Is CoD worth getting?

[hc_wolf]

Is COD worth getting..... HELL YEAH!!!


Sorry have not read any prior posts in this thread. Just a simple YES is all that is required from me.

[furbs]

Originally Posted by ATAG_Snapper

Furbs, what you describe (the 19 + 10 .....and more...) in a COOP format is great. I'd be the first to sign up for a spot. But I disagree that anything short of a COOP format is merely "a dogfight server". That implies absolutely no organization; a virtual free-for-all. That does NOT describe what I regularly see on the two ATAG servers of late. As Chivas mentioned, I see groups on both sides organizing themselves, via Teamspeak, to form bomber flights with specific server-defined targets as objectives. At the same time, calls go out over Teamspeak for fighter pilots to either provide escort OR to patrol over defined targets (ie radar towers at G7 Dungeness and I12 Ramsgate plus Comms HQ at G10 Canterbury) to defend against possible enemy bomber & fighter formations. Not all 40 or 50 players on the server wish to participate - but that's OK since that introduces a dynamic randomness to the respective missions. In fact, that "unexpected encounter" factor adds to the tension, just as undisclosed triggers in a formal COOP mission should have.

I see COOP as one means to bring a group of players together to reenact a particular scenario, with a defined start time. A good thing, to be sure, but by no means does that one format exclusively emulate the Battle of Britain. Those who are holding off from buying or playing CoD "because there's no COOP" are failing to grasp the huge capabilities of such easily utilized organizational tools such as Teamspeak, email, and these forums to get like-minded groups of players into their aircraft in the same theatre of operations. Farber and the JG/27 did it on a large scale, small groups of us do it on the fly every day. And for us, this is as much a virtual Battle of Britain as a formalized COOP mission(s) is a virtual Battle of Britain for you.

All that is true Snapper, and ive seen large missions happen on dogfight missions a few times over the years and it was great to see even if it was a little discouraged , but the one thing that gets in the way is time.

COOPs allow for missions to be set up and run in a very short time scale.
Setting up a 30 man mission on a DF would be a once a night thing and quite tricky to get right....i know ive tried it with 8 and its like herding cats!

COOPs allow you to run them 3-4 times a night and with re-starts if the plonker forgets his bombs! it also allows large formations to be placed 10 or 15 mins away from the target, on course, at the right height and with all the right bomb load, with the escort sqd in place above.

Im not running down what can happen on ATAG Snapper, like ive said they do a great job and im sure it will get better, but we really do need the COOPs to get sqds involved in a regular way, online wars and other things.

Ive been told all the great things CLOD can do with triggers and missions and stuff, im waiting still.

Anyway Snapper, i will pop on ATAG TS later this week and have a look myself.

[335th_GRAthos]

Originally Posted by danjama

What's the verdict? How are campaign and online experiences?

Hi Danjama,

Campaign is bad
Online is very good (if you have a mega-server to log into; like the ATAG and REPKA servers are)

You did not tell us what you are looking for. If you are somebody who pays attention to detail or likes programming or likes highly complex flying, you will love this sim.

You also need a mega-PC to play CoD decently. The graphics card that will play this game with ease has not been in the market yet and may take a couple of years

So, I would put a definite yes as answer, provided you are prepared to accept the heavy hardware investment that is required (PC, GPU, joystics etc).

~S~

Originally Posted by 335th_GRAthos

The graphics card that will play this game with ease has not been in the market yet and may take a couple of years

We will see after the "optimisation" patch....lets wait and see

My overclocked GTX470 (800Mhz) is doing pretty well with med to high settings (model and textures on high) and that is on 1920x1200. Big slowdowns I have only when looking at effects such is dust or fire. Or sometimes when more planes are low over cities.

[ATAG_Snapper]

Furbs, thanks for the detail on the COOP's potential -- "like herding cats" is so true with us bunch! LOL

Also, I think I've been quibbling over semantics earlier since, really, what you're asking by way of COOP's would be a huge asset to a complex sim like CoD; count me as a full supporter!

I'm hoping that if you do drop by the ATAG Server one fine evening that our bomber guys are there as they are the foundation (in large part) of the impromptu missions that occur. That said, frequently when it's just us "fighter boys" we've responded to the "radar sightings" to set up high altitude ambushes for incoming bomber raids on our side.

The way the ATAG servers are set now, the briefing tab lays out each side's primary & secondary targets, plus the fighters' assignments accordingly. There are periodic updates on each side's status (objectives achieved), plus when a target is destroyed all players see a big announcement to that effect. The side that first destroys all designated targets "wins" with a big announcement across the screen. After about 5 minutes (with one-minute-interval warnings), the server shuts down and resets.

As I mentioned earlier, not everyone on the server wants to play and that's fine. Many just want to do their own thing, including "Airquake-style" dogfighting or airfield suppression (vulching) which is OK. Many of us, by necessity, have learned how to effectively deal with organized field suppression tactics and actually welcome it as a warm up to the real missions.

Hope I run into you on the server, Furbs!

Snapper

[Osprey]

Originally Posted by Chivas

Furbs... your telling me a Coop squad couldn't start a server with a group of AI Ju87 covered by a group of AI 109's attacking a convoy of ships, that your squad needs to intercept? etc etc etc

You don't really need a Coop room to start the mission. Your group should be on teamspeak or given an approximate starting time.

Our server does this. Air Combat Group (ACG).

We presently run all historical raids from August 12th 1940 in chronological order with detailed briefings and regular radar information for both sides. The raids are reduced in size obviously but we've had no trouble with 40+ AI being attacked by our Wing as they come in.

There is briefing info which updates according to the mission in operation. The missions are spaced in order to allow groups to land and prepare for the next, on both sides, which is what we presently do together already. If you follow the information you will become embroiled proper, but alternatively you can do whatever you like as AI are in operation all over the place in pairs/flights as psuedo-historic sweeps. Our missions are large so patience may be required for loading times - I am a stickler for mission accuracy and have a good eye for missions following experience making the USL missions and our squadron campaigns.

I didn't want to publish here today tbh as we are a work in progress and we've much work ahead of us. We have plans for the server when times are right for us. We've also restricted to 32 players for the time being but with all the AI there's not a shortage of action.

I think ATAG is great, it's a very pleasant server with guaranteed action and TS3 is marvellous - great fun co-operating with the chaps on there who are always friendly and helpful. It offers a different angle to our server with an objective option for both sides whereas we lean more to the 're-enactment' side. Our boys have spent a lot of time in there and will continue to do so, however in this case I get the feeling that furbs may not have ventured out much *joke*. Don't write off the servers!

Check post #5 here for more.
http://forum.1cpublishing.eu/showthread.php?t=25721

[furbs]

Osprey that sounds great and cant wait to give it a try. If you want a few others to help test it then give me a bell.

[Osprey]

It's always up (I think!) so you can jump in anytime. You can be alone and find lots of action just by following the missions, but probably best take a wingman at least

Check the server list, Air Combat Group (ACG) and you can get our TS3 off the link I posted. Also........we're recruiting red and blue

[No1 Cheese]

It is worth getting,because 1 day it will be very very good,at the moment it just looks lovely.

Cheese

[furbs]

A few of us just might Osprey, though would rather jump in when the rest of you are there.