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OFFice/OFFbase Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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FAQ for the OFFice incomparable campaign engine and the OFFbase role-playing game at its heart.

 

 

Do I need an internet connection to use OFFice or play OFFbase?

 

Nope. Select ‘Solo Mode’ in the User Settings to stop OFFbase and other OFFice programs from going online for any of this stuff:

 

Selecting an account at Combat Ace or SimHQ in the User Settings configures access to support, mods, documentation, and other links in the forums from the OFFice interface.

 

OFFbase 0.8.6+ checks online for newer versions Posted at Combat Ace, and adds a tip to the status bar to alert you. See the question below for what to do.

 

Future versions may include additional online features, such as multiplayer OFFbase campaigns.

 

 

I get a VBScript error when I try to run the software. How do I fix it?

 

If you’re running Windows XP, make sure you install Service Pack 3 to get Windows Script Host 5.7. You can also install it from here:

http://www.microsoft...ls.aspx?id=8247

 

If you’re running Windows Vista or later, most likely the problem arises from 3rd party anti-virus software not properly uninstalling. See the fix in this post:

http://combatace.com...ds/#entry613019

 

See here for more information and the source of the fix:

http://www.sevenforu...tml#post1396118

 

 

How do I update OFFice / OFFbase?

 

If you see a tip in your Squadron HQ’s status bar about an update, just “Change Squadron” to return to the main menu, hit the “About” button, and click “Update” to download the latest update. Close OFFbase and run the new OFFbase.exe installer.

 

 

Which OFF pilot Dossiers do OFFbase/OFFice modify?

 

The program won’t touch OFF pilot Dossiers in squadrons you don’t play OFFbase, so you can safely try it without risking your long-standing pilots. Just create a new pilot in a new squadron, which is the best way to start an OFFbase campaign anyway.

 

All active pilot Dossiers within a squadron are synced to the active campaign date when you “Play Pilot” to join an OFFbase squadron and when you return to your current OFFbase campaign.

 

 

Do I have to play all my OFF pilots OFFbase?

 

Nope, as above pilots in non-OFFbase squadrons remain untouched. You’re free to launch OFF by itself, setting JSGME mods manually, to play the original OFF:HitR the old-fashioned way with these pilots.

 

You should first deactivate the Advanced Ammo system in OFFramp and Save your changes to restore stock guns, ammo, and tracers for non-OFFbase squadrons. After exiting OFFbase, launch JSGME and be sure to deactivate any OFFbase-specific JSGME mods along with your other choices. Then quit JSGME and launch Over Flanders Fields manually.

 

 

How do I uninstall OFFice and OFFbase?

 

Because of the complete integration with OFF and extensive, dynamic modification of game files (far beyond just JSGME mods), OFFice cannot simply be uninstalled or deleted like a stand-alone product. If you truly wish to roll back your OFF installation to a pre-OFFice state, restore it from backup.

 

Your best bet’s just to stop using it and go back to managing JSGME and launching OFF manually. See the above FAQ question for playing without OFFice and OFFbase.

 

You may also wish to run OFFset and recover your pre-OFFice Workshop and CFS3Config settings.

 

 

Can I use OFFice for Quick Combat (QC) or Multiplayer?

 

In short, it’s best to use a different pilot for QC and multiplayer flights, flying configuring JSGME mods and launching OFF manually as in the above FAQ question.

 

Pilots launched from OFFbase can indeed enter and user QC, but the mods and settings it configures are only appropriate for your actual campaign and specific aircraft. Other aircraft aren’t properly configured, and switching aircraft in QC may confuse OFFbase. So if you insist on launching QC from OFFbase, do so only with your current craft.

 

Also, OFF Manager continues to advance time and generate mission results for your squadmates while you QC. Best to be a part of the campaign while this is happening!

 

 

How do I play as an American pilot in Escadrille La Fayette née Escadrille Américaine?

 

It’s a French military unit with French ranks and uniforms, so start a campaign for France in Esc LaF. The other pilots in the squad will have American names (and maybe French mustaches), while the Ground Crew will be France-born or Colonial. You can eventually transfer to other French squadrons as many American pilots did. Perhaps future versions of OFFbase will allow transfer into American squads once the USA joins.

