Friday 2010-02-25 Development update:Interview by Grégory Lemasson/Discussion Thread

[Flanker35M]

S!

I see your point Freycinet. But a so called amateur, no pun here, can make a lot if he/she has proper documentation and specifications on the standards required for the job. Hard to do anything if info is vague and you have no real clue what is required. Sure it could take a bit longer from this individual than from a dedicated team, but good instructions take you a long way already.

SoW will be the base for everything when released. Oleg & Team have a base with all the tools required, a ready graphics/physics engine, the knowledge and professionalism. With time it will expand, as have many other games done, for example EVE Online. Even from a different planet literally, this game is continually expanding. So why would SoW be any different in this matter. And this time with SoW Oleg & Team have all the experience from IL-2 and the lessons learned from there. So it gives a huge advantage.

It will be really hard to let go of IL-2 as it has grown on me for the last almost 10 years. Like did EAW before it. But good thing is that IL2 still gets support from TD and Oleg so it will co-exist with SoW quite a time still

Good times ahead for sure..

[Skoshi Tiger]

Originally Posted by Flanker35M

S!

It will be really hard to let go of IL-2 as it has grown on me for the last almost 10 years. Like did EAW before it. But good thing is that IL2 still gets support from TD and Oleg so it will co-exist with SoW quite a time still

Good times ahead for sure..

I think that even if SoW is all that we hope and expect it to be, IL2 will be on our hard drives for many years to come. It's still looking good!

As more expansion packs and 3rd Party additions are released for SoW, we will just play Il2 a little bit less until gradually the SOW series fills all our requirements and areas of interest.

Until about a year ago I had copies of Janes WWII fighters installed on my home network and used it to "introduce" my nephews to flight sims. They were only six and eight at the time and we used to play co-ops. It was only after I made my latest computer that I realised that as the boys had got older we were playing IL2 more often and hadn't touched WWII Fighters for a while so I didn't try to get it working on my new PC.

Cheers!

[Flanker35M]

S!

Exactly Skoshi, IL-2 will co-exist until SoW will have more than just BoB. IL-2 has it all and more right away and in a package that is STILL playable and looks good. SoW will eventually phase out IL-2, but not in a year or two. TD's new additions help with this as well. It was one helluva slick move to get TD work on IL-2 to ensure longevity for it until SoW gets on full speed with additions

[Bobb4]

Originally Posted by Skoshi Tiger

I think that even if SoW is all that we hope and expect it to be, IL2 will be on our hard drives for many years to come. It's still looking good!

As more expansion packs and 3rd Party additions are released for SoW, we will just play Il2 a little bit less until gradually the SOW series fills all our requirements and areas of interest.

Until about a year ago I had copies of Janes WWII fighters installed on my home network and used it to "introduce" my nephews to flight sims. They were only six and eight at the time and we used to play co-ops. It was only after I made my latest computer that I realised that as the boys had got older we were playing IL2 more often and hadn't touched WWII Fighters for a while so I didn't try to get it working on my new PC.

Cheers!

I do not share that view. I wish it was true though. Let's face it once you fly the next generation sim (SOW) in this case you will be left expecting more that IL2 can offer. What I expect is a faster delivery cycle.
While IL2 was ten years in development (if you consider it is not yet finished thanks to TD) SOW will move faster and quicker, driven partly by third party developers and partly by a proven fan base for particular theatres of the war.
Most of Westen and Eastern Europe will jump at a Barbarossa expansion.
then you have the pacific theatre and of course Korea.
While IL2 meandered it's way into our hearts, SOW is going to leap forward.
I predict two years after release we will be exactly where Il2 is now in terms of planes, maps etc.
Look at the original IL2 expansions as marketing gambles. With SOW you know which theatres sell best. You also know which planes are flown the most.

[JVM]

@Bobb4

I believe you may be slightly optimistic...Considering the already hinted at numbers of hours needed to make a proper SoW aircraft model (ca 6 Months as average) it will take a sweet time before we can properly fill a specific theater in...And this is not taking in account the map itself which is so far removed from the Il2 one in terms of details it's almost frightening!

