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RyansPlace
your description highlights my concerns about what your request would mean to the AI routines.

Or the specs of your computer...

A propos, speaking of computer specs any insights of what we need to run the game?!

Not yet, but I decided to wait for my upgrade until Q1 2011 when we probably will have Intel Sandy bridge (rumours are saying with 2.5 GHz clock is already faster 20 % than Core i7 975 extreme) and ATI 6870 and 6970 (dual GPU) that will be probably way more faster than a Nvidia GTX 480 and more efficient too (28 nm process)
This time I´m planning to spend serious money in my setup, only because SOW and already decided to wait for this next generation chips, even if SOW is already launched, because I want to play it with the most eye candy I could do.

oleg repeatedly stated he wont give a formal announcement of specific specs until the release of the game is finalized, but......

going by more general statements he has made on that topic you can assume this much:
- whatever is a high end pc at release time, and that means a high end "gamer" pc (indicating cpu, gpu, & ram suitable for at least 1920 x 1200), not your mum's office pc, then you can expect fluid frame rates with most options/details turned on, and can play the sim in all its glory on a single decent size monitor (and need a monster gaming pc to use multiple monitors)
- a medium level "gamer pc" with a "good cpu" and "good gpu" will be able to have fluid game play at release, but with some eye candy turned down and maybe a step down in resolution

for those expecting to use multiple monitors you also already know the motherboard types you will need (ie at least 3gfx card slots if you plan to go high end with 3 monitors, and make sure they are all 16x). and yes, quad cores will be an advantage, we already know that much to.

in addition to that we know oleg and Co are testing game play on medium level machines right now to ensure most people with modern pc's will be able to play it at release time (if he only aims it at people with uber pc's he is cutting out 80% of his prospective customers, and obviously he aint no fool)

since the current intended release time is 15th of september 2010, you have a fairly good idea of what "high end" pc means right now. if closer to that date it looks like there will be a 1 or 2 months delay that wont change much spec wise. if all goes pear shape and there are major delays, and you better pray there isnt because the development team cant financially afford further significant delays, then an early 2011 release would mean the spec levels will have gone up one notch and the new cpu/gpu generation will be out (making them the new yardstick for "high end"). also note this might mean a mb chipset change for multiple gfx card users.

if you have half a brain and are able to use common sense you obviously dont want to make major upgrade purchases BEFORE the game has been released (or oleg gives specific specs), and reports come in from reviews for different gfx cards performances (partic ati vs nvidia).

it really is that simple :)

I fully agree with zapatista.

I agree as well (although all he needed to write was the last line, as the rest I think is still speculation) :D

From what I saw in WW2 footage, Oleg's vision of smoke is pretty good...

Here's a snap from some real WW2 footage:
http://i905.photobucket.com/albums/a...rsch1/smok.jpg

Awesome! The water, smoke, fire, dynamic lighting and models; just stunning!
I drooled over the keyboard.

no, it isnt speculation at all

all you need to do is pay attention to what oleg himself has said in the past, and in this case it was VERY recently

in a recent reply of his to an umpteen'ed time question about system spec (mid june 2010)

and you will find my above posts contains a fairly good translation of that oleg'ish statement to plain english

Well, from Luthier said about not wanting to release system specs yet as it is all subject to change right down to the final, it is speculation. Of course the best PC today should play the game at least on lowest settings (we know that from Luthier's hints) but everything else is not set in stone ;)
I don't think Il-2 could be run on perfect settings at release, and even today you need a half-decent PC to play Il-2 on perfect (10 years later...) so whilst I think you may be right in what you say, I don't think that anything is certain yet :D