Server Set Heads Up Display

[JG52Krupi]

Well so far most ppl would want some form of server setting

[jimbop]

Voted no but only because I get used to the way my windows are set up and would find it annoying for them to change all the time. I don't really care how others have their windows configured even if they do have a marginal advantage - my choice after all.

[Madfish]

Regarding the balance guys.

I don't want to say autobalance is the way to go. Keep in mind though that:

- Not everyone flies multiplayer to fight! Thus even if there's 20 on blue it doesn't mean you're at a disadvantage during a fight
- Full realism servers need "numerical" (as in pilots) imbalance eventually
- Even with balanced teams it's not guaranteed that fights are balanced
- People will often not care what anyone says on the chat

There are many other reasons but I'd simply say that balance is NOT an issue. Server admins etc need to take care of that and let's not forget that eventually it'd be possible to add scripts that grant the side with the disadvantage nice bonuses or additional AI planes etc.


I want to keep control over the windows and I'm glad it's possibel to get rid of them. Although I'd think it'd be nice to have a button to trigger this.

[ATAG_Doc]

What do you bet Hugh Dowding called Hermann Goering to see if there was balance in his mission for the day.

In this respect the old IL2 provided the numbers of spawned planes per airfield. Was not so bad if one was sensible to the balance issue. However forcing ppl to balance is not such a good idea as there are ppl that just fly one side or want to fly a specific aircraft.

Autobalance is no problem when on each side there are the same planes ... but who would want that?

EDIT: On the server-set windows I voted that some should be server-set. With that I mean that some windows that may be considered by the server providers as unrealistic or providing some with advantages may be forced off and others on. When exiting the server the player's preset window configuration should be restored for offline or for other servers that don't turn off these windows. Positions as configurated by the player should be maintained. I think this is not so difficult to implement.

[bw_wolverine]

I voted to let me decide my own windows, but I do feel that the damage indicator is a bit too much info for a full real server.

Example:

I was flying in a high g manoeuvre against a 109 in my Spit Ia and lost controls for a second. At first I thought it was just speed compression or what have you, but then I started to think maybe those bullets severed something. With a 109 still in the area, I had to make a decision quickly about whether or not I could continue the fight or try to break off and flee.

Damage window would have instantly told me the answer the moment it happened (if damage was the issue) and I wouldn't have had that interesting decision to make. (I held on and made the right decision, controls were okay).

Forget the fact that having the damage indicator on is a little bit of a cheat (not calling people who use it cheaters, cheat it probably the wrong word but I can't think of the right one), having it on really robs you off a lot of the amazing fun of a quality damage model. Just KNOWING that one of a great many things COULD be broken gets your heart racing and your pilot skills humming. You very quickly learn how to properly check your instruments for good running numbers.

I could give other examples. Landing gear is a great one. Without the damage indicator, you really have to be aware of your gear when you come in for a landing rather than just remembering you saw a damage notice that the gear was damaged. I always check the gear indicator (even on flights I haven't been shot at) because it's very easy to attempt to land after you feel enough time has gone by that your gear is down and then suddenly realize that it's not fully extended on one side or there other. I have had to make 2 landings using the compressed air emergency gear release, and one landing with gear up after I couldn't get it down.

So while I'd never tell anyone what they should or shouldn't have on their own screen if it's an option, I will say that playing without the damage indications is a lot of fun in itself and recommend it. You're missing out on a big part of the sim with it on I think.

[robtek]

I really dont know what some people here are thinking a server-side setting can do.

Afaik the server can only decide what is allowed, each and everyone can turn off the allowed things if he/she pleases so.

[JG52Krupi]

I can understand why you would wish for the chat window to be set by you but I at the very minimum would want the damage window to become server set.

[SNAFU]

I voted for the option of server side enforced settings. But I don´t really mind.

Finally it is up to the player himself, what he wants. If you want realism and immersion, you can switch this all off and fly on a server with similar minded folks on. If you find yourself in the situation in which you start worrying what is balance and what is fair competition, you are likely not looking for realism and immersion, but rather for the sportative aspects of the player vs player contest. For a player vs player conest, may it be 3 or 5 vs 1 or 2 vs 1, where it is about competing skills, it would probably be the best to give the option to set it on the server side. But then you would also need icons to identify friend and foe, because all players should be using the same plane and fly on the same altitude, like in the good old league map.

I personally flew IL2 1946 for the last 3 years with deactivated Hud-Log. Knowing of the disadvantage I have from the player vs player point of view I had more fun this way. But the disadvantage in competition was more obvious in 1940, especially with the inaccurate (if working at all) temperature gauges. In my squad formation I always had problems keeping the form, because I always wanted to keep my engine temperatures in the gauge range (no overheating warning, a problem especially in the 190, where the gauge limits are off), while all others constantly flew with X% power settings, I just had to figure what that means in ata and rpm. Now in Cod, the first thing I switched off were all the hudlogs and little throttles and so on. But I still have not figured out how to switch of the top left hud-log for the messages: Gear up, gear neutral, Gear down etc. Has anyone figured out how to get rid of that?

[JG52Krupi]

Can't you hold alt right click and close it?!!!?