B-17 The Mighty 8th - Getting Started Tutorial Video Series - Now Available!!! [Archive]

ikrananka

10-07-16, 10:25 AM

I have just published on YouTube the first video in my Getting Started Tutorial series of videos covering the B-17 The Mighty 8th game.

https://youtu.be/RMwKq7V0duU

Please check it out and let me know what you think. If you appreciate the video then please "Like" it and subscribe to my channel to receive updates as I add new videos to the series over the coming weeks.

All feedback is welcome.

Thanks and Enjoy :)

Dowly

10-07-16, 10:52 AM

Hey ikrananka,

Very good video and sure to help a bunch of people (myself included)!

I used to play it way back when and been meaning to try it again, but have never bothered to look for all the patches and mods.

Liked and subbed! :up:

ikrananka

10-07-16, 03:15 PM

Very good video and sure to help a bunch of people (myself included)!

Liked and subbed! :up:

Thanks - really appreciate that :)

I used to play it way back when and been meaning to try it again, but have never bothered to look for all the patches and mods.

If you buy the game from GOG or Steam it comes fully patched which is nice. I'm just uploading the second video now, which covers adjusting Joystick Sensitivity. The third video will cover where to currently find mods, which are my recommended ones, and also how to install them.

ikrananka

10-07-16, 03:38 PM

The second video in this series is now live on YouTube. This video covers how to setup and adjust joystick sensitivity.

https://youtu.be/7QvakpkLsWo

Enjoy :)

Dowly

10-07-16, 04:23 PM

If you buy the game from GOG or Steam it comes fully patched which is nice. I'm just uploading the second video now, which covers adjusting Joystick Sensitivity. The third video will cover where to currently find mods, which are my recommended ones, and also how to install them. Aye, I got the GoG version, just never tried how it runs.

B-II is a good example of a game mechanic that worked in earlier game (B-17 Flying Fortress) that has been improved.

I played B-17 I on my 486 way back, but B-17 II, I love them both, but II adds more of the human elemenent to the game, visually wounded crew etc.

ikrananka

10-07-16, 04:31 PM

Aye, I got the GoG version, just never tried how it runs.

B-II is a good example of a game mechanic that worked in earlier game (B-17 Flying Fortress) that has been improved.

I played B-17 I on my 486 way back, but B-17 II, I love them both, but II adds more of the human elemenent to the game, visually wounded crew etc.

I too played B-17 I back in the day but was useless at it. I just never found the time to learn it and clearly remember only getting as far as crashing my plane repeatedly during the taxi at the start of a mission. So, when I recently discovered B-17 II on GOG I was determined to learn the game well and now love it.

Red October1984

10-07-16, 08:44 PM

I've got TME on GoG but need to get a new joystick before I play any more of it. Looking forward to getting back into it!

Buddahaid

10-12-16, 08:28 PM

I dl'd this several months ago but will enjoy having some help getting started. I don't have much game time these days but I still have interest.

AVGWarhawk

10-14-16, 03:28 PM

This game I wished they developers kept working on. So much more could have been done. All in all still a great game as it stands.

Buddahaid

10-14-16, 10:04 PM

I'm looking to see if the virtual joystick driver and curve software can make my Sidewinder 2 relevant again. I loved that joystick but had to replace it when the software wasn't developed further. The Saitek Cyborg I replaced it with just doesn't come close and I can't justify spending big bucks on a new flight control system.

ikrananka

11-01-16, 09:11 AM

ikrananka

11-01-16, 09:13 AM

The third video in this series is now live on YouTube. This video covers the basic controls in the game while touring each and every crew station on the B-17.

https://youtu.be/Pb88KgWnTdk

Aktungbby

11-01-16, 10:42 AM

ikrananka

11-01-16, 10:50 AM

WOW! With my rudimentary Cessna 172 skills and two still-living uncles, both 94, who flew these to offer advice, I might just manage it. I'm gonna need a big pot o' coffee for the tutorials!:Kaleun_Cheers:
Sorry about the length of the tutorials - there's just so much material to cover ! ! ! Keep that coffee coming and I hope you make it through them. :) The next bunch will be much shorter.

Please pass on my eternal gratitude to your two uncles. Playing a game is one thing but living it in the real world is quite another. Have they spoken much to you about their experiences flying in B-17s?

Aktungbby

11-01-16, 11:37 AM

Sorry about the length of the tutorials - there's just so much material to cover ! ! ! Keep that coffee coming and I hope you make it through them. VING INSTEAD! The next bunch will be much shorter.

