Lowengrin

They unload at _Harbor locations. The harbor location needs to be named after a land location. So Le_Havre_Harbor unloads at Le_Havre. But land location should also have a beachhead location ending the route. So, for example, Le_Havre_Beachhead. Columns are picked up by ships when the ship spawns (or if the ship completes the circle). If a ship is on a non-circle route and doesn't "unload" the column when it "blanks", that's a bug. A timetable command is a good idea. There's no way for ships to pick up columns that have already spawn (traveling island to island). Instead you could use the "Ferry" location points...see my Burma campaign for an example.

Good question, but you'll probably have to load up the FMB to find out.

Yeah, that sounds easy. (Sorry I missed this post when I was through last). But what do these "scouts" do in terms of MDS? I still fly RoF occasionally, but not as much as I used to.

Ships will sail the entire route and then be removed BUT then respawn at the beginning again. So what many of the campaigns do is run the route in a circle so that the last location joins the first. For example: Sea_1 to Sea_2 Sea_2 to Sea_3 Sea_3 to Sea_1 Unless you specify the spawn point through the timetable.dcg file, ships will spawn on the location closest to the "friendly" edge of the map. You can specify which side is friendly to the Axis in the maps.dcg file (the Allieds will spawn on the other side).

Yes, but my example would result in YEARS of inaction.

Yes, it's looking for the "BridgeXXX destroyed" in the eventlog. I'll have to look at the code for destroyed bridges. It may only be that bridges named in the road and rail files are tracked....

It's an interesting idea, but one that I see would have some issues because the current design would cause it to overwrite the category in the class file. So if you went to another campaign, it would be set to whatever you changed it to through the time table file. Like Lonestar said, you can manually change it through the Aircraft Class Settings Panel (and change it back when you're done with the campaign).

Good guess, but you actually have it backwards. The original campaign (for IL-2 Forgotten Battles) is the Eastern European one. The second campaign was the Pacific one. The first one in particular was designed to be completely open with no date restrictions whatsoever - so it was possible to see-saw back and forth across the maps. The issue with adding dates to all the campaigns is that should, for example, the Russians win the Lvov map in '41, the next map is Berlin. If the date is added to the grand campaign file, then suddenly it's '45. So in general, I only added dates where such issues wouldn't arise.

I don't usually update the release date for a beta (but I probably should). It is possible to use the taxi feature from 4.12.1, but multiple flights at an airfield will cause total death and destruction. You can test it by creating a taxi and takeoff path in the FMB and then copy it into the AIRFIELDS.DCG file with the header named after the airfield (you can find the airfield names in the xxxxx.rds file - where xxxxx = the campaign map of the campaign). Even if I modified the code to ensure only one flight spawn at an airfield at a time, it would be a huge task to add a taxi/take off path for every airfield in every campaign.

A quick fix for MDS users.... http://members.shaw.ca/lowengrin/il2dcg384beta2.zip Please post any bugs to this list. Additions (so far) to Version 3.48 Fixed formula that evaluates pilot skill. Fixed bug which would crash DCG if a AI squadron in MDS Dogfight mode attempted to intercept a "Human Only" squadron (with no predetermined flight path). Various small fixes to some mission files and roads (compliments of idefix44). Note: After installing, remember to reset your basic options and, if using DGen or NGen Replacement modes, make sure these options are re-checked before running IL-2 Forgotten Battles, Pacific Fighters or 1946. Mods which have made changes to the event log may not work with IL2DCG.

I've done some testing and I can't replicate this with my vanilla install of IL-2 1946. If I fake using MDS in Dogfight mode, I will not get AI flights if I've selected "Human Only" for the squadron. So if you could send me a mission file next time it happens to you, I'd be happy to look at it. BTW, I did find a bug with DCG in MDS mode. If you set the first squadron in the DCG list to Human Only, if a AI flight tries to intercept it, DCG will crash (because a "Human Only" squadron will have no flight path to intercept).

I can't say there'd be any reason why it wouldn't work in the latest version if it works properly in an older version. That code hasn't been touched in years.

Okay, that's not right. I'll have a look at it as soon as I can.

I'm obviously forgetting what is in DCG and what is not. The short answer is, "Human only" squadrons in MDS shouldn't be spawning AI flights. If AI flights are spawning, this is a bug. I wonder if MDS has changed something since I wrote the code....

If you have three static aircraft of one type and one squadron with that type, all three will be subtracted from that squadron. However, a squadron will never fall below one plane. DCG sometimes gets ground unit the facing wrong. I just don't know why, but it does. Tanks aren't generally statics unless specified in the fobject.dcg. Truck units with artillery will be. There are a few situations where I may have used tanks for the front line (for more obscure campaigns). I don't remember. Units without fuel will still move at the location, but they will not advance to a new one.

The campaign will advance to the historic dates if you check Fixed Start Date/Squadrons in the DCG menu. Fixed Start Date/Squadrons: when a campaign advances to a new area/map, if there is a start date given for that campaign, the campaign date will skip ahead to that date if this option is checked. If not, the campaign will advance one week. In addition, if checked, squadrons will transfer to the new campaign only if they are found in that new campaign's template file. If unchecked, no squadrons except the player's squadron will transfer. Your campaign shouldn't reset. There's a bug...possibly something to do with the log files.

You should turn off "No Instant Success" so that you have "Instant Success".

There is no "human only" in DCG, only AI only. So if MDS has a "human only" option, it may very well conflict with DCG. Unfortunately, I don't know MDS all that well so you'll have to explain how it works.

Assuming you are using the "1946" version of IL-2, you should always select "Instant Success". It doesn't matter so much in DCG if you select "Primary Objectives" or not. DCG doesn't care if you complete the mission or not, time marches on regardless. The selecting of "Primary Objectives" will put some additional code in the mission file which will trigger a message if you succeed or not (and which can or can't be used by online campaigns for additional information), but for offline play, it really makes no difference.

If you have Reset on Death off, yes, you can refly one mission over and over again and get millions of kills. As soon as you exit the mission (and before you hit "apply" in the debrief screen) the stats are computed and applied.

This beta was released before the latest IL-2 update. I haven't added any of the new planes nor updated any of the payloads...hopefully someone else will and send me the files....

CAP is a bit difficult to calculate when the object being CAP'd is moving. It would sure be nice if 4.11.1 has finally created a patrol command that would actually have CAPs follow an object...it would certainly make things easier. The only way (for you) to fix it would be to modify the mission in the FMB before starting the mission. Chutes can be off for all AI pilots, but not for any specific nationality. Sorry.