Landing at night - single player mission

[shaven37il2]

Hi - for the 'in game single player' mission over London, if you're flying a RAF night fighter where do you land?  Can it be any airfield or is there a mission specific location.  I remember years ago you can find one of the airfields within the Thames Estuary, sorry I forget which one.  I ask because I don't think the route links back to a home airfield.  I remember by fluke that I managed to spot some very difficult to see flare/landing lights; small and red.  Also the game authentic enough to provide the aircraft with a search light straight up when you get within a few miles which is a technique that was used for aircraft returning to the airfield sometimes.

 

Thanks.  

[paul_leonard]

Can you please provide the specific name of the mission you are asking about.  I looked at the general single missions and couldn't identify the one you are asking about.

 

Yes it is possible to design a "Drem landing light system" (named after RAF Drem in Scotland where it was developed) with beacon lights and runway lights and searchlights.  Searchlights do work in game with some limitations.  The 60cm german searchlight is quite dumb for some reason and cannot easily lock on to an aircraft.  This has meant that I can place them at the end of runways and I can get them to turn on when an aircraft approaches (they do have to be set as a Neutral army).  They don't shine straight up, they swing about looking for the aircraft.  While not authentic, it does the job.  

 

It is a bit of a trick setting up searchlights and I think I created a tutorial over on the ATAG forum.  If you want help, I can do it here if you can't find the tutorial.

[shaven37il2]

Hi - sorry I was wrong it's not a single mission it's a quick mission - night fighter.

 

I'm afraid I have very little experience in mission building, I dabbled a bit it Great Battles ages ago but haven't done this in COD.  I'll see if I can find the tutorial on the ATAG forum.

 

Are you suggesting that I can 1) check the mission file to see how it works and 2) potentially enhance it by adding in search lights and landing lights if they're not in the default file?

 

Thanks.

[paul_leonard]

Time to start then.  Here is my link in this forum to a getting started tutorial.  Love some feedback.

https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/91279-tutorial-how-to-build-a-better-quick-mission-in-the-full-mission-builder-in-eight-easy-steps/#comment-1350713

 

Yes, you can add searchlights, beacon lights and taxiway lights.  I think there is also a way to make the beacon lights blink in morse code (like the airfield code) but I'm still puzzling that one out. I will look around my test files and post here a mission with an admittedly more modern looking night lighting approach system that I can pretty much add to any airfield in a few minutes.  The advantage with a little more modern look and feel is that the pilot can actually see it at night.  This game is f'ing dark, although the TrueSky beta version is an enormous improvement... but alas, still f'ing dark.  Stand by.

 

More than happy to share what I have learned... the hard way.

 

 

[paul_leonard]

Okay, so I looked at the mission.  This is an example of flawed old mission design.  There is no landing airfield.  The last waypoint is just a point in space.  So I'm attaching two mission files I just created.  One is Manston at night, with Drem landing lighting system and searchlights.  I recommend that you immediately set the Beaufighter on autopilot, jump to an outside view and look around.  There are I think 6-9 aircraft in the landing pattern so you can jump between and watch them come in.  There are a couple of bugs in the way it works.  The first is that you will note that the lights show right through the aircraft.  It's known and on the list.  The second you may or may not experience.  If it looks like all of the land suddenly lights up like the searchlights are pointing at the ground it is a cache problem.  Exit the game and clear the cache and it will sort itself out.  The final one is a little bit more subtle at times.  At certain angles when looking around the searchlights will just disappear.  No solution for this that I know of. 

 

If you load the mission into the FMB you can see how to connect AI Anti-Air to generators and lights.  It's obtuse, but that is how Oleg built it.  Again, happy to share more.

 

The second mission takes your night fighter mission and makes Manston the landing waypoint.  It's a long way from the Thames Estuary that was previously the last waypoint but, hey, that's what I have to work with, and I think it is worth the time getting there.  

 

Let me know what you think.

 

 

 

Nightfighter & Searchlights.zip

Edited August 28 by paul_leonard
Incorrect attachment

[shaven37il2]

Fantastic - thanks so much for the missions and the information!  I'll take a look at the mission tutorial and I'm happy to feedback.  I'm not the quickest as I'll have to dip in and out as time around life permits.  I've never imported a mission either so this is a first for me as we.  Something exciting for the bank holiday weekend!!

 

I totally know what you mean about being dark!  One of the things that really keeps me playing CLOD is the sky and even the cloud, I think it's super realistic even though a not state of the art sim.  There's the permanent poor white haze vis and the dawn and dusk skies really are like this, and their colours and textures are blended so well.  Other sims are great too but this really works for me and I find it very immersive.  If the night had a tiny bit more transparency or light it would also be very realistic.  It is just a bit too dark at the mo.

[shaven37il2]

Hey Lenny, I set-up a mission following your tutorial and it worked 🤩.  I changed it a bit and went for a 3 x Blenheims vs 2 x me110s.  First time around I had my tail fin shot off and evaded the 110 with a split S but I think this finished off any control surfaces I had left and it was too late so I bailed out.  Second attempt I managed to evade the 110 and didn't realise at the time but using the turret I got some decent hits on him (50%).  I then managed to make a very hasty landing at Lympne and shut down as he strafed me but missed.  At this point me and the crew hot-footed it out of the Blenny and called that a win 😉.

 

I haven't tried the night mission file you sent over yet but will.  I was keen to have a go at the FMB first as my mid started thinking about simple tweaks I could make to existing files etc!  I'll take a look at the other tutorials in the links at the bottom of the guide to build my skills.  I like flying bombers especially the Blenny and given the chance would like to try and create historical missions as much as I can, but one step at a time.

 

Your guide is good and easy to follow, I followed it easily enough.  It flows and the only mistake I made was not unselecting the red team/mission route before trying to create the blue team/mission route.  I soon realised this and the rest came together quickly.  Thanks again!

 

 

[paul_leonard]

Thanks for the positive feedback.  Once you learn that the FMB is not exactly as daunting a proposition as everyone thinks, it is very satisfying to build and fly your own missions.  
 

I am available any time to answer questions and provide advice and share files.  I am also working on a new updated manual to go beyond the tutorial.

 

i also have a great interest in creating historical re-enactments.

 

 

[shaven37il2]

Hi Lenny,

 

I went to try the night missions out tonight but I couldn't load them.  The message was 'this mission requires parts that have not been acquired: dieppe42.100, elalamein.100, malta.100.  Possibly different maps?

[paul_leonard]

My bad.  I’ll fix and repost here tonight.

Paul

 

PS - New file replaces incorrect file in the above August 19 post.  So shaven37il2 re-download and try it out.

 

PPS (or is it PSS?) - if you have access to the ATAG forum there is a thread there on setting up searchlights. https://theairtacticalassaultgroup.com/forum/showthread.php?t=37336&highlight=searchlights

 

 

Edited August 28 by paul_leonard

[shaven37il2]

Thanks Lenny,

 

I've been starting to read up on Yo-Yo's guide and made a pass through trigger and action.  I haven't added the script yet to switch off the trigger.  I'll take a look at the search lights thread on ATAG as well, this will help loads.

 

When I downloaded the new night fighter files, I found the Manston Ramsgate one is still the Dieppe map and the Paul032 mission I couldn't get the search lights to trigger.  I took a look at the .mis file and was expecting to see triggers/actions, but when I opened the scripts window it was blank.  I can't see how the search lights are triggered.  Un fact I can't see how anything is triggered, AA etc.

 

I have found that on my own file I save a mission and the triggers/actions can sometimes disappear even though I've saved them.  Have you seen this before?  I've tested it by opening and closing my file while making sure I've definitely saved the trigger/action.  I did go through the pain of learning the trigger an action name needs to be the same to fire the action. 

 

I appreciate I'm probably doing something daft and distracting you from your own fun so please if this is putting you out don't feel any way obligated to fix or look at these. 

[paul_leonard]

So, a little while ago, No.54_Reddog or Dagwoodyt busted my chops for being a know it all and not sharing what I know.  They are annoying at times, and at times, quite correct.  Dag nab it.  So I have started writing a manual for the FMB.  Something that complements Yo-Yo's work but stays away from scripts... because I'm an accountant and not a coder (I did learn COBOL as a child which would have stood me in good stead for Y2K).  Scripts just intimidate me and I'm too old to want to learn that trick.  But if you know scripts.....?

 

In any event, your timing has been perfect because I was just starting work on the Object Browser... AI objects.  So today I have written a tutorial on how to get searchlights to work... because you asked.  They do not require any scripts and if they did, then I would have avoided them like the plague.  So attached for your enjoyment is a simple 10 step tutorial on how to get searchlights to work.  Searchlights should work with only 1 step, well maybe 2 as you will learn, but seriously it requires 10 steps.  It only took me 8 steps to show how to build your own 3v3 mission in another tutorial.  Nothing is easy with this game.

 

I am also attaching the mission file that is the outcome of the tutorial.  Hope it helps.

Paul

 

 

Searchlight Tutorial.zip

Edited September 2 by paul_leonard
Fixed Attachment File

[Mysticpuma]

Imagine placing a searchlight at a location, and it activates once the condition "after dusk" was met and enemy aircraft are within range. But as you say, so convoluted to get a 'simple' object to activate.

The phrase "well, that's CloD" is perfect.

However when they do work, they look great:

 

Imagine them shining on the clouds in a Truesky environment...maybe one day 🤞

[jollyjack]

9 hours ago, paul_leonard said:

I am also attaching the mission file that is the outcome of the tutorial.  Hope it helps.

Paul

 

Searchlight Tutorial.zip 415.56 kB · 0 downloads

 

Hi, in you zip is a *.mis file, and it wont load as mission when renamed.  

[paul_leonard]

I know what is wrong.  Will fix shortly and replace.

 

Attached file in my earlier post fixed and re-attached to original post.  Here it also is to avoid any confusion.

Searchlight Tutorial.zip

Edited September 2 by paul_leonard
Update and attach fixed mission file.

[jollyjack]

and i know where i went wrong, all about cliffs, not GB LoL

[shaven37il2]

Thanks Paul,

 

I've just downloaded the edited zip.  Thank you for writing the tutorial and I'll enjoy giving it a go!

 

I've been working through your tutorial along with Jo-Jo's.  Using objects and conditions is much quicker and I don't know scripting by any means.  I did use/write scripts a long time ago for work but it was a propriety script language and I can't remember that now.  I have a basic level understanding of logic and formula like MS excel, which like you I use at work.  I'm just following the tutorials, YouTube and forums really, and enjoying the aspects of trying to make it work.  I enjoy CLOD for lots of reasons and using the FMB is really expanding the immersion into the sim/game.

 

Honestly I can't wait to get the night fighter mission working and having an airfield to land at!  I will be very chuffed when I see that work!