Bandy

Gepard, First I would like to thank you for all your hard work, it is a lot of fun to have a break and fly away to a different terrain... And great to finally see a bridge and buildings larger than shoe boxes!!! A question/comment re: that amazing bridge. Call me crazy, but I couldn't help try a "Blue Max" maneuver under it but I kept exploding [you have to see the movie, tell me some of you haven't already tried, or is it just me having fun???]. I first thought I was hitting something, either the underside of the bridge or the water surface when I kept trying to get lower. I finally paused the game and advanced it slowly. See below. It appears that the bridge is one solid 3d construct, OR, there is some new-fangled German force-field protecting it... Perhaps it can be altered for nimrods like me to fly under? I can actually see doing this as useful to get an enemy off yer tail, though I guess you wouldn't have a lot of maneuvering room/altitude on the other side

IB, I've really enjoyed your static AC missions, and have recommended them whenever the topic came up. However, there is a distinct disadvantage to doing them that way. I obviously have the staticAC loaded in my game, and just a few weeks ago while in Firecage's earlier version of Plane Fest, I FINALLY got upgraded to the SE5. BUT to my surprise, it was a static SE5... I ended the mission, and tried to re-enter the campaign, but was stuck and had to kill that campaign after all that "work". Also was attacking some DVII's a few weeks ago when I noticed they had no pilots (!) and didn't react to my assault: they were static AC at about 7000 ft... Any way to fix this?

Check it out here: http://www.history.com/minisite.do?content...p;mini_id=51833 If you're in the US, as far as I can tell, all the "Dogfights" episodes will be played starting at 8PM EST Sunday Feb 25th thru to Monday at 3AM. Record it if you're watching the Oscars... EDIT: Oops, they are only showing 4 x 1 hour episodes, then replaying the same ones again for the balance of the night. EDIT2: Or get the whole 1st season for about $50 http://store.aetv.com/html/product/index.jhtml?id=76995

Let me guess, the 1:72 scale Airfix kit with the whale eye-and-mouth motif decal? I have it on my 3-year old son's bedroom shelf right now! Got to start them early with their AC history

And a most sincere thanks to you guys... What a day, what a week!!!

I feel kinda funny sounding like an authority figure here, sort of like the blind-leading-the-blind, but here I go... The "Knowledge Base" area for Strike Fighters/WoV/.../First Eagles is found on the main CA Forum Page, just scroll past the more popular sub-forums areas. It has a lot of good stuff if you want to get more into modding your game... Here is the bit copied verbatim on Weapons Editor: >>>Right mouse click on the respective icon (Weapon and/or Gun Editor), then click on "Properties" and when the menu drops down, click on the "Compatibility" tab. Put a check mark in the square for "Run this program in compatibility mode for: Windows 95, then click on "Apply" and "OK" and the editors should then open. Or you can also put it in your windows/system folder.

Thanks Monty, but which weapons editor do we use? The latest one from Buff is dated 11/2004 is there a newer one I can't find? EDIT: Ok this is making some more sense to me now after re-reading the Knowledge base, I think I've just been up too early all this week; 4:30AM each day wears you out you know...

I can't seem to edit my OP, oh well: EDIT2: Well, the knowledge base was not very detailed and thus not as helpful as I would like, BUT I will try the right click thingy when I get home... Is the weapons editor built into First Eagles? I see several SF "weapons editors" in the downloads section, but they are from 2004 and I think they are only Win98 compatible...

This sounds like a great compromise. Have you included the compression in the N28 FM re-write? It wouldn't be quite correct not to have it there if it is in the other earlier Nieuports, wouldn't it? A question to you Tex, and an honest one (ie not trying to be inflammatory in any way, shape, or form...), how do you see/envision the new Nieuports performing in combat verses other planes that do not use compression? Will they be competitive or will they be hamstrung by it, afterall, each plane has its drawbacks and the opposing AC must have their weaknesses even relatively accurately modeled if the Nieuports will have theirs modeled as you have made it so... Should each FM have some compression???

AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for listening Monty, I think it will make a big difference from the cockpit... Some people can be pretty touchy about these things, I'm truly glad I bothered to ask! Oh, I can hardly wait to get home now...

Monty, This AC looks absolutely stunning, the skins are a treat!!! Now, how can I say the following without sounding ungrateful or too picky... ? Perhaps the wind-screen appears very "gray" in the images I see posted above only because I'm not able to see from the cockpit yet on a bright LCD screen. Maybe the effect of a dirty oil-smudged wind-screen works when you're actually flying in game, I don't know... but could it be cleared up just a wee bit, maybe still gray at the edges, perhaps more clear in the centre like somebody wiped it off with a rag before they got into the bird for a mission? If too difficult to model, maybe just increase opacity a bit more overall... Just trying to be constructive and increase the immersion factor... Sincerely looking forward to flying your creation!

I was wondering the same thing... At least I don't think it was stupid to ask... That said, I didn't bother to overwrite the weapons folder with the "new" files, and the rockets didn't work for the Dolphin in my game; they aren't even there when flying after load-up selecting them. So I overwrote the folder for the Pup install, and they still don't work !!! Any advice? I have the rockets working on the A-team Camel, but have no idea where I went wrong subsequently...

