RAF campaign REDUX - released

[Bounder!]

Installation was very quick and easy, I've only played the first two missions so far which were a blast, fantastic work. Loved they way the 109s come diving in on the second mission! Wanted to say thanks very much for the work to bring us a better offline campaign.

The stock single player campaign that CLoD came with was a huge disappointment and although I prefer multiplayer online action it is a key area the devs really neglected and I know put a lot of prospective gamers off purchasing CLoD (that and the early performance issues). Hopefully with work like this more and more people will come back to CLoD.

One thing related to the campaign - is there a reason we have 87 octane fighters for a BoB campaign rather than the 100 Octane variants? I've only played the first two missions so far but they are BoB and in August and so the Hurricanes should be 100 Octane.

Cheers.

[planespotter]

Originally Posted by Bounder!

Installation was very quick and easy, I've only played the first two missions so far which were a blast, fantastic work. Loved they way the 109s come diving in on the second mission! Wanted to say thanks very much for the work to bring us a better offline campaign.

The stock single player campaign that CLoD came with was a huge disappointment and although I prefer multiplayer online action it is a key area the devs really neglected and I know put a lot of prospective gamers off purchasing CLoD (that and the early performance issues). Hopefully with work like this more and more people will come back to CLoD.

One thing related to the campaign - is there a reason we have 87 octane fighters for a BoB campaign rather than the 100 Octane variants? I've only played the first two missions so far but they are BoB and in August and so the Hurricanes should be 100 Octane.

Cheers.

True most Hurricane at that time were rotol and 100 Octane. A small slip maybe to be corrected?

[theOden]

100 oct?
Edit the files and get on with life.

[planespotter]

Is it already decided all Hurricanes were 100 Oct? I found this and in August 1940 not all units were on 100 Octane were they?:

Fuel Supplies to The British Empire And It's Commonwealth; Outlook, Ramifications and Projections For The Prosecution Of The War.

"The first bulk shipment of 100 octane fuel had arrived in Britain in June 1939 from the Esso refinery in Aruba. This and subsequent tanker shipments from Aruba, Curacao and the USA were stockpiled while the RAF continued to operate on 87 octane petrol. Having secured what were considered reasonably sufficient quantities of 100 octane, Fighter Command began converting its engines to this standard in March 1940, allowing boost (manifold) pressures to be raised without the risk of detonation in the cylinders. This initial increase in maximum boost from 6 lb to 9 lb delivered a useful power growth of around 130hp at the rated altitude.

By the time of the invasion of the Low Countries by Germany in May 1940 the RAF had converted approximately 25 % of it's total fighter force to 100 octane fuel use. The subsequent escalation in air activity and demands placed upon Fighter Command over the next two months put great strain on both the 100 octane fuel stockpiles and aircraft modified to use the fuel. Against the backdrop of total war the RAF found that it's reserves of 100 octane fuel was well below the level considered necessary for widespread use, for any sustained length of time.

Two actions were immediately undertaken by the British War Cabinet in May to resolve the looming crisis. Firstly 87 octane fuel was deemed the primary fuel source to be used until further supplies could be discovered and delivered in sufficient quantities to allow the Merlin conversions to again take place. Those existing fighters already so converted (approximately 125) would continue to use what supplies of 100 octane were available, but all other fighters that had not been modified to continue with the use of 87 octane (of which there was more than adequate supply). The second action was for the British Government to contract the Shell Oil Refining Company to assist the British-controlled Iraqi Petroleum Company at Kirkuk to produce 100 octane fuel. This arrangement proved quite successful as production was quickly converted to 100 octane fuel.

The first Middle East shipment of 100 octane fuel arrived in Portsmouth on 12th August, with a further two deliveries in September and four in October. Although too late to allow widespread conversion for the use of the fuel the deliveries did ensure that from this point on Britain would not be lacking in 100 octane fuel levels. With the newfound supply RAF Fighter Command again embarked upon a Merlin II and III conversion to 100 octane use from late September, finally achieving 100% conversion of it's fighter force by the end of November in 1940.

