Friday 2010-07-16 Dev. update and Discussions about the update ONLY!

[Splitter]

Originally Posted by philip.ed

The birds in that video look really good. I'd love to see something like that in SoW.

With birds and the mocking deer (seriously, they look at you and smile) in X-Plane, there is a bit of a performance hit. And they are a little too common as I took three bird strikes in 10 flights which is statistically REALLY bad luck lol.

I wouldn't want the performance hit that comes with tracking bird's positions and then the graphical representation of flapping wings. I guess it would be cool to be able to switch birds on though.

Also, as good as X-Plane's flight model is, it isn't perfect. Better than any combat sim I have played for sure, but not perfect. Graphics for X-Plane 9 would be TERRIBLY disappointing to what the folks are expecting with SoW. Lakes with sharp corners, no real ground detail, randomized buildings in cities, etc.. Of course, X-Plane covers the whole world (and Mars lol) while SoW will have MUCH smaller maps.

Having said all of that, the only thing that X-Plane is really missing is combat. The flight model is so good that I could live with the graphics if they incorporated a good combat sim. The good news with all of that for companies like 1C is that the owner of X-Plane has no interest, apparently, in producing a combat sim.

So if you want a really good flight sim with a tremendous flight model, check out X-Plane. If you want a really good combat sim...like I do...well, here we are waiting anxiously for SoW. While I enjoy and have learned a lot from flight sims, there is nothing like a good air combat sim .

I guess my prejudice toward gameplay, damage models, and flight models over graphics comes from my interest in flight sims.

Maybe Laminar and 1C should merge just to make me happy? lol

Splitter

[whatnot]

Originally Posted by Splitter

With birds and the mocking deer (seriously, they look at you and smile) in X-Plane, there is a bit of a performance hit. And they are a little too common as I took three bird strikes in 10 flights which is statistically REALLY bad luck lol.

This was a real downer for me in X-Plane for when I first tried it. Birds everywhere flying irradically and hitting ground and environment randomly without much bird-like behaviour. Even a bigger setback were the 'airportdeers' running around around the planet finding the green grass of the airfields. One would assume that if a deer hears roaring engines it'd run 10 miles non-stop instead of enjoying the sight of airplanes operaring while having a snack in the middle of all that.

I assume you can set them off etc so it's not that big of a deal overall, but the overall takeaway is that if you don't plan to do it properly in par with all the aspects of the sim don't do it at all. But knowing the quality of work so far with Maddox releases I have no fear of that.

[WTE_Galway]

Originally Posted by whatnot

Even a bigger setback were the 'airportdeers' running around around the planet finding the green grass of the airfields. One would assume that if a deer hears roaring engines it'd run 10 miles non-stop instead of enjoying the sight of airplanes operaring while having a snack in the middle of all that.

I recall a number of strips in western NSW where we had to do a low flypast to get the sheep off the runway before attempting to land Admittedly they got off the strip pretty quick when a 172 came roaring past.

[SpecialCake]

I was landing on a grass strip one time in a 172 when I noticed something on the runway.

"Is that an animal of some sort?" I asked my girlfriend in the co-pilot seat
"I don't know" she replies.

As we get closer, I see none other than a large tractor mowing the runway.

Just thought I'd share and contribute to the potential realism of this sim

You have to mow it sometimes haha!

[proton45]

I'm wondering if the new game engine will be able to produce water falls? It would be a really detail for some locations. Maybe this would be done through animation?

Anyway...I know this subject "might" be a little OT for this thread, but i have never heard anyone comment on this topic. Realistic waterfalls would be a great "immersion" feature for some future maps...are their many waterfalls in the UK?

[AndyJWest]

are their many waterfalls in the UK?

In the UK, a few that you could see from the air, under ideal conditions... maybe.

In the parts of the UK likely to feature on the BoB map? I doubt it.

Still, never mind proton45, I'm sure you can think of another idiotic suggestion for something to incorporate into the new sim. Bee hives? Molehills (on the airfields they would clearly be of military significance )? Piles of aluminium saucepans gathered to help the war effort (an obvious hazard to low flying aircraft...)?

This is intended to be a WW II air combat sim, not a reproduction of the entire 1940 universe.

[nearmiss]

This thread will be old news in a few more hours with a new update thread.

One week is just about the limit on keeping anything close to the topic.

It's about 9 am in Moscow now, so that probably means the update should be up within the next 6 or 7 hours.

[proton45]

Originally Posted by AndyJWest

In the UK, a few that you could see from the air, under ideal conditions... maybe.

In the parts of the UK likely to feature on the BoB map? I doubt it.

Still, never mind proton45, I'm sure you can think of another idiotic suggestion for something to incorporate into the new sim. Bee hives? Molehills (on the airfields they would clearly be of military significance )? Piles of aluminium saucepans gathered to help the war effort (an obvious hazard to low flying aircraft...)?

This is intended to be a WW II air combat sim, not a reproduction of the entire 1940 universe.

Idiotic suggestion? I dont thinks so (in fact my comment, was a question about the game engine)...in fact their are places on this planet where the waterfall is an iconic symbols of the landscape.

I find your comment to be less relevant then my own...AND I find your use of the word "idiotic" to be idiotic.

Originally Posted by nearmiss

This thread will be old news in a few more hours with a new update thread.

One week is just about the limit on keeping anything close to the topic.

It's about 9 am in Moscow now, so that probably means the update should be up within the next 6 or 7 hours.

Yup, that is true...its the perfect time for an OT question about the capabilities of the new game engine. And I think you will find that its a question that has never been asked.

[airmalik]

Originally Posted by WTE_Galway

I recall a number of strips in western NSW where we had to do a low flypast to get the sheep off the runway before attempting to land Admittedly they got off the strip pretty quick when a 172 came roaring past.

The airfield I fly out of here in Queensland has a number of kangaroos. Usually they stay off the runways but I've heard of people having to go around because of them. A roo jumped in front of a landing RV7 once. It barely missed the prop, hit the leading edge of the wing with it's head and got knocked down. As it went down it's tail came up and hit the trailing edge of the flap damaging it considerably. The pilot had powered up to go around when he saw the roo jump in front and decided to continue. Fortunately the controllability of the plane didn't suffer and he was able to make a uneventful landing after a circuit. The roo? Got up and bounced away!

Here's a video I shot a couple of weeks ago at the airfield. Has some kangaroos too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cagwLyG4eA

[PE_Tigar]

I know a guy who hit (and chopped up) a deer twice in his 200-odd hours of flying . The plane was repairable the first time, totaled the second time. I guess he was unlucky. I had near misses with birds 4-5 times (once the bird actually swooped on my C-150 ).