PWCG 7.1.0 Released - Fixes and Improvements - lots of them

[Semor76]

Well,if there is no fix for this, any ground attack mission will be useless for me in PWCG. (still hope for a working Bf-110 campaign in BoX,no matter if scripted or not)

 

Thx

Edited January 19, 2018 by Semor76

[PatrickAWlson]

AI only lands after fighter missions, not after ground attack missions. So when you fly a patrol mission, they should land.

 

Have you verified that correlation?  I know that sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, but I had never associated not landing with missions other than fighter missions.  I'll have a look.

[jeanba]

An interesting set of skins for your Autumn La5 unit :

https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/13719-la-5-series-8-skins/?p=325695

 

You can have different numbers for your complete unit, that's why it is usefull

Edited January 19, 2018 by jeanba

[Semor76]

Have you verified that correlation?  I know that sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, but I had never associated not landing with missions other than fighter missions.  I'll have a look.

Thx

[Yogiflight]

 

 

Have you verified that correlation? I know that sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, but I had never associated not landing with missions other than fighter missions. I'll have a look.

Yep, I should meanwhile have two or three hundreds of PWCG missions, and from my observations, it always works, when the player flies any kind of fightermission, exept escort, because the player flight doesn't return to its base in escort missions, but ends circling above the bombers circling over their aifield. But I never had a player flight land in any kind of ground attacking mission, neither in fighter campaigns, nor in Bf110, Ju87 or He111 campaigns. I even tried different landing distances, but with the same result. But when flying fighter missions with the Bf110 the landing works, too.

[PatrickAWlson]

Interesting.  The fighter flights are relatively easy to waypoint because they are continuous series.  All of the other, including escort, have breaks in the waypoint set, either to escort or attack something.  I know that the waypoints pick up after the other activity is completed and that works.  Landing is always at the end of that continuation and the chain from egress to landing is identical regardless of flight type.

 

It's always possible that I messed something up, which is what I am hoping for.  My concern is that all of the waypoints, including landing, are there and the break in waypoints is the causing a problem.  If the latter I'm not sure what I can do, but I will at minimum post on the mission creation forum to see if I can get some help.

[Semor76]

Maybe this helps. I´ve start a new campaign. This time with LaGG3 in Feb.42. First mission was ground attack with the same result like in the Bf-110ers before. The whole flight didn´t land and circling above the home airfield.

[PatrickAWlson]

It falls into what Yogi pointed out.  It's not the plane it's the mission profile.  If you play with icons on you will take off and then see a series of yellow icons until you have to land, at which point a blue icon appears over the base. 

 

In the missions that fail the series of yellow WPicons is interrupted, sometimes by a red atack area icon or the blue shield icon for escort.  Once the task is done the WP icons are reactivated and you go home.  The reactivation of icons works.  Have to look into what's up with landing.

[jeanba]

Version 3.2.1 is really great !

 

Thank you

[Semor76]

So,we have 2 issues here: Planes in ground attack missions didn´t land,and escort missions have problems too,because the escort flight circling forever above the Bombers base,right? This is not good..

 

Hope that Pat can fix this. PWCG is a very nice tool for us Singleplayers.

[PatrickAWlson]

So,we have 2 issues here: Planes in ground attack missions didn´t land,and escort missions have problems too,because the escort flight circling forever above the Bombers base,right? This is not good..

 

Hope that Pat can fix this. PWCG is a very nice tool for us Singleplayers.

See explanations above.  landing has an issue any time the flight path is interrupted by "do something else".  So attacking something, escorting something, etc. all fall into the category of "do something else".  If I'm lucky it's my mistake and I can fix it.  If not I'll just have to report a bug.

[PatrickAWlson]

Version 3.2.1 is really great !

 

Thank you

 

I think that you will appreciate 3.3 when it arrives.  I moved squadron role determination from the plane to the squadron.  I also added separated recon, bombing and artillery spot into separate roles.  The role designations are also date bounded, so a squadron can change roles over time.  It offers much more flexibility in role  designation. 

 

Some of the things that you can do with it:

1. Make French two seater squadrons dedicated arty spot/recon/bomb.

2. Make British DH4 squadrons dedicated bombing squadrons.

4. Vary frequency of ground attack assignments to any unit based on their equipment.

Example:

German Me109 units fly fewer ground attack while FW190 unit fly more. 

