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#1708223 - 08/18/05 07:40 PM DGen Studies
Amagi Offline
Member

Registered: 03/10/05
I'm going to try to collect useful DGen posts into one thread.

This is anteater\'s guide :

How to make the FB campaign do you what you want

first: backup your dgen directory!
There are aspects that can be altered by anybody, and others that cannot be altered without changing the code, like altitude settings (we're working on that). Basically, dgen contains a lot of text scripting, all of which can be changed.

If you look at the Dgen directory, you have the following types of files:
.dat files
Campaigns(nation)(variable).dat files. like CampaignsRuF.dat for the russian fighter campaign.
These files simply contain a list of subcampaigns and their sequence, as well as the title of the campaign. The variable letter is the marker of the campaign and has to be the same in all files relating to that campaign (like RuF or RuS).
Planes(nation)(variable).dat files.
These will be files mostly edited. These files list the subcampaigns for each campaign with the list of plane options for each. The sequence of campaigns has to be the same as in the campaigns file otherwise it will crash. If you want to fly a plane not yet listed in the default list, simply look up its internal name and add it.
Squadrons(nation)(variable).dat files simply contain a list of squadrons from which you select when starting the campaign.
There are other .dat files with more general content.
Message(language).dat files
Simply contain the briefings and other texts for each language and nation (there are three message.de, one for german/russian, one finnish and one hungarian).
Then there are the files with names (Russians, Germans etc .dat) which contain names for your squadron mates and the place name files which contain birthplaces.

The really important stuff are the subcampaign files.
These are:
templates

These are Il2 mission files (.mis) which basically set the moving and non moving ground objects for the whole map. There are two, one for the objects of each side, called (campaign name)blue/red.mis (e.g. Crimea44blue.mis). If you want to edit the types and placement of ground targets in your campaign, export these files to the mission folder of FB and open them via FB. But be careful, because adding many objects can have a serious impact on frame rates. And be careful with Flak! The first templates still done for Il2 made the campaign nearly unplayable in FB, because Flak was so much more efficient.

Database files
These are the really important ones. (campaign name).db (like Typhoon.db). Bomber campaigns differ in that aspect, they have their own database file, which is marked with an H (BarbarossaH.db for 111 and TB-3, for example). That is because the missions for these planes are much different from the rest and if you used the normal scripts, you wouldnt survive one mission. But you can also make modifications of existing .db files for use in one campaign only. Simply rename the internal name of the campaign in the Campaign.dat file accordingly. There you can edit the basic gameplay and balance aspects of the campaign.It starts with the kind of map to be used.
Then you have some general sections which make up the parameters of the campaign: [Towns], the important points to be captured in the campaign. [Schedule], the general frontline movement (which you modify by your performance).
[OOB] Order of Battle. The squadrons that may appear in the campaign.
[Planes]
The relative number of planes of each type to appear in the campaign. The higher the number, the more likely the appearance of the plane. Also important because you can influence that number by shooting down planes of each type. New plane types can be simply added by writing a new line with a relative number and the internal name. But be careful: when updates for FB come out, wait for a new Dgen version before you add the new plane, because the plane has to be in the code of Dgen. This section has another important function because that is where you can enable skins. You have:
(relative number) (internal name) (skin) (winterskin)
26 BF_109G6 Barkhorn.bmp Barkhornwinter.bmp
Most skin slots are still blank, but you can use every skin without national markings you have in your corresponding plane skin directory. Winter skins will be used on winter maps only.
[Skill]
not active in all campaigns, but a means to alter the average skill level of each side. By default, german skill is highest at the beginning and is degrading as the war progresses, and russian skill is very low at the beginning and quite high at the end. If you dont like that, here is the place to change it.
For example:
[Skill]
Blue:A95,V1,N2
Red:A1,V1,N1
This is what you find in Finland41.dat. It shows that Blue (finnish) will have 95% ace pilots, 1%veterans and 2% normal.
Red will have 1% each ace, veteran and normal and 97% green pilots (poor Red). This setup will cause some extremely one sided battles for blue.
But keep in mind that campaignDifficulty settings in the .ini file will override this setting.
[Aces]
This is the aces you can encounter on that campaign. The syntax is:
(plane type) (plane type of wingmen) (unit) (name) (skin)
Aces will not reappear if you kill them or shoot them down behind your own lines. With the skins, there is something special: You can use skins with full markings for aces. These skins have to have a file name starting with $ ($Hartmann.bmp or so). Then no default markings will be applied.
[Operations] is another very important field. It is the mission scripts. It serves as a basic template for the mission.
A mission script looks like:
oDeAttackCluster
There are follwing mission types, always preceded by o(side, DE or RU):
Special missions (will only appear when you are flight leader)
Baloon - Baloon attack (for russians only)
Rescue - search and rescue op
Verify - kill verification
Recon - reconaissance
Normal missions:
AttackAF - attack an enemy Airfield ("bomb" is escort, "attack" is your own flight attacking)
AttackArmor - attack (moving) tanks
AttackBridge - attack a bridge
AttackCluster - attack a concentration of small static targets (railway yard, truck depot, artillery emplacement, troop concentrations, naval base, field headquarters)
AttackSoft - attack unarmored moving targets (either trains or truck convoys)
AttackShips - attack ships underway
Same missions with "bomb" instead of attack means that you escort bombers instead of attacking yourself.
BombTown - you escort bombers which simply drop their load over a town with no military targets
Scramble - defend your own airbase from enemies allready approaching
DefendAF - defend your own or another friendly airbase from enemies still farther away
DefendArmor - defend Tanks
same for cluster, ships and soft
"Patrol" is generally the same mission as "defend", only that you primary goal is to destroy an enemy airplane, not to protect the ground target from destruction. Patrol missions have the same variety as defend.
FreeHunt - fighter sweep in enemy territory
Patrol - defensive fighter sweep over own territory
Transfer - comes in two variants: "FTransfer" is a transfer mission for fighters, in which the main goal is to protect transport. "BTransfer" is for bombers, in which you as a bomber will tranfer with fighter escort.
ParadropEscort - escort transports which will drop Paratroopers
ParadropIntercept - intercept transports before they drop Paratroopers
TranIntercept - intercept enemy transport planes (slaughter!)
Behind some numbers which have no importance to editing, there is the setup of friendly and enemy flights. The whole line looks like
oDeBombCluster VVS 4F 4F LW 9B 8F 4Y
These numbers mean, on this german escort mission against a cluster, there will be 9 german bombers (He 111 or Ju 88) with two flights of escorts (one of 8, one of 4 in which the player is) against two flights of four soviets each.
The flags are:
Y - Player's flight
F - fighter
fB - fighter bomber
dB - dive bomber
B - Bomber
T - Transport
P - Paratroop carrier
R - Recon
9 is the maximum number, while 1 is the minimum (of course)
The player flight always has to be there (otherwise no mission to fly for you;)), as has the bomber or fighter bomber flight in escort or intercept missions (otherwise no mission goal). The interceptors are no "must". If you want a milk run, lets say for the Luftwaffe, you simply change the VVS line to: VVS 0F. These numbers are not fixed. Having set 0F doesnt mean you're guaranteed to have a milk run. There is random opposition which can consist of the following groups:
- enemy or friendly bombers bombing some target
- enemy or friendly single recon planes
- enemy or friendly single small plane (storch or Po-2)
- enemy fighters that bounce you on takeoff
- enemy fighters that bounce you on landing
- enemy fighters that scramble from enemy Airfields if you approach it (to simulate the fighters on alert).
These scripts are also modified by the air density settings in the .ini file.