 

 

What happens if my initial transfer mission is canceled due to weather?

 

That’s fine, just keep trying and letting time advance in OFF Manager until it clears up enough for you to fly and join your squadron.

 

 

How do I join an existing OFFbase campaign with a new pilot?

 

A squadron is converted to an OFFbase campaign when you first join OFFbase with one of its pilots. To join this same campaign with replacement or other pilots, it’s critical you create a new pilot Dossier in OFF Manager for the existing OFFbase squadron before the date of your most recent pilot in that squadron.

 

If you fail to heed these instructions and join with a newer pilot it, will overwrite all your old AI squadmates.

 

It’s easiest just to create new pilots at the first date given for the squadron by OFF. They’ll automatically join at the later date, so you don’t need to page through time in OFF to join the squad with subsequent pilots.

 

 

Why can’t I reuse the same name for multiple pilots?

 

OFFbase personalities are assigned to pilots, both player and non-player, by name. In the case of player pilots, this is also used to sync to their OFF pilot Dossiers and CFS3’s unlimitedpilots.xml. For two OFFbase pilots with the same name, one may end up overwriting the other. You don’t want to corrupt your pilot files, do you?

 

As per above, duplicate names are just fine for your old non-OFFbase pilots as their Dossiers are ignored.

 

To help avoid duplicate names for AI pilots, which just causes confusion as they try to share the same AI, use Lothar of the Hill People’s expanded names mod, linked above in the Mods section.

 

 

When is it safe to delete an OFFbase pilot’s Dossier in OFF Manager?

 

Only with another Active player pilot in the same squadron! Seriously! Each squadron’s campaign continues until the end of the war (or the squad itself terminates in which case you can transfer to another). Deleting the last pilot in the squad will break this system.

 

Active: In Service, Returning, On Leave, Injured, Hospitalized

Inactive: Deceased, Captured, Disabled

 

Deleting an Active player squadmate creates an AI squadmate (see FAQ question further below).

 

Deleting an Inactive squadmate is generally unnecessary and even detrimental, but sometimes you may wish to free up the name (see FAQ question below) or photo.

 

Even after your pilot’s career has ended, your deeds OFFbase and in the air continue to shape your ongoing campaign as part of your squadron’s institutional memory. Their journals remain in your squadron’s Memorial, where their records are listed for posterity, but it’s more than that--the hole they leave behind can affect how your replacement pilot is received by those in grief.

 

Once an Inactive player pilot is listed as “Forgotten” in the OFFbase Memorial, it’s safe to delete them in OFF. This means you can quickly clear out rookie pilots who died after not making much impact.

 

 

How come my changes in the OFF Workshops or CFS3Config keep getting reset?

 

A number of mods and features of OFFice and OFFbase work by directly controlling these settings. Much of this is configurable however, and many options can be returned to your control. See the options in OFFramp, particularly the Realism Profiles.

 

 

Sometimes OFF Manager seems to take a while, or CFS3 even crashes, while launching a mission from the Campaign Briefing Room. What’s up?

 

OFFramp dynamically rebuilds OFF aircraft source files for Advanced Ammo, OFFfov field of view management, etc. Compiling new binary aircraft files can take a while for hundreds of aircraft, and CFS3 originally only had two dozen to worry about. So should CFS3 crash when launching your mission, just close it, go back into the Briefing Room, and try again. The binaries should be finished compiling by now and your mission will start in short order.

 

 

I’m not interested in all this role-playing stuff; can I still take advantage of the mod management, injury system, custom missions, expanded post-mission options and reports, advanced ammo, realism profiles, field-of-view management, medal upgrades, transfers between squadrons, etc.?

 

Sure, gameplay has been designed with you in mind as well. Having a personality and some basic relationships are required for some of these advanced features to function (hence why you cannot access OFFramp until you reach Squadron HQ), but you can minimize your exposure to the role-playing elements.

 

After the initial introductory sequence, just stick to the Adjutant’s Office and your Hangar and avoid the bulk of the encounters. You will still receive one encounter with a member of your flight prior to each mission, but this is by design. Just click through without reading if you really don’t care.

