Pre Edit
Of course there's been 7 posts here since I started laying this out hehehe
S~ all..
I was reading earlier on and saw that some haven't played IL2:46 before. May this give you a better view on the process that existed.
I hosted this coop alone, so there won't be any extra names in the windows, but you'll get the idea. And keep in mind, that once you die in this mission, you're dead.. The only thing you can do once you're dead is go jump into someone else's server, or watch the mission unfold with the cameras (watch the missions is what the majority seems to do).
First off, we have the hyperlobby, where people jump into a room, with the host in the top slot of the room. The host can set parameters for the game from here (difficulty settings), so that it doesn't have to be done in game.
Pic#1
This is where I get taken when i launch form Hyperlobby. This lets me select the game type.. ie, coop, dogfight, campaign.
Pic#2
Now, that I've selected which game type, the players start to pour in (automatically) that were in my room at the hyperlobby (my server is now "open"). This is where I can select which mission we will be flying from my mission folders.
Pic#3
Players all enter, and this is what they see first. (No briefing yet, because they haven't chosen a side yet, and you wouldn't want them to see the opposition's orders. You can also see the difficulty settings that are in place, aswell as choosing your aircraft. (Note.. If you pressed fly from here, it would direct you to the aircraft selection screen, coming up next)
Pic#4
This is where you'll see more than just my name if you've had more people join your mission.. they all appear at the bottom, and as they select planes, they appear beside the plane that they have selected. Once you have selected an aircraft, you can arm it.
Pic#5
And this is your arming screen.. self explanatory.
Pic#6
Once you've done your arming, you would want to read your brief, if you hadn't already done so once you selected your aircraft.
Pic#7
Once you're all done, you'd hit the "Fly" button on pic#4, and you appear in this room, the final ready room. Note, there would be a list of the players that joined in this window. The host cannot launch the game until all players are ready.. The "Kick Player" is readily available for those taking too long "grabbing those extra beers" for the flight"
Once all appear ready in the list, the host clicks the final send off button that starts the mission..
Pic#8
And we fly the mission. In this mission I downed 2 friendly bombers so I could get some points to register on the next pic..
Pic#9
When the host feels that the mission is over (ie after all have landed/all enemy down, etc,.,. different hosts have different ways of deciding), he/she then ends the mission and all are brought to this screen. This is the screen where we get to see the players' accomplishments for the mission. In my case I didn't accomplish much except for maybe a bullet in the head for what I had done
Scores are a whole other story, as for what's worth what and I won't get into that.. but this is where you'd see the scores.
Pic#10
If the people would like another mission, the host now can bring himself back to Pic#3 and can start the whole process without going back to the lobby if they so choose.
I hope this helps people that have no clue what we're talking about, "see" what we're talking about.
Peace.