A couple of questions

[johannesl]

I've had the Cowpens escort carrier download by David Needham around for a while and even installed it a few of times, but when I try to run the take-off or landing missions it always fails to load (can't find the model). Does anyone have this and got it working and did you need to change anything or should I just chuck it and forget about it?

The other question is I was going to install Talon's USMC Aces campaign and the instructions say that you need to add the Model, Panel, Sound folders and air file but it doesn't say where from, the stock aircraft, the donation ware?

Actually the reason I was looking at this package was because I wanted to see if the October 16, 1942 mission is there and is more historically accurate than the stock mission "Bauer's Mission" which is a nice shoot-um-up but not the way it really went down. The real story is the other planes had landed and Bauer was alone, low on fuel after a long flight from Espirito Santo, and went off after the attacking Vals, which were not attacking Henderson Field but a ship and barge carrying thousands of gallons of aviation fuel, and shot down 4 of them. Hence the Medal of Honor.

Post script, the ship was hit but survived, the barge was hit and went up in a nice big fire ball, but most of the fuel had already been off loaded.

[The B24 Guy]

Hi, johannesl

As for the escort carrier I have no idea.
For the USMC Aces campaign Talon want's you to DL the FDG Donationware F4F Wildcats and the FDG SBD5 Daubtless.
Then place his replacement AC files in the Folders.


Hope this helps,

B24Guy

[johannesl]

Thanks for the info on USMC Aces.

[UncleTgt]

Easykill's Independence class CVL's are here at the SOH. They have the Windows XP model fix so they don't CTD in the sim. Mission Builder friendly.


Easykills CVLs 1945
http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforum...tid=42&id=6302
Easykills CVLs 1944
http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforum...tid=42&id=6300
Easykills CVLs 1943
http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforum...tid=42&id=6301

[The B24 Guy]

Hi Johannesl,

Thinking about it some more what you need to do is place the AC folders that Talon included into your CFS2 Aircraft folder.
Then copy the Model, Sound, and Panel folders from the FDG Wildcat and Dauntless into all the AC folders Talon provided.
This will give you the 6 new Wildcats and a Dauntless for use in the missions.
Talon also provided new DP files for the other add-on Aircraft that the missions require.
Just copy the new DP's into their proper AC fodders.

Hope this clears things up,
B24Guy

[johannesl]

When I got back to this last night it was too late to do anything else so I'll have to try installing the planes a little later today.

I'm guessing if I install the carriers I'll have to edit the mission files to use them in those missions.

[johannesl]

I think I found all the various files I need for the USMC Aces campaign but what a chore it was to find them. I think it's great that someone wants to take the time and effort to make these various missions but when you use others creations could you PLEASE be a little more descriptive in what, and maybe where, the file is named or located. Saying that you used Joe's plane or Bill's ship and it's located in the Library isn't much help. In this case Talon says you need "FDG Donationware F4F Wildcats", but that's not what the file name is and unless you know where it is located and under what name it isn't of much use. I stumbled on to it after following about a dozen forum links and even then I wasn't sure about it until I was able look into it and see what was inside. So, developers, please help us enjoy your work a little sooner by helping us find the add-ons sooner.

[Rami]

Johanessi,

Your comments are why I switched to making auto-installers a few years back.

[Captain Kurt]

I agree with you johannesl.

The problem for campaign and mission developers is three fold though.

One, many add on developers are - or were - very (overly?) protective of their works and won't allow them to be included in campaign packages.

Secondly, over time some of the developers have disappeared from gaming or worse have died, making it impossible to get permission to use their works in a package.

And third, when it isn't possible to get permission to include something because of the first two things mentioned, the campaign developer needs to tell the player where to get files. However, web sites go down, get hacked, or re-title, or rearrange their postings. So what is described in the campaign instructions where to obtain something needed for the campaign can become incorrect very quickly.

Talon tried to avoid the third issue above by just describing what files were required.

I, like Rami, prefer to make auto installers for my campaigns. But again because of permission requirements that is difficult to organize.

Hope that provides a little more perspective to the issues.

[Worthless]

Welcome to SOH Johanessi. I feel your pain. CFS2 comes easy to some, but most of us are condemned to stumble around. It's a challenge for me. Sometimes success, other times....... Oh well. It's like a puzzle. I've been bumping around into walls now for nearly eight years and it's still hard for me, but there are a lot of very clever folks out there and they know how to guide the rest of us towards success. And success can be a blast. So, get used to asking questions. I did?

[johannesl]

I'm aware that some sites go down and some people don't want anyone messing with their work and I've run across this problem with other add-ons in other sims as well. An example from this instance though is Usio's ships. I didn't realize that Usio's Legacy was where all those ships are now located so I followed the various forum links to the Geocities site where they aren't. If I had had the file name of the ship that was used say JMK_Kagero_V2a.zip instead of just Kagero a quick Google search points you right to where it is located. I understand that it is more work for the developer, but you've already spent a lot of time trying to make something enjoyable for others, so why would you want this part to be an unenjoyable hassle that could cause people to just say "for get it" and then your work goes to waste. Try to make this part easier and leave the hard part to beating the bad guy in the sim.