sander

Hi, Excellent work! This improves an already very good set of addons. The download file for the full version at the location mentioned in the announcement of 4.1.0 (http://swepack.game-host.org/files/SFP4.1.0.zip) did not contain the SFP_Visby.pbo. This causes an error message to appear at startup. Since I had downloaded a previous full version, I could add it to the folder, but this might be a problem for people who give SFP4 a first try with this version of the full download. Regards, Sander

Hi, Do you mean you wish to create existing patterns from scratch or create your own fictional ones? To create backgrounds for existing patterns one of the best sources is Henrik Clausen's camouflage site which has excellent pictures of various camouflage patterns from all over the world. The links page has several links to other good sites on the subject. Another useful page to get decent camouflage pattern backgrounds from is this site. In my experience it works best to trace the patterns in different layers for each colour, as reducing the number of colours using standard picture editing functions will often go wrong if the photo has creases or shadows. Personally I do not like using photographs directly as a source for textures, I prefer to eliminate the creases, cloth texture and other effects to create a layer with a plain camouflage pattern, then add other layers with crease patterns and texturing for better control over the end effect. Fictional patterns can be created in various ways, one can for example take existing patterns to get the basic distribution of blotches and then use the various filter options to change the shapes and colours or use a layer of a single colour, add noise and then use filter options and reduction in number of colours to get an erratic pattern. Regards, Sander

Hi, Beats the Dutch is a mission by Willem incorporating the new Skirmish "simple command and control system" devised by Matthijs. This is een compact set of scripts and functions, which enables the player to command other squads in a relatively easy manner. Skirmish is still in a beta stage and any feedback is appreciated. This is an offensive mission on western Nogova by a reinforced company team commanded by the player. The player's HQ squad consist of 12 specialist soldiers and can call on a MB jeep, a Leopard tank and an YPR AIFV. An empty transport helicopter is available for aerial observation. In addition to his own headquarter's troop the player is capable of commanding fifteen squads, including a tank platoon (3 Leopards and 1 YPR for air cover), an YPR platoon (3 YPR's and a Leopard for AT duties), several dismounted infantry squads, support vehicle sections and a reconnaissance team in addition to a transport helicopter and an attack helicopter. The basic mission is not very hard and allows different approaches, either be slow and steady like Montgomery or fast and hardhitting like Patton. It does give the player a lot of work, coordinating your own squad as well as the other formations under your command with a well informed enemy to boot. Both sides use General Barron's infoscript for sharing information between units and an enemy reconnaissance plane will overfly the Dutch positions at the start of the mission, alerting enemy AI to your dispositions. To compensate for the work load there is no time pressure and a simple multiple 'save' option (radio, 0,0,1). Due to the vast number of units on the field, players may encounter lag, which can be reduced however by killing off large numbers of the enemy. This mission requires all current LLW addons as well as JAM3. The required NATO symbol pbo is included in the mission download file. LLW - Beats the Dutch LLW forum thread Lowlands Warrior download page JAM3 Regards, Sander

Hi, Willem has reworked a number of his earlier missions and combined them in a new Mission Pack 1 All missions in this pack are playable in both SP and MP mode. Each mission has separate readme files specifying which addons are required for play. In addition to the full range of Lowlands Warrior addons, available at the downloads page, other addons may be required which can be found on www.ofp.info. Check out also the Missions Depot on the Lowlands Warrior forum where our resident mission makers Willem and Sandvoss regularly post their work. Regards, Sander

