There is a way to remove the empty feeling of a MP server with a big map:
integrated (coop) missions on the same server:
- server blue message saying with 10 mins in advance on which airfield the mission will start (bombers, escorts)
(- blue players landing their current planes to get one of the mission's spawned planes)
- blue players filling in bombers/escorts plane ranks, the remaining being AI
- scramble towards objective
(- red server side announcing the eventual detection of incoming blue raid and its ETA)
- red server side announcing with 10 mins in advance the airfields from which coordinated fighter flights will take-off to meet the blue raid
(- red players landing their current planes to enlist in counter-raid flights)
- red players filling in fighter planes ranks, the remaining being AI
- scramble
coordinated HQ code:
- HQ code informing their sides about detected/observed enemy side flights, their position and estimated direction/target
- HQ forming AI flights on nearby airfields to take of and intercept, and announcing them to the players in advance, so that the player might join them
- HQ informing players about friendly bomber flights requests for escort
and so on..
player are not so good at organizing themselves, so someone (ie server code) must do it for them
|