Strike Fighters 2: North Cape

[+eburger68 201]

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Strike Fighters 2: North Cape

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Strike Fighters 2: North Cape

 

(Version 1.2)

 

This is an add-on package for the "Strike Fighters 2: North Atlantic" Expansion Pack available at CombatAce. The "Strike Fighters 2: North Cape" (SF2NC) add-on includes two new campaigns, both set in northern Norway during the late 70's and early 80's. Also included are fourteen new aircraft and a dozen new ground objects to fill out these new campaigns.

 

This add-on package is designed to be applied over the top of an existing installation of the SF2NA Expansion Pack. You can download the three main Expansion Pack files here:

 

Part 1:

http://combatace.com/files/file/13980-sf2na-expansion-pack-part-1-of-3/

 

Part 2:

http://combatace.com/files/file/13979-sf2na-expansion-pack-part-2-of-3/

 

Part 3:

http://combatace.com/files/file/13978-sf2na-expansion-pack-part-3-of-3/

 

Please take a look over the remainder of this ReadMe before installing this add-on.

 

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Requirements

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The minimum requirements for this add-on package are the same as for the SF2NA Expansion Pack.

 

REQUIRED: Strike Fighters 2 North Atlantic (SFNA), plus

Strike Fighters 2 (SF2), plus

Strike Fighters 2 Europe (SF2E), plus

Strike Fighters 2 Vietnam (SF2V)

 

PATCH LEVEL: Mar2012 or higher

 

As this mod is an add-on to the SF2NA Expansion Pack, you must have that earlier mod already installed and working.

 

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Installation

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Here's how to install this update package:

 

1. Ensure that SF2NA, SF2V, SF2, and SF2E are all properly installed & updated as part of a

merged install.

 

2. Ensure that the SF2NA Expansion Pack is properly installed and working. (See above for

links to all the download components.)

 

3. Unpack SF2_NorthCape.7z to a safe place on your drive.

 

4. Open the \To_Mod_Folder directory. Drag and drop all the files and folders from within

the \To_Mod_Folder sub-folder to your SF2NA Expansion Pack Mod Folder, overwriting as

prompted.

 

At this point the SF2NC add-on is installed and you're ready to play the new campaigns.

 

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Summary of New Campaigns

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

This add-on supplies five campaigns for the SF2NA Expansion Pack, all set in northern Norway during the late '70's and early to mid '80's.

 

Two of the new campaigns are variants of the same underlying campaign:

 

- Nordic Sword (79): After war erupts in Europe, the USS Nimitz carrier battle group sails north off the Norwegian coast in September 1979 to contain the Soviet Northern Fleet as it attempts to break out from the Barents Sea and into the North Atlantic. A trailing Amphibious Group carries U.S. Marines ready join the Norwegian Army in its fight to prevent Soviet armored regiments from seizing the North Cape. The Norwegian Air Force flies F-5As and F-104s. Temporarily deployed to Norwegian air bases are two squadrons of USAF F-4Es and a squadron of USAF F-111Fs. A squadron of B-52Gs, hastily deployed to RAF Fairford (off map), is available for use in theater.

 

- Nordic Sword (82): A variant of the 1979 campaign, set in 1982. The USN carrier battle group is led by the USS Independence. The Norwegian Air Force has one squadron that has transitioned from F-104s to F-16As. Temporarily deploying to Norwegian air bases are two squadrons of RAF F-4Ms and one squadron of USAF F-111s.

 

The other three comprise a linked series of campaigns set in 1986:

 

- Fighting Withdrawal (86): Just hours after the Warsaw Pact invades Central Europe, Soviet armored columns and airborne troops launch an assault on northern Norway. As Norwegian army units fall back, the USS Nimitz and her escorts are ordered to withdraw from the waters off Norway, lest the carrier and her invaluable air wing fail prey to Soviet bombers filling the skies over Norway.

