Friday 2010-12-03 Dev. update and Discussion

[Oleg Maddox]

Originally Posted by Redwan

I see that I have been waiting for 1 week just to see .... boring maps ...
After the last week's update session with BoB menus, I would have expected something more graphic/exiting.


I know, "I dont have the time, I'm tired", or what ever excuse we already heard here ... but is it so difficult to start the beta version and push on PRINT SCREEN on some ongoing air action ? I cant' believe that Oleg cannot delegate such an easy task to one of his guy's if he doesn't have the time himself.

I put only these things that I think is important and these that I want. I can't do only things that you personally ask.

And I don't really "must do" it every week.

Lets you'll try to ask the same from other companies. For example Microsoft. I will be very interested what the aswer you will get. May be you would try?

And finally, you may see, that for most here this update was really interesting... If you don't use FMB for making the sim even more intersting that it is in basis, then you simply don't understand the importance of the FMB. This tool makes the game even more interesting and allow many users to get new scenarios, campaigns, single missions, to invite then to play online your friends in the new scenario you did, etc ... Just try to think about it.

Experience of Il-2 show that this tool was one of the most important features of the sim. And here I just show the new tool, that in comparison to Il-2 FMB has a lot more new features. that was implemented by the great accumulation of users suggestions from around the world in years.

This feature is one of the main features that lacks many other games of one season life.

Just try to think about it a bit wider....

This update is one of the most important comparing to such as the first video even shown....

PS. Without such a tool there probably wasn't possible a lot of the mods in Il-2...

[kancerosik]

hi oleg!!!!

Can you give us some trigers examples?

thanks!!!!

[Richie]

LOL you tell him O. M.

[Schallmoser]

Originally Posted by 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 ...
...
...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

Hi everybody,
Thanks for the great update!
But I'd like to second what ivagiglie said. The major reason why I didn't use the IL2 mission builder much over all these years was the interface.

I know that right now all development effort is on much more important things but I think it would be worth to re-think the GUI.

I've been working as a software architect for 20 years now and in most of my projects the GUI was or is one of the key elements that are very important.
The way I would go, would be Qt4. Qt4 is a set of C++ libraries that are available for windows, linux, Mac and even embedded platforms. They include everything to make highly ergonomic and modern GUI applications with just a few lines of code.

If you provided some kind of front-end library in C++ for all the functionalities of the FMB, we (the community) would be able to give you a hand or even develop a standalone application that has all that ergonomic appeal and bells and whistles that would make the FMB an even more outstanding tool.

cheers,
Schallmoser

[Former_Older]

Looks like a fairly good selection of options so far

I know this is WIP.

Will we have option to set damage on aircraft?

[first-things-first]

Hi Oleg

In the fourth picture - showing airfield names.

You have "Sounthend" listed - firstly a spelling mistake - should be Southend (aka "London by the Sea" ).

Secondly, it was called Rochford during the BoB period.

Will we get the pier - because I do love to be beside the seaside.

Regards

Andrew

[KOM.Nausicaa]

Originally Posted by Fafnir_6

This is the problem exactly, you (and Nausicaa) are experienced mission builders and no doubt this update is like early Xmas for you. For those of us who are just getting into mission building or who have only dabbled, the FMB of IL-2 (let alone this new mission builder with all the added functionality) has a very steep learning curve.

Fafnir, the most difficult thing in IL2 FMB is understanding the interface. But just sit down an afternoon with a good cup and coffee and go through great tutorials like Flying Nutcase's excellent site: http://www.il2-fullmissionbuilder.com/trains.php
...and I promise before the day is over you got it under your knee. Once you got that you'll see how very logic and simple it really is. I am confident that the basic philosophy of the FMB will stay the same in SOW, with added options, or interface commands for stuff that previously only existed in key board shortcuts (like the "rotate group" command I saw in the shortcuts in the screenshots I guess).
Trust me.....learning to fly your plane properly in the sim is a thousand times harder than the FMB.

[322Sqn_Dusty]

With the trigger,

Could that be added to an airbase that normally will remain asleep when the 'planned'route is followed so that if you are offcourse that there will be a scramble?

Trains with AAA that keeps silent even the ac are in range till it's too late?

With triggers i'm just thinking of running the track for ships convoys etc, so the delay doesn't need to be calculated on the mission time itself..if you want to make another turn into the holding and gather area.

[Trooper117]

A few years ago I found that full mission builder site mentioned above and never looked back.
As I explored further I asked even more questions at the many IL2 mission builder forums on how to address other specific issues.. you'll find the majority have all the answers you need and some very helpful people.
Next it was making sure I had to research all the technical data required like climbing/cruising/max speeds etc to make missions accurate, followed by historical info on a particular battle.. I tell you, it became a way of life for me plus enhanced my knowledge on WWII aviation.
Jump in and give it a go, its great fun, sometimes frustrating, but extremely rewarding!

[Stiboo]

Some great ideas



Yes, actually the FMB is very easy to use and understand, it just takes a huge amount of time to put a campaign together. I've managed to make 5 campaigns in about 3 years..

With research, building and playtesting a campaign a figure of about 100-150 hours of work goes into building my campaigns, this doesn't include the time spent on custom skins by skinners helping me.

The thing that wastes the most time is searching and placing objects, ie- to make airfields and towns look ' lived in ' if there was a randomiser as suggested else where that could populate places this would save many hours!

Some other button or command that said " place 30 German bombers in X formation here " would be another great idea.

I wonder if we'll be able to place custom sounds and images into a mission?


Waiting for Oleg to come online and give us some more info!