WhiteBoySamurai

Thanks, sounds like a good idea! Yeah, all my ships are built with NA in mind. I know there are some holdouts on the site who want to keep using an earlier patch version, and others who might not have the hardware for (which i can totally sympathize with, since I wasn't able to handle NA smoothly until I built a new PC earlier this year), but I'm afraid there's no going back for me. @Wrench: It might not be the era you want, but I have a Supply class in the works. ...I start way too many projects for my own good. Here's something I'm just finishing up, for what it's worth: This is the original flight of Los Angeles boats, not the improved VLS ones... but I can do those later if there's demand for it. I'm happy with how the textures came out. I'm experimenting with specular maps and trying to get the hull to look washed over. Right now it's hard to see unless you rotate the camera under the right lighting though. The game doesn't really support subs so I'll just leave it up to the end user to assign them as patrol boats, as cargo ships, as frigates or whatever. It's got a names list and hull decal placement just in case.

I too would love to see a good tutorial. So far I only understand the very simple basics of specular maps ("make the shiny parts brighter, lol") but that's it.

I love that night scene, Stary! Looks like a real city down there. Type 90 tanks (WIP) repel intruders on Japan's northern territory: (However, a local resident is filing charges against the Ministry of Defense because of the tank that drove through the stone wall around their property...)

How's this? I've been meaning to update the weapon data and some other things on my Aegis ships, so I might as well touch up the models while I'm at it. Right now the lines look perfectly taught, but do you think they'd look better if they sagged a little? The polygon count for the riggings would probably double or triple, but it might be worth it. And eventually (by the time I start working on the Essex textures), I want to learn how to do proper specular maps, so I can get that neat "sea-splattered" effect like on Jullhelm's wonderful Ulyanovsk. No, that's all on me, my friend. You asked me to finish a project, but I didn't have the time or experience back then to do it right. I still think of the Bainbridge as your girl, so I hope you're happy with how she turned out.

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:

View File MV-22 Osprey VMM-265 Dragons 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 Submitter WhiteBoySamurai Submitted 10/04/2012 Category MV-22

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?

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.