USS Essex CV-9 campaign released by Shadow Wolf 07!

[Shadow Wolf 07]

Visiting Wake Is.

[Shadow Wolf 07]

I request that all of you hold off on downloading the campaign for a few days while I substitute the VN Fletcher Class destroyer with Stuart277's newer USN_Fletcher_1943/44/45_LOD ships.

Thanks for your patience:

SW07

[Shadow Wolf 07]

I have replaced the VN Fletcher Class in all missions in the campaign with Stuart277's new USN Fletcher 1943/44/45 and uploaded the amended files. Thank you Stuart277!

For those who have already downloaded and installed the Campaign, simply download and install Stuart277' ships. You will need only the USN_Fletcher_1943_LOD, USN_Fletcher_1944_LOD and the USN_Fletcher_1945_LOD if your CFS2 SHIPS folder is near full. You can delete the VN_FLETCHER_CLASS if you wish. Then, download the amended Essex Campaign and copy the contents of the Campaign folder and the Missions folder and paste them into your CFS2 CAMPAIGNS and MISSIONS folders respectively and fly on.

Cheers:

SW07

[highpockets]

Shadow Wolf 07
Curious if you made any changes to the panel in the TBF as suggested by Captain Kurt or No Dice before I begin to D/L and install.
Thanks

[Shadow Wolf 07]

Shadow Wolf 07
Curious if you made any changes to the panel in the TBF as suggested by Captain Kurt or No Dice before I begin to D/L and install.
Thanks

I ended up using the panel that No Dice recommended.

[highpockets]

Thanks
Can't wait to get going!
Stormy here in the Houston area. If my internet stays up, on it goes!

[Shadow Wolf 07]

Thanks
Can't wait to get going!
Stormy here in the Houston area. If my internet stays up, on it goes!

Have fun my man!

[highpockets]

Do I install both Cimmarron class oilers in Maxstuka's ship improvements?

[highpockets]

Also need instructions on how and where to install Wolfi's US pilot items.

[Shadow Wolf 07]

Just install 1, the Cimarron Class Oiler, not the Cimarron Class Oiler Supplying.

[highpockets]

Thanks
That's the one i assumed.

I apologize for the wolfi pilot question. I went back and reread you instructions and it was there.

[Shadow Wolf 07]

Thanks
That's the one i assumed.

I apologize for the wolfi pilot question. I went back and reread you instructions and it was there.

Glad you found it. It took me a few to figure it out and I put it in the instructions to save others the trouble. Don't be ashamed.

[bearcat241]

Shadow Wolf, in setting up this package i see that you settled with the default VF-12 markings for the FDG2 Hellcat instead of going with historical markings of VF-15, which was the fighter group aboard the Essex during your campaign period. VF-12 served aboard the USS Saratoga and USS Randolph during the war with no record of being attached to the Essex. I'm sure you've already done the research in putting this together with good reason to go with the VF-12 skin, so before i make any changes to the Hellcat, i thought i would check with you to verify my findings.

[Shadow Wolf 07]

Thank you Bearcat241 for downloading.

No, I as a general rule don't bother with hunting for the historical skins in my campaigns. You are right though. Perhaps I could have given the correct textures as optional downloads for it, but I honestly just didn't think of it and settled for the default markings. The same goes for the textures for the F6F-5, SBD, TBF and the SB2C. I left it to the players to find and use them. (I'm too lazy and my poor eyes see only silhouettes anyway).

Please feel free to make and even post the links to any changes you like! And thank you for your attention to detail.

[bearcat241]

I haven't gotten too involved with the bombers yet, just the Hellcat so far. The best representation i've found for this model are the top gun David McCampbell VF-15 skins by RobH located here:

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforum...tid=57&id=6989

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforum...tid=57&id=6987

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforum...tid=57&id=6988

Ending the war as the Navy's top ace (34 credited victories, two MOH citations, two "ace in a day" sorties), he was Commander, Carrier Air Group (CAG) 15 aboard the Essex during the period of your campaign tour.

Obviously, i prefer flying McCampbell's skins, but for squadron AI these can be easily retouched to create generic VF-15 skins without McCampbell's "personal touches".

Off to finish the others and get down to business...

