List of Files for Operation Darius 2

[PFunk]

List of Freeware Assets Needed for Operation Darius 2 for Strike Fighters 2 Series Titles

This is a current list of all assets needed to complete the full reboot of Operation Darius.  Since its release, many – if not all – of the air assets included in the original release by Eric ‘eburger’ Howes have since been rendered obsolete by newer and better examples.  I would like to include these newer examples in the re-release.  Some of these creators are signatories under the Freeware Agreement, most are not.  I’m covering my bases here because the last thing I want to do is make someone mad.  “Seeking forgiveness is easier than asking permission” might work when you’re talking to your boss, but around here, it’s a good way to end up out on your ass.

Here’s the list of CA Freeware files I am asking permission to use.

Original OPDarius Infrastructure - @eburger68

New Iraq/Iran Terrain (2003-2018) - @Menrva

A-10C Pack - @Spectre8750

F-22, F-15 Eagle and F-15E Strike Eagles Packs - @viper63a

F-35C and Saequeh - @FastCargo

Tornado GR1/GR4 & F/A-18A/C Hornet Beta - @Dave

EF-2000 Beta Pack - @ace888

Marine Rafale F3/F4 - @JAT81500

F/A-18E/F Super Hornet Package - @EricJ

Desert Falcons (F-16E/F Block 60) - @Spudknocker

JH-7A Flounder - @NeverEnough

JSTARS & E-3A Sentry Packs - @daddyairplanes

Su-25SM - @dtmdragon

VFA-102 & VFA-195 Skins for Super Hornets - @SidDogg

P-3C - @Florian

P-3F Skin - @strahi

 

This is not a complete list of assets I will need.  This is just what I need to begin play-testing.  There will almost certainly be additional files I may need, but I consider these among the most important.  I appreciate any consideration these creators are willing to give because without these files, the project is pretty much a non-starter.

 

 

Edited March 8, 2018 by PFunk

[PFunk]

Oh, and CA will be the only location this will be distributed.  Forgot to include that.

[+Menrva]

You have my permission, of course! Thanks for asking, it never hurts! Can't wait to see Operation Darius 2, with accurate OOBs and set in 2018! The terrain was born for this in the first place!

Edited March 8, 2018 by Menrva

[PFunk]

Much appreciated.

[+strahi]

I think, that you need this one 

He has better skin than mine,  in any case, thank you .

[PFunk]

If you're willing to allow me to put them in the package, I greatly appreciate it.

[+NeverEnough]

PFunk, I'm looking forward to your updated Operation Darius.  I would be flattered to have the JH-7A included.  Best of luck on your project!

[+daddyairplanes]

Pfunk, most of the names on the above list have signed off on an agreement (Wrench help me cant even think of what its called) basically saying your free to use it so long as you give them credit and

honored to see the radar birds on the list, esp with Joint STARS just hitting the ramp. you may also want to consider the C-17 and C-5A/B, they have markings up to around 2010 time frame, and C-17 has every user, not just USAF. Also, have more work going on tankers before the summer gets here (knock on wood). post 95 wasnt planned, but get me a short list of units and i could knock out a few tails for a campaign skin. no real use in game of course, but something else to escort/defend/see on the ramps.

let me know if you have any skin/tga requests. small ones (one skin for one plane) i can usually get to semi quickly. bigger ones maybe abit longer if able (whole new plane needing coverage over the whole service life)

[PFunk]

DA, you are too kind.  A scholar and a gentleman.  The original OpDarius mod has the Galaxy and the -17, but I guarantee I will not be able to upload it until the summer, so whatever is in the pipeline for you, I would be thrilled to include. Your time table is your time table.  I will work around your schedule.  I know everyone has Real Life jobs.

Edited March 9, 2018 by PFunk

[+daddyairplanes]

damn i forgot he added those in. 

if you haven't, get rid of the Starlifter, they retired in 05-06 time frame. saw some of hte last ones flying in Balad when i was there in 05, they were doin medevac to Landstuhl.

tankers are on my to do list for the spring, and i will knock out a couple skins for Darius (1 E model and 1R model). its not too hard and by that point they were the overall gray skins so just gotta do number, badges and tails for common to the Middle East birds. airliners.net should have a bunch of shots from Manas i think

[PFunk]

No worries.  

[+Viper63a]

Why, of course. I think this is why we are all here. We add to and polish the work of those who came before us. I think if we appreciate and credit the work of others, I believe all is well.

