Targetware: Mod Creation

What is a Mod?

A Targetware mod is a collection of files that, when used with the Targetware Engine, make up a combat flight simulator. A mod tells the engine what terrain to render, what airplanes are available and how they fly, what sound effects are to be used, what special effects are available, and what, if any, ground objects will populate the virtual world the mod represents.

Some examples of Targetware mods are "Target Korea", "Target Rabaul", and "Target Flanders." Mods can be created solely by players, by Targetware itself, or by third party organizations that are creating and marketing their own mods.

When you play Targetware online, you select a server running a particular Mod. For example, you may play on the Official Target Rabaul server, or on a server run by your squadron that uses a custom mod designed specifically for your squadron. When you practice offline, you first select the Mod you wish to use, then select a specific scenario from within that Mod.

Some Mods are entirely self-contained, such as Target Korea or Target Rabaul. Some mods may simply be a set of new scenario files that rely entirely on one or more different mods for the aircraft, terrain, and other data files. Self-contained mods are a more reliable choice when you want to share your mod with other players, because they can be distributed with all the required parts, without being dependent on the other players having already installed a "parent" mod. On the other hand, if all you want to do is create new scenarios without having to distribute a lot of aircraft, sound, or terrain data, a hybrid mod may be the way to go. These two types of mods are discussed in detail later on.

Mod Components

A mod consists of the following components:

• Aircraft - 3d models, 2d textures, animation files, physics files
• Terrain - elevation, ecology, road, rail, coastline, and river data plus 2d texture files
• Sound Files (.wav format)
• Particles - visual effects such as smoke, fire, explosions
• Ground Objects/Targets (optional) - vehicles, scenery objects, buildings, ships, etc.
• Scenarios - text-based strat files that describe which planes are available, where they are based, which ground targets, if any, are present, and victory conditions. These are the master files that tell the game what to do with the individual components of a mod.