guitarclassic55

Hi Guys, I've been away for almost a year, new computer now and considering getting back into FE. A few questions... is the November 2008 patch a step forward? Has there been any community-made "superpatch" - planes, campaigns, etc.? Thanks in advance.

Thanks

Richthofen's Skies - I ran across it today for the first time. Does anyone have any experience with it? Just curious, wondering if it's worth the download/installation/etc. Thanks

Hi guys, I fiinally figured out how to add kout's excellent main menu and Alligator Devil's great hangar and loading screens... not to take anything away from the other fine menu mods out there. I thought I'd try my hand at the campaign screen since it seems pretty bland to me. Attached is a 60% screenshot of what I've come up with. I'm kind of shooting in the dark, a lot of trial and error. But if anyone is interested in a whole set, you know, campaign, pilot record, single player, etc., please let me know. Maybe it will give me the impetus to see it through. All constructive criticism appreciated. Thanks. Guitarclassic55

Thanks for all your hard work, Peter. Looking forward to starting over too, and giving it a new go. Guitar

Sounds intriguing... looking forward to hearing what you come up with.

I see what you mean now... I'll see if I can't figure it out and fix it. Until then, just click on the text itself, not the arrows. I probably never noticed it because I tend to click on the text anyway instead of the arrows. Thanks.

Tailspin, I changed the cockpit yaw values as you suggested on the Sopwith Pup and I can now see almost to (but not quite) the stabilizer from either direction. While I'd really like to see the stabilizer, it is at least an improvement.

Hi and welcome, I'm probably not the best person to answer your question, but since it's Saturday morning and no one else is around, I'll tell you what I know. It is a bit confusing, the different possibilities with FE: Original FE with only stock planes Original FE with added custom planes and some INI tweaking Original FE with added custom planes and the FIRST PATCH (which fixed a lot of things that made the INI tweaking necessary) FE with Expansion Pack (includes the first patch changes) FE with EP and April 2008 patch FE without EP and April 2008 patch On top of that there are custom FMs for the custom planes PRE-EP and post-EP, and custom FMs for the stock planes pre- and post-EP, most notably the ones by peter01. The post-EP ones by peter01 were being raved about but after the April 2008 patch came out they didn't work as well so peter01 pulled them from the download section (I believe). I wish I could give you more direction and more information... I know that several people have multiple installs of FE: one original FE for early-war planes, and one or more other installs for later planes,usually incorporating the EP and/or latest patches. Personally, I fly the EP with the April 2008 patch. I also fly the custom planes with peter01's pre-EP FMs... I'm sure he's probably cringing reading this... because the planes probably don't feel like they should, or perform the way they should since TK (the designer/programmer of Thirdwire series) changed things FM-related with the EP and again with the April 2008 patch. Nevertheless, I fly them that way. I also like flying in campaign mode. Firecage has a great all-inclusive start-to-finish campaign called planefest that uses many of the custom planes. I haven't tried it since the April 2008 patch so I can't say for certain that it will work. I'm currently flying the Bloody April 1917 campaign by Charles (I think...) and it is excellent given the limitations of the campaign system. It took a while to get all the planes together for Firecage's campaign... some need to be downloaded from Capun's site after you register there, if you haven't already they are well worth the effort. [There's another thread on the subject from the not too distant past.] Lots of great talent here with many excellent contributions... but it's not exactly pulled together in neat and tidy order. Good luck and happy flying! Hopefully others will chime in and clarify the things I've left murky... Guitarclassic55

I'm doing some flying now, and I've got TrackIR4 which is really really cool. Makes awareness so much better and more natural. Anyway, I noticed even before I got TrackIR that FE seems to have "sped up..." It almost feels like I'm flying a WWII simulator. Take-offs are really quick, landings likewise. I'm thinking that either 1) since I've been flying OFF some too that perhaps the differences in the two games is throwing me... I guess that's possible... but I don't know why I never noticed it until recently... OR 2) something has gone awry with the timing in the game. I mean, it's alarming at how fast a Roland Walfisch now does double split-Ss in evading me, and how fast we descend, etc. Anyone have any ideas for me? Or have I just gone crazy?

It does seem to be quite a bit slower... I feel like I'm flying a kite sometimes in OFF. Not to criticize it, I do like it for several reasons, but I like the flying better in FE. FE seems much more like the DOGFIGHT TV series (whatever it's called, can't remember) computer-generated depictions of WWI dogfights, too. [With the except of the planes breaking up sooo frequently and being sooo easy to kill in FE with the stock ammo settings...] If someone could just make a comprehensive campaign mod that lets you feel like you're really enlisted and if you die, you're dead... and like you're really attached to a certain squadron with other pilots, etc. I know FE models that, but it doesn't have the feel to it that I'm looking for... you know, RB3Dish... hate to harken back but it seems like the best comparison.

