Lothar of the Hill People

Hey Hauksbee. Buddy1998 seems to have fixed the long drifting flamer problem. Best option is OlPaint01's bundle, which contains JSGME versions of both HPW's and Buddy1998's modified DMs, as well as 33Lima's ArcMod designed for each, giving you the choice all in one easy download. The Mod Manager built into OFFice has a nice graphic interface that lets you choose between which DM associated ArcMod you have installed just by clicking a button, same with mission and FM/EW mod choices. And thanks to my and OlPaint's work it will automatically order and activate all the FM and DM and mission and weather etc. mods to sort out compatibility issues. I'll be posting an updated version soon so check it out. You should get OlPaint's other bundles as well. CaptSopwith has a nice two-part review of the whole OFFice + mod bundles experience here.

File Name: Lothar Names File Submitter: Lothar of the Hill People File Submitted: 25 June 2012 File Updated: 20 July 2012 File Category: Maps, Missions, and Campaigns Expanded and cleaned-up names files for Over Flanders Fields and OFFbase. Greatly increases the number of unique names for these campaigns, and also skews distributions so some more common names are more likely to appear in-game. Statistics: This mod increases the number of unique American names in OFF: Hat in the Ring from 68,068 to 109,538, and unique British names from 60,648 to 150,336. The number of unique German names blooms from just 11,850 in the original OFF: Between Heaven and Hell, to 116,446 in HitR by including Creaghorn’s German last names, to a robust 457,380 with this mod. Take note: there are still only 68,730 unique French names—if someone else wants to take a crack at it. Requires: Over Flanders Fields JoneSoft Generic Mod Enabler Credits: Original files by OBD Software, with HitR including Creaghorn’s expanded German last names from his Homebrew. Installation and Usage: The installer automatically extracts the mod folders into your OFF JSGME modsfolder if OFF and JSGME are installed correctly. Activate the mod folders manually in JSGME, or the Mod Manager included in the OFFice campaign editor will take care of it all automatically. Click here to download this file

Hey Bletchley. Yep, OFFice automatically activates the correct mission mods for your campaign, so you never again have to worry about manually turning mods on and off in JSGME. OlPaint01 repackaged your mission mods for the correct file structure in his realism bundle, You may just want to download all the mod packs linked on the OFFbase download page as they're ready to go and it'll save you the work! Plus it puts together most of the community's best work. And it should work just fine if there are no mods or if JSGME isn't installed--you just won't be able to activate them. Also, how come I can't PM you? Was going to send you a link to preview 0.7.8 with a smarter mod manager!

Hauksbee, take a look in your "CFSWW1 Over Flanders Fields\aircraft\ folder". You should see a Se5a_QC1 folder there. Your problem likely lies somewhere in that folder. Have any of the files inside been changed recently?

Cool thanks guys, full repacked and fixed version here temporarily if you want to test it manually. I'll PM the link to HPW so he can upload it.

Good call, OlPaint01. Panama Red, I didn't see those fixes could you point me to them for inclusion? I'll then send the whole thing to HPW so all he has to do is post it.

HPW's 2.0 release is structured for the incorrect installation of JSGME, so needs to be repacked for compatibility. Only took a couple of minutes to do so, the repacked version temporarily located here so either OlPaint01 can include it in a bundle or HPW can update his original 2.0 release with these fixed files. Next version of OFFice will support this repacked version, with the folders named just so to make it distinct from the EW version, giving users a choice of FM with or without EW. HPW_Allied_FM_RePack HPW_German_FM_RePack HPW_Sopwith Pup 100 HP_RePack HPW_Sopwith Tripe 130 HP_RePack HPW_Spad 13 220 HP_RePack HPW_Spad 13 235 HP_RePack HPW_Spad VII 180 HP_RePack

What HPW needs to sort out problems with planes taking off is a list of specific planes that have major trouble (half the flight crashing consistently). Planes that crash on takeoff: Airco DH2 (CaptSopwith) Halberstadt DII (Lothar) Planes known to be fine: Albatros DII (Lothar) Additionally, if you give me the names of problem planes so they match what OFF puts in the pilot dossier line 89, it's easy to script OFFice to deactivate the EW mod automatically for player flights of these craft: [found? find squad/aircraft "Airco DH2"] [EW: false] [squad/aircraft = "Hberstadt DII"] [EW: false] This deactivates it for the "Airco DH2 - 110" late variant as well.