 

Having a labeled picture of a flightmate flip by for a second on the way to your Hangar acts to quickly teach you the name of those in your formation. You’ll soon have no problem listing witnesses for claims, even getting the spelling right for those kooky Germans. Your claim confirmation rate will rise thanks to these “flash cards”.

 

The Adjutant will let you know if there are encounters waiting in the Mess, but just avoid them. Not everyone has a roommate, and this is only one encounter per day, so you can often access your Lodgings without bother to further edit your Journal or nap/sleep to advance time to schedule your own missions.

 

Even better, make your character an introverted slob loner killer and no one will want to bother him anyway. You’ll be exposed to much less of the social component of OFFbase, which rewards even this kind of anti-social role-playing.

 

But if you want to play a more socially-skilled character and micromanage your squad’s morale and social networks, you’ll more often have access to detailed info on your squadmates, receive more encounters per day in the mess, and have more tactical and strategic options to employ those encounters.

 

 

How come the clouds outside my Hangar never move?

 

Because they don’t in OFF! I just parked a bicycle outside a few airfields (careful to avoid any identifying aircraft), turned on time acceleration, set FRAPS loose to take time-lapse photography, applied a simple film grain filter and resized. But there’s a solution if you can do better...

 

 

There’s no snow / the topography’s not quite right / I know that random crate wasn’t historically there on date XYZ... How do I make my own imagery for my Hangar?

 

The cool thing is, it’s easy to make the view from your Hangar anything you want. In the OFFice\images\field you’ll see folders for different OFF Airfields. If the name matches your squadron’s actual location, it will take the appropriate imagery, otherwise choose one of the existing image sets at random.

 

To make your own imagery, first just make a folder with the exact same name as the location of your airfield.

 

Next, onto the images themselves: The recommended size is 300x357 pixels. The file type and suffix doesn’t matter (.jpg, .bmp, and .png should all work).

 

To just show a static image of your airfield, maybe from historic photos or an in-game screenshot, copy the single image into your airfield’s location folder. Viola!

 

To show dynamic images that change over time of day, look at one of the included imagesets. Within each location folder is a series of time-stamped images. Again the type and suffix don’t matter, but the base file name must be a four-digit military time. Beware you cannot use colons (:) in the filenames, just numbers! The first must be 0000.xxx where xxx is your file type. Then add images that will appear at the named time and show until the next image’s time. For example, 1845.bmp will show for fifteen minutes until 1900.png, though you have to move in/out of the Hangar or encounter the Munitions OFFicer to advance time and the image.

 

Also note that those times are just references. OFFbase adjusts the time of the image it requests to account for seasonal variation. For example, an 0600 dawn photo will show at 0800 in the dead of winter. Keep this in mind if developing different sets for different seasons. If people actually go to the trouble of making the images, I can extend OFFbase to choose from different seasonal image sets automatically based on absolute time across seasons.

 

To make sure your time-sensitive images match the description in the text with the current system, here’s the rule that classifies the seasonally-adjusted times. So your “dawn” photos should start at 0530.xxx and by your 0630xxx the sun will be up, though you’ll actually experience this “dawn” later when closer to winter.

 

	 case [
			 time < 3:30 ["late at night"]
			 time < 5:30 ["pre-dawn"]
			 time < 6:30 ["dawn"]
			 time < 7:30 ["early in the morning"]
			 time < 9:30 ["morning"]
			 time < 11:30 ["late morning"]
			 time < 12:30 ["around noon"]
			 time < 14:30 ["early afternoon"]
			 time < 16:00 ["afternoon"]
			 time < 17:30 ["late in the afternoon"]
			 time < 18:30 ["early evening"]
			 time < 20:00 ["evening"]
			 time < 22:00 ["late in the evening"]
			 true ["night time"]
	 ]

 

And yes it sucks the Germans don’t get a bicycle aka exploding tripod. Still, OFFbase image packs can be shared, and even installed and activated with JSGME.

 

 

How do I create/customize my AI squadmates?

  1. Create a new pilot with the name you'd like in your squadron before your current pilot's date (see FAQ above)
  2. Play the new pilot in OFFbase, choosing his Archetype and other traits by rank and go through the intro sequence
  3. Change Pilot back to your primary character
  4. Delete the new (still Active) pilot's Dossier in OFF next time you Fly Mission with your primary
  5. Viola!

