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#4460166 - 02/06/19 03:11 PM Flak data  
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 12,497
MrJelly Offline
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MrJelly  Offline
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Montagnac, L'Herault, France
Following a post at CombatAce regarding flak settings I made a new exe, and a new utility.
The settings for heavy flak are in the 160 eaw.ini file, and the settings for light flak can be read by the exe from a "FlakData.mpf" file.
If there is no "FlakData.mpf" file then default values are used.
The new exe also reads the heavy flak data from the "FlakData.mpf" file, which has two additional entries.
This makes for easier editing as only one file is involved, and to do this I made the utility which saves the "FlakData.mpf" file.
The utility displays the default values to give the user some idea of the sizes involved.

[Linked Image]

There is virtually no documentation re- the appropriate values for the heavy flak accuracy and rate of fire, so I used the utility to change these values and flew an escort mission to Calais
Accuracy 0 ROF 40
[Linked Image]

Accuracy 3 ROF 40
[Linked Image]

Accuracy 5 ROF 4
[Linked Image]

Accuracy 10 ROF1
[Linked Image]

Rate of fire was self evident. It needs to be at least 1 as 0 will cause a CTD.
Accuracy can be 0 and as it increases the flak bursts group together more and more. Having a value of 10 just about puts them all together, creating a straight line effect of flak-burst groups as you can see in the last screenie.
The source code is using a "bitwise" shift and there may be another way which would create a wider range of possibilities wink


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#4460175 - 02/06/19 04:27 PM Re: Flak data [Re: MrJelly]  
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MrJelly Offline
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I killed the bitwise shift.
To explain smile
This bitwise shift works like this:
If flak accuracy = 0 then some distances are divided by 2 to the power 0 so they are divided by 1
If flak accuracy = 1 then some distances are divided by 2 to the power 1 so they are divided by 2
If flak accuracy = 2 then some distances are divided by 2 to the power 2 so they are divided by 4
If flak accuracy = 3 then some distances are divided by 2 to the power 3 so they are divided by 8....
If flak accuracy = 10 then some distances are divided by 2 to the power 10 so they are divided by 1024
So only divisors of 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024.......... are possible.

I have now made a new exe in which the distances are divided by the flak accuracy value. If the flak accuracy = 7 the distances are divided by 7
The only constraint is that you cannot divide by zero so the flak accuracy needs to be 1 or more wink


Fly EAW online at GameRanger: GameRanger Site

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UAW 160 downloads
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Mark Twain: I am quite sure now that often, very often, in matters concerning religion and politics a man's reasoning powers are not above the monkey's.

I am now of an age at which I no longer need to suffer fools gladly
#4460217 - 02/06/19 08:16 PM Re: Flak data [Re: MrJelly]  
Joined: Feb 2006
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Rotton50 Offline
3DZ / campaign designer
Rotton50  Offline
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Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 4,859
Cape Charles, Virginia, USA
Ah yes, the flak issue.

This is great news, finally pulling all the flak functions into one place.

Couple of things:

1 - All the info you are looking for is probably in the GEN's archives. Can't recall how far back it was but there was a very heated discussion about the changes made to the flak function done by one member without experimenting or asking for feedback that gave all the EAW flak Star Wars laser accuracy.

After about a week of SERIOUS discussions, experimentation and numerous screenshots of the problem, we convinced the offending programmer to include these player adjustment options. It was either that or some of us were going to walk.

In any case, you can glean a lot of info out of that thread, if you can find it. Be aware that it might have bled over into a few other threads of that time period.

2 - Players should know that the flak intensity seems to be greatly affected by their individual PC's power. They will need to experiment a bit to get a comfortable flak experience.


Oh and one last thing. For sake of clarity the editor should say "Range" rather than "Duration". Pretty sure the "duration" description had to do with one member's use of English as a second language. "Range" is much easier to understand.


Heck, even paranoids have enemies.
#4460218 - 02/06/19 08:32 PM Re: Flak data [Re: MrJelly]  
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MrJelly Offline
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MrJelly  Offline
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Testing the editor I flew dozens of missions escorting 36 B17s
In some the flak seemed highly intense, but only occasionally was there any damage, and no planes were destroyed.
So I checked the source code and found two values relating to flak damage.
They were hard coded, but I replaced them with two more variables in the utility.

