First impressions

Flanker35M · #1 03-30-2011, 06:57 AM

S!

So yesterday got Cliffs Of Dover from local game store. Installation and updating went fine. Had some initial problems launching the game due some strange CD-Key thing, but that sorted itself within 2h after filing a ticket to Steam. So..login to Steam and click Play on CoD. This is a quick and dirty impression of the game as I only had very little time to delve deeper, keep that in mind.

First I noted was that the game took quite a bit to load at first time. It also crashed when navigating the menus and did not save controller settings etc. Restart and worked again. So time to delve into the game..

GUI..A bit mixed feelings of this one. On the other way it is an improvement, but again nothing beats the clarity and usability of IL-2 menus. Sound setup for example is simplified, maybe for a reason to create less hassle with less options. Who knows. But it worked. Easy enough to test and setup.

Setting up graphics was OK, but there is no indication if you would use DirectX 10 or 9. Tied to graphical settings level? For me the FSAA seemed to work, tested with None and 2x, as I run 1920x1200 resolution. Suggestion would be that this time we could get more info on what the graphical settings in conf.ini really mean and how they affect performance. For example there is HDR setting and I would rather have it off as it does not look good to me, but matter of preference. Maybe more options to the GUI to control what we have on and off, under Advanced maybe?

Setting up controllers is a bit of a step back from IL-2. Less fluid to use, but if putting some time to it then you can assign the controls as you please and those HOTAS guys are happy with that I guess

More work compared to IL-2, but works except not saving things at times etc.

Other settings in GUI (pilot etc.) are straightforward to use so nothing to tell much really. Weapon section is maybe a bit too cluttered with all the options for belting and such as the text does not fit the window etc. The GUI is a bit slow at times, but I guess the patches will improve the overall performance of the game so not complaining. Did not go into FMB or similar, can't tell about that area now.

Then to the game itself. Loading times are a lot longer than in IL-2, but for obvious reasons. After loading you find yourself in the cockpit(using Quick Mission, free flight as reference). First you notice the cockpits. They are very nice. Closest to them comes the Tempest cockpit from IL-2 if want to compare. In this case I was in the Bf109E-3 and I liked the cockpit a lot. Very nice detail and all. Combine this with shadows etc. and you are on a different ball park than in IL-2. Need to check other planes too as reference with time.

Then the performance of the game. It is far from good. Even my rig had problems running Free Flight above France without stutter or pauses. The pop-ups etc. can be seen, but in less quantity than in IL-2 where you had the "ring of popping up things" around you. There is a patch out today, if read correctly, that would address some issues so another check after that.

Colors are a bit odd to me, but matter of taste. Overall atmosphere is nice though. If using low settings the difference between IL-2 and CoD is not that big IMHO. When getting the bumped terrain you see improvement over the old lady, at a cost of performance. So performance wise Devs have some work to do. And this epileptic filter thing, hopefully becomes optional for us Western users as well.

So..in a way we are at the same point as with IL-2 over 10 years ago. The potential and expandability is there and over time this product will evolve. And it will surpass IL-2 easily after the teeting problems are ironed out. Sure there is a lot of IL-2 legacy seen and felt in the game, but a lot of new is there too. Some might have expected a bit more after 6 years, but really can not complain. Flight sims are not the top dogs of market so we have to be patient. Yet the flight simmers are the hardest crowd to please as many are quite aware and interested in aviation/history. I think CoD and it's future expansions will shape it to be another benchmark in this area, the base is there after initial issues are ironed out. And this time hopefully approach is that first bugs out before new stuff in that usually brings more bugs.

I am quite happy with the game, even performance is not what I am used to with my rig on any other games and IL-2. Still..worth the moeny

Go grab it.

Chivas · #2 03-30-2011, 07:11 AM

Thanks.... Have you tried running a lower resolutions to find more performance.

SG1_Gunkan · #3 03-30-2011, 07:12 AM

Nice first impressions Flanker! I can't wait for you to test the flight models and plane'e performance.

Flanker35M · #4 03-30-2011, 07:22 AM

S!

Will go into FM and DM soon, Gunkan. Be Sure!

First impressions are a bit mixed of this new kid on the block, but I believe that if the dev team gets good sales, enough man power and resources CoD will be a very long living product. It has the potential, but is a bit unfinished yet.

