Two (probably dumb) questions!

[Threedp]

First, let me say I have no plane building/modifying skills beyond a handful of skins! So please pardon me if these are dumb questions.

1. With our now greatly improved searchlights, is it possible to relatively easily add them to Quick Combat when Night (and maybe even Dawn or Dusk) is selected?

2. Can a weapons loadout be relatively easily ported from one plane to another? I'd like to give the free B-29 we have the incendiary loadout from one of the Lancasters.

Failing the latter, it looks like Firepower is once again available. Does its B-29 have such a loadout? Is Firepower worth it in general?

[mongoose]

1. I don't know.

2 & 3. Depends if you know how to edit the xdp file. Easy if you know what you are doing. You can't dupkliocate the entire Lanc load but you can cut and paste the names for the Lanc load into another load. may have to play around with it Don't forget to delete the bdp file!

[sixstrings5859]

FirePower is definitely worth it. It has some great aircraft you just can't get anywhere else.

[Threedp]

So I bought Firepower but boy what a mess trying to install it to the Add-Ons. Anything I should know?

[sixstrings5859]

I loaded it to a separate standalone folder and manually installed files needed. Did not install effects .xml and modded the aircraft .xpd's on the Ho-225 and B-29 not to have nukes so i didn't have to use the effects .xml that comes with FirePower. This is how i got it to work in my ETO install. I have another install that has all the effects for FirePower and all the ETO 1% aircraft ,all in one. Hope this helps. Regards,Scott

[Threedp]

Okay, some success loading to a separate folder and installing manually, but what exactly are the "files needed"?

Perhaps more importantly, what files should I not copy in?

What's the issue with effects.xml and why de-nuke the Ho-225 and B-29?

I'd like to install the whole thing into ETO and the B-29 into PTO & Rising Sun.

[mongoose]

What do you want to install ino ETO exactly? Just aircraft or other stuff like effects files? Personally I would not mess too much with ETO install unless you make another one to add payware to. Somewhere there are ETO compatible FP aircraft done by Capt. Winters I believe.

[sixstrings5859]

I meant excluding the effects .xml . You do not want to fool around the effects file in the ETO install unless you want a separate install. So much has been done to the effects .xml you do not want to replace it in the ETO or PTO installs.As mongoose says there are some mods for the firepower aircraft to use in the ETO,PTO. Maybe someone can help as i've forgotten were i got them. I can look for them and email them to you if interested. You can install all the other files.

[Threedp]

Mongoose,

I'd like to get in primarily the B-29 and its weapons, with the B-17F a close second. I know Firepower did a bit of an overhaul of the basic game, but I'm guessing a lot of that has been superseded by ETO and such. Nevertheless, I'd like to get as many of the planes in as I can.

[Threedp]

Curiously, a straight cut and paste of the Lanc 'ARSON' loadout into either the freeware B-29 or the Firepower one seems to work perfectly except for one thing. The incendiaries do not 'burn' on hitting the ground. They seem to be behaving like regular bombs. I've experimented with the loadout incessantly to no effect. I expected challenges, but not this one!

[mongoose]

If you are using FP weapons, you will have to
a) check what effects the relevant xdps are asking for?
b) look for all those relevant effects in the FP effects file.
c) check if those effects are in the ETO effects file.
d) If not you could add the FP effects lines nut make sure you back up your ETO effects or make in effects_BU27Feb2019.xml


If the relevant effects are already in the ETO effects, then the issue may be elsewhere.

[Threedp]

I think I'm closing on on this! I've now noticed that the same loadout . . .

<Loadout Name="ARSON (14) SBCx15 Incendiary Bombs" MissionType="CAS,Strike">
<Hardpoint ID="0" PylonType="pylon_eto_sbc_15" Quantity="32767" PayloadType="TOW_gb_30lb_inc"/>
<Hardpoint ID="1" PylonType="pylon_eto_sbc_15" Quantity="32767" PayloadType="TOW_gb_30lb_inc"/>
<Hardpoint ID="2" PylonType="pylon_eto_sbc_15" Quantity="32767" PayloadType="TOW_gb_30lb_inc"/>
<Hardpoint ID="3" PylonType="pylon_eto_sbc_15" Quantity="32767" PayloadType="TOW_gb_30lb_inc"/>
<Hardpoint ID="4" PylonType="pylon_eto_sbc_15" Quantity="32767" PayloadType="TOW_gb_30lb_inc"/>
<Hardpoint ID="5" PylonType="pylon_eto_sbc_15" Quantity="32767" PayloadType="TOW_gb_30lb_inc"/>
<Hardpoint ID="6" PylonType="pylon_eto_sbc_15" Quantity="32767" PayloadType="TOW_gb_30lb_inc"/>
<Hardpoint ID="7" PylonType="pylon_eto_sbc_15" Quantity="32767" PayloadType="TOW_gb_30lb_inc"/>
<Hardpoint ID="8" PylonType="pylon_eto_sbc_15" Quantity="32767" PayloadType="TOW_gb_30lb_inc"/>
<Hardpoint ID="9" PylonType="pylon_eto_sbc_15" Quantity="32767" PayloadType="TOW_gb_30lb_inc"/>
<Hardpoint ID="10" PylonType="pylon_eto_sbc_15" Quantity="32767" PayloadType="TOW_gb_30lb_inc"/>
<Hardpoint ID="11" PylonType="pylon_eto_sbc_15" Quantity="32767" PayloadType="TOW_gb_30lb_inc"/>
<Hardpoint ID="13" PylonType="pylon_eto_sbc_15" Quantity="32767" PayloadType="TOW_gb_30lb_inc"/>
<Hardpoint ID="14" PylonType="pylon_eto_sbc_15" Quantity="32767" PayloadType="TOW_gb_30lb_inc"/>
</Loadout>

. . . works differently even between ETO Lancasters. For those of 101 & 9 Sqns (and possibly others, I did not test them all), it works as intended with the incendiaries igniting on the ground (producing continuous fire and glow). By contrast, the 57 and 61 Sqn aircraft drop OK but there is no 'ignition' (no fire, no glow). Any ideas what might be causing this?

[Threedp]

Mea Culpa! Looking at the wrong aircraft in comparison. The ARSON loadout differs from Lanc to Lanc and that was the issue. B-29 now incendiary capable. Need to work out the details but main problem solved!