gerwin

I do not know how to integrate it, but sometimes I start a playlist then run SF2 while keeping the music in the background. I updated the package, all is in .mid format now. The quality of the music depends on the quality of the midi synthesizer used for playing these files. MS Windows includes a Roland sample set software synthesizer that is OK.

Looking forward to that Beware that some of these textures are actually not shown in the TW extractor. You can still mod them though, if you know their name. Like the toned down rooftops in my Iceland map download. Edit; you wrote extra buildings, not the existing buildings. nevermind then. (Let me say in advance that I hope this does not trigger endless posts here about how people dislike the infamous locking ;) )

A while ago i was messing with the music files and I found out that none of the XMI subsong features are used. So there is no loss when converting the whole lot to ordinary midi files. Will upload a new package later.

Looks Impressive. The shadowing plays a major factor in that screen, but may seem odd when the sun is set low at the same side of the shadows. because logically the shadows would have to move to the other side.

AEROWINGS/AERO DANCING (series) This series can be considered the first true attempt of combat flight simulation on the game-console. Developed by CRI (CSK Research Institute) and published in Japan by that same company. Translated an published outside of Japan by Crave Entertainment and SEGA. All planes listed for the releases have a cockpit and are flyable. AeroWings (ENG, Dreamcast, 1999) / Aero Dancing (JAP, Dreamcast) The first game of the series. It is focused on formation flight and aerobatics, the player being a flight team leader. The Japanese version of the game licenced the Japan Air Self-Defense Force's display team 'Blue Impulse'. Aircraft included in this game: T-4, T-2, F-1, F-2, F-86, F-4, F-15. Combined with 10 map/weather variations. Aero Dancing: Special Disc (JAP, Dreamcast) New Sky Mission Attack levels, F-104 Starfighter, two new maps, data transfer ability, Gallery mode, plus an Aero Dancing F movie and demo. AeroWings 2 (ENG, Dreamcast, 2000) / Aero Dancing F (JAP, Dreamcast+Windows) With the title 'Airstrike' in the US, and 'Strike Force' in the UK. Features aerial combat simulation, but no ground attack. Aircraft included: F-86, F-104, F-4, F-14, F-15, F-16, F/A-18, T-2, T-3, T-4, F-1, F-2. Combined with 21 map/weather variations, some of which were already present in Aerowings. The main game mode consists of 30 fighter pilot missions. The title screen features a self rolling demo. The Japanese windows version has a 'Network Battle' option, with both Host and Join. Unfortunately this version suffers from z-buffer graphics glitches, as visible on ATI graphics, but less on Intel graphics. 'VS Play' is greyed out. The windows versions supports Joystick control and larger screen resolutions with filtering. Aero Dancing F 'Special Disc' 'FSD' (JAP, Dreamcast) Titled 'Tsubas's Virgin Flight'. Contains special data such as savegames for previous games. It also contains many replays and an Aerodancing i Preview version with 3 replays. Menu is in Japanese this time. Aero Dancing i (JAP, Dreamcast+Windows, 2001) This game was only released in Japan. The "i" stands for Internet, to emphasize the cross platform online mode. It was also the first in the series to offer air-to-ground missions. The menu and Aircraft HUD became more polished. The game contains all the aircraft from Aero Dancing F, but generally without the fantasy and air-show paintschemes and more realistic Flight Models. In addition it includes A-7, A-10, C-1 Transport, MiG-21, MiG-29, Su-27, Mirage 2000, Tornado ADV+IDS. The AV-8 Harrier was included with a special game mode focusing on its VTOL and hovering ability. All the map/weather variations of the previous release are there, and the new entries bring the total to 39. The windows version has bigger aircraft textures compared to the Dreamcast version and compared to the previous windows version. It has improved z-buffer handling. The Windows version does not support the 'Network battle' as before. It contains world War 2 bonus planes: the A6M2, P-51 and Bf 109. Which also appear in Aero Dancing i 'Special Disc'. Aero Dancing i 'Special Disc' 'iSD' (JAP, Dreamcast) Titled 'Jikai Sakuma de Machite Masen' meaning 'Waiting for the next version'. This special version contains most of the previous functionality, A Su-25 bonus Plane and a green AV-8B version. The original Survival mode was replaced with a similar mode focusing on the F-14 on a Carrier. The 32 missions were not included. It contains dozens of fan replays from the 'dancing audition 2001' event. Note: Cross platform Online play of all Aero Dancing i versions depended on Remote Game Servers. The service was closed down on March 31 of 2003. Note: Japanese Official Guide books were published By Softbank. At least for the Dreamcast Aero Dancing F and i releases. Aero Elite: Combat Academy (ENG, PS2, 2003) / Aero Dancing 4 (JAP, PS2) The series now switched to the PlayStation 2 Console. I contains the same Aircraft as Aero Dancing i Special disc, with the addition of the US-1A Amphibian Plane and three helicopters: Apache, Cobra and OH-6. The terrain engine and its terrain graphics were much improved compared to the previous efforts. More ground vehicles are included. The world war 2 aircraft are not included, neither is the self rolling demo in the title screen. Development of the Series was seized After Aero Elite / Aero Dancing 4. Sources: The games themselves Wikipedia ShinForce Japanese Flight Sim Page powered by TOK2 http://www.aerodancing.jp/ and the waybackmachine archived pages of that site. To be continued...

Unfortunately it is not easy to get (back) into combat sim business. Like this series and many others: the first two games are just too empty and have several flaws. Only after recycling earlier efforts and combined with new efforts and additions that a sim gets really interesting.

