Friday 2010-09-03 Dev. update and Discussions

[Insuber]

Back to serious things: it's time that the adults of this forum take back the steering wheel from the children.

Questions raised on this thread that deserve some attention from OM:


1. blending of 3D objects into the landscape (namely trees)
2. size of country roads
3. hedges
4. railroad bridges / tunnels / trenches
......
1001. Size of pilot

You are free to fill in the empty places from 4 to 1000, of course.

Cheers!
Insuber

[philip.ed]

Originally Posted by Insuber

Back to serious things: it's time that the adults of this forum take back the steering wheel from the children.

Questions raised on this thread that deserve some attention from OM:


1. blending of 3D objects into the landscape (namely trees)
2. size of country roads
3. hedges
4. railroad bridges / tunnels / trenches
......
1001. Size of pilot

You are free to fill in the empty places from 4 to 1000, of course.

Cheers!
Insuber

-Prop-Wash
-Changing colours of grass due to change in weather (affecting the way this affects landings too as well e.g if the ground is wet)
-Animation of pilot...putting his helmet on, plugging in his wiring loom and oxygen hose (unless they were already plugged in)

etc etc

[Avimimus]

Originally Posted by Insuber

Back to serious things: it's time that the adults of this forum take back the steering wheel from the children.

Questions raised on this thread that deserve some attention from OM:


1. blending of 3D objects into the landscape (namely trees)
2. size of country roads
3. hedges
4. railroad bridges / tunnels / trenches
......
1001. Size of pilot

You are free to fill in the empty places from 4 to 1000, of course.

Cheers!
Insuber

4. Oleg has already stated that the engine can handle tunnels, that they looked into it, but that they might not get a chance to do it with the initial release.

1001. I doubt Oleg will make a mistake here. Remember that people were smaller then.

[nearmiss]

Do you know why they often refer to gang bangers in LA, California as low riders?

One reason is..they drive their cars with the front seat as far down and back as possible. The driver can just barely see over the steering wheel. Why? so opposing gang members/bangers on driveby can't get a clear shot at them.

So... concluding from that I would say having a little head would be beneficial when you are getting shot at.. in East LA or in the virtual skies of IL2 SOW.

Therefore, SOW needs to have little pilots with little heads. It's logical... LOL

It make sense, afterall we have clickable cockpits, some are wanting virtual knees and knuckles...why not clickable pilots and head sizes.

[MD_Titus]

Originally Posted by Oldschool61

Exactly what instuments cant you see? The most important ones are visible.

all instruments are important.

Originally Posted by Skoshi Tiger

In IL2, some of the Russian fighters have their turn and balance instruments obscured by the joystick. If your trying to trim your self for straight and level, you have to twich the stick to the side to see the ball. Other planes have similar problems.

If you put a pilot in there you'ld obscure a lot more.

6DOF in SOW will help some but then there is always going to be some switch or dial that is out of view due to the pilot.

cheers!

thank you for clarifying my point skoshi, you have more patience than i!

Originally Posted by Insuber

Back to serious things: it's time that the adults of this forum take back the steering wheel from the children.

Questions raised on this thread that deserve some attention from OM:


1. blending of 3D objects into the landscape (namely trees)
2. size of country roads
3. hedges
4. railroad bridges / tunnels / trenches
......
1001. Size of pilot

You are free to fill in the empty places from 4 to 1000, of course.

Cheers!
Insuber

not enough tbh.

[Oldschool61]

Originally Posted by MD_Titus

all instruments are important.

thank you for clarifying my point skoshi, you have more patience than i!

not enough tbh.

The gauges you refer to are typically NOT critical.
Realistically online all you need are airspeed, vsi, manifold, fuel sometimes if you take a gas guzzler, compass, (might be 1 or 2 more cant think of them now) anything more is not really critical as triming can be done by eye/feel.

A toggle key could be added to show instrument panel as in Falcon 4. Which has a virtual pilot body in pit.

[Chivas]

No need for a virtual pilot to get in the way of the gauges. I can see my own legs and arms in my peripheral vision.

[Skoshi Tiger]

Originally Posted by Chivas

No need for a virtual pilot to get in the way of the gauges. I can see my own legs and arms in my peripheral vision.

Yes your right, but in real life we dont have to remember a keystroke to move our arm or knee out of the way of an obscured gauge. We just move it.

While having the pilots body would be good for movie makers, I'm not sure that I'ld use it too often. ( unless the effect was so good I couldn't play without it on!)

Cheers

[nearmiss]

Originally Posted by Oldschool61

The gauges you refer to are typically NOT critical.
Realistically online all you need are airspeed, vsi, manifold, fuel sometimes if you take a gas guzzler, compass, (might be 1 or 2 more cant think of them now) anything more is not really critical as triming can be done by eye/feel.

A toggle key could be added to show instrument panel as in Falcon 4. Which has a virtual pilot body in pit.

Sorry... don't agree at all.

You need the slip and ball to make sure your aircraft has best registration on targets. Many people ignore the slip and ball and screw around for a year or two wondering why they can't shoot straight. LOL

On several aircraft the slip and ball is lined up in line of site behind the joystick. That is a nuisance, but with a big old virtual fist wrapped around the stick (which means nothing) you can't see it at all.

[Blackdog_kt]

Originally Posted by Oldschool61

The gauges you refer to are typically NOT critical.
Realistically online all you need are airspeed, vsi, manifold, fuel sometimes if you take a gas guzzler, compass, (might be 1 or 2 more cant think of them now) anything more is not really critical as triming can be done by eye/feel.

A toggle key could be added to show instrument panel as in Falcon 4. Which has a virtual pilot body in pit.

That is half-way true for IL2. We don't know if it will be true for SoW, especially when all indications point to increased systems modelling at higher difficulty settings. You might need to manipulate fuel tank selectors in mid-flight, you might need to air-start a damaged engine that cut out during violent maneuvers, or got choked/starved due to incorrect fuel mixture, etc etc. Things like that require quite a few controls, which are not in direct visibility of the pilot most of the times. The reason? Well, they keep the instruments you mentioned in his immediate field of view because they are important. The other stuff gets tucked away on side consoles and in all sorts of weird places depending on aircraft. Most of the controls required to start a P-47 for example, are situated left of the pilot at about the height of his legs, so they would be obscured if a pilot was displayed in the first person cockpit view.

I have a TrackIR3 that helps quite a lot, but only a MS sidewinder precision pro 2 stick. It has a single throttle, twist rudder, a hat switch and 8 buttons, that's all.

So, how am i going to start up my engine and manage non-critical but nevertheless important systems of my aircraft in a full difficulty SoW server, when all i have is 8 joystick buttons and a keyboard? By clicking things with the mouse of course. As you can see, non-critical controls means controls that are not used in combat or emergencies. They are still pretty much a necessity for starting and completing the mission though, things like starter, battery switch, fuel tank selector valve etc. I don't mind seeing a pilot in the cockpit, but if i can't click on what i need to click i want a way to turn him off instantly. Maybe a toggle key can be added to turn off the pilot, if it is in fact decided to display him.

As i like to say, i don't want to force my opinion of how the game should be on other people, but i also dislike having the same done to me (not accusing you of such by the way). So, when in doubt, the best thing is to use toggles and option menu parameters and keep everyone happy