Tex, Wow!!! Very interesting ideas on compression, but that FM is a handful... (!) I had read the posts here regarding it, but still wasn't prepared when I got behind the stick with your previous version (not the latest FM release). Do you think you could write up a brief "tutorial" on flying it to our advantage and include it with the final-polished CA Dwnld? You've got fine advice here, but many will miss this thread and besides, a bit more explanation would help out a lot. For instance, I like to know why things behave the way they do so I understand... It is just sooo different from any of the current AC FM (revolutionary perhaps in its own way) that many folks are going to be pulling their hair out at least in the beginning... As mentioned above by others, throttle control has NOT been a real factor in the game thus far, and I admit, I generally have it at 100% trying to climb/run/ or close in on a target, unless in cases of tight stall-fighting. I know for me at least, it will require a near complete change in mind-set of how to fly this AC. Finesse!!! Maybe that's because of the available AC and their FM's to date (or the ones I've chosen to fly anyways...). A challenge to be sure, but this game keeps showing different flavours all the time. Isn't it wonderful?

R3, I don't think that's what their talking about. Before I got TIR4 I used to use F5 "chase view" a lot and then only F2 to fire on an opponent (can't stand using the "hat"), and I would experience the same thing, ie: sudden viewpoint shifts for just a second at most unfortunate moments in mid-maneuver... Very annoying. I got TIR4 and no issues I heartily recommend the purchase, sell your cat if you need to, it'll change your life!!!

WRT the utility of having an oblique firing angle on the Lewis guns, how do many of you attack aircraft with rear gunners??? If you want to often survive to the next mission in a campaign (and don't want to hit "Refly" as often as I do ), then you come at them from below and in the gunner's "blind" spot, right? IMHO the 45 degree Lewis' were likely set up as such, perhaps carrying forward a strategy used earlier in the war by Bishop and Ball (to name but only a few), but that may have or must have been outdated by the time of the release of the Dolphin... Why were they issued as such then if they were removed in the field with such regularity? Hey, its the military we're talking about here... Its a terrific idea to have the Lewis' available at loadout, I think they'll work great at an oblique angle (with increased drag of course!) for gutting bombers... BUT currently there doesn't seem to be ANY documentation that they fired thru the propeller arc, and as such, represent an inaccuracy (for those so inclined), and a game imbalance by making the Dolphin an uber AC... just my 0.02

OR, someway to change the armament at loadout? Hmmm, unlikely I know, but that would be ideal. Also, I think the Lewis' were mounted at a 45 degree angle... BUT I could be wrong.

FC, Had a chance to fly your FM last night. It is quite good for, as you say yourself, the first release of it... Now, if I may preface the following statements with the fact that I've being flying Hard settings for only a few weeks now (so take them as you will), I've found the following oddities... I put the DR1 into a vertical climb over and over, and it pulls till the airspeed is around 20-30 mph, maybe even less (I'll check some more), and instead of stalling as expected at that airspeed, the tail pops up like magic, there is some loss of altitude, but then airspeed is recovered a little too quickly. I can only compare this to what happens with TK's FM stalls... Stalls must be incredibly hard to model properly, I understand that, but of course they are SO important to get near to the real thing in a WW1 combat sim. I have no idea what needs to be tweaked... Hope this bit helps PS: not sure what you meant by "flying on glass"...

Its not reading the texture map/folder you have in the AC folder. Have you mixed in some Camel F1 skins with the A-Team Camel folder??? They will not work together, as they are 2 different models and need skins made for that model...

Also wanted to say thanks for the great aircraft. Fine work, and nice to see no EGO's popping up and getting in the way Just a quick question to anyone who's downloaded the N 28: is it my monitor colour calibration (recently accomplished), or is the blue in the tricolour rudder on the N28 more purple than blue, or is it the other way around??? If it's supposed to be more on the purple side for French markings, OK... Not meant to be any slight of the fine work, just want to get it corrected for myself otherwise... Thanks

I tried doing the same last year by going into the appropriate folder (can't remember off hand) and changing SE5 out for Camel, but it still wouldn't load a camel. How did you do it???

Since there is sooo much variation, from the stock AC, to between all the 3rd party AC, then there is no "standard" way to implement the FM... IMHO do your best, do what you think is right in the 'spirit' of the aircraft [ie: what has been written about it, facts, romanticized opinions, or otherwise...] and then move on to enjoy it for what it is, a fine piece of work by all of you. Life is too short to nit pick [absolutely nothing meant to be derogatory about your approach or modeling standards], and while it maybe fun, I'll bet it will be getting pretty frustrating soon. An artist or craftsman needs to find that point where if he goes any further, then something else is lost from the 'whole'. Striving for a Holy Grail of historic realism may be untenable, given the game limits, and in the end all the AC might become vanilla... Just a few cents thrown in...

This "loosing wings and still flying" seemed to happen a lot pre-patch, but in my experience I haven't seen it post patch, so maybe TK changed something in the stock AC ... ??? I flew the latest N28 mod last night a bit, and at 1st impressions found it to be an enjoyable, tossable AC, certainly not the whirling-dervish it was before!!! THAT was a ride, but not very realistic unfortunately... Current FM mod climbed very well, but as I think one of you mentioned, it is rather vanilla now. Too bad that the terminal dive characteristics (aka loosing the upper wing) can't be worked in currently, but oh well... maybe TK can come up with something later.

The question RE: which method to use to create static AC should involve whether they add a ground target that can be credited on the debrief, or whether they are just eye-candy. Do both methods add the AC as a true target??? I can strafe that bell tower in the village till the cows come home (I really don't though...), but it doesn't add anything but some target practice...

Not to belabor a point, but my understanding is that almost as many RFC & RAF pilots died "by Camel" than were shot down in Camels. It was a notoriously unforgiving AC for the inexperienced... [EDIT: well, maybe not almost...] IMHO the 3rd party FM should be more unstable to reflect this [and was pre-patch I believe] but the wailing and nashing of teeth that would follow from others, oh well...

Just adding the DL link in a more convenient spot; I keep forgetting what page its on... Thanks EmID, Tex, and everybody else offering advice. It is a lot of fun, and a great learning experience, just following this thread...