FastCargo

Jug, I see exactly what you mean. The closest in terms of a campaign engine that this has gotten is the Falcon 4.0 series, with with EECH/EEAH series a close second. The only problem with these sims is that they are VERY complex, esp F4AF and so appeal to only a limited audience. I think the TW series campaign engine strikes a better balance...maybe could use some slight beefing up... FastCargo

It sounds pretty feasible. There wouldn't be any parts to make 'disappear' I don't think. I have to admit, a Raven would be pretty cool... I've got other projects I'm working on...but now my interest is peaked. Besides the tail 'pod', what else would be needed modelwise? And which model of the F-111 is the EF-111 derived from? FastCargo

Interesting too...seems like we may have to alter a few SAMs... Wonder if it would make them more or less of a challenge. FastCargo

But, WWII has been DONE. Several times. By several makers. IMHO, that's the LAST place we need to go back to. You need a 'hook', someplace different if you want a 'study' sim. Modern and WWII sims have been done in study sims...Rhinos have not. FastCargo

Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Though at the time, the JASDF didn't exist. FastCargo

I don't know...you tell us. FastCargo

Now here's where we would need to get to brass tacks. Either make it a 'study' sim or not. If not, then you're not offering much more than the SF series offers now. If so, you need to limit it. Otherwise, your budget/time increases geometrically... I think 2 aircraft to start is fine...with other aircraft as AI only. We're already getting feature creep here. FastCargo

Actually, that's a pretty good idea! A 'verses' scenario to start with would be great 'hook' to get people into the series. Both aircraft have never had a 'study' sim.... FastCargo

Well, I think part of the problem is gamers themselves. Our expectations keep going up. Don't believe me? When's the last time you SERIOUSLY played F-19 Stealth Fighter? For any length of time. For as much as we lament Tornado...how many of you have recently spent a LOT of time playing it. I don't mean onese twose...I mean NUMBERS of people. It isn't so much that recent games are crap (they are). It's that developers are going where the money is. They've been casting a wider net...but to catch the max number, you have to go for the cash with games that have flash...and cater to the ADD audience. Deep sims? Sims that take hours to learn and weeks to years to master? I mean think...seriously think about what a modern sim would have to offer to be widely successful: Near perfect fluid dynamics simulation. AI that could pass the Turing test. Avionics that strongly mimic the real thing. ECM and weapons envelopes based on data either classified, or more likely has never been realistically fielded (anyone evaded a SA-10 lately). Graphics with all the latest tech. Multi layered and detailed tutorials. Scaleability for AI, physics, and graphics. People talk about MSFS or X-Plane as the basis for a combat sim. Either one of those engines actually been used to mimic a modern air combat sim? Or even a decent jet missile combat sim? That has actually made it to market? I'm actually asking...I'm not completely sure. The fact that MS themselves haven't put out a modern (or at least something based on the jet age) air combat sim since the CFS series first came out should tell you something. I'm not trying to be a downer here...I'm really not. Normally I love stuff like this...and REALLY like the idea. I think though, we need to be VERY careful about what we want, what we expect, and what's pragmatically possible. FastCargo

I love the idea... But I have a lot of reservations. Time for development...which causes several other problems: Feature creep, engine/hardware changes, media releases, etc. I just keep thinking of the sheer amount of TIME such a project would take...to the point where it folds. I just look at the promising projects that never made it and the monumental development time and money budgets needed. If guys were doing this for 'free' in their spare time, the development time stretches even farther out... FastCargo....