Russian Yak units are less likely to fly ground attack than Lagg 3 units.  

Russian guards units are less likely to fly ground attack than regular units.

One Stuka unit converts from dive bomb to ground attack.

Some FW190 units are dedicated ground attack.

 

etc.

[Yogiflight]

 

 

So,we have 2 issues here: Planes in ground attack missions didn´t land,and escort missions have problems too,because the escort flight circling forever above the Bombers base,right? This is not good..

What I am especially wondering about escort missions is, that the flight path in both briefing maps, PWCG and BOX as well, shows the player's flight leaving the bombers at the egress waypoint, to fly back to the player's base. But when playing the mission, your flight will escort the bombers back to their base, however there are no waypoints for this journey. I really struggled, when I had this for the first time on the Stalingrad map, ending over an airfield far behind the front, without any idea, where I am.

[Semor76]

As I noted in my comments earlier today on the new PWCG version I am getting a lot of new radio chatter as well. Glad to hear it isn't just me lol! Intentional or not it is much better and adds to the experience.

 I just remember,as I saw this post. If you guys want some ambient radio chatter in your missions,check this two mods out. I love it.

 

As always,backup your files or use the OvGME Mod enabler.

 

https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/15654-download-ambient-vvs-radio-mp-immersion/page-2

 

https://forums.eagle.ru/showthread.php?t=182827

 

S!

[jeanba]

 

I think that you will appreciate 3.3 when it arrives.  I moved squadron role determination from the plane to the squadron.  I also added separated recon, bombing and artillery spot into separate roles.  The role designations are also date bounded, so a squadron can change roles over time.  It offers much more flexibility in role  designation. 

 

Some of the things that you can do with it:

1. Make French two seater squadrons dedicated arty spot/recon/bomb.

2. Make British DH4 squadrons dedicated bombing squadrons.

4. Vary frequency of ground attack assignments to any unit based on their equipment.

Example:

German Me109 units fly fewer ground attack while FW190 unit fly more. 

Russian Yak units are less likely to fly ground attack than Lagg 3 units.  

Russian guards units are less likely to fly ground attack than regular units.

One Stuka unit converts from dive bomb to ground attack.

Some FW190 units are dedicated ground attack.

 

etc.

 

I agree, it sounds great !!!

[dburne]

One thing I have noticed in PWCG 3, my wingmen are much better shooters than they ever were in PWCG 2. They are actually shooting down some enemy planes now. 

 

Now I just got to keep them from trying to steal kills from me LOL.

 

44 missions into my Spit Kuban campaign, am so loving it!

[Yogiflight]

 

 

One thing I have noticed in PWCG 3, my wingmen are much better shooters than they ever were in PWCG 2

Maybe it is easier for them with the Spitfire

[dburne]

Maybe it is easier for them with the Spitfire

 

Lol that may well be.

[jeanba]

Just noted that there is no unlock for the Lagg-3, did I miss something ?

 

edit : clarification

Edited January 23, 2018 by jeanba

[Columbar]

Hi Patrick, 

first: thank you very much for your work!!! It is brilliant! I am using PWCG till time of ROF :-)

second: questions

1) flak. I fly all maps and PWCG seems not generate flak (around towns, front line, airfields etc.) Sometimes there are few machneguns, but it is not enough. In settings I have MG on 1,distance 1000 meters and ground unit density on high. Yes and 10x flak on 1. 

2) it is possible to have Lagg 3 on Moscow map? I know that batch 29 is not historically acurate (it came in spring 1942), but we have no lower batch models and they fought in battle of Moscow beside I16, Yak1 and Mig3.

 

Again thank you very much for your work and I am sorry for my english

 

Have everybody nice day :-)

[PatrickAWlson]

I agree on Flak and have to put a review on the to do list.  I am wondering if I introduced a bug that causes Flak objects not to be created or written.  10x Flak is a RoF mod so that would not apply to BoS.

 

I would be surprised if the Lagg 3 is not at Moscow.  I'll look when I get home.  

[AstroCat]

With the AI crash landing when returning to base... I was wondering will this be fixed? Or should I just end the missions before we all get back to base? Thanks! 

Edited January 25, 2018 by AstroCat

[PatrickAWlson]

With the AI crash landing when returning to base... I was wondering will this be fixed? Or should I just end the missions before we all get back to base? Thanks! 

