WhiteBoySamurai

I recommend you try the desert campaign as a mercenary. I've played through that campaign more than all the rest I've got installed combined. You start off in an F-100, which has all the acceleration and maneuverability of a school bus stuck in a blizzard, you've got hilariously unreliable missiles, no bombing aids, and only the simplest air to ground weapons. I promise that after a few missions in this era you'll never take modern jets and weapons for granted again. It's a long campaign, and you'll definitely feel a sense of progression. Anyway, here's the fun part-- As a mercenary, you earn money for scoring kills and completing missions, allowing you to buy newer aircraft and weapons as they become available. These include the stock stuff plus nearly any flyable mods you've installed. And you can outfit your squadron however you like with whatever you buy. For example, I often found myself flying in an F-5 (which can at least turn with the MiGs), with my wingman in a Phantom, and took numbers 3 and 4 in Skyhawks for strike missions.

Flying toward the future--

Ahaha, I see what you did there. Honestly I'm flattered, Wrench. Just uploaded the new Bainbridge. If I have time today I'll post some minor cosmetic tweaks to the Leahy as well.

I've just uploaded version 3.0, which is a complete rebuild of the model like the Leahy. It's now much more complete and historically accurate as well as better looking overall.

Foot-kissing not necessary, Wrench! If anything, please consider it payback for the new Korea and all the other awesome terrains you've done. Here's the early Bainbridge. I may still have to make a new radar dish, because it's unclear to me if she was built with the SPS-37 or SPS-39 set. Regardless, the package will be ready by next week.

I wasn't sure which subclass you wanted, so I decided to do the more common long-hull version, which started with CV-14. This of course means that I'm doing another ship named Ticonderoga. I still have a TON of work to do on it, but I can assure you that the 5" guns and quad-40mm will all be there. I might even be able to install the fifty-something (!) 20mm guns, but I think the sheer amount of rounds in the air would kill most players' framerate. Do you also need the 50s era SCB-27 refits?

The 70s would be an interesting year in that theater. I think the ROC first got the Tiger II in 1973, and of course China was already mass-producing J-6 and J-7. Also, it might be fun to have a 1980s campaign set around the premise, "what if Taiwan bought the F-20 Tigershark?"

Got it, I'll try taking a bit more artistic license. I'm still working on the Bainbridge, but meanwhile here is an early preview of something I promised to do:

File Name: MV-22 Osprey VMM-265 Dragons File Submitter: WhiteBoySamurai File Submitted: 04 October 2012 File Category: MV-22 This is a skin pack for the MV-22 Osprey representing the Marine Tiltrotor Squadron 265 (VMM-265 "Dragons"), stationed in MCAS Futenma, Okinawa. Two texture sets are included: standard low-viz squadron markings and the CAG Bird (pictured above). Get the Osprey for SF2 here: http://combatace.com/files/file/11685-mv-22-for-sf2/ Credits: Zurawski for MV-22 Nengajyou for skins and decals Click here to download this file

Looking good, colmack! Glad you were able to bounce back. Keep us updated of your progress. The new Leahy is up, and the Bainbridge will follow next week. Just to give you an idea of how much I've learned in a year, this was what I released in October 2011: Here it is now: Polygon count has tripled (now around 15k for the close-in model) and I've gotten much, much more efficient with texture mapping. Granted, it's still not perfect. The grainy photos and shots of scale models I had to work with were often vague or contradictory; I still don't know what the hell is going on in the aft superstructure, or the exact variations between the radar antennas. But anyway I'd like to think it now looks about as good as the stock USN ships. Hope you enjoy it.

Good thing we can fly it for free, right?