---Tailspin, same thread

I thought the IL-2 had their own separate campaign? Just checked, yes they use the normal *.DB. Check out campaignsRuI.dat and campaignsRuS.dat. It will show you the .DB files used for those campaigns.
Starshoy posted this in my thread of questions for him but it belongs here also.

quote:
What missions a plane can fly depends on hardcoded capabilities.
A complete list after the patch (currently FW-190F8 is in slightly different category):
1. ground attack planes: JU_87B2,JU_87D3,HE_111, all ILs except IL2I
2. anti-tankJU_87G1
3. JABO (ground attack, scramble and recon, no escort or free hunt):I_153_M62,I_153P,P_47,
BF_109E4B,BF_109E7,ME_262A2A,FW_190F8,FW_190A5
4. Light ground attack, escort, recon, free hunt:LAGGs,most of MiGs,BF_109E4, BF_109 F,G,K;
FW_190D,ME_262A1A
5. Pure fighters:P_40E,P_40M,YAKs,F2A_B239,Hurricane,BF_109E7NZ
6. All kinds of missions:I_16,LAs,MIG_3EARLY,MIG_3UD,P_39s,P_40EM105,
FW_190A4,FW_190A8,FW_190A9,IL2I
What missions a plane will fly depends on the above, plus you can limit missions that your plane will do, by excluding some of them from the scripts. You cannot enlarge a class of missions, no matter if they present in the script, 109E7NZ will not attack ships.

---Starshoy on default ETO skill distribution

Aces,Vets,Reg,Rookies)
1941 Red: 5,5,10,80 Blue: 15,50,25,10
1942 Red: 5,10,10,75 Blue: 20,50,20,10
1943 Red: 10,15,20,55 Blue: 20,40,30,10
1944 Red: 15,20,30,35 Blue: 20,30,30,10
1945 Red: 20,20,30,30 Blue: 10,20,30,40
Finnish 1941 campaign simply overwrites these defaults, making it even easier for Finns
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#1708224 - 08/18/05 07:46 PM Re: DGen Studies
Amagi Offline
Member

Registered: 03/10/05
---Starshoy on templates

Trains only are possible in Japan map (I am talking about PF maps). Trains and colums all must be placed in templates (.mis) files.
Area targets are recognised as such if you place 10 or more static targets in a radius of 1 km. Then it will be recognised as:
1) If there is a train - as a railroad station
2) a ship - as a port
3) radio truck but not at airfield - HQ
4) 4+ guns (not AA) as a battery
5) 6+ vehicles - as a depot
otherwise as troop concentration.

---Starshoy on frontlines

Ian - if you like this feature, you can use fire and smoke for Murmansk and Kurland. I don't remember if your templates use active frontline overlay already, but basically you only need to create the third template named *Front.mis. You can use them for all kinds of objects, but for the fire you simply add smoke everywhere you want. 1/3 or them will be randomly activated along your route. Smoke 1 is automatically accompanied by fire 1 (big fire, like burning building). Smoke 2 is accompanied by fire 2 (huge fire, like burning factory). Other smoke have fire 4 - I used them to burn some airfield objects or vehicles.

All this can be tuned, of course, it is the first attempt. Also I replace all airfield campfires with new electric light 4. I think in 95% of cases it is more appropriate than campfires - but we can discuss it or make different airfields use different illumination.

---Starshoy on added objects

Originally posted by Ian Boys:
Objects with no AI can be added virtually ad infinitum - houses, poles, static trucks etc. The exception is maybe trees.

Objects with AI - AA, sirens, searchlights, anything moving, you need to be quite careful.

