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Thread: A companion app in development

  1. #1

    Default A companion app in development

    I have been thinking (for some time now) about and app that will have all the aircraft data and a calendar grid divided to 53 months between the first dogfight and the end of WWI.
    You click on a week square and the app will return a list of available aircraft to use so your mission feels "historical".

    In the calendar, I would like to point out some historical events that involved airfighting - just to make it simple for people who like it simple.
    I would like to encourage you to put down a list of those events here, because i am not that good at WWI history and i don't wanna miss something.

    Thanks
    Last edited by Honza; 02-20-2020 at 22:11.

  2. #2

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    Quote Originally Posted by Honza View Post
    I have been thinking (for some time now) about and app that will have all the aircraft data and a calendar grid divided to 53 weeks between the first dogfight and the end of WWI.
    You click on a week square and the app will return a list of aircraft to use so your mission feels "historical".
    In the calendar, I would like to point out some historical events that involved airfighting - just to make it simple for people who like it simple.

    I would like to encourage you to put down a list of those events here, because i am not that good at WWI history and i don't wanna miss something.

    Thanks
    Ooh yes please!

  3. #3

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    That would be Awesome!!! Sounds like a wonderful project! Would love to try it out when you are finished!!!!!

  4. #4

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    A very fine idea, I like it
    I recommend to use attached sheet - it helped me many times for historical balancing.

    Some ideas:
    1. It is not black&white only, so maybe some diferenciation of "full" service (blue bar) and "almost a history" service (light blue bar)?
    2. There were some breakes (month or so for Albatros D.II and D.III, AIRCO DH.2, SS D.III and Fokker E.V), so maybe show the plane with "temporary out of service" icon?
    Attached Images

  5. #5

  6. #6

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    So far, i have written the admin part and set up the database. This picture below shows the information that will be in the database by each plane.

    For now, this is not gonna be a WoW, WoG database, as i found out there is over 400 airplanes on cards, and i have family, job, ...
    So i will go with the file Dan posted above, and make it an app.

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  7. #7

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    Looks pretty complex, I look forward to see the first version.

    I guess 400 planes is including even non-official or are you filling the database even with specific pilots? I can imagine all minis + cards from all basic sets and boosters can give 400 in total.

  8. #8
    Last edited by Honza; 02-21-2020 at 03:53.

  9. #9

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    Just two words: Holy cow...

    Crossing fingers for succes.

  10. #10

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    Maybe you can sell it to Ares for the app they promised, and we paid as part of the Kickstarter, that they never delivered.

  11. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by Ken at Sunrise View Post
    Maybe you can sell it to Ares for the app they promised, and we paid as part of the Kickstarter, that they never delivered.
    What was it supposed to do?

  12. #12

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    Filling the database with aircraft ...

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  13. #13

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    For anyone who wants to help - I need scans of the aircraft cards that match the aircraft at the above posted document "WWI - chronology.pdf ". I have them all, but i can't scan them. 300dpi, color, one for each aircraft type.

    If this is somehow against the copyright law, which i think it may be, i can make a generic card that will hold just the basic features (deck, damage, guns, fire arc).


    I decided to go with the generic format.
    Last edited by Honza; 02-23-2020 at 23:28.

  14. #14

  15. #15

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    Each aircraft will have it's own sliding screen preview with some basic features.

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  16. #16

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    I wasn't sure at all what you were going for at first, Honza. Now I see. Quite ambitious.

  17. #17

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    Quote Originally Posted by zenlizard View Post
    I wasn't sure at all what you were going for at first, Honza. Now I see. Quite ambitious.
    The calendar where you can list the available aircraft for a particular month of the war is yet to come to life. This is just chrome ...

  18. #18

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    Quote Originally Posted by Honza View Post
    For anyone who wants to help - I need scans of the aircraft cards that match the aircraft at the above posted document "WWI - chronology.pdf ". I have them all, but i can't scan them. 300dpi, color, one for each aircraft type.

    If this is somehow against the copyright law, which i think it may be, i can make a generic card that will hold just the basic features (deck, damage, guns, fire arc).
    Hmmm... Don't know if I have the time... Generic plane cards, without units or pilots?

