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OFFice/OFFbase 1.0.5 now available with OFFworld!
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Lothar of the Hill People, in WOFF UE/PE - General Discussion
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By 76.IAP-Blackbird
Hello Pilots,
Stormbirds summed up the new updates for Cliffs of Dover.
A series of updates over the last several days have focused on the work that Team Fusion Simulations is busy doing turning IL-2 Sturmovik: Cliffs of Dover into a VR supported sim. That’s not all because they are also busy upgrading the visuals of the sim with higher resolution textures and TrueSky technology for new volumetric clouds. Here’s the latest!
Try and find the bombers in these clouds
Higher resolution textures, VR support, and volumetric clouds round out the headline features of a future visual update coming to IL-2 Sturmovik: Cliffs of Dover Blitz and Desert Wings – Tobruk. These veteran sims are getting one of the most significant updates in the series’ history when it comes to core technologies and the inclusion of the new cloud technology, on its own, will likely be as transformative as it has been for other sims that have employed it.
I couldn’t agree more with this statement from Team Fusion.
Have a look at some of the screenshots below or check out even more 4K resolution images here.
As of yet, no release date has been offered for this update and work appears to be ongoing on this project. Still, it seems like we’re getting closer to do the time when it will become available. It should be very interesting to check out when we get there. More to come!
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By Lothar of the Hill People
OFFice: Skin in the Game
View File ‘Skin in the Game’ is a custom skin pack for the OFFice incomparable campaign engine for Over Flanders Fields. It includes historically appropriate custom paint jobs for player aircraft in the OFFice campaign from the OFF community’s best skinners. Most of these are already available for download at Combat Ace, but this provides a single, easy-to-install package.
Installation:
The installer will automatically extract the mod into your OFF JSGME mods folder if OFF and JSGME are installed correctly. The ‘OFFice - Skin in the Game’ folder can be manually activated with JSGME if this pack is used without the rest of the OFFice suite.
OFFramp will activate the mod automatically for your OFFice campaigns, so when you next launch OFF from OFFbase any additional skins will selectable in-game for your aircraft type. If the Bletchley’s RSS Ammo mod is enabled in OFFramp, your Munitions Officer will let you know in the hangar if custom skins are acceptable.
Contributions:
Bullethead:
DFW C.V Realistic(?) Naval Hex
After a lot more research, I totally re-did the paintjob of my naval DFW skin. Now it looks (I THINK) about as realistic as possible, per Dan-San Abbott's information. Hand-painted, symmetrical hexes in hopefully the right colors, and the correct colors on the fuselage and rudder.
nbryant:
SPAD VII – Spa.26 1917
No. S 1042 (14) of Spa.26 crashed on nose at St. Pol. This plane was wrecked on 14 September 1917 by M.d.L. Quellec. The serial number indicates that the plane was constructed by Blériot but it appears that the upper wing had been previously replaced with one constructed by S.P.A.D. or Kellner as the cocardes are of a larger diameter than found on Blériot-built planes. Also note that the nose appears to be painted in a dark color. A darkish color extends over the fabric surfaces back to the fuselage band.
Olham:
Albatros DIII early Burgundy - Jasta 24 1917
Albatros DIII Red Yellow - Jasta 28w 1917
Albatros D.V "Windrose" - Jasta 17 1917
Inspired by the 3. Albatros D.Va built by THE VINTAGE AVIATOR, I made this skin. The plywood of the TVA craft was varnished with a clear laquer with a warm redbrownish tone added. It looks like a darker honey, or amber. Together with the mauve and green upper wing camo, it goes very nicely.
Albatros D.V Haifisch - Seefrosta 1 1917
Sopwith Triplane Blue & Silver - RNAS-8
Sopwith Triplane "Silver Bird" - RNAS-8
RAF_Louvert:
Bristol F2b – RAF 139
#D8084 flown by Capt Sydney Dalrymple of 139 Squadron RAF, based at Villavera aerodrome.
Robert_Wiggins:
4 historically accurate skins for Captain William George Barker’s Camel B6313 while he flew with 28 Sqn RFC OC, C Flight, October 1917; 28 Sqn RFC OC, C Flight, March 1917; and Major William George Barker’s Camel B6313 while he flew with 139 Sqn RAF OC Summer 1918; 139 Sqn RAF OC September 1918.
http://combatace.com/files/file/13489-william-barkers-camel-b6313-4-personal-skins/
UK_Widowmaker:
Sopwith Pup – 66 sqd 1917
Flown by s/Lt W.C. Heathcote
Additional Credits:
Many thanks to the OBD Sofrware skinners--OvS/James Romano and Paarma/Arto Karttunen--who created the immense output of over 3,400 skins for OFF that serve as basis for all modders’ work.
Additional Contributions?
Made a historically-appropriate campaign aircraft skin you think should be included? Contact Lothar of the Hill People at Combat Ace.
