NEED Answer re TLD DGEN Data Files

[Tolwyn]

TLD DGEN replaces MANY files; some with different sizes and dates.

How does this AFFECT installing OVER FB+AEP+PF version 3.03?

[tankeriv]

The patch adds new things, TLD does not contain any of the files that came with the patch.

[HomeFries]

Tankeriv,

I have the same concerns; it seems that some of the files are older and/or smaller than the ones they are replacing. I run FB+AEP+PF, and I also have BoE with the Boe AEP Patch and Starshoy's BoE-PF update.

I guess the bottom line is: is there anything i need to copy and paste to guarantee compatibility with both addons?

Thanks in advance,

[tankeriv]

The new BOE update doesn't contain anything that overwrites things that came with TLD.

TLD itself does overwrites some BOE stuff.

Like :

Briefing files + some medall packs.
US briefings
English briefings.

If you want to avoid this then it is best to do as Tolwyn described at the SimHQ board to install TLD into an emtpty directory and move all :

campaign*.*
planes*.*
*.DB
*.mis

files to your DGen directory.
(found in the TLD installation DGen folder.)

+ all skins to the skins directory.
If PF not installed please copy the new DGen file to you IL2 directory as well.

[Kelm]

Mad Gonzo,

Sorry, but where can i find the Starshoy's BoE-PF update ?

[Hard Sarge]

try here

http://justflight.com/en/(ksh3kw3hlragh ... index.aspx

if not, then go justflight.com and click on free downloads

HARD_Sarge

[Kelm]

Ok, thanks a lot.

[HomeFries]

Kelm,

Actually, Starshoy's PF update isn't supported by Justflight. He did it on his own.

The link is:
BOE-PF Update

Enjoy!

[HomeFries]

Tankeriv,

I didn't see any new posts about this in the merged simhq forum. Do you refer to this post?

@ Starshoy

in which starshoy says that the datafiles must contain the following:

campaignsDeW.dat
planesDeW.dat
squadronsDeW.dat

Their content must be:
===== campaignsDeW.dat =========
(BoE) Western Front Fighter.
Dynamic campaign for German Western Front fighter pilot.
France44 May 1944: France
Normandy June 1944: The Invasion
BerlinAir44 September 1944: Berlin Air Defense
BalatonAir44 November 1944: Hungary Air Defense
Ardennes December 1944: Ardennes Offensive
BerlinAir45 February 1945: The Last Days
====== planesDeW.dat ======================
[France44]
BF_109G6
FW_190A8
BF_109G6Late
[Normandy]
BF_109G6
FW_190A8
BF_109G6Late
ME_262A2A
[BerlinAir44]
BF_109G6Late
FW_190A8
BF_109G6AS
BF_109G14
[BalatonAir44]
BF_109G6Late
FW_190D9
FW_190A8
BF_109G6AS
BF_109G10
BF_109G14
[Ardennes]
FW_190D9
FW_190A8
FW_190A9
BF_109G6AS
BF_109G10
BF_109G14
BF_109K4
ME_262A2A
[BerlinAir45]
ME_262A1A
FW_190D9
FW_190A9
BF_109G6AS
BF_109G10
BF_109G14
BF_109K4
====== squadronsDeW.dat =========
I_JG2
II_JG2
III_JG2
I_JG26
Stab_KG51a00
I_JG3
II_JG3
III_JG3
IV_JG3
I_JG1
II_JG1
III_JG1
II_JG4
III_JG1_1
Stab_JG11
I_JG26
Stab_JG26
I_JG27
II_JG27
II_JG27
III_JG27
IV_JG27
Stab_JG27
II_JG5_1
I_JG5_3
II_JG5_3
III_JG5_3
Stab_JG53
III_JG54
I_JG77
II_JG77
III_JG77
Stab_JG77
I_JG5
II_JG5
======================

Thanks for the reply.

[Hard Sarge]

Sorry my bad, didn't know there was a BOE/PF update, thought he meant the update after AEP

oh well

thanks for adding the link

HARD_Sarge

[HomeFries]

No problem Hard Sarge. It is understandably confusing. I found that from a SimHQ post.

[Kelm]

Ok, thanks Mad Gonzo for your link.

BTW, Thanks anyway to Hard Sarge, for trying to help me.

Honestly, i ve bought TLD, but i ve not installed it. In my actual install, i have a merged install of FB&PF, BoE, and Operation Fall Blau (Case Blue at Matrix), but when i see that LTD can overwrite several files, i have prefered not to install it, and waiting to have a solution, in how making a good install.

So like the question have been asked by Tolwyn...I have thinked, that having more information about this, would be better, than erasing my actual game's campaign, with a bad install.

PS: Sorry for my poor english.

[HomeFries]

Kelm,

Here's what you can do:
1) install TLD into a separate folder
1.5) You may want to back up the medal and background files in your Missions\Campaign folder since TLD overwrites some of these. Personally, I like the default medals, but the backgrounds are pretty cool.
2) Copy the non-dgen files into their appropriate IL-2 FB folders (this way you at least get the skins and the single missions). Note - you do not have to copy the medals and backgrounds files to your IL-2 FB folder if you don't want to.
3) Make a back-up of your Dgen folder (the Dgen folder is nested in your main IL-2 FB folder)
4) Follow the advice Tankeriv gave me earlier in this thread

This way, you can try out TLD and if it overwrites something that BOE needs, you can always restore from your backup Dgen folder. I intend to try this shortly.