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    PS: Does it make any difference to you if the card style is Wings of War or Wings of Glory?

    PPS: Or perhaps a slightly different Aerodrome style?

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    Last edited by OldGuy59; 02-23-2020 at 09:20.
    Mike
    "Flying is learning to throw yourself at the ground and miss" Douglas Adams
    "Wings of Glory won't skin your elbows and knees while practicing." OldGuy59

  19. #19

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    Mike thanks, i think i am going with the generic. It will be just enough. Thank you for your time.

  20. #20

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    A generic card filled with data from the database.

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  21. #21

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    Not all aircraft have cards (yet). The French section is almost complete, just missing a few Voisins.
    The Austria Hungarian section is complete.
    The rest - a work in progress, 50-75% complete.

    All done using my ancient XP machine and Windows Paint. The Win 7 version is much better, but that laptop was taken in for a service, and the shop closed up when the owner died suddenly.

    Lots of cutting and pasting of others' work. My main difficulty is finding 3-views of the more uncommon aircraft to use as a base, paint cammo on then overlay on a standard background when I only have 1 layer to play with.
    Last edited by Zoe Brain; 02-24-2020 at 20:41.

  22. #22

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    Quote Originally Posted by Honza View Post
    ...
    I decided to go with the generic format.
    I wise decision - it is almost impossible to get them all.

    Just in case of need, I have all WGS boosters and core sets, so I can help with them.

  23. #23

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dan-Sam View Post
    I wise decision - it is almost impossible to get them all.

    Just in case of need, I have all WGS boosters and core sets, so I can help with them.
    Yes, i've realized that using the official personal aircraft cards would be going the wrong direction. This app is not meant to be a WoG/WoW database as much as it is a WW1 aircraft service calendar with emphasis on WoW/WoG released aircraft types.

    So no particular aircraft (The Richthofen's Fokker Dr.I) but a generic aircraft (a Fokker Dr.I.).

    This way i just use 4 generic types fire arcs - fighter, double-seater, LFG Roland C.II type 1 and 2 + the matching data - deck/damage/guns/climb/ceiling/game points. There aren't more types among the official releases.

    The models that have not been released will not have any game information for now, they will have just their general characteristics.

    The main function and the whole reason i have started with this ever growing project is a feature that will list available aircraft for a particular month of WWI. So say, you wanna your mission to happen on February 1917, then you click on February 1917 and the app will list the aircraft you should use if you wanna go historical.

    By the way thanks for the sticky thread on the official releases, the stats helped as i don't have all types.

    When the engine is finished, it can be used on WWII straight away. Someone just have to fill up the database, and i'd prefer that not being me
    Last edited by Honza; 02-25-2020 at 01:49.

  24. #24

    Question

    Two points:
    1. There are even bombers, but you can apply a generic card without any arc.
    2. I think I should have complete sheet for WWII, but the problem is there is no precise time range for using planes in combat. Maybe post #2 in General Overview of Released Minis - WWII can give somebody a clue, but it is just for basic orientation.

  25. #25

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    I finally thought through a smooth WoG variant implementation, because airplanes like Brisfit have as much as 5 variants in the game, but those should not be listed separately in the database.
    ... slso, level bombers will have to have non generic cards.

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  26. #26

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    The arcs of fire for the Staaken are out of date - these look like they're from Nexus FotG rules.
    The cards from the model show the wing mounted guns each have a near full 180 arc of fire, not the 90 shown on this card.
    https://www.aresgames.eu/category/do...of-glory-games

    "He is wise who watches"

  27. #27

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    Quote Originally Posted by flash View Post
    The arcs of fire for the Staaken are out of date - these look like they're from Nexus FotG rules.
    The cards from the model show the wing mounted guns each have a near full 180 arc of fire, not the 90 shown on this card.
    https://www.aresgames.eu/category/do...of-glory-games
    That's for targets at special altitudes. When you don't play altitudes, you use the above arcs. Both Staakens are the same so i don't have to point out any differences and keep it simple.