Please pass on my eternal gratitude to your two uncles. Playing a game is one thing but living it in the real world is quite another. Have they spoken much to you about their experiences flying in B-17s?Nope! The one, a teetotaler, is still sharp (pilot who still recalls the HP of a Pratt and Whitney engine) and we just moved him into a residence last week after his wife passed; the other is/was a raging alcoholic top-turret/engineer and has now outlasted all his siblings...amazingly, (as of a week ago!) My dad, a brilliant chem. engineer/mathematician, transferred from infantry beach-landing pillbox flamethrower-duty(HE NEVER SAW ANY OF HIS CLASSMATES AGAIN):oops: to B-29's and B-26's and didn't talk much about it either. He was a Nav/engineer on short- 4 crew'd ferry-command crews all over the war: from Dakar to Newfoundland to Tinian; often in unreliable battle-fatigued aircraft! He bailed out three times...and had a great fondness for Dewer's Scotch. ("Pour U a snort?!") Thus: I'm here by dumb luck-he was not happy about me flying Cessnas...so I took up long-haul sleeper team driving instead...and I'm here by even dumber luck!:O:

ikrananka

11-01-16, 03:20 PM

That's a shame, I'm sure they must have some fascinating stories, but I can understand why they may not want to talk about them. Sounds like your father had a hell of a time too.

My father didn't talk much about his experiences, but I believe he was luckier than most in that I don't think he saw any action. He was involved in communication repairs and drove a truck and I believe entered France about 10 days after D-Day. He did get shot once though - but it was friendly fire!!! Someone dropped their rifle and the bullet went up the back of both of my father's legs. The scars were horrendous but he could walk fine so he was lucky. A German soldier was in hospital in the bed next to him and they swapped a few things. One was the eagle and swastika insignia from his uniform which I now have (my father passed away in 1995).

ikrananka

11-06-16, 09:32 AM

The fourth video in this series is now live on YouTube. This video focuses on Training Mission #1: Taxi and Takeoff. I give three different examples of how to taxi and takeoff with increasing difficulty.

https://youtu.be/tYLsHVBOVSY

Buddahaid

11-10-16, 01:14 PM

Did vJoy and Joystick Curves help you with your Sidewinder 2 ?

Not really. I ordered new controls.

ikrananka

11-13-16, 10:12 AM

Not really. I ordered new controls.

Oh well, that's a shame. Hope the new controls work out for you.

ikrananka

11-14-16, 09:57 AM

The fifth video in this series is now live on YouTube. This video focuses on Training Mission #2: Approach and Landing. I give two different examples plus a few funny outtakes.

https://youtu.be/zoSTjSyVG8w

ikrananka

11-19-16, 03:54 PM

The sixth video in this series is now live on YouTube. In this video I focus on Training Mission #3: Feathering / Restarting an Engine. I give three different examples of how to shutdown, feather and restart an engine with increasing complexity and difficulty.

https://youtu.be/dDwfVpBjJPc

ikrananka

11-25-16, 11:04 AM

The seventh video in this series is now live on YouTube. In this video I focus on Training Mission #4: Bombing (Good Conditions). I give five different examples of bombing, illustrating the effect of the intervalometer setting as well as the salvo switch, with some surprising results!!!

https://youtu.be/DwR5Bg9QrxQ

Buddahaid

11-25-16, 08:38 PM

Great videos. Still waiting on the new controls but I wanted to let you know the videos are appreciated.

ikrananka

11-26-16, 01:22 PM

Great videos. Still waiting on the new controls but I wanted to let you know the videos are appreciated.

Thank You :)

ikrananka

12-08-16, 02:35 PM

The eighth video in this series is now live on YouTube. In this video I focus on Training Mission #5: Bombing (Poor Conditions). I focus on the procedure I use for the bombing run, correcting for drift and rate error to achieve synchronisation as early in the bomb run as possible.

https://youtu.be/v1EGZFuhR8I

ikrananka

12-08-16, 02:41 PM

The ninth video in this series is now live on YouTube. In this video I focus on Training Mission #6: Gunnery. This is actually a relatively useless training mission. My main recommendation is to instead practice your gunnery by playing Quickstart Missions #2, #3 and/or one of the historical missions in the game.

https://youtu.be/6FxiHe52M-8

ikrananka

12-08-16, 02:41 PM

The tenth video in this series is now live on YouTube. In this video I focus on Quickstart Mission #1: Limping Home. This is a challenging mission to land a badly mauled B-17. I introduce the use of trimming the plane which makes the mission so much easier.

https://youtu.be/wlzW_7WBf5Y

Buddahaid

12-09-16, 08:54 PM

Very helpful. At the end of the poor conditions bombing tutorial, it seemed to me that the bombing map in the debriefing was oriented with north at the top. The bombing run was to the southwest, and you aimed just off the top of the target making the bombing pattern true to your aim.

Curiously, I remember seeing a four engine start up somewhere but I can't find it now. I'd like to run through the adjusted full start up to take off.

VR B-17
https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=ArPe3NZ5f1o

VR B-29
https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=Qa3Lu8iPfHW

VR Many
http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/VirtualTour/Cockpit360.aspx

Buddahaid

12-10-16, 03:25 PM

Buddahaid

12-11-16, 08:46 PM

Well I have no idea why, but I'm unable to do the bombing run tutorial due to the aircraft not maintaining altitude. The bomb sight is set for 8000 ft and the bomb sight is flying the plane but I'll be at 4000 ft by the time I'm over target.

Also the drift adjustment will be controllable but the aircraft is no longer heading the autopilot so nothing changes. Very strange.

Well I know what happens now but not why. I loose control of being able to choose manual, or AI control, and it's stuck in a bad AI mode and it happened when I went to manual to adjust the intervalometer.

