DCS: Normandy 2.0 preview

[Kiwispirits]

I really really really hope they get multithreading going before my CPU tries to cope with the level of detail on this map.

 

[jubuttib]

15 hours ago, fapador said:

Thanks!

Indeed the green shade seems more realistic and more Normandy like... Normandy 1.0 is far too light (washed out) color shade in too large areas.

This is also why, I always lower gamma (move to larger values) when I play Normandy map because it slightly improves it...

 

Although I believe  more random placed spots of brighter shades of green could have possibly made the scenery even more realistic as the  color uniformity will  not be so even then and perhaps  appeal more to the eye.

some real photos to compare:

 

 

FWIW I'm fairly certain that the top picture at least has been tweaked significantly. Checking levels in photoshop you can see that there's a lot of data in all of the color channels that's pegged at 255, i.e. completely saturated. Definitely suggests that the color saturation has been significantly bumped up at some point. The bottom picture has pretty much no signs of that, and looks pretty natural.

[Trooper117]

This is just brilliant stuff!...

[fapador]

7 hours ago, jubuttib said:

FWIW I'm fairly certain that the top picture at least has been tweaked significantly. Checking levels in photoshop you can see that there's a lot of data in all of the color channels that's pegged at 255, i.e. completely saturated. Definitely suggests that the color saturation has been significantly bumped up at some point. The bottom picture has pretty much no signs of that, and looks pretty natural.

Interesting, might be possibly true. I posted the pictures in an effort to show the color fluctuation and not the vibrance of the colors so much. 

 

I am also aware that computer monitors  also play  a significant role on the color result seen and even then,  there are various other photography parameters at the time the picture was shot like for example exposure, white point, etc...  that come at play,

So pictures might be aswell not a realistic reference if no such photo data is available to the map designer .

[[AUSSIE]t0min8t0r]

On 10/23/2022 at 4:54 AM, fapador said:

Thanks!

Indeed the green shade seems more realistic and more Normandy like... Normandy 1.0 is far too light (washed out) color shade in too large areas.

This is also why, I always lower gamma (move to larger values) when I play Normandy map because it slightly improves it...

 

Although I believe  more random placed spots of brighter shades of green could have possibly made the scenery even more realistic as the  color uniformity will  not be so even then and perhaps  appeal more to the eye.

some real photos to compare:

 

 

 

8 hours ago, jubuttib said:

FWIW I'm fairly certain that the top picture at least has been tweaked significantly. Checking levels in photoshop you can see that there's a lot of data in all of the color channels that's pegged at 255, i.e. completely saturated. Definitely suggests that the color saturation has been significantly bumped up at some point. The bottom picture has pretty much no signs of that, and looks pretty natural.

was about to say the same thing 

[Reflected]

On 10/22/2022 at 6:48 PM, Art-J said:

These look great and I understand product promotion, but I wouldn't mind getting also some shots and vids NOT done at hours with low sun position :). In DCS, "golden hours" make every map look good, but noon hours are a different matter (as Normandy 1 is the unfortunate example of).

There's also a question of optimization and performance impact of all this eyecandy - Spitfire vid shows severe stuttering over built-up area (though we don't know what hardware it was recorded on). We'll just have to wait and see I guess.

I completely agree. I’d be curious to see some higher altitude shots taken at high noon, no clouds, to see the colors and landscape textures. Those were a weak point of Normandy 1, looking too bright. It’s hard to tell by these screenshots if that has been adressed. 
 

the details certainly look amazing. 

Edited October 24, 2022 by Reflected

[nachinus]

Absolutely gorgeous. I'm truly impressed. Man, I'll have to buy a new huge SSD to deal with so many wonderful but Gb superheavy DCS maps.

[draconus]

Generally looks good but some basic stuff like curved rails, road turns and disconnected level-only power lines certainly don't look like "new technology". Hope it's WIP.

[Ala13_ManOWar]

15 minutes ago, draconus said:

Generally looks good but some basic stuff like curved rails, road turns and disconnected level-only power lines certainly don't look like "new technology". Hope it's WIP.

They've to lower the poly count somewhere or even the NASA super computer would implode .

After all, it's a flight sim, only in CA those details are relevant, whenever you fly by 400mph those things are invisible.

Edited October 24, 2022 by Ala13_ManOWar

[DD_Fenrir]

15 minutes ago, Ala13_ManOWar said:

They've to lower the poly count somewhere or even the NASA super computer would implode .

After all, it's a flight sim, only in CA those details are relevant, whenever you fly by 400mph those things are invisible.

 

Too right.

@draconus - this isn't a First Person Shooter mate - you need to manage your expectations.

[Plokkum]

This is looking really really good. It's great to see the new tools in action. So many object scattered in the fields, the small details in the cities and the textures/shaders are looking yummy. Can't wait to get my hands on this.

[draconus]

2 hours ago, Ala13_ManOWar said:

They've to lower the poly count somewhere or even the NASA super computer would implode

These are just things that really stand out next to other perfectly modeled high quality objects.

You know, like putting old S-3B on new Supercarrier. I don't expect AAA FPS quality, just a consistence.

Edited October 24, 2022 by draconus

[Hoirtel]

Looking really good, amazing detail! @MAESTR0 will the map kneeboard folder be available at release? This is a real quality of life thing to include so please do if you can. Syria is the only map without it at the moment. 

