Off Map Airbases and Carriers

[Stwa 18]

Hi all,

 

I wanted to start this topic because me thinks I may be the only one that has tried using off map airbases. It is really easy to do. You don't need anything extra. But, using off map airbases may allow you to make smaller, more specific terrains, that are in some ways just as fun as other terrains.

 

So, I use off map airbases in what I call a mini terrain. This type of terrain is one that is substantially smaller than the ones that shipped with WoV and WoE.  The original terrains from Thirdwire represented 1,000 kilometers square. This is a very large area, and of course creating such a terrain took the developers a lot of time. A mini terrain can represent less space such as 400 kilometers square.

 

So, with this method, you can plot the friendly airbases on the map. But then, you can plot the enemy bases off map. As it turns out, the WoX system is OK with this as AI aircraft can use the near target option, just like the human player.

 

 

[Gatling20 753]

Interesting. What coordinates do you have for the airbase shown by this map: it looks like it would be in negative numbers.

Does SF accept negative numbers for map coordinates?

[Stwa 18]

High Gatling20,

 

You are correct. Just use negative numbers. The lower left corner of the map square is position (coordinate) 0, 0.

 

The above map is 400 x 400 km square. So the base where the flight is originating (off the map) is approximately  -20, 220.

 

I only know this works in WoE 2006. I am not sure of any other version.

 

In fact, since I have done a number of terrains with off map airbases, I am worried that this feature might not work in SF2, if I ever upgrade.

[Gatling20 753]

Thanks for that mate - it had never occurred to me to use negative numbers (which, of course, are needed for any off-map base to the west or south).

I will give it a try.

[Stwa 18]

I was looking through my target_types.ini file the other day, and I came upon this part of the script. I am not sure what this does, but me thinks it fixes things so when you select a strike mission you will never be able to select a target from an enemy off map air base. Why? Because an off map air base has only one target, the runway, and now that runway has a value of zero.

 

from the target_types. ini;

 

[TargetType099]
Name=Runway7
FullName=Runway
ModelName=airfield3.lod
TargetType=MEDIUM_RUNWAY
ActiveYear=0
TargetValue=0
UseGroundObject=FALSE
DamagePoint=140.0
ArmorValue=0.0
ArmorType=0
RepairRate=10.0
StartDetectChance=100
StartIdentifiedChance=50
IncreaseDetectChanceKey=10
MaxVisibleDist=30000.0
ZBufferOffset=6.000000
FlatObject=TRUE
DamagedModel=
DestroyedEffect=
DestroyedModel=
SecondaryChance=0

 

So when specifying an enemy off map air base, always use runway7. From the ...targets.ini file;

 

[TargetArea020]

Name=Enemy Airbase
Position=280000.000,-20000.000
Radius=7071
ActiveYear=0
Location=3
Alignment=ENEMY
AirfieldDataFile=vietnamsea_airbase3.ini
NumSquadrons=2
Target[001].Type=runway7
Target[001].Offset=000.00,000.00
Target[001].Heading=270

[TargetArea021]
Name=Enemy Airbase
Position=300000.000,-20000.000
Radius=7071
ActiveYear=0
Location=3
Alignment=ENEMY
AirfieldDataFile=vietnamsea_airbase3.ini
NumSquadrons=3
Target[001].Type=runway7
Target[001].Offset=000.00,000.00
Target[001].Heading=270