Return the civilian mod to life?

[+malibu43 142]

A couple of random thoughts:

 

1.  Retardant drops are done to box the fire in or cut off it's movement; not usually directly on the fire itself.  It would be interesting to design the "forest fire" ground objects with hit boxes extending well forward of where the actual fire effect displays, so that "destroying" the fire requires dropping retardant ahead of it.  That would be cool and also add some challenge as the player would have to plan their drops in relation to the direction of the fire's movement, rather than just "drop on the fire".

 

2.  You could fit the OV-10A with a custom retarded bomb that has no model and zero damage, but has a "release effect" (can't remember if bombs can have those in SF2) that resemble smoke trailing from the aircraft.  Then, the player could select the OV-10 as a wingman, tell him to "attack my target" and watch him mark the drop runs with smoke.  You'd also have to see what can be done to force the AI OV-10 to attack from a very low altitude.

[Wrench 9,850]

 

that resemble smoke trailing from the aircraft

 

you can do it with a bomb -- I did so for the RAZON and TARZON bombs. But, it's just a smoke trail (like for the manual guidance system).

 

I have a vague recollection of someone doing an "air show" type of smoke generator -- something like a gun maybe? When fired, it left a smoke trail behind (like TBirds or Blue Angels kind of thing). I don't remember where it might be now...guess we'll have to search for it.

 

I don't know if your #1 question is doable without building specific objects, or without editing of the existing hit boxes. That's for someone that know more about that than me!

 

Nice turcks Gepard!!!

 

here's the Guppy I mentioned before, just a very quick and dirty paint job. The orange color looks a bit too faded, but that's pretty easy (I hope!) to fix

[charlielima 328]

 

 

OTH, yet again. I DO have MontyCZ's source files (MAX files) for his A-1H. Then, all is needed is some MAX Guru to rebuild it (and Monty's OK of course) into the -5.

Which I've wanted someone to do for a LOOOOOOONG time (but we'd new a new, 2 seat pit for it......)

 

 I'm convinced the fuselage and tail are different. Its boxier from the front of the wing to the tail and wider I think around the wing and of course no dive brakes on the side.

 

 

 

here's the Guppy I mentioned before, just a very quick and dirty paint job. The orange color looks a bit too faded, but that's pretty easy (I hope!) to fix

 

Interesting. Just in time for Halloween ?

CL

[Wrench 9,850]

 I'm convinced the fuselage and tail are different. Its boxier from the front of the wing to the tail and wider I think around the wing and of course no dive brakes on the side.

 

 

true, but that can be dealt with in MAX by reshaping the meshes out to match the profiles. I have MAX, but don't know how to use it. Hopefully, after the New Year (and eye fully healed and new glasses), I'll look at the local colleges for a class on it.

 

the lack of a proper side-by-side pit is the killer. At least with the Guppy, Del's superb pit can be reused (albeit without radar)

 

hmmm... Great Pumpkin artwork on the dome??? .... don't tempt me! LOL!!

[charlielima 328]

 

hmmm... Great Pumpkin artwork on the dome??? .... don't tempt me! LOL!!

 

I think I just did.

CL

[Wrench 9,850]

Decieded to scrap the Guppy, and just (re)do another of the Skyraiders, so now there's 2 (H & J).

A pity, as I had some nice eyeball decals to put on the radome...

 

anyway, here's the H done up for Hemet Valley Flying Services, and a C-119 that Florian sent me the other day.

The regular 119s (HVFS) are all done, too. They just don't have the top mounted J-47

[charlielima 328]

Very Nice.

CL

[+daddyairplanes 10,248]

One: why do big releases always come out after i've gone to tablet for the evening

Two: was looking at HS748 airlines and came across this

No evidence of actual use, but has that stopped some of the other things we've seen here?

[Wrench 9,850]

just got the new skin set for the OV-10A from Nyghtfall...

 

man, what a great job you've done. You could be the next Sundowner!!!

 

many thanks!

[+Nyghtfall 2,154]

Thanks. I'm glad I could help!

 

Well, those are big shoes...it's still a long way, 'til I got there. But as long as it's fun, I'm on my way. :)

[charlielima 328]

A couple of random thoughts:

 

1.  Retardant drops are done to box the fire in or cut off it's movement; not usually directly on the fire itself.  It would be interesting to design the "forest fire" ground objects with hit boxes extending well forward of where the actual fire effect displays, so that "destroying" the fire requires dropping retardant ahead of it.  That would be cool and also add some challenge as the player would have to plan their drops in relation to the direction of the fire's movement, rather than just "drop on the fire".

 

2.  You could fit the OV-10A with a custom retarded bomb that has no model and zero damage, but has a "release effect" (can't remember if bombs can have those in SF2) that resemble smoke trailing from the aircraft.  Then, the player could select the OV-10 as a wingman, tell him to "attack my target" and watch him mark the drop runs with smoke.  You'd also have to see what can be done to force the AI OV-10 to attack from a very low altitude.

 

Affirm. For retardant drops its anchor and flank, tie the next drop to the last.  It is linear. Helicopter bucket drops can be spot specific.

