The mission builder in IL-2 Sturmovik is a powerful tool, and relatively easy to learn. The single greatest weakness of the builder, however, is the limited documentation. While the manual covers the use of the interface and the basics of mission building, some areas are unclear and some techniques remain undocumented. Len "Viking1" Hjalmarson not only shows you how to use the mission builder but also how to create great missions in this first of a two-part series on using IL-2's mission builder.

WHEN"S PART 2? I'm getting finger cramps!!!!!!!!!!!

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Check six & aim for the cockpit.

"We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. When the loyal opposition dies, I think the soul of America dies with it. ."-- Edward R. Murrow

He who sacrifices freedom for security is neither free nor secure" - Ben Franklin

Part 2 will be up in about an hour (3 PM MST).

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Len 'Viking1' Hjalmarson gets into the nitty gritty of mission design in this second and final installment on using the IL-2 Sturmovik mission builder. Len shows you how to set waypoints, mission goals and targets, and how to avoid conflicts. He'll also show you some mission file editing tips and how to set cameras so you can check out all the action.

I decided to subscribe to Combat Sim to read these articles. It's been a long time coming - I was a regular befor Pay 2 Read, and I guess I feel a little guilty for not subscribing

Anywhoooo... Great Articles! Between this info and Sotka's excellent FMB guide one can *almost* create decent missions (withint the confines of the tool).

However I have a question about an aspect of the FMB that is proving troublesome for me:
- When I use Destroy Ground or Defence Ground I notice - as noted in the article - IL2 gets confused if these are complimentary objectives (eg: destroy 50% of enemy forces while defending 50% of your own forces in the same region). This is a bit annoying but I suppose can be worked around.

What is proving annoying and I can't find a really decent way to work around is that when I set "Defence Ground" to a group of obkjects that combines Artillery (that does not move - but is not a stationary object) and Armor (that does move across several waypoints) it seems like the interpretation of this is screwed up. I can't figure out exactly what it is, but it never behaves as expected. I would expect that 50% of 12 vehicles means that 6 must be alive for me to be succesful, BUT... it seems like the game is only interpreting SOME of the vehicles as part of the assigned objects to be defended.

Can anyone shed any light on this?

Thanks again for the article!

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You probably know this, but you can change the size of the area under the "Target" tab in the "Object Viewer" tool in the FMB when you set the "Defence Ground" setting. You should also make sure that the defence parameter hasn't timed out...which it probably isn't since 30 minutes is the default, and that you've got the "Applies to" set to the correct "Army". Otherwise it won't work as you wanted.

Hope this helps.

Jennifer

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Thanks Len

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"Thingmies? We don't need no stinking Thingmies"

Sorry - earlier I suppose OI shoulda said "Hello Ladies and Gents"

Regarding the FMB and Defense Ground - still don't work like that for me.

If I set the redius to include ALL the possible movements of my ground forces, and set this as a primary objective, to 50% destruction and 20 minute time out - I will get the "Primary Objective Complete" long before the time out period has elapsed??!

I am going to continue experimenting but I am nearly certain there is a bug in this aspect of the sim as I have not been able to get it to work as documented with a few different tests aimed at specifically testing this aspect of IL2.

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So I assume that the attacking aircraft are still on the attack and haven't broken off and begun their return to base?

Could I get a copy of the mission you're testing this with please?

Jennifer90@earthlink.net

Thanks,
Jennifer

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I'd like to start the mission from the parking place and not from the runway head.
In "Mission Design ..., part II", Viking1 says you can do it by click and dragging the waypoint 0 (the takeoff one) to where you want it, and from here you can add WPs normally.
Well, I tried. I dragged the WP 0 to the parking place (not that of the nearby supermarket ), than I added a WP (which took # 1) to the runway. No way!
When I start the mission I always end up to the runway head. Obviously I'm doing something wrong, but what? (I'm using the 1.02b patched version).

Thanks.

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Gielle