Menrva

I already contributed, if I can say so, by providing a much better terrain, complete with ODS specific targets and correct locations for every airbase: https://combatace.com/files/file/16395-iraq-western-asia-1980-2003/ The campaign can be adapted to it. Since there are additional airbases and specific ODS Iraqi and Coalition strongpoints, OOBs are necessary in order to update the campaign correctly and provide a scenario as realistic as possible. While I can provide help with the choice of terrain's targets for the campaign, someone else must take care of strategic nodes, I am not much expert with their editing. So I am in, as long as this terrain is used in place of the old one, which was very very inaccurate. I also made a 2003+ version of the new terrain, should we ever want to update CombatACE's Operation Darius; just a thought. In other news, does anybody have news of @eburger68? I really admire the work he has done on so many campaign packages. His help would be very important.

-S-

That wasn't real A-A refueling, it was more like using a bug back in the days of SF1. Since official terrains are only 60% of Real World size, I see no point in A-A refueling in this game. Also, I would love to see better avionics for modern planes, but it's not an easy task, it's like creating a whole new .dll from scratch, not really something that is doable without source code. What we can do, however, is to do what Stary said. There are things which TK locked or simply disabled in some way, like the clouds' height, or the FAC Snoopy which I like to think it can be brought back, at least just for immersion. Not to mention many statements inside the game's .dll files, which would be interesting to see if they are developed to a a certain extent or not (mostly they aren't from what I've seen). I don't want to hijack Mue's thread, so what do you think about creating a new thread about this, guys? People like Stary have much knowledge to share, it would be a pity to let all that info go away. I am willing to learn new tricks, and I am sure I am not the only one.

I'd really like to see TK's post about it. Unfortunately, he locked the game here and there, but still, many things live inside the game's .dll files, although most functions are non-working. Maybe the FAC (Snoopy) can be brought back, among other things. The only problem is that only Mue has shown the kind of interest and expertise we need for such things, like improving the shaders and creating new plugins and tools. I am sure there are other modders with that expertise as well (gerwin's TFDtool is a great example, and his powerful tool is still undergoing interesting updates). We could create a group of people interested in the things Blackbird mentioned. Avionics can wait IMHO, since I'd really like to see the bugs we already have being fixed, if possible. Strike Fighters 2 is still unique in its genre. Granted it does not age that well graphically, but it's the only game that, thanks to the community, can span from pre-WW2 era (not counting First Flight) to our modern times. We have dynamic campaigns, lots of scenarios and planes for many of the world's countries. In few words, it's an anthology of aviation history!

You're doing an awesome job, take your time to finish it. Your dedication to this project is admirable. Hopefully one day I will manage to create a much needed terrain for SF (and for the Italian Tornados...)

Yes, it is.

No. Unfortunately SF2 is single-player only, no multiplayer is supported.

I wasn't talking about editing the LOD cockpit, I was asking for similar .ini corrections and repaint for the F-15C Baz cockpit, since it's pretty identical to the other non Baz F-15C cockpit.

Exactly, not to mention that the Iceland LOD based terrain is so poorly optimized. We don't even have official tools to create LOD based terrains, so all custom terrains are HFD based. I prefer HFD based terrains since they give better framerates, and we have tools to create/mod them. However, in regards to HLSL shaders, experts should be able to recreate a reflective water shader for the other HFD based terrains; I think it can be doable, but it must be made from scratch. I am no such expert, but I'm eager to learn when time allows.

There is also a F-15C Baz Cockpit with a slightly different LOD for the Israeli F-15C Eagles. An update for them would also be appreciated. I think the repaint works as it is, only the .ini corrections would be slightly different.

My money is on the date switch. By using it, skins would get a proper overhaul to SF2 standards IMHO. But I also reckon it's time consuming.

I had the same idea time ago, but I am not much into campaign editing. Looking forward to this, it's a great what if scenario ala SF2!

There is no guide, I'm afraid. I just opened .fx shaders with notepad and made my changes inside. Just look for a thread about mue's shimmering fix. He tweaked stock shaders to address a few things. I simply added my changes (new values for some constants) to such shaders. I'll include my modded water shaders in my custom terrains. I'll update the terrain packages sooner or later.

Ther is no way to make water reflective as it is in SF2: North Atlantic. That terrain is LOD based and uses its own set of shaders. The other terrains do not feature reflective water but use bump maps to create water-like effects. Recently, I modded the stock shaders to improve the looks of water, so that the effect looks less repetitive and is applied further away toward the horizon. They use a custom bump map by our fellow modder Stary. Just look below:

Exactly! @namedders please have a look at what mue described! That should be the solution you are looking for.

Sure thing. I am a bit busy with RL, but you can count I will look into it! This mod really needs some love.

The greatest expansion for Strike Fighters 2. My thanks to everyone involved. @JonathanRL I once provided you with an updated TFD file for the Sweden terrain, fixing some minor bugs, for the older version of TSF2. My nickname was Blaze95 at the time. I can have a look at the bug you mentioned with trees over runways. It should be an easy fix.

No, that is what namedders did, and he encountered the maximum limit of TOD objects being placed on a single tile. To understand what Stary did, download the Madagascar terrain for instance, or some of his other mods; you'll see that .tga files contain graphics for multiple trees and other alpha object things. That single .tga file is responsible for the entire graphics of a forest, not of a single tree as in stock SF2 terrains.

My bad, mue. I was talking about alpha TOD objects, not the "solid" ones (buildings). I remember your test very well! I simply wonder how to create forests as Stary did, instead of using the single tree object offered by the Terraineditor.

Happy New Year everyone!

I tried to contact @Stary in the past via PM (Private Message), but he rarely visits here due to Real Life. I suggest you to check his works, he created many mods for which we all are grateful. Maybe you'll find a way to recreate such things.