Subscriber Modifications

Battle of Britain "Wings of Victory"
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Boreas
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Posts: 500
Joined: 07 Jan 2007, 21:45

Re: Subscriber Modifications

Post by Boreas »

Hello marine and Trumper. I updated my hurricane and spitfire A and B camo scheme mod for the multi-skin with the following small additions: exhaust ejector detail for hurricane and spitfire
; darker spitfire nose cone and less blue hurricane nose cone; some darker hurricane red roundel centres.

Spitfire with no gun port covers: http://www.mediafire.com/file/iknl4piqi ... 5.zip/file
Spitfire with six gun port covers: http://www.mediafire.com/file/f2fxbtpjx ... 5.zip/file
Spitfire with eight gun port covers: http://www.mediafire.com/file/qliyy3phj ... 5.zip/file
Hurricane: http://www.mediafire.com/file/r50yl2l21 ... 0.zip/file

I made some small updates to my stock terrain texture mod so some of the colours are not as strong https://www.mediafire.com/file/za1yxijn ... A.zip/file. Maybe not be the best textures but I'm hoping to improve it.

I think these are from West Malling.
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33lima3
Senior Airman
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Joined: 11 Dec 2018, 14:48

Re: Subscriber Modifications

Post by 33lima3 »

Thanks - nice work!

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SimHQ Battle of Britain II screenshots thread: http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/4481941/1
CombatAce Mission Reports: https://combatace.com/forums/forum/307-mission-reports/

Boreas
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Posts: 500
Joined: 07 Jan 2007, 21:45

Re: Subscriber Modifications

Post by Boreas »

Cheers 33lima3. I made a new streams mod and some other small changes to the blendmap file which should look ok with my stock terrain mod. https://www.mediafire.com/file/797rjf3k ... 0.zip/file

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Boreas
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Joined: 07 Jan 2007, 21:45

Re: Subscriber Modifications

Post by Boreas »

I'm testing a new stock terrain mod and found what might be some better game menu graphics settings that I'd somehow not noticed before, maybe just me. I've always set horizon distance to max but this minimises the nice haze effect which seems a little broken in BoB2 as unfortunately ground objects can appear too clearly visible at range and floating in a thin mist. Setting the horizon distance to medium seems better as it's probably more realistic and the haze smooths the lower definition far off terrain. But it doesn't work well with ground objects unless the quality for these is set to Low or medium. I'm noticing a very small problem with trees at low level but it seems not to effect the fidelity of the buildings which pop in a bit closer although without any fog issues.

EDIT: Oh well, I now see that object quality effects the clouds so probably best to set it to maximum but with horizon distance at medium. Anyway the mist problem is not so bad unless horizon distance is set to low.
Last edited by Boreas on 07 Mar 2020, 19:56, edited 1 time in total.

Boreas
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Posts: 500
Joined: 07 Jan 2007, 21:45

Re: Subscriber Modifications

Post by Boreas »

My current stock terrain colour mod. https://www.mediafire.com/file/yae2wliq ... B.zip/file
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Mickvet
Senior Airman
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Joined: 04 Feb 2008, 17:46

Re: Subscriber Modifications

Post by Mickvet »

Looks very good. Should we continue to incorporate the 'streams mod' with this new one?

Boreas
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Joined: 07 Jan 2007, 21:45

Re: Subscriber Modifications

Post by Boreas »

Thanks, I hope it's a step forward Mickvet. The streams mod should look much the same with it but I'll probably make a download with all my mods so far maybe including a few such tweaks including the blendmap file which includes the streams. I revised my object quality settings in the post above.

Fred901
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Joined: 16 Dec 2018, 14:18

Re: Subscriber Modifications

Post by Fred901 »

Thank you Boreas for improving this magnificent simulator ! :D

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33lima3
Senior Airman
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Joined: 11 Dec 2018, 14:48

Re: Subscriber Modifications

Post by 33lima3 »

I'll second that - both the thanks to Boreas for his excellent work, and the 'magnificent simulator' rating. I've just realised from the combat reports over at SimHQ that I've been playing this solidly for over a year now (with some WotR interleaved, of late), and showing no signs of getting bored. I could wish for dynamic shadows, higher-polygon cockpit frames and details, and escorts responding to threats which get past the 'first responders', it's still one of the best combat flight sims you can play today and at what it does - the Battle of Britain - unsurpassed.

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SimHQ Battle of Britain II screenshots thread: http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/4481941/1
CombatAce Mission Reports: https://combatace.com/forums/forum/307-mission-reports/

Mickvet
Senior Airman
Posts: 109
Joined: 04 Feb 2008, 17:46

Re: Subscriber Modifications

Post by Mickvet »

Lima, how would the two simulations compare? To me, having kept up with most of your posts, the overall appearance of BoBII is still the more realistic-looking of the two. However, you've tinkered with both very much more deeply.

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33lima3
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Joined: 11 Dec 2018, 14:48

Re: Subscriber Modifications

Post by 33lima3 »

Re BoB2 and WotR, same subject but otherwise apples and oranges really.

As single player simulations of the Battle of Britain, both are streets ahead of CloD even in its Blitz Edition, which aims high but delivers unevenly in 'curate's egg fashion, and has poor SP content, especially as regards campaigns. As well as horrible antialiasing :) Might be the dog's you-know-what for multiplayer but if that's not your thing...not so good. Even if all else was hunky-dory. Which it's not.

