DIT-related questions

[sniperton]

Hi Lo, I'm working (slowly) on expanding DIT towards map and campaign editing. A little bit work in the FMB cannot be spared, but I'd like to automate the rest as far as possible.

 

1) I see that the ostcampaign file hasn't been updated since 2007. Does it play any role for DCG, or could/should I just neglect it?

 

2) I presume that the info in allcampaigns and grandcampain are basically the same as to content, with the difference that the first is only used when a new campaign is started, while the second is for advancing campaigns (and for prescribing campaign paths)? So when the user starts a new campaign, the scenario data is taken from allcampaigns, but the resulting path, depending on the outcome of the battle as specified in endcampaign, is taken from grandcampaign? I mean once a campaign is started (based on allcampaigns), all the rest of the data for further battles are taken from grandcampaign? Is this correct? 

 

3) As to locations, I read this in the messages file. Is this the full list? (Are there other location types hardcoded?) And what do they affect?

 

  _Airfield                                               : also for bigger planes

  _Airstrip                                               : for small planes only

  _Factory_District                                 : triggers level bomb attacks

  _Rail                                                    : rail waypoint, nothing special

  _Station                                               : rail waypoint, vehicles/armor can load/unload here

  _Camp                                                : ???

  _Bridge                                               : triggers bridge attack, destroyed bridges can delay advance of units

  _Depot                                                : ??? (triggers level bomb attacks?)

  _Sea                                                   : naval waypoint, nothing special

  _Ocean                                               : naval waypoint, nothing special

  _Bay                                                   : naval waypoint, anything special ???

  _Harbor                                              : naval units can spawn here (???)

  _Port                                                  : vehicles/armor can load/unload here

  _Beachhead                                      : landing point for ground units

  _Beach                                              : combat point for landed ground units

  _Dropzone                                         : triggers paradrop missions to occupy land

 

4) Am I right assuming that the spawn/respawn location is always the furthest away location disregarding the location type? What's the exact function of the RuHome/DeHome locations and the RuBase/DeBase locations?

 

Sorry for these dumb questions, but I think it's better to ask you even if you get shocked by the passing of time involved. Crimea.rls is from 2001 

 

Congrats and thanks, Peter

[idefix44]

You can add:

 

_Supply_Depot

_Ferry

_Seaplane_Base

[Lowengrin]

1.  Yes, the ostcampaign.dcg file is obsolete.  (I didn't even realize it was still part of the download.)

 

2. Once a campaign is started (based on allcampaigns), all the rest of the data for further battles are taken from grandcampaign, yes.

 

3. I have added _Strait to the list of hard coded names.  It acts like _Ocean (so nothing special)

 

Other notes on location names:

 

• "_Depot" is all you need to trigger this location type ("_Supply_Depot" was shortened to just "_Depot".  It and "_Camp" will spawn units.
• "_Beach" is actually the landing zone for invasions.  The corresponding "_Beachhead" just allows them to spawn correctly.
• Naval units can only spawn at the nearest water location to their "side" of the map.
• "_Port" can also be used by seaplanes.
• "_Station" are where tanks, etc. get dropped off, but technically they spawn at the corresponding location of the same root name.  For example, "Berlin_Station" has them spawn at "Berlin".  The same happens with them being dropped by ships at "_Harbors" and "_Ports".

 

Would you believe, I started DCG in 2001 as a proof of concept to show Oleg Maddox and the IL-2 team that they could make a fully dynamic campaign for their game.  I had no intentions at the time of actually doing it (for them for free).

[sniperton]

Yep, I think I fully understand your stance, enthusiasm is one thing, but constant development and product support is (normally) a job. Shame on the whole Il2 franchise that we still have to hack this abandonware to take out data which helps improving gaming experience for those few who are still interested in it. The modding scene is a little bit chaotic, but there are good quality mods with amazingly rich content, and most users prefer these community products despite their eventual flaws. So if your time allows (and as far as your time allows), please provide support as you have done in the past -- we do it for ourselves. And many thanks for the info 

[Pandacat]

Yeah, your work is appreciated.  I mean without DCG, the old campaign is almost unplayable.  Dgen mod is a good alternative, but not as automated as DCG and doesn't have as much dynamic aspects and customization you can have.  I wouldn't characterize IL2 franchise as being played by few though.  There are indeed quite many newer generation WWII combat sims such as DCS, Il2 BOS.  But none of them can match IL2 1946's breadth and playability. The only thing I would complain about IL2 1946 is the mod community is chaotic just as Sniperton alluded to.  So many different things going on at the same time.  I think the best organized sim so far is the F4 BMS.  There is one site, one voice, one mod and everybody else is contributing to it instead of carving out his own fiefdom. 

