Boneski

Well hopful the simulated crew chief would pull a high time jet from flight status.. during none combat training. In combat lets say during a hot turn around the jet might be code 2 something has failed but the jet is safe to fly. But like you said... high run time engine with a lot if metal in the oil... you are asking for trouble... That's a simulation all by it self. Also just to add... Graphics are good enough today to support in Cockpit hand signals.. even it they are scripted... it would be a nice touch.

Spot on AirTito, Spot On. See LockOn has part of this already with the time based failures triggers for the player's ownship. To expand on this and make it more robust is to add a database and some way to AGE the values in the database. As stated at the start there is no such thing as a free flight. Also a lot of this stuff can be simulated in a very simple way based on time. A class of failures can happen based on a time range and so on. This can get really detail and cpu cycles are limited. But Lock ON and the Flanker code base has had these basic elements for some time. The next product should expand on it.:pilotfly:

One thing is for sure.... If you are flying combat... You have to assume that the most effective system will be deployed against you. \So its not clear how you will force cons out of a missile in the game.... In the air a turning missile is losing energy and that a good thing GG are you saying give the missile guide problems with your angle off causing the missle to turn making the smoke more visible?

Also... and Lock on has this all ready and it is safe to say that this was the first combat title to have this... swirl marks visible in the canopy... that's detail! Hot turn arounds would be cool too... again this could be a realtime cut scene... you taxi to the area that has the stuff setup in a static way... taxi into the box and the cut scene starts... That would be sweet! *************************** This is cool: 9. real aircrafts markers (for Su-33: 82,84,86,88,62,64,...); To add to this: The Aircraft in the new sim could be unique objects. Meaning just like in real life... Tail and Side numbers exist for the limited number of aircraft in the database. (They don't need to be real tail numbers but just an ID for the Jet that the database can use as a Key to keep track of it) For example and F-16D Tail Number 572 / AF85572 would be a Jet in the game (lets say the game was based on a NATO deployment) this jet could be based at a location on the map. And if the AI is using it, the database keeps track of the hours (even if you are not running the game, the game could use the date you start the game again and do some random work to generate history for the game state) The Database keeps track of what that tail number is doing... Did the AI take it to the range... Blah blah... where there any AI mishaps? Also the Human player can get assigned to that jet... so the same tracking system used for the AI can be used to track the players work in the jet. If you break the jet... it gets coded and that Jet gets marked in the database with a status. The next big sim should really have limited aircraft for the player’s side. If the player selects NATO then the drill down starts from there. The players get assigned a NATO squad and Airbase. That base has a resources list…. Blah blah blah! If a non NATO side is selected the same thing should happen. http://www.f-16.net/f-16_fighting_falcon_airframe-1928.html

Easy Bros.... Try to stay focus here.... Base Re-supply even if there is no Dynamic Campaign Engine. As part of the random Traffic Model it would be nice to have Cargo transported into the Airbases in the area. User can put in a request for spares for that MiG he just Code 3’d while slamming all around and then into the ground for a nice gear trashing landing! While he waits for spares (over time / Real Time) That MiG is broke and is Code 3 Speaking of Codes… It would be nice to Code the Jets Code 1 Code 2 Code 3 Even Have Random Hanger queens in the Database. So Lets say you are "Free Flying" (no such thing... Fuel Cost /Maintenance Cost) The Database will keep track of that flight time for all the Jets used be it by you or the AI. Each jet will be Coded by the AI ground crew and this data will be tracked as along as the Human Player’s Log Book Shows you with a status of living. Basically free flight is a training campaign. Jets will be taken on and Off of flight status based on their status… Also random factoring to keep you honest. Let’s say your Home base is near a populated area on the game map. Low level unrestricted flying may cause you some problems in the form of reports added to your debrief window. The only purpose this will serve is to remind the player that the world below is living... But for some of the hardcore realism folks this will allow them to fly realistically. And fly hard only in designated areas. More later

