Now that the BoS FMB has been released, I have started to work on a BoS version of my old Platzschutzstaffel Pitomnik Mission Pack from Il-2 1946.

The Platzschutzstaffel (airfield defence squadron), commanded by Hauptmann Rudolf Germeroth, was a detachment of volunteers from Jagdgeschwader 3 based at Pitomnik airfield inside the Stalingrad pocket between 12 December 1942 and 16 January 1943. The units main task was to protect the airfield and the transport planes bringing supplies and evacuating the wounded, but also free hunt and reconnaissance escort missions were flown.

Unfortunatly it won't be possible to redo all mission in BoS, because it's still missing some important aircraft types that were used at Stalingrad, like the Fw-189, Il-4 and Li-2. On the other hand it will be possible to add some new missions that weren't possible in Il-2 1946, thanks to the larger BoS map.

I think it will take some month before the mission pack can be released. There are still a number of things in the BoS FMB that I don't fully understand, at the moment it's mostly learning-by-doing for me. Moreover I am still waiting for the release of the Ju-52. Maybe I will upload one of the missions as a teaser within the next days.

Here some pictures from my first finished mission. It's a historical mission that shows the last combat of JG3 ace Georg Schentke on 25 December 1942. Schentke was reported as missing after attacking a group of Il-2s near Kotluban.















Btw, the old Il-2 1946 version of the mission pack can be found here:
http://www.axis-and-allies-paintworks.com/download.php?view.699

For those who have never worked with the RoF/BoS mission editor here some explanations.

The BoS FMB uses a visual script system, which means every command to a plane (take-off, land, waypoints, attack, etc.) needs to be placed on the map and must be linked to the plane. Here's how a ground attack by a squadron of Sturmoviks looks in the editor:



At first this looks quite chaotic, but once you've understood the concept behind it, it's not that difficult to create missions in BoS. One of the biggest advantages is the possibility to save mission elements as "Group files". For example, when you have created a bomber formation with all it's waypoints, triggers and commands, you can save this group and use it again in later missions. So mission building becomes much faster once you have created a library of such group files.

It's also possible to customize the briefing and flight maps in the FMB. Text, frontlines or waypoint markings can be added and edited. I am still trying to figure out which design looks best:



All in all the BoS FMB is a very powerfull tool for mission building, but learning to use it takes time. It has a number of advanced features that I haven't tried yet, for example it's possible to add media files, like sounds and videos, to missions and I have seen an option called "Surface Editor", I have no idea what that might do, maybe it's a tool for map builders.

I have uploaded a teaser mission :
http://www.mediafire.com/download/3lcvgwpgx24a77n/Teaser_Platzschutzstaffel.zip

Place the mission files into your data/Missions folder. The name in the mission menue is "Georg Schentke's final mission".

It's my first BoS mission, so if you encounter any problems please report them here.

Nice, I think however we should host these files/missions on A&A.??

Of course the finished mission pack will be uploaded at A&A.

I've made some good progress and the first five missions are finished. I've managed to add the first triggered events to the game, which I will mostly use for activating enemy plane groups when the player has reached a certain area. This will solve one of the main problems mission builders have in Il-2 1946 - making enemy and friendly planes meet each other in the correct area at the correct time.

Here a few more screenshots:

The eye candy does look good in BOS.

The eye candy does look good in BOS.

Duggy

I agree

ATB
Armin

Looking great.
This will be a good reason for me to go back to BoS

Here's another teaser mission:
http://www.mediafire.com/download/afc62yhk097fiv2/Teaser_Platzschutzstaffel_2.zip

And a few new screenshots: