PWCG for Flying Circus

[Trooper117]

Pat, I'm running the BoS version of PWCG... can I run thr FC one as well, or do I have to remove that one before using the FC version?

[Shakey60]

22 minutes ago, Trooper117 said:

Pat, I'm running the BoS version of PWCG... can I run thr FC one as well, or do I have to remove that one before using the FC version?

I'm running all three, BOS, BOBP, FC no problems.

 

[Blitzen]

On the Arras map?

[PatrickAWlson]

7 hours ago, Trooper117 said:

Pat, I'm running the BoS version of PWCG... can I run thr FC one as well, or do I have to remove that one before using the FC version?

 

The install into separate directories and are meant to be run together.  There is no cross pollination between the BoS and FC installs.  The game will, of course create logs for both in the same directory but PWCG can figure it out.  

 

One thing to be careful of: running an AAR will delete log files.  If you fly BoS and then fly FC and then do a combat report in either all of the logs could be deleted and you will not be able to do a combat report in the other.  Solution is to fly, then do combat report, then fly the other and do that combat report.

 

 

[CB77Don246]

Just wonderful stuff have not tried it yet but I know with what you have to work with will be good Thank you.

[Trooper117]

22 hours ago, PatrickAWlson said:

 

The install into separate directories and are meant to be run together.  There is no cross pollination between the BoS and FC installs.  The game will, of course create logs for both in the same directory but PWCG can figure it out.  

 

One thing to be careful of: running an AAR will delete log files.  If you fly BoS and then fly FC and then do a combat report in either all of the logs could be deleted and you will not be able to do a combat report in the other.  Solution is to fly, then do combat report, then fly the other and do that combat report.

 

 

 

Thanks Pat!

[PatrickAWlson]

Changed AAR to accommodate changes in logging. Made better use of damage records for victory calculation.
Changed AAR to eliminate records after mission finished, fixing issue of being shot down if finishing the mission in the air.
Changed bombers to keep formation and release all bombs at once when level bombing.
Updated Bodenplatte map images
Significant update to mission routing to ensure missoin box size is respected.
PWCG will now create msbin (binary mission) files, allowing for much faster load.
- Be aware that these files take up to 3 minutes to create.
- Occurs upon accepting a mission
- Can be disabled through Main->Configuration->User Preferences and then set create binary file to 0 (zero)
Bugs:
Fixed Tiger vehicle file.  Added code to automatically remove bad file.
Fixed excessing damage messages ind ebrief
Fixed smoke and buildings floating in some missions
Fixed reversal of American and British voices
- Air traffic is still Russian.  Will look  into that.
Fixed incorrect runway placement.  Planes were about 20 yards too far left.
Fixed no role for 2 seater squadrons on FC coop campaigns
Fixed cannot use pilot campaign after pilot death.  Verified that add pilot allows continuation.
Fixed pilot picture changes do not take effect until campaign is reloaded
Could not fix:
Mission flight path does not appear on Arras map for FC.  Created mission on ME (no PWCG involved) and path did not show.  Exact same construct worked properly on BoS maps.

[PatrickAWlson]

Rest of FC dropped.  Balloons are in.  WWI ground units are in.  Seasons on Arras map?  Not sure, but hopefully.

 

Will be working to make use of all of the new goodies over the weekend.  No ETA other than as soon as I can get it done, but not too long.  Maybe this weekend, maybe next.

[JGr2/J46_Sturm]

On 11/3/2019 at 6:38 PM, PatrickAWlson said:

Changed AAR to accommodate changes in logging. Made better use of damage records for victory calculation.
Changed AAR to eliminate records after mission finished, fixing issue of being shot down if finishing the mission in the air.
Changed bombers to keep formation and release all bombs at once when level bombing.
Updated Bodenplatte map images
Significant update to mission routing to ensure missoin box size is respected.
PWCG will now create msbin (binary mission) files, allowing for much faster load.
- Be aware that these files take up to 3 minutes to create.
- Occurs upon accepting a mission
- Can be disabled through Main->Configuration->User Preferences and then set create binary file to 0 (zero)
Bugs:
Fixed Tiger vehicle file.  Added code to automatically remove bad file.
Fixed excessing damage messages ind ebrief
Fixed smoke and buildings floating in some missions
Fixed reversal of American and British voices
- Air traffic is still Russian.  Will look  into that.
Fixed incorrect runway placement.  Planes were about 20 yards too far left.
Fixed no role for 2 seater squadrons on FC coop campaigns
Fixed cannot use pilot campaign after pilot death.  Verified that add pilot allows continuation.
Fixed pilot picture changes do not take effect until campaign is reloaded
Could not fix:
Mission flight path does not appear on Arras map for FC.  Created mission on ME (no PWCG involved) and path did not show.  Exact same construct worked properly on BoS maps.