The AI given to the new character will take over his virtual career with the name, rank, picture, and personality you chose, and you get to know him OFFbase and fly with him in the air. Your OFFbase Adjutant may not assign you to the same flights right away, but it's cool as OFF will still simulate missions for the second flight and after some additional turnover flight assignments get shaken up. All part of the drama.

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I just ran OFFbase & am having an issue with the dialog script during conversations. It's unreadable as each character is a little square like it's some kind of code. I have JSGME & have Windows Script Host 5.7 running XP(SP3). I sure wish I knew what was being said. It's probably something I didn't do so any help would be appeciated. Thanks.

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Sent you a PM but haven't heard back, majorwoody. Thought I'd fixed the font issue with XP, but apparently not. If anyone else runs into the empty-boxes-instead-of-text problem, please contact me via private message. I'll post an update here when the issue has been resolved.

 

Also, if people could please post questions in the support thread, I can keep this thread focused on providing answers and solutions to common issues.

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      Credits:
       
      Producer - Lothar of the Hill People
      Exec. Producer - OlPaint01
      Research - Bletchley, British_eh, Hasse Wind, RAF_Louvert
      AA, Balloons - Bletchley, Herr Prop-Wasche, Lothar of the Hill People
      Ammunition - Bletchley, Creaghorn, Lothar of the Hill People
      Damage Modeling - Herr Prop-Wasche, Buddy1998
      Dead is Dead Rules - Siggi
      Documentation - Lothar of the Hill People
      Encounters - Lothar of the Hill People, Bletchley, JamesL
      Game Design - Bletchley, Lothar of the Hill People, Creaghorn
      Maps - Lothar of the Hill People
      Medal System - RAF_Louvert, Lothar of the Hill People
      Mask, TAC & Labels - Olham
      Missions - Bletchley, Buddy1998, Lothar of the Hill People
      Music Production - Andy73, Lothar of the Hill People
      News & Photos - Creaghorn, Herr Prop-Wasche
      Rear Arc of Fire - 33Lima
      RSS Rules - British_eh
      Skins - Bullethead, nbryant, Olham, RAF_Louvert, Robert_Wiggins, UK_Widowmaker
      Software Engineer - Lothar of the Hill People
      Sound Design - Andy73
      Weather & Skies - Herr Prop-Wasche
      Weapons & Loadouts - Bletchley, OlPaint01
       
      Additional Testing - CaptSopwith, Cavaliere57, cptroyce, FreiherrWulff,
      JamesL, Robert_Wiggins
       
       
      Third-Party Sources and Included Tools:
       
      Audio Compression - FLAC: Free Lossless Audio Codec

      http://flac.sourceforge.net  
      Bloom/HDR Shaders - ENBSeries

      http://enbdev.com  
      Icons - Simon Child, The Noun Project

      http://thenounprojec...om/Simon Child/  
      Installers - Nullsoft Scriptable Install System

      http://nsis.sourceforge.net  
      Maps and Topography – Google
       
      Mod Management - JoneSoft Generic Mod Enabler 2.6.0
       
      Music Sources - Piano Society http://pianosociety.com

      - fair use clips (see included documentation)  
      Runtime Environment – REBOL 3 Alpha

      http://www.rebol.com/rebol3/  
       
      License:
       
      This software is free to use and benevolently modify via the ModRules interface, but not free to redistribute or otherwise misappropriate. Simple rule: don't be a jerk. Seriously. By agreeing to use this software, if you're a jerk about it you forfeit all your personal property to the program authors. So just don't be a jerk.
       
      Finally: while much of OFFice is geared toward making your OFF experience easier, safer, and more reliable, your mileage may vary. OFFice is provided 'as-is', without any express or implied warranty. In no event will the authors be held liable for any damages arising from the use of this software.
       
       
      The Fine Print:
       
      OFFice will edit your pilots and OFF Workshop and CFS3Config settings! That's the entire point. You should BACKUP your pilots frequently anyway:
      campaigns\CampaignData\Pilots\ in your OFF install

      The OFFset plugin in OFFramp will archive your OFF Workshop and CFS3Config settings on first run, and can easily backup and restore them whenever. See OFFset.readme.txt.
       
