Herr Prop-Wasche

Thanks, Creaghorn! I was using the effectswithtracers mod along with my DM mod and really enjoyed the results--although I did increase the size of the tracers from .2 to .5 I didn't see smoke with the earlier version of the effectstrailersmoke, however, so I have downloaded the update and will try it tonight.

FB, Glad you like the mod, so far, although I don't know if I would go so far as to call it "subtle." The fire effect you mentioned was unplanned, but perhaps a welcome side-effect of changing some of the threshold values around. For some aircraft, you may see a small or medium fire that will eventually grow into a large fire and explosion. Of course, if you continue to shoot at a burning plane, you can accelerate the process, but why waste the ammo!

There aren't any FM changes in this mod, unless I did something terribly wrong! Wings coming off in high g maneuvers is also not a part of this mod, although I wouldn't rule it out if the wing has taken a lot of bullet hits. All HITR aircraft should be covered in the DM, so N28's should be included. If not, try downloading again.

Herr Prop Wasche Damage Model 2 for HITR View File Readme File ------------ HPW Full Campaign Damage Model for OFF BHaH HITR v2.0 by Herr Prop Wasche Zip file contents: HPWDM2/aircraft folder with 477 individual aircraft folders and .xdp files HPWDM2_readme.txt INSTALLATION: Important! This version of the damage mod is intended to be used only in conjunction with Jonesoft's Generic Mod Enabler and should not be installed UNLESS JSGME has already been installed into your CFSWW1 Over Flanders Fields game folder. With JSGME, installation and use of this, or any mod, is very easy. Simply extract the contents of the zip file into the MODS folder which is created by JSGME when you install it into OFF. To load the mod, simply run JSGME, highlight the mod you wish to use, click on the top button, and then start your game. That's it! NOTE: This mod may be used in both QC battles AND the main campaign. ------------ Thank you for downloading HPWDM2, a total revision of my previously released damage model for Hat in the Ring, the official extension to Between Heaven and Hell, the wonderful WWI flight sim modification of CFS3 by OBD Software. DM2 uses information about the dimensions and specifications of every aircraft in HITR in order to develop revised hit points for each major component of every aircraft currently available in OFF. The correlation between the historical size and dimensions of each aircraft component and the number of hit points assigned to that component in the game has been adjusted so that this correlation in now positive, instead of negative, as it is in many cases in OFF and previous versions of my damage model. Engine hit points have also been adjusted so that the average aircraft engine has approximately 5% more hit points. Hit points also now correlate roughly with engine size or displacement. In addition, engine hit points now do not necessarily directly correspond with the chances of an engine catching fire. In the standard HITR installation, most aircraft are "set" to catch fire when 75% of their engine hit points have been used up. This percentage has been adjusted in almost every aircraft so that some will now catch fire when a smaller percentage of hit points have been used up, while others will only catch fire after a higher percentage of hit points have been expended. The overall result should be somewhat more durable engines and longer and more dangerous dogfights. Fewer aircraft (including your own) should suffer from an immediate loss in engine performance after only a very short, early burst into the front of the plane. On the other hand, once you notice your engine is no longer running smoothly, take it as a good sign that you may be about to turn into a blazing fireball! Other changes from the stock damage model include: stronger wing roots with somewhat weaker wing tips, resulting in aircraft wings that suffer from fewer catastrophic failures but that are more difficult to control when severely damaged, i.e. you may be able to still fly, but landing becomes a much bigger challenge; slightly decreased chances of crippling aileron control cable hits; slightly reduced hit points, on average, for ailerons and rudders; and increased hit points, on average, for horizontal and vertical stabilizers. Pilot and observer hit points have also been adjusted to make both you and your AI opponent more vulnerable to becoming wounded--perhaps fatally! However, in contrast to previous versions of my damage model, hit points for oil and coolant reservoirs have been increased back to, or close to, stock levels. Numerous other tweaks are designed to take into account time period of service, overall aircraft reputation for durability or weakness, notable structural problems in various aircraft (weaker lower wings in Albs, for example), and overall game balance. Finally, I would again like to express my thanks and appreciation to OBD Software for their help and encouragement in the making of this damage mod. Of course, with the exception of the tweaks contained in this damage model, all work remains the sole work and property of OBD software. If you have any questions or experience any problems with the installation of this mod, you can reach me at www.combatace.com in the Over Flanders Field forum. Thank you and I hope you enjoy the mod! HPW Submitter Herr Prop-Wasche Submitted 08/05/2010 Category Aircraft Models