I am not sure about that. When we first started to think about BoE, we very quickly made "Ardennes" on winter online map, by adding a lot of objects, practically building whole Bastogne and other towns - in a lot of details, with hundreds of buildings. The objects were static, of course.

The map became totally unplayable! Apparently there is a big difference between "preloaded" objects, that are part of the map, and ones that we add in the mission.

---Ian Boys on parked planes
This feature was made at my request for Murmansk.
It works as follows:
Place a single plane of the required type at the base. It can be any nationality of the same side Red/Blue.
If the plane appears at >1 base, DGen will pick a base at random among the available bases.
You can place more than one plane at the base if you wish.
Example - in Murmansk 1941 we want Hurricane IIB's to start only at Vaenga. By placing static Hurricanes here only we ensure that all Hurricane campaigns will start from that base and nowhere else.
Example 2 - we want JG54 to withdraw into Kurland and not East Prussia in 1944/45. By placing the Fw190's in the north and Bf-109's in the south for each subcampaign we can ensure JG 54 withdraw into Kurland while JG51 withdraw across the southern part of the map into Ostpreussen.
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#1708225 - 08/18/05 07:53 PM Re: DGen Studies
Amagi Offline
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Registered: 03/10/05
---*Joker* on schedules

Think I found an answer. Adding one more day to each campaign made the campaign end on the proper date. That's one day beyond the historical end date.
This way, I got correct length, and the number of missions per day I'd specified. DGen seems to ignore the final day of the campaign, ending the day before.
So my schedule for Coral Sea now looks like this:
[Schedule]
20507 13 3
20508 0 3
20509 0 3

---Starshoy on frontlines

1. You cannot directly translate front markers to .DB. Frontlines in DGen are drawn depending on ownership of hardcoded key sites (mostly towns). While there are many of them, it is not the same as using freely placed front markers.
2. Ladoga.mis is not used currently. LadogaWinter and LadogaSummer are used to add a special area (Ladoga ice road/ Ladoga summer navigation) to the main templates for special missions related to protection or attack of this route. Similar engine is used for BoE D Day mission.
Ian Boys using frontline markers
1) You can't. In your file you have grid refs.
In the DB file I think you are confused. There are two relevant entries, Towns and Schedule and typically they look like this:
[Towns]
10 Dmitrovsk_Orlovskiy
5 Orel
[Schedule]
30704 30
30705 2
In the towns section, those names are hard-coded into DGen based on a text/gridref file sent to Starshoy by the mapper.
In the Schedule section, those numbers are dates and ground movement.

---Ian Boys, same thread

You can make your own front lines. Lvov41 badly needs an update, for example.
We have six towns - Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot. At the beginning we want the Germans to control A and B and capture C on the third day and D on the fourth. However we want to ensure that at no point can they advance beyond E irrespective of results on the ground or affected by air units.
This is how it is done:
[Towns]
5 Alpha
50 Bravo
5 Charlie
3 Delta
50 Echo
5 Foxtrot
[Schedule]
10728 55 (Germans hold 55 points on 28 July 1941)
10729 0
10730 0
10731 5 (Germans capture Charlie)
10801 3 (Germans capture Delta)
10802 0
10803 0
10804 0
10805 0
If the Germans are repeatedly defeated/fail missions it is possible they won't capture Delta. If you want to make sure they do try awarding another 2 points a couple of days later.

---Starshoy debugging a campaign

First of all, your coding system is not supported. You can use only 3 letters - two for a nation, one for campaign ID. HuL is fine, HuLF is not.
This campaign likely won't even show in the menu.

---Starshoy, same thread

There are two parts. First is GUI. If you cannot even select your plane, it means you are missing something basic in GUI itself. It is not the generator even, it would not even be called.
For GUI you need to create campaign*.dat file, and corresponding planes and squadrons files - coded with the same name and all sections in planes file must correspond to those in campaign file (same operations), all planes must exist, etc.
Regarding F,B, etc - it does not matter what letter you use, they must be unique for this nation, that's it.
When your GUI is working, you are starting to receive errors from the generator part
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#1708226 - 08/18/05 08:08 PM Re: DGen Studies
Amagi Offline
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Registered: 03/10/05
--- EAF_92 Whiskey on parameters

Here's something I saved from a post by Starshoy on SimHQ from a few weeks back. Hope it helps:-

"OK, here is the first draft.
MissionDistance= (0-300)
In FB - prefered mission distance in km
In PF - any value means that carriers are located in shorter than historical distance on maps where it is important - Hawaii, Midway, Marianas.
SlowFire=(0.5-100, default 5)
In PF only - ship rate of fire is reduced.
RandomFlights=(0-5) FB only - a maximal number of random flights.
MaxFLAK=(0-100)
FB only - maximal number of AAA en route, does not affect target area.
MaxBomberSkill=(0-3)
PF and FB - max skill level of bombers.
CampaignLength=(Long,Medium,Short,VeryShort", default VeryLong)
FB only - allows to reduce a number of missions in campaign.
CampaignDifficulty=(Hard,Normal,Easy)
FB and PF
same as simultaneously setting CampaignAI and CampaignMissions
CampaignAI=(Hard,Normal,Easy)
FB and PF changes default distribution of AI skill by modifying friendly and hostile AI levels.
CampaignMissions=(Hard,Normal,Easy)
FB and PF (no files for PF yet)
Switches to alternative set of ops files, modifying numbers of friendly and hostile flights.
OperationVictory=
OperationDefeat=
PF only
sets numbers of points after which an operation is considered success or failure, calling alternative debrief.
WarVictory=
WarDefeat=
PF only
sets numbers of points after which a war is considered won or lost calling alternative end of war missions.
NoActiveFrontline
BoE only
Removes additional units active around frontline.
NoBadWeather
FB and PF
Prevents bad weather (thunderstorm, rain, snow)
NoAirfieldHighlight
FB and PF
Removes AAA on airfields that are not used in current operation, thus preventing their highligthin on a map (giving away active airfields).
UseParkedPlanes
Murmansk only.
Player's plane initial airfield is defined by parked static planes.
UseParachutes
PF only
Allows Japanese to use chutes since start of the war.
AirIntensity=(High,Medium,Low)
Modifies group size. In PF also modifies a number of random flights.
GroundIntensity=(High,Medium,Low)
Modifies areas where moving and static targets are located. On Low only creates them around active airfields and target area. On Medium there is a limit of 3 moving targets except in target area."
In addition there is a lot of useful info in the various readmes that come with each addon/patch. IIRC there is a readme in the DGEN folder of the game itself.

