Friday 2010-10-08 Dev. update and Discussion

[Peffi]

Originally Posted by Chivas

Questions for Oleg...

How big will you be able to model new maps? etc etc
Or will all this have to wait until computers are powerful enough to handle large highly detailed maps. Although by the time you are able to make these theaters, computers may be strong enough.

I think you don't know too well how computers work. How big and detailed the maps can be depends on how much time one is willing to put into the modelling of the map. If the level of detail is the same, it doesen't matter if the map is of some small part of England only or the whole world. Only the parts that the player can see and only the details you can see is in the RAM at any given time. The size of the map depends on your hardrive or internet connection if some parts of the map is on a server. You don't need a Cray-computer for a world map. Look at MS FS.

I may be wrong but I think I'm not.

[AndyJWest]

Only the parts that the player can see and only the details you can see is in the RAM at any given time.

This approach works for MSFS because it only needs to model a single aircraft. An air combat simulator needs to be able to model the details for each aircraft independently, or at least give a realistic approximation for such modelling - you can take some shortcuts where the action is well separated from human playersb but even using such techniques a simulation can only cope with a finite number of aircraft on a finite map. Not that I'd use MSFS as a good example of how to model even the limited world-representation it does...

[Peffi]

[QUOTE=AndyJWest;188560]This approach works for MSFS because it only needs to model a single aircraft.QUOTE]

? AFAIK MSFS can have a multitude of aicraft in the sky at the same time. I still believe I am right about how big a map can be. If Oleg wants to cover Tellus to put in the game it is possible but it will take him a loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong time. How many airplanes that can be in the sky at the same time was not the question and is another question.