      The OFFput plugin in OFFramp can rebuild your XML files should they become corrupted or lost. With OFFice, there’s no longer any need to backup or worry about the UIsel.xml or UnlimitedPilots.xml files in your Windows user profile, and restoring pilots from backup is a snap.
       
      Persistent squadrons mean you will no longer be able to jump between the same squad during different periods of the war. OFFbase will synchronize multiple squadron pilots automatically--those at an earlier date put on leave until caught up with the most recent pilot in that squadron. So don’t be surprised!
       
      OFFbase handles the outcome of missions itself--a key ingredient to tracking your squadmates’ outcomes too. It sets ‘Dead Is Dead’ in the OFF Workshops merely so all crashes that destroy your aircraft are treated the same and do not advance time. So don’t despair at the message from OFF that your pilot is dead--this just tells OFFbase your plane is done--your pilot may yet live. Rate the severity of the crash and trust the mercy of the simulated combat medics. You may be Injured, Hospitalized, Disabled, or Deceased, but in all cases you can continue your squadron’s campaign with a replacement pilot.
       
      JSGME requires Administrator privileges to modify your OFF install, and so OFFice will ask for elevation to install and run. OFFice can launch OFF Manager and CFS3Config as Admin, but you'll need to set CFS3.exe (and TrackIR if you use it) to run as Administrator manually (right click, Properties).
       
      OFFice uses JSGME to customize your OFF installation to create a more unique and historically accurate experience for each individual campaign. When it runs, do not interfere, and please wait patiently--it will take several minutes sometimes, especially on first run. Don’t worry if it says “Not Responding”, it’s just working really hard to customize the game.
       
      READ THE INCLUDED DOCUMENTATION – ESPECTIALLY THE FAQ IN THE OFFBASE MANUAL
       
      See also the OFFice/OFFbase Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).
      Submitter Lothar of the Hill People Submitted 01/19/2013 Category OFFice / OFFbase / OFFworld  
    • By Lothar of the Hill People


      View File OFFbase: The Barmy Automated Squadron Experience for Over Flanders Fields
      An immersive role-playing simulation of life between flights for Over Flanders Fields.
       
      Note 1: For more information, screenshots, etc., visit the Official Website.
      Note 2: Get the full OFFice incomparable campaign engine which features OFFbase along with all supported mods and extra content in a complete package with one easy-to-use installer. This smaller package updates the OFFice software to the latest version, but to get 1.0.8's 'Skin in the Game' custom paint jobs just install the whole thing.
       
      Note 3: If you're interested in joining and supporting OFFworld, the multiplayer version in development, send me a PM.
       
      - OFFbase features persistent squadron-based play. Take turns flying multiple pilots in a squadron while sharing the same roster--and more. Separate wingmen are assigned and flights split as much as possible. See your other squadron pilots in the duty roster with you! Fly as a rookie pilot in your favorite squadron while taking your long-time veteran out on the occasion you work up the nerve. If your pilot dies, you can start a new pilot to take over for him with the same squadmates and everything, and continue your squadron's story throughout the war.
       
      - OFFbase puts you right in the Squadron HQ, where you can visit the Adjutant to manage your career, kick back in Lodgings that you may share with a roommate and write in your journal, go down to the Mess for food or drink and see how your squadmates are doing (and listen to the squadron band in the evenings), head out to the Hangar to check munitions and fly campaign missions, or reminisce over fallen heroes at the squadron memorial. The quality of your squadron's facilities develops over time.
       
      - OFFbase implements and expands Bletchley's Pilot Personality Profiles (3P) to give each pilot in the squad individual personality that informs how they behave and relate to each other. Engage in many different types of social encounters, mediated by personality traits. Personalities are composed of unique combinations of character traits, summarized by Attributes that rank characters in the following dimensions: Aerial Skill, Aggression, Charisma, Intelligence, Physicality, and Professionalism. With hundreds of billions of possibilities, the character's you'll meet in OFFbase are complex, distinctive, and completely individual in their behavior.
       