---EAF_92 Whiskey, same thread
Add this to the end of your conf.ini:-
[DGen]
RandomFlights=5
AirIntensity=High
GroundIntensity=High
CampaignMissions=Hard
CampaignAI=Hard
Dilute to taste of course!

---rlk on settings

From another thread that I've cut-n-pasted in my conf.ini to use as a reference:
;MissionDistance= (0-300)
;In FB - prefered mission distance in km
;In PF - any value means that carriers are located in shorter than historical distance on maps where it is important - Hawaii, Midway, Marianas.
;SlowFire=(0.5-100, default 5)
;In PF only - ship rate of fire is reduced.
;RandomFlights=(0-5) FB only - a maximal number of random flights.
;MaxFLAK=(0-100)
;FB only - maximal number of AAA en route, does not affect target area.
;MaxBomberSkill=(0-3)
;PF and FB - max skill level of bombers.
;CampaignLength=(Long,Medium,Short,VeryShort", default VeryLong)
;FB only - allows to reduce a number of missions in campaign.
;CampaignDifficulty=(Hard,Normal,Easy)
;FB and PF
;same as simultaneously setting CampaignAI and CampaignMissions
;CampaignAI=(Hard,Normal,Easy)
;FB and PF changes default distribution of AI skill by modifying friendly and hostile AI levels.
;CampaignMissions=(Hard,Normal,Easy)
;FB and PF (no files for PF yet)
;Switches to alternative set of ops files, modifying numbers of friendly and hostile flights.
;OperationVictory=
;OperationDefeat=
;PF only
;sets numbers of points after which an operation is considered success or failure, calling alternative debrief.
;WarVictory=
;WarDefeat=
;PF only
sets numbers of points after which a war is considered won or lost calling alternative end of war missions.
;NoActiveFrontline
;BoE only
;Removes additional units active around frontline.
;NoBadWeather
;FB and PF
;Prevents bad weather (thunderstorm, rain, snow)
;NoAirfieldHighlight
;FB and PF
;Removes AAA on airfields that are not used in current operation, thus preventing their highligthin on a map (giving away active airfields).
;UseParkedPlanes
;Murmansk only.
;Player's plane initial airfield is defined by parked static planes.
;UseParachutes
;PF only
;Allows Japanese to use chutes since start of the war.
;AirIntensity=(High,Medium,Low)
;Modifies group size. In PF also modifies a number of random flights.
;GroundIntensity=(High,Medium,Low)
;Modifies areas where moving and static targets are located. On Low only creates them around active airfields and target area. On Medium there is a limit of 3 moving targets except in target area.
;PromotionRate=(0.0-100.0), default 1.0

---Starshoy on new features

Just FYI. I don't know an exact date of the new patch, but I am finishing making my own changes this weekend, so here is a list of them:
New features and modifications
1. The planes attempt to use routes avoiding AAA.
Maximum number of AAA en route (except target area) is reduced to 3
2. A parameter RandomFlights=n in conf.ini sets number of flight groups not related to mission.
Maximum is 5, minimum 0, default 1. New random groups - friendly bombers and returning allied planes.
3. Roster adjustements: fighter and bomber careers use different criteria for awards.
Pilots are now younger.
Promotions rate slowed down.
Intitial number of sorties and kills increased. It is also year and nation specific, for instance Germans may start in 1941 with many aces, and Soviet squadrons are getting more and more experienced as war progresses.
(I may need to tune the numbers during tests, but they seem reasonable to me ;. There may be easily several German aces with 30, 40 and more kills in 1941))
4. The templates can use now custom buildings.
5. On Easy CampaignDifficulty enemy numbers are lowered (and not increased if Air Intensity is set to high)
6. Not used airfields won't have AAAs anymore, which also removes their highlighting with a color on a map..
Bugs fixed:
1. Level bombers attack area targets in formation
2. Spaces in pilot's name don't cause problems
3. Known static planes causing collisions are removed.
4. Coordinates of one of Lvov map airfields corrected
5. Date of Stalingrad missions are fixed
6. Initial border on Lvov mapo corrected
7. Junior rank for Germans now corresponds GUI ranks
8. Evening missions start earlier
9. 190F8 switched to JABO, won't fly escort missions.
It's default ground attack loadout changed to SC500.
Plane name in brieifngs corrected.
10. DB-3F bombing with torpedoes fixed
11. Me-323 should not appear in Finland transfer missions
12. Some German brieifngs corrected
13. Hungarian ranks in German locale corrected
14 BF-109F fly higher
15. Main BF-109G bombing loadout changed to SC250 from SC500
16. BF-109s capable to carry additional tanks, are equiped with them if a mission requires.

...

