on fmb
I remember being a little surprised and underwhelmed by the starkness of the il2 fmb gui when I first used it - in comparison to the slickness of the rest of the product. But as I started to use it and learned how it worked my opinion changed. It really did what it had to do pretty well. 'Functional' is maybe the right word.
I think the fmb is a bit like the engine and transmission of a car: in comparison to the shiny bodywork and plush upholstered interior it's not particularly pretty, but it's tucked away out of sight of the casual driver / user so it doesn't have to be. I think the new SOW fmb will still feel a bit like 'diving under the bonnet' ('hood' for U.S. readers
)
It could no doubt be made to look slightly more 'contemporary' (Windows 7 rather than Win 95 style text boxes, etc) fairly easily, but i'm pleased to recognise the overall feel that I'm used to in il2.
Some comments on the new features:
weathering on the slider is good - presumably we can then choose to keep it off if desired (thought that some of the skinners might prefer to have complete control of this aspect of their skins? - though will that work in the campaign ??)
filtering on the objects / aircraft is welcome
#passes on the Waypoint tab I suspect will be useful
having radio silence as an option suggests that the game will do a very realistic job of simulating limited defensive awareness and allowing the possibility of surprise attacks? I suppose that if radar is being accurately modelled then this needs to be done too. Raises the possibility of some interesting bombing missions - low level, under the radar, strict RT silence!
the ability to set initial formation in the fmb is much needed. As others have asked, I'd be interested in knowing what features are available for controlling large squadron-level and bigger formations as one group?
Look forward to hearing more about the weather and scripting options
