SoW:BoB Preview

[Fly]

Might have seen this already, but here ya go, a preview of Weather, Cockpits, Terrain and all Air, Ground and Naval Objects here.

It looks great to me, can't wait for it to come out, and I'm buying a new rig soon Perfect timing for SoW and MSFSX

It looks like this might be the first Combat Flight Sim I've ever seen to match a Civilian Flight Sim in terms of detail. If Oleg pulls that off, it's a great achievement

[MaXMhZ]

I don't have any doubts Oleg will pull it off. I'm expecting BoB to make an impact equal or even surpassing IL-2 Sturmovik
Keep in mind it will be a while before BoB will be officially released though. Oleg has stated he won't give minimal systerm specifications untill November 2007 for BoB; buying a new rig now might be a bit to soon. I would wait till at least after E3 2007 and give hardware prices time to drop further. e.g. AMD has already announced a huge drop in prices (almost halving prices)for their processors as of october 30 2007. I expect Intel to follow within the year. Also Windows Vista will be available early 2007. You might get a better deal buying that together with a new rig. And that's even without mentioning the GPU developements going on all the time between ATI and nVidea nor mentioning the Physics processors that are just around the corner

[Fly]

Ahhh but in 6 months time any computer will be old
I might wait for Vista to hit though, then all the DX9 stuff will shoot down in price, and, when Kentsfield come in January, Conroe will shoot down aswel
Thanks, though, you made me rethink and coulda saved me a lotta money!

[shockandawe]

Well, I must say this does look exciting... but I am a bit concerned. Here is my beef about IL2. Its user interface is as crude as it gets. You all recognize this fact. IL2 is essentially a straight up flight simulator. It gives me precisely zero involvement outside of this. Now, I know that CFS3 graphics and such aren't to most IL2 people's liking but at least they have a more full figured experience going. It just seems to me that instead of ratcheting up polygon counts and placing more and more demand on the user to go out and get a powerhog computer, why not do things to make IL2 more inviting, more involving. To me, simming isn't just about the flight dynamics and the eye candy. It has to be more than that. I really think IL2 failed in this regard. It is only flight dynamics and eye candy.

Here is a list of things that could be improved to make IL2 a MUCH better experience without having to go out and buy a Cray.

1.) fix the (*%% communications. If, in full-real mode there is no way to find your target, at least make the radio chatter worth something. That should have worked and never did.

2.) Comm's with wingmen. Currently, comm's stink.

3.) Wingmen are stupid. Fix them.

4.) put in 5 dof cockpits. CFS3 has had this forever. Whats the problem here? IMHO you don't need roll by the way.

5.) open the architecture more so that, like CFS3, the community can do LOTS more than just make campaigns and skins. Check out what they are doing over there! Check out Over Flander's Field!!

6.) Make it so that there is a sliding skill level you can put in. As it is now, you are either completely vulnerable or absolutely invulnerable. Your bullet strikes are ineffective or they are like sidewinder missiles and are completely effective. Does it have to be like an on/off switch?

7.) make it so that there is a very good training mode, so that missions can be made in which, while you are flying, instructions pop up as to what to do next. This will be great to introduce noobs to our sport.

Look, IL2 is really forbidding for anyone but a hardcore simmer with no life. Just adding a bunch of polygons and prettier clouds isn't going to change that. If our community is ever going to be anything other than utterly rarified, I think Maddox games really needs to sit down with some amateurs and noobs and figure out what THEY need. They had better broaden the appeal of this or their business model will fail and we won't see anything past SOW:BoB

Just my 0.02. SaA

[IV/JG1_Oesau]

S! Shockandawe,

From what is known about the development of BoB you can assume that the interface is going to change. It’s been a target of criticism for a while and Oleg is aware of it.

1) Ok, I disagree with this. The comms aren’t any good to find the target, but why would they tell you were the target is? When you play in full real navigation has to be spot on. What could improve is the briefing, show the target (if it is fixed) that is to be hit. In co-ops using the Scorched Earth campaign engine a lot of planning goes into attacks.

2) Wingmen commands suck, and has been said to be on the improvement list

3) Wingman (and AI in general) is having a revamp, because, yup, they are stupid

4) 6Dof is going to be incorporated

5) Open architecture – Oleg is opening this up for off line add ons. However, online it will be only the “official Maddox” aircraft to be used. There are two sides to this camp. Those heavily into off line play want the ability for people to add objects to IL2. Those who spend most their time online (I’m one of them) like it that it’s closed. It provides a even playing field without issues of different flight models. CFS3 doesn’t have much of a on line community in the same respect as IL2. He (Oleg) will not release the code to the community (even for IL2 he isn’t going to do that, he’ll allow 3rd party developer companies to however)

6) Objects such as ships, tanks, cars, trains are to have new damage models. In general, damage will be a lot better than it is now. I think that aircraft damage modelling at the moment is one of the best.

7) Training is another weak point. There has been a lot of talk about this and perhaps the inclusion of a two-seater training aircraft (for online instructor – pupil training). One would expect that the off line training be vastly improved.

The current IL2 we have has been around for a long time now. It has been developed and can still be developed. Oleg does listen to what people are saying, some of which he agrees with and others he doesn’t. BoB, is a new sim born out of the experiences with IL2, they are trying to attract new people to the sim.

[shockandawe]

Thanks for the very thorough reply. I am very glad to hear that my gripes will be taken care of in the next sim from Madox. Yeah, I really feel strongly that this thing needs to be deliberately opened up so that more people - not just dedicated hardcore simmers with no life and a cray super computer - can get involved. As it is, heck, you have to commit about as much effort as learning a new language just to get to the point were you can enjoy it a little. I am only learning IL2 IN SPITE of its lovely interface and complete lack of anything approaching some sort of training mode. I'm spending easily 10 hours a week and feel like I'm getting nowhere! I have the very best equipment but there is only so much one can do with that.

About my comment on comms. What I mean is this. If you are in full-real and want to try to intercept your target what are your options? All of that rubbish chatter comming over the comms is just trash. It doesn't help you to find your target. If you don't have a flight leader to just follow like a dog what do you do? It is absurd. I remember when I first started IL2 and was actually trying to follow what the chatter on the comms said! I was flying around in circles until someone told me that that is just overheard chatter. Bull @!#$#. It was MEANT to be what directs you to your target and just never worked correctly. Then Madox just gave up and said what the heck.

Don't get me wrong. I love IL2 but there is some stuff that just galls me.

[shockandawe]

Okay, well that did sound a little peevish. Just a tad. I really do think IL2 is superb. I understand that there are some shortcomings and that these will be triumphantly addressed in the next go-round.

Wow! I can't wait for SoW:BoB!!