Some comments. FLAK avoidance is not absolute. The groups will attempt to avoid concentrations of more than 3 AAA in 3km radius - but they make only limited number of course changes. FLAK in target area is not affected, and it is easy to meet some when turning back to your airfield.
But I beleive that some adjustments will be also made to AAA effectivness, so together it must make AAA less deadly.
Random groups. 5 run OK on my Pentium 2.4GHz if
AirIntensity is default. Only first of these groups may be programmed to attack your flight -
like enemy aces, attack on takeoff, etc. Others going about their own business, although occasionally they can bomb targets on your home airfield, etc.
One area that I probably won't touch this time is awards dynamic. Ideally it should be different in different years for different nations. It took much more to earn KC in 1943 than in 1941, but it probably will stay at 1941 level for now.

---Starshoy, same thread

No, it should work immediately, starting with the next generated mission.
But I do not understand a part about aces - random aces do exist already. In fact, I am trying not to increase a level of direct threat, it is pretty high already.
So only first random group may attack you (as their main task). This group may include named aces, hunters, interceptors, planes attacking you on takeoff and your way home. None of these threats is new - but there was one problem - they only appeared if total number of groups was below certain limit, so High AirIntensity actually could prevent the randomness, which is not what you would expect.
Other random groups are your or enemy recon, staff planes, escorted bombers and all kinds of friendly planes returning to your bases

---Starshoy, same thread

But AI inside your squadron is calculated more detailed way, directly connected to a number of kills and sorties. And it increases pretty quickly. So 5 kills 5 sorties pilot will have AI level of an ace.

---Starshoy, same thread

On a way to target it is pretty much guaranteed, unless it requires more than two changes of course. But when you return, the airfield or other dangerous area may be too close to the target to avoid. So it will avoid most of "unneccessary" FLAK, not one over target. Also there is a limit on that FLAK, and probably it won't be that effective anyway. So it will be easier, but will it be easy enough or not I don't know

---Starshoy, same thread

It means that for bomber's awards and promotions important factors will be ground kills and sorties, and for fighters - air kills (also year-dependent, at least for Germans). Now they use some integral function counting all of that.
It does not mean that in debriefing text you will see how many ground targets of each type every pilot destroyed (they do have individual counts in personal files and all kills are in the debriefing map).
I plan to add to debriefing text a summary of all your kills, by categories. But it can't be done right now - not because it is particularly difficult to do, but because it involves translation to 5 languages and we probably can't do it in this patch.

---Tailspin 2, same thread

Thera,
If you want that for you campaign, go to the .DB files and adjust the script in the [Operation] section to have less chance of enemy fighters appearing.
Here is part of the Bagration scription for your jabo aircraft to attack armor.

oDeAttackArmor 10622:50509 VVS 0F LW 6Y 4F
oDeAttackArmor 10622:50509 VVS 4F LW 6Y 4F
oDeAttackArmor 10622:50509 VVS 4F LW 4Y 4F
oDeAttackArmor 10622:50509 VVS 2F 2F LW 6Y 4F
oDeAttackArmor 10622:50509 VVS 2F 2F LW 6Y 4F
oDeAttackArmor 10622:50509 VVS 4F 2F LW 4Y 6F
oDeAttackArmor 10622:50509 VVS 0F LW 6Y 2F

Just make more of the VVS portion so it reads "0F". The scripts are randomly picked so the more scripts with 0F, the less fighters you will see for that particularly type mission.
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#1708227 - 08/18/05 08:18 PM Re: DGen Studies
Amagi Offline
Member

Registered: 03/10/05
---Starshoy on ops files

There is no limit at all (except overall limit for all operations. 10 variants - it is 10 variants of briefing, not of groups, participating in the mission. Also, these groups do not define mission alone, plane types are still random, as well as not mission-related flights.

---Starshoy on air density

Air density modifies these numbers indeed (transforms 6 to 9, 9 to 6, etc)
Player's group cannot exceed 9 planes. AI bombers typically cannot exceed 9 too, with a notable exception of heavy bombers, using 13,26,39 formations

---Starshoy on FW200

FW200 is a bomber in DGen.
I do not actually recommend to modify types, only numbers. You can get unpredictable results. Anyway.
0 - no enemy planes ( milk run )
only together with some type. 0F
Y - Player's flight
U - player's flight, airstart
Z - player's plane, rocket interceptor
N - player's plane, carrier based
...

F - fighter
fB - fighter bomber
dB - dive bomber
B - Bomber
hB - Heavy Bomber
T - Transport
P - Paratroop carrier
R - Recon
A - Attack
X - ???? where did you see it?
Bx - bombers in scramble mission type (airstart), escorted during day, unescorted at night.
Bz - escorted heavy bombers is box formation
By - unescorted heavy bombers is box formation

---Starshoy, same thread

I can't say for sure. May be not. There are specific map-dependent parts in the code. I did not try to make your life harder, but I did not plan US bombers to work on Russian maps either.
Then again, Siggi wrote that BoE is selling cheaper now, and I am under impression that with all his usual criticism even he considers it a solid product
Starshoy on rockets
RuBombTown is a mission played from Allied perspective. Z is your plane, so it cannot be in LW group. Then, it is in a second place, so it is an escort, which does not make sense - you do not escort with rocket interceptors .
Here is where you can see Z:
oDeKomet 10622:50509 VVS 26Bz LW 2Z

---Starshoy on fighter opposition

Actually you have a good chance not to encounter enemy when you are on ground attack mission. Personally I'd love to have the same for fighters, but in you are on a patrol mission and do not encounter enemy for one hour it probably would drive many players crazy. Still, here is how to do it.

ops files are named after year and difficulty level, for instance ops41-N.dat. They contain "planned" opposition, flights that are mandatory (random flights are added later).
Your group is normally described by a letter "Y"
(in BoE you have also "U" and "Z", in PF you will have "N", they all mean your own group):

oDeVerify 10622:50509 VVS 4F LW 2Y 4F

Means that if you are playing for Germans, then in some "Verify" mission you will have 4 VVS fighters, 2 planes in your group[ and 4 other friendly fighters.