 

- Return to Norway (86): With the ground war in Central Europe stalemated and the Soviet Northern Fleet defeated in the North Atlantic following a failed assault on Iceland, the USS Nimitz returns to Norway with the USS Forrestal and a Marine amphibious group to retake the airfields and ports under Soviet control in northern half of the country. The Marines will seize Narvik, splitting the Soviet occupation forces, while relying on the two carriers' air wings to provide a covering umbrella of air support.

 

- Assault on the Kola Peninsula (86): Three weeks after the successful landing of Marines near Narvik and subsequent defeat of Soviet forces in Norway, the Nimitz and Forrestal battle groups take position in the Barents Sea to strike Soviet air bases and naval facilities on the Kola Peninsula.

 

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Terrain Notes

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

This add-on is based on the North Cape terrain created by Baltika and updated by Wrench. As Wrench notes in his ReadMe for his updated version, the terrain is not in a final, finished state. Thus, you should be aware of some of the terrain's anomalies, which I have not been able to redress.

 

Air Bases

 

Some air bases on this terrain are un-usable for various reasons.

 

- Some air bases sit on ground that still needs proper flattening. At affected air bases, the runway and parking areas may disappear from view at ground level. In the very worst cases, aircraft may bounce around or even explode on the ground as they taxi or take off.

 

For the included campaigns I have not used any of the most affected air bases, though at one Norwegian air base (Narvik-Framnes) the runway will disappear from view at ground level (aircraft still taxi and take off without issue).

 

- Some air bases sit in the middle of heavily forested areas, with trees crowding the runway and taxiways. Most of these bases are in the southern area of the terrain, which is generally not used for the campaign.

 

In sum, although some air bases on this terrain have unresolved issues, they are for the most part not used in the campaigns. If you try to fly game-generated single missions, though, you could find yourself starting from a problem air base.

 

Naval Groups

 

One other problem you could encounter in game-generated single missions involves the placement of opposing naval forces. Although the terrain has been properly converted to SF2NA Naval Map standards, the single mission engine often ignores the designated water areas for friendly and enemy naval groups, which are generally along the northern peripheries of the map. The game engine seems to prefer spawning naval groups in the center of the map -- the Gulf of Bothnia -- often right on top of one another.

 

This misplacement of naval forces really only becomes an issue if you are flying naval aircraft off carriers in game-generated single missions. When flying a naval aircraft on a single mission, you would do well to check the mission map before taking off. If the game engine has chosen to locate opposing naval groups in ridiculous places, back out and start a new mission.

 

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What's Included

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

This add-on includes the following updates for the SF2NA Expansion Pack:

 

NEW AIRCRAFT

- C-130E (RNoAF)

- CF-104 (72)

- F-5A

- F-16A Block 10

- F-104G

- MiG-25PD

- MiG-25RB

- MiG-27K

- MiG-27M

- RF-5A

- Su-24

- Su-24M

- Su-25

- Vulcan B2 (MRR)

 

NEW GROUND OBJECTS

- Container Ship

- Firecan

- Leopard1A1

- M113A1

- Oiler

- Oslo

- Petrolero

- Soviet Cruiser

- Soviet Freighter

- Soviet Tanker

- Soviet Trawler

 

OTHER ADDITIONS

- North Cape terrain

- two new campaigns

- misc. new skins

- misc. new weapons

 

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Updates

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In May 2015 this mod package was refreshed with the following updates, additions, & fixes:

 

NEW AIRCRAFT

- AH-1J_80

- Be-12

- IL-38

- IL-38N

- Ka-27

- Mi-24P

- MiG-31

- NimrodMR1

- P-3C

- S-3B

- Su-15TM

- Su-17M3

- Su-17M4

- Su-27

- TornadoGR1

- Tu-16KSR2

- Tu-126

 

NEW GROUND OBJECTS

- BMP-2

- BMP-2_AT-5

- CommTrailer

- HQTrailer

- Kilo

- KiloSub

- Koni

- NanuchkaI

- NanuchkaIF

 