Torque, You're new here...so I'll cut you some slack. Asking questions is okay...posting the same topic in 3 separate forums is not. Post and give some time for someone to give you an answer. FastCargo

Actually, I JUST figured out how to do it. Fixed. FastCargo

There have been experiments, none of them ended positively from what I remember. FastCargo

Sorry, you didn't include my favorite...the F-108... FastCargo

Jug, You do know he was asking about LGBs....you CAN'T do a 'ultra low, one pass, haul ass' type delivery...the LGBs won't get enough time to guide. FastCargo

If you want specific limitations of the pods, go into your Weapondata.ini file and look up your pod. You'll find the FOV, gimbal, and range limits there. Delivery technique? I typically do a shallow dive (10 degrees) with lots of range so the target is pretty much centered to slightly below the gunsight line of the aircraft. I'll punt off 2 bombs, then continue toward the target at level flight...maybe a slight horizontal angle. This allows for max time in the FOV of the pod. Technique only. FastCargo

Start here: http://forum.combatace.com/index.php?showtopic=21944 FastCargo

There is no auto thrust vectoring. The nozzle animation you see is purely cosmetic. The gun thing on the other hand...not sure why that isn't working, other than key mapping. FastCargo

It means you're old sparky. Working in the RSU 7 years ago, I had a kid who never heard of Colonel Sanders... FastCargo

Well, as long as you spend at least $1k on a laptop, you should be able to get one with a decent vid card in it. A friend of mine bought one recently from Best Buy that had a 8800 in it and he didn't spend over 2k. I only game on laptops anymore...cause you can game anywhere, unlike consoles or desktops. Unless you like dragging around 20+ lbs worth of crap and trying to find a display to show it on... And handhelds (PSP class) don't count...can't play LOMAC or SFP1 on a PSP... FastCargo

Dumbasses...getting it on tape. And yea, they were rather not hot. Yet another reason to fly freight... FastCargo

Okay folks, here's the best way if you want different Flankers, with canards with different paint schemes. But it requires a lot of disk space. First, make copies of the Su27canards.LOD, however many copies you want of the different schemes you want. Second, then rename your copies. Example: Su27canards.LOD, then Su27canard1.LOD, Su27canard2.LOD, Su35canard.LOD etc, etc. Whatever you want. Third, get a hex editor. BE CAREFUL HERE...you could damage the LOD file if you aren't paying attention. For each variety of new canard LOD file, you must go into it, look for 'Su27Pylons.bmp' and 'Su27canards.bmp'. Now, rename those entries, being careful to keep the new names to the same amount of spaces the previous names took up. Example: In Su35canards.LOD, 'Su35Pylons.bmp' and 'Su35canards.bmp' would be good...'Su35pylon.bmp' would not be good. Note these renames...you will need the info later. Fourth, make copies of the Su-33(Sim) directory for each new paint scheme/configuration you want...then rename each directory. Example: Su-35, Su-33(NavySkin1), Su-37, etc, etc. The directory names MUST not have any spaces in them, otherwise there could be problems. Fifth, go into your new directories, and rename the Su-33(Sim).ini to the EXACT name you named the directory. Example: Su-35.ini,Su-33(NavySkin1).ini, etc. Sixth, while in that directory, open that .ini file and rename the aircraft...again, whatever you can remember to keep it straight. Seventh, go into the data.ini for that aircraft, find this entry: [Canards] SystemType=PILOT_COCKPIT Position=0.0,2.2,0.47 PilotModelName=Su27canards SeatModelName= SeatPosition= //MinExtentPosition=0.0,2.2,0.47 //MaxExtentPosition=0.0,2.2,0.47 CanopyNodeName= SeatID=2 Change the bolded part to the specific canard.LOD name you want. Eighth, delete all paint schemes you don't want for this particular variant. Ninth, copy one of the 'xxxxWing' and one of the 'xxxxTail' bmps from your remaining variant to your Aircraft directory. Rename them to the specific texture you need. That should be it. The method is fairly intensive, but it also means you should only have to do it once. You will simply have a specific aircraft for each paint scheme you want. My advice would be to try it once to get a feel for what you need to do. And to help keep the names straight. For example, start with a Su-35 variant first. And with that, my contributions to this mod officially end. This mod has now exceeded my ASS factor...as in the "pain in the ass" variable has exceeded my "gives a rat's ass" variable. No more modifications of this addon will come from me...so don't ask. No new IRSTs, square tip vertical stabs, tailhooks, etc.... If someone else wants to take it on, I might consider releasing the MAX file. PM me if you are interested...but serious inquiries only. FastCargo

Ah yes, Monty Python's Flying Circus... "This, is an ex-parrot!" FastCargo