Some of the most interesting parts of the .M files are the OBJECT initialization strings. Look for a section that begins with "OBJ" and ends with "." like this one (from USNF '97):
obj
type F15.PT
pos 576328 0 463261
angle 90 0 0
nationality2 0
flags $4057
speed 0
alias -6
controller $80
skill 3
react $c000 $0 $0
preferredTargetId 32773
searchDist 25
wing 1 0
wng 2 0 512 0
.
This is an initialization sequence for an F15C Eagle standing still on the ground as the mission starts.
OBJ -marks the beginning of an object initialization sequence.
type F15.PT -indicates that it is an F-15C.
Pos xxxxxx 0 yyyyyy -indicates that its altitude is 0 ft. I.e. ground level. The xx and yy levels indicates the object's position relative to the map's bottom left corner.
Angle 90 0 0 -means that it's facing east while its roll and pitch angles are 0 (level).
Nationality2 0 -indicates that the object is American.
Flags $4057 -Unknown! But in USNF v1.2 (MF) an airport must have the flags set to $4013 to talk to you.
Speed 0 -Guess what! The object is standing still! (measured in knots)
Alias -6 -The alias seems to be an internal designator of some sort. Don't mess with it!!!
Controller $80 -This line indicates that the object is human-controlled.
Skill 3 -The skill level of the object. 0=novice 1=average 2=good 3=expert.
React $c000 $0 $0 -Unknown. This line probably reflects whether you set the object to
Attack, Defend, Ignore or Evade different enemies, but I don't know how it is calculated.
PreferredTargetId 32773 -Unknown.
SearchDist 25 -Indicates that the object will search for targets within a range of 25 nautical miles.
Wing 1 0 -The object is a part of BLUE wing (1), and is the wingleader (0)
Wng 2 0 512 0 -Unknown. I think this is the formation tag.