 

Is there an update to download or will automatically work when the mission is made

[PatrickAWlson]

31 minutes ago, J5_Sturm said:

 

Is there an update to download or will automatically work when the mission is made

 

Updates are posted to the PWCG page (see link at top).  They must be downloaded and installed. 

[niserjim]

I successfully created a mission with PWCG7, entered the game, mission is there but no mission flight plan? What am I doing wrong?

Edited November 9, 2019 by niserjim
misspell

[PatrickAWlson]

PWCG 7.2.0

Added WWI Vehicles to FC
Added balloons, balloon bust and balloon defense missions to FC
 

Flight plans now seem to work.  I had to overhaul the coalition system in PWCG as 1C introduced Central and Entente.  Maybe that did it?  Not sure.

 

Note to FC users: you MUST Delete your current install!  You can save campaigns to a zip and then restore them, they will work.

[Swing]

Thanks Patrick  have you added WW1 AAA too ?

[phoenixjohnconnor]

Fantastic. This build seems to have fixed the missing waypoints, for me, at least. This is a great addition. Many thanks, Patrick. 

[niserjim]

Reinstalled PWCG 7.02, even reinstalled IL-2 FC, mission creates fine, it appears in FC game, but still no recon map. The XYZ coordinates look wrong -

From mission file:

 

Plane
{
  Script = "LuaScripts\WorldObjects\Planes\albatrosd5.txt";
  Model = "graphics\planes\albatrosd5\albatrosd5.mgm";
  Desc = "Fw Ernst Glatzer";
  Name = "Fw Ernst Glatzer";
  Index = 27658;
  LinkTrId = 27654;
  XPos = 90328.42;
  YPos = 0.00;
  ZPos = 95900.88;
  XOri = 0.00;
  YOri = 136.60;
  ZOri = 0.00;
    Country = 401;

 

Gotto be something I am not setting up correctly? Any help will be greatly appreciated.

[PatrickAWlson]

@niserjim What's wrong with them?  

X is South to North.  

Z is West to East 

Y is altitude

All numbers are in meters.

 

Starting point is the southwest corner, so x=0, z=0 is the southwest corner of the map

 

So that has you starting at 90km north of the bottom of the map, 95km from the left edge of the map, and at zero altitude ... presumably because you are on the runway.

3 hours ago, Swing said:

Thanks Patrick  have you added WW1 AAA too ?

 

Yes.  Vehicle is a generic term and refers to things that don't move as well like cannons and MGs.  So MGs, AA, tanks, cannons, trucks, etc. are all WWI now.

 

There are still some WWII things in defined in the package for completeness but I doubt you will ever see them.  Most are ocean units and there is no ocean in the Arras map.

[niserjim]

So, if the numbers are OK, why don't they show up in the mission briefing within the game? By the way they are perfectly placed in your mission generator. Thanks for your reply, I will try debugging best I can.

[Muff_Huggar]

I'm confused. Two things have happened that I don't understand. I created a mission where I was supposed to be on patrol in an area east of no mans' land. I'm flying there and I'm over NML about six km from the next waypoint when I get a message that says I'm leaving the combat area and need to immediately turn north. I get an out-of-plane view for a few moments and then I'm back in the cockpit and the controls are locked and I can't do anything. I create a second mission where I'm supposed to attack "troop concentrations." I'm not sure what a troop concentration is supposed to look like. I fly over there and see a couple of AA guns. I see another red box and I'm flying toward it and when I get close, it suddenly just disappears. Is this just a case of not everything being in place yet?

[PatrickAWlson]

@Muff_Huggar Are you using version 7.2.0?  Some time recently entente and central coalitions got added .  7.2.0 incorporates them into the game.  If you are not using 7.2.0 weird things will happen because the game doesn't know which side is which.

 

If you are using 7.2.0 please zip up the mission and eng files and post it here.

[greywulf]

Thank You!

[Todt_Von_Oben]

Pat,

 

Thanks for all the great work.  I will learn how to make and operate a campaign when able, but can't right now.

 

QUESTION: Is it possible to make a campaign available for online play; say, at an MP server site?

 

Prosit!  

 

Todt

 

P.S.  Or if a "library thread" contained numerous campaign files; would others be able to download those and play them on their home computers?

 

Would like your thoughts on the technological and legal aspects of this as a possible solution to the lack of campaigns that will benefit more than just those users able to make their own.  Don't want to infringe on anyone's proprietary rights, but at first glance it looks like a good idea to me; something that would benefit the newer player a lot.