All right, everyone. The DM is done, uploaded, and now waiting approval by the board moderators, so should be available later tonight. I could contine tweaking until the cows come home, but I think the DM is ready for release. You can find a complete readme and installation instructions in the downloads forum. In addition to all of the changes I describe in the readme, probably the most significant change in this DM over stock is that most aircraft (but especially two-seaters), are more resistant to minor damage. While shots to the engine or pilot are even more important in order to bring down either a scout or two-seater, early damage to the engine is less likely to result in an immediate loss of performance. The result, hopefully, should be longer and more dangerous, dogfights. While I have done my best to make a DM that is both historical and fair to both Allied and Entente players, no DM is "perfect." Please direct any comments or criticisms to me at this forum, and I will do my best to answer or address your concerns. Thank you, everyone, for your support. I enjoyed making this DM and look forward to hearing your experiences with the new DM.

The .air files also contain weight information, but you need a hex editor or airEdit to read those files. Of the three, I think the .cfg file is the file the game uses.

Thank you, Hellshade. I really look forward to your cinematic presentation. The campaign version is coming along nicely and will be ready very soon. I don't anticipate any problems getting it to work.

Take your time, Hellshade. I'm sure the final result will be as spectacular as all the rest.

My understanding is that fuel and pilot weight is modeled for the AI, but that the AI always have 50% fuel on board, both at the start and end of a mission. I seem to have an easier time keeping up with the AI at the end of a mission, as my fuel load gets depleted, than I do at the start.

The new DM is almost ready. All I need to do now is write the readme file and installation directions. Also, I strongly recommend that anyone planning to use this, or any mod, first download and install JSGME. Believe me, it makes loading and unloading mods a snap and dispenses with the need to manually back up your game files.

I think a regular old, copy and paste method will work with his files. Copy and paste both of the tracers.dds files to the OFF\effects\fxtextures folder described in his readme. Copy and paste the particular effects file you want to use into the main CFSWW1 Over Flanders Fields folder. Don't forget to back up the original effects file first or you won't be able to go back to the original OFF version!

You are most welcome, Sir! I have an updated version for you. This new version strengthens the elevators of most planes and makes the chances of fire a little higher. I find that the aircraft tend to fly better and fight longer with slightly strengthed elevators. There are a few other minor changes, as well. I think I am almost done with my tweaking and will now work on converting the mod so that it works in the campaign. Unfortunately, this involves copying the .xdp file to the other 430+ aircraft folders, so unless I can find a shortcut, this will probably take more than a few days.

Okay, I think I have it now. Thanks for the mod!

In theory, yes. I think if you look in the .xdp file for the Roland you will find a section for mission types and load outs. You might compare this with the .xdp file of an allied craft that does carry bombs to see what you might have to add. As for getting the AI to carry bombs, that may be a bit more tricky. My first suggestion would be that you would have to edit the .SQD file in the RolandCII Sqd folder, but there may also be some squad editing that is required as well. I'd take a look, but I am a little busy with other projects right now!

Thanks for the heads up!

vonOben: PM sent. Dej: That's a possibility, Dej, but so far the only computer that the FM mod will not work in the campaign is mine! Of course, only two other people have tested it, but it seems to have worked on their machines. I'll keep plugging away, but right now I am deep working on my damage model mod. If you are curious, I am still on XP with full administrative rights and full file sharing. Come to think of it, I will have to check the file sharing thing again. Maybe there is something I have missed...