Energy Fighters? shouldn't it read Energy Airforce. Both that one and Over G fighters look excellent! But Energy Airforce appeals to me more. As Over G fighters shows a lot of BVR killing and story-centered radio chatter.

It just works as advertised. "A Strike Fighters .cat archive extractor and packer. There used to be skypats extractor for SF1, then this Catpack tool which for a while was the only one able to unpack SF2 archives. It unfortunately cannot extract the new cat format introduced in march 2011. The game publisher offers its own extractor now, which can extract most of the files, although some files remain locked on purpose." Except for the newer encrypted CAT format (2011 and later) there is no compression in CAT files. The version archived here is outdated. V1.22 is on my site: http://members.quicknet.nl/lm.broers/ "CatPack V1.22 Supports extracting a slightly new Cat format (no 3) as introduced between May and July 2011. Yet the compressed format that was also introduced is not supported. As SF2 since that time does not recognize version 1 cat archives, support for creating version 2 and 3 was added. Though without packing subfolders. For now it is recommended to just use format 2."

You cannot check out everything, I missed all these too, until now. And I would not care, if it was not for the Windows version of Aero Dancing i. Although in Japanese it is still worthwhile. The earlier games in the series are lacking a bit. Even this game is still very simple in certain areas. Like there are no wingmen, and maximum three enemies at once. Ground vehicles are usually harmless. Weather and speed effects are actually better then Strike Fighters 2, The image shows an F-2 in a rainy map. The game has a self rolling demo at startup with random aircraft on a random map, which is fun to watch. I tried the game on my eee PC netbook with intel Atom processor and intel graphics, and to my surprise it ran smoothly at 640x480. I will post more later in regard to an unofficial translation package I came across.

Some Screenshots From Aero Dancing i for Windows. Running at 1440x1080 on Windows XP. Images Scaled 50%. Showing: -Main Menu, with windows menu activated on top. The important things are in english but the subtitles are in Japanese. -Loadout screen of the F/A-18C with agressor skin, selecting an Air-to-ground loadout. -F-15 HUD without cockpit, Shooting two SRMs (Short Range Missiles) at a MiG-21. -AV-8B Harrier on LHA Carrier, in the last of the 32 missions. -Su-27 on afterburner in the Replay Theater, you can jump in and play at any part of the replay. -Cockpit of Tornado IDS with CCIP. In 'proffesional' mode pulling 1G is required for releasing bombs. Note that one cannot release weapons or rounds unless somewhat on target and in range.

Main custom 'lite' install: Nov 2011 Reference install: Latest patch, although I would have preffered to go back to before the missile effectiveness cheat: May 2012 IIRC.

File Name: USAF Silver Skin for F-5E Tiger II File Submitter: gerwin File Submitted: 08 January 2013 File Category: F-5 USAF Silver Skin for F-5E Tiger II An update by Gerwin 26-12-2012..20-1-2013 v1.1 DESCRIPTION: I was hoping someone would enhance the panel lines on the F-5E skin. Fortunately Lanapa released "F-5E Spanish SkinPack.rar" with the desired detail. I converted this Skin to the USAF Silver pattern. Next I adjusted and overpainted the whole thing to give a more convincing natural metal look, with a little weathering. v1.1: improved details on nose section and hook INSTALLATION: Copy the included folder with contents to the folder that contains the F-5E files, for example: WOE\Objects\Aircraft\F-5E or: My Documents\ThirdWire\Strike Fighters 2\Objects\Aircraft\F-5E When in the game select the skin in the loadout screen. NOTE: Be sure to download and install my Damage Textures Pack released on Combatace, which also contains detailed Damage textures for the F-5E. THANKS TO: Third Wire for the Strike Fighters Based Games, F-5E Skin by LANAPA F-5E Templates by Boz (Bosco Hsuean) F-5E Templates by Sony Tuckson F-5E Aircraft by The Mirage Factory: BPAO, C5, JeanBa, Kreelin, Fubar512 and Streakeagle, WPNSSGt, Sony Tuckson, Flying V, Manetsim, USAFMTL and Tom Venom. Click here to download this file

I also made an IDF skin for the Third Wire C-130A model resembling a C-130E, (The inaccuracy being the amount of blades of the prop) Have not uploaded it yet.

Downloading now... Intended as constructive feedback: In the screenshots for this package: the F/A-18D looks the most real, because the panel lines are more subtle.

Good news, I will be sure to check it out later. and thank you Brain32.

May I ask about the FM? With the F/A-18A FM I currently use, the wings break off the fuselage at high G. I am wondering if the FM in this package is different from the previous one.

Practically it means that the three ini files that matter: -terrain.ini -terrain_data.ini -terrain_targets.ini Are to be opened with NotePad (included in Windows), then click 'save as', and select ANSI. And leave them like that, no need to change back to unicode. ...hardly a show stopper.

TFDtool can do these things too, but you need to extract the desert terrain from the cat first, and convert the necessary unicode ini files to simple ansi text. http://combatace.com/topic/68667-alternate-tfd-terrain-tilemap-editorviewer/

I messed with replacing the init screen some time ago, It did not work when put in any of the mod folders that I tried. The strange thing was that it does show when one puts the replacement bmp in the game's menu folder, IIRC.

There is an update available, v0.83: - F1 now shows the entire manual directly (html format). - Global Mouse X Y coordinates are shown in meters at the bottom right of the screen. Which probably raises the desire to have the mouse coordinates relative to a target area? My first attempt to add a clickable menu system did not go as smooth as I hoped, it conflicted somehow. I postponed that for now.

What I find annoying with the Navelmap system in single missions, is that when the KIEV carrier is enabled, A Strike mission will always target the KIEV, ignoring all other possible target areas in the map.