  28. #28

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    Quote Originally Posted by Honza View Post
    That's for targets at special altitudes. When you don't play altitudes, you use the above arcs. Both Staakens are the same so i don't have to point out any differences and keep it simple.
    Yes it was in FotG but it's not the same with the Ares Staaken rules, which are the current rules, the wing MG positions have near 180 arcs when not using altitude & 360 arcs when you do for targets higher up, not the 90 arcs shown on this card. The rear fuselage MG's operate in the same way as in FotG though.
    I gave you the link so you could check it out for yourself, did you not look at it ?

    "He is wise who watches"

  29. #29

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    Quote Originally Posted by flash View Post
    Yes it was in FotG but it's not the same with the Ares Staaken rules, which are the current rules, the wing MG positions have near 180 arcs when not using altitude & 360 arcs when you do for targets higher up, not the 90 arcs shown on this card. The rear fuselage MG's operate in the same way as in FotG though.
    I gave you the link so you could check it out for yourself, did you not look at it ?
    I did, i had troubles to read the cards they don't scale well. How would they shoot from the nacelle position across the fuselage?

  30. #30

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    Can you possibly take a picture of the card and post it here? Thank you

  31. #31

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    55 aircraft in the database. I guess i am about half way through.

  32. #32

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    Quote Originally Posted by Honza View Post
    I did, i had troubles to read the cards they don't scale well. How would they shoot from the nacelle position across the fuselage?
    The guns are mounted in the trailing edge of the wings, not in the nacelles but above them - otherwise they'd shoot their own props off...!
    I take it from your response you haven't seen the model nor gamed with one.
    Here's a pic that may help you get to grips with the layout:

    "He is wise who watches"

  33. #33

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    I get it now, thanks!

  34. #34

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    No problem, if you're going to the trouble of creating a database you need the correct data or it'll lose credibility.

    "He is wise who watches"

  35. #35

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    Looking nice! Will be quite a nice app when you get done!!!

  36. #36

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    I am finally done with the database.

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    It is time to start working on the front end.
    Last edited by Honza; 03-04-2020 at 02:28.

  37. #37

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    Wow, i gotta say this forum has the most obsolete upload system i have seen. It is hard to imagine something yet less user friendly and anti-intuitive. In its own way it's a masterpiece
    Last edited by Honza; 03-04-2020 at 02:27.

  38. #38

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    I guess because core of the system is from 2010.
    Good job with DB

  39. #39

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    Thanks to Dave, who sent me his excellent maneuver deck analysis, i could fairly painlessly add it to the overview feature.

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    Last edited by Honza; 03-04-2020 at 12:32.

  40. #40

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    Hmm, that looks great Lino but the SPAD XIII has a climb rate of 2 and a Max ceiling of 15... It looks like you're using WoW data not WoG data - Ares changed a few things including altitudes which all bumped by 1.
    Hadn't noticed it before but just checking other examples posted - Aviatik D.I is 2/14; LFG Roland is 6/9; Staaken is 8/10 so you might want to check your figures against the Unofficial Stas doc and Ares 'Climb Rates & Max Alt' doc before you go any further to ensure you have the correct data.
    https://www.aresgames.eu/12022

    "He is wise who watches"

  41. #41

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    Good catch Dave, i'll check it out, i didn't realize they've changed it.

  42. #42

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    This is looking just amazing - what an ambitious project that must be soaking up heaps of your time!

  43. #43

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    Quote Originally Posted by Biggles downunder View Post
    This is looking just amazing - what an ambitious project that must be soaking up heaps of your time!
    It does, but it is time well spent Thank you.

  44. #44

  45. #45

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    I've corrected all stats to Ares specs.

  46. #46

  47. #47

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    Quote Originally Posted by Honza View Post
    Good catch Dave, i'll check it out, i didn't realize they've changed it.
    Yeah, sneaky lot at Ares !

    "He is wise who watches"

  48. #48

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    A lot of work, for a majorly worthy project!

  49. #49

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    I gave the frontend a bit of a facelift, made fonts bigger so everybody can see it well, and added some quick stats.

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    Speed / designation 1-3 / crew / engines / bomb load

  50. #50

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    Quote Originally Posted by Honza View Post
    I gave the frontend a bit of a facelift, made fonts bigger so everybody can see it well, and added some quick stats.

    Speed / designation 1-3 / crew / engines / bomb load
    Bigger fonts - YES!!

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