Friday 2010-12-03 Dev. update and Discussion

[nearmiss]

Originally Posted by Igo kyu

The way I look at that is that the (single player) player should be able to change waypoints for his/her own aircraft/flight while the mission is in progress.

In fact, that's a wish for general single player play, not mission building.

I don't think "the player" should ever fly waypoints and the player AI flight should receive directions ON-THE-FLY from the player. The player should always be able to do ON-THE-FLY changes as a real pilot and direct flight mates and other flights he is leader.

I realize this could create some issues, especially if the pilot is flying in where the flight leader is AI. IMO, the player should take command and be incharge of all flights from the start. My reasoning... the player pilot has a brain.

The AI have to have waypoints/alternative waypoints and have to be restricted, since they can't think.

As I recall, when I first started with IL2 I flew some campaigns and worked my way up in rank. I can tell you most of the time it was a nightmare, because the AI flight leaders did so many dumb things often it might take a mission refly a half dozen times to advance.

I gave up on all flights where AI commanded flights within the first week of flying the IL2.

My discussion about this in FMB may not seem applicable, but the FMB maybe a best place to define this in the programming for the SOW.

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The FMB GUI is fine, and it won't require as much time to learn how to use improved FMB.

[dflion]

Originally Posted by nearmiss

Most mission builders are probably like myself... very excited about this update.

The scripting ability is very important.

I recall trying to build missions campaigns using Pokryskinin air tactics in 1943 flying the P39. I could not do it because all flights would attack en masse. Pokryskinin's tactic was to maintain aircraft in altitude tiers until the air combat advanced. The upper altitude flights would incrementally drop into the combat with greater E onto the 109s and 190s destroying them with the P39 cannon.

This is just one example of course. The AI performance package should have some scripting options as well, to create tactical encounters.

The ability to arrange objects then group and store them as files would be a great help. Groups that would allow including objects with waypoints and other data would make mission building much more efficient. A further help would be to have timing you could set for certain objects within groups of objects at one time. Example : If you are setting delay time and direction for Flak guns at one time for all flak guns.

It would be a great help to have explosions and and other such objects on waypoints so you could build battles in process as you fly into combat areas.

Very important to have navigation ability for player to fly without having to follow waypoints. No matter if AI aircraft fly waypoints. Player flight should not be restricted to flight paths or altitudes. Autopilot for player should be determined with individual player settings on-the-fly.

Most programming tools developed for IL2 were just text editor tools that worked with the *.mis files. The QMT is a good example.

I can go on for pages and pages like many other mission builders.

One thing that would be awesome... to know the FMB will get periodic updates to further facilitate mission builders as new patches and addons are made available.

Thanks Oleg, I'm printing out all the screenshots and carefully studying them to get a more thorough understanding. Oleg there are some excellent mission builders who have posted this thread. It is good to see them here responding to your update.

Some very good observations on your post nearmiss. With the 'scripting trigger point' option you will be able to make much more precise missions that simulate historical situations. It looks like there will be much better control of the AI aircraft.

The ability to arrange and group objects and store them as one collective file would be a great time saver. For example a complete airfield, target area or a large bomber formation with waypoints. Timing is also a major issue in IL-2 mission building - trying to co-ordinate everything to arrive at the same point of time. It also looks like this problem has been addressed in the new FMB.

Independent navigation without following waypoints would be another excellent option with voice command 'trigger points'.

The 'scramble', 'idle', 'Script Spawn C' tick boxes in the 'Group properties' tab most likely answers 'FlatSpinMan's' question on taxi and take-off from dispersed positions.

Anyway the main thing is that very thankfully Oleg has kept the FMB format basically the same, with some very exciting additions. Hopefully he will be able to give us all some more detail without giving too much away?

DFLion

[heywooood]

beautiful update Mr Maddox.

with these few shots you demonstrate rather clearly the quantum leap forward you have achieved over the Il2 FMB.

mission builders should be extremely giddy about these few 'maps' haha

as to the the few who do not yet realize the importance of the features and capabilities of this new tool - just relax - the people who do understand it will be providing you with hours of incredibly imersive action with it, soon after SoW is released! be sure...

I can see already how some of these features will benefit future SoW releases (Pacific Theater nudge nudge) so as to provide a far more seamless progression through all phases of WWII in the air.

[bf-110]

You can customize airplane!Cool!
Also,the FMB looks quite the same of IL2.The classic design.

What those white airplanes in circles mean?

[McHilt]

Originally Posted by Foo'bar

Finally we know the map's dimensions thank you! According to the scroll bar's size I guess the map will have the following size:

Oh, wow... well, that map makes me wonder what the coast of Normandy/Brittany would look like, lots of cliffs for the latter?

Love the number of options

[Daniël]

Quite impressive settings.

[philip.ed]

Very, very impressive!

I'd only say that I think the aircraft-display-symbols should point in the direction the aircraft are facing, so it's clear to see what direction they are travelling in...any thoughts?

Love the feature of callsigns, too! Very impressive update IMHO, cheers Oleg.

What does weather-map mean? Can we view the weather?

[Skarphol]

Originally Posted by philip.ed

I'd only say that I think the aircraft-display-symbols should point in the direction the aircraft are facing, so it's clear to see what direction they are travelling in...any thoughts?

I thought those were airfields? A little to many perhaps?

Skarphol

[philip.ed]

[QUOTE=Skarphol;202148]

Originally Posted by philip.ed

I'd only say that I think the aircraft-display-symbols should point in the direction the aircraft are facing, so it's clear to see what direction they are travelling in...any thoughts?

QUOTE]

I thought those were airfields? A little to many perhaps?

Skarphol

Ah, I see....IMHO there's never too many, but maybe the symbol is too confusing?