Potentially dumb question: Weather

[ladlon]

I got my first BoX series module this week, and was a tiny bit confused about something... weather.

 

I see you can set the amount of clouds, as well as the cloud height... but I'm confused how you set things like rain/snow, visibility, etc.

 

I feel like I compltely missed some obvious button, but I can't seem to find it.  I hear about the nice rain effects, yet I have no clue how to actually put rain in a flight.

 

 

BTW, is there a manual for the BoX series?  I saw a link/post on these forums, but the file had been removed.  I couldn't find anything in the install folders.

 

I suppose there's probably a set of Chuck's manuals, but I'm talking about for the sim itself, not just the planes.

 

(Somehow, I feel like I missed some 'obvious button', so to speak, once again!  Sheesh...  Ya, I need some sleep...)

Edited March 20, 2019 by ladlon

[Thad]

In Atmosphere Options. Precipitations.

Edited March 20, 2019 by Thad

[Swing]

only in the mission editor...not in the quick mission panel 

[ladlon]

Ha, you beat me to that, Swing!  Ya, I was just about to ask Thad if he was talking about the mission editor, as I can't see that anywhere in Quick Missions.

 

Well, that's unfortunate... as I usually just do Quick Missions.  Strange thing to leave out.  I was thinking that maybe it had to do with the amount of clouds or something indirect!

 

Well, I guess I have to teach myself the mission editor then, and make myself a base 'mission' to just fly and do bombing runs and stuff.  I hear the editor is different than CloD, but I can't imagine it's too tricky to learn.

 

Okay, thanks guy...

[DD_Arthur]

Just now, Swing said:

only in the mission editor...not in the quick mission panel 

 

That's not correct.    You'll find them above where you set cloud height. It says weather.  Try the options by moving the slider.  As Thad say's,  you want precipitation.

 

Game manual?

 

 

 

[ladlon]

That seems to just be cloud cover (amount of clouds)... although the terminology is kind of cryptic/odd...  But, maybe I'm wrong on that.

 

I put it to Heavy in one session, yet the weather wasn't stormy or anything in any way 'heavy'.  Very weird!

 

I have to explore that again...  I have only had two nights with this sim.

 

 

Thanks for the link.  That looks like the one I tried before (...well, all posts like that look the same, but you know what I mean).... but, ya, this one works!  Maybe there was just some server glitch when I tried it last time.  I got a big 'file has been removed' error.  Maybe it was an older post or something.

 

Anyway, thanks!

[Swing]

Oooops....Sorry i apologize......so confused...I did not  know that...Thanks Arthur ...and sorry Ladlon 

[rowdyb00t]

Overcast will get you rain or snow in QMB

[ladlon]

No worries, @Swing  Thanks for the responses!

 

I'll try that out tonight, @rowdyb00t .  Thanks!

Edited March 21, 2019 by ladlon

[rowdyb00t]

@ladlon your welcome!

[JimTM]

1 hour ago, ladlon said:

...

Well, I guess I have to teach myself the mission editor then, and make myself a base 'mission' to just fly and do bombing runs and stuff.  I hear the editor is different than CloD, but I can't imagine it's too tricky to learn.

...

 

That statement is one of those forum land mines.    Some say tricky, some say not tricky.

 

Here are some anti-tricky resources to help you out:

• IL-2 Sturmovik Mission Editor and Multiplayer Server Manual
• Prangster's IL-2 BoS Mission Building Guide
• Prangsters Battle of Stalingrad Mission Building Room
• Prangster's Battle of Stalingrad Mission Editor tutorials:
  • Tutorial 01 Introduction
  • Tutorial 02 Building a Coop Mission
  • Tutorial 03 Setting Up a Map
  • Tutorial 04 Check Zones
• Vapour's Mission Editor YouTube Series
• Rise of Flight - Mission Editing Tutorials (the BoS editor is based on the RoF editor)
• Mission Making and Mission Editor Forum
• Notes on AI Taxi, Takeoff, and Landing

 

Edited March 21, 2019 by JimTM

[ladlon]

Ya, I seem to have a talent of stepping on those...  forum metaphorically speaking.

 

Thanks for all the links!  I'm curious to see how it differs from the CloD one.  As long as it works...

