Oleg Maddox's Room #1

[Lancelot]

Hi Oleg,

Each day i get more impressed with the detail of the ground object. And i thinks its great because it will improve a lot the feeling of fighting on a real world, even if lots of those details will not be visible while we are flying.
Seeing those ground object bring me some questions i would like to ask:

1) Back in the beginning of IL-2, there was a very dicussed issue (among others) about externals views. About if it was possible to have limited externals view to allow player see some of the action without being able to "cheat" by giving away information to other players.
Will we be able to have limited external views like for example, from inside of cockpits of players of the same side?

2) Another thing i think it would be cool, it's the implementation of friendly and enemy cameras. I mean the mission builder can put cameras assigned to each side, and on the mission the views from those cameras can only be selected for players of that side. Hope i'm clear.
That way, we could put cameras on airfield, and players that had been shot down can do the work of observers on the airfields, since this would not be unrealistic since airfields have people and radio equipment to alert friendly aircraft if they are attacked, or saw enemy aircraft pass near by.

3) Along with chameras and externals views issue, it would be nice if we can assign a camera to a moving ground unit, or even a convoy. That way, you can be an observer from the point of view of a tank, truck, ship, or any other vehicle or ground objetc. And if that object its destroyed, bye bye to the camera and observation point.
In case the camera is assigned to a convoy, instead of a single ground unit, you can swith the point of view between the diferent units of the convoy. And with any unit of the convoy being destroyed, its anothe camera "position" you ca'nt use.
I beleive this would be great to observe the ground action given the excellent details of the ground units that you are showing us.

4) Point 2 remind me, Will we have AI radio calls from airfields under attack, either in offline as online missions?. That's something i wish we had on actual IL-2.

Have to go now.
Take care!

[Christian G]

Quick question:
Will the grass be 3d?

Cheers! Thanks for the game Oleg!

Point 3 from Lancelot#s post would definitely add something, the others I am less sure. I think this only would lead to tear more planes to one spot as soon as another pilot of one's own side has detected an opponent. This would make life of a bomber a miserable one.

[Asheshouse]

Its interesting to see the map tools which it is planned to be available with the sim.

Will it be possible to overlay scans of real maps so that these can be used as a guide when creating the terrain model, laying out roads, rail, towns, woods, waterways etc?

Will it be possible to import satellite height data (SRTM Data) to create the initial terrain model?

Will it be possible to automatically fill ground textures with buildings and objects, based on standard templates? If so can the standard templates be edited by the map maker?

Will there be any fixed limits on the size of map which can be created?

Will it be possible to copy and paste groups of objects in a map?

Will it be possible to copy and paste groups of objects from one map to another map.

Automatic aligning and spacing of objects?

Will it be possible for rivers/bridges to be above sea level. On IL-2 maps the water surfaces and bridges are all at zero level.

Will it be possible to create more complex rail systems including rail sidings, rail junctions, embankments, cuttings, more realistic looking bridges (without approach ramps), tunnels, rail over road bridges, road over rail bridges?

Will it be possible to make steps in a river, to create waterfalls, river weirs, lock systems, enclosed harbours etc.

Will the sea be tidal with more land exposed at low tide?

Will you be able to crop out part of a large map to easily create a small custom map for online use.

Will you be able to extend the boundaries of an existing map to cover a larger geographical area?

Just a few thoughts.

[_ITAF_UgoRipley]

If you ever want to read some answers to your Qs, please stop here !!
Just kidding...

As far as I understood, the users will be able to build maps up to a certain size, the bigger ones reserved to Oleg's Team or 3rd party developers.

And I hope there'll be no photo texturing since this makes maps look really dull and flat.

[Bobb4]

Tanks, numberplates and open hatches - WoW the detail is amazing but something is missing! Where are the people, will they be rendered, will we see tank crews around parked tanks. Crews manning AA guns. Truck drivers etc...
Or will everything be empty?

[Oleg Maddox]

Originally Posted by Asheshouse

Its interesting to see the map tools which it is planned to be available with the sim.

Will it be possible to overlay scans of real maps so that these can be used as a guide when creating the terrain model, laying out roads, rail, towns, woods, waterways etc?

Will it be possible to import satellite height data (SRTM Data) to create the initial terrain model?

Will it be possible to automatically fill ground textures with buildings and objects, based on standard templates? If so can the standard templates be edited by the map maker?

Will there be any fixed limits on the size of map which can be created?

Will it be possible to copy and paste groups of objects in a map?

Will it be possible to copy and paste groups of objects from one map to another map.

Automatic aligning and spacing of objects?

Will it be possible for rivers/bridges to be above sea level. On IL-2 maps the water surfaces and bridges are all at zero level.

Will it be possible to create more complex rail systems including rail sidings, rail junctions, embankments, cuttings, more realistic looking bridges (without approach ramps), tunnels, rail over road bridges, road over rail bridges?

Will it be possible to make steps in a river, to create waterfalls, river weirs, lock systems, enclosed harbours etc.

Will the sea be tidal with more land exposed at low tide?

Will you be able to crop out part of a large map to easily create a small custom map for online use.

Will you be able to extend the boundaries of an existing map to cover a larger geographical area?

Just a few thoughts.

You would like to know to much and too early.
Right now I would say that most of requested by you features are used for internal tools.
For the end user some of them will be removed due to many commercial reasons.

100% answer can be done for the size of map. For the end users it will be limited in size. Because the great size map will will keep only for us, as a developrs of the next after BoB new sim or/nad map + objects addons on a payware basis.
So in general enduser will be able to make own maps say for online gameplay in proportions like it is done for Il-2.

[HFC_Dolphin]

So, Oleg, how large can these user-made maps be?
Can we get a minimum of 100x100 kms?

[JVM]

Originally Posted by Oleg Maddox

Right now I would say that most of requested by you features are used for internal tools.
For the end user some of them will be removed due to many commercial reasons.

Hello Oleg!

I can understand the statement above...to a degree!
Does that mean for instance there will be limitations on size or which zones are acceptable (that is commercially OK), or that useful creation tools would be forbidden to non-commercial creators?
I believe many map makers would be interested in making accurate specific operational or target areas like airfields, radar stations, V-weapon sites, marshalling yards, bridges...the list is endless! To insure proper insertion in the bigger map, "pruning", "grafting" and duplicating tools will be a must...are you referring to this kind of tools?

Will it be possible that MG integrate (a bit like in IL2) certain high-quality and accurate (= up to MG standard) non-commercial areas in the basic maps during a update, for everyone to benefit?

Thanks again for all your updates, cordially

JVM

PS If ever you have time to answer some of the questions I asked before (and also via direct mail) I believe I may not be the only one interested...even if the answer is "too early to say"!