Interview with Matt Wagner

[C3PO]

Well, so I was in WH Smith’s this morning and found the new edition of PC Pilot is now on the shelves. Chuffed as punch to see the double two-page spread in there - even bought my own copy The magazine has a strong Microsoft Flight Simulator following so it’s great to get combat sims covered in that arena to a wider audience. Talking of which, there is also a feature on the following following pages on retro combat sims. From the screenies we’ve come a HUGE way!

Edited October 20, 2021 by C3PO

[stormrider]

Thank you Eagle Dynamics for taking this approach towards VR, modificating the code into a more "VR-friendly". That, I'm sure, will make all the difference.

Even if the release date is unknown, testing is said to start by the end of the year. That's a great new just by itself.

[Raven (Elysian Angel)]

I hope the digital copy (single issue) will be available soon. I'll keep an eye on this link I found:
PC Pilot Magazine - Issue 135 Subscriptions | Pocketmags

[Napa]

Awesome looking forward to it

[stormrider]

Also in the interview: Whole World Map?

Oh my...

[Raven (Elysian Angel)]

It was a good interview, thanks!

No new information in there, but it was nice to get a few more details, and confirmation that ED does indeed have dedicated people working purely on VR.

[coreyhkh]

what was the unannounced feature under development ?

[Left Wing]

I think its the fact that they are looking into making a map of the world for the game

[LooseSeal]

48 minutes ago, coreyhkh said:

what was the unannounced feature under development ?

It actually has been talked about before in other interviews. To be honest, there wasn't really much we didn't know about before.

[Mad Dog 762]

1 hour ago, Left Wing said:

I think its the fact that they are looking into making a map of the world for the game

From the guy in "Jaws"......."I think we're gonna need a bigger SSD!"  

[JD]

4 hours ago, stormridersp said:

Also in the interview: Whole World Map?

Oh my...

Developers have mentioned this already in interview with Russian office

[IcedVenom]

Whole world map would be stupid and unrealistic. It is only mentioned to build hype for DCS so kiddos join. Marketing strategy. Whole world would be empty, low detail and memory intensive way worse than Syria.

[WRAITH]

So glad, to finally see a World Map in development where various squadrons from their nations can fly against others or long continental flights, interdiction missions joint operations NATO exercises  so much now even just commercial aviation to take part and enjoy different scenery as well...... DCS WORLD.... given its true meaning Love It!

[Weasel]

Whole world map would be stupid and unrealistic. It is only mentioned to build hype for DCS so kiddos join. Marketing strategy. Whole world would be empty, low detail and memory intensive way worse than Syria.

I wouldn‘t call it stupid, low detail and empty. Just let‘s wait and and see how ED will model the whole world and the damage model. Yes, it‘s a big challenge but I am sure ED will find a way to go!

[3WA]

4 hours ago, IcedVenom said:

Whole world map would be stupid and unrealistic. It is only mentioned to build hype for DCS so kiddos join. Marketing strategy. Whole world would be empty, low detail and memory intensive way worse than Syria.

It would be interesting, but definitely empty.  Definitely aimed at the 40k feet crowd.

Edited October 22, 2021 by 3WA

[stormrider]

12 hours ago, Mad Dog 762 said:

From the guy in "Jaws"......."I think we're gonna need a bigger SSD!"  

Or a bigger bandwidth

[stormrider]

7 hours ago, IcedVenom said:

Whole world map would be stupid and unrealistic. It is only mentioned to build hype for DCS so kiddos join. Marketing strategy. Whole world would be empty, low detail and memory intensive way worse than Syria.

Please, don't pretend you know anything.

4 hours ago, Weasel said:

I wouldn‘t call it stupid, low detail and empty. Just let‘s wait and and see how ED will model the whole world and the damage model. Yes, it‘s a big challenge but I am sure ED will find a way to go!

There's nothing stupid about it. If done correctly, they could have most the data in the cloud, and have all the objects recognition from GIS data, like Flight Simulator, done with AI algorithms to correlate with a local objects database.

For the base GIS data, ED will probably strike a deal of one of the big suppliers, who already have this all right.

Just to give an example, I recently worked on a project to make a map for Steel Beasts Pro PE and I decided to go with a map that is relevant to our times while still providing the best options in terms of data availability. I chose to create a map of a region close to Suwalki gap, in Poland, in a likely corridor from there towards the capital. The data was amazing.