Submitter Lothar of the Hill People Submitted 01/30/2013 Category Aircraft Skins
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By Lothar of the Hill People
View File OFFice: The incomparable campaign engine for Over Flanders Fields
OFFice: the incomparable campaign engine for Over Flanders Fields creates a dynamic campaign unlike any other combat flight simulator. Far more than just a collection of mods, OFFice deepens the historical accuracy, sensory immersion, and emotional terror of flight and combat in The Great War, while rooting the campaign in the day-to-day life of the officers and crew of an aerial squadron.
Note 1: For more information, latest news, additional screenshots, etc., visit the Official Website.
Note 2: If you're interested in joining and supporting OFFworld, the multiplayer version in development, send me a PM.
Major goals of enhancing and expanding OFF:HitR:
Persistence: Squadron-based campaigns continue when your pilot is captured/killed, so you can carry on the war as another pilot with the same mates. Living pilots can transfer between squadrons and continue their careers past the bounds of OFF aircraft availability. Start by flying two-seaters and transfer to a fighter squadron on promotion. Even take turns flying multiple pilots in a squadron, handy when one is out for injury. Track outcomes for your squadmates so their deeds in the air matter. Unleash the true power of OFF’s exemplary campaign engine!
Immersion: Steeped in historical detail, OFFice campaigns offer dynamic difficulty and realism over the course of the war with more appropriate squadron roles and access to technological developments as well as more dynamic and engaging missions. But persistence is only immersive if pilots are not disposable. The secret: “flying to live rather than flying to kill”. OFFice realizes this vision to a degree unparalleled in a combat flight simulator with:
OFFbase: the barmy automated squadron experience for OFF, an immersive role-playing simulation of life between flights! Turn your squad’s roster into a bunch of learning, thinking, interacting artificial intelligences, toss in a bunch of ground crew (and observers for two-seater campaigns), and drop yourself in among them with your pilot’s own unique personality. Emergent sandbox gameplay with unique, adaptive, goal-seeking characters harnesses fun to a purpose--the deeper investment in your pilot’s personal journey makes every trip up feel a matter of life and death, for your fellow flyers as well. Manage not just your career but help steer your squadron through years of war and loss. Lead through social encounters as well as your deeds in the air. Build deep, long-lasting friendships and social circles, while struggling bitterly with enemies--all affected by events in the skies. And vice versa; you’ll find it truly changes how, and why, you fly.
See the included OFFbase.readme.rtf for an expansive list of features and usage notes.
Ease: Take the headache out of configuring and customizing OFF. Finding, installing, and using mods correctly can be daunting, let alone setting up Workshopsp and CFS3Config. But OFFice is a coherent and customizable package that just works--in fact it makes OFF itself easier and safer to configure by imbuing the wisdom of the OFF community’s technical experts. Realizing settings for immersive simulation flying is a snap. There’s no better means for beginners and experts alike to get the most out of OFF, and no easier way to start.
See more on the OFFramp, OFFset, OFFput, and OFFfov components of the OFFice suite geared toward ease further below. First, more of the fun stuff...
OFFice features can be most easily organized around some of the personalities you’ll encounter regularly OFFbase:
Squadron Adjutant
Transfers between squadrons--voluntary and otherwise--so your persistent campaign doesn’t end until the war does. Begin your career flying bombers and transfer to a fighter squad when ready.
Smarter and more historically-accurate mission planning for your squad’s role in the war and in the face of inclement weather, with Dawn Patrol missions and optional historical Lone Wolf missions
More rational rank-based assignment of flight members and wingmen, and assignment of observer/gunners to pilots of two-seaters. Your German observer’s likely to outrank you, so remember who’s in charge!
Track flight members’ in-air outcomes--report them as crashed or missing, and even witness their claims!
More post-mission options and consequences, including the ability to submit claims for non-target and Lone Wolf mission balloons--become a balloon-busting ace early in the war, if you have the guts and skill
Write optional post-mission reports even without claims; edit these and any other writings in a squadron Journal synced to the Flight Log
Choose your pilot’s photo--your squadmates will become familiar faces as you interact with them on the ground, many even look their traits
Dynamic historical medal system with more than twice as many awards
American, British, and German campaigns get expanded historical news and more diverse names for squadmates based on historical popularity
Expanded enlisted ranks for crew in American and British squadrons
Escadrille La Fayette gets American pilots alongside French crew
Towns named in missions, e.g. “Verdun” instead of “british town 153”
Munitions Officer
Recommends loadouts for the specific mission you’ve been assigned
Advanced ammo including smoke and tracers when historically available, as well as incendiary rounds for targeting more resistant balloons
Sneak incendiary rounds into a ‘dirty’ mix for deadlier firepower--if you can get away with it--but who would brazen and inhuman as to use it full bore against planes or ground targets?
Historically-accurate ammo capacities and machine-gun rates-of-fire
Set your own gun convergence distance to perfect your aim
Custom skins can optionally be earned as historically appropriate--easiest for German flyers (linked to ammo capacities)
Mask and upgraded goggles to keep your face from chapping!
