Folks,

If you've been keeping u with the "sounds file" thread recently started by Boreas you'll know that I have been trying to enhance the in cockpit high rev engine sounds but with little luck.

Finally the Stones singing "I can't git no Sat-is-fact-shun" can stop playing in my head. Exchanging the modded high rev file for the WoV default file I'd archived and leaving the modded low res sound file as it was seems satisfactory to me. Who knew it would be that easy? Somehow reinstalling the original file added a little fattness and speed to the high rev engine sound of the Spitfire that I wasn't hearing with the high rev mod.

There is no known connection beyond a pleasant roar to my engine, however I had one of the best single missions ever. It was a head-on attack on bombers over Southampton docks. The Hurricanes took on the bombers and our squadron bit right into the 109s. It became a twisting fur ball that spread out into the Channel where my trusty wingman Old Dux and I were maliciously set upon (to their ultimate displeasure) by 3 angry 109s. We'll call them Larry, Curly and Moe. I got 2 and Dux 1. I also got extra holes in my starboard wing. We then caught up with the surviving bombers that were heading homeward.

Approaching the French coast they were apparently alone so we had them all to ourselves until the bullets and fuel ran out. Ours that is. They still seemed to have plenty of both. One more Udet Buoy was filled to capacity me thinks. If they were lucky.

Folks,

MG:

I've noticed recently that I keep getting a beep when I land on the forum page and a pop up that notifies me an add-on for this website failed to run and to check my security settings. Do you have any idea what that add-on might be? It is taking longer than previously to load the HWH thread and I think the two things may be linked in some way.

Folks,

If you haven't already seen these two documentaries about the BoB I think you'll enjoy them as I certainly did. It will take a bit of time to watch them but that time for me passed all too quickly especially when folks were getting to fly Spitfires and just ride in them as well. These are both interesting programs from several angels.

Check them out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6t3gjpuwriA&list=PL9E81756D5E56EE77&index=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDDeLRy7UM0

Rog,

The beeping pop-up is not something SimHQ is trying to load, the staff in the engine room are investigating this. There's a bot more information in this thread: http://simhq.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/3399701/Add_On_for_this_website_Failed.html#Post3399i01

Comgratulations on your sucessful BoB mission. I must try that new engie file you've been helping develop. It seems it might just turn me into an ace (I wish).

Thanks for the links to the movies. No better way to spend some time on an overcast sunday morning, and with a cup of tea.

Folks

MG:

Thanks for the info. I like what Boreas has accomplished. None of his files are for the in cockpit sounds. I will send you the modded low rev engine file to use with the default high rev engine file for the RAF if you want that too. LMK. It may sound different on your system.

I hope you enjoy watching those videos. Those movies were not the usual run-of-the-mill BoB types I am used to seeing. I enjoyed them so much I wanted to share. Apparently they were produced in Britain so our boy on holiday, Dux, may have seen them already. Especially interesting are the interviews with BoB veterans. There are less than 100 RAF BoB vets still living today. Less than 10 Luftwaffe veterans are living today. I had not seen interviews of any of these men previously.

The hypothesis put forward by one of the programs that Britain was never really flat on its back at any time and that the German's lost the battle due to their own in competence and glaring mistakes was of interest. The leaders differed greatly. Goering was not a good strategist but was a good tactician. He was also a drug addict. Udet was also not up to the task given to him. He committed suicide as I recall but that is not mentioned in the film. Dowding was an odd character indeed but he was more than up to the task set before him.

The Germans had RADAR first and a better RADAR at that but failed to take advantage of it or realize the great advantage it was for the RAF. It was said that the Germans ridiculed the Brit's rudimentary RADAR. They neither knew about nor did they have anything of their own like the Chain Home warning system. Clearly they were not expecting Germany to be bombed. It is further speculated that the German's made their major mistake by grossly under estimating the strength of Fighter Command and that to me was fascinating. On the other side, it is suggested that Fighter Command over estimated the strength of the Luftwaffe.

As is pointed out in the film; of the two mistakes, over estimating your opponent is the probably better mistake to make.

Have you taken a look at CoD? I don't know much about the pros and cons of the sim itself. Most of what I've read has been negative. However I watched a video yesterday of a dogfight in 'full realistic mode' and I was greatly impressed (make that stunned) by the life-like graphics. OK I know I'm not yet used to SOTA graphics and because of the age of my system I'm not likely to any time soon either.

We have had our first taste of fall weather with temps dropping into the low 40s F. last night. It is a cool, bright, sunny Sunday. The Virginia Creepers are showing their fall colors now. Soon the deciduous trees will be changing into their colorful fall finery as well. Get out the long underwear pal. It will be Christmas in snowy Denmark before you know it.

I did watch those two documentaries you linked to and enjoyed them both tremedously so thanks again old bean, for sharing

It was very nice to see that both docus were, as you say better and more than the usual run-off-the-mill stuff - even better, I had not seen any of them previously.

The McGregor's flying, interspersed with footage from Cranwell and Biggin was very entertaining and carried a sense of why it is still very relevant to study the Battle 70 years on. Loved the moment when the Tornado flew overhead and Ewan called out for the pilot to "keep the noise down, will you?"

Dowding, nicknamed "Stuffy" I beleive, was indeed an interesting character; in contact with the dead and living with his sister. Luckily he was the man with the vision and ability to invent the world's first intergrated Air Warning System.

