Friday 2010-02-25 Development update:Interview by Grégory Lemasson/Discussion Thread

[Avimimus]

Hello once again,

Here are some questions. I have some very specific 3rd party projects in mind.


3d Modeling:

- Will it be possible to model African wildlife (eg. for a civilian 1930s addon)? What animation supports are there for elephants?

- Will there be support for wing warping (eg. in the Fokker Eindecker and other early aircraft)?

- Will it someday be possible to support distortions (bending) of damaged/destroyed aircraft like in Rise of Flight? Or will the game engine always be limited to the still wonderful approach to damage modelling seen in Il-2.


Artificial intelligence:

- Can the amount of variation between AI be set by the mission builder (ie. to simulate more highly drilled english pilots vs. the more unpredictable American pilots in 1943)?

- Is there support for higher level AI? More specifically is there support for formation level tactics (ie. Something in-between vectoring by ground control and a flights rotte/pairs)?

- Is there support for airplane specific AI (eg. Yak-7 and YAK-9 would have different AI modules)? Doing so would allow AI to change tactics depending on the airplane and mirror changes in tactics throughout the war (as later variants could use later tactics).

- How open will the AI be to tweaking and expansion by modders?[/quote]


Scripting:

- What support is there for music tied to in-game triggers? What about audio files? Will it be possible to have pre-recorded conversations that play out during gameplay?

- Also, is it possible to have the player activate a trigger via the radio menus?


Weather model:

- Will the weather model be open to 3rd party modification? (not only changing the weather to reflect a historic date, but changing the model: wind patterns near cliffs, wind from bodies of water etc.)

- How does the flight model function at >1 atmospheres (ie. a plane flying in a valley below sea level)?


Minor questions:
- Will it be possible to make minor features of an aircraft (eg. presence or absence of an armoured headrest) selectable via a separate tab (independent of the weapons tab)? This would be good for aircraft that went through many minor upgrades.

- Will it be possible for the 3rd party to make drivable trains (or will be be limited to trucks)?


I know it is early to get answers for many of these questions, but any hints will help with planning.

As always, many thanks and best of luck,

S!

[ECV56_LeChuck]

Originally Posted by Avimimus

Hello once again,

Here are some questions. I have some very specific 3rd party projects in mind.


3d Modeling:

- Will it be possible to model African wildlife (eg. for a civilian 1930s addon)? What animation supports are there for elephants?

- Will there be support for wing warping (eg. in the Fokker Eindecker and other early aircraft)?

- Will it someday be possible to support distortions (bending) of damaged/destroyed aircraft like in Rise of Flight? Or will the game engine always be limited to the still wonderful approach to damage modelling seen in Il-2.


Artificial intelligence:

- Can the amount of variation between AI be set by the mission builder (ie. to simulate more highly drilled english pilots vs. the more unpredictable American pilots in 1943)?

- Is there support for higher level AI? More specifically is there support for formation level tactics (ie. Something in-between vectoring by ground control and a flights rotte/pairs)?

- Is there support for airplane specific AI (eg. Yak-7 and YAK-9 would have different AI modules)? Doing so would allow AI to change tactics depending on the airplane and mirror changes in tactics throughout the war (as later variants could use later tactics).

- How open will the AI be to tweaking and expansion by modders?


Scripting:

- What support is there for music tied to in-game triggers? What about audio files? Will it be possible to have pre-recorded conversations that play out during gameplay?

- Also, is it possible to have the player activate a trigger via the radio menus?


Weather model:

- Will the weather model be open to 3rd party modification? (not only changing the weather to reflect a historic date, but changing the model: wind patterns near cliffs, wind from bodies of water etc.)

- How does the flight model function at >1 atmospheres (ie. a plane flying in a valley below sea level)?


Minor questions:
- Will it be possible to make minor features of an aircraft (eg. presence or absence of an armoured headrest) selectable via a separate tab (independent of the weapons tab)? This would be good for aircraft that went through many minor upgrades.

- Will it be possible for the 3rd party to make drivable trains (or will be be limited to trucks)?


I know it is early to get answers for many of these questions, but any hints will help with planning.

As always, many thanks and best of luck,

S!

Very nice questions!! Hope Oleg answer!

[Avimimus]

Originally Posted by ECV56_LeChuck

Very nice questions!! Hope Oleg answer!

Thanks.

I put quite a bit of thought into finding questions which Oleg won't have been asked yet and which are also likely to reflect what certain projects will need in a few years time (although this is always the hardest to predict).

[Oleg Maddox]

Answer to Avimimus:



I will answer a bit later. However you are right - many things for third party are more on the design paper or in my and main programmer mind. But some things already programmed.