Do you know of all the nooks and crannies of all the Japanese main bases in the Pacific? have you all the road and railroad maps of Philippines (maybe a bad example this kind of map would be reserved to Oleg and team)? Detailed depots, marshaling yards, bridges, harbors etc etc

With some clever sleights of hand work it may be possible to do away with the maximum amount of detail but that will still be huge work (and guess what: I suspect only passionate amateurs can do it...it will be difficult to justify such a time investment for money seekers)!

JV

[kendo65]

Originally Posted by Skoshi Tiger

I think that even if SoW is all that we hope and expect it to be, IL2 will be on our hard drives for many years to come. It's still looking good!

As more expansion packs and 3rd Party additions are released for SoW, we will just play Il2 a little bit less until gradually the SOW series fills all our requirements and areas of interest.

Personally I have to disagree. I'm already having problems dealing with some of the more dated aspects of il2 now (mainly visuals - maps and terrain objects, effects and explosions, damage modelling, some older cockpits (eg 109s), some ai issues, etc).

My feelings on il2 are that I've more than had good value and enjoyment from it. In its time it was a major leap forward for a WW2 flight-sim. It is still the best on the market all these years later, certainly from the simulation side (engine management, etc) but visually I find it lacking now, more due to expanding expectations as the technology has advanced so much in 10 years.

So, for me, I expect that after my first flight in a SOW Tiger Moth or Spit, I'll find it very difficult to ever 'settle' for the il2 experience again.

I know I'll miss out for a time on a lot of WW2 theatres and aircraft, but I expect that SOW will have such a depth of gameplay and visual 'you are there' quality that I wont be able to take that step back anymore.

[HB252]

Hi Oleg

Sorry, i try explain better about 1/1 SCALE cockpit view:

I said that there will be like a option.

- 1/1 scale is 1 cm (Centimeter) of the screen must be 1 cm of the real cockpit views. In this way, we cuold see all things in his real size: buttons, levers, throttle, gunsight....

Thx

PD: thx Foo´bar for show me the Ju 52

[MikkOwl]

Originally Posted by HB252

i try explain better about 1/1 SCALE cockpit view:

- 1/1 scale is 1 cm (Centimeter) of the screen must be 1 cm of the real cockpit views. In this way, we cuold see all things in his real size: buttons, levers, throttle, gunsight....

On a view screen? This is a function of how big your monitor is, how far away you are sitting, and what FOV you have in the game. That's all. There are tools that calculate this. I am interested in it because it is related to realism and immersion.

On my 24" monitor, if I sit 50cm away from it, things have 1:1 scale if FOV is 55. Sit further away and the fov must be much smaller...

[major_setback]

Originally Posted by Flanker35M

S!

I see your point Freycinet. But a so called amateur, no pun here, can make a lot if he/she has proper documentation and specifications on the standards required for the job.....

I agree. A dedicated amateur with a passion for the game will give everything to reach his goal.

I don't do any game devolpment (other than hunting for reference materials for others), but I know from my own personal experience that I will put in 1000% effort, and go without sleep and meals for a hobby that I am passionate about. The pure pleasure of watching your own work (or a project you have taken some part in) near completion is all you need to keep going. My energy is endless for such a thing.

It would never be like this at a paid job, and I would never want it to.

[Oleg Maddox]

Originally Posted by major_setback

I agree. A dedicated amateur with a passion for the game will give everything to reach his goal.

I don't do any game devolpment (other than hunting for reference materials for others), but I know from my own personal experience that I will put in 1000% effort, and go without sleep and meals for a hobby that I am passionate about. The pure pleasure of watching your own work (or a project you have taken some part in) near completion is all you need to keep going. My energy is endless for such a thing.

It would never be like this at a paid job, and I would never want it to.

There is other case... when hobby correponds to work. Then also maybe excellent result.... There is only one limit in this case ... funds and time ... this limit is some time very critical and stops some very good ideas or even decrease possible quality.