 

Just land yourself for now.  Anything related to the AI is not an easy fix.  I have to figure out how the AI responds to a situation (not easy) and then code PWCG accordingly.  This is much more difficult than just coding a feature or fixing a PWCG bug.

 

FYI: The AI will come to no harm if it crashes on its own.  I only kill your squadron mates if they are truly shot down.  If they just crash they survive.

Edited January 25, 2018 by PatrickAWlson

[Yogiflight]

 

 

With the AI crash landing when returning to base...

I only experience that with aircrafts, flying in my flight behind me. The aircrafts, flying in front of me, and so land before me, are doing this fine. The aircrafts behind me, either don't land at all, just circle on the deck, sometimes crash, or when I order them to land, they crash, as they try to land somewhere, but not on the runway.

[AstroCat]

Just land yourself for now.  Anything related to the AI is not an easy fix.  I have to figure out how the AI responds to a situation (not easy) and then code PWCG accordingly.  This is much more difficult than just coding a feature or fixing a PWCG bug.

 

FYI: The AI will come to no harm if it crashes on its own.  I only kill your squadron mates if they are truly shot down.  If they just crash they survive.

Ahh cool, I was wondering if it would mess up the campaign, crew or equipment wise. If not all good. Thanks.

[MarderIV]

 

 

See explanations above.  landing has an issue any time the flight path is interrupted by "do something else".  So attacking something, escorting something, etc. all fall into the category of "do something else".  If I'm lucky it's my mistake and I can fix it.  If not I'll just have to report a bug.

 

Hi Pat, just a quick question. Might this also affect own squad AI in the ground attack role? I did a mission just recently where I took off with an IL2 in a ground attack mission, along with an additional (+2 over original mission allocation) planes in my squad equipped with rockets. I didn't trigger any of the waypoints on purpose since I didn't feel like it might be an issue and headed straight for the attack waypoint. While I was on top of the target I ordered the flight to engage. However they were only either flying over the target without expending stores (rockets or 23mm shells), or orbiting the target's general area. 

 

I chalked it up to poor AI at first - I was engaged by a 109 who lawn-darted  while trying to pounce on me from above while I was flying at less than 50 meters. But after orbiting and waiting for them to engage I simply ordered them to form up and I headed home. 

 

Nearing the base I ordered RTB. When the flare went up, all of the sudden my number two expended all his rockets from behind me. I thought he was attacking the friendly airbase or something on it, but the rockets landed nowhere near any viable targets (friendly or otherwise). 

 

It was quite weird. I haven't seen anything like it and was wondering if this is a general issue with AI or something else. Should I be triggering the waypoints more closely?

[PatrickAWlson]

That is an AI thing and maybe a mission thing.  In my missions the attack area is triggered by the arrival at the last WP.  The last WP is triggered by the previous WP and so on.  If you don't hit the WPs you will not trigger the attack area.  That is a mission design thing.  It may be possible to put the attack area on a CZ and not associate it with any waypoints.  That would be a nice enhancement but it would take some work and experimentation to work out.  

 

It's an AI thing because you are there, enemies are there, you told your squaddies to attack and the didn't.  PWCG can't do anything about that.

 

<Rant>

You have no idea how much time and effort is required to design the missions such that the AI will do what you would think it should just be coded to do.  Getting it to take off, land, attack, fly like a bomber, avoid attack, not fly into the ground or the trees, ... sometimes it just feels impossible and IMHO neither myself nor other mission designers should have to deal with any of that crap.  The friggin AI should just do sensible things without the need to design mission MCUs in very particular ways.

</Rant>

[TheSNAFU]

Pat I couldn't say it any better. The AI in the game is becoming increasingly frustrating. And I've said it before I'll say it again. The devs need to spend a lot less time making more and more planes and variants as well as now spending resources making buttons and knobs work more realistically and way more priority time fixing the AI. Planes flying into mountains, lawn darting in combat, continuing a fight with their planes falling apart around them. Just sucks the fun out of it over time. I've bought every game so far and a number of extra planes but if it isn't addressed soon I will not buy further offerings until it is. Patience is getting shorter and shorter.

[PatrickAWlson]

PWCG 3.3.0

Added Ju52

Add transport missions.  

- Transport cargo from field to field.  

- Parachute drop, daytime and nighttime.  

