What the clouds should look like in CoD. Video of clouds at altitude with Fighters

[JAMF]

I'm pretty sure that the 1c:Maddox guys can create a beautiful cloud. But what they're trying to make is dynamic weather. That has to be a difficult task.

Depressions and high pressure areas moving over a map, the arms of the fronts rotating around the depression, the fronts having big closed clouds and possibly rain below them, the wind going from high to low... How do you make that? How do you make a high that is off the map have influence on the clouds around the depression that's on the map? Do you create a reel of weather "film" that moves from west to east, on which the highs and lows move? Do you create a film that projects weather overlay images on the map, 1 frame every 10 minutes? How do you make the clouds move so they stay near the weather front? How do you make a weather programme stay within English/French weather parameters and not have a heatwave that lasts the whole period?

We've seen Japanese programmers simulate clouds and weather around a mountain, but that has to be done for a whole map. That's a big task. Potentialy bigger task than creating a dynamic campaign (war management AI), as such a programme doesn't need to calculate in 3D.

[Mysticpuma]

This makes me wonder if updated weather and objects (if I remember correctly) could be bought as an option like it was for FSX? Oleg was talking about the Simulation engine being licensed and then other developers could create add-ons (like an Aces Expansion Pack) once it had been authorised.

So if the software is going to be licensed, then their could be future Pay-ware add-ons for scenery and environments as-well as aircraft?

I may have been mistaken when I read previous posts by OM but I was reading them with that impression being given.

It almost makes you wonder if there could be a 'clouds' only map, where the ground is actually a Storm cloud or very low-lying fog (so darkish in colour letting the player know it is the ground layer), but then all that has to be modelled is the lighter and upper cloud layers, giving just a cloud environment to fight in.

If you go through the ground layer you explode, as you have hit the ground under the fog bank, so you have to fight above it?
Just thinking out loud?

Cheers, MP

Just a thought

[Tomahawko]

Originally Posted by Mysticpuma

I may have been mistaken when I read previous posts by OM but I was reading them with that impression being given.
It almost makes you wonder if there could be a 'clouds' only map, where the ground is actually a Storm cloud or very low-lying fog (so darkish in colour letting the player know it is the ground layer), but then all that has to be modelled is the lighter and upper cloud layers, giving just a cloud environment to fight in.

If you go through the ground layer you explode, as you have hit the ground under the fog bank, so you have to fight above it?
Just thinking out loud?

I'd dig it.

[Swoop]

Me too

I just love using clouds in a fight and having to use instruments to ambush a following enemy.

It also makes flying in general more interesting and less of a fight sim and more of a flight sim.

Remember trying to land at the end a tense war mission in a thunder storm with a heavy cross wind, it just adds so much.