Zorin, ok, let's close it this way:
1. If there is an exception given to you with your high poly loadouts, why shouldn't other people ask for the very same exception (with high res. textures, etc.)? Why shouldn't we then accept a 20k poly plane model with 2048x2048 textures to match your high poly loadouts? This is the point you might be overlooking.
2. You are telling me that following the specs would require from you to start from scratch. We both know it is not true or it should not be true depending on how you have done your homework. Because if you have made your models properly (in terms of LODs), you should have at least 2 more LODs after your high polygon LOD_0 models for each loadout. So maybe your LOD_1 or LOD_2 (if you have them) could just fit within the normal specs of the game. I don't know, you tell me.
3. And let's be reasonable. How often do you look at the loadouts from such a close distance to even appreciate such high fidelity? This sim is intended for virtual flying, not for taking screenshots. I am 110% for historical accuracy and quality (trust me, maybe even more than you are!), but I am also against wasted HW/SW resources. I dare to say you could do a very similar quality job on your loadouts with 30-40% reduction and most people wouldn't even notice the difference.
In conclusion, you have done a great historical job, no doubt about that, but you did not implement it properly for the IL-2 environment. And it puzzles me even more because I have mentioned this to you few months ago already. All I can say, please think about point #2.
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