Mosquito Combat: Wings Over Europe for CFS 3

Transcription

1 Mosquito Combat: Wings Over Europe for CFS 3 Welcome to CombatPlanes Mosquito Combat for Microsoft s Combat Flight Simulator 3! We believe this campaign and aircraft expansion set will add many hours of enjoyment to your combat experience. In order to benefit the most from the package, you will want to look over some of the documentation we have provided. The PDF documents include the following and these will be found in your CFS3\Manuals directory. D-Day, Normandy, 1944 De Havilland Mosquito Briefing Configuring CFS 3 for Best Performance The most important of these documents for your combat success are the Mosquito briefings and the Ground Attack briefing. You need to understand the relative strengths and weaknesses of your aircraft as well as how to fly them in combat in order to move forward in the Normandy campaign. The other document you may wish to refer to is Configuring CFS 3 for Best Performance. Many pilots fly with machines sporting older graphics hardware or slower processors and it is important to select the best settings for your hardware. At the close of this document you will find an FAQ that may answer questions that arise once you are into the campaign. Missions and Campaigns Included in this expansion pack are 45 single missions arranged in a linear campaign. This campaign includes training missions, so you can enjoy the campaign in the order it is set out and benefit by training on each of the three types of Mosquito that are provided. The campaign involves three new aircraft and a new set of damage and weapons files for all CFS3 Mosquitos. Also included is an entirely new weapon for CFS3, the 4000 pound cookie. There are three new dynamic campaigns included

2 here. We recommend that you fly the ten independent training missions (accessed on the TRAINING tab) before loading the Normandy or 1945 campaign. The three new campaigns are as follows: D Day TACTICAL BOMBER campaign for the Mosquito Mk XVIII and XIX beginning in June, Short (85 missions) and Long (170 missions) versions. D Day FIGHTER BOMBER campaign for the Mosquito FB VI and FB XVIII beginning in June, Short (85 missions) and Long (170 missions) versions. What if tactical bomber campaign for the Mosquito XIX beginning in August, The campaigns are available separately for fighter-bomber and tactical bomber Mosquitos for reasons relating to the campaign s automatic selection of certain aircraft. You must still select the appropriate PILOT when you enter the campaign (bomber campaign only for 1945). Flying in the Campaign There are a number of helpful features in CFS3 that you should make use of. These are: The tactical display (the circular display accessed by SHF T) The in game briefing screen (M key) The quick reference screen (F2 key) The help screen including checklists (F1 key) Remember also that you can use the P key to pause the campaign at any time during your missions. You should also pause the campaign any time you are at the map screen. Figure 1 Use the symbol to pause the campaign when in map view. While in flight you can access the mission briefing and map at any time using the M key (the map appears in the patched version of CFS 3 only, and the map shows the flight plan and your own aircraft only.) Zoom in and out on the map using the + and keys, and center on your own aircraft with C. The mission briefing screen can be scrolled using your mouse or keyboard so that you can check on the progress of the mission. If you have not completed a

3 mission goal, you can find out by scrolling down to the GOAL section. The tactical display gives you important information about your environment, and also indicates the direction to any mission goals. You can page through the type of objects displayed using the T key, and you can change the range using CTL SHF T. In this screen capture you can see two vehicles, indicated by the colored triangles, as well as a large purple arrow at the top of the screen. The current waypoint direction is indicated by the long blue line. In this case, however, you want to find the mission goal, which is indicated by the purple arrow. Unlike the radar display in CFS 2, the tactical display is not a god s eye view of the action. In fact it will only show you what your pilot could actually see. This means that aircraft flying in heavy cloud won t show on the display. Likewise ground units obscured by cloud or too small to be seen at distance won t show on the display. But it gets even more complicated than that. The tactical display is turned on or off using SHF T. It represents what your pilot can see given his current health and vision. The health (fatigue) and vision of your pilot will change from mission to mission, and can be increased by spending skill points. You acquire skill points by flying successful missions and by making kills. Before you fly your next mission you should check the status of your pilot and apply any skill points you have acquired.

4 If you are flying one of the Mosquitos in the fighter-bomber campaign and suddenly find yourself assigned to fly a Spitfire, you will have to wait until you have acquired sufficient prestige points in order to change back to a Mosquito. When flying in the campaign you will also acquire Prestige points for your squadron performance. These can be used to launch Ground Offensives and to acquire new aircraft. When attacking a target you can increase the rate at which you acquire Prestige points by also hitting targets of opportunity. In general it s a good idea to order your flight to attack the primary target while you observe their performance. Then when you receive the message that the Primary Goal is accomplished, you and they can attack additional targets. These additional kills beyond the Primary Goal will rapidly increase your Prestige points. Notes on Ordnance, Fuel Usage and Weather The Mosquito Mk IX carries no guns, but will carry both internal and external ordnance, including the 4000 pound cookie. The Mk XIX sports 20mm cannon and will carry up to 3000 pounds of bombs. Both are defined as tactical bombers and may only be flown in a bomber campaign. The Mk XIX has 2000 HP, 300 HP more than the Mk IX. The Mosquito FB VI and FB XVIII are both fighter-bombers, but the XVIII sports the 57mm Molins anti-tank cannon. While a devastating weapon, it only carries 25 rounds. All Mossies have exceptional range, in the area of 1200 miles with internal fuel and up to 1700 miles with external tanks.

