The bigest mystery in forth comming SoW - The Humans...

[Oktoberfest]

I really think a sea/air/land simulation can be done with the SoW engine. Just look at WW2 Online. It's really ugly, but you have a lot of people playing it because they can chose every possibility they want. It's true it's boring to drive at slow speed in a tank for half an hour to see action, but if you have the "Start from a Depot" option, then it will surely be more interesting.

Aircrafts can start from distance. Or who knows ? If the leading "general" of our airforce forgot to order the evacuation of an airfield threatened by an enemy army, then the aircrafts could take off under fire for a very close air support action....

And then, it would be very important for ground forces to have these bloody AA halftracks with them to protect them from bombing. And also friendly aircrafts to protect them.

I think this would do a lot for the community. And in another point of view, look at all the FPS fans that would suddenly sit in a cockpit having to fly with real FMs and not arcade FMs.... Look at all these easy preys..... Meeting aces would be way rarer. And that would make he fun even better.

[robtek]

@oktoberfest

yes it would be fun to have "realistic" balances of 95% rookies vs 5% aces
but sadly it would change back really fast to 95 % aces vs 5% rookies as it is now.
In my opinion the "usual" fps - player has a short attention-span, so if he (or she)
crashes a few times at take off or gets shot down soon if he manages to start the
game wanders into the trash - bin.
Just imagine that half-track aaa-gunner who has driven, say 5 to 15 min. to that airfield
and now realizes that he is the primary target for all jabos or even fighters with nothing
else to do.
To be an gamer in any halfway realistic simulation requires a certain kind of stubborness
that most people just dont have, at least for a game.
What i want to say is that the market for difficult (realistic) games is not that big that
our wish-list might not be affordable in view of the cash-return.
But it is a nice dream.

[proton45]

I can tell you what would happen if SoW integrated a FPS feature. In a very short amount of time you would find "ground services only" servers popping up all over the place... And if you went on-line to look for a server to fly on you would find 50 or 60 (?) small squad (team based) games in progress, and you might find a couple dozen "fly only" servers in progress...

Honestly...how many people do you know that will want to spend the 90 minutes of (off-line) on-line gaming time (they have a day/week) trying to get back to their base? And how many virtual aces do you know that would rather "pop" back to an airbase after bailing-out?

[KG26_Alpha]

Originally Posted by proton45

I can tell you what would happen if SoW integrated a FPS feature. In a very short amount of time you would find "ground services only" servers popping up all over the place... And if you went on-line to look for a server to fly on you would find 50 or 60 (?) small squad (team based) games in progress, and you might find a couple dozen "fly only" servers in progress...

Honestly...how many people do you know that will want to spend the 90 minutes of (off-line) on-line gaming time (they have a day/week) trying to get back to their base? And how many virtual aces do you know that would rather "pop" back to an airbase after bailing-out?

I cant see it going to a "full shoot em up" but what's the problem of having ground only servers ?? it would be like the locked/unlocked pit servers, you still have a choice to join or not as you have a choice of servers now, you don't like it don't join it.

Personally I would like to see it "expand" into ground active related features with shipping & vehicles available for use, along with rescue "pick ups" , I'm sure there would be many 3rd party licenses sold for adding these features of drivable vehicles with the reigns tightened to keep the 1c integrity of the Sim/Game intact.

Since the beta release I have family member who solely used IL2 Sturmovik for tank battles and consequentially followed the whole series up to 1946 DVD he's never owned a joystick and has no intention too, he thought it a crying shame to waste such huge maps with his historical battle recreations, he longed for a way to drive a T34 & Tigers into battle in IL2.

So I'm all for opening up the ground stuff so long as its not done BF1942 style.

[Skoshi Tiger]

I guess it could be fun to take over a Wirblewind and go on a joyride coss-country to the oppositions air base. I wonder how long it would take them to nail you.

Imagine having to destroy the bridges between you and the opposition to safe guard your airbase.

Whats the saying. The most effective form of air superiority is a tank on the runway????

[Oktoberfest]

I think it would be good if a human player could, a bit like in ArmA, control a squad of AI players for ground missions only, to make the number of fighting elements higher. Then we could see huge battles with hundreds of vehicles fighting to take over an area, and yes, ground support would be 100% useful, as would be escorting AAA. Could be fun to have manned .50 cals + BARs + Rifles all firing at your stuka/110 or whatever when you do a ground attack.

I still think FPS fans would be happy, as much as we simmers would be if we would join such a huge battle.