Experimenting with AircraftBasicData.dat

[asdfzxc922]

I've been working on reverse-engineering this file and figured I'd share what I've learned so far. If anybody else can fill in the blanks or confirm my guesses, please share.

The overall format is pretty straightforward:



[FLOATPLANE SCOUT] <-- Dictates which aircraft type is currently being described.
1910;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;- <-- If this line is blank, no aircraft of this type can be ordered until you reach a year with valid stats. (This may be the source of that bug where you can have dive bombing researched, but can't actually order any dive bombers)
1912;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;-;- <-- Each section progresses from 1910 to 1950 in two-year steps. I haven't tried adding additional datapoints past 1950 yet.
1914;86;74;8;0,3;144;144;144;1;6;5;3;-;5;-;-;-;-;-;-;2/-;
...
1950;212;110;30;2,1;360;288;230;2;9;8;6;-;8;1;2;4;-;-;Radar;6/5;L,G


The actual stats contain a lot of mystery values, but I can make some educated guesses:

Year	Max speed	Cruise speed	Unknown	Unknown	Range light	Range med	Range heavy	Firepower	Maneuverability	Toughness	Unknown (blank for PB/MB/Z)	Unknown (PB/MB/Z only)	Unknown	Light bomb capacity	Medium bomb capacity	Heavy bomb capacity	Torpedo load (L/M/H)	Double torpedo load (L/M/H)	Can carry radar	ASW value?	Preferred bombing methods
1950	212	110	30	2,1	360	288	230	2	9	8	6	-	8	1	2	4	-	-	Radar	6/5	L,G

Some things to note:

• Column five is a single decimal value. Fighters have the largest max value at 4,6, while zeppelins have the lowest value at 1,1. RTW3's jets have values about ten times larger than their prop counterparts, with no decimal component.
  
• Ranges appear to be in minutes at cruising speed. If left at zero, the game will use some hardcoded fallback formula that I don't know the details of.
  
• Bomb capacities very roughly correspond to the total weight carried in 250lbs intervals. These do not directly correspond to any specific bomb load, and use a different scale from the format used in the savefile (which scales very nonlinearly). I believe that the game applies some additional modifiers based on the plane's other stats, which would explain why a bomb load of 1 in 1920 corresponds to 2x60lbs or 100lbs while the same payload in 1940 usually corresponds to 250lbs.
  
• Medium bombers completely ignore the torpedo-related columns; I suspect the game just checks if their medium bomb load is >600lbs and then rolls some dice. All other plane types are confirmed to respect them.
  
• Columns 19 and 20 correspond to values in the save file (AT0Torpedo2 and AT0Radar, respectively), but neither feature is functional. (Torpedo2 would be used for double torpedo payloads, denoted as "M/H" or "-/M" in the plane info window, but this mechanic was only implemented as far as a few UI elements.)
  
• The first number in column 21 seems to determine the plane's contribution to the ASW score shown on the air groups screen. I think the second number is the odds of actually attacking and sinking a sub. It's present on FS, PB and Z (PB is 16/14, Z is 12/4).
• Column 22 is confirmed to have no gameplay effect. The logic for choosing attack profiles is 100% hardcoded.
  

[asdfzxc922]

I've updated my first post after a long round of in-game testing.

[tbr]

Range is in minutes in this file and the savegame, so range in miles = range in minutes * cruise speed.

[christian]

sounds interesting whats the max bomb load you can edit on a plane ? before it breaks

[berte]

Very nice work, asdfzxc922 .

I'd like to place two orders for aircraft, if I may?

I'd like an order for a DB that has a speed of 770 knots, that's supersonic, and I'd like it to drop 2000lb bombs. I'd like a Fighter with faster speed, less bomb load and slightly less range but with more maneuverability and firepower. How much would that run me in 1960 dollars? DB specs below:

Year

Max speed

Cruise speed

Unknown

Unknown

Range light

Range med

Range heavy

Firepower

Maneuverability

Toughness

Unknown (blank for PB/MB/Z)

Unknown (PB/MB/Z only)

Unknown

Light bomb capacity

Medium bomb capacity

Heavy bomb capacity

Torpedo load (L/M/H)

Double torpedo load? (L/M/H)

Can carry radar

ASW value?

Preferred bombing methods

1960

770

520

?

?

550

450

300

8

12

15

?

-

?

2

4

8

-

-

Radar

?

L,G

[dsilva44]

Could column 14 be a placeholder for an as yet unimplemented AGM payload?

Nice work so far, please keep it up and we will gladly take advantage of your research efforts, haha! I would offer to help but am still implementing my own mod to add the south American nations, but have had alot going on to drag that down.

[oaktree]

I've just started looking at this data as well out of curiosity. Thanks for providing some additional information.

I am wondering if any of the mystery columns might be related to aircraft maintenance cost; e.g. helping with computation of squadron maintenance cost.
However, I see a number of additional modifiers that might be in play in calculating that:
a. What you choose when the Air/Sea Rescue event pops up - potential increase in cost there.
b. Jet Age - I believe this involves an increase in maintenance - but that might be covered in the table.
c. Improved Standard of Living event - that increases maintenance costs. (Might be in the table as well if that is date/year triggered.)
d. Squadron status is Active or Reserve.
e. Squadron is Carrier Trained.

I am just starting to churn some example numbers in that area to see if I can spot some correlations.

Another thing I am curious whether a column number might indicate some factor in how easily an aircraft type is to repair when it is damaged or has been unreliable at the start of the scenario.

[asdfzxc922]

I've updated a lot of the info in the first post and (hopefully) made it a bit more readable.