Hope this helps,

[Kelm]

Mad Gonzo,

Thanks for your reply.

I understood point one and two. And if i have well understood point 3, i made a backup of my actual Dgen folder, and when i want to play with the LTD's campaign, i move my original Dgen folder in an outside folder, and replace it by the LTD Dgen folder, from the seperate install of this addon.

Sorry for this last question...but like i'am not very accustomed with english forum, i prefer have a confirmation, before installing this addon.

[HomeFries]

Tankeriv,

After following your advice, it appears that the following files directly conflict with BoE:

campaignsUSB.dat
USD.dat
DeJ.dat

the campaignsDeW.dat did not exist in the TLD install directory despite the fact that the TLD installer tried to overwrite planesDeW.dat. I'm not sure if this is by design or an ommitted campaign, but regardless I edited the existing file to cover down on what Starshoy said the file should include.

I merged all of the corresponding PlanesXXX.dat files so that shouldn't be a problem. However, it doesn't appear that the campaignsXXX.dat files can be merged; they appear to each have a single heading/description and then theaters listed below.

Can they be merged, or if not, how can I go about moving individual theaters to other campaign data files (e.g. the TLD HE-111 campaigns in DeJ to the stock DeB datafile, or is there a better way of doing this?

Thanks in advance for your assistance.

BTW, the campaigns I did get to work are very nice. Thanks for the great work.

[HomeFries]

All,

[8D][8D]I think I've made it work![8D][8D]

1) Overwriting any of the DeW.dat files is unnecessary; the TLD DeW files are identical to the TLD DeV files and appear to be unnecessary. You can leave the original DeW files as BoE intended.

2) BoE USB and USD files are used for US Fighters and P-38 campaigns respectively. They cannot be merged with the TLD USB and USD files. However, since both TLD campaigns use the same planes and squadrons, I merged them into USE.dat files. I created a campaignsUSE.dat to merge both USB and USD files:

campaignsUSE.dat
* (TLD) - US Fighter.
Dynamic fictional campaign for an American fighter pilot.
ArdennesTLDusLuft46 March 1945: The Battle of the Bulge continues. (Bodenplatte Luft 46)
BerlinTLDUS Berlin 1945: The very last and most desperate months of the war.

the TLD planesUSB.dat and squadronsUSB.dat can just be copied to your Dgen folder as planesUSE.dat and squadronsUSE.dat. You do not need to overwrite your BoE USB and USD dat files.

3) The TLD DeJ is a He-111 Luft 46 campaign that conflicts with BoE. DeD is also a TLD He-111 campaign, but does not conflict. So to not overwrite the BoE Jabo campaigns, I merged the appropriate lines to create these files:

campaignsDeD.dat
* (TLD) He-111 Bomber.
*OT Dynamic campaign for He-111 bomber pilot
LvovTLD Lvov Summer 44
ArdennesTLDLuft46B February 1945: Operation Fruhlings Ehrwachen continues.


planesDeD.dat
[LvovTLD]
HE_111H2
HE_111H6
[ArdennesTLDLuft46B]
HE_111H2
HE_111H6

the squadronsDeD.dat file can remain as is.

This should take care of any merging necessary. No other BoE files need to be overwritten by TLD.

Tankeriv, please correct me if you see any problems. I have not run into any showstoppers yet.

Everyone else, please back up your dgen folder before attempting this.

Hope this helps,

[Tolwyn]

Darn it!
I knew I was right about this.
Basically, we need to have a patch released that addresses the DeW overwritten files. Most definately, TLD overwrites BOE's:

planesDeW.dat file and squadronsDeW.dat files; rendering some BOE campaigns as useless.

[HomeFries]

Tolwyn,

Not really. All you need to do is restore your original planesDeW.dat and squadronsDeW.dat files, or just write them up as Starshoy posted.

I think the DeW files were duplicates that unintentionally made it into the install; the DeV files are identical. You get the same Luft46 Tankbuster campaign with the DeV files without needing to overwrite your DeWs.

[Tolwyn]

Starshoy also said that if we use his original file, then some TLD campaigns will not work; or will cease to function because the DeW campaign had not been renamed.

There is still an issue.

[HomeFries]

I wonder if we're talking apples and oranges here:

1) I didn't have a campaignsDeW.dat file in my TLD installation (it merely attempted to overwrite the planesDeW and squadronsDeW)

2) the planesDeW and squadronsDeW files were identical to their corresponding DeV files (same squadrons, plane and referenced the Luft46TB campaign). Therefore I took them to be the same thing as the DeW files.

If you actually have a TLD DeW file that points to something other than the Ju-87G1 Ardennes 45 Tankbuster Campaign, then I may have to repair my TLD install, although I haven't modified it.