Two questions: JDAMs and Single Mission vehicles

[JPMoney]

Two questions for the experts. I’m playing SF2 Israel, with quite a few aircraft and weapon mods. 

1. JDAMs

I’ve never been able to land a JDAM on target. Whenever I release, the bomb tends to sail right past the target. Is there a pod or other feature a plane needs to enable the GPS guidance, like a satellite uplink or something? I feel like I’m within range (usually dropping around 10-15 nm) and take care to fly level. Any tips? I’m flying the F-16I Sufa and F-15I Ra’am when carrying JDAMs.

2. Ground vehicles in Single Mission

Is it possible to edit what types of ground vehicles spawn in Single Missions? I’m looking to have more influence over what vehicles spawn, for friendlies and enemies. 

Quick background, I was flying single missions set in the late 2020s and noticed how bare the ground was (no friendly ground targets to select). Updated multiple ground object ini files by extending the availability dates, and that did the trick…partly. Now the map is covered in Hardened Stinger Sites, with half a dozen or more around each friendly airfield. That’s cool and all, but that’s the only ground object that is now spawning that I can actually select and view. I can see trucks and stuff but they aren’t targetable. 

Even if I put the stingers’ availability on Very_Rare, the same number still spawn and there aren’t other targetable objects. I was hoping for some hawk batteries, trucks, tanks, APCs, and other friendly ground objects to help provide more of a sense of defended borders and such. If I’m flying a CAS mission I do see friendly vehicles spawn at the primary objective waypoint. But in those scenarios, I’ll have something like enemy BMP-2s rushing a line of Merkava 3 tanks, and I’d rather see something like T-72s or T-55s than BMP-2s doing that, ya know?

I can’t find any ini files that look like they’d control this kind of thing. Any thoughts?

 

[JPMoney]

@mods, my server connection was all messed up and I ended up posting this same topic multiple times. I’m so sorry. Can you kill all but one of the posts? The text is all the same. 

[citizen67]

Usually, when using JDAMs, I fly around 7000 ft and I release ordnance at 3,5-5 nm from target, as I do with LGBs.

[Spinners]

Does the game even support JDAM's? 

[+EricJ]

It does (I've been dropping them for years) but I don't like them that much myself. I prefer LGBs.

[bazillius]

8 hours ago, JPMoney said:

Ground vehicles in Single Mission
 

The first thing you need to do is unpack all the ini files from the game. Next, you will use your favorite text editor, and in it you will search in all unpacked files and automatically replace the years of service expiration. Nobody thought that the game would be played in 2020, which is why all dates end in 2020. Everything needs to be replaced by 2040. Or 2070, if you are an optimist. After this comes the most tedious and boring step. You need to put all the ini files in their own places in the mod folder. It’s better not to immediately overwrite an already installed mod, but test it on a vanilla game. So you need to fix everything in the GroundObject, Aircraft, Weapons folders. This will be your template for all modifications of the vanilla game. Before installing any mod that assumes military action after 2020, take this template as a basis. Install the modification on top of this template. Change the dates again in the modification. Just be careful every time you press the Replace button. It’s very easy to ruin a modification in one click! Also pay attention that you need the program save all ini files only in ANSI or Unicode ONLY!! Otherwise, the game will stop working.

Do the same thing with Weapon Packs. You need to change ExportEndYear=2020 to 2040 , EndYear=2020 to 2040/ Search and replace. Try to run. nex step. Terrains. Missions. etc. search and replace. But be carefull and backup!

Edited January 19, 2024 by bazillius

[bazillius]

9 hours ago, JPMoney said:

 

1. JDAMs

 

As to JDAM. Lets look at its .ini look at this string. its mean that from your aircrafty to your target must be less than 15000 meters if to draw a stright line. But if you will be too close it will miss cuz MaxTurnRate=3.000000 and other data will start work when JDAM try to correct its path. the height and speed should also be enough. It is best to drop it from a high height at high speed and from afar.

 

Edited January 19, 2024 by bazillius

[bazillius]

3 hours ago, Spinners said:

Does the game even support JDAM's? 

Yes and its easy to use. But........ all we cnow that its problem in the game. AI do not drop any smart bombs but only freefall bombs. 