5 Weather in the campaign will vary a great deal, affecting your ability to see air targets and even to some extent your fuel consumption. Note that you can often climb above bad weather. You can locate a particular squadron and also determine the current condition of a squadron by holding your mouse cursor over a particular HQ. Here you see that No.14 Group at the beginning of the campaign is at full strength, with four squadrons at three different locations. The Normandy campaign opens with the invasion of Europe. Your own success is multiplied by the campaign AI, so that when you do well your entire force will benefit. The best place to apply your own effort is not, contrary to what you would expect, where your side is doing badly but where your side is doing well. In the image at left the Allies are doing well in the selected sector. This is a good place for you to lend your own effort. You click on the sector and then select a mission from the list.

6 You can also see these areas at a glance by zooming in on the campaign map. Note the image below. This help information is available within the game from the campaign map at any time. From this HELP screen (arranged differently than you will find it in CFS3) you can see that green color in the center of a sector indicates friendly health. The lines that climb to the right show a British offensive. There is much more information on this HELP screen, like locations of production centres and we suggest you examine it carefully. Realism Adjustments, Views and Autopilot In the default configuration of CFS 3 the player to target view is on the F4 key toggle. Hitting the F4 key repeatedly pages through a number of views, including CHASE and PLAYER TO TARGET view. This view works both for air targets and ground targets. To use the PLAYER TO TARGET view you must first lock a target. In order to lock an air target you should have air target selected in the tactical screen. Here are the required steps: 1) If the tactical map is not shown, use SHF T to bring it up. 2) Next, use the T key to page through targets until the screen shows the target type you are seeking. 3) Next, lock an enemy target using the TAB key. (You can lock friendly targets using CTL TAB) 4) Now use F4 to page to the PLAYER TO TARGET view. This process can be made easier by dedicating a single key to the player to target view selection. In order to do this, access the CONTROLS OPTIONS menu from the OPTIONS menu on the main screen. Bring up the CONTROLS list then scroll to VIEWS in the Event Category menu. Next scroll to Player/Target view in the large box at the bottom of the screen. Click on ADD ASSIGNMENT and then press the key you want to assign to this view. Save the configuration with a new name (SAVE CONFIG AS) and make it the default control set.

7 Now you can access the player to target view with a single keypress (after having selected your target). If you prefer to fly with an outside view but dislike the CHASE view, try the FLOAT view (SHF F6). For some fun follow your bomb to the target with the F9 key. Note also that CFS 3 dedicates a single key to find your attacker. CTL + ` will immediately target whoever is shooting at you. If the damage messages (text on screen) bother you, turn them off using SHF D. The patch adds a wing level and direction holding autopilot that you can turn on at any time with CTL SHF A. (Download the patch from ) If you find the combat simply too difficult, there are a number of adjustments you can make. Access the REALISM menu in the OPTIONS menu. Here you can adjust the flight model, choose unlimited weapons, or make your own weapons more effective. If you are a novice pilot, don t hesitate to fly invulnerable until you learn the ropes J Bombardier View The Mk IX and Mk XIX Mosquitos both give you access to a bombardier s view. You can move between the virtual cockpit and the bombardier s view with the F6 and F7 keys. These are the only two Mosquitos that have this special view. The other Mosquitos have features that disallow this special dedication of internal space. If you toggle to an internal view like the Virtual Cockpit or Bombardier s view but cannot see the gauges or the bombsight, use the F3 key to turn on the cockpit graphics. A dusk mission over an airfield.

8 Control Configuration Many pilots will benefit by separating the guns and cannon buttons on their HOTAS or joystick setup. This will enable you to choose, for example, to fire the 4x20 cannon on the FB XVIII separately from the 37 mm Molins gun. To separate the guns and cannon to their own firing buttons, access the CONTROL setup in CFS3, and then select Weapon Commands. Follow the procedure outlined in the CFS3 manual. Optional Installation There is an optional installation included in this package which includes new damage models for the default CFS 3 Mosquitos, revised HELP briefings (accessible in flight), and reduced flak effectiveness. Using the revised damage model will prevent your connecting in online play with other CFS 3 pilots, but will increase the resilience of the Mosquito B.IV and FB VI as well as the old Mk XVIII (which is left in your aircraft selection intact with either installation). It will also transform the FB VI from a tactical bomber (Microsoft default) into a fighter-bomber, allowing you to order your wing mates to engage fighters when you fly the FB VI. To use the enhanced files go to the \Mosquito_Combat directory under CFS3. You will find it there after your installation. Execute the ENHANCEMENT batch file, which will also create a BACKUP of your original files. If you later choose to restore the default CFS3 files you can do so by executing the RESTORE batch file.

