Put your efforts on doing a better interface to the SEOW engine, and play to games in one.
It is mainly intended to play online, but if you combine it with the DCG for a single player, it will be a child's dream.

This option already exists for multiplayer, where you can have any number of teams. All that is needed is to transfer the code over to the QMB, FMB and campaign engines.

Note that I chose "green" as the third option because it corresponds to the color used for a third force on US military maps. (The US is blue, opposing forces are red.) Other countries do things differently.

Furio's idea is a good one, but to make IL2 "cross cultural" and truly a "sandbox sim" a better way for the menus to work might be:

1) Choose the number of forces
2) Choose the color of each force
3) Choose the nationality for each force - different forces can have the same nationality to simulate civil war scenarios. Alternate national insignia would be needed. You should also have the option of adding nations rather than choosing from the standard list.
4) Choose whether a particular force is allied, hostile or neutral with respect to every other force present.

Neutral = Will turn into an enemy if attacked, but won't attack otherwise.

For example,

1933 - Chinese Nationalists vs. Chinese Communists vs. Beiyang Army (a warlord's private army) vs. Japanese Army Air Force. 4 sides. All are hostile to each other. Colors chosen for each side are arbitrary.

1945 - US vs. Soviet vs. Luftwaffe - US = Blue, Soviet = Red, Luftwaffe = Black. US & Soviet are hostile to Luftwaffe and vice-versa. US and Soviet are Neutral.

Alternate 1946 - German Civil War. US + UK + France + Co-Belligerent Luftwaffe vs. Soviets + Polish People's Liberation Air Force + German People's Liberation Air Force with Hungarians and Romanians being neutral with respect to everyone else and to each other. So, 4 "sides" and 9 colors.

Obviously, for most scenarios it's still going to be "red vs. blue"

This part looks really good.

I'm wondering if it might work well as a stand alone project, similar to what Lowengrin did with his Dynamic Campaign Generator.

People could define campaign parameters - nationalities involved, maps, planesets, etc. and share them.

Sure it could work, the only question is who is able and willing to do it. Both DCG and DGEN-mod, as we have them now, are the result of many years of work.

You could use the chat box at his website and ask if its possible to make the addition of swapping sides and other tweaks.


http://www.lowengrin.com/content.php?article.11

Or at the forum requests area

http://forum.jg1.org/forum/67-dcg-feature-requests/


:)

Real good starting point could have been Stauffenbergs assasination attempt. Let it succeed. Germany still strong enough to be a pain, maybe even a threat. War in the Pacific going better, but no end at the horizon. Germany then is easiest to neutralise if it becomes an ally. German high command would see the opportunity to end a war going South - and maybe too eager to get rid of the political leaders. Then either Soviets see an opportunity, or Germany and Allies do (Also some time could pass with an uneasy peace).

Another scenario could have been that Roosevelt does live a lot longer. He does not believe Joe Stalins lies, listens to Churchill - and the Allies fall apart earlier in the war. Then German forces fight with the US+Brits+French+Others. Stalin and The Emperor, now both with the back to the wall join in together. Bonus: Almost any late war plane we have can fly for one or the other side. And on nearly any map we have.

Some time ago I made a fantasy alternative history DF mission along some of the lines you gents are talking about.

Here is the description I did for it...


It's on the Manchuria map and has all the late war and paper napkin "wonder planes" and several mod additions from HSFX.

The question is not whether Paul is able to make such an addition. He is, provided you can offer him a job. The question is whether Il2 can handle a player swapping sides.

;)

OMG! That sounds like real fun! :grin::grin::grin:
Please, were can I get it?

Technical questions apart, it’s undeniable that Il2 has a strong potential for what if and alternate history scenarios, and it’s easy to understand why. The game has an unequalled plane set, a rich ground and surface objects inventory, and a varied choice of maps. Yes, it would require tweaking in campaigns, but not much more. Perhaps some new skins and, if required, new national markings.

With a little ingenuity, minor or experimental types could be put to good use. Then, it would be just a matter of creativity, and El’s example, some posts above, shows well what can be achieved. Surely it could be a lot of fun and, perhaps, perhaps, it could have some commercial value.

Sure hope it can be made to do just that. There is so much opportunity in betrayal - even the historical ones. Also players could make their own choices, and according to that the story continues.

Thinking a little further a really capable mission generator could use players results to generate different missions. And even good very old Wing Commander offered that - though its different for an all scripted missions game.