[Bounder!]

Really don't want to derail this thread, I simply asked the question above as I thought there may have been a technical problem including them in the campaign or maybe an oversight. If it is the decision of the author to use 87 octane Hurricanes then that's fine, it's their decision to make. After going through the campaign files I found I could modify my .mis files to include 100 octane Hurricanes as another poster above suggests, so if others want to do so there is that option.

Regarding that particular quote above, it was discussed in many threads before and falls down as the original document referenced has never been found to exist http://forum.1cpublishing.eu/showthr...=20110&page=15 If people want to discuss octane in detail I suggest we take it to one of the many preexisting threads.

Back on topic, thanks to the OP for the work on the campaign, I'm having a blast with it.

Cheers.

[badfinger]

Excuse me for being such a noob, but does this campaign take the place of the original Cliffs of Dover campaign?

Thanks,

binky9

[Low Flyer]

Yes.

[DoolittleRaider]

Originally Posted by Bounder!

Really don't want to derail this thread....

Hopefully folks will get back to discussing the Redux campaign....and not, in the process, reveal any Spoilers giving away "surprises" to those who are just starting at Mission #1.

I have flown just the first couple of missions and find this Campaign brilliantly immersive! The briefings and the "Story" are detailed and engaging! The "letters home to family/friends" add a very humanizing touch, much needed in all flightsims/campaigns. The missions, thus far, are interesting and historically seemingly quite realistic.

Thanks to all who created this Campaign..

[planespotter]

Originally Posted by DoolittleRaider

Hopefully folks will get back to discussing the Redux campaign....and not, in the process, reveal any Spoilers giving away "surprises" to those who are just starting at Mission #1.

OK no spoilers but I just want to say am I the FIRST to win the campaign medal?

YESSSSSSSSSSSS.

OK I had to try three times to get through campaign without dying:

1. Pilot killed by bomber gunner
2. Tried to crash land on water and somasalted
3. Two crash landings and three failed missions but survived and complete campaign with DFC and DSO

What I like: yes the after mission briefing are very good and give a good feeling you are in a big battle, not just your own world. Here I hacked into one and copied I don't think its a spoiler because it just shows the action for the day in the whole of raf, not just my mission

Combat report, Sept 2 1940: CODEWORD CROMWELL...INVASION IMMINENT...ATTACK PROBABLE.

Weather: Fair early morning and evening, cloudy for the remainder of the day.

Day: Slight activity. Some small attacks on airfields.

Night: Heavy raid on London, mainly in the east.

Highlights: Two attacks were made against the South East of England, the first by some 100 aircraft, mainly on the Kentish Coastal districts with a sub-section to Central London; the second by some 30 aircraft which penetrated to the London area and was a prelude to the night attacks in this district.

The RAF flew 305 sorties and shot down 7 enemy aircraft, at a cost of 4 aircraft lost. The casualties in night time raids were 400 dead.

When I saw INVASION IMMINENT I was a little panic. I checked, was actually this a real event and there was a invasion alert 'Cromwell' issued in September and there was. Very good research. Also the number of dead, was tragic.

Also these small quotes I like, of Hitler and Churchill, this one I have not seen before:

And people in England today nosily inquire: Well, why isn't he coming? Calm yourselves! He IS coming. And curiosity killed the cat - Adolf Hitler

I don't like

- I think bomer, stuka and 110 gunners are too accurate it is crazy how many times they can kill the pilot or the engine. Five times I had to land with dead engine.

- Mabe the text messages on screen are too often sometimes. In a dogfight you don't need to know so much how many of your side and how many of the other side have been shot down, it would be better if this just came after you land, not during the fight. Except for missions where you need to make sure not to lose too many bombers or too many of your own fighters.

But this is not much, and maybe the first one is the fault of CloD, not the campaign?