Changing Airbase Alignment by Year

[ragnarokryan 53]

I'm not a modder but I thinking about dipping my toes into some basic stuff. Maybe you guys can help me out?

 

The full-scale Israel map is fantastic, but I'm wondering if it's possible to change the country the airbases belong to depending on the year? For example, after 1967 the Israelis occupied the Sinai and would have owned Bir Gifgafa, Sharm El Sheik, etc. Then they were given back to Egypt in the "land for peace" exchange. 

 

It would be great to be able to build a mission at the start of the Yom Kippur war as two F-4's defending Sharm El Sheik from a horde of MiGs, but right now the airfield belongs to the Egyptians no matter what year it is.

 

Thanks!

 

 

[+Sundowner 4,837]

I "think" there is a statement you can use, it's active date or something like that.

[+Menrva 4,201]

It's doable, I've done something similar in my Iran/Iraq terrain. Basically, you create two targets. One which gets deactivated after a certain date with the InactiveDate statement. The other target, with different alignment, only shows up after a certain date, with the ActiveDate statement. You also have ActiveYear, but that one is more generic, you can only specify the year, while with ActiveDate you can define Month/Day/Year.

[Wrench 9,850]

iirc the "switching" sides is only after being captured in a campaign

 

the 'date switch' can only be used once per target area

[regula50 47]

Is possible but you need to prepare a second version of the map with editing changes in the bases at the Israelme_Targets ini.

Bir Gafgafa for example must change from enemy to friendly. That´s the minimum.

If you omitted that, your Phantom is fired or shot down inmediately after take-off or before.

Same for El Arish and the other occuped bases in the Sinai. 

Edited August 2, 2017 by regula50

[+Gepard 11,315]

Is possible but you need to prepare a second version of the map with editing changes in the bases at the Israelme_Targets ini.

Bir Gafgafa for example must change from enemy to friendly. That´s the minimum.

If you omitted that, your Phantom is fired or shot down inmediately after take-off or before.

Same for El Arish and the other occuped bases in the Sinai. 

 

Yep, That was the reason, why i made Israel2 terrain and Suez2 terrain. In one terrain the Sinai is in egyptian hand, on the other in israeli hands. Thats the only way if you want to fly single missions.

 

target areas in Israel 2 terrain

 

Sinai in israeli hands (blue target areas)

 

target areas in Suez 2 terrain

 

Sinai in egypt hands (red target areas)

 

 

For campaigns, wrench stated it correctly, the airfields can change the side if they are captured.

Edited August 2, 2017 by Gepard

[ragnarokryan 53]

Ok, I'm going to read this back to make sure it makes sense.

 

Unlike choosing an "active date range" for an aircraft (i.e. F-86s can be flown from 1950 - 1975, or whatever you put in the .ini file) an airbase can belong to one team only in a single player mission. That team is determined by the map you choose to fly in. Gepard's Suez2 and Israel2 maps are examples of that with the same airbase belonging to a different team regardless of the year. If you want an accurate single player mission experience you would need to know to choose Israel2 in 1967 and Suez2 in 1973.

 

During a campaign it is possible to switch an airbase's team, but only once.

 

Is that accurate?

 

Thanks a ton, you guys really know your stuff.

[Wrench 9,850]

Well, after almost 15 years with the game....some things tend to stick! 

 

Remember, both the Isreal2 and Suez maps were done several years before Wings Over Isreal (1stGen) came out. IIRC, Gepard, as he said above, broke them into 2 distinct "modes" Suez for the War of Independence, and most thing up to the 6 Day war. Isreal2 for the 6 Day War and after (Michael, correct me if I'm wrong!)

 

I guess, maybe a some point, I should look at Michael's Suez and give the Israel2 treatment (new tiles, and such) I was REALLY happy with how the Israel2 rebuild/retile went

[ragnarokryan 53]

 I was REALLY happy with how the Israel2 rebuild/retile went

 

So am I... it's where I spend most of my virtual sim time! 

[Wrench 9,850]

just for grins and giggles, take at look at the rebuild I did for the stock IsrealME map. I added like 30+ tiles that were BADLY needed, and filled in a lot of gaps left open in the original version (be advised, due do the changes in targeting, it WILL break the stock campaign, if you're running one)

[ragnarokryan 53]

Wrench,

 

I love what you did to the stock terrain, but I usually only see your work there if I jump into an instant action scenario.

 

The full-size terrain adds that extra element of fuel management. Now if only there were a way to get my wingman to break on his own when being followed by a MiG. Also a pity TK left multiplayer behind. This community could have a lot of fantastic battles with each other I think.

 

Not entirely related to maps and modding but more of a general comment, sometimes I see folks complain about the flight models. I think TK did a great job with the flight models. Here is an example: One squadron commander in the IAF created a test to ensure the engine of the Mirage III was performing well enough to conduct surveillance flights over enemy territory. To pass the test, a Mirage at 2000' MSL at 150kts should accelerate to 600kts at full power in 45 seconds. Try it for yourself in game! You will need constant forward pressure on the stick in order to maintain 2000'. I timed it at 43 seconds. Pretty damn close.

 

That said, the Mirage would conduct surveillance flights beginning at 75,000 ft. I haven't been able to do that yet. So maybe the flight models aren't perfect.