      - OFFbase builds on 3P with academic game theory to make social encounters richer, more intuitive, and open to different styles of play. Will you try to out-do other pilots, enhancing your short-run prestige at their expense, or try to build both your reputations through long-run friendship and social support? Your success at playing different strategies depends on the rank, personality, and social skills of your pilot character, as well as who the other player is and what they're trying to achieve. Over multiple encounters you'll come to know how different characters react in different situations, and what strategies work for your character. The result is a natural learning process on both sides.
       
      - OFFbase makes complex yet intuitive social encounters possible by giving characters in your squadron artificial intelligence. They remember how you and other pilots have treated them in the past, learn from their mistakes, and form social strategies to pursue their own goals based on their own rank, personality, risk preferences, social skills, and history. Some may try to boost their careers by bullying subordinates to make themselves look better, others may focus on building peer networks, while some may do a bit of both depending on who they like and who they don't and their feelings about their relationships and careers. The procedurally-generated rule-based AI system generates far more complex, dynamic, and unique behavior than traditional systems.
       
      - OFFbase features a full dynamic squadron simulation: Non-player pilots have daily encounters with each other, developing their own prestige and goodwill to develop their reputations and earn their own promotions, while periodically going on and returning from leave, even transferring in and out. All this goes on even as you advance or skip time due to weather, injury, whatever. Watch non-player pilots in your squadron share a drink, talk politics, make friends, get in fights--building relationships that affect how their careers develop, and yours.
       
      - OFFbase introduces Ground Crew, support officers or enlisted such as the squadron Adjutant, Chief Medical Officer, Chaplain, Munitions Officer, and even the Chief of the Mess Hall. Encounter and build relationships with them as well, which can affect your career, and your life, through gameplay. They may serve as stabilizing forces in dark times, or if a bad fit for a squadron disrupt morale. Encounter them in the Infirmary, Chapel, Hangar, and Mess Hall.
       
      - OFFbase introduces Air Crew: Pilots of two-seaters will share quarters with their observer/gunner. You and your fellow officers will encounter them in the Mess and on the Airfield, as they build their own careers.
       
      - OFFbase makes completing missions more rewarding, with additional benefits and costs to your career from shooting down enemy aces, friendly fire, pulling a hat trick by shooting down three or more enemy planes, and taking out ground targets and balloons. If a fellow pilot steals your kill, you can chew him out once you're back at HQ and try to take back some of the prestige he earned instead of you; or apologize and give back prestige if you steal someone else's kill. Some mission results may even affect the development of your pilot's personality by earning additional traits.
       
      - OFFbase brings additional features to the game such as transfers between squadrons, player input on promotions, funerals for dead pilots, a fully-editable journal built from the flight and claims logs, and tracking of mission results for your squadmates. Yes that's right--what actually happens to your squadmates in the air while they fly beside you matters now, dependent on and influencing the development of their characters. A Frontiersmen also trained in first aid is more likely to make it home after being downed behind enemy lines, a Cowards more likely to surrender, and a Weakling more likely to be permanently maimed by injury--especially if he's on bad terms with the Chief Medical Officer! The detailed injury system tracks dozens of different wounds and maims for you and your squadmates, with more realistic recovery times--and more ways to be disabled and killed. Dealing in the Infirmary is dynamic and can depend on the support of squadmates.
       
      - OFFbase accelerates immersion with a built-in mod manager (OFFramp) that automatically orders and activates JSGME mods appropriate to your campaign, if installed. See notes on mods below. This is accomplished through a fully-modable rule-driven scripting engine that supports plugins to the OFFice: OFF Incomplete Campaign Editor system, integrating access to Pilot dossiers, OFF Workshop settings, CFS3Config settings, JSGME mods, and OFFbase gameplay rules. Bletchley's historical ammo loudout rules and a number of other mods included in this distribution are implemented in this system. Modders: see very preliminary info in the OFFice\modrules\ folder.
       
      Gameplay:
       
      An officer or crewman's Reputation can be built in three different ways: success in the air, Goodwill from higher-ranking officers, and Prestige from socially dominating your peers. Each character has a unique set of Traits, yielding different preferences and skills toward these goals. As your campaign develops, you will observe changes in morale, upgrades to your airfield and lodgings, earn new personality-building traits through promotions and achievements, and take part in the lives and deaths of your dynamic, humanlike squadmates.
       