Buddahaid

12-12-16, 08:59 PM

OK, it's fixed. I purged all other joystick software first and the problem persisted so I then uninstalled the game, purged again, and reinstalled. It works fine now. :salute:

ikrananka

12-18-16, 04:22 PM

So I bit and purchased a modern FCS from Saitek, the X-56 Rhino, and it looks like it will work well using the profile software it comes with. In any case, using vJoy stops the Saitek driver from loading again even when vJoy is disabled. vJoy also will not recognize any of the three hat controls.

Well I guess vJoy has its limitations. I suppose that if your joystick already comes with profile software that allows you to adjust sensitivity then there is no need for vJoy and Joystick Curves.

ikrananka

12-18-16, 04:37 PM

OK, it's fixed. I purged all other joystick software first and the problem persisted so I then uninstalled the game, purged again, and reinstalled. It works fine now. :salute:

That's fantastic news and really great to know. I've toyed with the idea of buying a Saitek X-56 Rhino myself but can't justify the cost just now. Maybe I'll upgrade from my HOTAS X next year.

What are you impressions of the joystick so far?

ikrananka

12-18-16, 04:39 PM

The eleventh video in this series is now live on YouTube. In this video I focus on Quickstart Mission #2: Attack of the Axis. In this mission we use the gun stations of our B-17 to defend against a vicious attack by enemy fighters including Bf 109s, FW 190s and the jet propelled Me 262s.

Sorry for the delay in getting this video published. My recording software took a flaky and I was left with a video that had lots of dropped frames and audio out of sync. Took me a while to edit it into something presentable.

https://youtu.be/BNuJt1ngdLA

Buddahaid

12-18-16, 05:24 PM

That's fantastic news and really great to know. I've toyed with the idea of buying a Saitek X-56 Rhino myself but can't justify the cost just now. Maybe I'll upgrade from my HOTAS X next year.

What are you impressions of the joystick so far?

It's been quite a few years since I've had a HOTAS system so I love that aspect of the Rhino. In particular, being able to split the throttle into port and starboard controls for supported multi-engine sims is nice. Good in B-17 for when an engine is feathered.

The overall quality is good so far and I've no complaints there. There is, however, no detailed instructions for programming profiles. The link to that manual is dead, or not set up yet, but it's the same as the X-55 so you can use that manual. That said, the level of programming options is very generous and I've been able to get everything working in all my sims but Red Baron 3D which just won't calibrate, or perhaps find the X,Y axis. I can get to the calibrations and work them, but there is just no flight control in sim. It did allow me to get the other old Sierra titles to run with full flight controls and an old DOS favorite called Strike Commander also.

So overall I love it but there are programming concepts that could use tutorials to better understand.

In B-17 today I ran my first historical mission, Bremen, and let the AI do it all but the bomb run. First screw up was not understanding how to start the mission so I just started the engines, took off and watched the AI insist the landing gear be lowered and the plane fly into the ground. After that I went to the radio operator and chose start mission which worked great up until the taxi job after landing. The AI just drove me way out into a cow pasture and left me wondering how to complete the mission. Sorted that by heading over to a hard point and manually shutting down the engines. The split throttle made that possible with engine four feathered, otherwise I couldn't stop the plane from going in circles.

Still a ways to go before I'm comfortable with everything but at least it's making a lot more sense now. Thanks for the tutorials.

Buddahaid

12-20-16, 09:46 PM

ikrananka

12-21-16, 10:43 AM

Now that I'm getting a lot more comfortable with this sim, I'm finding that the quick start mission number three "Where are the Little Friends" a good mission for practicing both gunnery and bomb aiming. You can start as a gunner for the few minutes it takes to turn onto the bomb run, then assume the bombardier's position for the bomb run, and return to gunnery for several more minutes with ME-262's finishing off the defensive attacks.

I'm also finding the tail gunner is the easiest gun position to get up to speed with because it allows you more time to track targets that are attacking from the rear. Nice to watch one explode when you nail it.

Yes indeed. I'm working on a video for that Quickstart mission right now and will hopefully have it up on YouTube in a day or two.

What I like about this mission is that it let's you practice against three different Axis fighters, i.e. Bf109, FW190 and the jet propelled Me262.

ikrananka

12-30-16, 11:35 AM

The twelfth video in this series is now live on YouTube. In this video I focus on Quickstart Mission #3: Where are the Little Friends? In this mission we use the gun stations of our B-17 to defend against a vicious attack by enemy fighters including Bf 109s, FW 190s and the jet propelled Me 262s. However, this time there are no "little friends" to help us out.

There are some very impressive fighter explosions in this video.

Again, sorry for the delay in getting this video published. I have been having further issues with dropped frames and audio out of sync in my recordings. I have concluded that it is time to do some upgrades to my 6 year old PC. I'll be doing this in stages starting with a new GTX 1070 video card. I'm switching from AMD to Nvidia in the hope that I'll be able to get reliable recordings at 1440p60 with the Nvidia GPU hardware encoding.

https://youtu.be/XlIzGuXAD6k

Buddahaid

12-30-16, 02:17 PM

Again, thanks for the tutorials. I'm noticing that you are able to get camera views at the 45 degree zones that I can't seem to make happen. What is different in you're install?

ikrananka

12-30-16, 02:22 PM

Again, thanks for the tutorials. I'm noticing that you are able to get camera views at the 45 degree zones that I can't seem to make happen. What is different in you're install?

