Battle for Malta mission pack 2 released: mission pack 3 preview!

Valeriy Kucheraviy (V@sOK) and Fred Williams (Heinkill) have released the next chapter in their Cliffs of Dover mod, Battle for Malta.

http://airwarfare.com/sow/index.php/downloads/viewdownload/7-single-player-missions/560-malta-mod-luftwaffe-mission-set

The Luftwaffe arrives!

This now takes the Malta Mod to 20 missions, covering both the Italian attack, and now the arrival (then departure) of the Luftwaffe in early 1940.

You will be able to either fly for the RAF, defending against the Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica, or the Luftwaffe, as part of Fliegerkorps X attempt to destroy the RAF as a prelude to invasion.

All missions are of course based on historical events of Jan to May 1941.

Screenies from Chapter 2

261 Sq Hal Far






7/JG27 takes off from Catania



Malta convoy en route to Grand Harbour



On patrol for torpedo boats



JG27 engages



StG 2 convoy attack



JG27 on a sweep out of Sicily





Flak bite



Strafing run, Takali



Scramble under fire





LG1 on target approach





Precious fuel explodes



Flak strike





StG 1 over Grand Harbour















_________________________

DCS WWII looking for community manager

Position vacant: part time bilingual (Russian/English) public relations manager to oversee communications between a new flight sim startup and a whiney never-satisfied group of obsessive compulsive detail freaks.

Sound attractive? Then send your resume to Ilya Shevchenko of DCS WWII. More details in his project update, below.

Hey folks,

Sorry for a lapse in updates. I am almost comically plagued by internet issues on my trip; could make for a nice story all by itself. Almost considered doing a write-up, but perhaps in a couple of days when there’s no trace of bitterness. Catching a plane home tomorrow afternoon, where a nice PC with a nice Ethernet cable awaits. The things we take for granted.

Anyway, while I was incommunicado, the rest of the team has been hard at work.

We’re going to do a combined update on a bunch of fronts.

The 109 cockpit, shown earlier, is virtually completed. It’s scheduled to be done by the end of next week. Here’s a teaser shot.



We’ll do a full photoshoot once it’s finished and checked.

The 109 external is not nearly as far along. We actually ran into a bit of delay with it, and we’re working double time to catch up. The 109 is still scheduled to be the first new RRG plane to be completed, in time for the closed alpha.

The first step of making an external model for a DCS plane is to make its engine. Even though it’s not something you really see, this is what’s traditionally done first before the rest of the aircraft is built around it. We had an issue with blueprints and references that had us redo a portion of the model, and the engine is generally extremely detailed and elaborate, so we’re about a week behind schedule. The engine is generally modeled and mapped, so we’re ready to proceed with the rest of the aircraft.



I am walking a very fine line here between keeping the fans and the artists happy. This is something I’m sure most of you did not think of at all, but the 3D artists making these models feel very connected to them and have a sense of personal pride, so asking them to show clearly unfinished models is always met with some resistance. I’m not the kind of boss who says “just shut up and give me the model to screenshot.” So, in this case, just like with the 109 pit, we have a modeler who really hates the idea of showing unfinished, “crappy” (in his words) WIP. He really asked to delay showing the engine until it’s shiny and perfect, so this is our compromise.

Please consider this as a general showcase of our attention to detail.

The flight model and the weapons and all the physics stuff for it has been in the works since July, but it's using the P-51 as a stand-in for now. We're rather far along with our physics model of the Bf.109, but obviously that's not something that can be shown with screenshots. We'll probably do some detailed lengthy videos once the 3D model is put in place, in the run-up to the alpha.

Next, we have the current state of the P-47 cockpit. Again, slightly behind schedule there, but really working hard to catch up. No deadline jeopardized, just a bit of an extra crunch in the middle of the project. We expected to just reuse P-51 gauges for the Jug, but ended up having to redo most from scratch. We currently have the canopy framework, the dashboard, and the gunsight, all done from scratch for our brand new P-47D-30. All await the delivery of the last set of factory blueprints for a final accuracy check.