[sniperton]

http://www.mediafire.com/download/9uz3r234jj1dhhr/squadids.zip

 

Paul, I uploaded a squadid file based on, and made from, game data. It has all the squads available in 4.13 (appr. 4x more than DCG's current squadids). You may want to include it in the DCG package, or add to it as a reference for the user to copy/paste from, or simply use it for whatever you want... 

 

Special character encoding has been f..d up in 4.13, so some squad descriptions (it, ro, hu) do not display correctly.

 

(I also added a HSFX file in two versions, one as plain text with java-type unicodes as Il2 uses it, and an UTF-8 version.)

 

BTW, what the heck is a _Ferry type location? Is it an .rds type where ground units can be embarked to spawn on the other side of the water next turn (a sort of undestroyable tunnel bridge)?

[Lowengrin]

I'm surprised there's still a Falcon 4 community.  Doesn't that thing pre-date IL-2?

 

Sniperton, thanks for updating the squad id file.  I'll add it to the next download and credit it to you.

 

_Ferry location is a .rds type that magically turns a ground unit into a boat ("ferry") to get it across the water.  If the boat is destroyed, the ground unit is destroyed.

[sniperton]

Hi Lo, I feel lost and need some help again.

[Poland39] 
  Campaign=Western_Campaign
  Map=Lviv
  Date=10/09/1939
  Attacker=Blue
  Front=Yaroslav
  DeHome=Krosno_Factory_District
  RuHome=Lvov
  DeBase=Bzhozuv_Airfield
  RuBase=Shyretsz_Airfield
  Locale1=Dubetszko
  Locale2=Mihalovtsze
  Locale3=Mihalovtsze_Airfield

Here we've got Poland39 as ScenName and Lviv as MapName. I understand that MapName is primarily there to specify .rds/rls/srd file names.

It's still unclear to me, however, how MapName and ScenName relate to .mis file designations in the Masters folder.

 

Sometimes .mis file designations correspond to ScenName:

Only ScenName.mis: riga # RIGA41
Only ScenName.mis: kiev # KIEV41
Only ScenName.mis: finland # FINLAND39
Only ScenName.mis: net5summer # BRITAIN40
Only ScenName.mis: net5summer # FINLAND41
Only ScenName.mis: sandsoftime # TOBRUK41
Only ScenName.mis: normandy # NORMANDY41
Only ScenName.mis: normandy # NORMANDY42
Only ScenName.mis: sandsoftime # TOBRUK43
Only ScenName.mis: italy # ITALY43
Only ScenName.mis: normandy # FRANCE44
Only ScenName.mis: normandy # NORMANDY44
Only ScenName.mis: norway # NORWAY44
Only ScenName.mis: ardennes # ARDENNES44
Only ScenName.mis: nwgermany # WESTGERMANY45
Only ScenName.mis: marianas_online # GUAM
Only ScenName.mis: wake # WAKE41
Only ScenName.mis: wake # WAKECS
Only ScenName.mis: net8islands # PACIFIC42
Only ScenName.mis: net8islands # PACIFIC44

Sometimes .mis file designations correspond to MapName: 

Only MapName.mis: LVIV # lvov41
Only MapName.mis: SMOLENSK # barbarossa
Only MapName.mis: MOSCOW # typhoon
Only MapName.mis: MOSCOW # rzhev42
Only MapName.mis: SMOLENSK # bagration
Only MapName.mis: LVIV # lvov44
Only MapName.mis: FINSGULF # leningrad41
Only MapName.mis: FINSGULF # leningrad42
Only MapName.mis: FINSGULF # leningrad43
Only MapName.mis: FINSGULF # leningrad44
Only MapName.mis: CRIMEA41 # crimea42
Only MapName.mis: KUBAN # kuban42
Only MapName.mis: STGRAD # stalingrad
Only MapName.mis: KUBAN # kuban43
Only MapName.mis: KUBAN # kubanlate43
Only MapName.mis: CRIMEA # crimea44
Only MapName.mis: NET7ISLANDS # mediterranean41
Only MapName.mis: MURMANSK # murmansk41
Only MapName.mis: SINGAPORE # singapore2
Only MapName.mis: BURMA # burma42
Only MapName.mis: GUADAL # guadalcanal42
Only MapName.mis: GUADAL43 # guadalcanal43
Only MapName.mis: JAPAN1 # kyushu45
Only MapName.mis: MANCHURIA # manchuria45
Only MapName.mis: NETMOUNTAINS # mountain43