The Mudhen team would be happy to be included in your mod!

=V=

[PFunk]

18 hours ago, viper63a said:

Why, of course. I think this is why we are all here. We add to and polish the work of those who came before us. I think if we appreciate and credit the work of others, I believe all is well.

The Mudhen team would be happy to be included in your mod

I am grateful, sir.

[PFunk]

Dear folks,

Working hard on getting all the campaign assets in place and testing them.  One thing that concerns me is the S-300 and S-200 SAM systems in the original package.

In order,

1.) I estimate the terrain is anywhere from 40-60% of the Real Life size.  There is nothing we can do about this; it is limitations of the engine.  Wrench has done the best he could with what the tools available can do.  However, the S-300 & S-200 still enjoy their actual ranges that reach almost a quarter of the available real estate, way over the scaled range they should have.

2.) The Iranians have a very small number of S-300s after they developed their own indigenous long-range SAM (we believe with Chinese help) and intelligence estimates indicate that the Iranians have pretty much used up their S-200s.  They have a very small number of SA-6s.  Most of their air defense network is home brewed reverse engineered systems.  The Iranians have reverse engineered the SA-11 (Ra’ad), the MIM-23 (Mersad), and they have converted the Standard ARM into a SAM (Sayyad).  The S-200 radars and launchers have been modified to use the Sayyad.  The most numerous systems are the Mersad.

There are solutions.  First, I could hobble the ranges of the longer ranged SAMs so they would match the scaled range of the terrain.  The SA-10 would still be in the game, but it wouldn’t enjoy its 150km launch range, it might be somewhere around 80km.  I could remove the SA-10, which is the easiest solution. 

I’ve modified the Mersad to essentially be similar to the SA-6 and it will be the most common SAM threat, followed by the Ra’ad.  Given what the engine can do, and what running room you get in the map, my task is to balance the game now.

[+Menrva]

Good news! Yeah, the terrain is around 60% of Real Life size. I remade it so because the game has no in-game refueling, and other small issues would arise with bigger terrains.

Now your point brings me to another question; since stock SF2 terrains are all 60% of RL size, what are the ranges of the stock SAMs? Are their ranges halved or do they reflect the RL values?

Edited March 28, 2018 by Menrva

[PFunk]

Most of them are.  I think someone once did the math on all the stock, RL terrain maps and determined the one that most accurate is Iceland.  Israel was close, I recall, but Germany and Vietnam had the greatest variation in distances from the real thing.  DCS does true 1:1 scaling, but you notice how small the maps are comparatively.

Looking at the numbers in the Weapons Editor, the weapons have their Real Life parameters for the most part.

[PFunk]

Another option would be to go with Wrench's Persian Gulf Terrain.  Much, MUCH closer to Real Life Scaling.

[Wrench]

Actually, Gepard built the original terrain. I just retargeted it. 

OTH, it could use a better tile set (just my opinion)

[PFunk]

Honestly, that part doesn't bother me nearly as much.  The scaling is much closer to a true 1:1 than the Iraq 2003+ terrain, which allows for the proper ranging of the Real Life weapons.  A new tileset might come later in an update.  It allows flights to get up to their cruising speed and altitude before getting the living crap shot out of them.  It needs a ton of OffMap bases, but those are ridiculously easy to add.

The existing terrain looks awesome and plays phenomenally.  I'm just wondering if its contributing to an imbalance in gameplay.

[+Menrva]

1 hour ago, PFunk said:

The existing terrain looks awesome and plays phenomenally.  I'm just wondering if its contributing to an imbalance in gameplay.

Well, there will be pros and cons. In my small terrain there is Iraq for ground skirmishes at the border (there was Operation Marathon, the specific ground version of Operation Darius). I also added working Blue Side SAMs, and the terrain has got specific targets like Nuclear Power Plants in Iran. But there's the problem you described about SAMs ranges.

Gepard's terrain focuses more on the Strait of Hormuz, and so you have other Air Bases for allies and enemies, other targets and a new frontline so to speak. It's very big, so planes may go low on fuel easily since there is no in-flight refueling.

Your choice. I was hoping to see it on my reworked terrain, but I never thought about SAMs causing such trouble.

[+SidDogg]

PFunk,

            You're good to go, bud.  Break a leg!

 

 

SidDogg

[SUDNAVY]

why you need JH-7A? Iran don't have it. in fact, this plane never  exported.