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The ideal way of LO/DCS series development


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Posted

Well, it's not ideal by any objective standard, just ideal in my personal opinion.

 

The ideal way of developing series of modern war plane simulation would be the following:

 

First of all, a general framework, which itself is a complete game, is needed: geographical regions, types of planes etc, will be defined in this general framework. Planes could be either player controllable or AI controlled. Something like Lock on flaming cliffs 2 will be an excellent starting point, if further implementations as stated below are possible.

 

Next, modular upgrade can be developed. Examples are more advanced flight models, more detailed maps. AI controlled planes can be purchased as player controllable, too. These are to be purchased as add-ons / upgrades to the general framework.

 

I personally feel that the route taken by the DCS series is a bit of waste of resources and money. Each game contains a single plane? I cannot speak for others, but for me, I am interested in trying all types of fighter jets available. In the case of DCS series, I would have to buy a single game for each plane; in the game, the maps etc. will be repeated, which takes up more hdd space. This needed not be the case.

 

But now, I am afraid it is too late to make this sort of proposition. What do you guys think? Do you have better ideas? ED, any comment?

Posted

May be this was Eagle Dynamic first idea but it turned out not to be so easy, for example just

getting blackshark to the same graphics, dinamyc shadows etc.. of DCS WH has taken almost a new game.I wished somehow they could make it to get something more modular,something like: ok I want to change the grahpics engine but the planes are gonna stay the same,but obviusly this is a very wishful thinking.

Posted

The best way DCS all with scalable complexity. So DCS all the FC3 aircraft then everyone is operating on the same level and set server complexity scalable as well.

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Posted
I personally feel that the route taken by the DCS series is a bit of waste of resources and money. Each game contains a single plane? I cannot speak for others, but for me, I am interested in trying all types of fighter jets available. In the case of DCS series, I would have to buy a single game for each plane; in the game, the maps etc. will be repeated, which takes up more hdd space. This needed not be the case.

 

But now, I am afraid it is too late to make this sort of proposition. What do you guys think? Do you have better ideas? ED, any comment?

 

The game you're looking for is called U.S. Navy Fighters, and you're at least eighteen years late. Go yell at your parents. :D

ED have been taking my money since 1995. :P

  • 4 weeks later...
Posted (edited)
Survey Sim vs Study Sim

 

Survey = many aircraft not very detailed

 

Study Sim = 1 or few aircraft highly detailed

 

We all have our preferences. Mine are Study Sims

 

Having multiple planes in a single game does not necessarily make the game a 'survey' sim. Each plane/module can be as detailed as the developers want it to be. I don't see any limiting factor here.

Edited by blackbelter
Posted
Having multiple planes in a single game does not necessarily make the game a 'survey' sim. Each plane/module can be as detailed as the developers want it to be. I don't see any limiting factor here.

 

The limiting factor is time/money. If you want a group of planes all done to the level of A-10C then the company is probably going to be bankrupt before they can actually release the product.

 

Now with enough starting capital it could be done but Warren Buffett isn't into computers.;)

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Posted

Time and resources yup. It is a complicated thing to pull off.

 

I was just pointing out that to have a sim like FC2 is much easier than the DCS series because of less complexity. They can't put 4 or 5 DCS level planes like they do for a FC2 release in to 1 DCS release. Not in any kind of timely manner anyway with current resources.

 

By the times ED finishes a highly complex aircraft module to insert into DCS, it can, and has taken months. I can't even imagine the amount or work and complexity. Also, ED are working on improving the sim in all aspects at the same time they work on individual aircraft. It has been their choice. I guess another option would be to freeze all development of all the other parts of DCS, and just work on the aircraft modules alone for a couple of years. That way there could be solid base of a couple of fighters added to the current ground pounding of the Ka-50 and A-10. Then, work on the other parts of the sim.

 

Either way, it's complicated thing and there driving market factors, that we may not be aware of that help shape decisions. Speculation on how to best develop a series like this is interesting, and I hope some of us can give ED good constructive criticism. In the end I think know they what is best for their own selves. History shows they do, and I hope they continue.

Posted

Maybe FC3 could be a larger number of flyable aircraft at LO complexity level. eg all aircraft flyable including transports and DCS continues to be the 99% complex addons. So for FC3 aircraft like C17, Mig23 etc are flyable. That expands the flyable number of aircraft and increases value for money.

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Posted

Time spent even to make planes at less complexity, means that is time taken away from DCS releases. Even planes that would be less complex than FC2.

 

I guess that idea is that FC2 serves a different market than DCS, but they seem the same to me. FC2 still takes a lot of effort to learn. If someone takes the time to learn a FC2 aircraft, they can spend that same time and still have fun in DCS, even if that don't know it all.

 

I don't understand why the light sim market can't be satisfied with the game mode of DCS sims, or even just add a mid level option between game mode and sim.

 

Then all resources could go to one aircraft with 3 levels of complexity, of course the time to release one aircraft in this way would be longer than modelling a less complex aircraft. Meaning less time between releases and sales.

Posted
The limiting factor is time/money. If you want a group of planes all done to the level of A-10C then the company is probably going to be bankrupt before they can actually release the product.

 

Now with enough starting capital it could be done but Warren Buffett isn't into computers.;)

 

You are not getting my point here. I am not saying that all planes must be built to the same level of complexity at the same time, in one release. My suggestion is to build something like LOFC, with all planes included, but by default are either AI-control only, or built on a simple flight model. ED has done a great job in the Lock on series. This will serve as a platform, for which advanced flight model will be built next for each and every aircraft included, as installable expansion/upgrade module. This is similar to what ED has been doing with DCS series.

Posted
You are not getting my point here.

...

This is similar to what ED has been doing with DCS series.

 

Exactly right. Which [DCS] is where it appears that ED wants to be. In fact, I would imagine that FC3 might even be the end of Flaming Cliffs unless ED wants to be tied to that LockOn licensing issue forever.

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Posted
Exactly right. Which [DCS] is where it appears that ED wants to be. In fact, I would imagine that FC3 might even be the end of Flaming Cliffs unless ED wants to be tied to that LockOn licensing issue forever.

Come on bro... Did you even read my post...

 

On a side note, I am not suggesting ED to use LOFC as the basis for future development. I totally understand the license issue with ubi.

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