Sometimes MapName and ScenName are identical, so it's all the same:

Both MAP/SCEN.mis: KURSK # KURSK
Both MAP/SCEN.mis: CRIMEA41 # CRIMEA41
Both MAP/SCEN.mis: PROKHOROVKA # PROKHOROVKA
Both MAP/SCEN.mis: KIEV43 # KIEV43
Both MAP/SCEN.mis: BALATON # BALATON
Both MAP/SCEN.mis: MITAU # MITAU
Both MAP/SCEN.mis: MEMEL # MEMEL
Both MAP/SCEN.mis: KURLAND # KURLAND
Both MAP/SCEN.mis: FRANCE40 # FRANCE40
Both MAP/SCEN.mis: MARETHLINE43 # MARETHLINE43
Both MAP/SCEN.mis: BERLIN # BERLIN
Both MAP/SCEN.mis: HAWAII # HAWAII
Both MAP/SCEN.mis: GUADAL # TULAGI
Both MAP/SCEN.mis: CORALSEA # CORALSEA
Both MAP/SCEN.mis: MIDWAY # MIDWAY
Both MAP/SCEN.mis: TARAWA # TARAWA
Both MAP/SCEN.mis: MARIANAS # MARIANAS
Both MAP/SCEN.mis: PALAU # PALAU
Both MAP/SCEN.mis: IWO # IWO
Both MAP/SCEN.mis: CHICHI # CHICHI
Both MAP/SCEN.mis: OKINAWA # OKINAWA
Both MAP/SCEN.mis: WINTERTESTBED # WINTERTESTBED
Both MAP/SCEN.mis: SOLOMONS42 # SOLOMONS42

Sometimes they are different, but both have a corresponding .mis file:

Both MAP/SCEN.mis: LVIV # POLAND39
Both MAP/SCEN.mis: MURMANSK # MURMANSK42
Both MAP/SCEN.mis: BERLIN # GERMANY44
Both MAP/SCEN.mis: BALATON # HUNGARY44
Both MAP/SCEN.mis: GUADAL # TULAGI
Both MAP/SCEN.mis: NEWGUINEA # NEWGUINEA42
Both MAP/SCEN.mis: CORALSEA # SANTACRUZ
Both MAP/SCEN.mis: NEWGUINEA # NEWGUINEA43
Both MAP/SCEN.mis: JAPAN1 # KYUSHU44
Both MAP/SCEN.mis: NET2SUMMER # TESTBED

 

Which is to be given preference?

 

Thanks

 

Edit: Wait a bit with the squadid file, I received some updates from Moezilla (4.13.1 => 4.13.2), but it takes some time until I can get to them. I still don't have 4.13.2 installed   

[Lowengrin]

Okay, waiting on the squadid file. 

 

Meanwhile, I'll try to answer your question(s) on the maps and naming convention....

 

Here we have Lvov41 and Poland38 from the allcampaigns.  They both share the same map (Lviv) and .rds and .rls files.  So no problem.  Nothing further is needed.

[Lvov41] 
  Campaign=Grand_Campaign
  Map=Lviv
  Date=21/06/1941
  BugOutRadius=15
  Attacker=Blue
  Front=Yaroslav
  DeHome=Krosno_Factory_District
  RuHome=Lvov
  DeBase=Bzhozuv_Airfield
  RuBase=Shyretsz_Airfield
  Locale1=Dubetszko
  Locale2=Mihalovtsze 
  Locale3=Mihalovtsze_Airfield
  Locale4=Uzhgorod
  Locale5=Uzhgorod_Airfield
  Locale6=Chinadievo
  Locale7=Perechin

[Poland39]
  Campaign=Western_Campaign
  Map=Lviv
  Date=10/09/1939
  Attacker=Blue
  Front=Yaroslav
  DeHome=Krosno_Factory_District
  RuHome=Lvov
  DeBase=Bzhozuv_Airfield
  RuBase=Shyretsz_Airfield
  Locale1=Dubetszko
  Locale2=Mihalovtsze
  Locale3=Mihalovtsze_Airfield

Then we have Riga41 and Mitau.  They both use the same IL-2 map (Kurland) but I wanted the road networks to behave differently so I need to tell DCG to use Riga for Riga41's roads and rails and Mitau for Mitau's roads and rails.  Not only that, but I wanted one to align West/East and one to align North/South.  So the allcampaigns looks like this:

