PWCG Questions for a Newbie

[benchedgamer]

I didn't add this to issue threads because I think these are user errors.

 

1. Should PWCG close after generating the mission? Just want to make sure this is right.
2. I dont think this is a PWCG issue but my flight leader in my first mission let me fall behind. is there a setting to help this.
3. After flying my first mission, I exited the game and reopened PWCG. It couldnt find information on the flight i just took. Is that because I closed the game? Tonight I am going to start a new campaign and a new mission to see what happens.

 

I am using the Steam version.

[dburne]

1: No.

2: No, just need to work on your engine management to keep up best you can.

3: No, something is amiss. Did you change your startup.cfg to reflect mission_text_log = 1?

[benchedgamer]

5 minutes ago, dburne said:

3: No, something is amiss. Did you change your startup.cfg to reflect mission_text_log = 1?

 

I didn't. Should I? I dont remember seeing this in the install video.

[dburne]

2 minutes ago, benchedgamer said:

 

I didn't. Should I? I dont remember seeing this in the install video.

 

Yes, default it is 0. Need to change it to 1 so it can write mission result files.

[PatrickAWlson]

56 minutes ago, benchedgamer said:

 

I didn't. Should I? I dont remember seeing this in the install video.

 

PWCG works on a cycle:

Create mission -> Fly mission -> Submit combat report

 

The following may be way more detail than you want.  Breaks in the cycle cause things to happen that you may or may not want, so I will try to explain some of the things that can happen.

 

PWCG does not close automatically when you start the game.

A mission is actually written and flyable when you press accept at the end of the mission create process.

 

If you make a mission in PWCG and then close PWCG and reopen, then press mission again, PWCG does not reread the mission. 

- The existing mission is created and can be flown.

- Pressing mission again will start the process of creating a new mission.

- If you follow through and accept the mission then the previously created mission will be overwritten.

 

If you make a mission, fly it, and then make a mission again without doing a combat report

- The existing mission information will be lost.

- You will have to fly the new mission and submit a combat report for that.

 

If you did not have mission text logs enabled PWCG will warn you before after you accept a mission.

The text logs are needed for PWCG to determine what happened during the mission.

 

Missions in PWCG are create with the format Campaign  Name + Campaign Date.

Campaign date changes when you submit a combat report, transfer to a new unit, or take leave

If you do none of the above then campaign name + campaign date has not changed and you are overwriting your mission.

 

Hope that clarifies more than confuses  .  The key information is the first line: PWCG is a cycle.  That cycle is what is expected in the normal case.  

[benchedgamer]

2 hours ago, PatrickAWlson said:

 

PWCG does not close automatically when you start the game.

A mission is actually written and flyable when you press accept at the end of the mission create process.

 

If you did not have mission text logs enabled PWCG will warn you before after you accept a mission.

The text logs are needed for PWCG to determine what happened during the mission.

@PatrickAWlson I did check and it was 0. I never got a warning. It would say Generating Binary Mission something and than close. The mission still showed up in IL2. I will try again tonight after work.

 

Is it ok if it closes after creating the mission? Nothing but the file location shows up in the error report. As long as after I finish the mission and go start back to opening PWCG.

 

@dburne thank you.

[PatrickAWlson]

It's fine if it creates the mission and closes.  I just don't know why it would do that.  Out of memory maybe?  Anyhow, it will pick back up when you restart.

[Nadelbaum]

34 minutes ago, benchedgamer said:

@PatrickAWlson I did check and it was 0. I never got a warning. It would say Generating Binary Mission something and than close. The mission still showed up in IL2. I will try again tonight after work.

 

Is it ok if it closes after creating the mission? Nothing but the file location shows up in the error report. As long as after I finish the mission and go start back to opening PWCG.

 Can't comment on the missing log setting warning, but in any case you can fly your generated mission as long as you now set the text logging to 1 before starting Il-2. 

 

Also, normal behavior would be that after the binary mission file is generated PWCG would return back to the main screen. In any case if the mission file is there then just reopen PWCG after you have flown the mission.

 

The most important thing is to submit the combat report after you have flown the mission. Do this right away before doing any other actions back in PWCG side. Also, during the mission pay attention on your air kills, especially the types and number of planes you down. You need this info when you claim your victories in PWCG during the combat report submission.

Edited May 28, 2020 by Nadelbaum

[benchedgamer]

On 5/28/2020 at 8:43 AM, benchedgamer said:

I dont think this is a PWCG issue but my flight leader in my first mission let me fall behind. is there a setting to help this.

 

I have realized the issue. The AI is trying to climb to the assigned altitude. Once they meet the required altitude they reduce speed and form the formation. PWCG has already taught me how to fly in formation. More rewarding than getting a kill.

[Yogiflight]

2 hours ago, benchedgamer said:

 

I have realized the issue. The AI is trying to climb to the assigned altitude. Once they meet the required altitude they reduce speed and form the formation. PWCG has already taught me how to fly in formation. More rewarding than getting a kill.

Which aircraft are you and your flightleader flying?  In some aircrafts it is really hard to follow the AI, especially as the AI seems to use emergency power for climbing, too.

[benchedgamer]

@Yogiflight I have been flying the 109 E-7. I am still a Oberfeldwebel. When I fly the F-4 and F-2 I make sure we do a good amount of circles to get the altitude we need before moving to the target.

[Yogiflight]

6 minutes ago, benchedgamer said:

When I fly the F-4 and F-2 I make sure we do a good amount of circles to get the altitude we need before moving to the target.

Especially when you are flying the F2 and your flightleader the F4, or in later scenarios, you are flying the F4 and your flightleader the G2, you have a really hard time to follow him, since he is flying the better climbing aircraft. Climb circle surely is a good idea, or you need the patience to wait until you reached your flight altitude to catch up to him.

[benchedgamer]

I do have some more questions that have come up flying 15 missions so far:

1. Are there any issues with a long career? Does the file get to big and start having errors?
2. Are their issues with long 60-90 day leave? I was wondering if simming all that data would cause errors. I was going to do research on how often German pilots were rotated out of the front lines and for how long. If there is an error, could their be a rear unit that you could transfer to for a long leave.
3. How does the front line move? Is it the same movement each game?
4. I like seeing what looks to be engagements of German and Russian units at the front line. I  looks like they are shooting at each other. Do they do damage each other?

[PatrickAWlson]

1. No reports of issues.  The data files start of as a few MG of data.  I do not anticipate growth to be an issue but I doubt anybody has gone from 1941 to 1945 yet.

2. I have a piece of code that simulates an entire career.  It does this by repeatedly using the leave mechanism.  The biggest thing is all of the events that have occurred, but you are not obliged to look at them if you don't want to.

3. The front line is not continuously moving.  Instead it moves in discrete increments at key historical points.  

4. They are really fighting each other.  Direct fire units move to take enemy positions.  Artillery units fire indirectly at enemy positions.  I do not, however, track and persist ground units.