NEW CAMPAIGNS

- CampaignNC3A: Fighting Withdrawal

- CampaignNC3B: Return to Norway

- CampaignNC3C: Assault on the Kola Peninsula

 

Other notable additions/updates:

- updated campaigns

- three new campaigns

- updated & expanded F-14 skins/decals

- new lo-viz skins for A-6E_79 & A-7E_74

- additional Mi-8T Soviet camo skins

- updated & corrected terrain

 

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Credits

~~~~~~~

 

This update contains a number of new items from the following modders who generously allowed their use:

 

yakarov79 ........................ AH-1J_80

EricJ ............................. AH-1J camo skin

Dave (USAFMTL) .................... B-52G 2nd BW skin

Veltro2k & Wrench ................. Be-12 (PBY Catalina)

Dels .............................. C-130E_RNoAF

Daddyairplanes .................... C-130E_RNoAF upgrades & skins

The Mirage Factory ................ F-5A & RF-5A

suhsjake .......................... F-5A Norwegian skin

hgbn .............................. F-104 RNoAF decals

Viper Crew ........................ F-16A_Blk10

Veltro2K, Torno, & Paulopanz ...... IL-38 & IL-38N

WhiteboySamurai ................... Ka-27

YEYEYE ............................ Mi-24P

USAFTML & MiG-25 Team ............. MiG-25PD & MiG-25RB

Baffmeister ....................... MiG-25 updated flight model

Jv44kt, Erwin_Hans, & Lindr2 ...... MiG-31

Veltro2K & Wrench ................. Nimrod MR.1

Florian ........................... P-3C beta

FoxMonter ......................... S-3B

Wrench ............................ S-3B updates

slick cowboy ...................... S-3B skins

Boopidoo & Volksjager ............. Su-15TM

Jug ............................... Su-15 lights update

dalai_LAMA ........................ Su-15TM camo scheme

Flogger23 ......................... Su-15-TM revamp packs

ArmourDave & AmokFloo ............. Su-17M3/M4 models

Lindr2 ............................ Su-17M3/M4 upgrades

eburger68 ......................... Su-17M3/M4 SF2 upgrades

Veltro2k & Lindr2 ................. Su-24 & Su-24M

NATO Fighters 4+ team ............. Su-25

Florian, Baffmeister, Paulopanz ... Su-25 updated model, INI updates, & new skins

Marcfighter, Erwin Hans ........... Su-27

SayWhat!, Massimo, Erwin Hans, .... Su-27 skins

& Diogo

Orsin & Lindr2 .................... Su-27 & Su-33 flight models

YEYEYE ............................ Flanker cockpits

Sundowner, AD, & Dave ............. TornadoGR1

Ianh .............................. Tornado GR1 fixes & updates

Paulopanz & Spillone104 ........... Tu-16KSR2

Veltro2K .......................... Tu-126

russouk2004 ...................... Vulcan B2 MRR

Paulopanz ......................... Vulcan B2 skins

 

rebel ryder ....................... BMP-2, BMP-2_AT-5

Kesselbrut ........................ CommTrailer, HQTrailer

BANIDOS Team ...................... ContainerShip

Julhelm ........................... Container_Ship & SovietTanker

Fubar512 .......................... Fleet Oiler

Kesselbrut ........................ Kilo Class submerged (November)

AleDucat .......................... Kilo Class Sub (ARA Salta)

WhiteboySamurai ................... Koni (Type053K)

WhiteBoySamurai ................... Nanuchka missile boats

Florian ........................... Oslo Class Frigate (Bremen F122)

loborojo & SUICIDAL ............... Petrolero

Hinchinbrooke ..................... SovietCruiser

Cocas ............................. SovietTrawler

Julhelm ........................... Firecan radar

SUICIDAL-ART ...................... M113A1

 

Baltika ........................... North Cape terrain

Wrench ............................ North cape terrain upgrades

blaze95 ........................... updated terrain .TFD file

OldDiego, Pappy, Wrench, Pasko, ... Pilots

Florian/AmokFloo, & PureBlue

 

If I have neglected to credit anyone here, please let me know. I will get it fixed ASAP.

 

 

--------------------

Eric Howes

eburger68

8 May 2015

18 January 2015

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• Submitter
  eburger68
• Submitted
  01/19/2015
• Category
  User Made Campaigns

 

[Viggen 643]

Awesome. Thank you.

[+Hans Topp 115]

Fantastic!!!!

