In creating the BoB Game Hub weekly missions for Cliffs of Dover I tried to find a simple guide to the FMB but never really found one which was super basic. Even the most basic seemed to assume I knew stuff from IL2, like how to 'deselect' a flight after selecting it. Nothing is intuitive in the FMB! But I have now learned a thing or two which other novice mission builders may also benefit from. So here is Heinkill's Full Mission Builder for Dummies.
INTRO
The full mission builder (FMB) is found in the EXTRAS menu.
Want to create a 1 vs 1 mission for a Beaufighter vs a Bf110? 8 Ju88s vs a Sunderland? Ground attack on a Luftwaffe airfield in Belgium? You can, using the FMB.
CREATING A NEW MISSION
It is easiest to create a new mission from an existing mission - such as those that are in the existing Single Missions menu, or, by creating your own missions in the Quick Mission Builder, then saving and adjusting those. If you do this, you can avoid a lot of the work to set up all the waypoints, altitudes, airspeeds, skill levels etc etc as many of these will already have been created.
I will explain both processes then outline some FMB basic commands.
A. Modify an existing single mission
This is easiest, just open the FMB (EXTRAS menu) and choose FILE>LOAD MISSION and you will see a list of the missions that are in the Single Missions menu and folder. Load one of these that is close in design to the type of mission you want to create, and start modifying it! (See example mission below)
B. Create a quick mission and then make it accessible to the FMB
This requires a little more manual intervention but gives more flexibility.
1. Choose a Quick Mission type that fits the mission type you want to create (eg dogfight, ground attack, bomber intercept etc)
2. Adjust the parameters to the extent possible in the QMB (aircraft type, altitude etc) and 'save as' a new mission. It will appear at the bottom of your Quick Mission list.
3. Go to the folder: 1CSoftclub>IL2CliffsofDover>Mission>Quick and COPY the mission and briefing files for the mission you have just created (note this folder is 'mission', not 'missions')
4. PASTE these files into the folder 1CSoftclub>IL2CliffsofDover>Missions>Single (note, this folder is mission's' with an 's'. Confusing, I know).
You can then start the FMB and you should find your newly created quick mission in the list of missions available for you to open and modify.
The few Commands You Need to create or edit a mission
Pan around the map with mouse: left click and hold
Zoom in and out: mouse wheel
Selecting an object or flight: Point and left click
Editing an existing flight or object: Select and right click, then click Properties
Delete an object: Left click to select, and hit DELETE
Unselect a flight or object: right click when selected, and choose Unselect. Or just hit Ctrl+Alt
Add a new flight or object: Ctrl and left click. This gives you a circle that you can either change to an object via Properties, or turn into a flight with waypoints by pointing at another part of the map and repeating Ctrl and left click.
Moving an object or waypoint: Left click, hold and move
Changing object type and properties: Select a flight or object, right click and choose Properties. Now you can change the object or aircraft type, the side (axis or allies), waypoint actions and altitudes, formation type and size, squadron etc.
Setting time of day and weather: You can't set time of day in the Quick mission builder, so don't try. And you can't set weather. To do this go to the FMB main menu bar, choose VIEW>MISSION PARAMETERS and then you can change weather, time of day and cloud altitude.
Writing mission briefings: Go to main menu and choose EDIT>BRIEFINGS. Here you can write the briefings for each unit in the mission, and add the screenshot which will be shown on the briefing screens.
EXAMPLE 'MISSION FOR DUMMIES' FROM QUICK MISSION BUILDER TO FMB
Scenario: You want to create a mission where a squadron of Beaufighters and a squadron of Hurricanes attack a squadron of Bf109s and a squadron of Bf110s. Over France. At 9pm in the evening.
1. Choose the Dogfight Even quick mission
2. Change the aircraft to Hurricane vs Bf109
3. Save as 'Mymission'
Alt+TAB out. Go to file explorer, navigate to 1CSoftclub>IL2CliffsofDover>Mission>Quick and COPY all the files which start with 'Mymission'. PASTE the files to 1CSoftclub> IL2CliffsofDover >Missions >Single. Now the 'MyMission' files should be visible to the FMB.
4. Alt+TAB back into the game. Go out of the quick mission builder and go to the main menu>EXTRAS>FULL MISSION BUILDER
5. Go to FILE>LOAD MISSION
6. Open the file 'My Mission'
The map should show a red flight and a blue flight, over the Channel
7. Left click on a red flight waypoint, hold and move the waypoint over France. Do the same for the other waypoints to put the flight where you want it to be.
8. Crt+Alt to deselect the flight
9. Click on the blue flight waypoint and move it so that the flights will intercept each other ie overlap some of the waypoints.
10. Right click and choose PROPERTIES for either flight if you want to adjust waypoint height, flight speed, altitude etc
Now you need to add your other two flights to the mission
11. Hold Ctrl and Left click where you want the flight to start. If it is a Red (RAF) flight, put it next to the start waypoint for the other Red flight.
12. Hold Ctrl and Left click for the next waypoint (suggest putting this near the other Red flight waypoints). Repeat to create all the waypoints for this flight.
13. Right click and select PROPERTIES. On the TYPE Tab choose Beaufighter.
14. On the GROUP tab choose the number of aircraft in the squadron
15. On the WAYPOINTS tab, choose 'Engage Fighters' for each of the waypoints.
16. On the #tabs (representing each aircraft) choose the pilot skill. I never choose Ace because the Ace AI is, in my opinion, broken. Veteran is fine.