 

I know the goal is to make your own but i can't do that right now and I'm not the only one.  I didn't make the campaigns I flew in ROF but they were great fun and I would really like to fly a good campaign that anyone else made.  Maybe others would, too?

 

Whatayathink?

 

Edited November 11, 2019 by Todt_Von_Oben

[Muff_Huggar]

8 hours ago, PatrickAWlson said:

@Muff_Huggar Are you using version 7.2.0?  Some time recently entente and central coalitions got added .  7.2.0 incorporates them into the game.  If you are not using 7.2.0 weird things will happen because the game doesn't know which side is which.

 

If you are using 7.2.0 please zip up the mission and eng files and post it here.

After some thought, the mission where I got the out of bounds message might have been done in 7.1. I'm going to mark that as user error. The second one, though, with the troop concentration I don't understand. I was thinking that it might be a case of not all the ground assets being incorporated yet? I'm just not sure what I should have seen, so I don't know if there was a problem or if I'm missing something.That mission was definitely done in 7.2.

[PatrickAWlson]

13 minutes ago, Muff_Huggar said:

After some thought, the mission where I got the out of bounds message might have been done in 7.1. I'm going to mark that as user error. The second one, though, with the troop concentration I don't understand. I was thinking that it might be a case of not all the ground assets being incorporated yet? I'm just not sure what I should have seen, so I don't know if there was a problem or if I'm missing something.That mission was definitely done in 7.2.

 

Troop concentrations are just stuff scattered about.  Since there are no actual troops I usually just put out some trucks and what-not.  For AI flights the number of ground targets is minimal - usually just one to give the AI something to attack.  There might be a scenario where you got an AI target definition for a player mission.

 

Note to self - eliminate troop concentrations as a player target.  They are good for AI targets as they give the AI something to shoot at but as a player they are kind of dull.  Ground battles, trains, transport, etc. make much more interesting missions.

[Muff_Huggar]

I have another question. Can you create a mission and fly it over and over until you get a decent result or are missions expected to be one-time-only events? 

[PatrickAWlson]

13 minutes ago, Muff_Huggar said:

I have another question. Can you create a mission and fly it over and over until you get a decent result or are missions expected to be one-time-only events? 

 

You can fly it as often as you want.  PWCG will automatically pick up the last set of logs associated with the mission.

[ST_ami7b5]

Hi Pat!

First of all, thank you for excellent work!

What confuses me is that after flying about six missions I haven't seen a single flak burst yet, even when crossing the lines...
 

Also in Balloon Defense mission we didn't stay at the balloon area for some time, but just came to it and flew right back. 

[Majick]

I've started a campaign as 19 squadron RFC.  After takeoff I used shift-f6 to see the WWI ground objects and there was nothing.  Is this to be expected at the home airfield or is it possible something is not right?

 

Also later on in the mission, between ingress and the objective, the rest of my wing decided to fly off to the west for a while and then landed in a field crashing into each other on the ground.  Not sure if this is an IL2 issue or a campaign issue

Edited November 13, 2019 by Majick

[PatrickAWlson]

To save CPU ground objects will not activate until you are somewhat close to them.  Forget exact range but it is something like 10-20 km.

 

Crashing is just an issue - campaign or AI is arguable.  I'll see what I can do but solving is not necessarily easy.  I tend to jump the landing circuit, land first and finish the mission.

 

 

[ST_ami7b5]

24 minutes ago, PatrickAWlson said:

To save CPU ground objects will not activate until you are somewhat close to them.  Forget exact range but it is something like 10-20 km.

...

 

 

Without flak the WWI sky looks empty/lifeless/sterile
I have read 'Winged Victory' a few times and the flak (Archie) was always present after crossing the lines.
Its absence spoils the immersion for me quite a lot, which is a pitty...
 

[Muff_Huggar]

I have another question. This one about Campaign roles. There are three of them: fighter, bomber and recon. What exactly is recon? From what I can tell, you get bombing type missions without bombs? Are you, for example, supposed to translate "attack artillery units" to  "take photos of artillery units?" Secondly, if you pick the fighter or bomber role, will all the missions you get strictly bombing or fighting? Can you mix them so you have a bombing roll on the first mission and a patrol role on another?

 

For the record, I'm having a great time doing these missions. I've been spending a lot more time with FC now. I'm having a lot of trouble finding the targets though. They never seem to be where the target waypoint says they should be.

[PatrickAWlson]

3 hours ago, ST_ami7b5 said:

 

Without flak the WWI sky looks empty/lifeless/sterile
I have read 'Winged Victory' a few times and the flak (Archie) was always present after crossing the lines.
Its absence spoils the immersion for me quite a lot, which is a pitty...
 