I use the hat stick on my HOTAS X joystick. Pressing it to a 45° position brings up the 45° views. It's a digital hat stick so I can clearly feel the clicks of the underlying switches so I can feel when both the up AND left switches, for example, have been activated.

Does your hat switch not allow you to access these views?

Buddahaid

12-30-16, 03:01 PM

ikrananka

12-30-16, 04:04 PM

Oh it has an eight position control. Are you saying that it stops at the 45 when panning left for you? The game doesn't have keyboard commands for those views that I can see, and I should be able to program mine to mimic any function. Right now it is mapped to the keyboard controls.

I have not manually setup anything for the hat stick and, as you say, it is not listed in the control options for the game. So, I can only assume that the game is hardcoded to detect a hat switch, and yes, in my case anyway, it allows my 4-way hat switch to access the 8 possible view positions by reading up+left, for example, as a diagonal up and left 45° view.

Buddahaid

12-30-16, 06:34 PM

I see I need to experiment. The X-56 has a multitude of hats so I suppose the game is unable to detect the hat. Thanks.

ikrananka

12-30-16, 06:49 PM

I see I need to experiment. The X-56 has a multitude of hats so I suppose the game is unable to detect the hat. Thanks.
Let me know how you get on.

Buddahaid

12-30-16, 11:58 PM

I don't know what else to try but I can't get 45 degree views. Using the keyboard controls only pans in external view. Granted, this is not a deal breaker, but I would like the capability.

ikrananka

01-04-17, 12:37 PM

I don't know what else to try but I can't get 45 degree views. Using the keyboard controls only pans in external view. Granted, this is not a deal breaker, but I would like the capability.

That is frustrating. Have you tried testing your hat stick in windows Game Controllers. Type joy.cpl in the search box and hit enter. Then select your joystick from the list and press the Properties button. When I move my POV hat stick to the upper left, for example, I see a corresponding red marker on the POV hat stick graphic in that location.

Buddahaid

01-04-17, 07:34 PM

Yes I do if I set it to fallback but it still doesn't work.

ikrananka

01-04-17, 07:37 PM

Yes I do if I set it to fallback but it still doesn't work.

Sorry to hear that :(

Buddahaid

01-04-17, 08:24 PM

Not a deal breaker and it seems to me there must be a way. I just haven't found it.

ikrananka

01-07-17, 03:48 AM

The thirteenth video in this series is now live on YouTube. This video is the first of six Fighter Schools aimed at teaching you the basics of each fighter aircraft in the game. In this video I cover the renowned German fighter, the Bf109.

https://youtu.be/128uDSFnGsk

ikrananka

01-13-17, 06:30 PM

The fourteenth video in this series is now live on YouTube. In this video I focus on Quickstart Mission #4: Opportunity for the Axis?. This mission places you in a Bf109 attacking a squadron of B-17s with no "Little Friends" helping them out. Can you succeed - I know I can't?

I need some help with this one. Can anyone beat this mission? Can you give me some tips on how to improve my fighter skills?

https://youtu.be/-shK-6tlO0g

ikrananka

02-12-17, 10:18 AM

At long last I'm back!!!! Sorry for the long delay, it's been over a month since I published my last video.

The fifteenth video in this series is now live on YouTube. This video is the second of six Fighter Schools, aimed at teaching you the basics of each fighter aircraft in the game. In this video I cover the P-47 Thunderbolt, affectionately known as the Mighty "Jug".

I feel I owe you a little explanation of the delay, which shouldn't happen again, in getting this video published.

It started off with me deciding to upgrade my PC which meant that I spent a lot of time doing research on the latest PC components, selecting those I wanted, buying, installing and testing them. I had to reinstall Windows and my many programs around five times before I finally got a stable system which took far too many days to do. At long last it all came together and I now have a much faster PC than I did before. This will hopefully mean that the issues I was getting of dropped frames and out of sync audio in my videos will be far less likely.

I then had a load of research on the P-47 to do as well as a lot of testing of this fighter in the game. I kept discovering issues and a few bugs in the game with the P-47 and also found that I was useless at landing it. While I finally managed to edit this video down from 1h 45m to 1h 17m, there were around 5 hours of other wasted footage due to errors and mistakes I kept making. As I only get an opportunity to record in peace and quiet an hour or two a day it took me nearly two weeks to finally get this video completed. I can now only hope that it meets your expectations and I very much hope that it is useful. Enjoy!!!

https://youtu.be/2GpRAiKrGjs

Buddahaid

02-15-17, 07:39 PM

Thanks again, theses are most helpful although I've had too much going on lately to get any flight time in.

ikrananka

02-16-17, 09:07 AM

The sixteenth video in this series is now live on YouTube. In this video I focus on Quickstart Mission #5: Fighter Sweep Over France. This mission places you in a P-47 Thunderbolt attacking a squadron of Bf109s and then a squadron of Me262s. Can you succeed - I know I can't?