Lastly, here’s where we are with the landscape. Been doing a lot of technical engine-related tasks. Redrew all the roads and crossroads. Redid the canals. Redid the flooded areas once again. Played a whole lot with the trees. Generally the terrain is beginning to look more detailed, but still a long road ahead.






Now, the most important thing I’ve realized over the past two months is that if I was my own employee, I should fire myself as a community manager. I barely have any time to do it, and it creates a very poor impression. Now that we’ve finally received our kickstarter funds (by the way, yay) I really need to hire a more professional community manager. I’ll get busy once I’m back home this weekend. Of course, ideally it would be a member of this community. It would most likely be a salaried part-time position, and the qualifications would include a passion for flight sims, understanding of aviation, and good communication skills. I don’t know if it’s realistic to hope for someone who’s fluent in both Russian and English, but English fluency would definitely be a must, while Russian would be a huge plus.

If you think you might be a good fit based on this preliminary announcement, email luthier1@gmail.com

Fixes for running BoBII under WIndows 8

BoBII players who have updated to Win 8, or bought a machine with it pre installed, have been gnashing their teeth as the game seemingly won't run using the usual workarounds and emulation modes.

A couple of kludges which you may be able to use have emerged however. One, or a combination of these, may get you flying!

.net fix

BoBII uses .net 3.5 but by default this is turned off in the windows control panel, in favour of .net 4.5. Go into the control panel>programs>windows programs and enable .net 3.5

emulation mode

If you right click on your BoBII desktrop shortcut and click Properties, you will see a Compatibility tab. Logic would tell you that if BoBII doesnt run under Win8, but it did run under Win7, you should choose Win7 compatibility mode right?

Wrong. The compatibility mode which works best for BoBII is actually Win98. Choosing this, and adjusting the game resolution and refresh rate to find the sweet spot, may get you flying again.

CPU cores

Win8 doesn't manage CPU core usage very well for older games which were born in the single CPU era. Try running BOBII on a single core. Here is how to switch cores on and off.

http://en.kioskea.net/faq/616-multicore-cpu-how-to-disable-a-core

Good luck, and post here if you have other tips!

CoD players: Don't upgrade to TF patch 4.0 yet if...

If you play most offline single player missions and campaigns.

While the new patch does wonders with new maps and better framerates and visual effects, the attempt to model the stiffening of controls in high speed maneouvres has caused more problems than expected.

The AI currently can't cope with the new flight models and especially the 109s have trouble pulling out of dives, and frequently plough into the ground.

So the Team Fusion advice at the moment is, a fix is on the way, but if you play mostly single player,  stick with patch 3.01 for now.

Want to get a head start on DCS WWII?

You can get a feel for the sim already - no need to wait.

Just download the DCS World platform (the sim is free and you get the excellent Su25 and campaign free).

http://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/downloads/world/dcs_world/

Then buy the excellent P-51D module. As a standalone aircraft it is a little overpriced at 39.99 USD but it is frequently on sale at a lower price so keep an eye out for sales.



This machine will be flyable in the DCS WWII game, and for premium package backers comes with the game.

For many DCS WWII pilots this will be your warbird of choice so the more you fly it now, the better a pilot you will be when the sim is launched!

You can either fly this machine online against other P-51 pilots (numbers have increased recently since the DCS WWII title was announced) or against an AI FW 190 which offers a decent practice opponent.

See a video clip of a 1-1 dogfight here:

So what are you waiting for? DCS WWII (at least part of it) is already here!

BOBII work in progress

A small update on what that group of Battle of Britain obsessives, the BoB Developers Group, is currently working on for the next update for this venerable but evergreen sim.

The focus has been on further increasing the unparalleled historical accuracy of the sim.

Example 1: placement of AAA sites. 'Stickman' has been counting, correcting and placing AAA sites all over the operational area, based on historical records researched in minute detail: one example here.



So the flak you experience flying over SE England in the game, is as real a representation of what German pilots saw, as you can possibly get.