Hellshade. Here is a list of major changes to the DM: 1) The revised DM represents a complete overhaul of the damage model, using information about airplane dimensions and specifications to develop baselines in order to establish appropriate hit points for each major component of every aircraft currently available in the HITR expansion to OFF. The correlation between the historical size and dimensions of each aircraft component and the number of hit points assigned to that component in the game has been adjusted so that this correlation in now postive, instead of negative, as it is in many cases in OFF currently. 2) Each class of aircraft in the game now has a unique number of hit points assigned to each major component currently modeled in the game. For example, in the standard HITR installation, each airplane with the exception of four, has 48 hit points assigned to the rudder. In the revised DM, hit points for the rudder of each aircraft range from 42 for the Albatros DII to 54 for the DFW CV, corresponding to the size, in square feet, of the rudder for each aircraft. 3) Engine hit points have been adjusted so that the average aircraft engine has approximately 5% more hit points and correlates roughly with engine size or displacement. In addition, engine hit points now do not necessarily directly correspond with the chances of an engine catching fire. In the standard HITR installation, most aircraft are "set" to catch fire when 75% of their engine hit points have been used up. This percentage has been adjusted in most aircraft so that some will now catch fire when a smaller percentage of hit points have been used up, while others will only catch fire after a higher percentage of hit points have been expended. The overall result should be somewhat more durable engines and longer and more dangerous dogfights. Fewer aircraft (including your own) should suffer from an immediate loss in engine performance after only a very short, early burst of fire into the front of the plane. 4) Overall changes include stronger wing roots with somewhat weaker wing tips, resulting in fewer catastophic wing failures but aircraft with substantial control difficulties, i.e. you may be able to still fly, but landing becomes a bigger challenge; slightly decreased chance of crippling aileron control cable hits; slightly reduced hit points, on average, for ailerons, rudders, and elevators; and increased hit points, on average, for horizontal and vertical stabilizers. 5) Numerous other tweaks to take into account time period of service, overall aircraft reputation for durability or weakness, notable structural problems in various aircraft (weaker lower wings in Albs, for example), as well as overall game balance. 6) Fully compatible with JoneSoft's Generic Mods Enabler (JSGME), an easy to use mods management program that installs into your main CFSWW1 Over Flanders Fields game folder. JSGME ensures that any mod, including this one, will not make any permanent or unreversable changes to your standard game installation.

Creaghorn, Question. Are the tracer .dds files supposed to be used along with all three versions of the effects mods or not? I tried to use the effectstrailersmoke with the tracer.dds files and did not see any tracer smoke--just the yellow tracers. Am I doing something wrong?

BTW, the mod I just posted is specifically designed to be used with JSGME installed first. You can probably use it without JSGME, but you will first have to back up or copy ALL of your .xdp files in each aircraft QC folder first.

Here is a beta version of the DM for use in QC, Hellshade. Others are welcome to try it, too. As I said, the mod is about 98% complete. I'm not sure how suitable it will be for a video demonstration, however, as you won't see any dramatic differences between it and the standard DM. Most of the changes are relatively minor adjustments for each plane that have the overall effect of rebalancing the um, balance, of the various aircraft in OFF. In fact, I don't expect the revised DM to appeal much to casual gamers, as there is less "whiz-bang" with the mod in the form of fewer wings getting blown off and it taking longer to cripple and shoot down most enemy planes--unless you are really lucky! It will take me awhile to put together a complete list of all of the changes I have made with this mod since there are so many, mostly small ones; but I will see what I can do.

Both Olham and Hasse Wind are using a program called "JoneSoft Generic Mods Enabler" (JSGME) to load and unload mods to their OFF installations. JSGME is a very handy and easy to install and use program that will automatically back up your standard installation and then load any mod you choose to run with just the click of a button. It's ideal for anyone who wants to fly heavily modded single-player, but who also enjoys flying either modded or unmodded multiplayer. You can even use several mods together, as long as they don't use the same exact files. You can get JSGME here: http://www.users.on....ucts-jsgme.html

I still haven't figured out why the mod seems to work for others in campaign but will not work on my very own machine. I'll be happy enough if it works for others, as I'll eventually get the mystery solved. Good question about the AI. I don't think that will be a problem, though. First, the AI seems to inherently know the limitations of their aircraft and manages to avoid doing the same foolish things us 'real' sim pilots sometimes do. Secondly, while improved, you REALLY have to dive a long time and maintain a good speed to get your wings to fall off. I probably could make the wings come off earlier, but then even level flight at higher than normal cruising speed might cause wing damage. I'll take a look at it, though, after I finish the DM, to see what I can do more with the FM.

Two weeks.

No, too easy! What WM needs is a challenge! http://www.youtube.c...h?v=tyRvGKEiY-o