Bletchley's ammo loadout rules have been implemented in OFFbase 0.7.7, just now available for download. Thanks to OlPaint01 for writing the French rules. They still need plenty of testing, as likely planes were missed and there could still be some conflicts with different nations versions of the same planes. Default is 25%. So let OlPaint or I know if you notice anything largely against the rules... within some variance. The rule system was great because it was easy to add small adjustments to the hard numbers for operational rating and other factors (hint: it helps to be friends with the Munitions Officer!). But at the end of the day the rules are just recommendations from a non-player character in the game. They're preset in the Briefing Room but you can raise (or lower) them at will--only your relationship with the sergeant is at stake. So even German campaigns should have a little room to play, especially in poorly-rated out-of-the-way squadrons with terrible morale. But for the most part you just get used to going with what you're given. Go give it a try, let us know what you think! Hopefully we'll be able to compliment it with historical rules for a bullets/tracers mod. Anyone can write mods for OFFice now--for now PM me if you've dug around in the OFFice\modrules folder enough to not be scared to death.

OFFice 0.7.7 is a good start, with rules built in capturing Bletchley's historical ammo loadouts thanks to help from OlPaint01. It's actually really cool, as it ties right in to the Munitions Officer. Following the loadout rules is entirely optional--the loadout is preset according to the rules but you can increase (or decrease) how much ammo you actually take in the mission briefing. What's cool is the Munitions Officer knows if you disrespect his authority--and it could be worth keeping him on your good side. It also ties into the custom skin vs custom loadout switch in a rather fun way. Give it a try! This is all possible with a dynamic scripting engine that ties together the OFFice system with JSGME mods, Pilot Dossiers, OFF Workshop settings, and CFS3Config settings, with rules being able to make decisions base upon or set any of these settings. OFF is a mod of CFS3. JSGME mods OFF. OFFice mods JSGME, OFF, and CFS3. OFFice now supports mods. It is the Inception of mods. And the coolest part: tying all this together only took 125 lines of REBOL code. It's just been approved by the admins, so go try it!

Here's a quick teaser of the Hangar screen which will replace the Airfield, making the Munitions Officer more accessible. First, a typical rookie pilot: That 60% loadout will be preset automatically when you arrive in the Briefing Room for you rmission. But notice what happens when an experienced flyer, who also happens to be best friends with the Munitions Officer, arrives for that same afternoon flight: What happens if you override the Munitions Officer for your mission, over or under? You'll have to play OFFbase to find out... Hopefully version 0.7.7 will be ready to go in the next couple of days.

Yep, can't even get around it through the registry. But OFFice can easily check if you have custom skins enabled. I'll keep the player choice and just set the registry. The cool thing is OFFice knows if you changed the settings, so you may have to face the Munitions Officer afterwards and explain yourself. This means the player gets the choice, but also faces a tradeoff. Even cooler: it's low-skilled, low-ranked pilots who'll be more likely to lose prestige from taking extra ammo, while high-ranking Aces, Killers, and SharpShooters can actually earn prestige from a full loadout--they've earned it and the Munitions Officer knows it and resents the extra work. So it fits naturally into role-playing. The full ammo allotment of custom skins can trigger this as well, so experienced hunters "earn" the ability to afford and ultimately enhance their reputation through flying a custom skin. Too bad Germans won't be able to partake in this gameplay. And oh Bletchley, what about the Americans?

Next version of OFFbase will let you mark your wingman as "Returned to Base". I use this when they crash on takeoff and pretend they just never made it off the field with mechanical problems. Or if they crash on landing I can cut their crummy flying AI some slack and assume they walked away from it. This keeps the OFF Manager from killing them, even randomly, at least for the next couple of hours so they're ready to go on the next sortie. Unless you hate them and mark them as "Crashed" in OFFbase where they'll face chances of injury/maiming/death! Gives me an idea: if you check both the "Returned to Base" and "Crashed" in your report the Adjutant can easily interpret that as "Crashed on Landing". It'd be a simple matter to have OFFbase sort out who's actually likely to crash based on the Aerial Skill attribute of characters. Report such incidents, and watch Natural Selection more strongly weed out inexperienced and bad flyers.

Check out a couple examples of the rules that will be supported in the next version of OFFbase: if (squad/aircraft = "Bristol Scout") and (date > 1-Jul-1916) [squad/ammo: 20%] Kaboom, Bletchley's ammo loadouts! Or this one: if (found? find squad/aircraft "SE5a") and (date > 1-Apr-1917) [ squad/ammo: either (1 <= pilot/measure-skill ppp) and (1 <= munofficer/get-outlook pilot/my-key) [100%] [60%] ] Instead of "User Option" you get a full loadout if you're at least an "Experienced" flyer and liked by the Munitions Officer! Only took three lines of code to enable this feature. Love the REBOL language!