At the same time, the team has been working to adjust coastlines and place buildings for numerous locations to reflect historical maps and records.

Example: Farborough RAE factory site before



And after



The team learned there were actually 63 buildings at this site, and using historical records, placed them and populated the site appropriately so that as a Luftwaffe pilot if you attack Farnborough, you are attacking a much bigger target, with a lower chance of total destruction than previously.

The same precision is being applied to coastlines, ports and other key features.

Finally there has been a lot of work on fine tuning escort behaviour to enable the game commander AI to better manage the use of escorts.



The aim for the next patch is that within a margin of random error, escorts meet up with their bombers, and react proportionately when they are engaged by the RAF.

There is more work planned, and on the wishlist, and the team is always looking for volunteers, especially coders, to help.

For example, the game will currently not run under Windows 8. Help is urgently needed to solve that issue!

New autumn and winter missions for TF mod 4.0

Have created 3 missions set in 1941 and of course based on real events, utilising the winter and autumn maps.

You can download the zip file here:

http://airwarfare.com/sow/index.php/down...-for-tf-mod-4-0

Simply unpack to your mod folder in \Documents\1C SoftClub\il-2 sturmovik cliffs of dover - MOD\missions\Single

These missions feature:

- Multiple RAF and Axis flyable aircraft, all with their own briefings and objectives
- Dozens of highly detailed and populated Axis airfields in France, ports, shipping, vehicles and other targets
- Dusk takeoff, night time landing in one mission
- The new Blenheim IV-F heavy fighter, night fighters and Sunderland bomber

Enjoy!

H

Some screenies for your viewing pleasure, thanks TF crew!


























_________________________

Team Fusion patch 4.0 released

One of the beautiful Roen911 screen backgrounds from the patch

The Team Fusion patch 4.0 for Cliffs of Dover is now available and is being generally well received.
http://theairtacticalassaultgroup.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6319

I will do a full review when it finishes downloading! Both Torrents and Download sites are either very busy, or very slow because it is only a 5GB download.

Here is the abbreviated readme:

Aircraft

* Historical markings for all marks of bf 109.

* Removed the black line under the nose bulbs on all marks of bf-109

* Corrected 109 gauges

* Full size Revi C12/C & /D in German aircraft

* Corrected light switch position in german aircraft

* Corrected RPM gauge in Bf 110

* Added NJG 1 (Bf110) with skins

* Corrected Hurricane cockpit lighting

* 'Cleaned' windscreen of Hurricane NF version

* Increased the intensity of the revi sight reticle at daytime

* Removed the blue revi sight reticle when sight turned off

* Added aircraft: flyable and non flyable

* Added the possibility to display any picture of choice to the cockpit dashboard

* Added Blenheim and BR.20 autopilot

FMs

* FM adjustments: high speed maneuver, low speed roll rates and overheating characteristics.

* Stall characteristics adjusted for Bf 109, Spitfire, Hurricane and Bf 110.



Image by Roen911

General

*Changed background pictures, used with kind permission of rOEN911. Full credit belongs to rOEN911. His work can be seen on his DeviantArt, here: http://roen911.deviantart.com/

* Added Teamspeak interface to the in-game windows.

* Added two new configurable keys to zoom in and out. These keys are under the "Camera" menu in the options.

* Added driveable tanks and artillery. This is a BIG WIP but we decided to let you in on the fun. (Note: Not all tank models and artillery are driveable and AAA guns cannot be manned)

* Clouds blend into view instead of "popping up"

* Clouds no longer cause whiteout when flying through them at night

* Contrails now have the same colour as the high clouds

* Removed the "white puffs" from tracks

* Removed a bug causing sun whiteout on inside of spitfire cockpit glass

* Lowered the "leakage" of the revi sight and other light sources inside the cockpit

* Optimised code for clouds, fire, explosions, water splash and smoke for less FPS drop when close

* Explosions and fires are made more emissive at night

* Runway lights no longer shine though the cockpit

* Searchlights are re-introduced but we still have a bug left that makes them only work for the first mission per session