File Name: CG-16 Leahy class cruiser File Submitter: WhiteBoySamurai File Submitted: 29 September 2011 File Category: Cruisers This model represents the Leahy class, in service from 1962 to 1995. The Leahy class was dedicated missile cruiser, equipped with fore and aft twin SAM launchers, and primarily tasked with defending fleet elements. This package contains three versions of the Leahy, separated into the major refits the class underwent during its service life: As built in 1962: Equipped with Terrier missiles and two 3" twin turrets AAW refit circa 1968: Terriers replaced with SM-1ER, electronics updated to support new missiles NTU refit circa 1988: New radars, 3" guns replaced with Harpoon launchers and Phalanx CIWS, SM-1ER replaced with SM-2ER Each version has its own names.ini list, so each variant will appear in task forces in the correct era. Each version of the ship is substantially different in their anti-air and anti-missile capability, which I have attempted to simulate as best as I can. The Harpoons on the NTU version are fully functional. SRBOC launchers (as on my other USN ships) are included on the model but disabled by default for simplicity's sake. Note: The weapon systems, collision mesh, and decals have been updated for compatibility with SF2: North Atlantic and the March 2012 patch. If you have not installed/do not plan to install either, this model will not work properly. When setting up a task force, using the USNgrey texture will allow hull decals based on the ship number. If placing the model as a single ship instead of a task force, please use the different texture sets to get a specific hull number. If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or constructive criticisms regarding this model, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you! Click here to download this file

I've just uploaded version 3.0, which is a complete rebuild of the model. It's now much more complete and historically accurate as well as better looking overall.

Cocas has the right advice for everyone. FYI, in Max 2009, those autobackup settings are at Customize -> Preferences... -> Files tab. NTU version (refits circa 1988) are coming along. They currently have working Phalanx CIWS... ...and Harpoons. This version of the ship has RIM-67C SM-2ER, with 100nm+ range. This gives them even longer reach than the early SM-2MR armed Ticonderogas... but the Leahy's fire control radars can't actually see that far! The networking with other USN ships seems to work well in game so far.

Yes. Very yes. The Pacific theater is very much my chief area of interest, and obviously I will accept any excuse to get big fleets of ships involved, and fight someone other than the Russians for a change. The main thing I'd like to see is a semi-historical campaign based around the Third Taiwan Strait Crisis, in which the USN sent two CBGs, including the Nimitz and Independence. It very nearly lead to war, and if you're treating it like a continuation of your first Formosa Freedom campaign, that means there could be even heavier military buildup and some fierce fighting. My question is, what do you need? Do you have the objects and aircraft you need to build the campaigns? The Nimitz is stock, most of the Seventh Fleet escorts and many of the PLAN ships are ready, but what about the Forrestal class? The only model I know of for it is around 7 years old. Oh, for a believable full-scale invasion of Taiwan there should be Yuting class assault ships to be big juicy targets-- If you're willing to wait a bit I'll see if I can throw one together.

Sucks big time. I once lost 40+ hours of work like that. Don't give up! If you need any parts like launchers, radars, etc, let me know. I just finished a new RIM-67 model to complete the 1968 refit of the Leahy:

Yeah, I think it would be easier for you as the uploader, and us as the downloaders, to package ground objects separately. That way ground objects can be added and updated without having to re-upload (or re-download) the 100MB+ terrain again.

Someday. After I finish its little cousin.

Finishing up faster than I expected. I'll be moving on to the refits and the Bainbridge right away. Expected release date is next weekend.

Just tried it on the F-4 and I see what you're saying-- it seems like the bullets are going a fraction of a degree under the aim point. It could be the drop-off I mentioned, or maybe something else. Have you tried the same with the stock F-14 or F-16? Those and third-party modern aircraft with LCOS seem to have truer aim to me. It could be my imagination, or maybe some difference between Avionics60 and Avioncs70. Heh, didn't people used to do that for certain first-person shooters too? Like to shoot from the hip with sniper rifles or some such craziness?

Thanks for the great campaign, JonathanRL! I'm happy to see my ships getting some use. I wish I had a PLAN landing ship for you to complete the invasion force. By the end of this year, my goal is to have all the ships necessary for a 1995 Taiwan Straight Crisis (Part III: the Revenge!).

I remember reading somewhere that bullets in TW lose velocity much more quickly than in real life. This also notoriously affects artillery and naval guns so that they don't have nearly the effective range that they should. Maybe the rounds don't have drag coefficients modelled, so it's like they have flat heads or something. I wonder if there's a way to fix that? Don't disable LCOS unless you want to handicap yourself. If you think it's "pointless" then you're either not using it optimally (i.e. no radar lock on the bandit) or you're using a third-party aircraft that doesn't have matching gun aim angles and HUD boresight angles (easily diagnosed and fixed). With LCOS you don't need to waste ammo on spray-n-pray or guesstimation, just keep the little dot on the bad guy (which is still a challenge) and squeeze the trigger briefly. If all else fails, no matter what gunsight you're using, for best results just get close enough that the bandit fills your HUD.