9 Using Your Wingmen Unlike CFS 2, Combat Flight Simulator 3 includes radio responses to wingman commands, so you will normally have audio feedback that your wingman or your flight have heard you and are doing their best to carry out your orders. There are six commands available to you when you lead a flight. Attack (with no target selected) A key This command releases two aircraft at a time from your flight to attack the target specified in your mission briefing. If you press the A key a second time, two more from your flight will be released to attack, and so on. Attack (with target locked) A key When you press the A key with a target locked (the ` key) then two aircraft from your flight will attack the locked target. This command will work with any target that you can lock (any target that will appear on the tactical display at top left of your screen). Flight Attack A key hit twice Press the A key twice within three seconds in order to issue an Attack command to your entire flight. The command works the same as the general attack command in that if you are locked on a target, your flight will attack the locked target. If you are not locked on a target, the flight will attack the target noted in your mission briefing. Formation Split S key This command enables you to split your flight in two, offsetting your current formation. The offset formation will move out 1,000 feet, back 500 feet and up 200 feet. This is a great combat spread type formation and is most useful when flying a fighter formation. To increase separation, reissue the command by hitting the S key again. Separation can be increased to a maximum of 8,000 feet. Note, however, that you will have to hit the rejoin (R) key the same number of times you used the S if you want to recreate the close formation.

10 Rejoin Formation R key Use the Rejoin command to bring your flight back into formation after issuing the Attack command. Note that your flight members will automatically attempt to form up with you after they have carried out your Attack order. Be cautious when issuing the Rejoin command, since your wingmen will break off an attack whenever possible in order to reform with you. This can place them at risk. Help Me! H key Issue this command if you are under attack and are unable to shake your attacker. The nearest unengaged wingman will target your attacker. Have fun! CombatPlanes FAQ Q. On the third day of the Normandy campaign, flying as a fighter-bomber pilot, I was given the Spitfire IXc as a new aircraft. I wanted to continue to fly the Mosquito. Why was I assigned a new plane? A. Unfortunately the campaign system has a mind of its own. If you want to continue to fly the Mosquito you will have to request a new aircraft. You can do this as soon as you have 5000 prestige points. Q. Why do old aircraft sometimes appear as new technology in the campaign news? A. In order to ensure that you are assigned the Mosquito on the first day of the campaign we had to fudge the introduction date of some aircraft. They will usually appear in the news on the second day of the campaign as new technology. Q. I followed the instructions for installation of Mosquito! But when I access the missions on the Historical missions tab they do not appear in order and are hard to locate by number. A. The original release of CFS3 had a bug preventing a hierarchical structure. The patch corrects this. Download and install the patch ( ) in order to have missions appear in numerical sequence. Q. I began the Normandy campaign but the invasion didn t occur until June 10. I restarted the campaign and this time it occurred on June 6. Why the difference?

11 A. The campaign engine has a mind of its own. While it will usually obey its creators and invade Normandy on June 6, it will sometimes elect to delay the invasion a few days. We believe that the virtual General Eisenhower is at work in this, but it s hard to prove. Q. Even though I ingress to the target at 20,000 feet, when I order my squadron to engage they descend as low as 2500 feet to release their bombs. This makes them vulnerable to AAA defenses. A. The fighter-bombers in CFS 3 all show this behavior and unfortunately the only corrective available is to force them to approach all targets in level flight at 24,000 feet. We decided to leave them as is so that you can operate them as fighter-bombers when needed. Q. When flying the FB VI I order my wingmen to engage enemy aircraft and they respond, Cannot Comply. What gives? A. In the default installation of CFS 3 the FB VI is incorrectly defined as a tactical bomber. This means that the AI pilot doesn t know the aircraft has forward firing guns. If you wish to change this definition you must use the OPTIONAL installation listed above. Q. It is really hard to keep the gunsite on a target in the air. My aircraft seems to want to rise all the time. What am I doing wrong? A. In order to prevent this behavior you will have to trim your aircraft for level flight. Before you engage the enemy use the trim key (KP1 and KP7) to adjust the elevator trim. Q. For some reason there is no gunsite in the Mosquito Mk IX. Is this an omission? A. Because the Mk IX lacks guns, there is no gunsite. If you fly with the no cockpit view you may sometimes feel disoriented as a result. We recommend that you fly from the external view. CREDITS Mission and Campaign Design: Leonard Hjalmarson Documentation: Leonard Hjalmarson Technical Advisor: PO Prune, RAF (retired) QA: Thomas Harrington 3d Design (the cookie): Gerard van der Harst Paint: Thomas Harrington Sound: David C. Copley Special thanks to Jerry Beckwith for and crew for the Flight Model Workshop.