a USN, USMC or USAF aircraft (using Ctrl+Alt+Del method of closing it down. Strangely enough I can start the campaign if I choose an RAF or Merc squadron . At this stage I'm quadruple checking the files in question and trying this and that out but still no joy.

 

Anyone got any ideas?

 

Edit: If anybody wants to, I've decided to enclose the campaign INIs. Maybe someone that's successfully done something similar could give them a once over ...

CAMPAIGN3.rar

Can't figure it out... Possibly related to the terrain you're using?

[+Piecemeal 450]

Can't figure it out... Possibly related to the terrain you're using?

 

Nah. I tried the terrain out with some updated stock campaign files that Shotgun uploaded. Worked out fine. It has to be either something I have put in or left out of the campaign INIs - OR it could be bug related. With regard to the latter we won't know that til the patch is released.

It's really weird cos I can fly with an RAF or Mercenary squadron without a hitch. Jeeezus, I mean even if I choose a USAF squadron it crashes; and they're land based with no naval prompts whatsoever in the _DATA.ini!

[+ST0RM 145]

Campaign aside, did you get it to work in Single Mission? Your naval aircraft taking off from a CV?

 

Is it required to have SF:NA installed? I've got my merged install up to March 12 patch level but the game does not recognize the terrain after the NAVALMAP=TRUE add. So I'm thinking it needs SF:NA.

 

-Jeff

[+Piecemeal 450]

Works like a dream in Single Missions. I've got SF2NA, my SF2 install's patched up to March 2012, I've made all the neccessary updates to the terrain INIs, I even created a WATER.BMP.

 

As to whether it requires SF2NA to perform, beats the hell outa me.

Edited March 25, 2012 by Piecemeal