https://youtu.be/tEr6XAYPTmo

ikrananka

03-01-17, 12:01 PM

The seventeenth video in this series is now live on YouTube. This video is the third of six Fighter Schools aimed at teaching you the basics of each fighter aircraft in the game. In this video I cover the renowned ****e-Wulf Fw 190 German fighter.

https://youtu.be/9qH8jH7mZqc

ikrananka

03-08-17, 03:30 PM

The eighteenth video in this series is now live on YouTube. In this video I focus on Quickstart Mission #6: Defense of the Reich. This mission places you in one of four Fw 190s defending against a squadron of P-51 Mustangs.

https://youtu.be/ie7tsE1GGrA

razark

04-11-17, 03:48 PM

Buddahaid

04-11-17, 06:29 PM

Yep they've been very helpful to me. I'm still having fun being Tailgun Charlie although I'm starting to think the Me262 AI pilots are idiots.

ikrananka

04-16-17, 07:36 AM

Holy carp, you're on subsim!

I picked up B-17 II cheap on Steam, because I loved the original one. Tried it out and couldn't really figure it out. Then I found your tutorials, and I've been slowly working through them. Thanks so much for this.
:salute:

Yep they've been very helpful to me. I'm still having fun being Tailgun Charlie although I'm starting to think the Me262 AI pilots are idiots.

Really glad you're enjoying the videos and that they're helpful.

ikrananka

04-16-17, 07:38 AM

The nineteenth video in this series is now live on YouTube. This video is the fourth of six Fighter Schools aimed at teaching you the basics of each fighter aircraft in the game. In this video I cover the P-51 Mustang, arguably the best fighter of WWII.

https://youtu.be/FbkwRg3hNmU

ikrananka

05-18-17, 08:09 AM

The 20th video in this series is now live on YouTube. This video is the fifth of six Fighter Schools aimed at teaching you the basics of each fighter aircraft in the game. In this video I cover the Me 262, nicknamed the Schwalbe or Swallow, the first ever operational jet fighter of WWII.

https://youtu.be/Z4Bv9IpGuaw

yubba

05-22-17, 04:26 PM

https://www.gog.com/forum/b_17_flying_fortress_the_mighty_8th/sound_issues

a copy an paste job

This fixed all sound errors for me, hope it helps......

the B17 main directory.(Computer, local disk, Program Files (x86), Microprose, B17) Then, go to the run command line and type regedit. Once in regedit, go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microprose \B17\General and right click on UseA3d, select modify, change the 0 to 1 and click ok. Then exit and use the my computer to navigate to local disk, Program Files (x86), Microprose, B17. Then locate and start(double click) the game using the Game.exe file (Just says Game with a B-17 icon) rather than B-17setup.exe, -(there are two and there are three B-17 icons, make sure it's the correct one) Then play the game normally, your gun sounds will be back along with the mechanical turret sounds. It's a good idea while you are in that B-17 folder to right click the B-17 Game.exe icon (or list, I have icons turned on) and send to desktop (create shortcut) Rename your new shortcut to say B-17 Sound Fix or whatever so you don't click the wrong one. (you should have two on your desktop now)

If you run B17setup.exe (start game normally) at any point after this the above registry UseA3d entry will go back to 0 and you will have to redo the fix. So if you make a change to the resoulution etc. just redo it and your all set. No problems for me so far.
Much Thanks to wombat778!!! I can finally play this game without stutter and now with sound!

ikrananka

06-06-17, 02:38 PM

The 21st video in this series is now live on YouTube. The last of six Fighter Schools aimed at teaching you the basics of each fighter aircraft in the game. In this video I cover the P-38 Lightning, the oldest of the allied fighters in the game.

Now all of the fighter schools are complete, I will be getting back to the B-17 in my next video.

https://youtu.be/rO-Re_Ysp7U

ikrananka

06-30-17, 03:03 PM

The 22nd video in this series is now live on YouTube. In this video I cover propeller pitch and other B-17 control modelling errors and issues that you need to be aware of when playing this game.

https://youtu.be/IhgMpht9cM4

Buddahaid

07-05-17, 09:03 PM

Those are pretty glaring mistakes but so be it.

ikrananka

07-06-17, 07:39 AM

Those are pretty glaring mistakes but so be it.

I always thought those controls seemed wrong, and when I confirmed it I was very unimpressed.

ikrananka

07-20-17, 06:43 PM

The 23rd video in this series is now live on YouTube. In this video I show you how to manually start the B-17s engines when starting a mission. Two different procedures are presented depending upon if you have the game's General Difficulty setting set to Low/Medium or if you have it set to High.

https://youtu.be/28UD0lK2QU0

Buddahaid

07-20-17, 07:57 PM

Thank you. I found it confusing when I tried before in the high setting. Maybe not confusing, more like a failure. :O:

ikrananka

07-22-17, 04:29 PM

Thank you. I found it confusing when I tried before in the high setting. Maybe not confusing, more like a failure. :O:

Glad the video helped :)

ikrananka

09-26-17, 06:31 PM

The 24th video in this series is now live on YouTube. In this video I cover B-17 Engine Management analysing the only official source of information on this feature as well as presenting a workaround to a major bug. There is no silver bullet to effective engine management. You must spend time learning how to manage engine temperatures under all circumstance and to practice, practice, practice!!!

https://youtu.be/XZZbMeUAohw

emmetthi

02-19-18, 03:15 AM

ikrananka

02-19-18, 09:50 AM

... I stumbled on your tutorials. You have giving me the desire to get going again with this great game.
I got fairly decent at it way back when. Your guides will be very helpful in becoming proficient.
Your explanations are spot on, clear and precise!
Thanks again.