[Riga41] 
  Campaign=Grand_Campaign
  Map=Riga
  Date=21/06/1941
  Attacker=Blue
  Front=Tilsit_Bridge346
  DeHome=Memel
  RuHome=Riga_Bridge399
  DeBase=Memel_Airfield
  RuBase=Riga_Airfield
  Locale1=Memel_Factory_District
  Locale2=Saugos_Bridge123
  Locale3=Gross-Skaisgiren_Airstrip
  Locale4=Tilsit_Airfield
  Locale5=Kuckerneese_Bridge116
  Locale6=Cranz
  Locale7=Cranz_Airfield

[Mitau]
  Campaign=Kurland_Campaign
  Map=Mitau
  Date=01/08/1944
  Attacker=Red
  Front=Gataucial_Bridge
  DeHome=Riga
  RuHome=Radvilkis
  DeBase=Fraunburg_Airstrip
  RuBase=Kauen_Airfield
  Locale1=Kauen_Airstrip
  Locale2=Schaulen_Airstrip
  Locale3=Seduva_Bridge
  Locale4=Schaulen

But I need to have more info so I created the maps.dcg file to house the additional info.  See below.

[Riga]               
  Load=Kurland/load.ini                  
  MapAxis=West        
  AlliedID=14      
  AxisID=8     
  Description=Kurland
[Mitau]               
  Load=Kurland/load.ini                  
  MapAxis=North        
  AlliedID=14      
  AxisID=8     
  Description=Kurland

Hopefully this explains why some are set up one way and others not. 

[sniperton]

Thanks, the rail and road file assignment logic seems to me clear (via MapName + additional info from the Maps file); what perplexed me was the logic behind how you named .mis files.

 

We have four sets:

a) only ScenName.mis is available;

only MapName.mis is available;

c) MapName=ScenName;

d) both a MapName.mis and a ScenName.mis are available;

 

I guess DCG always loads the ScenName.mis file if available; if no ScenName.mis is available, a MapName.mis is loaded instead. Is this correct? 

[Lowengrin]

I guess DCG always loads the ScenName.mis file if available; if no ScenName.mis is available, a MapName.mis is loaded instead. Is this correct? 

 

Yes, that's correct.

[sniperton]

Hi, Lo, here are the new files: http://www.mediafire.com/download/wie7p38l65fpv3q/basefiles_4132.zip

 

Three sidenotes:

 

1. There's one file with the 'original' java unicodes, and another one with UTF encoding. Possibly you should re-encode this latter to make it fully DCG-compatible.

 

2. I took the game data 'as is', but you may want to change

g01                     <none>

(and the likes) to

g01                     Luftwaffe

3. The new squadids file is basically untested, so be careful with it. Perhaps it would be better to add it to the DCG package only as an alternative. 

 

And another question regarding location names: I understand that _Bridge locations are followed by the bridge object ID (###), but I see that there are _Ocean# and _Ocean_# locations as well.  Does it mean that also other location type patterns can be midstring, or the rest are only recognized when in a terminal position?

[Lowengrin]

_Ocean_# are purely to differentiate between different locations and serve no function. 

 

As for the squadid file, as I'm currently posting betas of DCG, I can add it for 'testing' purposes.  Hopefully any kinks will be worked out before I post an "official" build.

 

Thanks!

[JG7_X_Man]

Paul - This Squadid file, will it be 4.13 compliant?

[JG7_X_Man]

sniperton - so DIT could extract the bridge# from maps? Oh snap! 

[sniperton]

The next release (in two weeks ) will only be able to change stock DCG location names and types (and to display them on a map, and to convert them into a .mis file so that you can re-edit routes in the FMB).

 

In the next-next release I plan to enable you to insert a waypoint location wherever you want (on pre-defined routes). So if you have this:

[Szombathely_Station to Vasvar_Station]
  63700.00 118100.00 20.00 0 41 5.555555820465088
  64100.00 117700.00 20.00
  64300.00 117700.00 20.00
  64500.00 117500.00 20.00
  64300.00 117300.00 20.00
  64300.00 116700.00 20.00
  64500.00 116500.00 20.00
  64900.00 116500.00 20.00
  65100.00 116300.00 20.00
X 65100.00 116100.00 -538.00
X 65100.00 115700.00 -538.00
  65100.00 115500.00 20.00
  65700.00 114900.00 20.00
  65700.00 114700.00 20.00
  66100.00 114300.00 20.00
  66100.00 113900.00 20.00
  67100.00 112900.00 20.00
  67100.00 112300.00 20.00
  68500.00 110900.00 20.00
  68500.00 110100.00 20.00
  69900.00 108700.00 20.00
  69900.00 108300.00 20.00
X 69900.00 108100.00 -788.00
X 69900.00 107700.00 -788.00
  69900.00 107500.00 20.00
  71500.00 105900.00 20.00
  71500.00 105300.00 20.00
  72300.00 104500.00 20.00
  72300.00 103500.00 20.00
  72500.00 103300.00 20.00
X 72700.00 103100.00 -759.00
X 73100.00 102700.00 -759.00
  73300.00 102500.00 20.00
  73300.00 102100.00 20.00
  73500.00 101900.00 20.00
X 73700.00 101700.00 -758.00
X 74100.00 101300.00 -758.00
  74300.00 101100.00 20.00
  74500.00 101100.00 20.00
  74700.00 101300.00 20.00
  74900.00 101300.00 20.00

