Suggested Fixes for P-40B Single Missions

[JacksonsGhost]

I’ve noticed that the P-40B mission 20_PHW1 ‘Pearl Harbor Defense 2’ in the US Navy Single Mission folder has become sadly broken at some point. I know this isn’t uncommon, but maybe I can help in this case by sharing some suggested fixes that I’ve worked out.

I’ll list the issues, then my suggested fixes.

These are the issues:

1. If the player actually manages to get off the ground and make enough of a fight of it that his AI buddies live to complete their waypoints there is a problem. The current automatic landing circuit for AI aircraft at the selected end of Bellows airfield places waypoints for the P-40s inside the mountains. So any AI P-40 fortunate enough to still have wings at that point will simply fly around until it runs out of fuel or otherwise crashes, even if previously undamaged (I tested with no enemies).
2. The player will automatically be awarded a successful completion of the mission even if they do nothing but walk out of the room to watch their favourite re-run of “Baywatch” for ten minutes while the clock ticks over and the P-40s get blown to pieces! This is because the mission defined Target radius is too small, and the vehicles the enemy are set to target move outside the Target radius before they can be destroyed. The amount of destruction required is also set too high.
3. Both P-40B missions in the US Navy folder should actually be in the US Air Force folder, as the mission briefs clearly identify them as relating to the historical Air Force squadrons, not Navy. In fact I’m pretty sure the P-40 was never in squadron service with the Navy. The Air Force ones transported on aircraft carriers don’t count!

These are my suggested fixes:

1. In the .mis file for 20_PHW1, change the Landing Waypoint coordinates for both P-40 Wings from 288446.72 32682.60 to 289215.09 34013.48. This makes them land in the opposite runway direction, but I think that’s better than crashing.
2. In the .mis file for 20_PHW1, change the Target text from 6 0 1 10 750 288807 33316 800 to 6 0 1 11 250 288807 33316 3000. This will do three things; greatly decrease the amount of destruction the enemy is required to do at your airfield, slightly increase the time they have to do it, and keep your moving vehicles in the target radius for longer. This gives the best balance I can find which generally forces the player to do something to win the mission while still keeping it winnable.
3. If it’s not too much trouble to get the two US P-40B missions permanently moved from the UN folder to the US folder in the next patch that would tidy things up nicely!

Of course all these changes can be done by individuals without a patch. I’ve already done so with mine. But if they can be easily included in a patch I feel that would be better for everyone.