[+JonathanRL 974]

Nice! This one has been on my list but I am kinda happy somebody else did it :)

Keep up the good work!

[tn_prvteye 36]

Just a quick question. Are there any summer tiles that will work in this terrain? Too cold outside for me

:)

[+eburger68 201]

tn_pvteye:

 

There are no seasonal tiles for this terrain, so far as I know. I'd like to see some seasonal, hi-res tiles for this terrain, too. I was sort of hoping a dedicated all-in-one mod for the terrain might inspire someone to take on the task.

 

Eric Howes

[+Menrva 4,194]

 

 

There are no seasonal tiles for this terrain, so far as I know. I'd like to see some seasonal, hi-res tiles for this terrain, too. I was sort of hoping a dedicated all-in-one mod for the terrain might inspire someone to take on the task.

 

First of all, many thanks for another campaign package, eburger68. You are right, probably someone will be inspired to complete such terrain. My wish would be to see this great terrain by Baltika completed, so we can use it even for most of The Scandinavian Front campaigns by JonathanRL. IIRC this tiles are used in the Kamchatka terrain, and Stary made some unreleased hi-res tiles for it. However, the North Cape terrain has much more tiles, so a whole new tileset needs to be made.

Edited January 21, 2015 by blaze95

[tn_prvteye 36]

Yeah, I took a peek, thinking I might try. Nope. Way outta my league.

[+Menrva 4,194]

It seems I got inspired to correct some of the terrain issues; at the moment I corrected most of the TFD thanks to Gerwin's TFDTool, so no more trees in the runways affected by this "bug". I also noticed an airfield which was over water. Open targets.ini and find this:

 

[TargetArea067]
Name=UME UMEA
Position=674000.000000,740000.000000        

 

Position=676000.000000,740000.000000     <-----------   change to this

 

I have no idea how to quickly correct the airfield flattening problems atm. eburger68, let me know if you want the TFD in case you are planning an update.

[+eburger68 201]

blaze95:

 

Thanks for taking a crack at it. I'll take anything you got corrections-wise. Just PM me with with the data and/or files.

 

Best,

 

Eric Howes

[+eburger68 201]

Folks:

 

The North Cape add-on has been updated. This update adds three new campaigns and the aircraft and ground units to support those campaigns:

 

- Fighting Withdrawal (86): Just hours after the Warsaw Pact invades Central Europe, Soviet armored columns and airborne troops launch an assault on northern Norway. As Norwegian army units fall back, the USS Nimitz and her escorts are ordered to withdraw from the waters off Norway, lest the carrier and her invaluable air wing fail prey to Soviet bombers filling the skies over Norway.

- Return to Norway (86): With the ground war in Central Europe stalemated and the Soviet Northern Fleet defeated in the North Atlantic following a failed assault on Iceland, the USS Nimitz returns to Norway with the USS Forrestal and a Marine amphibious group to retake the airfields and ports under Soviet control in northern half of the country. The Marines will seize Narvik, splitting the Soviet occupation forces, while relying on the two carriers' air wings to provide a covering umbrella of air support.

- Assault on the Kola Peninsula (86): Three weeks after the successful landing of Marines near Narvik and subsequent defeat of Soviet forces in Norway, the Nimitz and Forrestal battle groups take position in the Barents Sea to strike Soviet air bases and naval facilities on the Kola Peninsula.

 

All in all it's a fairly large update, with sixteen new aircraft and eight new ground objects.

 

Eric Howes

Edited May 9, 2015 by eburger68

[+Menrva 4,194]

eburger68, I was taking a look at the package again and noticed that the terrain uses only my updated .TFD, while I have an updated .HFD which I may have forgot to sent to you.  Most likely the new HFD has fixed some airbases which were not flattened.  If you plan to update, PM me and I'll find a way to send it to you (I can't upload it as an attachement, the file is pretty big even when compressed). 

[+eburger68 201]

blaze95:

 

You already sent me the updated HFD. I simply haven't incorporated it into an update yet.

 

