Oleg Maddox's Room #1

[Avimimus]

Hello Oleg,

If you have a moment, there are two ideas that I thought I would pass on:

1.
Is there any thought about being able to get (or to turn on automatic) verbal instructions from other crew members?

For example:
- The navigator could estimate TAS from IAS for the bombardier
- The rear gunner could yell out the approach of an enemy fighter to the bomber pilot (or complain about being to closs to flak).
- A radar operator could give instructions to the pilot (most aircraft had separate radar operators)

This could all be done with a few pre-recorded audio samples from the AI or simply through text on the screen.

In real life very few aircraft prior to the late 1950s had the pilot operate the radar. For some of the aircraft in Galba and all of the aircraft in BoB the radar operator could be modeled simply as a set of verbal commands. I remember accounts of interactions between luftwaffe radar operators and pilots when chaff was first being deployed and it should be possible to even model weaknesses and countermeasures verbally.

Such as system could, at least in the text overlay, be extended to visual observation (with descriptions of the rough number of enemies or ground targets and their types) with varying degrees of vagueness depending on range/conditions.

2.
As for stories, I am sure that you already see the benefit of having a well written briefing and an atmospheric plot given the Il-2 expansion packs you developed. The briefing may only be text but they add a lot.

I agree with your statements that adding a cut-scene capability to the game is largely a waste of time but for static campaigns why not expand the text based system? My suggestion would be to add the ability to choose between different text options during the briefing. These options would add additional briefing text or activate scripts to make small changes in the upcoming mission.

This would allow campaign builders to give the player the ability to do things like:
- choose between questions to ask during a briefing
- suggest a wingmen needs to be grounded for some rest (effecting their AI level or number of aircraft in upcoming missions)

S!

P.S. Could the HUD log (text overlay) be made editable for the 3rd party (so that we can make it use less jarring text and a smaller font for instance)?

[Oleg Maddox]

Originally Posted by Pike

Dear Oleg,
Yes, I get the point about PC power......that's why I am waiting to the very last minute before I upgrade after SOW BOB comes out. I'm going to have to invest in cooling systems as well I fear. I thought that those (big) holes in the wings could only be from cannon shells.
Only 92 days to go if the date does not change again...........92 days of hell (in the cooler!!)......I'd better get that little rubber ball out again!
Best regards,
Pike.

Yes... better to wait with upgrade of PC if the BoB is the main in your mind. I still don't know midlle and lowest hardware that to run BoB smooth. Will know finally in spring or even more close to summer.

[Oleg Maddox]

Originally Posted by Avimimus

Hello Oleg,

If you have a moment, there are two ideas that I thought I would pass on:

1.
Is there any thought about being able to get (or to turn on automatic) verbal instructions from other crew members?

For example:
- The navigator could estimate TAS from IAS for the bombardier
- The rear gunner could yell out the approach of an enemy fighter to the bomber pilot (or complain about being to closs to flak).
- A radar operator could give instructions to the pilot (most aircraft had separate radar operators)

This could all be done with a few pre-recorded audio samples from the AI or simply through text on the screen.

In real life very few aircraft prior to the late 1950s had the pilot operate the radar. For some of the aircraft in Galba and all of the aircraft in BoB the radar operator could be modeled simply as a set of verbal commands. I remember accounts of interactions between luftwaffe radar operators and pilots when chaff was first being deployed and it should be possible to even model weaknesses and countermeasures verbally.

Such as system could, at least in the text overlay, be extended to visual observation (with descriptions of the rough number of enemies or ground targets and their types) with varying degrees of vagueness depending on range/conditions.

2.
As for stories, I am sure that you already see the benefit of having a well written briefing and an atmospheric plot given the Il-2 expansion packs you developed. The briefing may only be text but they add a lot.

I agree with your statements that adding a cut-scene capability to the game is largely a waste of time but for static campaigns why not expand the text based system? My suggestion would be to add the ability to choose between different text options during the briefing. These options would add additional briefing text or activate scripts to make small changes in the upcoming mission.

This would allow campaign builders to give the player the ability to do things like:
- choose between questions to ask during a briefing
- suggest a wingmen needs to be grounded for some rest (effecting their AI level or number of aircraft in upcoming missions)

S!

P.S. Could the HUD log (text overlay) be made editable for the 3rd party (so that we can make it use less jarring text and a smaller font for instance)?

I will take in mind about IAS to TAS in Bomber. It should be some small and not complex... Say recorded for the correct speed just one phrase... Becasue for different speeds, different planes, if to make complex speech - this will be thousand variations of wave files.... And it would be not possible in our case due to other big work over speeches and various of localisations...

[41Sqn_Banks]

Originally Posted by Oleg Maddox

I will take in mind about IAS to TAS in Bomber. It should be some small and not complex... Say recorded for the correct speed just one phrase... Becasue for different speeds, different planes, if to make complex speech - this will be thousand variations of wave files.... And it would be not possible in our case due to other big work over speeches and various of localisations...

Maybe the wave files could be created by 3rd party, so you only need to offer a interface to play a custom made wave file. (I'm only talking about pilot voice, not engine/weapon sound). The same way as the takeoff/landing/victory sound in Il-2 Classic.

[Avimimus]

Thanks, Oleg


You know, it is possible to have simple audio messages but have more complicated text overlays. For instance:

Audio:
"Ships are ahead"

Text log:
"One, maybe two destroyers, several transports, 3'Oclock"

Thank you for taking the time,

[chn6]

An idea for BOB Servers



It's many be useful for BOB live missions, or World internet tournament, and it can let Server master unite.

I'm very hope for this, because north of China pilots have very high ping more than 700.... too bad


Regards
Hope you are exuberance,jolliness
and hope for BOB..

[jamesdietz]

Did I miss Oleg posting PC specs for BoB somewhere? Apologies in advance to Wiley ...

[Tbag]

No James, I don't think you missed anything, see p.29:

Yes... better to wait with upgrade of PC if the BoB is the main in your mind. I still don't know midlle and lowest hardware that to run BoB smooth. Will know finally in spring or even more close to summer.

[jamesdietz]

Drat!

[Gibbage]

Thank you for your time in replying to our questions. I have another about damage modeling.

Will damage effect your aircraft's structural integrity? As in if you get hit in your wings main spar, or part of your skin is blown off (For stressed skin body's) will the aircraft take less stress? Will your wing snap in a high-G turn if its damaged?

Also, will damaged wing surface produce less lift?

I know that even with todays very powerful dual and quad core CPU's there still must be limits on DM. IL2's DM system was a revolution for any game, and I hope BoB will be similar. Its only today that people are catching up too your water shaders!