In other it will be 2 vs 2

oDeVerify 10622:50509 VVS 2F LW 2Y
And if you are flying for VVS, then in some recon missions you won't see enemy at all:

oRuRecon 10622:50509 VVS 2Y LW 0F

And in some you will meet 6 German planes in 3 groups by 2:

oRuRecon 10622:50509 VVS 4Y 4F LW 2F 2F 2F

So what you want is to create (or increase) a number of mission variants where there is no enemy, so it's numbers are set as 0F:

oRuRecon 10622:50509 VVS 4Y 4F LW 0F
oDeRecon 10622:50509 VVS 0F LW 2Y

There may be up to 10 variants of every operation, one is selected randomly, so you can set probability as you want.

I could do it myself, but I think that most of people do not want to fly intercept missions where you simply cannot meet anybody, even if in reality most of missions were like that.

---Starshoy on basing

I don't know, I'll check in the sim at home, but from point of view of DGen at least it works. Moreover, even without classes files F4U1A are ground based in Guadal2 campaign. And here is my file, it also works:

classesUM1.dat.

------------------
P_51D5NT LIGHT
P_47D10 FIGHTER
P_47D22 LIGHT
P_47D27 LIGHT
F4F3 Wake BASE
F4F4 Wake BASE
F4U1A Guadal2 BASE

---Nimits on PTO codes

rY, // Your plane, no matter what
rU, // Your plane, air start
rN, // Your plane, carrier based
rZ, // Your plane, rocket interceptor
rBx, // Escorted bombers, en route
rnBx, // Same for Navy
rFf, // Skirmishers, start in the air
rnFf, // Same for Navy
rBy, // Unescorted fortresses bombers, en route
rBz, // Escorted fortresses bombers, en route
rF, // Fighter
rnF, // Navy Fighter
rA, // Attack plane
rB, // Bomber
rnB, // Navy Bomber
rhB, // Heavy Bomber
rdB, // Dive bomber
rfB, // fighter-bomber
raB, // any bomber, not player's
rT, // transport
rR, // recon
rP, // para
rH, // hydrorecon/rescue
rHr, // hydrorecon/rescue, mid range airstart
rBr, // bombers, mid range airstart
rnBr, // naval bombers, mid range airstart
rK, // kamikaze, ground start
rKr, // kamikaze, mid range airstart
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#1708228 - 08/18/05 08:30 PM Re: DGen Studies
Amagi Offline
Member

Registered: 03/10/05
---Starshoy on plane databases

These files are beta, use on your own risk. Plane database functionality is almost completely untested,
This DGen.exe supports not yet released new planes, but it is not likely to cause problems, because corresponding data files are not included.
In addition to new planes there are 3 changes:
- conf.ini now supports more historical rank and flight leading system for ETO, similar to one in Pacific. You will lead earlier and there won't be
a lot of senior officers in your squadron. To enable this feature, add to conf.ini a line
HistoricalRanks
- DGen section in conf.ini now accepts comments. Any line that starts with ; will be ignored. For example:
;CampaignDifficulty=Hard
- Default plane databases may be overwritten. If /DGen contains a file named after current operation, for instance StalingradPlanes.dat, it will be loaded.
If there is no such file, but there is theater specific file, EuroPlanes.dat or PacificPlanes.dat, it will be loaded. Otherwise default databases will be used.
I placed to /DGen folder of this beta prototypes of these two files. They wont'be active unless renamed from .txt to .dat!
I'd like to have some feedback to decide if it is safe to include this feature officially. What I need to check is:
...
1) That when custom database is not active, everything works as now
2) When theater wide system database is used, it indeed overwrites plane parameters
3) When there are custom databases related to different operations (like moving from Stalingrad to Kuban), the transition works OK.
The only safe modification is editing of speed, altitude and loadout parameters. Everything else, like removing or adding planes is dangerous and may not work at all.

---GregSM, same thread

Hi Starshoy,
“aSoft - to attack trains, artillery, depots...
aTank - against tanks
aShip - ships
aHeavy - bridges, etc.
I see that P_39D2 apparently does not have these configurations - probably because fo some omission. But you can add them manually and they should work - will be a nice test.”
Adding these entries manually doesn’t seem to cause trouble. I set the P-39 D2 to ALL in the classes file and generated a string of missions, with the M4 option for the fighter profile and the 500 pound bomb for the attack profile. It worked perfectly. (Strangely, the bomb still refuses to load for fighter missions. But practically it doesn’t matter, of course.)
I also included a FighterLR (assuming LR is “long-range”) option with the droptank load but didn’t generate enough missions to see if it was effective or not. Either way, it didn’t cause a crash.
If I may, two further questions:
I see where you’ve warned of removing or adding plane types, but as it seems okay at least to add mission profile entries, I wonder if it’s okay to remove them as well. This would be a way of further defining the relationship between plane and mission type. For instance, I’m looking for a way of constructing purely anti-shipping campaigns.
Also, as it’s possible to induce conflict between the old classes file and the new file(s), what takes precedence? I’m assuming it’s the former.
“I'll check static planes. I am sure I coded it for Pacific, need to check if I use it in older European code.”