Hi, The infantry Gruppe (group, squad) of the early war years had a paper strength of ten men, consisting of an NCO squad leader, a deputy, a machinegun team of three soldiers (firer, assistant and ammunition bearer) and five riflemen. In the later war years the paper strength was reduced to nine infantrymen. Armoured infantry or Panzergrenadiere had eleven men to a Gruppe, of which two manned the infantry vehicle (supposedly a half track, though trucks were regularly stop gap substitutes) as driver and gunner. The nine dismounts would consist of the squad leader, two machinegun teams of each two soldiers, and four riflemen. Actual strength would often vary from the paper establishment strength for various reasons (e.g. combat losses, detachment to other duties, leave), also the normal establishment of weaponry could vary, with infantry units acquiring extra machineguns above their normal alloted number. An infantry Zug (platoon) consisted of a command element of six men including one junior officer and in the early years four squads (Gruppen) and a three man light mortar section, and in the later years three squads. Shortage of junior officers led to platoons in many cases being commanded by acting NCO's/warrant officers. Three platoons formed a company, with an additional company headquarters and some company level support sections (AT teams, radio communication team etc). Regards, Sander

This is exactly what is needed for a Mboto Gorge mission (Blackadder goes forth - Goodbyeee). Thank you! Regards, Sander

Hi, My vote goes to the LLW YPR-765. It is a flimsy and vulnerable vehicle but can deliver a powerful blow. This makes stalking other armoured vehicles a dangerous, yet satisfying business. In addition the AI will use the vehicle's weapons and fire modes in a believable way. Other armoured vehicles I like a lot are the Operation Frenchpoint VBL with .50 turret and the BWMOD Leopard1A5. The BIS BMP is my favourite original OFP vehicle: it offers guided AT missiles, a machinegun and a main gun whose rounds drop sufficiently to be able to fire from behind cover at non line of sight targets. Regards, Sander

Hi, The kmmlmb.pbo is the addon containing the airmobile troops in NL DPM camouflage. You need to download and install the LLW component: Airmobile Brigade (Luchtmobiele Brigade). This is available on the Download pages, it can be found on the second page if using the default method of ordering contents. Regards, Sander

Hi, Here are some other reasons to go Dutch in OFP. Sandvoss has released another mission pack on our forum. Besides the Lowlands Warrior addons, third party addons are needed for some missions (a.o. Freya Island, Trinity, Edge Resistance troops). Regards, Sander

Can you specify under which conditions this behaviour occurs? Over the past months the addon has been tested in a wide variety of settings and no similar behaviour has been observed. The smoke is defined to be popped just once for the left and right bank of launchers. So in order to recreate the problem and search for a possible solution additional information is needed * what addons are used * what is the skill setting of the vehicle and its crew * what is the level of damage incurred by the vehicle * what is the opposition the vehicle faces (type, number, skill, distance) Regards, Sander

Hi, Not all (required) addons are saved automatically when using the mission editor. A bug report for an addon released last year helped me track down this undocumented feature. A mission.sqm file needs to be checked manually and adjusted where necessary when CfgPatches contains a requiredAddons entry. Regards, Sander

Hi, Thanks for the update! A note to mission makers, if there is an addon listed in the requiredAddons in the CfgPatches in the config cpp of an addon, this addon must be specified in the mission.sqm under both the headings addOns and addOnsAuto. Otherwise a Cannot load, missing addons <insert name of addon here> error message is produced on start of the mission. Such an entry is not automatically produced when saving the mission in the mission editor, but must be manually added in the mission.sqm file using a text editing program. Example: <table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td>Code Sample </td></tr><tr><td id="CODE"> addOns[]= { "custom_head_texture", "bis_resistance", }; addOnsAuto[]= { "custom_head_texture", "bis_resistance", }; Regards, Sander

Hi, A WIP shot is available on the LLW forum. It is not dead yet, it had to take a backseat due to RL intervening. Regards, Sander

Hi, To complete the information provided in the readme: the LLWDAF addon requires all the Lowlands Warrior weapon addons: LLW component (weapon): Diemaco assault rifles v2.1 LLW component (weapon): AT4 light anti-tank weapon v1.2 LLW component (weapon): FN MAG/58 squad support weapon v2.1 LLW component (weapon): FN Minimi Para These are available at: Lowlands Warrior download page Regards, Sander

