rainbird

it is fundamentally a mathematical procedural description of landscapes. so it is "basically that". sure, his terrain project is more related to describing features of the terrain using vector graphics. the idea of "fitting" a river between two points on a map with infinite LOD is a procedural problem. but i have not even read his papers, merely looked at his screen shots. maybe you could tell me what it basically all boils down too if not the basic procedural techniques illustrated by the link in my last post?

just a 2 second perusal of this guys work (the landscape generation, in particular) suggests it is not particularly impossible. it boils down to a different programming paradigm. this guy is procedurally generating his worlds, whereas most programmers only know how to utilize monolithic prebuilt maps created by artists using Maya/Max. i'm sure it would be entirely possible today with appropriate programming techniques. but it would be a big renovation task to turn something like DCS into a procedural engine. it's basically this: http://www.shamusyoung.com/twentysidedtale/?p=2940 an old technique

Sure, I understand. Well. let me rephrase: UNTIL such a time as a commercial sim's campaign editor can mature into a realtime Dynamic Campaign, I feel Falcon 4.0/BMS is currently the greatest sim available and it is free. So no need to pay $500.

http://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=1406650&postcount=617 Sure, ED hope to come "close" but it will be impossible for them to match. It's just not commercially viable today.

After playing Falcon 4.0 with the BMS mod for free, I already feel I have the best sim available and it costs me nothing. Its dynamic campaign engine makes it second to none. And ED have already told me that such a campaign engine will _never_ again be produced commercially due to the modern day commercial climate of the sim market. So I basically have the greatest sim which will ever exist and which continues to be developed by the BMS team. I can't see what more a $500 commercial sim would offer over Falcon 4.0/BMS - apart from a wider variety of aircraft and I'm not too fussed with aircraft variety since I prefer to spend my time mastering a single mature craft model. So craft variety is not an issue for me. The $500 premium would probably simply be a way of covering the developers costs for the sim market's lack of ability to produce economies of scale these days. Sad but true.

After playing Falcon 4.0, I'd really *love* to buy DCS but I just can't think of playing a sim without a dynamic campaign...it's just essential for me. DCS looks beautiful and from what i have heard, its flight model and mechanics are awesome. Now all it needs for me to purchase is the dynamic campaign. like many have already said, with a persistent DC you feel as though the game is ALIVE, your actions have lasting consequences...so you plan not just "tactics" for a single mission but instead you think strategically and long-term. differnt actions result in complete randomization of the entire "game world" too, which adds replayability value. a DC would really add an immersive/addictive level of depth and richness to a game such as DCS...proof of this is clear from comparisons i have read by people who own both DCS and Falcon 4. i will continue to lurk in these forums from time-to-time and hope for an official annuncement confirming plans to develop this aspect. current DCS fans want it, potential fans want it, YOU want it and the world wants it. you know it makes sense ED - DCS deserves this! ;)