17. When you are finished adjusting the Red flights, Ctrl+Alt to deselect
18. Repeat from step 11 to add a Blue (Bf110) flight. You change the flight from Red to Blue and choose the country etc in the GROUP TAB
19. Go to VIEW>MISSION PARAMETERS and set the time to 9pm (21:00 hrs). Save the mission
20. Go to FILE>SAVE to save and then FILE>FLY to fly the mission.
INTRO
The full mission builder (FMB) is found in the EXTRAS menu.
Want to create a 1 vs 1 mission for a Beaufighter vs a Bf110? 8 Ju88s vs a Sunderland? Ground attack on a Luftwaffe airfield in Belgium? You can, using the FMB.
CREATING A NEW MISSION
It is easiest to create a new mission from an existing mission - such as those that are in the existing Single Missions menu, or, by creating your own missions in the Quick Mission Builder, then saving and adjusting those. If you do this, you can avoid a lot of the work to set up all the waypoints, altitudes, airspeeds, skill levels etc etc as many of these will already have been created.
I will explain both processes then outline some FMB basic commands.
A. Modify an existing single mission
This is easiest, just open the FMB (EXTRAS menu) and choose FILE>LOAD MISSION and you will see a list of the missions that are in the Single Missions menu and folder. Load one of these that is close in design to the type of mission you want to create, and start modifying it! (See example mission below)
B. Create a quick mission and then make it accessible to the FMB
This requires a little more manual intervention but gives more flexibility.
1. Choose a Quick Mission type that fits the mission type you want to create (eg dogfight, ground attack, bomber intercept etc)
2. Adjust the parameters to the extent possible in the QMB (aircraft type, altitude etc) and 'save as' a new mission. It will appear at the bottom of your Quick Mission list.
3. Go to the folder: 1CSoftclub>IL2CliffsofDover>Mission>Quick and COPY the mission and briefing files for the mission you have just created (note this folder is 'mission', not 'missions')
4. PASTE these files into the folder 1CSoftclub>IL2CliffsofDover>Missions>Single (note, this folder is mission's' with an 's'. Confusing, I know).
You can then start the FMB and you should find your newly created quick mission in the list of missions available for you to open and modify.
The few Commands You Need to create or edit a mission
Pan around the map with mouse: left click and hold
Zoom in and out: mouse wheel
Selecting an object or flight: Point and left click
Editing an existing flight or object: Select and right click, then click Properties
Delete an object: Left click to select, and hit DELETE
Unselect a flight or object: right click when selected, and choose Unselect. Or just hit Ctrl+Alt
Add a new flight or object: Ctrl and left click. This gives you a circle that you can either change to an object via Properties, or turn into a flight with waypoints by pointing at another part of the map and repeating Ctrl and left click.
Moving an object or waypoint: Left click, hold and move
Changing object type and properties: Select a flight or object, right click and choose Properties. Now you can change the object or aircraft type, the side (axis or allies), waypoint actions and altitudes, formation type and size, squadron etc.
Setting time of day and weather: You can't set time of day in the Quick mission builder, so don't try. And you can't set weather. To do this go to the FMB main menu bar, choose VIEW>MISSION PARAMETERS and then you can change weather, time of day and cloud altitude.
Writing mission briefings: Go to main menu and choose EDIT>BRIEFINGS. Here you can write the briefings for each unit in the mission, and add the screenshot which will be shown on the briefing screens.
EXAMPLE 'MISSION FOR DUMMIES' FROM QUICK MISSION BUILDER TO FMB
Scenario: You want to create a mission where a squadron of Beaufighters and a squadron of Hurricanes attack a squadron of Bf109s and a squadron of Bf110s. Over France. At 9pm in the evening.
1. Choose the Dogfight Even quick mission
2. Change the aircraft to Hurricane vs Bf109
3. Save as 'Mymission'
Alt+TAB out. Go to file explorer, navigate to 1CSoftclub>IL2CliffsofDover>Mission>Quick and COPY all the files which start with 'Mymission'. PASTE the files to 1CSoftclub> IL2CliffsofDover >Missions >Single. Now the 'MyMission' files should be visible to the FMB.
4. Alt+TAB back into the game. Go out of the quick mission builder and go to the main menu>EXTRAS>FULL MISSION BUILDER
5. Go to FILE>LOAD MISSION
6. Open the file 'My Mission'
The map should show a red flight and a blue flight, over the Channel
7. Left click on a red flight waypoint, hold and move the waypoint over France. Do the same for the other waypoints to put the flight where you want it to be.
8. Crt+Alt to deselect the flight
9. Click on the blue flight waypoint and move it so that the flights will intercept each other ie overlap some of the waypoints.
10. Right click and choose PROPERTIES for either flight if you want to adjust waypoint height, flight speed, altitude etc
Now you need to add your other two flights to the mission
11. Hold Ctrl and Left click where you want the flight to start. If it is a Red (RAF) flight, put it next to the start waypoint for the other Red flight.
12. Hold Ctrl and Left click for the next waypoint (suggest putting this near the other Red flight waypoints). Repeat to create all the waypoints for this flight.
13. Right click and select PROPERTIES. On the TYPE Tab choose Beaufighter.
14. On the GROUP tab choose the number of aircraft in the squadron
15. On the WAYPOINTS tab, choose 'Engage Fighters' for each of the waypoints.
16. On the #tabs (representing each aircraft) choose the pilot skill. I never choose Ace because the Ace AI is, in my opinion, broken. Veteran is fine.
17. When you are finished adjusting the Red flights, Ctrl+Alt to deselect
18. Repeat from step 11 to add a Blue (Bf110) flight. You change the flight from Red to Blue and choose the country etc in the GROUP TAB
19. Go to VIEW>MISSION PARAMETERS and set the time to 9pm (21:00 hrs). Save the mission
20. Go to FILE>SAVE to save and then FILE>FLY to fly the mission.
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