Hmmm memo to self.... look for this STALKER game... Years back there was a write up about it... Never knew it hit the shelf... Can you still buy this title? "Small AI Stuff" It would be nice to have AI that had some scripted flight and taxi profiles. For example: On taxi... Taxi sep and stagger... Not that the game deals with temps... but simulating the methods used during taxi and holding would be cool to see. It give the AI the appearence of thinking. AI Approach scripts. 2/4 ship over field break 1 mile final to landing... or even traning scripts that the AI could run at random or with ownship interaction... Like SFO or missed approaches. Something to simulate combat Flight Operations and Training. Bombing and MOA's

To Start It Off: Airbase Lights (Non War / THREATCON Lighting) Taxi Signs Ambient Noises (Wind, Earth sounds) Traffic and Traffic Patterns Regional Weather Systems

Having a few days to Chillax... Many thoughts run in and egress the brain. Flight operations are never that far from the frontal lobe though. Flying, landing, pushing buttons, reading maps, seeing and doing things that most people don’t , etc are all the basics that make flying fun. Having such a rich environment translated to the PC is the cornerstone of any good game. Details are key. Especially the small ones that are taken for granted in the real world (not so much when Flying) but when added to a Sim, it can make that sim just that much better. It’s very well known that many Sim heads want Sweet Flight Models, Kickass weapon systems, RADAR systems so real that the IAEA’s Mohamed ElBaradei may show up at your door wondering “what the heck are you doing Nuke Boy!!?” Most sim developers want the same things regarding the hardcore staples of a combat flight sim. They build the best they can with the resources and knowledge they have. Falcon and Lock ON are long standing testimony to that fact. But as the thread title states... What small stuff is missing if anything? Now before anyone prints out a long list of ills and personal grips about Lock ON... This is NOT what this tread is about. This tread is about the small things that can make a game just that much better. Total Immersion is the Holy Grail for many of you. You want to feel like you are there. So what should be considered for new games to get you to that point? So THINK past Lock ON. THINK past Falcon... THINK past Vindows Flight Sim... THINK Future... but within the limits of a PC based game. This is not an attempt to tell you how to respond… just a guideline to help keep the thread on track… Looking forward to the replies. -Bones:pilotfly:

Just checking...

So you guys will only play a game that's based on 80's and 90's systems and not play a game based on current/future systems? Well there goes the plans out the door for the New F-22 and EF-2000 Sims. :(

Yeah give missile padlock a go. That combined with Labels on will let you see how the missiles fly in. Seeing what killed you will help you Good Luck!

You can use missile padlock... Use the RWR to get the direction of the threat and the keep hitting Missile padlock. If you have a program type joystick you can make a macro that will continue to send the command for missile padlock while you slew the view around to aid in the pick up. It helps with SAMS as well. Good Luck -Bones

Nice Jet Better Uni! Good Looking Jet. But there is something else that has to be talked about! Understand... when on base and not in your Flight suit you are in your Blues.. (If you are USAF) You keep your Blue stuff looking good and sharp... nice and crisp! The Officer in the cockpit… His uni is super sharp! IsayGotDamN! The pressed lines on that shirt could hurt somebody! When he walks his shoulders create vortices for sure! :pilotfly:

Nice Shots! What was the 24 doing on the road? Is there a mod that allows the Ai to land and takeoff on roadways?

So to recap... The Lock On 10 Crack Commandments! 1 No ECM Cycling 2 No Launch of more then one Missile at a time 3 No Fuel Venting 4 No Counter Measure deployment 5 No Views outside the desktop cockpit 6 No Padlock 7 No G lock 8 No AWACS 9 No Labels 10 No Advantages

True.

