posted 10-28- 12:33 PM               

A scripted online campaign consisting of two missions on Saturday, November 3rd at 8pm Mountain Time (GMT -7, so 3am GMT) followed by two more missions Sunday, November 4th at 8am Mountain Time (3pm GMT). I had wanted to go 24 hours earlier to maximize attendance for the second frame, but I'm afraid I'm not able to.

The missions will have a heavy bias towards ground vehicles, naturally, but there will be aviation sprinkled throughout. In order to participate, you will need the following:

SDOE .9
Nations V2
*Ground Pack 2(GP2.exe all in one file or broken into modem-sized chunks)
*P40F (latest version)
*Ju-88c seaplane (version 1.0)
*Bf-110C4 (beta 2) (Mirror if Scorpion Rouge's Site is Down
*Fi 156C Storch (beta 2.0)

Recommended: Roger Wilco, Desert Ju88 scheme

These planes were selected because their latest versions are clearly defined (ie: no PP-MMs), because as betas they're awfully good, and the installation procedure for each is safe if you follow the readme (you may be safe ignoring it too, but read it to be sure). If there is a particular plane you don't want to install, you don't have to, just be prepared to sit out a mission. GP2 is required for all missions.

In addition to the above, Harman is preparing an installer containing two new ground objects and a "surprise" object (its not quite a plane, its not quite a ground object... ) that will be posted for download approx. 12 hours before the first frame. I'm really, really hoping to maximize immersion in these missions so think of this installer like Christmas - you can fiddle around with it and figure out what's inside and ruin the surprise, or have it happen in the mission the way it was designed to work. Your choice, but if you choose to look at it beforehand, please don't post any spoilers. Thanks.

Also, people who are serious about participating, please send me an email and I will send you the mission password on Saturday. In an effort to reduce waiting times and mismatches, all F&R missions will be passworded. Naturally, after the mission has been run once you're free to do what you like with it, but for the "official" mission I'd like things to go smoothly.

Missions are designed for 6 players minimum, 10 maximum, and with as few unit types as possible, while still maintaining immersion and interest, all in an attempt to reduce lag and ctd-age.

There are no teams per se, no score to be kept, no "winner", the missions have been set up deliberately to make scoring them not make a lot of sense. The point is to have fun, explore some more of the patch and ground pack 2 online, and to feel immersed.

If this event is a success, I have another one planned for Christmas time that would be similar in design, but more dynamic.

Finally, I'd like to thank Harman for his help with mission ideas, and a tremendous amount of work on the new units to be released at the time of this event.

Cheers,

Werner

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Abbeville Field: Dedicated to the SDOE Experience.

posted 10-28- 10:34 PM               

Thanks for the endorsement?

Werner

posted 10-29- 06:54 AM               

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posted 10-29- 09:59 AM               

The reason I picked those planes is so that there would be no problem with extra stuff - the planes are "version clean" (ie: no patches, tweaks, mods, etc.).

For this event the P40 would be used in a ground support role, and for balance's sake I'd rather not have one plane be able to decimate a whole side on the ground.

If, along with the email registrations of which I have received none so far, the majority of people say they would rather mace's tank-buster Hurricane instead of the P40, I will announce the change no later than Friday. Just remember there will be one of these planes in the mission, so odds are you're going to find yourself on the business end of this guy.

Regarding registrations - when you email, please indicate which (or both!) of the two frames you figure you can attend. I'll go ahead with 6 registrations for each frame, minimum, if received by Friday (not counting Harman or myself, as a sort of "fudge factor" for absentees due to real life stuff interfering). If this target isn't met... I'm afraid I'll have to cancel. You can't run proper ground missions with fewer than six, more if you want ground support a/c involved too.

waiting & hoping,

Werner

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Abbeville Field: Dedicated to the SDOE Experience.

posted 10-29- 10:33 AM               

That was the plan bigs, P40 guns only. I figure in the hands of a patient pilot it could bag a tank in the mission. With 8 players on the ground, 50/50, that's 1/4 of the opposing force. I think that's fair. Also, even if the pilot is unable to knock out a tank, via roger wilco he can provide useful info to his tankers on the ground about enemy dispositions. For a while I even kicked around the idea of using the storch in this mission instead, so it was purely for air-recon. I decided on the P40 so it could shake up the Panzer drivers a bit.

As for the Bf110... A necessary evil I'm afraid. In that mission there will only be one, so I wouldn't worry too much.

WM

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Abbeville Field: Dedicated to the SDOE Experience.

posted 10-29- 11:47 AM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by Biggles3:
so maybe some 1 could just pop the p51 gun specs in the loadout file.just so it has some punch??????

---

I cringe at the thought that months of my time working on these loadouts to make them 100% accurate would be wiped away for the sake of online play...the numbers for the P-40 are dead on accurate-- if they lack a "punch"-- it is not the gun values but maybe how it is modeled.

Using the patch will change things a bit I would think....it is set up to register gun hits better....I have a newer version with bombs...but work on it has stopped....

My suggestion is to use the Hurricane as you have suggested Werner....but just plopping in gun values to make things fair just ain't right IMHO.

Course, I am unable to be there this weekend, so I guess my views don't carry much weight...

posted 10-29- 03:29 PM               

I applaude you on your effort in this. I understand the frustration of getting something like this kick started. Stick by your guns and don't second guess yourself and you will be fine.

I don't have SDOE loaded anymore, but you tell me what to load, and I will be there! At least for the Saturday frame.