[JimTM]

10 minutes ago, ladlon said:

Ya, I seem to have a talent of stepping on those...  forum metaphorically speaking.

 

Thanks for all the links!  I'm curious to see how it differs from the CloD one.  As long as it works...

 

I added a couple more links above that should be useful.

 

Cheers!

Edited March 21, 2019 by JimTM

[ladlon]

Thanks.

 

Yep, I finally saw the rain effect.  Overcast skies brings rain.  Nice effect!  I didn't want to miss out on that!

[40plus]

12 hours ago, ladlon said:

Thanks.

 

Yep, I finally saw the rain effect.  Overcast skies brings rain.  Nice effect!  I didn't want to miss out on that!

 

Try it in a HE-11 on the runway then accelerate to take-off speed and watch the rain transition from dripping vertically to streaming back due to wind . . . . purdy!

[BornToBattle]

Yeah, overcast will auto produce precipitation. During the winter months of course you’ll see snow.

 

I’ve always liked charging through clouds and seeing the water condensing either on my cockpit during WW2 or goggles in the wood and canvas crates. Sit there and slide your canopy back and look up and yes, rain drops on your goggles as well. This dev team is tops in my book.

Edited March 22, 2019 by BornToBattle

[ladlon]

Ya, even before knowing about the overcast setting to get rain, I passed through a cloud, and was impressed to see a tiny bit of condensation appear on the edges of the windshield.  Nice touch!

 

Once I did find out about the overcast thing, and had flown around a bit, I landed, and opened the canopy, and was further impressed to see the droplets on my goggles.

 

So, definitely no complaints about the precipitation effects... That's for sure.

 

Does thunder get simulated in BoX?  If so, is it random if it appears when in overcast, or is there some other way to get it?

 

 

One thing that was weird, though...  I recently tried a night flight, and was disappointed/surprised to see there were no lights at all.... not only on the airfield, but the world overall.  I kept having to remind myself, this isn't 'old times'... they had electricity... so, what's the deal with that?  How are you supposed to see the airfield?  Why is the entire world in the dark?

[unreasonable]

12 hours ago, ladlon said:

 

 

One thing that was weird, though...  I recently tried a night flight, and was disappointed/surprised to see there were no lights at all.... not only on the airfield, but the world overall.  I kept having to remind myself, this isn't 'old times'... they had electricity... so, what's the deal with that?  How are you supposed to see the airfield?  Why is the entire world in the dark?

 

Yes, it really was all in the dark, just as flying over London or Berlin during the war would have been.  Showing lights at night was a serious criminal offense in every combatant nation.  It was called "black-out": intended to prevent enemy night flyers from navigating, and leaving a light showing is a quick way to get yourself up on a charge of espionage or sabotage. 

 

( I guess that you are new to all this   - no problem, we all were once, and there is a lot to learn!) 

[ladlon]

Ah!  That makes complete sense!  I didn't realize the lack of lights in the sim was actually a historically driven thing....   I thought it was just either some technical reason, laziness, or some very odd design choice!

 

Did they not have some system back then for when a plane was on final, that temporary lights would be switched on at the airfield?  I can't imagine how you would actually land, unless they had some sort of ILS system back then!

[unreasonable]

I suspect there were a variety of methods, and it would also depend on the weather and moon condition. In clear weather with a moon it can be relatively easy to see at night, with overcast extremely difficult.

 

Some night flyers had landing lights, UK night bombers used a "funnel" of lights to show the ends of the runways, and I expect by the end of the war electronic aids were appearing but I make no claim to expertise.  But these would generally be for dedicated night bomber and night fighter units: if you were flying at night for some reason from a grass airstrip in Russia in our typical day planes the most you might get is a flare, vehicles at the end of runways showing lights, or a fire in a barrel!  If there was a risk of enemy intruders attacking the base you might get nothing.

 

Someone else might have more detail on specific cases - it is an interesting question and I doubt there was any hard and fast rule. 

[Shakey60]

Campaign night missions have flares, spotlights on the ends of the runways and smudge pots down the sides.

Coming back from a mission and searching for your field, you just have to look for the flares shooting up to guide you in.

[ladlon]

I have been exclusively playing quick missions, so I guess they left that out in those.

 

Okay, well I guess I just stay with day flights for quick missions, and then enjoy the night stuff in campaigns.