One wildland fire suppression mission for aviation that i think is reasonably obtainable is the Troop Shuttle of handcrews by helicopter to helispots using the Crater and Cargo method after somebody makes some handcrews of course.

LAPES dozers could be fun. After watching the C-130 Wings I would call an engine that was rediculously worn out a Lapes Engine.

 

 

CL

Edited September 25, 2015 by charlielima

[Stratos 3,192]

The hability to deploy "troops" on the ground would be amazing!!

[+daddyairplanes 10,248]

We just ini edit the guns off of the paratroopers? If so then just reskin then you have smoke jumpers....

[Wrench 9,850]

Repainting the infantry unit isn't a real problem. Wonder if we can't give the troops a "fire fighting gun" like an extinguisher? Maybe with a white or red tracer?

 

CL brought up a good point in his post above ... the 'contain and flank' procedure for fighting the fire.

Unfortunately, the Game Engine ™ doesn't really allow that. We only have 2 mission statements that allow for ground attack on moving "enemies" -- CAS and Armed Recon. And one has to drop the "retardant" directly onto the "fire" (after all it only LOOKS like a fire, it's really acting as a tank or truck). And if any trucks remain in the mods folder, you'll be seeing them on the armed recon, and have only "retardant" to hit them with**.

Also, if one wants of just fly around and look at things -on YOUR side-, CAP is the only statement -- but you'll get a mission fail if you don't shoot down an enemy A/C. RECON missions only allow you to "look" at the enemy side

 

Don't forget, that ALL aircraft will be unarmed; all guns will be removed from their data inis. All aircraft NOT civil types (transports, the fire fighters, etc) are to be removed from the mods folder. The only "offensive" weapons carried will the be water/retardant "bombs" (actually a rocket)

Same goes for ground objects with offensive weapons.

 

Given the massive limitations of the game engine with regards to mission types, I'm beginning to wonder how I'm going to pull this off. A very large series of canned missions is starting to look more and more like the only way to go. Which means I'll have to learn how the mission builder works (finally!). Game generated single missions will be, well, interestering at best.

 

But as terrain work progresses, I'll be testing a much as possible

 

**if trucks have their GroundObjectRole= set to RECON, they shouldn't show in AR or CAS missions

[+Nyghtfall 2,154]

Someone mentioned the Buccaneer as Fire Fighter...

 

 

[Wrench 9,850]

here's a couple more...

 

the Skyraider is using the real Canadian regsistration numbers used on their TBMs

 

the other is just something I thought BLM could use, after retiring their OV-10s

[charlielima 328]

Here is another one for you.

 

 

Enjoy

CL

here's a couple more...

 

the Skyraider is using the real Canadian regsistration numbers used on their TBMs

 

the other is just something I thought BLM could use, after retiring their OV-10s

 

Those really make Sense.

CL

[+malibu43 142]

For any FSX fliers, someone has finally created a utility that generates fire in FSX that you can actually put out.  Fires of different sizes, can use any aircraft, water or retardant, lake scooping supported, highly configurable.  I'm going to get this for sure!

 

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php?96570-F-i-r-e-!!!!

[Wrench 9,850]

ok, here's what going to happen ... I'm no longer going to be working on this, BUT, I will be uploading everything I have, in it's incomplete state for perhaps someone else to pickup and complete, or not. A full "civil" mod may not even be possible, due the "combat nature" of the game.

There's a lot of things I simply can't get the work, and have lost the desire to screw around with them (mostly effects for the wildfires and such) due to certain issues I'm still having (yes, after all the BS, the right eye is STILL not fully functional)

 

so, sometime over the next few weeks or so, EVERYHING I've done, from aircraft, skins/decals, ground objects, the (unfinished) terrain, etc, will be uploaded.

Basically, the entire "mod folder" for the civil mod.

 

maybe someone more motivated, and smarter, than me can pull this rabbit out of the hat. If not, there's a lot of rather cool aircraft/skins that will look good sitting on somebody's parking ramp

[charlielima 328]

I don't blame you.

I hope you get some traction on getting that eye " kilo alpha " again.

CL

[NIELS 421]

Hope you get the eye issue worked out Wrench. Thanks for your hard work on the 'Fire Fighting' mod for the series. Your sacrifice and dedication are much appreciated Sir............Bravo!

 

God bless and get well,  NIELS

[Stratos 3,192]

Sorry to hear about your eye man. Hope it gets well.

[Wrench 9,850]

I can SEE through it, at least the "internal fog" is gone (delaminated inner corneal cells) But they just can't get a good read (called a refractive index) to lock down a perscription for new glasses. The shape of the cornea, when viewed sideways (so to speak) is like a W (high on the edges and center, low in the middle, although we're only talking in microns here) This is caused by my astigmatisim.. 

 

in Feb, they're going to try something with a contact lens. To be worn WITH my glasses -- just more time and money wasted. When I know in my heart and soul what the bottom line fix is going to be (full corneal transplant).  Into the 5th year now...