Friday 2010-12-03 Dev. update and Discussion

[ivagiglie]

First I have to say it's nice to see so many new options and all the possibilities that these should open to us mission builders, good.

Now the not-so-good thing about the GUI:
it is terrible, really - it would have looked cool in 1995 but 15 years have passed since then.

I really would like to give feedback that could bring some improvements with a little work but this really needs to be rewritten from scratch in my opinion!
I'll try anyway:
- try to use toolbars, for example for the selection of the displayed objects, no one wants to navigate to a submenu 15 times in a row to show what is really needed on screen at that moment
- same could go for types of planes or nationalities
- try to minimize the number of objects you can select from a list - if the number of items exceeds a couple of dozen the list become unusable - order the items using some criteria is not sufficient, sorry
- try to minimize the interactions with the windows and instead focus on the GUI items themselves, for example to insert a waypoint between two existing ones you could simply double click on the first waypoint
- allow multi selection of items and allow all permitted operations that are generic and disable the ones which are specific (e.g. if you multi select two flights you could change their altitude at the same time but not their callsign which must be unique)
- allow smart operations on multi selected items via context menus (the menus that usually pop up when you click right mouse button) no need for big space consuming windows all the time - for example you could multi select a number of flights and then via context menu decide to scale their altitude by 500 m / 1000 m / 2000 m and so on
- provide two (or more) mode of operations, for example a basic one and an advanced one - when sketching a mission I'd like only the most important parameters to be shown saving precious screen estate, when refining the mission I'd take care about the details (e.g. weathering) - let me concentrate on what's important at that moment
- use the native File dialogs for god's sake! no need to see that 15 year old file selection dialog where I can't even create a directory!
- add undo/redo, of course for multiple operations
- again on item selection: have you thought about trees? in some cases they allow a much easier navigation compared to flat lists
- use dockable panels instead of windows, really, it's 2010 - GUI toolkits have made huge progresses in the last 15 years

I could go on for hours...
Sorry Oleg but this GUI can't be fixed easily, it really would need a major redesign to be in par with the quality of your simulation (which we all assume here will be the new state of the art).

Writing a new GUI of that complexity could easily require a couple of person years and I don't think you would want or could afford to do that now.

So one last request: please leave the game open as much as possible for external mission creation and interaction.
Document the format used for the mission (that shouldn't be too expensive), you'll save the community the long time it would take to understand otherwise and maybe we could come up with something more modern that could complement this new FMB.

And thanks if you've read my whole post

[SlowBurn68]

Will I have to go to flight school to play this game?

[Jimko]

Very interesting maps and accompanying tools!

I have never used a FMB, and perhaps never will, since life is far too busy for me to spend more time than I already can on WW2 flight sims.
But, it's interesting to see the scope of the SoW BoB chapter, at least, and to see the operational field that we will have to start with.

I'm glad that the mission builders seem to be pleased and look forward to (hopefully) what they can share with us eventually.

Thanks for this update.

[Abbeville-Boy]

i think this will be very great game so many options thanks

[LukeFF]

Originally Posted by PeterPanPan

Yes, this has always been an issue I feel. 'Stationary Objects' have names e.g. searchlight, barrage balloon etc. but 'Objects' just have numbers. I'm sure there are hundreds that have never been used because they are so hard to find. Also, it's always been a bit irritating when moving through a list of objects with the scroll arrows, and just when you've found what you are looking for, you move the mouse away from the scroll arrow and the list jumps back to the top. It gets me every time!!

Seconded. I hope there are plans for a more intuitive way of finding these types of object.

Nice to see the map will be so big.

[Hunden]

I just want to know one thing. With the weather slider will it be possible to set up a class 5 hurricane in the channel maybe a couple of tornados on the side.

[ATAG_Dutch]

Originally Posted by Hunden

I just want to know one thing. With the weather slider will it be possible to set up a class 5 hurricane in the channel maybe a couple of tornados on the side.

I think you're referring to the 'weathering' slider, which isn't to do with weather, but connected to the amount of 'wear and tear' on the aircraft.

If you meant this as a joke, I apologise!

[baronWastelan]

Here's my ingenious idea: a "Mission Randomizer", nothing too complicated, just enough to give the player a little surprize. It would take an existing single-player mission, and moves parameters automatically, so enemy waypoints, height and direction are changed slightly. Also optionally changes enemy formation size bigger or smaller by user selected percentage amount.

Copyright 2010 BaronWastelan, no rights reserved

[ATAG_Dutch]

Originally Posted by LukeFF

Seconded. I hope there are plans for a more intuitive way of finding these types of object.

Nice to see the map will be so big.

Ahem!... I think you mean 'thirded'!

[zakkandrachoff]

*The final name will be STORM OF WAR Cliff of Dover? Or Battle Of Britain?

*mmm, i believe that the airfield need have is own logo for the task or operation. Bombers, CAS, GAI, interceptors, destroyers.

*a hurricane, never do a mission made to land ing German airfield

*When we do a checkpoint, we will have some tool for know the autonomy of the airplane to know if we can return to the base or not?

*I want to see some Bf 109 or Bf 110 shooting that 20mm cannons bullets and see the smoke. Pleeeeeease

*In every place I read that Korea or Afrika will be the 2 series. For me, I don’t like Korea, I like Afrika or Battle For Moscow. I want my Bf 109 F-4