Eric Howes

[+Menrva 4,194]

Ok then, no problem.

[jmarso 10]

Question about the fighting withdrawal campaign: Is it possible to win that in any way or is it one of those 'scripted to defeat you' sort of deals for story purposes?

 

I ask because I got down to where I was shooting down all but 2 or 3 of my primary target bombers, they were not hitting the Nimitz (although they did score a bunch of other ships!), but yet the mission was constantly scoring as a failure and ending the campaign. I replayed it several times and even with an undamaged carrier and shooting down multitudes of primary targets (and surviving), it was still coming up FAIL.

[+Menrva 4,194]

I haven't tried that campaign yet, but you may be right, there is a reason why it always ends in a failure, because after all it's a withdrawal, and the campaign is scripted so that the Soviets control all of Norway, which by default is meant to be under Blue Side control.  I might be wrong though.

[+eburger68 201]

jmarso:

 

From what I can tell the SF2NA campaign engine has some behavior where it magically "decides" or determines the outcome of some missions, esp. those involving attacks on the carrier group. I've seen missions where the carrier wasn't hit or took only one or two hits and appeared to be sailing under its own power when I ended the mission. Result: game declared campaign failure and summary text said the carrier was sunk. I've seen that happen with a number of different campaigns, including the default SF2NA 1979 campaign.

 

Ending a mission early, esp. if you haven't achieved mission success by shooting down the required number of bombers, increases the likelihood of the game declaring a TKO on your carrier group. Not much I can do about this except to advise players to play out missions involving carrier attacks as long as possible and make sure you get a "mission success" message before ending the mission.

 

Another thing to keep in mind about the "Fighting Withdrawal" campaign -- the campaign win and campaign lose texts are very similar. You're not going to stop the Soviets from taking Norway. The best you can do is get through three days (fifteen missions) without allowing your carrier to be sunk.

 

Eric Howes

[jmarso 10]

jmarso:

 

From what I can tell the SF2NA campaign engine has some behavior where it magically "decides" or determines the outcome of some missions, esp. those involving attacks on the carrier group. I've seen missions where the carrier wasn't hit or took only one or two hits and appeared to be sailing under its own power when I ended the mission. Result: game declared campaign failure and summary text said the carrier was sunk. I've seen that happen with a number of different campaigns, including the default SF2NA 1979 campaign.

 

Ending a mission early, esp. if you haven't achieved mission success by shooting down the required number of bombers, increases the likelihood of the game declaring a TKO on your carrier group. Not much I can do about this except to advise players to play out missions involving carrier attacks as long as possible and make sure you get a "mission success" message before ending the mission.

 

Another thing to keep in mind about the "Fighting Withdrawal" campaign -- the campaign win and campaign lose texts are very similar. You're not going to stop the Soviets from taking Norway. The best you can do is get through three days (fifteen missions) without allowing your carrier to be sunk.

 

Eric Howes

 

OK. thanks! Really enjoying it, BTW. You've put up a lot of good stuff here!

[jmarso 10]

Replayed this campaign recently and enjoyed it. (Taking a break from DCS)

 

Ran into an issue with the Kola campaign, one I encountered in the past, and I'm not sure if it's a known issue or not. 

Fighting Withdrawal and Return to Norway work fine. In the Kola campaign, however, everytime I start the campaign and fly a mission (generally a strike mission), I get a CTD when the first weapon hits a target. I've tried it in the campaign, and in single missions up there in the White Sea and the around the Kola P. and the same thing happens. Any idea what is going on here?