File Name: Lothar Classical Piano Germany File Submitter: Lothar of the Hill People File Submitted: 13 June 2012 File Updated: 23 June 2012 File Category: Modding Tools and Add-on Software Period-appropriate piano music for the German campaign sets quite a different mood than the cinematic presentation of the official soundtrack. Additional musical immersion mods may follow for other nations. The Music: The Austrian composer and painter Arnold Schönberg scores the German campaign. The break-down of classical tonality pioneered in these piano works presaged the collapse of European civilization into the Great War. Drei Klavierstücke, Op.11 Composed: 1909 Published: 1910 Sechs kleine Klavierstücke, Op.19 Composed: 1911 Published: 1913 Installation: The installer will extract the mod into your OFF JSGME mods folder if OFF and JSGME are installed correctly. Either activate manually in JSGME, or OFFbase 0.7.7 and above will activate the mod automatically for German campaigns. Obviously conflicts with the "Creaghorn StartupGerman" mod and other music replacers. OFFbase will give this pack priority for the German campaign if installed. Source: Piano Society: Free Classical Recordings Click here to download this file

I've taken to doing air starts after watching half my AI wingmen crash into the hills/trees/hangars at the end of the runway with the EW mod. But is it affecting the density of other craft in the air taking off for their AI missions?

Wow, amazing to see how technology moved on both sides. Thanks for all the detail, Bletchley. If WOFF supported realistic reloads that would be amazing, but in the meantime hopefully OlPaint's gunnery bundle can bring a little bit more realism. You know, it'd be possible to have mod rules trigger automatic changes to Workshop and even CFS3 settings in OFFice, So if the various AA and gunnery mods work best with certain settings, that can be enforced, or it could be used to model changes to accuracy or whatever over time. It could even set the default Ammo percentage based on the type of plane and when you are in the war, though of course users could easily crank it back to 100% in the briefing room.

Thanks for reminding me why I fly German, Bletchley.

I don't but post the link and I'll build in rules for it. For some reason Creaghorn's News mod is in OlPaint's Sounds bundle, maybe we need a new bundle for news mods and such or put them both in the realism mod? And OFFbase 0.7.6 is available for download.

Version 0.6.7 of OFFbase has been uploaded and is awaiting approval from the mods. Fixes a few small bugs but the biggest upgrade is support for OlPaint01's Great Bundle Realism Mods version 1.5, which fixes some compatibility problems between 33Lima's FlakMods and Bletchley's AA mods. OlPaint01 did all the work there, but I threw in a few extra Traits for fun. Best practice for updating the Great Bundle 1.4 to 1.5: 1. Run JSGME 2. Deactivate all mods 3. Close JSGME 4. Delete old Great Bundle 1.4 mods from your mods folder 5. Copy in the new Great Bundle 1.5 mods folders 6. Let OFFbase do the rest. Note for modders: I've put all the mod-handling code in one file, config\JSGME.r which now includes mod-handling functions as well as rules. This obsoletes the old rules-only JSGME.config, so just go ahead and delete that from your OFFice install to avoid future confusion.

OFFbase will be able to activate the Camel mod automatically if only you're NOT flying a Camel.

Guess this works so long as none of the mods in the different installations of JGSME touch the same files. For now I'm keeping unknown mods at the top of the OFFice JSGME where they can be overwritten, for speed. Thanks for the update, HPW. Having WOFF track actual squadmate aerial results will only improve the synergy.

Putting additional mods into the same MODS folder and activating them manually with JSGME is fine. OFFice will keep track whether mods it doesn't recognize have been activated, and keep them activated but move them to the top so officially recognized mods overwrite them. Should be pretty straight-forward in practice. But perhaps unrecognized mods should be put at the bottom so they have priority (assuming they're newer than OFFice supports)? The goal is to give users control with JSGME of these other "Misc Static Mods" that customize gameplay to individual styles rather than the kind of context-sensitive campaign mods that need OFFice's logic. So if you wanted to replace all your gun sounds with childish "pew pew" noises regardless of the campaign, reactivating these MSM at the bottom would make that possible. But there's also a speed issue. It makes sense to keep static mods at the top so they don't have to be turned on/off each time the context-sensitive mods change. It could be a serious problem for example with large texture mods that take much hard-drive crunching to activate/deactivate. It would suck to have to wait 5-10 minutes to launch missions in different campaign contexts. So we need to make a decision: MSM above or below the mods OFFice supports? There's a trade-off either way.