JG27_PapaFly · #5 03-30-2011, 07:26 AM

Thanks Flanker, could you please check whether the SONAR effect is finally gone?

Qpassa · #6 03-30-2011, 07:33 AM

Thanks Flanker for the review

Flanker35M · #7 03-30-2011, 09:13 AM

S!

You are welcome, even I am far from a good reviewer

Will test the sonar today among other sound things. IMO the cockpit sounds are a bit muffled when many pilots have stated the rattle and roar was almost deafening in these planes. No insulation or dampening, products of war not civilian comfort

Codex · #8 03-30-2011, 09:48 AM

Well I can concur with what Flanker35M has described, he's pretty much nailed it on the head for what I am experiencing.

In terms of performance: Well I'm glad I didn't upgrade. I'm saving my money until the sim is refined a lot more. It's clear there are bugs in the sim.

Of particular note for me ...

Sound:
Surround Sound doesn't work, I only get two channels L&R. It does work however when I select Headphones ... weird.

When in training missions the instructors voice cuts out early before he finishes his sentence.

AI:
When in training missions, if you're too close to your final way point and its time for the instructor to take control, he'll do some crazy manoeuvre and plough right in to the ground trying to get to the end waypoint.

Graphics:
I'm seeing glitches / artifices all over the horizon, dark grey lines between the sea and the sky.

Stutters - well they're back and with a vengeance.

I've got CoDs graphics set to medium, and when flying over the ocean in free flight I get about 30 - 40fps. Flying over a port in France however is another story, it turns into a slide show, average of 3 fps.

I'm going to hold off flying seriously until some more updates are released. I still haven't found where I can turn off this epi filter :S but I'm not too fussed. For the moment I'm content with the fact that I've got CoD installed and running. I can live with doing free flight for a while and I'm happy to learn how the FM and DM works ... for now.

Gribbers · #9 03-30-2011, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Codex

Well I can concur with what Flanker35M has described, he's pretty much nailed it on the head for what I am experiencing.

In terms of performance: Well I'm glad I didn't upgrade. I'm saving my money until the sim is refined a lot more. It's clear there are bugs in the sim.

Of particular note for me ...

Sound:
Surround Sound doesn't work, I only get two channels L&R. It does work however when I select Headphones ... weird.

When in training missions the instructors voice cuts out early before he finishes his sentence.

AI:
When in training missions, if you're too close to your final way point and its time for the instructor to take control, he'll do some crazy manoeuvre and plough right in to the ground trying to get to the end waypoint.

Graphics:
I'm seeing glitches / artifices all over the horizon, dark grey lines between the sea and the sky.

Stutters - well they're back and with a vengeance.

I've got CoDs graphics set to medium, and when flying over the ocean in free flight I get about 30 - 40fps. Flying over a port in France however is another story, it turns into a slide show, average of 3 fps.

I'm going to hold off flying seriously until some more updates are released. I still haven't found where I can turn off this epi filter :S but I'm not too fussed. For the moment I'm content with the fact that I've got CoD installed and running. I can live with doing free flight for a while and I'm happy to learn how the FM and DM works ... for now.

Training Mission AI - That was always the reason I was too scared to use autopilot in IL2 when there was even the remotest hill or elevation around...for fear of a steep turn into the side of a hill.

Ctrl E · #10 03-30-2011, 10:07 AM

first impression for me?

after about two minutes playing my first impression is: "my god, how did such an unfinished product even come close to being foisted on the public".

i have a brand new rig, six gigs of RAM, crossfire and solid state hard drive, but good lord the performance is terrible.

it is clear now that the decision not to show any gameplay over land in the lead up to release was a deliberate act of deception. the thing just locks up. complete slideshow.

on pausing random bits of code appear on the screen. there's horrid black lines running across the horizon. and to re-adjust your graphic settings you have to restart the game.

i just don't get it. i can play rise of flight with all settings maxed out and it runs like a dream. same for Arma 2. it looks to me that there must be a very basic problem with the coding. i fear the engine has fleas.

in short - i am terribly dissapointed. and this is from a paid up member of the oleg fanclub. a fanboi.

it is now clear to me why oleg shot through. he knew the game was nowhere near ready for release and was obviously embarrased.

i hope they work this out and soon. i really do. so wanted this game to be a success but if this does not improve in a hurry it will die.