Goodluck!

posted 10-29- 04:10 PM               

Hardly. As the guy who has busted his behind to get us dead-accurate loadouts (even if you're encountering technical probs due to lack of beta testing support), your opinion should carry a lot of weight, and you know it does with me regardless. I would have included your loads in this event but the whole PP6.0/6.1 mess back at the end of squadwars was what killed online for me. Small steps, then maybe I can get confident enough with the new kit to experiment a bit.

Roger - Wow. Big wow. Thanks a lot for the words of advice, and I look forward to meeting you online again. I know things got pretty raw a while back, but hopefully bridges can be rebuilt, even a few planks at a time?

Cheers,

Werner

P.S. - A reminder - please send me an email to register so I can make sure you get the password in time. Even if your email is in your profile, please drop me a note at keepinga@cadvision.com , finding a dozen or more email addresses on Saturday would be a pain in the butt.

***Registered (e = emailed):
1st Frame
Pvt. Roger
2nd Frame
Harman 5 (e)
Rendsburger
Pye (e)

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Abbeville Field: Dedicated to the SDOE Experience.

posted 10-29- 11:27 PM            

I concur with PR...it is good to see you trying to keep things alive....I will be there in spirit as I head to a state convention of biology teachers....can't think of anything more boring

posted 10-29- 11:44 PM               

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jeeves:
it is good to see you trying to keep things alive

---

Well, thanks. If I see you on icq sometime soon, I'll have to tell you why I'm not holding it 24 hours sooner as per original plan. It's a biol thing, you would appreciate it. Have fun at the conference this weekend.

Assuming things go well with this one, I will be running a second event sometime a little before Christmas (after finals), so hopefully you could join in for that one.

Thanks to Himdog for spotting this one... It seems Scorpion Rouge's site is down right now. As soon as I can I'll have a copy of that plane hosted at AF for download, I'll post here when it's up.

WM

P.S. Biggles reminded me of something in an email.. If you're registered for one frame and think you can make it to another, feel free to. I'd rather you say you can make it to one and will try for another than register for both and miss one. It'll be the same password for all missions, so if you're registered for one, you have the option if you choose. If you aren't registered for either though, I'm afriad you won't be able to get in as missions will be passworded to cut down launch times. I hope that makes sense for everyone.

***Registered (e = emailed):
1st Frame
Pvt. Roger (e)
Himdog (e)
2nd Frame
Harman 5 (e)
Rendsburger (e)
Pye (e)
Biggles3 (e)

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Abbeville Field: Dedicated to the SDOE Experience.

posted 10-30- 09:17 AM               

WM

***Registered (e = emailed):
1st Frame
Pvt. Roger (e)
Himdog (e)
Vmartini (e)
2nd Frame
Harman 5 (e)
Rendsburger (e)
Pye (e)
Biggles3 (e)
Vmartini (e)

posted 10-31- 02:01 AM               

The Registration drive continues... 1 more minimum for the first frame! Keep it coming! The more we have, the better the games will be. Remember the minimum doesn't leave much room for having air support in the missions, so go bring some friends!

Werner

posted 10-31- 02:50 AM               

trying a fresh download now

posted 10-31- 05:35 AM               

This is a FANTASTIC idea you have going here though unfortunately, I will most likely miss it as I'll be out of town most of this weekend.

Pick me for Round 2 though

posted 10-31- 06:48 AM               

I'm away with work at the moment doing a course, but I thought I'd drop by and see how things are going....

This is a great idea. I wish I could participate...hmmmm...'Manouvre Warfare'in all it's glory....SDOE has come a long way...

Good luck and all the best. I'll be home around end of Nov.

Cheers,

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AGAS 5

posted 10-31- 08:14 PM               

Hey Kar - that's too bad. Oh well, maybe next time.

Hey AGAS, good to hear from you! If you're around at Christmas time you should be able to catch the sequel to this.

Sailor - Assuming no MMs and everybody who said they would show up, does show up (no point in launching missions with less than six), I'm thinking about two hours. Obviously though I don't have total control over that, so if you have to leave part way through, that's the way it is. Better you come for some, than none at all.

Werner

posted 11-01- 01:23 AM            

DOWNLOAD P40 AIRFOIL HERE

After you download it, unzip it and paste the "media" folder in the download archive over your SDOE "media" folder.

This problem only occurs if you have an SDOE install without any Planepacks, and you intend to use the P40F.

Cheers

posted 11-01- 09:50 AM               

Thanks for the airfoil Harm!

WM

posted 11-01- 04:59 PM               

One or both of the frames BD?

posted 11-01- 11:07 PM               

We've lost Patie to the hardware demons, I'm awaiting confirmation from Steffen and I don't know if Vmartini has gotten his P40 sorted out yet. That means we could be as low as 3 and 4 on the registrations, depending on how things go in the next 24 hours. Even if they're both good to go, we're still 5 and 5.

Is this the extent of SDOE online? Either of those times is reasonable somewhere in the world, in different places each frame, like an early evening or a mid afternoon. I would have thought more people would turn up. What's the turn-off? Timing? Something else? I'd appreciate knowing if there is more to this than our typically anemic online presence, you can let me know by email if you've got something to say that might be taken as hurtful (even by me).

Thanks,

Werner

posted 11-02- 07:47 AM               

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posted 11-02- 10:39 AM            

Well, I'm not lost
Don't know where you got that info, the only thing was that this site and forum was down!

I'm still on for sunday, the second frame

posted 11-02- 10:55 AM               

Patie - Sorry, I was thinking of Sailor. We've lost Sailor to the hardware demons.

In unrelated news... I'll be on 1/2 to an hour early before the first frame to check compatability and whatnot.

Werner

posted 11-02- 11:12 AM               

KA

posted 11-02- 12:55 PM               

Its a great idea Werner and I sure miss the Saturday afternoon SW's --so this sounds like fun!