4.13 development update discussion and feedback

[dFrog]

Originally Posted by Iszak

Unless they ask Ankor nicely

Ha ha ha, with TD's high and mighty approach to others it has to be Ankor who must ask TD if they would like to use his work...

[Iszak]

Originally Posted by dFrog

Ha ha ha, with TD's high and mighty approach to others it has to be Ankor who must ask TD if they would like to use his work...

You mean TD doesn't actively search for ways to make IL-2 better for everyone beyond their own yard? Is this like their official stance or smth? If so there must be a good reason for it, right? Maybe the contract with 1c/maddox is like a collar and a leash that severely limits their degree of freedom and whatnot?

CFS3 is largely forgotten by Microsoft on the other hand......

P.S. Anyways, I'm just an end-user of their patches, so I shouldn't complain while they keep comin'.

[AnKor]

Originally Posted by Iszak

Well, but then there's this fella, Ankor, who activated selfshadowing and bumpmapping in CFS3/WOFF via D3D wrapper library...And the CFS3 engine is even more ancient than Il-2's.....

Hi! I'm that fella
Well, I was wondering why Il2 still don't have such features modded in, but I suppose it is just more difficult to get them working there.
You see, CFS3 graphics engine is very primitive - closer to DirectX 7 than 8, doesn't have any programmable shaders and thus uses very standardized and straightforward set of drawing functions. It was relatively easy to get (almost) all required information out of them without even looking at the engine code.
IL2 on the other hand is very likely to be optimized for its own custom shaders which may make extracting geometry and lighting data more complex. Though I don't really know any specifics, never looked into it.

[Iszak]

Originally Posted by AnKor

Hi! I'm that fella
Well, I was wondering why Il2 still don't have such features modded in, but I suppose it is just more difficult to get them working there.
You see, CFS3 graphics engine is very primitive - closer to DirectX 7 than 8, doesn't have any programmable shaders and thus uses very standardized and straightforward set of drawing functions. It was relatively easy to get (almost) all required information out of them without even looking at the engine code.
IL2 on the other hand is very likely to be optimized for its own custom shaders which may make extracting geometry and lighting data more complex. Though I don't really know any specifics, never looked into it.

Thank you sir, for explaining this stuff. If you ever manage to crack it and implement it, you'll bask in forever glory and be praised till kingdom come, with Il-2 community being much bigger than CFS3 and OFF and all.

[AnKor]

I understand about the size of community, but it is unlikely I will be doing anything for IL2 - I don't have much free time and as I know it is primarily played in OpenGL mode and I don't know a thing about OpenGL programming.

[Iszak]

Then maybe your example will inspire someone else to carry the torch! Kudos anyway!

[yak9utpro]

ok why don't TD communicate with ankor to make this game better even only on Direct x mode?

[ElAurens]

Well, because IL2 is totally optimized for OpenGL, and no one that is serious about having the game look good and run at it's best plays it in DirectX.

And frankly, all these visual effects that keep getting asked for, and sometimes added to the old girl, drag it's performance down. My frame rates have taken a hit with the new smoke that was just implemented, for example.

This game engine traces it's roots to the late 90's. There is only so much that can be done with it, and frankly, I'd be happier with more content than eye candy. Like the new P 40s we will be getting, or more maps, or other 3d model improvements.

For now, IL2/46 is still the king of WW2 air combat simulation, though at some point it will be replaced by a newer game, maybe. Currently there is nothing that I am seeing on the horizon that looks to be able to knock IL2/46 off the top of the mountain, but some day that sim will come.

Enjoy the old sim now, while it's at it's peak, and for what it is.

[dFrog]

Originally Posted by Iszak

You mean TD doesn't actively search for ways to make IL-2 better for everyone beyond their own yard ? ...

Exactly.

[Feathered_IV]

Interesting. I remember trying to get the Flanders crowd to try the ENB mod back in the day of OFF version 1. None of them would try it. They all thought I was trying to send them a virus.