Just my thoghts on the latest Screens update +examples offuture hopes for SoW

Mysticpuma · #1 01-17-2010, 02:48 PM

The problem we have here, is that the reason we are all here is becuse Oleg created a great sim so many years ago.

What i want primarily from a sim is immersion. So, along with enemy AI that doesn't just spin into the ground and can see through clouds, I want advance damage modeling both visibly and also through the flight model so I know my aircraft is in trouble. I'd have 6-DoF but lastly the graphics need to make me believe I am in a virtual cockpit.

The comparison between Call of Duty and Modern Warfare is very representative of my expectations, and if I'm out of order, this is MHO.
So, visually I want the aircraft to have lots of detail, all of it with HDR lighting,an improved visual damage model so that if an aircraft loses part of a wing it has torn edge rather than a straight edge. I'd like to see wings explode off an aircraft if the ammo store is hit, but I'd also like to see wings not fall of an aircraft, but fold and stay attached, then flap as the aircraft hurtles down.

This is just subtle but immersive graphics that add to the realism of the situation you are in.

There are so many things that would be awesome to see, and maybe they are already there, but small changes like 54 v54 in QMB + the option to have close formation or Bader's 'Big Wing'!

I really want to see glass and metal have radiosity and caustics as-well as my vision too.

If I look into the cockpit my pupil will enlarge to let my light in. When I look back out again, I'd expect a slight over-brightness in my vision (caustics) to slightly bleach out the environment until my eyes adjust. This is what occurs in project Gotham Racing 3 and onwards when you come out of a tunnel. It's a subtle but immersive effect.

Graphically I was hoping by now that there may be at-least some footage of an aircaft in a real environment, after-all, how are we expected to show our friends and potential customers of the future what they are missing out on, when we have the latest update of a Tiger Moth against a tired backdrop and without any Anti-Aliasing.

Just a little disappointed and don't forget, SoW had to be at a certain stage of readiness before patch 4.09 complete was released.

Just a little disappointed....so Oleg, please show us some video at this advanced stage in production.

Cheers, MP.

Flanker35M · #2 01-17-2010, 03:30 PM

S!

I think Oleg holds back moving video until close to release. AS said all over the terrain is not ready yet etc and seeing WIP in motion would cause whinery and moaning anyway, even it would flash WIP on screen every 3 seconds

As of graphics. Immersion is more important to me than fullblown eyecandy. Graphics have to serve their purpose, not just be there to look good or make the game just another nice gfx engine tech demo. Rise Of Flight has very good graphics..maybe not state of the art terrain or all that but the feel and such is there.

In short..graphics should be for being played, not for screenshots or movies

After all, how much do you pay attention if a screw is Phillips or Torx if you are being chased by a bloodthirsty opponent on your tail?

IceFire · #3 01-17-2010, 03:35 PM

I think Mysticpuma is right that the really nice visuals can be really useful to immersion. Things that seem like eye candy but really help fit the feeling of WWII air combat are things ... stuff that we've all seen in the gun camera footage... of bits breaking off in different ways. I hope some of this does make its way in.

Obviously there is a point where feature creep sets in and you can spend many more years making stuff perfect. There is a point of diminishing returns but I do hope for some little things that make everything worthwhile.

I do have hope... we've seen the seagull model months and months back. Flocks of birds...even simple ones would make things so much more interesting visually. Just an example of little finishing touches that will take this from excellent to superb!

#4 01-17-2010, 05:14 PM

According to Grunch we have seen the actual 'in game shots' already.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheGrunch

Flanker35M · #5 01-17-2010, 05:47 PM

S!

Well in that Stuka picture in bottom with window damage and seeing ground below..there are purple buildings and it clearly tells the game engine is not finished yet

We get these anomalies in IL2 if drivers or similar are not OK

I would guess Oleg will drop a "SoW Bomb" a bit before release, to make people drool and anticipate it. He is good in this kind of stuff

Before that the regular updates keep coming and possibly now and then some hints and tips for what to wait

As IceFire said, there is a point how much you want to detail things. How much is useful and meaningful as overdoing it just wastes resources that could be used elsewhere. Balance in everything. And snipping off something not really needed from somewhere can free resources to add something more in fidelity elsewhere...

But SoW will be a benchmark on it's own as IL-2 was 2001. And as you see, IL2 still goes strong at age of 10 years

So what can we expect from SoW..SoW:MTO, SoW

TO, SoW:KTO?

Jaws2002 · #6 01-17-2010, 05:48 PM

The only things i find disapointing so far are the color of the sky and sea water. In all SOW, in game screenshots I've seen, the water looks like in a bussy port, and the sky looks like over a big poluted city. If you traveled around the world a little, you probabily know that the sky and sea color can be dramatically different from place to place, or from day to day.

Is like they are afraid to make the ocean water BLUE. If you go few miles away from the port , the sea water is just ....Blue. Is not mudy or dirty, with a lot of sand in suspension, like in all the shots I've seen so far.

Flanker35M · #7 01-17-2010, 05:51 PM

S!

Still WIP, the game engine is not final yet and colors etc. are still tuned and made if I read the news right. Even the pics wold be from "in game" the game is not finished thus WIP. So be patient

#8 01-17-2010, 05:53 PM

I agree 100%. Some forum members are confused has to what 'in game' means.

Specht · #9 01-17-2010, 06:24 PM

Those pictures are IN GAME, they are taken inside the engine of the game, they are not blue screen/render pictures.

And they are also WIP pictures because the textures, lightning effects and all those things might be changed for the final product, but being WIP does not mean it's not in game, your conception is completely messed up.

WIP IN GAME SCREENSHOTS.

#10 01-17-2010, 06:37 PM

Oh gawd, In game means all things will appear 'in game', they may add more stuff to it, 'in game' does not mean 'with a place holder background'.