[MikkOwl]

you are slightly missing my point, it is this:

for ex, when the hurrican pilot is in his cockpit flying around believing he is alone in the air, and suddenly
- some bang noises and a physical jolt (depending if large shell or small caliber hit, there might be little jolt or noise other then like rocks falling on a tin roof)
- his aircraft continues flying (so no major damage, and pilot initially unsure of what the jolt or sound was, or what it did to his aircraft)
- he feels liguid sprayed on his face and clothing
- strong smell of fuel
- no fire

there, in 5 sec the pilot know exactly what happened, how serious and threatening it is to him, and because of training knows his basic options and risks, and procedures to either evade (escape from cockpit), or reduce physical risk (put goggles on if not allready, close jacket, hand on canopy opening etc...). so how do you convey the same information to the virtual pilot sitting in his living room behind a monitor in the same 5 sec ? blurring some vision and making the pilot cough just doesnt convey the same information, especially since the same type of reaction could be from smoke or even glycol leaking into the cockpit and affecting the pilot (oks, not exactly the same, but you catch my meaning)

I don't know the differences in how glycol and petrol affects the senses, so something should be done to distinguish them if there should be a noticable difference.

A principle can be followed in most cases however: if one sense cannot be simulated but others are enough to convey the same information adequately, then nothing more is necessary. But if it is not enough to convey the information, then exaggerating some of the other simulated senses can compensate for the loss of one sense.

Using text to spell it out should be seen as a failiure, only to be used as a last resort. For if it was not, then why do we even try to simulate anything, could just write everything with text instead.

If text is used, I would like it to at least limit itself to only replacing the lost sense. In IL-2, we have an instant "FUEL LEAK" 10 millisecond after a leak begins. If we talk about fuel leak into cockpit it would be better to just have, after several seconds "You smell gasoline" appear in an elegant way.

for a leak in oxygen, or sudden or gradual oxygen loss in supply to the pilot, the time delay in real life could vary from 30 sec to many minutes (particularly in a gradually climbing aircraft which might take several minutes) so the problem is, for events like low oxygen, fuel leak into cockpit etc.. we need a way to convey the same information a real pilot has in the same time delay , other then using some "non real" messages onscreen or "virtual visual clue's" in the game to SIMULATE this pilot information i dont think it is possible to have our virtual pilots behave in the same way a real pilot experiencing a real life event would.

for those that dont like the idea or dont understand the concept, give them an on/off option in the preferences and they can fly around in a sensory deprived virtual space to their hearts content.

Cannot be 100% accurate, but can be a fair approximation. Just like anything else in simulators. Using the principle I mentioned above, as long as there is enough information, through the senses that can be simulated (sight, hearing, vibrations), or by exaggerating some of the information, in the same time that a real pilot would notice similar things; it is a good simulation of reality.

Your suggestion of spelling out exactly what is going on is the opposite of what you are concerned about - flying sensory enhanced, much better than real pilots. The 'symptoms' of something is then instead a line of text, impossible to miss, telling us what is happening, and we can respond like a pro and notice and diagnose the problems every time because we don't have to check for any symptoms at all. The same problem as with IL-2's hud log spelling out status about all the systems even though we already have information similar to a real pilot, even if it is not easy to diagnose problems easily (just like real life is difficult).

[Oleg Maddox]

3d Modeling:

- Will it be possible to model African wildlife (eg. for a civilian 1930s addon)? What animation supports are there for elephants?

OM: Probably yes. But not right from the beginning. For animation itself it is possible to use many professional and expensive tools, however the main thing is how to port it in engine. We’re planning to issue tools for importing external animations in time.

- Will there be support for wing warping (eg. in the Fokker Eindecker and other early aircraft)?

OM: In aircraft currently modeled it is impossible. If the longeron(main wing spar) is damaged to the moment when possible “warping” then the wing will be out. Simple physics. In realty it may happen, but not in air, say for such aircraft as Spitfire or Messerschmitt. More or less realistic “warping” of some panels due to damage – yes we have it.

- Will it someday be possible to support distortions (bending) of damaged/destroyed aircraft like in Rise of Flight? Or will the game engine always be limited to the still wonderful approach to damage modelling seen in Il-2.

OM: Like in RoF – never. I don’t think that to make incorrect things, replacing real physics is right way. This is my opinion as aviation engineer, but not as a programmer.
Of course for the very old biplanes with bracing construction in some really very rare cases may happens in air some shit damage, _looking_ like distortions, but it can’t be standard and usual situation or often (each time) happened damage.
Really what we are doing is many times more complex and realistic in terms of DM. RoF isn’t even close in comparison to our system modeling and its interaction. I said what I said. Hope you will understand it.