---Starshoy, replying

Adding these entries manually doesn’t seem to cause trouble. I set the P-39 D2 to ALL in the classes file and generated a string of missions, with the M4 option for the fighter profile and the 500 pound bomb for the attack profile. It worked perfectly. (Strangely, the bomb still refuses to load for fighter missions. But practically it doesn’t matter, of course.)

You can add them to fighter configurations by modifying "Fighter" entry. aSoft, etc are used in attack missions.


I also included a FighterLR (assuming LR is “long-range”) option with the droptank load but didn’t generate enough missions to see if it was effective or not. Either way, it didn’t cause a crash.

In fighter missions it should work.

I see where you’ve warned of removing or adding plane types, but as it seems okay at least to add mission profile entries, I wonder if it’s okay to remove them as well. This would be a way of further defining the relationship between plane and mission type. For instance, I’m looking for a way of constructing purely anti-shipping campaigns.

Just leave only these operations in ops file.

Also, as it’s possible to induce conflict between the old classes file and the new file(s), what takes precedence? I’m assuming it’s the former.

They work differently. When you define classes you
decide what subset of operations existing in ops file is suitable for your plane. Only after that the plane database will decide which configuration is best for this mission type. By removing all configurations except antiship, but not limiting operations themselves, you may force this plane to fly with torpedoes on intercept missions.

Anyway, this _is_ dangerous

---Nimits on probabilities

Originally posted by akdavis:
As I said, I did not even touch the probabilities. Starshoy has not really done so with the original campaigns anyways, and assigning correct probabilities would be another large research undertaking.

Right, which is why I have gone ahead and done so (for the 1941-1943 campaigns so far).

Hawaii:
[Planes]
3 PBN1
6 B_17D
6 B_17E
4 P_40SUKAISVOLOCHB
1 P_40SUKAISVOLOCHC
18 SBD 3
135 D3A1
144 B5N2
108 A6M2_21

Wake:
[Planes]
2 F4F3
36 D3A1
36 B5N2
36 A6M2_21
32 G4M1_11

Coral Sea:
[Planes]
38 F4F3
71 SBD3
12 PBN1
43 D3A1
46 B5N2
46 A6M2_21
16 H8K2

Midway:
[Planes]
32 PBN1
2 B_17D
17 B_17E
18 F2A2
7 F4F3
81 F4F4
6 TBF1
109 SBD3
84 D3A1
93 B5N2
84 A6M2_21

Santa Cruz
[Planes]
72 F4F4
24 TBF1
65 SBD3
12 B_17E
8 B_17F
63 D3A1
57 B5N2
82 A6M2_21

Guadal1
[Planes]
102 F4F4
103 SBD3
42 TBF1
6 B_17E
10 PBN1
10 D3A1
32 G4M1_11
8 A6M2N
24 A6M2
16 D3A1

Guadal2
[Planes]
32 F4F4
27 SBD3
12 B_17E
8 B_17F
4 P_39D1
5 P_39D2
1 P_40E
4 TBF1
7 P_400
16 PBN1
9 D3A1
63 G4M1_11
4 A6M2N
50 A6M2
36 A6M3
5 KI_46_RECCE

Tarawa
[Planes]
72 F6F3
40 F4F4
91 SBD5
38 TBF1C
50 TBF1
1 A6M2N
40 G4M1_11

Added Some notes (per request).

TBD Devestator is omitted from Coral Sea and Midway (just can't bring myself to use the Avenger as a stand in). The correct numbers are 25 TBDs for Coral Sea, and 49 TBDs for Midway).

SBD5 stands in for the SB2Cs. The two planes do not resemble each other at all, but SBD5s continued in service with the fast carriers through 1944. For Tarawa, 36 of the SBD5s should be SB2Cs.

G4M1-11 and H8K2 stand in for the G3M and H6K. Historically, there should be no G4Ms at Wake or H8Ks at Wake or Coral Sea. It goes against my grain to sub planes in like this (especially the H8K, which did not enter service until 1942), but I feel it is unlikely we will see a G3M or H6K (though I am not giving up hope). Anyway, the H8K and G4M do marginally resemble the planes they are standing in for (unlike the TBF-TBD).

The single A6M2-N at Tarawa is another compromise that really goes against my grain. Historically, though I believe some A6M2-Ns were stationed in the Gilberts, the Japanese planes were evecuated or destroyed prior to the invasion, though at least one F6F pilot reported engagine and shooting down an F1M Pete on 18 Nov. over Tarawa. That A6M2-N, as the games only available seaplane fighter, serves as sort of a stand for the off chance that a couple of floatplanes survive the pre-invasion air strikes.

---Ian Boys on the Eastern Front

Originally by me for DGen etc, now maintained by Joerg Wiedemann: [url=http://]ETO database[/url]

---TonyEH on FW-200

Originally posted by MM1765:
I was wondering if the Fw-200 Condor is treated by Dgen as a heavy bomber. I mean, I want to know if in the case I modified some of the lines in the ops files ( by putting hB in some of the DeBomber lines ) and then put it in the [planes] section of the campaign dat files, if it would get generated as a heavy bomber and end up in missions??? Would be cool to either escort it as a German or try to kill it as a Bolshevik. It would not be very historical, but still fun.

As far as I know hB in the German missions will crash the DGen at the moment. I tried last night and my game crashed. I took the hB line out and the game ran again fine. I think the best the GErmans can hope for is just a B, not a hB.
Also maybe the FW200 can operate as a recon plane? If so try an R in the DGen database file

---Starshoy, replying

There is a problem with that, regretfully. I can assign Kondor different configurations, including transport one. What I cannot do though, is to make them map-dependent.
It means, that if Kondor has transport and bomber configuration it will be picked up as both if there are "B" and "T" in the ops. But we do not want Kondor to be a bomber in Stalingrad.
One trick that would work for this case only is to make it "T" and "hB" and not to use hB in ops. But it is essentially a hack, there must be better solution.