Choice among more detailed, higher quality in-game maps to navigate
Refined, less obtrusive TAC and labels for those who use such aids
Improved flight and damage models with some historically-timed engine upgrades, and with AI planes carrying the weight of fuel and ammo
Damaged/destroyed aircraft can result in Leave while awaiting repairs
More realistic and historically appropriate anti-aircraft fire, with difficulty adjusting dynamically for each side over time
Better arcs-of-fire for rear guns on two-seaters
Complete audio overhaul for more immersive sounds: engines, explosions, bullet hits bomb drops, pilot screams, ground gunnery, flak, machine gun sounds synchronized with historical rates-of-fire, and more!
Medical Officer
Detailed injury system with a diverse set of healable wounds and permanent and potentially disabling maimings
Injuries, maimings, and death depend on the reported severity, location and timing of the crash, health and skill of the pilot, access to medical care, relationship with and skill of the Medic, and luck
Visit the Medic and injured squadmates at your local Infirmary--and influence respectively their bedside manner and recovery
The persistent squadron means you can even encounter and try to cheer up the AI of your own injured pilots to hasten their healing!
Access to medical care varies, but becomes more effective over the course of the war
Across the lines you’re at the mercy of enemy medics and facilities!
Mess Chief
The food may not be much to speak of, but the Mess Hall helps monitor and manage your squad’s morale
Quality and availability of food change over the course of the war, with better Mess Chiefs able to do more with less
Witness encounters between squadmates in addition to taking part
Musically-trained officers and crew form a squadron band in the Mess that influences the mood of those in attendance
Additional music options for OFF Manager, including period-appropriate piano scores for French and German campaigns
Chaplain
Funerals for your dead pilots, convalescent home for the disabled, care packages for captured pilots, and prayers for those who need them
Squadron memorial lists your ended pilots and archives their journals so you can trace the whole story of your squadron in the Great War
The influence of your dead/captured pilots can linger as their careers become part of the squad’s institutional memory, shaping its future
Interactions and social networks are dynamic, so events on the air and ground spill over to affect peoples’ behavior
So don’t underestimate the role of the Chaplain in providing stability to your squadron--assuming he’s stable himself!
Everyone
Other pilots and squadmates pursue their own goals, building their own careers and social networks
Engage in and witness nearly 150 different kinds of encounters, some more personalized, and more rare, than others
Build friendships whose impact lingers even after death, and make enemies that transcend sides in the war
Build friendships whose impact lingers even after death, and make enemies that transcend sides in the war
Develop your character to expand their skills and capabilities as they gain ranks: advance your career, pursue a hobby, or change your approach to relationships
With 88 distinct personality Traits in billions of combinations, summarized by eight dimensions of Attributes, every character is unique
Tell your own personal story of life as a pilot in a historic squadron in The Great War
Much of this highly configurable and/or optional, configurable with:
OFFramp: rule all mods & plugins for OFF - More than just a mod manager, this dynamic scripting engine makes OFFice possible. Beneath the graphical interface where you customize your campaign and control OFFice features, ModRule plugins imbue the OFF Workshops and previously-standalone OFF mods with the intelligence, historical knowledge, and cooperative spirit of the OFF community. At the same time, powerful new ModRule plugins can tailor almost every aspect of the OFF campaign experience to heighten realism, immersion, and joy. Play OFF your way!
OFFfov: the OFF field-of-view optical vanguard – This ModRule plugin helps set aspect-ratio-correct FOV settings by projecting a 3D model of your screen into the gameworld. Fly OFF close to a big screen as a true visual simulation, preserving perspective so objects are as close as they appear--or just make it look right for gaming. Your optimized FOV is applied to all OFFbase campaign aircraft seamlessly and automatically in all positions, including forward gunsights and rear gunner, as well as correctly integrating modded aircraft.
OFFset: the OFF settings manager - Backup and Restore all your painfully-crafted OFF settings (Workshops and CFS3 Config), in full or in part. Handy if you need to reinstall the game or update graphics drivers, but also use settings profiles to switch between different play styles, or pre-configure hardware with settings recommendations from the experts. An OFFramp ModRule archives your settings on first run, so you can safely experiment. See the included OFFset.readme.rtf.
OFFput: the OFF Pilot UnderTaker – Cares for your dead and broken pilot files by rebuilding corrupted XML files (frequently caused by retiring multiple pilots in OFF Manager). It automatically protects against some common problems and gives you a panic button that works when OFF Manager goes haywire and tells you to delete your pilots! Won’t back up your pilots for you, but makes restoration a snap.
Realism profiles manage degrees of Dead Is Dead (DID) and Realistic Survival Strategies (RSS) community standards in OFF Workshops and CFS3Config, for a well-designed experience at any difficulty level.
Requirements:
OFFice is of no use and will not install without Over Flanders Fields: Hat in the Ring (OFF), OBD Software's breathtakingly deep WW1 combat flight simulator. The official Hat in the Ring expansion pack is recommended: Make sure you patch both to the latest version:
http://overflandersfields.com
NaturalPoint’s TrackIR is essential for included realism profiles and simulation field-of-view settings:
http://www.naturalpoint.com/trackir/
OFFice uses Microsoft WordPad (included with Windows) to view documentation.
The full OFFice suite requires 3GB free hard drive space on your OFF partition. OFFice installs itself alongside OFF.
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
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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
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