Artificial intelligence:

- Can the amount of variation between AI be set by the mission builder (ie. to simulate more highly drilled english pilots vs. the more unpredictable American pilots in 1943)?

OM: I think yes. There is an option to selects different character. I said character. It’s not a mistake. However it isn’t done yet 100%. But I can say now that we have AI restrictions by level of experience (or by other word – education) and also in additional - by character.
Don’t ask me the types of character. It will be known for all only when I will use it for real advertising later, but not for the speech with you all here.

- Is there support for higher level AI? More specifically is there support for formation level tactics (ie. Something in-between vectoring by ground control and a flights rotte/pairs)?

OM: I can’t tell you all details. I think in interview for the current moment all things were said enough And the short answer of Dima covering well the main part of you request.

- Is there support for airplane specific AI (eg. Yak-7 and YAK-9 would have different AI modules)? Doing so would allow AI to change tactics depending on the airplane and mirror changes in tactics throughout the war (as later variants could use later tactics).

OM: Such things were in Il-2. But in BoB it is way more complex restrictions and specializations.

- How open will the AI be to tweaking and expansion by modders?[/quote]

OM: Probably will be not open. Same reason as above about weather and online gameplay.

Scripting:

- What support is there for music tied to in-game triggers? What about audio files? Will it be possible to have pre-recorded conversations that play out during gameplay?

OM: Wish list. Not less then in Il-2. I can say that there are triggers with the regulating zone – making own mission you may put in some place of the map the point with own sound and define the zone (diameter) on which distance it will begin to work for you aircraft. This is minimum. However you should try to understand how much features such “simple” function may offer you.


- Also, is it possible to have the player activate a trigger via the radio menus?

OM: Interesting … Will put in a wish list. We have not such thing.


Weather model:

- Will the weather model be open to 3rd party modification? (not only changing the weather to reflect a historic date, but changing the model: wind patterns near cliffs, wind from bodies of water etc.)

OM: Can’t say right now. Maybe we will open. However first time – probably no. There is so many innovations, that I don’t like to show for all developers in the world. At least for the first time after the release.


- How does the flight model function at >1 atmospheres (ie. a plane flying in a valley below sea level)?

OM: It is depending of atmosphere density. It is one of the functions.

Minor questions:
- Will it be possible to make minor features of an aircraft (eg. presence or absence of an armoured headrest) selectable via a separate tab (independent of the weapons tab)? This would be good for aircraft that went through many minor upgrades.

OM: Only these things modeled in 3D model and given selectable in menus. Same for third party. So probably in life time of sim series such things will be also possible.

- Will it be possible for the 3rd party to make drivable trains (or will be be limited to trucks)?

OM. If BoB will go on the market with enough success then I can say yes. In principle any vehicles later will be possible to make dive-able. Including from third party without us.

[MikkOwl]

O mighty Oleg,

IL-2 has tail gunners in Bf 110 that we cannot interact with in any way, and in multiplayer, they cannot even communicate.

I wrote suggestions on things I would like to see if you saw that. My question is: what might Storm of War might be offering regarding these important rear crew members (especially in multiplayer with AI tailgunner)?

[Oleg Maddox]

Originally Posted by MikkOwl

O mighty Oleg,

IL-2 has tail gunners in Bf 110 that we cannot interact with in any way, and in multiplayer, they cannot even communicate.

I wrote suggestions on things I would like to see if you saw that. My question is: what might Storm of War might be offering regarding these important rear crew members (especially in multiplayer with AI tailgunner)?

I already answered that we have something changed in that area. In interview. How much will be done - can't say right now. You should understand my position and principles.

I already answered even more than usual was answering in time of the Il-2 peak.

[MikkOwl]

Well yes, you said that the speech engine was 'new'. That does not say anything for if AI can even speak in multiplayer though

I was not here before IL-2 was released (I wish I knew about it) and I understand you do spend quite some time on posting here. And sure, I understand your position about not revealing before being sure, but I did not know that you were not sure I heard no one talk about the gunners or even speech in multiplayer before.

[Oleg Maddox]

Originally Posted by MikkOwl

Well yes, you said that the speech engine was 'new'. That does not say anything for if AI can even speak in multiplayer though

I was not here before IL-2 was released (I wish I knew about it) and I understand you do spend quite some time on posting here. And sure, I understand your position about not revealing before being sure, but I did not know that you were not sure I heard no one talk about the gunners or even speech in multiplayer before.

There was some speech about it.

Community, that knows me for a very long time, knows that I remember almost all my answers and important questions from users.