      To further the latter two goals, you will frequently (depending on your traits), Encounter your fellows, as well as witness encounters they have with each other. The social encounter system is based on a continuous iterated prisoner's dilemma game. Both players face a trade-off between short-run prestige from besting their opponent in the encounter and long-run goodwill from cooperating to build friendships. If both players jockey for short-run prestige, the result is negative-sum competition where gain, if any, only comes at the other's expense. If both players seek to build long-term social support to advance their military careers, the game is positive-sum cooperation that can increase both pilots' Goodwill toward each other, providing a daily boost to reputations so long as both players continue or even deepen their friendship.
       
      Even more interesting is the myriad cases in-between. You may come on too strong and embarrass someone, or come across as off-puttingly needy. You may also find yourself at the mercy of a vicious bully, or in a parasitic relationship with a high-ranking officer who praises you to superiors only to reflect well on his command while back at the squadron mercilessly putting you in your place in front of the other men. Willingly suck up to superiors if their goodwill seems worth more to your career than the shame, or buck them to defend your prestige at the risk of ill-will.
       
      The possibilities are almost endless because non-player characters also have reputations, and adaptively develop their own strategies based on their personalities, social skills, feelings, and memories in order to exploit their own trade-offs between short-run prestige and long-run goodwill. All this sounds complicated, but in practice decisions and their consequences unfold naturally, and the evolution of relationships should be dynamic, intuitive, and fun. Not only is it about learning which pilots are trying to befriend you and which are out to build their careers at your expense--but also teaching AI pilots to cooperate and learning when and when not to exploit their trust.
       
      Should your reputation fall to "Disrespected" you're in danger of being transferred to another squadron if you don't turn things around. Lean on your friends for support, though calling in the chips in the short-run can damage friendships in the long run. If you do well and your reputation becomes sufficiently "Honored" you'll be due a promotion to a higher rank and the chance to further develop your personality. Promotions and the new traits they bring cost prestige, so you'll start off at a lower reputation. Not everyone has what it takes to make it at a higher rank--those who climb the ladder too fast may step on too many toes, and end up in another squadron.
       
      Your pilot's mood serves as a guide to how he's doing in recent encounters. If he's upset, his reputation's been harmed either through losing prestige or goodwill or both, and he'll have a tougher time cooperating with others. A good mood means recent encounters have been helpful to his reputation, in the short- or long-run or both, and more open to others. You'll get some idea of the mood of others when you encounter them, and the squadron's morale reflects the aggregate mood of its members. Since mood affects behavior, the effects of encounters spill over through social networks. A skilled and patient or stubborn player can have a profound impact on the social development of his squadron, through good times and bad.
       
      Different personalities are more naturally suited to building their reputations by some means more than others. No-nonsense skilled-pilot types advance more quickly from flying and successfully completing missions, while smooth-tongued sycophants are more apt to milk the goodwill of superior officers at the cost of prestige, aggressive social animals readily suffer ill-will to dominate more social encounters for that prestige, while introverted loners try to avoid encounters in the first place.
       
      Every character will have a unique experience, even with the same squadmates. Your replacement pilot may have a tougher time making friends in a squad deeply mourning your popular former ace--or be just thing to help restore morale after the death of a tyrannical flight leader.
       
      Simply put, the game rewards role-playing.
       
      The deeper investment in building the career of your pilot and developing relationships with squadmates not only further customizes and enriches the campaign experience, but makes death in the air all the more terrifying, and thus OFF even more fun. Who'll carry your casket to its final resting place? How will your squadron remember him? Play OFFbase and find out!
       
      Installation:
       
      First make sure JSGME 2.6.0 is installed. This is included and installed automatically in the full OFFice package.
       
      Download and run the OFFice exe, and it will automatically extract the OFFice folder into your root OFF installation (usually "C:\ OBDSoftware"). This will also create shortcuts for OFFbase and OFFset (see OFFset.readme.txt) on your desktop and/or start menu, as well as documentation for the OFFice suite and included mods.
       