[Shadow Wolf 07]

Thank you sir and happy flying...

[Shadow Wolf 07]

After a 2 week break I'm flying again.

I met my bombing/rocketing goals. A few enemy fighters came up to oppose us and believe it or not, two of my flight wingmen shot down 2 of them! I lost one wingman to FLAK.

[Shadow Wolf 07]

After a short hiatus, I am back to flying again. It set me up with different missions this time (by design ). More screenshots to follow soon.

[bearcat241]

SW, i never really got into building campaigns from scratch, just a few missions here and there or modifying the camps of others to suit my taste. That said, i've been contemplating the idea of expanding your work to include the action of the sister squadrons VMF-124 and VMF-213 and their Air Group 4 which served on the Essex alongside VF-15 and their CVAG 15 from November 1944 to the war's end. Marine squadrons 124 and 213 paved the way for Corsair squadrons in USN Carrier ops as the first deployed shipboard in combat. It just makes sense to include them if possible in any existing Essex Navy camp or bust out a singular camp focused on their actions. In addition, there was also the top gun Navy Corsair squadron, VF-83, which came aboard the Essex a few months following the Marine squadrons and also put up an impressive record. This ship was one helluva fighting lady with outstanding pilots. Reading up on all these guys working from the same mother ship during the same period has been a very immersive experience for me lately. Thanks for bringing the topic of USS Essex's operations in WWII to my attention with this camp.

With regards to combining other squadrons into your existing, in looking closely at your cmg file, i noticed there are a number of "empty" nodes which point to other filled nodes for 'dynamic' outcomes i presume (having not read Cody's camp tute cover to cover yet even after all these years).

Example:

[node.101]
true_branch=102
false_branch=103
percent_true=67
filler=1

Compared to:

[node.102]
mission_name=essex_cl-guam-strike_1a3
true_branch=110
percent_true=100
filler=1

Could i theoretically fill the "empties" with missions customized with the Marine squadrons of Air Group 4 and CVAG 83 actors?

Feel free to jump in here also Cody...

P.S. I've already put together a quick assortment of customized Hellcat and Corsair skins from my own hand and other artists covering the proposed actors, to include VF-15, VF-83, VMF-124 and VMF-213.

[Shadow Wolf 07]

"Could i theoretically fill the "empties" with missions customized with the Marine squadrons of Air Group 4 and CVAG 83 actors?..."

Please feel free to do so.

[bearcat241]

So you're saying that technically the 'empties' are indeed open and can accommodate an inserted mission file? It won't foul up the works?

What does "percent_true=67" vs "percent_true=100" mean?

[Shadow Wolf 07]

So you're saying that technically the 'empties' are indeed open and can accommodate an inserted mission file? It won't foul up the works?

What does "percent_true=67" vs "percent_true=100" mean?

Oh man! You are asking me to be technical in the middle of the night? LOL!

The entries percent_true=67 means that 67% of the time option/node or mission X will be played, while option Y will be spun up as the mission 33% of the time. Thus, percent_true=50 means that half the time X will be played and half the time Y will be played. I most often had the player fly as a wingman only 33% of the time when a bomber mission is randomly selected.

As for "empties" I think they have to be there unless the sequence of all following node numbers are changed if a mission is added. Here, Cody can give you a definite answer. When I created the .cmg, I followed Cody'd guide and the layout of the stock campaign .cmgs. I am anything but an expert on that.

Let's see if he responds and what he says. I'm just happy the campaign, with 168 total missions loads without any errors (knock on wood).

SW

[bearcat241]

Thanks for the reply. One way or another, i'm driving on with the concept. Between your mission action and my intriguing research of the ship and her crew, this campaign so far is worth the wait. It takes me back to the movies and the Hellcat books i indulged as a kid that truly shaped my interest in the Pacific war. Good job pilot...

I'm even having thoughts of extending this thing past VJ Day and throwing in some Bearcats, or maybe just move up the operational debut to put them into the last several missions.

Thanks for everything.

[Shadow Wolf 07]

Cool! Keep us posted on the progress please.

[highpockets]

Shadow Wolf
What do I do with the files in the "transit" file. I placed them in the root "transit " folder and I still get the old cfs 2 video. Not sure what I am doing.