File Name: Guitarclassic55's Replacement Menu Screens WITH MOVIE File Submitter: guitarclassic55 File Submitted: 26 May 2008 File Updated: 27 May 2008 File Category: Hanger/Menu/Loadout FIXED CORRUPTED ZIP FILE - MOVIE VERSION should be good to go now INTRODUCTION - Guitarclassic55's Replacement Menu Screens with MOVIE GREETINGS! Thanks for downloading Guitarclassic55's Replacement Menu Screens for First Eagles. I created these because I felt the stock screens were a bit lacking in ambience and I wanted more visual immersion from the WWI era. Unfortunately, because most of the new screens "call" the same global INI files (which I have modified), you can't pick and choose which ones you'd like to use. I'm afraid that for the most part, it's either use these, or the stock ones, or other custom screens by someone else. The one exception: I did create new versions of the stock hangar screens but they should co-exist peacefully with any custom hangar screens that you have already installed along with custom aircraft. WHAT IS INCLUDED There are two versions of Guitarclassic55's Replacement Menu Screens available for download, with only one difference: Version 1. The Main Screen includes a "movie" in the antique watch face. Kind of cool but sometimes takes a little longer to load, and the download size is much larger. (65 MB) Version 2. Same as above, but the Main Screen does not include the movie. (31MB) In every other way, the two are identical. The stock screens that are replaced: Main Screen Campaign Screen Debrief Screen Loadout Screen Medal List Screen Multiplayer Screen Options Screen Pilot Record Screen Planning Map Screen Roster Screen Single Mission Screen In addition, the Hangar screens for the twelve flyable stock planes/variants are included. The Loading screens have not been included but may be added at a later date. One other change - Planning Map Screen Icons - the air and ground icons of the individual countries for the planning map have been reduced to 75% of their original size. I found the maps extremely cluttered at times, so this gives a bit cleaner look in my opinion. Anyone wanting even smaller (50%) icons may contact me for them. If you prefer the original stock size icons, simply open the MENU folder, find the BMP files that begin with "MAPICON..." and delete them. INSTALLATION First, first, and FIRST! – copy the MENU folder (located in the root First Eagles directory, whatever you decided to call it when you installed the game) and all its contents, then paste the copy somewhere safe just in case you want to go back to your previous menus. NOW - unzip the version of the Replacement Menus that you have chosen, then copy the MENU and OBJECT folders and paste them in the root First Eagles directory. You will be warned that the folders already exist. Click YES TO ALL (I believe) and all the contents will go into the proper folders. Read the next paragraph only if you feel you need more explanation. [The object here is to ADD the files, NOT get rid of everything that's already there. So if you followed the directions correctly, assuming that I gave them correctly (crossing fingers) you'll have new files in the MENU folder, and new files in the twelve stock aircraft sub-folders inside AIRCRAFT which is inside OBJECTS.] And guess what... that's it! The wonderful simplicity of ThirdWire's modding system. UNINSTALLING You can: 1. Do a clean re-install of the whole game. Not recommended if you have other custom things, like planes, campaigns, texture sets, maps, etc., OR 2. If you want to get rid of everything from the mod EXCEPT the new hangar screens: A. Locate your backed-up original MENU folder. B. Find the MENU folder in the root directory of your First Eagles (or whatever you named it) folder and delete all contents. C. Paste all contents from the backed up MENU folder into the MENU folder inside the First Eagles root folder. That should do it. 3. If you also want to get rid of the new hangar screens: A. Go to FIRST EAGLES/OBJECTS/AIRCRAFT/AlbatrosD3 and delete the file "AlbatrosD3_hangar.bmp" B. Repeat the same process in the eleven other stock plane folders inside the AIRCRAFT folder. The folders, and files are: AlbatrosD3OAW - delete AlbatrosD3OAW_hangar.bmp AlbatrosD5 - delete AlbatrosD5_hangar.bmp AlbatrosD5A - delete AlbatrosD5_hangar.bmp CamelF1_110 - delete CamelF1_hangar.bmp CamelF1_130 - delete CamelF1_hangar.bmp CamelF1_150 - delete CamelF1_hangar.bmp FokkerD7 - delete FokkerD7_hangar.bmp FokkerD7F - delete FokkerD7_hangar.bmp FokkerDr1 - delete FokkerDr1_hangar.bmp SE5a - delete SE5a_hangar.bmp Spad12 - delete Spad13_hangar.bmp KNOWN ISSUES: The Chat record on the Debriefing Screen may or may not be functional. I've never flown multiplayer so I have no idea whether this works or not. If it does not and you'd like it fixed, let me know and I'll try to do so. I'm not aware of any other problems... but something may surface that I didn't catch. If you find something, please let me know. You can PM me through the forum, or leave a message on the forum itself, or e-mail me directly at jimdickson@fastmail.fm. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thanks to jarrko for the background picture on the mainscreen, used also altered by me for the options screen. Thanks to kout for his original alternate mainscreen, which planted the seed and got me hooked on doing this in the first place. His work is excellent and inspiring. Thanks to sockboy and Barkhorn for their testing. Though brief, it was a pleasure working with you, guys. Thanks to p01ppy for the idea to use a small chalkboard for the hangar screens. He even offered to let me use his hangar screen work as a basis for mine; I initially wanted to but found it too intimidating because his work is also most excellent... so I went in another direction. I hope you enjoy what I've come up with. There's a lot I could change still, but it is after all a game, something to be enjoyed. It was fun putting it all together... too much more though and the fun would begin to go away for me. Perhaps I'll take another pass at it sometime in the future. Guitarclassic55 [Jim Dickson] Prince Edward Island, Canada May 2008 Click here to download this file