---Starshoy on changing class

As a player's plane? Yes. Just create for your A-20 career a class file (for instances classesUS1.dat) describing it as a fighter. See other classes files in DGen dir for examples
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#1708229 - 08/18/05 08:36 PM Re: DGen Studies
Amagi Offline
Member

Registered: 03/10/05
---Starshoy on logs

It "recycles" them . You have 3 logs. One mission typically causes 2 logs (Generation, Parsing), but I keep 3 just in case.
In situation where there is an error or any strange behaviour, if you exit and save the logs, it means that I can almost always reproduce the situation and find a problem. Of course, if your environment is the same and you did not modify anything manually. Then again, if it works on my side, it is also important information

---Starshoy on squadrons

Actually, all Hungarian squadrons except h01 are marked as Fighter squadrons. Also there was a check of squadron types when you start your campaign. It is obsolete, and I removed it from Murmansk/PF. Still, I think that keeping squadron specialisation is good - that is when you select a squadron for Stuka, you will look among dive bomber squadrons, then "all" squadrons.
So I don't know what is the best solution. First, I can send you Murmansk/PF DGen, so you will be able to check that h01 works for Stuka now. Second, if you have some data that any of existing Hungarian squadrons flew Stukas historically, I can change it's specialisation.
Lastly, and it is a long shot, if there is no such squadron in the game, but there was some Hungarian squadron doing it in real life, we can ask Oleg to add it.

---Starshoy, same thread

I cannot add squadrons myself, I can only use all those that are in the game. I am pretty sure at this stage Oleg won't be adding anything either - but it may be different in some patch.

---Starshoy on databases

Condensed.DB

An automatically created temporary file if you use non-default campaign length.

Stalingrad2.DB

Counteroffensive. Since it goes very different way (unlike, say, Moscow counteroffensive), keysites are captured in a different sequence, so it requires a separate .DB file.

Stalingrad2 also uses different templates, although it was not critical - Stalingrad2Red.mis.

BalatonAF.mis and BalatonBridges.mis (there are already a BalatonBlue.mis and BalatonRed.mis)

Not used. Temporary files. Should not even be there
..

Ladoga.mis, LadogaSummer.mis and LadogaWinter.mis

In two cases I used special templates describing some area, or several alternative areas, which are overimposed over main template only in some circumstances. One is Leningrad's "Road of Life" and summer Ladoga traffic, another is D-Day for BoE.

---Starshoy on briefings

Change your writing style or rewrite all texts so they will match
Really, the texts must be adapted to the way they are composed, nothing can be done here. How they are composed is explained in the beginning of the text files. Essentially, there are two parts - a description of the situation and your task.
PF texts are synthesized different, more flexible way - but you still need to follow briefing structure.

---Starshoy on paint schemes

1)Do the Slovak skins work in a different way?

No, I definitely did not make anything special.
Send me the modified files if you want. If it is some weird bug, there is still time to fix it before patch.

2)Does the squadron skin format support summer and winter skins, too (## planetype summer.bmp winter.bmp)?

Yes

3)Is it possible to use the squadron skin format several times for the same squadron but different plane types? Like this:

Eskadrila54 He_111H2
skin:example1.bmp

Eskadrila54 Bf_109F2
skin:example2.bmp

Yes. It should work this way - I am first looking for a plane matching some requirements. Then I see if we have some squadrons in [Squadrons] section, flying this plane. If found, one of them will be picked randomly and a skin (if specificed) wil be used. If not found, then I am checking if a skin based on plane type (like it was before BoE/AEP) exists.

4)One thing not connected with skins. Does the AEP version of DGen support this new ranking system BOE has, too? I'm speaking of player positions depending on kills in his Rotte/Schwarm?

But nothing was changed in this area yet. I mean, it is not necessary anymore to be a Major for leading a group in dynamic campaigns since 1.21 (I asked for it), but algorithms themselves were not changed yet - you still are placed in the same position as before.

5)You surely remember the little mistake I found in the German locale of the message file concerning the ranks and their abbreviations. Did you check all nationalities? I found this bug in at least one other nationality (but did check German locale only), but can't remember which one, sorry (I'm not at home at the moment).

Yes, even old campaigns (Finnish, Hungarian) were changed this way in a German version. I fixed it in all files and sent it to Oleg.
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#1708230 - 08/18/05 08:49 PM Re: DGen Studies
Amagi Offline
Member

Registered: 03/10/05
These 'DGen studies' threads are all from SimHQ, perhaps others could post more, or threads from elsewhere.

Dgen still needs a readme, especially for the features introduced for the PTO and those that can be used since BoE. I haven't any personal experience with carrier operations or Western Front maps, so I can't help there.
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#1708231 - 08/21/05 03:34 PM Re: DGen Studies
Gamekeeper Offline
Member

Registered: 10/02/04
Loc: UK
Amagi, this is a great start in getting DGEN info into one place. I would like to help you take it further by offering you space in the IL2 Online manual The manual can be easily edited by members of the community enabling the creation of an effective guide that is always up to date.

If you are interested taking this further I can get a DGEN section started, please let me know.
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#1708232 - 08/21/05 07:17 PM Re: DGen Studies
rollnloop. Offline
Member

Registered: 06/24/04
Loc: France
Moderators, make it a sticky please ! (then delete my post)

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