B-17 Missions uploaded

[IndioBlack]

Hi guys, I've just uploaded a set of 12 missions for the B-17 in the CFS3 Missions section. You'll need the AVHistory Molly II from their site to make the missions work, but once that's installed, you could choose to use any other B-17 you have, like Just Flight's Memphis Belle, by making the appropriate choice on the Mission loadouts screen.

I've just had an e-mail from someone who got a "mission will not load message", and would sure like to hear from anyone else who has that problem, because if you follow the readme, there's hardly anything that can go wrong, go wrong, go wrong..

[birdie]

I followed the readme to a T but I get the mission will not load too.  ???

[IndioBlack]

Okay, well that's the last time I do missions for CFS3.

The Mission script is very simple - it's hardly Rocket Science, and each one was created through Microsoft's own Mission Builder.

So , providing you
1. Put the mission.xml files in the missions/historical folder
2. Put the Weather files in the Weather folder
3. Downloaded and correctly installed AV History's B-17 Molly II...

Then everything should work.

Possible other reasons that the files might not work may be due to your own CFS3 installation. For instance, do you have all the latest patches installed?

Have you tried flying the B-17 Molly II in Free Flight, and if so are there any problems there?

Will none of the missions load, or is it only certain ones?

At the point that the Mission won't load, what is the exact error message, and when does it occur?

The other person who supposedly had a problem with this mission pack wrote back and told me that he actually didn't get a "mission will not load message", as he had first told me, but instead had screen-flashing problems during the mission. So he re-installed CFS3 without the mission pack and he still had screen problems. He then discovered that his machine was infected with a virus and lots of other things didn't work on his computer either.
So, in actual fact, he didn't have a problem with my mission pack at all. It was his computer that he had a problem with.

However, if we're to get to the bottom of the problem you're having, then I'd appreciate it if you would check out that you have complied with the above notes, supply answers to my questions and then give me some more detailed information about how the fault occurs.

Thanks for letting me know.

[birdie]

Well I went back and went over everything you said and missions 1,5,6,7,8 I get the mission will not load message and a flickering screen.  The other missions work fine and imo they are put together very well and are fun to fly.  Cheers!

[IndioBlack]

Okay, the consistent difference between the missions that don't work for you (1,5,6,7,8 ) and those which do, is that the non-working missions have flak, and the working missions do not.

I am at a loss to understand why the flak has become a rogue element, because flak is listed there as a usable "Mission Facility", amongst "Airbases"
"dug-in tanks" and "Battersea Power Plant".

Also, to avoid writing things into missions that not everybody has,

[birdie]

Yeah I don't have flak.xml, but on the other missions that I can fly I still had flak in them, I even got shot down by some on one mission.  Where can I find this flak file. Thanks!

[IndioBlack]

Right, well I have no idea where the flak.xml came from, unless it was from something I downloaded. I thought it was CFS3 native, but it must be a third party file.
That's the trouble with downloading third party stuff, you lose track of what everybody has to start with.

The flak in the other missions comes from the simple fact that the CFS3 World is alive and there is a certain amount of default flak that is generated around mission targets.

Now I can send you the flak file, but since I can't be sure that it didn't come with a commercial programme, then I can't be sure that's legal.  ::)

But it's clear that I'm going to have to fix the mission pack.

So I can:

1. Simply remove the extra flak from the missions

2. Include a flak file that I make myself.

3. Replace the flak with something else

One other thing I could use  is a "flaktower.xml". Do you have that in your CFS3/facilities folder, by any chance?

Let me know, and I'll get the pack fixed. Thanks for sticking with me on this.

[birdie]

Yes I do have the flaktower.xml

[IndioBlack]

Okay, that's terrific. I'll just change the mission objects from flak to flaktower, and will repost them.
Would you like me to send you the altered missions directly so you can check that the problem has been cured for you?

[birdie]

That fixed it! Thank you very much and very good work! I e-mailed you about it so I hope to hear from you.  Cheers!

[IndioBlack]

I'm going to upload the corrected mission pack right away. Thanks for all your help.

[MR_G]

It's a little late, but my fix from the problem was to go into my facility file and copy "flaktower" to my desktop. I then renamed it "flak". After doing that, I put this new file back into the facility file. It's a duplication of files, but it solved the problem quickly.
Ps. I used the mission builder to let me know what was missing from the problem missions. The missions are pretty good. The only problem that I found was that the AI B-17's have a very hard time landing in one piece at that airfield. It's probably because there is a small hill right before the landing area. Most of the AI's go into the trees right before the landing area.

[IndioBlack]

Good work. Yes it is the "flak" that is the problem, and turning a copy of "flaktower" into "flak" will fix it.
I've reposted the missions without the "flak" included, but Simviation seem to have lost the package, despite listing it as being available.

Regarding the B-17 AIs landing: I just tell 'em to bugger off when I get near the airfield, and concentrate on my own landing.

I wrote the missions, because it seemed that it was the only way I was going to get to fly the B-17 in CFS3, and getting to fly the B-17 was the only reason I bought CFS3. I certainly couldn't get the campaigns to recognise the aircraft, despite trying various fixes and campaign generators.

So the missions are principally designed to get you taking off, flying to target, dropping some ordnance and getting home to land in one piece, under a variety of time and weather conditions, with a variety of different targets, and a varying level of enemy aircraft to harass you. That's what I wanted, and having done them, I thought I might as well share them with any other B-17 fans out there.

If you're comfortable with the Mission Builder, please feel free to modify and improve the missions, and then post 'em up so I can have something new to fly  8)

[MR_G]

No, the missions are pretty good as they stand. The first time I flew mission #1 ( after I fixed the flak problem ) I managed to flame a 109 from the waist position. Only problem is that he went out of control and took out my wing. I've never had that happen before. It's too bad I didn't get a screen shot of that happening.