- Cargo drop near front.  

- Spy extraction.

Add anti shipping missions  in Kuban

Set roles by squadron instead of plane for greater flexibility.  Allow roles for a squadron to change over time.

Add target preferences based on history.  i..e. Drifters near Stalingrad in November, shipping at Kuban in Sept 1943, etc.

Bug fixes:

Reduced and normalized waypoint speeds to help formations

Added missing Kuban bridges

Improved climb wps.  Climb into mission if far from front.

Fixed freeze error on some Russian ground attack missions

Rewrote target finding algorithm for fewer failures.

Fixed AAA not appearing along front and at installations

Fixed campaign property bug that caused all defaults to be copied over.

Fixed AI does not land when waypoint progression is broken

Fixed (?) AI sometimes crashes on landing

Improved egress waypoint placement

Improved odds of contact during mission

Fixed some instances of ground units in the water

 

[TheSNAFU]

Wow! You've been busy Pat. Can't wait to try it. Thanks for continuing to improve this awesome system.

[Stlg13/Sgt_Schultz]

Epic update! Thanks Pat  .

[Semor76]

Thx for the update Patrick

 

Sorry to say that, but Ai still have massive problems at landing.

 

I generated a fresh Bf-110 mission. The 1st. Plane try to land with gear down but ca.500m away from the runway the gear retracted again and the plane goes around. Same with the 2nd one. This repeats till the player choose to land first,than the first Ai lands too and despawn a few seconds later. The second Ai Bf-110 crashes at the runway threshold again.

 

I can upload the mis. file if needed

Edited February 3, 2018 by Semor76

[Semor76]

Pat I couldn't say it any better. The AI in the game is becoming increasingly frustrating. And I've said it before I'll say it again. The devs need to spend a lot less time making more and more planes and variants as well as now spending resources making buttons and knobs work more realistically and way more priority time fixing the AI. Planes flying into mountains, lawn darting in combat, continuing a fight with their planes falling apart around them. Just sucks the fun out of it over time. I've bought every game so far and a number of extra planes but if it isn't addressed soon I will not buy further offerings until it is. Patience is getting shorter and shorter.

+100 for every word!

[No105_Swoose]

Flew first mission in PWCG 3.3.0.  19th mission in IL-2 mod 1943 career with 62nd ShAP flying out of Elizavetinskaya.  Very pleased.  Some noticeable improvements.

-- Mission was to attack airfield at Mysahko south of Novorossiik.  That alone was good.  Prior to that was flying the same four missions repeatedly.  Nice to have a new target, especially one farther away.  Nice to have a change of scenery.  Don't know if adjustments made for 3.3.0 had anything to do with that but I liked it.  Can't wait to get an anti-shipping mission!

-- Random targets enroute are appearing again.

-- Flak is back.  Ground attack missions aren't milk runs anymore.

-- Ingress speeds seemed improved.  Easier to keep up with formation and maintain my position.

 

Unfortunately 5 of 8 AI Sturmoviks crashed attacking the airfield.  But because I have Max Injury set on 2 they'll all be living to fly again.  Yes, the AI is very buggy sometimes.

 

Anyway, thanks very much Pat for your work on this.  It greatly improves the single player experience.

[dburne]

 

 

3.3.0 sounding very nice, thanks for all the improvements!

[PatrickAWlson]

Quick note: max injury only applies to you.  However, there is a "death due to AI stupidity odds" parameter that keeps your squadron mates alive if they crash without actually being shot down.

[No105_Swoose]

Quick note: max injury only applies to you.  However, there is a "death due to AI stupidity odds" parameter that keeps your squadron mates alive if they crash without actually being shot down.

OK! Thanks for the clarification.  And yes, at your recommendation from an earlier post, I had changed my "Odds of death when stupid" config setting from 30 to 0.  Queue the "Bee Gees" singing the disco hit "Stayin' alive"....

[Hoss]

Download never completes..................

 

Hoss

[Semor76]

It is possible to reduce the amount of the thick black smoke at frontline cities? I like a smoking battlefield but this is too much. Depending on the size of the city, PWCG places 6 or more of these black smoke objects in one single place.Besides the fact that this looks very unatural and overdone,it kills the FPS if you come too close and slows down the whole game if more than 2 heavy smoking cities are close to eachother in the players field of view.

 

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[Tapi]

Thx for update!