      OFFbase will ask to run at Adminstrator level as this is required by JSGME. OFFbase can elevate the OFF manager, but you should set CFS3.exe (and TrackIR5.exe) to run as Administrator as well.
       
      To play OFFbase, simply double click one of the installed shortcuts.
       
      Updating:
       
      To update OFFbase to a newer version after 0.7.8, just run the new setup exe to upgrade your existing install. The installer will automatically deactivate all JSGME mods for safe updating.
       
      OFFbase 0.8.6 and later will notify you if newer versions are available at Combat Ace.
       
       
      Mods:
       
      Get the full OFFice incomparable campaign engine which features OFFbase along with all supported mods in a complete package in one easy-to-use installer. Many of these mods are further developed and enhanced with powerful new features compared to their old stand-alone counterparts available separately.
       
      OFFbase will give you a choice which mission, damage, flight model, sound, music mods and so on in the OFFramp mod manager.
       
       
      Usage:
       
      You'll no longer launch Over Flanders Fields yourself, OFFbase will do it for you when ready. Instead, launch the OFFbase program from your desktop or Start menu shortcuts or launch the OFFbase.exe program in the OFFice folder manually.
       
      Whenever OFFbase has you run the OFF Manager, do just the one task or mission expected then quit OFF to return to OFFbase.
       
      OFFbase may ask you to set some settings before allowing you to play. Follow its instructions.
       
      You'll be asked to choose a nation and squadron to play your existing pilots. If you need to create a new pilot here, you can launch OFF Manager. Leave OFF when done creating the pilot and the list will update.
       
      Make your choice and click the "Play Squadron" button. You'll then be asked to choose a pilot in your squadron. You can compare the current date of the squadron listed in the left pane with the last reported date of your pilot in the middle pane to see how much leave your pilot will receive to sync up. You may also edit and save your pilot's background here.
       
      Choose your pilot and click the "Play Pilot" button to begin the OFFbase experience! You'll be asked to choose a personality class for your pilot, then fly a transfer mission to your new airfield to check out the squadron's facilities and people. Follow the prompts, it should be a fairly self-explanatory introduction.
       
      Note: Be sure to check ‘Air Start’ for your initial transfer mission!
       
      When you're squadron has been toured, you're on your own. Chat with the Adjutant and visit the Mess Hall to learn more about your squadmates. Go to the Hangar to fly campaign missions in OFF, or just do some exploring around the base.
       
      OFFbase will automatically set your active pilot for the campaign so you no longer need to manually switch between pilot dossiers in OFF Manager to fly different campaigns.
       
      OFFbase sets the Outcomes section of the OFF Workshops Dead Is Dead to offer advanced outcome handling. Most crashes are reported as fatal by OFF, but this just triggers custom crash handling. If your pilot is killed or captured, do not delete him in OFF. Instead, quit OFF to return to OFFbase and resolve his fate. If he does ultimately perish, after the funeral he becomes part of your squadron’s institutional memory.
       
      When adding a new pilot to a squadron, be sure to create him at a date prior to your current squadron date to avoid overwriting all of your squadmates.
       
      See the OFFbase Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).
      Submitter Lothar of the Hill People Submitted 10/30/2011 Category OFFice / OFFbase / OFFworld  
    • By Lothar of the Hill People
      Hey folks, version 1.1.1 of OFFice, OFFbase, and OFFworld is now available for download at the official website and Combat Ace. Here's the change-log:
      Injured pilots can access their journals and read their squadron's daily status reports from in the infirmary. Counts missions flown by your AI squadmates, reporting the tally in the Duty Room. Reduced frequency of Congressional Medal of Honor being awarded in American campaigns. Adjusted Goodwill scaling so missions are relatively more important. Optional Goudy Bookletter 1911 for American campaigns and Croissant One font for French campaigns, while clarity of the German Behrensschrift and British Railway Sans have been improved. Fixed bugs transferring between squadrons, handling gunner/observers in multiplayer squadrons, encounter partner selection, and elsewhere. Some edits to encounters and internal code refactoring as well. If you're interested in membership in OFFworld, the kick-ass multiplayer version, send me a PM.
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