There's a biography I'd love to read; Dowding's memoirs, if such exist.

Interestingly, Bader was erronously mentioned as Commander of 12 Group in the other docu, no mention of Leigh-Mallory.

And apparently the Nasties were so obsessed with quality materials and in quality workmanship that they failed to massproduce aeroplanes, and the one they did produce in massive amounts were the Stukas, already outdated and showing signs of being on the road to obsolecense and uselessness.

Herman the German, the "nice" face of Nazism, I knew was a druggie, and a fanciful dresser. Whether he was as incompetent as stated in the movie I do not know. Hindsight benefits from perfect 20-20 vision which also facilitates claims such as were made regarding Britain not really being alone, and not really being in as grave a danger from invasion as usually depicted.

Churchill's fear, as he realized that all available aircraft were in the air, no reserves whatsoever, and his desperate endeavours to enlist the help of Rosevelt and the US, tell a slightly different story, as do other historian's claims that the BoB was not won, but it wasn't lost either, and the outcome was more like the away-team giving up and going home.

Certainly a fascinating documentary.


Regardig CoD: No. I have not dabbled in CoD and I must confess that I probably never will. Simply because I'm not interested in what Oleg Maddox has on offer: I own just about all of the original Il-2 series and besides the first one which had the (from my point of view) entirely wrong planes in the wrong theater, all the series received about 30 minutes play time by me in total. I find them boring, uninspiring and completely devoid of any redeeming features. Just my very personal opinion of course.

I far prefer the way our old BoB's One and Two are structured. Better gameplay, much more immersion and above all, far better historical accuracy. For example going back to the BoB docu with the McGregor's; did you recognize that harbour on the southcoast they flew over? I thought; Wow, that's the one we have in BoB!

Besides, I gather that CoD needs a lot of patching just to run properly.

It is a bit the same thing with RoF for me, although Rof runs fine on my rig, I find it a bit unengaging and uninvolving.

Folks,

MG:

Well stated. I did indeed recognize landmarks. Southampton docks, and flying over the Thames at Tower Bridge a location I was embroiled in a dogfight on Sat. afternoon. Goering was definitely not stupid but drugs and losing his family jewels in the Hitler Putsch had a detrimental affect. On the other hand his terrible loss seems to have endeared him to the Fuhrer.

Wow! Apparently Oleg has at some point popped your round, inflatable lighter than air toy or licked all the sugar off your lollipop? I know nothing of the gameplay of CoD. I have not read anything to recommend it. The graphics in that video I watched on YouTube did seem superb to me. No one will beat BoB WoV for sheer immersive game play and enjoyable dynamic campaigning, thanks to the ongoing work of the BDG.

I do dabble in IL2-46 now and again and continue to enjoy it for variety sake especially now that I have the free Mission Mate 6 and can so easily set up my own variations in single missions. There are so many different planes and theaters. If one mods it then It is very flexible due to the large modding community.

Another point, the fact that German planes carried considerably more and heavier caliber shells was considered a great factor in favor of the Axis pilots. The BoB vets kept referring to their .303s as pea shooter ammo.

Bringing in the Snell boot was interesting. Showing how being dedicated to quality production limited the German ability to produce and to replace all kinds of craft lost in battle. We see this in the Tiger and King Tiger tanks as well. Those were technologically superior but so heavy and difficult to repair and to replace. They wouldn't even fit on most bridges in the areas they were fighting.

There is a parallel and a lesson here for somebody. Quantity (mass production) and simplicity over high technology and quality in war production seems to have been the best choice in the past. If this is true then I do not believe we have learned that lesson.

Folks,

I flew another single mission tonight and this time I moved the 'particle density' setting from 'medium' to 'full'. I didn't notice much difference. No difference in frame rate and that's a good thing. When I convinced a 109 to roll over and take a bite of a dirt sandwich the resulting explosion and smoke did seem to be thicker, denser than usual.

I suddenly realized I see no smoke from my tracers in WoV. Do any of you? Tracer smoke is all over you in IL2. In reality I believe tracers were controversial with RAF pilots. Many preferred to have shells that sparked when they hit rather than smoked or sparkled all the way from muzzle to target.

I know there was a mod for Smokey tracers at one time and I do not know if there is the capability for that incorporated in the game or in one of the patches. I am, or rather my game is patched to 2.09. I'm perfectly satisfied with no smoke twisting along with the tracers as we've all seen in gun camera footage. I can tell when I'm on target. If I am something goes boom or falls down.

I believe you will find that setting particle density full will have grave
effect when you are subject to the tracer smoke from AA fire (which is the
main source of smoke I've seen in game). Dense AA barrages with full density
on can cripple the most cutting edge machines. In some cases it will result in
rendering anomalies rather than frame rate drops or freezes.

Folks,

PV1:

Thanks for the informed and, as always, excellent advice. I happened to read an old review of WoV the other day and in it the smitten reviewer mentioned "...AA so realistic you can feel it". A pilot can run into one of those dense barrages flying for either side so I have changed that setting to 'Medium' or just as it was previously.

Another use of tracers as I understand it was to add them near the end of the ammunition supply in such a way that they showed up when you were about to run out of ammo. I didn't see any smoke trail with the tracers even when the particle density was set to 'full'. I am assuming then that tracer smoke is not modeled in WoV at least not for me and that matters very little. It is way over done by Hollywood and in some sims.