Thanks... I hope to get a chance to try it out later tonight... will let you know if it works.

Hi ansons2, I can't recreate this problem in any install version - original, or patched original, or Expansion Pack, or Expansion Pack with April 2008 patch. Instant Action always works for me. Does anyone else have this problem? Sorry I can't be more help.

If I change the cockpit yaw values, will that give me the ability to look all the way back on both sides with TrackIR4? Sounds like it would... I'll have to give it a try. Thanks for the tip.

I loved playing RB1, got me hooked on flight simulators and WWI in particular. I used to write up my own mission reports after each mission. I still remember peering at the screen, waiting for a pixel to appear and turn into a few pixels, then into a plane shape. I remember going around and around and around in a dogfight with Immelmann, and making it home safe after tangling with Udet in his red-striped Eindecker. I also remember being chased home by three Alb. D III's as the sun set and stars began to appear. It was way cool for way back then.

Yes, aware of time compression, I have the time cycle button mapped to T. In hindsight, maybe I've just gone crazy... perhaps FE just gives a better sense of movement than OFF, plus I was flying late war planes in FE and early war planes in OFF. Yep, I'm pretty sure I've gone crazy.

Anyone not applying the April 2008 FE patch will not be able to access the Campaign screen... instead you'll get a black page. I have posted a replacement campaignscreen.ini that will fix the problem. Please follow the directions. This is ONLY for people who haven't applied the April 2008 patch.

Not sure about this one yet but I'll check into it when I get home from work today. Thanks for your patience.

Thanks for finding this and pointing it out. There was a change made to the campaignscreen.ini in the April 2008 patch. I've uploaded a replacement campaignscreen.ini for those who have not applied the April 2008 patch. If you don't want to wait for it to get approved, open the current campaignscreen.ini (from one of the Guitarclassic55 downloads) and make sure the following sections under NewCampaign read as follows: [CampaignLengthList] MenuItemType=LIST Position=215,250 Width=210 Height=22 ListFieldSetting=MediumListField2 DropDownListSize=10 InfoTextSetting=InfoTextSetting InfoTextStringID=TXT_MENU_CAMPAIGNLENGTH_INFO AND... [CampaignLengthText] MenuItemType=TEXT TextSetting=MediumTextLeft2 TextStringID=TXT_MENU_CAMPAIGNLENGTHTEXT TextPosition=67,253 Hope this helps. Let me know if there are still problems.

File Name: Guitarclassic55's pre-April 2008 campaignscreen.ini File Submitter: guitarclassic55 File Submitted: 30 May 2008 File Category: Hanger/Menu/Loadout This campaignscreen.ini should fix the campaign screen if you're using Guitarclassic55's Replacement Menu Screens without the April 2008 patch. There was a slight change made in the patch to the campaignscreen.ini; this is should fix the problem. ONLY INSTALL IF YOU HAVEN'T INSTALLED THE APRIL 2008 PATCH If you have installed the April 2008 patch, DO NOT INSTALL THIS FILE -- you should be fine already. If you're not using Guitarclassic55's replacement menus, DO NOT INSTALL THIS FILE. __________________ INSTALLATION - Simply change the filename from campaignscreen.txt to campaignscreen.ini, then drop it into the MENU folder of First Eagles, overwriting the previous file. Click here to download this file