SOW Multiple sorties?

[Flyby]

imho, the online component can exist with an immersive offline campaign. I would hope that the excellent IL2 campaign makers will fill the voids in both cases should Oleg take some unforseen direction. Thor, what is your definition of a "crazy feature" (surely not a rearm/refuel feature?), and what loud online minority are you talking about? I'm out of touch so clue me in.
Flyby out

[Thunderbolt56]

There are a number of things that can (and likely should) be added that many may not use at first. Consider this; remember when IL2 first came out and you'd go online and the high-fliers would be perched way up there at 3,000m? LMAO. These days more and more people are learning what a hard deck really is and how to use them properly. This has been the case for the last couple years, but it literally took a few years for that to really take hold.

As a result, there are aircraft that "seemed" mediocre at release that, these days, seem to be closer to accurate. Sure there have been some FM changes (amongst others) but the increased consistent use of energy-fighting tactics is likely a larger contributor to the success some rides have.

I make that analogy only to illustrate that a well-done combat flight sim caters to a wide variety of simmers and, the way I understand it, the initial release of BoB:SoW will be one aspect of air combat with most engagements centered around a small stable of aircraft meeting at relatively high altitudes compared to what most are used to. Adding diverse functions is something that (to me anyway) is a foregone conclusion and there will, no doubt, be options that can be turned on/off to make the experience better for those who wish to implement them.

[Flyby]

points well taken, T-Bolt. When all is said and done I'm sure Oleg's efforts will reward a wide range of simmers. Here's hoping anyway, if only for the good of Oleg making a profit so he can continue on to the next project. Meanwhile I'm going to self induce a coma until SoW-BoB is released. I guess that means I'll have to bribe the wife to bring me out of it when SoW is released!
Flyby out

[I/ZG52_Gaga]

Originally Posted by csThor

Not that I disagree on the rearm/refuel feature, Gaga, but IMO Oleg should think of the offliners first and foremost because an immersive campaign with great replayability value is what sells games, not the umpteenth "crazy feature" for the loud minority of the online dogfighters.

Dearest Thor we have met these off-liners and they quit after couple of cruel encounters with the On-liners or even forget about the game all together.... It's my strong belief though that it's the On-line Competitions that kept and still do keep the core warm....

Therefore I feel I must insist on the issue that whatever affects and concerns On-line Competitions should be 1st priority for this Upcoming title to make any sense at all and to make the transition fast & easy.

Really I don't want to wait for couple of years before SOW based On-line Competitions will be available... Also I don't want to have the same situation as with IL2 where we couldn't have all the gear (A/C etc ...) we needed for such use.

What I mean mentioning "all the gear" we need is for example the fact, that Oleg overlooked for 8 years! to arm the Luftwaffe with the Me210 and the 410 and a multitude of other goodies giving a clear advantage to the Red side in all On-line competitions since VEF1 & on!!!!!!!!

the same moment the Reds though quite late actually could fly their PE2s...

Best regards

[Flyby]

This topic is getting ever more interersting. Guess I'll have to put that coma on hold.

[WTE_Galway]

Originally Posted by I/ZG52_Gaga

Dearest Thor we have met these off-liners and they quit after couple of cruel encounters with the On-liners or even forget about the game all together.... It's my strong belief though that it's the On-line Competitions that kept and still do keep the core warm....

I totally disagree.

With the obvious exception of my squad who I met online, virtually no-one I know that plays IL2 ever plays online.

Further evidence of this can be found by looking at downloads. The largest download at Mission 4 Today is IL2 joy control with 23325 downloads. Taking into account this is an unusual utility on just one download site this suggests a community of one or two hundred thousands players.

There are simply nothing like one or two hundred thousand players online. There are several thousand at best.


What the online players are good at however is whining Though few in numbers they are very vocal and very obvious in the forums.

[Thunderbolt56]

Originally Posted by WTE_Galway

...Though few in numbers they are very vocal and very obvious in the forums.

Thanks mate...I try.

Really though, trying to say one type of play is more important than the other is just people trying to embellish their favorite style of play IMO.

I play online...period. But, my perferences don't have any impact on what Oleg has designed BoB to ultimately be. Sure, I'd like for him to include a resident server-finder proggy and an easy, intuitive mission builder but that shouldn't proclude additional items like better AI commands, Tea-table scrambles from the tarmac and a detailed single-player campaign mode...that I would never use.