100% chance

Hi, A French explanation of the acronym would seem likely. My guess is: FIA = Forces de l'Interieur Alliés Cf the FFI in WW2, but terming them allied since they are active on all islands of the Malden island group, even those belonging to distinct entities. The French place names in on Malden and Everon with a population carrying Slav personal names could perhaps be explained by making a comparison to the various foreign soldiers, artisans and others settled in the Russian empire by Czar Peter the Great, which also left their marks on various areas. Regards, Sander

Hi, A usefool tool in determining the points where lines should match up between different faces is by using chequered patterns for textures (aka clownoflage textures). The squares should be sized depending on the pattern and they can be numbered or colour coded for easier determination. Rotate the object in bulldozer and make notes where the textures line up, then adapt your camouflage textures using the chequered texture layer for reference. This does not eliminate the trial and error process completely, but should certainly save some time. To use features on vehicle models for determing where the camouflage should match up one can also use the schemes provided by the Panzerbaer website. Regards, Sander

Hi, Thanks for posting the config, I'll try to change values to make AI fire at the ship, no guarantee of any success though. Regards, Sander

Hi, OFP offers the possibility of the first person perspective, which Rome Total War does not. Therefore I think an OFP Roman mod could have some attraction over simply playing RTW. I for one would like it very much to act as a caput contubernii in OFP or ARMA (appropriate abbreviation, Latin for weapons) someday. Regards, Sander

Hi, About the influence of the cost of a unit (soldier, vehicle, object etc), I am not sure whether this is a significant factor in AI behaviour when it comes to decide to fire at a target or not. It appears that the cost determines the AI targeting priority, the sequence in which they will engage different enemy targets. Higher cost infantry units at least draw more AI fire than lower cost units, BIS officers and machinegunners for instance are prioritised by AI over riflemen. The decision to fire or not appears to be more closely related primarily to the hit/indirect hit values of the ammunition and the armour value of the target. Increasing the damage done by a projectile or decreasing the armour value of a target can result in an AI unit opening fire. Accuracy appears just to be related to AI ability to distinguish a target with precision (distinguishing it first as the generic vehicle, than more specific as a tank and finally as an Abrams for instance). Could you perhaps post the config cpp entries for the armour of the target vessel and the hit/indirect hit damage values of the weapon used to target the vessel? Regards, Sander BTW Your B52 addon is a lot of fun, good job!

Hi, The cost of the ammunition type is one of the factors determining whether the AI will fire or not, expensive (higher cost) munition is not expended as eagerly as low cost ammunition. In addition, there is a relation between the effectiveness (damage done by hit and indirect hit) of the ammunition type and the armour values of the target. If the ammunition does not do enough damage on a target, the AI will not use it to engage a target. Regards, Sander

Hi, Oval shields of varying types (flat, dished, curved) were in widespread use by the Roman armed forces. While use of oval shields by auxiliary forces (both foot and horse) is generally better known, legionary units are depicted with oval shields as well, like for instance Castricius Victor of the legio II Adiutrix. A Roman version of Operation Flashpoint would be wonderful. Keep up the good work. Regards, Sander

Hi, There is no doubt that modding will be continued for Armed Assault. There need to be Dutch forces in it as soon as possible. On the other hand, modding for OFP will not entirely come to a halt, I think. For one, it is my opinion that making addons for Armed Assault will likely take more time, due to increasing complexity in both modelling and texturing. As spare time is limited, the lower requirement in hours to be expended to get something useful in game for OFP would mean that this is an attractive option for those with not too much free time on their hands. After all, the time lost on modelling, texturing, configging and what not is subtracted from that available to play OFP and Armed Assault. Regards, Sander

Hi, Another tip for converting textures to .PAA or .PAC format besides varying contrast and saturation is to reduce the number of colours of the rignal to a maximum of 256 beforehand. In my experience this reduces, though not necessarily completely prevents, the bleeding of colours. Regards, Sander

Hi, One of the manners in which to simulate a shield is to increase the armour value attached to the arm selection in the config cpp. The trouble is though that the swordarm gets the same level of protection. Perhaps one of the config cpp guru's can explain whether armour protection for arms cna be differentiated between left and right. Regards, Sander