Not to add or take a way from the cheating thing... only to say if you are not cheating you are not trying hard to win. Cheating is always something that happens in real life training if your orders have not limited your role. Some might come into the fight with more smash then briefed or might cheat on the entry geometry… many creative things happen in the air. As for Jett. gas as a tactic... that’s too creative!! You will Jett. stores and bags if you have them on. But that’s reserved for situations where you can’t avoid a hostile engagement. But the Burner will be you main gas consumer... you will not be venting your tanks just to get the jet light to win one fight.. Reheat and time has dibs on the gas bro! If you did that your next fight is how do you get an empty jet to a safe place weight on wheels? Venting gas is the equivalent to a scorched Earth policy. Talk about growing one eyebrow and losing focus. Also If you can’t win the fight… you don’t vent gas… you turn it to thrust and speed and exit the fight fast. The more gas you have… the longer you can burn your way away from a guy that is out turning you… Get a 10 to 20 mi lead on him… chances are you will live to fight another day in the real world. (No BVR threat) In the Viper community there has been 2 situation where it would have been nice to vent gas… both relate to stuck throttles… one was a bad linkage the other was a flight bag getting jammed between the back seat and rear throttle. The Afterburner was stuck on… and with no way to reach or get to the wired down vent switch the burner had to do the work… so even in an emergency… the F-16 does not have a vent check list…. So there is not one for combat ops. This is true for most jets regarding combat ops. Again the game is not limited to real life issues so that might be why you see people doing it. What happens in Lock On is that people don't brief before they fight... If you preflight and setup the engagement; each player can use the gas weight as part of his/her strategy.. much like a F1 driver. Most people just fly with full gas weight in something Like the 15 or the 27 and get caught assed out with many simulated ton of gas on. So what ends up happening is that you have computer dogfight that last unrealistically long… sometimes 10 mins or more… some thing that would not happen between two guys pulling 9 gs… So is it cheating? Not really… it’s just a creative way of trying to address a failure in planning… Fail to plan… Plan to Fail!

In the Viper the fuel pump dump switch is tied down by the jet crew chief. It would take some work to untie that wire in the air.

B, Great work on the mods. The tree Mods is simply one of the best. In that mod there was a burned out jet on a inner taxiway. Great touch! Is it at all possible to take burned out models and added them to the map in remote areas to simulate bombing ranges? Thanks! -Bones

This is interesting.... People seem to know all there is to know about Air Combat, Classified Weapon Systems and Tactics... but can't agree on the basics of how flying works! This is the best thread of the year! One things is for sure.... That 120 looks like it's ready to enter the fight! 9gs be damned!

You want the Ai to do something that a human pilot would not do. But that's the cool thing about computers and computer games. If you can't bring down the IAD network. A complete mission day can be scrapped! WHen building Mission in Lock On... Space your packages... SEAD flights should be Singletons not mulitship. That way you can control how puts what where ans the direction on ingress. For this mission builder you have to really script our SEAD missions to have really good results with the AI. Good Luck!

Are you sure there is a problem. Do you assign your SEAD group a target? If you assign the targets in the order you want killed then you can control how the AI will run the engagement.

Hmmm this thread is Sweet! We have some smart Mofos on this site! From Reheat to Thermonuclear physics !!!! That’s the Hotness!! A few more post and it will be clear how to build a MIRV with Reheat out of an old MiG 21, 3 glasses of water and Bunsen burner!! Lock On brings out the brightest and the best! You guys must piss excellence!! :)

Thanks Fellas! I Just found out about the Rep function a few days ago and I saw that you guys gave the topic props! Thanks! Happy You enjoyed it. -Bones

The most important point here is that Flyby likes what he likes for the reason he likes it... DS your info is just as subjective as Flyby’s. You crusade against his opinion as if you have hours in the 22. News flash bro! Facts are opinions when presented by people that don’t have the ability to confirm them as such. Until your logbook is filled with entries showing your hours in the Type (F-22)… Your facts may as well be your opinions. So let it go bro. Let Fly Like what he likes with out bashing or you may say.. educating him on why he should not like what he likes. The US Air Force thanks you for your support of this great Weapon System... But please note... That the true test will come in the air. Not on a message board. Speaking from experience. Air Combat is a combination of many things. A good Jet is a combination of many capabilities. A good Pilot is a combination of many skills.