Thank You :D

Good luck with getting back up to speed with the game. Let me know how you get on.

Sean C

02-20-18, 06:29 AM

ikrananka

02-20-18, 04:47 PM

Great ... now I'm addicted to this game. I'm even losing sleep playing it. :o

I've even started making my own custom nose art (https://www.dropbox.com/s/7l3mxtc6hq4bb0t/Screenshot%20%281%29.png?dl=0).

Thanks, I guess. :O:

(At least I got it on sale for like, a buck seventy-five. :rock:)

LOL - you're welcome :D:up:

Just curious, with the nose art, have you figured out the masking procedure? I managed to do it a while ago with Photoshop Elements 10 but have forgotten how.

It's funny, I'm losing sleep due to the current game I'm playing. Weird how games can do that to us.

Sean C

02-20-18, 10:11 PM

Just curious, with the nose art, have you figured out the masking procedure? I managed to do it a while ago with Photoshop Elements 10 but have forgotten how.

Yes. It's the same as with all other game graphics I've dealt with. I use Photoshop CS3, so there might be some UI differences.

I start by creating a background of one solid color (grey in this case - just like the original files). I then use the "Lasso" tool to select and copy just the portion of the graphic I want to use from another image and paste that onto a new layer on top of the grey background.

Once I have the graphic in the orientation/placement I want, I use the "Magic Wand" tool on that layer to select everything except the graphic and then invert the selection. This results in a selection in the shape of the graphic and is easier than using the wand tool to try and select the graphic directly because of the way the tolerance works.

Next, I click on the "Channels" tab in the "Layer" window and select the alpha channel. With the selection still active, I use the "Paint Bucket Tool" to make only the selected area white. The result is a white shape on the alpha layer in the same position and in the same shape as the graphic. This means that only the graphic will be rendered. The grey background (which is black in the alpha channel) will be transparent. As always, you can paint with various shades of grey on the alpha channel to create areas of varying transparency.

Finally, I flatten the layers and save the image. Of course, in this case, there is the additional step of adding that image back to the omf file by overwriting the original. (For that, I am using Taff in Exile's omf editor (http://taff04.wixsite.com/taffinexile/b-17-the-mighty-8th-mods).)

The colors in this forum make it kind of hard to see links, so in case you didn't notice: the words "custom nose art" in my previous post are a link to an example I made. I think it turned out quite nice.

Anyway, I hope that helps and if anything wasn't clear or you have any other questions, feel free to ask.

Cheers!

Eichhörnchen

04-27-18, 11:33 AM

I was going thru some old and forgotten game software and found this game. And I remembered how good it was and decided to get it up and running again. Then I wondered if anyone was still playing. And I stumbled on your tutorials. You have giving me the desire to get going again with this great game.
I got fairly decent at it way back when. Your guides will be very helpful in becoming proficient.
Your explanations are spot on, clear and precise!
Thanks again.

An oft-overlooked treasure this and, as someone observed earlier in this thread, it's a pity more was not done to make it even better. I also have stumbled upon this thread and must take the time to go through these tutorials carefully... accompanied by Aktung's big pot of coffee.

I recently looked into the bowels of this sim intending to disable the dreadfully intrusive turret-drive sound, which I find sooo distracting when sweating it in the upper gunner's position... but I find that there are no WAV or Config. files for the sounds here, such as you find in other sims like CFS3 or Microsoft Flight Simulator. Is there any way to get rid of this noise, ikrananka... there's nothing can be turned off in the "options" menu as I recall...?

Aktungbby

04-27-18, 01:56 PM

emmetthi!:Kaleun_Salute: accompanied by Aktung's big pot of coffee. HOW BIG IS BIG!?? FROM MY LONG HAUL TRUCKING DAYS: SAPP BROS TRUCKSTOP; OMAHA, NEBRASKA... The coffee pot is always on at Sapp Brothers truck stops: http://img.groundspeak.com/waymarking/log/display/d0dc4da6-2e28-4a84-a12d-5f7d22d74f34.jpg (http://www.waymarking.com/gallery/image.aspx?f=1&guid=d0dc4da6-2e28-4a84-a12d-5f7d22d74f34&gid=3):D http://www.navyhistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Screen-shot-2013-11-25-at-9.14.09-AM.png

HW3

04-27-18, 03:19 PM

Wow! Just stumbled on this thread. It brought me back to the days of the v8th OPS group I was in many many years ago. I still have my disk, and many of the mods we used back then, might be time to reinstall.
:Kaleun_Salute:

Eichhörnchen

05-26-18, 07:36 AM

Okay, I've now discovered this treasure-trove:

http://taff04.wixsite.com/taffinexile/b-17-the-mighty-8th-mods

Here you can download a modding editor to open up and change/replace the various files in B-17 (you have to ensure that the game is patched to 1.0 before you load this editor into your B-17 root folder, or none of it will work)

Included in the OMFmod Manual are detailed instructions on how you can also work on these files yourself, using Photoshop etc.

