Friday 2011-02-04 Dev. update and Discussion

[Defender]

Originally Posted by HFC_Dolphin

A quick question to Ilya or Oleg:
If someone gets a high end pc now, I guess that he'll be able to play the game in maximum settings.
The question is: do you have near future plans (meaning within the next 3 years) of adding features that will need to upgrade our systems?
If we buy a high end pc now, should we be worried that in the next 3 years we'll need to spend more money for upgrade because X-feature needs more power or something else?

Please let us know of this, because actually this is something that many-many people are waiting to know so they can upgrade their systems accordingly.

Thank you,

1C and group don't get any money from computer sales so I don't think they're purposely making it a requirement to have a top of the line PC. The game will require what it requires when it requires it. I don't mean any disrespect to you sir, but I do feel a little baffled by your question. 3 years is a lifetime for PC hardware, and depending what detail level you want to play the game at is also up to you so the choice is ultimately yours. But how are they going to possibly answer the question about future system specs before having done the work?

Just use common sense and discretion and you could probably answer this question yourself. "Yes I want to buy a NEW PC to play this game and other upcoming titles", or "I will hold off and wait a bit, play at a lower setting and upgrade in a year."

[HFC_Dolphin]

Originally Posted by Defender

1C and group don't get any money from computer sales so I don't think they're purposely making it a requirement to have a top of the line PC. The game will require what it requires when it requires it. I don't mean any disrespect to you sir, but I do feel a little baffled by your question. 3 years is a lifetime for PC hardware, and depending what detail level you want to play the game at is also up to you so the choice is ultimately yours. But how are they going to possibly answer the question about future system specs before having done the work?

Just use common sense and discretion and you could probably answer this question yourself. "Yes I want to buy a NEW PC to play this game and other upcoming titles", or "I will hold off and wait a bit, play at a lower setting and upgrade in a year."

I guess you do understand that developing team most probably has specific plans for the expansions and pretty well knows what will add or not.
And of course they're not a bunch of renegades wandering in unknown territory. They actually know their job and what it takes to do it.
Therefore, most probably they do know if they plan to add features that will stress today's systems, or more specific, they know that they won't be adding technology that might come in the next 1 or 2 years, since they already have lots to get from today's technology.

So, what I kindly request is a reassurance that there are no plans of changing the game engine that much so that in 3 years we're going to need a brand new system or a major upgrade.
And this is a consideration of many people who don't have huge budget available for this game.

I hope now is clearer to you sir. Thank you!

[HFC_Dolphin]

Ilya, one more question please:
I once kindly asked Oleg to have a view of the airport and our plane's position when we get into the mission. Something like a fly-by/helicopter view, where we see where we are and where should we go to get into take off position.

Are you going to offer this or something like that?

Thank you!

[proton45]

Originally Posted by HFC_Dolphin

Ilya, one more question please:
I once kindly asked Oleg to have a view of the airport and our plane's position when we get into the mission. Something like a fly-by/helicopter view, where we see where we are and where should we go to get into take off position.

Are you going to offer this or something like that?

Thank you!

I can think of two ways that a feature such as this could be added...

1) A quick "zoom in" at the start of your mission, starting with an over head of the airfield and ending with "you" (the pilot) in the cockpit looking out (the normal pilots view).

2) An added feature in the "view objects" function that includes the key points of your mission...key "points" like, fighters and bombers you might encounter, AND airfields and targets you might encounter. This could be a normal function of the mission briefing.

[Defender]

Originally Posted by HFC_Dolphin

I guess you do understand that developing team most probably has specific plans for the expansions and pretty well knows what will add or not.
And of course they're not a bunch of renegades wandering in unknown territory. They actually know their job and what it takes to do it.
Therefore, most probably they do know if they plan to add features that will stress today's systems, or more specific, they know that they won't be adding technology that might come in the next 1 or 2 years, since they already have lots to get from today's technology.

So, what I kindly request is a reassurance that there are no plans of changing the game engine that much so that in 3 years we're going to need a brand new system or a major upgrade.
And this is a consideration of many people who don't have huge budget available for this game.

I hope now is clearer to you sir. Thank you!

I understand that part of your question, it's just all very esoteric is all. I understand you want to run the game as best you can, but it's going to be hard for them to give accurate advice (especially advice that's going to cost you a few hundred/thousand dollars) at this point. If that advice is somehow inaccurate and it's directly influenced a purchase of a brand new gaming rig...that blame will surely be directed at them. Features that are dropped developers get flamed for so if they say something to influence a $900 upgrade they'll get flamed for sure.

They're not going to redesign the entire engine in 3 years most likely, they'll continue to improve it over time and most likely add accents that help with the ageing process. Optimization and FPS tweaks will come as well so it will be a gradual process as it has been in the past with most sims. High system specs hurt sales, so ultimately it's in their best interests to work within the medium.

Anyway that's my common sense, again I'm sorry if I sounded disrespectful...I of course have NO idea what they're planning heheh.

I have always found it best to make big money making decisions around my own preferences rather than what people tell me I guess.

[zakkandrachoff]

i know oleg said that the priority are """STORM OF WAR", but if you have some Battle for Moscow super pre-update, that will be so super great. Some Bf109F or Mig-3 imgae?

ok, to the real word now. I see that preflight config with Bf109E update. I hope there are not that 2 errors there is in Il-2 whit the skin.

1_ In the mission builder i put in my plane the skin and marks. Them, when, always i need to config in the ultimate preflight config, again, the skin of the plane

2_i put my plane and my personal skin, them i enlarge my group to 4. But the others planes have the default skins. For me, that is wrong. For another, is more comfortable and dynamic, i don't low...

PD: i like the black colours. very intelligent!!! i hate the white colours in menus

[addman]

Luthier/Oleg, we have seen some snippets of the tigermoth training mission already. I presume there will also be some kind of a engine startup/management tutorial for us that are not aero mechanics/engineers? Much obliged

[major_setback]

Originally Posted by domian

Did you have read all the comments in this thread???

Luthier explained, that there is no complex start procedure! I am sure, thats the same, as in IL2. One button to start, possibility to change pitch an mixture and finally the engine cooling.

I think it will be somewhere between the two:

Luthier: All the hotspots in our cockpit work. All the controls are animated. You can set fuel cock levers and work the priming pump and flick the magnetos and all. Do that if you like, or don't. We feel that most people will only try that once, if at all.

The systems we do model are crucial however. Watching the gauges and controlling mixture, prop pitch and radiator is essential. Our office is obviously filled with Il-2 online veterans, and for a while we could only play online with Complex Engine Management disabled completely. We could barely fly the Spitfire, and the 109 not at all. We fly with CEM on now, but we still to this day fly with Overheating disabled because damn it is hard!

[Heliocon]

I would love to see a proper video/trailer/footage, that is really needed. But I think this conversation and communication has settled my mind very much from its previous worry. I think this is exactly what the community wanted and need, thanks Luthier!

As for the smoke vortexes, isnt it a similar mechanic to water physics/movement which is in alot of games, direct compute could hack it (it was made for that type of simulation).

[Chivas]

Thanks Luthier for the very informative posts.

I wonder if the LOD of objects (buildings) will be about the same as IL-2? The pop up buildings are an immersion killer, but I understand that its sometimes necessary for fps issues. Will there be a user option to increase the LOD distance. In IL-2 right now a high end system can get many hundreds of frames per second, so it would be a nice option to have, when the new IL-2 series goes forward and people have strong enough systems.