[Linked Image]
The picture shows the default setting, but I used the editor to double the last two values to 240 and 200

This was the upshot:
[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]

wink


Fly EAW online at GameRanger: GameRanger Site

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Mark Twain: I am quite sure now that often, very often, in matters concerning religion and politics a man's reasoning powers are not above the monkey's.

I am now of an age at which I no longer need to suffer fools gladly
#4460309 - 02/07/19 01:25 PM Re: Flak data [Re: MrJelly]  
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 4,859
Rotton50 Offline
3DZ / campaign designer
Rotton50  Offline
3DZ / campaign designer
Senior Member

Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 4,859
Cape Charles, Virginia, USA
Very similar to the pictures posted at the GEN during the contentious Flak debate. Once we posted those pics we got an agreement that the flak should be player adjustable.

We were only working with the ROF and accuracy at that time but we saw the same clustering. In some cases none of the formation of 16 B-17's reached the target.

The other problem that was never directly addressed was the deadly accuracy of light AA from behind.

However, the ability to adjust the accuracy, caliber and ROF were decent band aids so again, this utility is a nice addition.


Heck, even paranoids have enemies.
#4460329 - 02/07/19 03:08 PM Re: Flak data [Re: MrJelly]  
Joined: Jun 2001
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rwatson Offline
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New Concord, Ohio
Jelly is this utility available ?? checked the sticky and couldn't find it


Russ
Semper Fi
#4460334 - 02/07/19 03:35 PM Re: Flak data [Re: MrJelly]  
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MrJelly Offline
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MrJelly  Offline
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I will release it later today. I have been testing it, so far so good smile


Fly EAW online at GameRanger: GameRanger Site

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UAW 160 downloads
EAW Club

Mark Twain: I am quite sure now that often, very often, in matters concerning religion and politics a man's reasoning powers are not above the monkey's.

I am now of an age at which I no longer need to suffer fools gladly
#4460337 - 02/07/19 03:50 PM Re: Flak data [Re: MrJelly]  
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rwatson Offline
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Thanks Jell


Russ
Semper Fi
#4460344 - 02/07/19 04:53 PM Re: Flak data [Re: MrJelly]  
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MrJelly Offline
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MrJelly  Offline
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Montagnac, L'Herault, France
I have made a 7-zip installer with today's new exes and the Flak data utility.
Run it in your 160 folder smile

FlakData070219

wink


Fly EAW online at GameRanger: GameRanger Site

FaceBook Pages
UAW 160 downloads
EAW Club

Mark Twain: I am quite sure now that often, very often, in matters concerning religion and politics a man's reasoning powers are not above the monkey's.

I am now of an age at which I no longer need to suffer fools gladly
#4460349 - 02/07/19 05:28 PM Re: Flak data [Re: MrJelly]  
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 12,497
MrJelly Offline
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MrJelly  Offline
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Montagnac, L'Herault, France
When I test the heavy flak I fly an airstarted mission in a Pony escorting B17s. I use Calais as the target, ans set it so that there are no enemy planes.
Once I am in the air I turn around, drop to about 2/3 throttle and set wing leveller on. Then I click F9 until I see the B17s and then accelerate time until they have crossed the coast. Then in normal time I use the mouse to watch from the front at maximum distance. It should not take long for the flak to appear.
For several years the 1.28 series has not given flak when the flak setting in mission parameters is "medium".
Checking the source code a line of code had been "remmed out" (so that the text remains visible), and a modified line written to replace it.
Today's exes have the old line restored and the new one "remmed out".
In a couple of tests they were giving flak when the setting in mission parameters is "medium".

wink Jel


Fly EAW online at GameRanger: GameRanger Site

FaceBook Pages
UAW 160 downloads
EAW Club

Mark Twain: I am quite sure now that often, very often, in matters concerning religion and politics a man's reasoning powers are not above the monkey's.

I am now of an age at which I no longer need to suffer fools gladly
#4460362 - 02/07/19 06:39 PM Re: Flak data [Re: MrJelly]  
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 718
SkyHigh Offline
Member
SkyHigh  Offline
Member

Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 718
Ireland
Even more ways to die...

Great work, yet again. It's nice to see the game being developed to its maximum potential.


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