One mod which caught my attention changes the terrain tiles to an autumnal colour; the bilious green of the landscape in B-17 is pretty awful in my eyes, so whether this will be an improvement remains to be seen. I'm going to look into the possibility of building my own snowy winter terrain for this... if I can change the look of it myself then that would be very exciting

Eichhörnchen

05-26-18, 11:55 AM

No luck so far... as instructed I installed the OMFMod utility into the B-17 directory after patching up to 2.0 (may be that was wrong... I don't know... it said it must first be patched to 1.0)

Anyway, to open the editor and import files from the game I'm told I have to run it from the 'Command Line'. I don't know how to set this up and the people who 'explain' it on Youtube may as well be speaking Greek. Can anyone tell me in words I understand how I can link this editor with the OM files I wish to edit, please?

Eichhörnchen

05-26-18, 01:11 PM

Well I worked out how to associate the OM files in the game folder with the OMFMod Editor by changing the extension (through Control Panel) to specify the Editor as the programme with which to open them. But the Editor itself still won't open... I just get the message "This application has failed to start because WinParts.dll was not found"...... "Que??" I just don't have the brain for this... I'm going back to playing with my nuts, it's simpler

Okay, I might be getting somewhere now... opening a Command Prompt Window via "Accessories" (this is XP) then specifying the location of the editor and then the OMF file to be opened. I'll see if it works....

Sean C

05-26-18, 05:48 PM

...the Editor itself still won't open... I just get the message "This application has failed to start because WinParts.dll was not found"...

I don't know what editor you're using, but this one by Taff in Exile (http://taff04.wixsite.com/taffinexile/b-17-the-mighty-8th-mods) has worked just fine for me. It says it's compatible with XP. You just need a separate program (such as Photoshop, GIMP or whatever) to do the actual "painting". I haven't really used it since I last posted about it, but it's fairly straightforward and if you need help with it I'm certain I can talk you through it.

Cheers!

Eichhörnchen

05-26-18, 05:59 PM

Thanks, buddy... yes that is the one I'm trying to use. I've got an idea I might be on the right side of things now... I'll let you know

HerrRitter

05-26-18, 11:58 PM

I'm one of those people who played the sim, back in the day. It was very enjoyable, especially because those weren't REAL 109's and ****ers shooting at me!

I've flown several tours at different positions (never even tried as pilot or co-pilot. The most memorable was was the belly-gunner. Nice scenery to and from the target. Then, there was the target ... flak, German fighters before and after the target. This was one of the few tours of duty that I flew where both my plane and I survived!

Sniper450

11-14-20, 12:35 PM

Is this still playable these days? Was thinking of downloading it and playing while waiting for The Mighty Eight.

Aktungbby

11-14-20, 12:43 PM

Go for it! and give us a :up:

iambecomelife

12-12-21, 08:09 PM

Some excellent news! Yes I know, not all these projects survive to fruition, but let's keep our fingers crossed! :Kaleun_Cheers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHgGmjX-YaU&t=1067s

Sean C

12-13-21, 12:17 AM

If it's anything like the previous game, I'm in! Anxiously awaiting updates ...

Sean C

12-18-21, 02:27 AM

I had been thinking of getting back into this game for a while. The news of a possible sequel in the works nudged me to actually do it. After a few hours getting re-familiarized, I was able to complete a few missions. Looks like I've still got it! :cool: Although I'm not sure why it says I flew 0 miles. The target was deep into enemy territory.

https://i.imgur.com/WS5WmQPh.png

https://i.imgur.com/laVkiNLh.png

And I was glad to see my custom nose art was still there. :)

https://i.imgur.com/eaDM8gVh.png

tmccarthy

12-29-21, 06:41 PM

Have you tried adjusting the Norden Drift Scale Dial with the Mouse + Holding Down CTRL key?

The holding down CTRL allows fine adjustments. I found this accidently last time I was messing around a few years ago. I couldn't find this in the manual or documented anywhere and it made a big difference.
If I recall correctly changing the dial or making last minute adjustments with just the mouse was almost impossible.

Sean C

12-30-21, 04:53 AM

Have you tried adjusting the Norden Drift Scale Dial with the Mouse + Holding Down CTRL key?

That's a great tip, thanks! The drift adjustment is super touchy.

I think I was scanning through the controls when I found out that you can also make fine adjustments by holding the [N] key and moving the joystick left or right. That's the method I've been using. But I'm glad you told me about this because it will make it much easier to center the pointer if necessary.

BTW, I just discovered all the mods still available at Taff's website (https://taff04.wixsite.com/taffinexile/b-17-the-mighty-8th-mods). Here's a pic of one of them which I've modified/improved a little:

https://i.imgur.com/lNidRL0h.png

tmccarthy

12-31-21, 04:09 AM

That's a great tip, thanks! The drift adjustment is super touchy.