you can insert any location at any waypoint. This includes bridges (marked with X), of course. It takes some time to get there, though.

 

Edit: the .mis file has the bridge object ID, so it's no magic to extract it from there. E.g. -758.00 is for bridge #757, -538.00 is for bridge #537, etc.

[Lowengrin]

Paul - This Squadid file, will it be 4.13 compliant?

 

sniperton?

[sniperton]

The squadids file I uploaded (as in #12) has been converted from the 4.13.2 regShort.properties. It has all the squadrons that 4.13.2 has.

[sniperton]

Some more questions if you don't mind:

 [Solomons42]
  Load=Solomons/load_0842.ini
  MapAxis=North       
  AlliedID=0      
  AxisID=11     
  Description=Eastern Solomon Islands
  1XCoordinate=AA
  MinXCoordinate=-20
  MinYCoordinate=-13

I understand that for the Solomons42 scenario/battle the solomons August 1942 map is loaded (with the waypoint routes taken from solomons42.rds), whereas axis (Japan) is situated to the north.

 

1) For other scenarios (not included in the maps.dcg file), are MapAxis, AlliedID, and AxisID hardcoded? If so, do the values I specify here override them?

2) Description: does it make any difference for the working of DCG, or is this only a display value?

3) What do we need the last 3 entries for? 

 

[Midway]
  Campaign=Pacific_Campaign
  Sunk=CV 100%
  Victor=Red
[Midway]
  Campaign=Pacific_Campaign
  Sunk=USSCVGeneric 100%
  Victor=Blue

1) Is this correct that Midway exclusively as part of a Pacific_Campaign has these victory conditions? I mean if I create an Any_Campaign with the Midway scenario included, should I also create separate victory condition entries for the Midway scenario as part of Any_Campaign? 

2) What are the victory conditions by default (when no victory conditions are specified)? 90% of ground locations occupied or something like that?

3) Does Sunk=CV 100% mean that the destruction of any ships owned by the blue side and falling under the CV category in shipnames (IJNAkagiCV, IJNShokakuCV, IJNZuikakuCV, IJNCVGeneric) will trigger a red victory? Does it also work with DD, BB, etc?

 

Thank you for your time

 

[Lowengrin]

1) For other scenarios (not included in the maps.dcg file), are MapAxis, AlliedID, and AxisID hardcoded? If so, do the values I specify here override them?  Yes, you an override them here.

2) Description: does it make any difference for the working of DCG, or is this only a display value?  It's only a display value.

3) What do we need the last 3 entries for?  For non-standard girded maps, they make the right grid coordinates show in mission text.

 

1) Is this correct that Midway exclusively as part of a Pacific_Campaign has these victory conditions? I mean if I create an Any_Campaign with the Midway scenario included, should I also create separate victory condition entries for the Midway scenario as part of Any_Campaign?  Yes.

2) What are the victory conditions by default (when no victory conditions are specified)? 90% of ground locations occupied or something like that?  Capture of either the base or airfield location listed in the campaign file.

3) Does Sunk=CV 100% mean that the destruction of any ships owned by the blue side and falling under the CV category in shipnames (IJNAkagiCV, IJNShokakuCV, IJNZuikakuCV, IJNCVGeneric) will trigger a red victory? Does it also work with DD, BB, etc?  CV 100% means the destruction of ALL CVs of the side.  50% would mean at least half of them, etc.  I think it also works for DD, BB....(I can't check the code right now as I'm heading out, but it's easy enough to test.)

[sniperton]

Thanks Lo, your help is much appreciated. It's not that easy as I thought before, but once I figured out the proper data structure, it won't be that hard to include any map. I'm just progressing too slow due to the summer...

[Lowengrin]

I understand the slow due to summer.  I started coding AI plane stats for Dogfight mode.  Oh so slow....