Any online war thoughts?

Richie · #1 10-02-2011, 11:31 PM

I feel like a slug for bringing this up because I'm totally inept about the hardship that goes on in creating an online war server and I don't think there's enough people who would be interested in one yet. So why bring it up..because I would love it LOL. But really I think if it caught on I think people would like it. It would be hard though. First can you ever do it second where to launch the thing. Hyperlobby? Third how to get the word out about it in a big way...here I guess. I started with D.I.D. Dead Is Dead in 2001 IL-2. What fun that was. It's easy to sit here a demand this to be done and not do anything about it but it does make me feel guilty lol.

Ataros · #2 10-03-2011, 03:11 PM

How D.I.D. was organized back then? For how long flights were prohibited?

I think we will have several war running in a couple of months. And they will be organized around scripted servers which you can join with your squadmates, check which missions are available via TAB - 4 menu, select a mission and fly it against other squads. Similar system was (is?) used in WWII Online Battleground Europe (they have a ranking system and senior offices can post missions for others to complete).

Some basic functionality is available already now at III./JG27 Server

http://forum.1cpublishing.eu/showpos...8&postcount=20

http://forum.1cpublishing.eu/showpos...6&postcount=25

SNAFU is doing a great job in making this happen.

Jugdriver · #3 10-03-2011, 03:30 PM

I think Richie is talking about a persistent online campaign such as VEF were missions are linear and damage is cumulative mission to mission.

JD
AKA_MattE

Richie · #4 10-03-2011, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jugdriver

I think Richie is talking about a persistent online campaign such as VEF were missions are linear and damage is cumulative mission to mission.

JD
AKA_MattE

That's right like this

http://war.by-airforce.com/

http://www.il2war.com/

Ataros · #5 10-04-2011, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richie

That's right like this

http://war.by-airforce.com/

http://www.il2war.com/

Yes, I mean the same. Now with the new CloD engine you do not have to wait in HyperLobby for other players to occupy slots. You can join a server and fly without waiting.

The only "advantage" of the old system was that you new in advance who flies against you and that the opposing team is more or less equal in quantity. I think this killed all the immersion making those flights looking like organized duels instead of unpredictable real-life air operations but for those who like it it is still possible to make an ingame interface a-la HL where they will wait for other team to occupy slots.

Thus, there will be several types of mission in the same server:
- free flight - dogfight Rambo style - spawn an aircraft and go.
- team flights - join a temporary squad of unknown players and generate a mission for you (some simple missions only)
- squad flights, unknown opposition - registered squads generate more advanced mission for themselves. Mission targets must be close to some "hot" locations to ensure that some opposition is their.
- squad flights with known opposition - same as above but wait till an opposing squad occupies places in your sub-mission before starting the sub-mission (old HL-style)

The advantage of the new system is that several missions happen in the same airspace like in real life. No artificially separated and unrealistically predictable coops any more.

A team of 2-3 C# programmers is needed to make this happen (a good coop-based war needs the same probably).

csThor · #6 10-03-2011, 03:31 PM

I think a large number of things that are absolutely indispensable for a halfway decent representation of the BoB just aren't there, yet.

1.) Warships - no real "Kanalkampf" without at least a british destroyer
2.) So far there is no way to designate static targets and check their state of damage.
3.) Radar is not yet implemented ... at least not in the way MG seems to see it. Just look at the not yet functional radio comms.
4.) Netcode. An online war without AI is just not possible but currently the AI is a serious limiting factor as it slows down the game drastically. Ask SNAFU.

Add some odd FM issues with most aircraft, bugs with some others (Ju 88 and the compass issue) and a general lack of documentation which leads to a lot of trial and error (Blenheim anyone?) don't make the issue any easier.

Jugdriver · #7 10-03-2011, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by csThor

4.) Netcode. An online war without AI is just not possible but currently the AI is a serious limiting factor as it slows down the game drastically. Ask SNAFU.

I fly an online war right now in FB/46 that does not have AI and have done so for years, You just need a dedicated group. The addition of AI allows for more flexibility but certainly does not preclude the ability to run a campaign.

JD
AKA_MattE

csThor · #8 10-03-2011, 03:44 PM

In my opinion it does. Looking at the numbers of planes involved you'll never get enough players to fly anything but the ubiquitous fighters and fighter-bombers. AI is needed for those classes of aircraft which rarely get flown - bombers, Stukas, recon planes ... Just trying to simulate the BoB by throwing two fighter teams in various "Last Man Standing" efforts against each other, which unfortunately many online wars I have participated in did, doesn't produce anything even remotely realistic.

Jugdriver · #9 10-03-2011, 04:04 PM

I was flying a Zero against B-24 and B-25's flown by humans last night. This is a campaign that I have been flying in twice a week for years. There are squads in this campaign that fly bombers almost exclusively, as I said you need a dedicated group.

It is certainly easier if there are AI but it is not impossible without them (just a smaller scale). I do think that when the AI issues are sorted out what can be done in COD will eclipse what is possible now in IL2 FB/46

One of the other problems right now is that the bulk of the IL2 FB/46 campaigning community is still flying FB/46 campaigns.

JD
AKA_MattE

Richie · #10 10-03-2011, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ataros

How D.I.D. was organized back then? For how long flights were prohibited?

I think we will have several war running in a couple of months. And they will be organized around scripted servers which you can join with your squadmates, check which missions are available via TAB - 4 menu, select a mission and fly it against other squads. Similar system was (is?) used in WWII Online Battleground Europe (they have a ranking system and senior offices can post missions for others to complete).

Some basic functionality is available already now at III./JG27 Server

http://forum.1cpublishing.eu/showpos...8&postcount=20

http://forum.1cpublishing.eu/showpos...6&postcount=25

SNAFU is doing a great job in making this happen.

Back then everyone had to right up a log and send it into the admins after every mission. Scores would then be tallied up all manually and the front line moved this way or that. Old IL-2 have no front markers though so I think you had to look at the drawn in front marker on the website to know where the lines were. Everything was done manually. The other thing was everyone had to be trusted to tell the truth about his score.