Personally, I made a version of guided bombs for myself, converting them into dumb ones in one click. I want to throw them myself, I use one settings, I want AI to throw them and I use other. A very useful program for quickly replacing files and returning them to their original state. I did the same for AHM missiles to convert them into SAHM and back

Edited January 19, 2024 by bazillius

[+Wrench]

also consider download more 'modern' vehicles. The stock Zil's age out, I know we have GAZ and Ural's in the download section, as well as more modern AFVs

Going along with what Baz said, the user list on vehicles exported will also need adjusting

[JPMoney]

@bazillius @Wrench Lolol I’ve been modding the game by going into individual ini files to change those dates and other values using notepad. You’re telling me there are editor programs that will do this at scale for me?? Okay I need to check that out. What I’m not clear from the responses though is if I can modify the single mission parameters in the way I described in the OP. Do I need to use that CATExtractor to get at that? 
 

@citizen67 @bazillius maybe I’m just dropping the JDAMs from too far. I will try again. 

[JPMoney]

On 1/19/2024 at 5:17 PM, JPMoney said:

@bazillius @Wrench Lolol I’ve been modding the game by going into individual ini files to change those dates and other values using notepad. You’re telling me there are editor programs that will do this at scale for me?? Okay I need to check that out. What I’m not clear from the responses though is if I can modify the single mission parameters in the way I described in the OP. Do I need to use that CATExtractor to get at that? 
 

@citizen67 @bazillius maybe I’m just dropping the JDAMs from too far. I will try again. 

@citizen67 @bazillius I was able to get JDAMs on target, both the regular and the dual GPS/laser guided ones. The main learning was that I needed to fly higher and release closer to the target. They kind of have to free fall before the guidance system takes over and points the bomb toward the target. They don’t seem as maneuverable as the other GBUs, which I guess makes sense. Just don’t seem as safe as standoff precision munitions, since with these JDAMs I’m flying over the target. 

[bazillius]

1 hour ago, JPMoney said:

@citizen67 @bazillius I was able to get JDAMs on target, both the regular and the dual GPS/laser guided ones. The main learning was that I needed to fly higher and release closer to the target. They kind of have to free fall before the guidance system takes over and points the bomb toward the target. They don’t seem as maneuverable as the other GBUs, which I guess makes sense. Just don’t seem as safe as standoff precision munitions, since with these JDAMs I’m flying over the target. 

The game is a little unfinished. After initial success, the latest installment of the game did not live up to monetary expectations and the developer stopped supporting it. The guided weapon thus remained unfinished. So I advise you to play in the time period from 60 to mid-80s. All other aircraft and weapons are just for collection. Consider these as collectibles. The game will never be completed, but in those time periods it is a very good game

[+daddyairplanes]

15 hours ago, bazillius said:

 So I advise you to play in the time period from 60 to mid-80s. All other aircraft and weapons are just for collection. Consider these as collectibles. The game will never be completed, but in those time periods it is a very good game

you could even go as far as mid 90s; a second Korean War, interventions in Iraq, Balkan ops prior to Kosovo. Etriea and Ethiopia if you want Russian products pitted against each other.

LGBs are ok but theyve been around since Vietnam and so are represented decently.

i wonder if JDAM would work better as an unpowered guided missile. but also think that if that was a solution someone would have done it by now

[+EricJ]

5 minutes ago, daddyairplanes said:

you could even go as far as mid 90s; a second Korean War, interventions in Iraq, Balkan ops prior to Kosovo. Etriea and Ethiopia if you want Russian products pitted against each other.

LGBs are ok but theyve been around since Vietnam and so are represented decently.

i wonder if JDAM would work better as an unpowered guided missile. but also think that if that was a solution someone would have done it by now

You're better off figuring out the proper release envelope than that, as it'll go... somewhere perhaps. I mean I can use JDAMs fine, I just tend to prefer LGBs because they're easier to use in some cases, the GBU-12 is my favorite as you can do a lot with it envelope-wise.

[+daddyairplanes]

1 hour ago, EricJ said:

You're better off figuring out the proper release envelope than that, as it'll go... somewhere perhaps. I mean I can use JDAMs fine, I just tend to prefer LGBs because they're easier to use in some cases, the GBU-12 is my favorite as you can do a lot with it envelope-wise.

true, plus that is more skill than ini dancing. although if you want to really practice a skill, try loft bombing nukes onto an airfield! (took me and nightshade/pr abit to work that out with the B-47)

it was one of many thoughts on the game recently.

[+EricJ]

1 minute ago, daddyairplanes said:

true, plus that is more skill than ini dancing. although if you want to really practice a skill, try loft bombing nukes onto an airfield! (took me and nightshade/pr abit to work that out with the B-47)

it was one of many thoughts on the game recently.

I got you

Edited January 23, 2024 by EricJ