Edited October 24, 2022 by Hoirtel

[Ala13_ManOWar]

27 minutes ago, draconus said:

You know, like putting old S-3B on new Supercarrier. I don't expect AAA FPS quality, just a consistence.

True, those stand out next to other things, in still frames when you seek for it, while flying I hardly doubt that's the slightest problem. And true, a consistency might be desirable, but there are different publishers and each one of them follows their own work as a pattern, I don't think anybody can ask different people and third parties to work in the exact same way. It's consistent indeed in that quality wise is quite similar to other maps like Syria, or even ED's Channel, but every third party decides how to handle their optimizations in order to make it playable to everyone. It's not my place to tell them how to do their job.

[fapador]

3 hours ago, draconus said:

Generally looks good but some basic stuff like curved rails, road turns and disconnected level-only power lines certainly don't look like "new technology". Hope it's WIP.

Noticed exactly the same things. 

[Silver_Dragon]

2 hours ago, draconus said:

These are just things that really stand out next to other perfectly modeled high quality objects.

You know, like putting old S-3B on new Supercarrier. I don't expect AAA FPS quality, just a consistence.

 

Remember, S-3B on progress... as the B-52, B-1B and others on AAA FPS quality standars...

 

Perfection required time...

Quote

 

AI Units

New and Updated assets

Because DCS World is built on a project spanning almost two decades, some units now show their age and will be updated throughout the year. It is also important that we add new units to better fill the battlefields. Here are some of the items that we intend to create or update in 2021:

Large Aircraft: B-52H, Tu-95MS, Tu-142, B-1B, IL-38, and Tu-160

Carrier Aircraft: S-3B and SH-60B

Ground Units: M1A2, AMX-56 Leclerc, Wespe Sd.Kfz.124, KS-19 100mm ADA, Son-4 “Flap Wheel” radar, C1 Ariete, Pantsir SA-22 “Greyhound”, and S-300/SA-10 “Grumble”.

 

And more to come... as the new infantry.

Edited October 24, 2022 by Silver_Dragon

[RafaPolit]

This looks great!  Originally there were some "critique" about the Eifel Tower's "proportions".  Any info on Paris?

[MAESTR0]

Hi

Today we will visit some British and French airfields.

This will be 3 English original airfields:   

Ford

Funtington

West Malling

 and 3 French original airfields:

Creil

Beauvais-Tille

Villacoublay

 

 

[Barrett_g]

Small criticism:

Remove the bomb carts as static objects that are permanently placed on the map and put them in the WWII asset pack as a placeable object.

Its very strange and unnerving to start up, taxi by, takeoff, fly for 2-3 hours, land, taxi in…. And still see those bombs sitting off the side of the ramp… forgotten in time.  Sitting in the sun during summer… rained and snowed on in the winter…. Time goes on and those bombs just sit there.

In real life they’re either in the munitions bunker away from the infrastructure, or they’re being loaded on the aircraft.  If the armorers brought too many and there were extra bombs, they’d be taken back to the bunker….. not just pushed off to the grass and left forever.

 

Also… do the clocks inside the hanger actually tell correct time?  If not remove them too.  It’s a nice detail but if it’s just static there’s no reason to include them.  It’s just a constant reminder of something that’s wrong in an otherwise awesomely detailed hanger.

 

Edited October 30, 2022 by Barrett_g

[Fred901]

It's very beautiful, the detail of some buildings is superb but allow me, this is a constructive criticism:
There is not much historical research on these WWII airfields!
The layout of the taxiways and runways does not conform to what it was at the time, the buildings (Blister Hangar, Blast pens Type E or Type B) do not exist or are badly placed and this is very unfortunate. The airfields on the channel map are more faithful to what they were during ww2. I think DCS wants to be as realistic as possible. Don't take this the wrong way but that's my opinion. I opened a discussion post with info on the arrangement of airfields with their buildings here:

Otherwise, it looks like a great map ! Thanks a lot !

Edited October 30, 2022 by Fred901

[Magic Zach]

3 minutes ago, Fred901 said:

It's very beautiful, the detail of some buildings is superb but allow me, this is a constructive criticism:
There is not much historical research on these WWII airfields!
The layout of the taxiways and runways does not conform to what it was at the time, the buildings (Blister Hangar, Blast pens Type E or Type B) do not exist or are badly placed and this is very unfortunate. The airfields on the channel map are more faithful to what they were during ww2. I think DCS wants to be as realistic as possible. Don't take this the wrong way but that's my opinion. I opened a discussion post with info on the arrangement of airfields with their buildings here:

 

Do you have information like this but for the airfields further in France, like Creil or Beauvais.  Only information I can get is a rough runway direction and length for each field, but no drawings of the layout like this

[Fred901]

Yes I have aerial photographs taken vertically of these airfields during 1944 and others too. I will publish it on my post that I quoted above.

[MAESTR0]

1 час назад, Barrett_g сказал:

Also… do the clocks inside the hanger actually tell correct time?  If not remove them too.  It’s a nice detail but if it’s just static there’s no reason to include them.  It’s just a constant reminder of something that’s wrong in an otherwise awesomely detailed hanger.

Didn't think you'd notice so quickly. But you didn't see the second hand on the clock. 
@Fred901@Magic Zach  Thanks for the help. We are trying to make Normandy 2 one of the best DCS maps. We will be grateful for any information.

[Fred901]

Thank you very much Maestro!  I will do my best to provide you with the information as soon as possible!

[SoW Reddog]

Classic DCS, make something purporting to be historical but do it wrong. (and charge people again for it).