I think I was scanning through the controls when I found out that you can also make fine adjustments by holding the [N] key and moving the joystick left or right. That's the method I've been using. But I'm glad you told me about this because it will make it much easier to center the pointer if necessary.

BTW, I just discovered all the mods still available at Taff's website (https://taff04.wixsite.com/taffinexile/b-17-the-mighty-8th-mods). Here's a pic of one of them which I've modified/improved a little:

Cool, glad that it worked! The Mouse POINTER + HOLD CNTRL (maybe a better way to say it) also allows fine adjustments to the Norden Altitude setting. Yeah, I remember it being super touch and ruining good setups if you tried anything close to the target.
This helped me a lot with practice bombing and getting faster setups on the Norden so if possible I could adjust a missions IP away from FLAK zones and also hopefully find shorter bomb runs.
Being faster and more flexible I remember now also trying last minute 100 - 200 ft. altitude changes just before the bomb run, hoping to dodge some of those 88's !

Your B-17 mod looks sharp:up: I prefer the green over silver for sure.

-Tim

AVGWarhawk

01-07-22, 09:01 AM

I still have my B-17 disc. It has been a while since I played. Overall I really enjoyed the game and wish it was built upon for a great sim. I see another is in the works and looking forward to it!

Exocet25fr

05-24-22, 02:37 PM

On the left top of the screen there is a box with following values:

TIME
ALTITUDE
SPEED
HEADING

Is there a command key to hide it ?:hmmm:

OK !, problem solved: Ctrl + H

Exocet25fr

05-26-22, 10:02 AM

A link for Mods download: :salute:

http://www.mediafire.com/?rwkwte0ps366h

Exocet25fr

05-29-22, 05:28 PM

I made a new texture ! :)

https://zupimages.net/up/22/22/fr3b.jpeg (https://zupimages.net/viewer.php?id=22/22/fr3b.jpeg)

Exocet25fr

06-02-22, 06:02 AM

New Reskins :)

https://i.goopics.net/9355im.jpg

Exocet25fr

06-03-22, 05:20 AM

B-17 RAF Coastal & RAF Night (not mines)

https://zupimages.net/up/22/22/9pio.jpg (https://zupimages.net/viewer.php?id=22/22/9pio.jpg)

Polak2

06-05-22, 06:35 PM

Great work!
You should post all this on the Miscroprose B-17 II Discord site.

Exocet25fr

06-06-22, 01:04 PM

FINAL SKINS DOWNLOAD at the end of this page !

Exocet25fr

06-07-22, 07:51 AM

New ones,textured engines too !:)

https://zupimages.net/up/22/23/fpjw.png (https://zupimages.net/viewer.php?id=22/23/fpjw.png)

Exocet25fr

06-08-22, 10:39 AM

Silver Checkered added :)

https://zupimages.net/up/22/23/15jn.png (https://zupimages.net/viewer.php?id=22/23/15jn.png)

Exocet25fr

06-08-22, 10:45 AM

FINAL SKINS DOWNLOAD at the end of this page !

Exocet25fr

06-13-22, 01:35 PM

FINAL SKINS DOWNLOAD at the end of this page !

Exocet25fr

06-29-22, 04:04 AM

FINAL PACK DOWNLOAD

3 new B-17 textures:

https://zupimages.net/up/22/26/8wyb.bmp (https://zupimages.net/viewer.php?id=22/26/8wyb.bmp)

https://zupimages.net/up/22/27/jlt4.jpg (https://zupimages.net/viewer.php?id=22/27/jlt4.jpg)

The Final Pack B-17Skins_v4:

https://www.casimages.com/f/oLW3FOPLwYb

Sniper450

07-01-22, 10:09 PM

Is this game still worth a look? I’m excited for microprose giving it a facelift but that’s sometime next year I imagine.

Sonarman

07-24-22, 11:30 PM

Microprose are actually working on two B17 games at the moment… B17 the Mighty Eighth which will be a VR multiplayer game and B17 the Bloody 100th which will be more similar to the older B17 games.

iambecomelife

02-04-24, 09:50 PM

They have released the "Facelifted" improved version of the original game - Taff in Exile on youtube has a few videos of it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPDkIHpd4_s&t=1200s

HW3

02-04-24, 11:57 PM

Brings back a lot of memories.
:Kaleun_Salute:

FUBAR295

02-08-24, 05:35 PM

And the old "Bombs Away" web site. :D

stork100

03-10-24, 11:01 AM

Both versions are gonna be awesome. The full release of the revised classic game or the new one which will be very interesting to see. Good old Microprose. Got to love 'em. :)

Here's some B17 stuff to get us in the mood (starts at 9:30).

https://youtu.be/RuawKLksD9U?si=Pofy0k36PUVezRjg&t=567

sandbox

04-12-25, 12:21 PM

I have two versions, the might 8th and mighty 8th redux. In redux I'm not getting the same cockpit view as the one shown in the manual engine startup video. It's too close to the instruments, can't see the throttles. I'm on a 2024 g16 Asus with a 4070 Nvidia card. Anyone have ideas. Changed my screen resolution to 1920x1440. And same thing. New to this game and flying with a joystick. Thank for reading everything else looks ok.