Damage model request!

[Strike]

Hi!

I have an idea, which I believe can be applied fairly easily to your simulator!

I'd like to see a two new layers in aircraft texturing implemented:

1.Fire-damage layer

2.Oil-spill layer

The idea is that when your plane catches fire, a layer (much like your visual weathering layer) will develop, showing a blackened/burned tone to the area of the aircraft that is burning. It will gradually increase opacity the longer the plane burns. If it's too difficult to code for the specific area of the plane that is burning, perhaps limit it to the center fuselage/wingroot area so that if you have an engine fire/fuel fire, it'll only effect the center of the plane! It would really make a realistic look to aircraft that have caught fire!

Secondly the oil-spill layer. I've seen it before in the game "B-17 the mighty 8th" where if your plane has an oil-leak, there's a darkening part of oil-spill becoming more and more visible behind the leak. So for single-seat fighters this could mean a spill on top of the plane (covering the canopy etc) or below the belly (making the belly black/shiny and full of oil-spray).

For twin engine planes, one spill texture for each engine, and perhaps horizontal stabilizers if they are in the wake of the engine nacelles.

It would look really good and feel more immersive, especially the oilspill in exterior view of the canopy. We can already see oil from the inside, but it's strange not to see any outside the plane :p



It's hard to find good reference material on the B-17 game, but in this youtube video at about 1:40 into it a guy gets shot down in his messerschmitt. If you look in external view as his plane burns, you can see the engine cover and surroundings turn black/dark because of the fire and oil spills.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAjGA...eature=related

I think this is possible in ClOD by using another texture layer much like your adjustable weathering, but directly linked to the aircraft damage model!

That way, a oiled out, burnt up engine on a bomber would really leave a good visual impression of the carnage it's been put through

Just my 2 cents, but focus on more important matters for now like core-game bugs and issues, and please keep this in mind for the future!



EDIT:

Another nice feature would be that seeing that we already have spreading aircraft fires:

Why not program the fires to ignite fuel tanks? As of now, the entire plane can "burn" but even if the area around the fuel tanks are burning, they never catch fire... That would be a nice feature