 

Since you specifically quoted the part about ground units being activated and followed that with "It's a pity", there might be a misunderstanding.  The ground units are there.  They don't show up on CTRL-F5 until you are close enough to interact with them but they are there.  

 

On to the more specific issue of AA along the front ... I had lots of it in RoF. I'll look at what I have today in terms of front AA.  

 

48 minutes ago, Muff_Huggar said:

I have another question. This one about Campaign roles. There are three of them: fighter, bomber and recon. What exactly is recon? From what I can tell, you get bombing type missions without bombs? Are you, for example, supposed to translate "attack artillery units" to  "take photos of artillery units?" Secondly, if you pick the fighter or bomber role, will all the missions you get strictly bombing or fighting? Can you mix them so you have a bombing roll on the first mission and a patrol role on another?

 

For the record, I'm having a great time doing these missions. I've been spending a lot more time with FC now. I'm having a lot of trouble finding the targets though. They never seem to be where the target waypoint says they should be.

 

Working expanding it.  In RoF there were recon flights where you took pictures and and my personal favorite - artillery spot missions.  Both of those are disabled right now because the game does not support them.  As a result I convert unsupported WWI missions to bombing missions.  A 2 seater career is not all that at this point.

 

One issue that I have is that I am not privy to future plans.  I am caught between doing the non trivial amount of work revamping these missions only to be caught flat footed by further developments or waiting to see what happens with FC.  At the moment the answer is the latter if for no other reason than I have lots of other things to do.

 

Edit: for 2 seater missions there are squadrons that fly an attack profile.  Those are pretty complete and will be fun.  This is especially true since the 2 seaters that we have are suited to that mission profile.  It is the recon/bomb/arty spot that are limited to bombing missions at this point.

 

 

Edited November 13, 2019 by PatrickAWlson

[ST_ami7b5]

29 minutes ago, PatrickAWlson said:

 

Since you specifically quoted the part about ground units being activated and followed that with "It's a pity", there might be a misunderstanding.  The ground units are there.  They don't show up on CTRL-F5 until you are close enough to interact with them but they are there.  

 

On to the more specific issue of AA along the front ... I had lots of it in RoF. I'll look at what I have today in terms of front AA.  

...

 

Sry, I meant AA solely.

Thanks.

[PatrickAWlson]

Just now, ST_ami7b5 said:

 

Sry, I meant AA solely.

Thanks.

 

And thanks for pointing that out.  Feedback helps.  Reviewing AA is on the to do list and improvements should be forthcoming over the next couple of weeks.

 

[Muff_Huggar]

On several occasions where I have set the campaign role to bombing and have created a bombing mission and checked that the Payload is bombs, I have been bombless when starting the mission. I've had to go into the plane setup and select the bombs and then there is a dialog box asking if I want to restore the mission defaults. If I click that, the bombs disappear. It's a touch frustrating to fly a bunch of miles to a target and find out you left your ordnance back at home.

[TRShrum]

Help from anyone please.  Flying Circus and "bombing".  I can't seem to have my bombs explode.  Bomb fuse is "On". The bombs hit the ground and don't explode.  What am I doing wrong.  Any help would be appreciated.

[Cybermat47]

4 minutes ago, TRShrum said:

Help from anyone please.  Flying Circus and "bombing".  I can't seem to have my bombs explode.  Bomb fuse is "On". The bombs hit the ground and don't explode.  What am I doing wrong.  Any help would be appreciated.

What altitude are you at when you drop bombs? Are you flying straight and level? What time is your bomb fuse set to?

Edited November 14, 2019 by [Pb]Cybermat47

[Voi]

Version 7.2.0
The settings are set to high density for ground and air.
Flew 5 missions in Spad-13. Route points are generated at an altitude of 3700 meters.
Why so high? There were other friendly planes but everything is far below. Flight duration is always more than an hour. Long-range missions are generated, on a blank map it's boring.
For all sorties, our wing did not meet enemy aircraft.
Our aircraft are marked in the same color as enemy ground units.
Almost 6 hours of play and there was never a fight. Just flying a route every time.

Edited November 14, 2019 by Voi

[ACG_Seb]

Hi Fokes!

 

Thanks for this Pat.  I'm really looking forward to using it.  I've a quick question, where do i get the skins? - the ones on the Web site are just WW2 ... ?

 

Thank you

 

Seb

[PatrickAWlson]

No organized skin packs for WWI yet.  lots of skins but they are not organized or configured for use.

[I.JG3_CDRSEABEE]

Missions not showing up in game. Reinstalled twice. Missions from BOS or FC are not showing up. Using 7.2.

 

Any ideas? Unzipped folder in base folder.

 

NM..The missions are showing up different than they used to......

Edited November 14, 2019 by CDRSEABEE