> 1-2m/px resolution for the heightmap

> Superb vector data with everything, every object and all this data sorted and categorized. Even the type of trees and their percentages withing a given wooded area was provided in the metadata. All building were classified into hundreds of types, like residential one, two, three floors, schools, hospitals, industry, garage, shops.....roads according to their ground types and lanes...

> To go beyond that, I also used AI recognition algorithms in order to classify the surface types according to their spectral signatures, so I could differentiate, for example, green grass, from wheat; swamps from dry land and so on..

The picture below is made only of vector data of a small area sample of this project:

What simulations engine provide nowadays is a synergy between all this data in a way that it is available only when needed. The engine itself will build the map according the a metadata and pick the right object that fits in. One can create templates and biomes to populate a given area and that will only make it even better.

Edited October 22, 2021 by BIGNEWY
removed other sim video 1.15

[Hoirtel]

11 hours ago, IcedVenom said:

Whole world map would be stupid and unrealistic. It is only mentioned to build hype for DCS so kiddos join. Marketing strategy. Whole world would be empty, low detail and memory intensive way worse than Syria.

To be fair world maps have been a thing on civilian flight sims for a long time. Even back in the 90s a world map with some scenery was possible. So today it could be much more do-able with reasonable detail. I could see the ED store being filled with various airfields and high detail scenery packs. That way we could build the world we want, and transit across the areas we are less interested in, or just stay in the smaller high detailed areas similar to what we have now.

[Snappy]

Sure , technically it could be done, whether it can actually be done by ED remains to be seen. Personally, I'm getting zero excited about this.

If you look at EDs track record in regards to the things they announce with big pomp, versus the stuff they actually delivered upon and when..

I mean, among other things MAC, public bug tracker, AI improvements , realistic FM for AI, ATC, their own voice system (yes its there, but in what state?),

the other  core stuff, network code, weather ..

Also when you see how little bug fixing some of their older modules receive, you get the impression their plate is more than overloaded already. They are 

ambitious, no doubt, they even want to overhaul electronic warfare ... what they actually pull off and in what timeframe remains to be seen..

Instead of continously pushing out new announcement about what fancy big new things are to be come, I would prefer them simply to  finish the stuff

they already started.

So I take this with a motherlode-sized grain of salt and expect it to (maybe) become a thing in 2027 or so.

Happy to be proven wrong.

Regards,
Snappy

Edited October 22, 2021 by Snappy

[MTM]

I think ED (very wisely) throws out ideas to see what gets people talking and what doesn’t. Personally, I’d love to see a whole world map and if it ever becomes an option, I’ll be the first to buy it. But, if it doesn’t generate sufficient interest, they’ll apply their efforts toward the dynamic campaign, or VR improvements, or an F-4 Phantom, etc. They pay attention to what we show interest in. And for me, the interest is high. I’d love a whole world map!

[C3PO]

I think ED are very serious about the globe aspect - so I think it'll happen.

[mmarques]

The maps we currently have are quite close to each other (not counting the WW2+Marianas ones), I'd be happy to just be able to transition between them, even if it's just a lower fidelity pass on the in between parts.

[Top Jockey]

57 minutes ago, MTM said:

I think ED (very wisely) throws out ideas to see what gets people talking and what doesn’t. Personally, I’d love to see a whole world map and if it ever becomes an option, I’ll be the first to buy it. But, if it doesn’t generate sufficient interest, they’ll apply their efforts toward the dynamic campaign, or VR improvements, or an F-4 Phantom, etc. They pay attention to what we show interest in. And for me, the interest is high. I’d love a whole world map!

 

In that case...

Everything is very fine and dandy, what I would like to know is, when will a Central / Eastern Europe map (Germany, Berlin Wall, etc) be available ?

[Jafergon]

I think a world map is the natural evolution for DCS and I'm sure some of the professional customers have been demanding this for a while. For me it's amazing news and I think it will make this platform unlimited in terms of potential!

[MTM]

40 minutes ago, Top Jockey said:

 

In that case...

Everything is very fine and dandy, what I would like to know is, when will a Central / Eastern Europe map (Germany, Berlin Wall, etc) be available ?

Have faith. All things in time.