* The moon no longer looks like a light bulb

* Night time now desaturates the aircraft and terrain

* Made the water slightly more reflective

* Improved spotting of mid-distant aircraft

* Increased the effect of exhaust flames

* Rebalanced building light levels

* Corrected available ammunition for German 20mm MG FF and MG FF/M to match historical records

* Various corrections to incorrect ballistic properties

* Tracer visuals more realistically sized

* Various tweaks and corrections to tracer and smoke spiral look

* Change to "DeWilde" properties

* Removed shadows from explosions and smoke

* Tweaked hit effects from incendiary and HE rounds

* New and much more realistic looking aircraft reflection

* Fixed a bug causing the sirens of the Ju87 and spinners of the Blenheim to turn into a square

*Changed bomb sounds

*Changed artillery/tank impact sounds

*Changed bullet impact sounds

*Changed plane impact sounds

*Changed ground rolling interior sounds

*Changed interior bullet/flak impact sounds

*Changed train explosion sound

*Changed interior wind sounds



Image by Roen911

================================================== ====

* Enabled czech localization.

To turn on Czech language, add "GameLanguage=Czech" to the "MOD" section in the confuser.ini.

Should the MOD section not exist, Simply copy and paste these lines to the bottom of the file.

Code:

[MOD]

GameLanguage=Czech

================================================== ====

* Clouds drawing distance has been increased 3x

Note: To enable extended clouds distance, add "ExtendCloudsDistance=yes" under the "[MOD]" section on the "confuser.ini" file.

Example:

[MOD]

GameLanguage=Russian

UseOldHumans=Yes

ExtendCloudsDistance=yes

================================================== ====

Maps

* Maps re-textured, LOD, lighting and colors reworked

New Missions

* 2 QMB night missions added.

Skins

* Historical markings for all marks of the bf 109.

Book review: Men who killed the Luftwaffe, Jay A Stout

Grabbed a copy of this book about the USAAF in Europe, for free from Amazon - you can't go wrong with free, right?

Never read a history of the USAAF strategic bomber force in Europe before, so I am no expert at all. 

But...

Nearly gave up in the first five pages when the writer implied that by the time the US joined the war in 1941 the RAF had achieved virtually nothing (Battle of Britain aside!) against the Luftwaffe in either Africa, the Med or Europe , the RAF night bomber offensive in Germany was pointless and it was obvious nothing would change this until the US of A arrived in numbers (with its admittedly inferior P40s and P39s assumedly?). Not sure about that....

quotes:

- the raf leadership did not have a plan for destroying the luftwaffe...
- after the battle of britain the raf and luftwaffe did nothing but engage in a series of tit for tat engagements that did neither of them great harm
- the soviet unions red air force was even less effective
- on the other hand the usaaf arrived in europe intent on killing the luftwaffe

Not sure about that either....

That jingoistic introduction aside, I persevered, he settled down a bit and I am 40% of the way through the book, and it is an interesting enough read though am definitely not convinced on his take on history, but lack comparisons to hold him up against... here is my take on what he is saying

- it took several months after Pearl before the 8th AF commander, Eaker, got his act together and got himself and his organisation to Europe ie he wasted a lot of time at a critical phase in the war just getting into the fight
- once he did, it took him nearly two years 1941-1943 before the 8th was a truly dominant force and he was criticised relentlessly by his commander, Arnold, for not getting enough aircraft over Germany often enough (compared to eg the Brits)
- eventually he was sacked by Arnold and replaced by Doolittle, because of these frustrations
- the US daylight bombing offensive could not be demonstrated to be any more effective than the British night bombing strategy. It allowed for more precision but at the cost of significantly higher casualties and key industrial targets like oil and aircraft production facilities were in any case quickly repaired and often produced more after being attacked (and subsequently optimised) than before they were attacked
- sheer weight of numbers, pilots and machines, defeated the Luftwaffe more than any other factor eg better aircraft, strategy or tactics

Hmmmm. If you too pick this up for free, let's just say, you'll get your money's worth.