BoB2 does the scale of the Battle and the historical detail of everything from accurate individual and unit markings to the placement and appearance of thousands of features. Heck, in my last campaign mission I came across the Ongar radio masts close to North Weald that 249's Tom Neil was shocked to see there when the squadron got transferred there from Boscombe Down in early September. Albeit the prominent Milwall Dock is missing in the Isle of Dogs. The scale of the raids and the feeling of the few against the many is all there. The dogfighting AI is great. The graphics are still pretty good. The dynamic campaign has some quirks but is basically gold standard stuff, if you don't mind itbeing accessed by a wargame interface which you can largely ignore if you don't appreciate it (and just lap up the superb ops room atmosphere, complete with WAAF footsteps!).

The main price paid is escort AI who in return for the numbers and not all swarming the first RAF interceptors that arrive, operate a rigid 'one attacking squadron, one defending squadron' response and ignore you if you go in alone. Also there's no dynamic shadows, and cockpit frames lack detail like the Hurri's 'knock out' panel and the Spit's canopy latch/handle. And a few other quirks, the big one being that 2.13 doesn't play well with Windows 10.

Still it's a classic and remains one of the best sims you can play now, and the best of the Battle, by most parameters.

All of this you will know!


What WotR does better is the higher-polygon models and the dynamic lighting, including cloud and ground shadows as well as aircraft shadows. Granted the Spit's Type B roundels are too small, there is limited 'multiskin' presence, the 109 3d model could use some tweaks, and the Hurri has a DH spinner but a Rotol prop. London looks fantastic, especially with partial clouds casting their shadows. Cockpits are a sight to behold.

WotR also has the very considerable benefit of a conventional, classic single player campaign, that isn't unrealistically dynamic to the point your squadron or pilot affects the Battle's result.

And of course it's fine with Win 10. My PC is slightly sub-spec re GPU and I can still get good FPS and lovely visuals (except for brief stutter in the [relatively-speaking] bigger merges - too many spent .303 cases raining down or something).

Engine and other sounds are very good. FMs I find a bit prone to adverse yaw but maybe that's realistic, or I tend to lose track of my AoA.

Scale of raids and escorts is still a bit small and much smaller than in BoB2, but is now just over the threshold for credibility, in my book. Wingman AI needs a bit of work - seems acceptable for RAF where the vics tended to split up more quickly but not so good for the Huns. R/T menu is primitive ('CFS3 plus') by BoB2 standards, but since update 1.19 includes the essential ability to get vectors to raids from the Controller. Ground detail is likewise relatively variable compared to BoB2 eg Dover has no port as such, Tilbury Docks is just inlets in open countryside, some airfields are authentic but many are a bit generic. Locos are Deutsches Reichsbahn minus tenders, not SR.

Anyhow, apples and oranges. My SimHQ WotR (and other) AARs - as I posted there a short time back - are intended to give readers an unvarnished and unembellished feeling of what it's like playing the sim, from which I hope it's apparent that while doubtful before 1.19, and speaking as a big fan of BoB2, I'm now very much liking playing WotR, the RAF campaign anyway.
SimHQ Battle of Britain II screenshots thread: http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/4481941/1
CombatAce Mission Reports: https://combatace.com/forums/forum/307-mission-reports/

Mickvet
Senior Airman
Posts: 109
Joined: 04 Feb 2008, 17:46

Re: Subscriber Modifications

Post by Mickvet »

Thanks for that. I interpret your detailed reviews as implying that the two simulations aren't really direct competitors but are offering two contrasting aspects of their subject, making it worthwhile to have both of them. My limitation is hardware, but in the event of a future upgrade, WoTR will become a candidate. Of course, it is not yet the finished article and will improve further.

rogeroger
Staff Sergeant
Posts: 271
Joined: 13 Aug 2016, 15:04

Re: Subscriber Modifications

Post by rogeroger »

This is a rework of the stock 2.13 terrain. I'Ve added a softglow hdr like filter which affects lighter colours, but apart from this the colours are the same as stock. I have however changed, swopped and edited some textures to achieve more of a balance between irregular, uncultivated and square/rectangular type fields to hopefully reduce the crazy paving effect at altitude that you get with too many irregularly shaped small fields.

TREES IN TANGMERE AREA

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GET IT HERE:https://www.mediafire.com/file/ybjjkg7j ... it.7z/file

Ive included tree objectadds files and an optional alternative tree image file for tr.pcx that goes to cockm16 folder. The tree image is not a photoreal tree image, but it does look quite nice from the air with it's highlighted colours.

Tree placements will be updated

Copy backup your landmap2,landscap folders and tr.pcx file in the cockm16 folder to a safe place.

Backup existing tree files from the objectadds folder, stock or martins trees ect.

Copy the three folders to bob2 main and tr.pcx folder to cockm16 folder, copy an replace.

If you don't like the 2d hedgerows, Ive included an optional blank Treeline.dds texture which is copied to the Maskmap folder. This will override the treeline.pcx texture removing the 2d hedgerows. Delete the dds file to restore the hedgerows.

There is also an alternate dover cliffs texture which goes to the IMAGEMAP folder.Backup the original before copying over.


Replace the lines at the bottom of the bdg.txt file with the follwing for best results.

# AutoGen stuff (experimental):
ENABLE_AUTO_GEN=ON
TEMP_AG_SN[15,3]=62

# AutoGen TreeLine stuff (experimental):

Boreas
Technical Sergeant
Posts: 500
Joined: 07 Jan 2007, 21:45

Re: Subscriber Modifications

Post by Boreas »

Looks good. I like that there is less crazy paving effect and more grassland in some coastal areas etc and the tree placements.

rogeroger
Staff Sergeant
Posts: 271
Joined: 13 Aug 2016, 15:04

Re: Subscriber Modifications

Post by rogeroger »

Thanks Boreas :)

The crazy paving effect has always put me off the stock terrain in the past, which was a shame because it looks pretty good at very low altitudes.

I'm currently adding trees to the Coltishall area.

Stay safe and keep well. :wink:

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