A mod approval thought for 4.09 for the 1C team

[Urufu_Shinjiro]

Originally Posted by Baron

Not long ago AAA did NOT "allow" FM, DM (weapons) changes but now it seems thats out the window with for ex. a completly new Spit Mk1 with a completly new flight model done by people in the manner they "think" it should be, the same people who a few months ago did not allow FM, DM changes btw. If it was only 1 singel ac done to fit the whole game/gameplay it might be passeble, but everyone knows it wont stop there.

Just to reiteratte, no fm/dm changes rule still applies, whats happened is they have discovered how to make a totally new aircraft slot. Unless the host has that new aircraft slot selectable in the mission there is no way to use this new AC online. Since this provides that no one can fly this thing online unless specifically allowed by the host this allows the possibility of making new AC with new FM and weapons etc. Things in the works are a spit XIV, B25 strafer, and when we figure out how to convert 3dmax files to il2 mesh files we have sources for the AC submitted to 1C that were never included, like the Fokker, DO 17, and things like that with completed models that were never released. Since these cannot be used online where they are not wanted it's safe to do this. No matter what anyone else says the goal at AAA is still to improve the sim, not to destroy it, AAA does not have total control over what people do with mods but they do have control over what THEY do and will do thier best to do whats best for il2.

[Zinger]

I find it interesting that this has again bogged down into a thread about how bad/good that mods are, etc...
The OP had the right idea .. the anti mod crowd are scared of all the bad "hacks" - well, the OP is suggesting a solution ... have a verifiable set of Mods included by MG ... these would be issued within the game, and would then fall under the CRT=2 umbrella, allowing people to fly regulated mods, rather than opening themselves up to the "hacks".

If I ran a server, I'd damn well be really excited by the Slot, Malta, Nth Africa, Greece, Sicily, CBI, Channel maps that are being made .. they're a heck of a lot better than stock, give whole new worlds to create missions on, and with the flyables, would expand the online experience tenfold.
But, you have to have the CRT=2 set to stop just what the anti-modders fear ... why not accept the OP's idea as a good compromise. You get the best of both worlds. Or are people too blinkered by bias to see the opportunity ?

[Rama]

Originally Posted by Zinger

you have to have the CRT=2 set to stop ...

Another one who think CRT=2 do protect against FM/DM/Armament changes...
You're wrong... it's just a little bit more complicated...

The problem isn't the mods, or the "AAA philosophy" or anything like this... it's the availability of the hack tools. Either you're pro- or anti- modder you have to get the fact that IL2 has now no protection against cheat.... and that it's not going to change.

So I repeat, there's only 2 options: either continue flying online and accept to play sometimes with some cheaters.... or wait for SoW:BoB.

[tater]

^^^ truth. A more comprehensive approach is required to prevent cheating completely. Frankly, I think it's overstated anyway. I've had side killer griefers attack me on ZvW a few times. They get booted. That scares you? Play with friends. People you know/respect from the community.

All that said, regarding the point of the thread, it simply ain't gonna happen, lol.

[Zinger]

Originally Posted by Rama

Another one who think CRT=2 do protect against FM/DM/Armament changes...
You're wrong... it's just a little bit more complicated...

The problem isn't the mods, or the "AAA philosophy" or anything like this... it's the availability of the hack tools. Either you're pro- or anti- modder you have to get the fact that IL2 has now no protection against cheat.... and that it's not going to change.

So I repeat, there's only 2 options: either continue flying online and accept to play sometimes with some cheaters.... or wait for SoW:BoB.

And if you are caught .. at least on the servers I fly .. they will ban you.
Care to let us know what name you fly under ? I'll ask those servers to ban you ..... just in case, because you know how to get around the CRT check.

nothing is perfect .. but there were people cheating long before the mods were started.

The losers will always cheat .. mods or not.
If you fear them so much that you don't fly on the servers .. you let them win.
I'll bet that within 1 week of SoW coming out, there will be some form of cheat uncovered .. either something like the "print key', or some other form ... does that mean you will abandon flying SoW ? After only 1 week ?

[Kaptein_Damli]

Originally Posted by x__CRASH__x

I'm not sure if civil mod talk is taboo, but I wanted to air out a thought I had on the subject. I haven't downloaded or used any of the mods. But I don't disagree with them. I do worry about them going out of control and cheating will follow. So I had a thought.

From what I know, there have been some very good gains made with mods. They've put cockpits in some of the AI planes that would be fun to fly. They "corrected" a few things the modders believed to be wrong with the sim. They've upgraded the cockpit graphics of a few airplanes. And they've improved the sounds, from what I am told.

So, since the work is essentially done for these modifications, would it not be pretty easy for the 1C team to review the mods, evaluate their merits, incorporate them into a patch, and lock the game back up so no "nefarious", "questionsable" or downright "cheating" modifications make it into the game?

I essence, modders do the work and submit it to 1C who approves/disapproves it. Incorporates it in a patch, and releases it to the community. The community could even get involved voting on what mods they want included or left out.

What's the downside side? I only see positives. Improvements are made to an already fantastic, long standing game. 1C doesn't have to take much time away from their work on other projects. 1C keeps the IL-2 series locked up and hack free. The community is happy, and has new toys to play with.

Is there a downside?

I coundn´t be more agree! Look at the community around Lock On FC. Look at all the beautyful mods available. Some of the modders over there even got employed by ED to work on Black Shark! That´s the spirit. A mod for sound, 6DOF or even scenery mod only makes the original game looks better. I can´t understand why such mods improve cheating? Ie, you fly at Hyperlobby on a server and surely some user will not have Track Ir. Well, then you are "cheating" because the opposing opponent only uses his hatswitch! Cheating in Lock On FC is not a problem as far I know.

[tater]

To be fair, the notion that "No FM/weapon changes" went out the window with the Spit I is wrong. No weapon/FM changes on aircraft that a player with the stock game can see are permitted. If you changed the FM on the F4F-4, for example, and played online, you'd be a UFO since people with the stock game will see you in an F4F-4, because the F4F-4 exists in their game.

The Spit I is a NEW plane. It has a unique, new, plane slot. I couldn't fly the Spit I online because it would not exist on the server's spawn list since it does not take the place of an extant plane. No more do variant plane types replace the stock plane (with unchanged FM), but they now can be added as brand new planes. Only people with the same mod installed will ever see them.

That's why they waited til they could add entirely new planes to allow a new FM to be added.

tater

[uf_josse]

Agreed for the spit.... you can't fly it if not selected by host... so, it don't modified stock FM

Only prob is that this mod show where are the FM stored.for guys that did'nt knot it.... but, don't think a lot of guys can use this info and unpack FM..... so, don't think that will give too much modified FM for stock planes....

[Rama]

The problem is that "not too much" is allready too many to be acceptable for a fair online play...

In any case, no need to "talk too much" about it... everybody knows that online play is since some time allready open for UFO and "flying battleship"... so the only real question is to continue flying online in this context (accepting some "3rd type" encounters from time to time), or playing some other game while waiting for SoW.

[tater]

There are several FM changes I'd happily use offline. I have yet to find one.