no-mans land for FC vol.2

[HappyHaddock]

After all the doom and gloom here about WWI being a minority niche within a niche that isn't profitable, one of the most encouraging things about the official announcement of the formal completion and release of FC vol.1 was the statement that the devs hope to move on to a vol.2

 

The devs. have set a precedent where a significant proportion of the development time for each previous title  went towards adding ten new aircraft, another good chunk of time went towards developing a new map, with what is probably a small fraction of the over all development schedule going towards more general improvements to the game engine which impact upon every title in the series.

 

I just wondered what folk thought about the following;

 

FC vol 2 will, if following past precedent, probably include an entirely new map of a new region, however I am assuming it would take a lot less time/budget to offer a map of the same area we already have but in a different season/date. This may potentially leave the scope to actually put more development time into new ideas/technology/techniques for improving the look of no mans land, maybe also with a set of different files to move the position of the front line to show how it changed with time, not necessarily on a day by day basis but perhaps on a seasonal basis.

 

In ROF many felt that the look of no-mans land was a weak point of an otherwise good game, and there have been a mass of similar comments about no-mans land in the new FC being poor with some ROF die-hards indicating they would have considered buying FC had no-mans land looked better, (where I'd argue there is enough about FC that is improved to make it worth the purchase price) However there is no denying that  Flying Circus's portrayal of this major feature of the WWI landscape is merely a modest step forward from the low base line set by ROF rather than the more major progression many hoped for in order to bring it up to the standard of the rest of Flying Circus.

 

Some may say a career system for WWI might be a bigger priority over developing a new map, but are significant improvements to the existing no mans land something others view as important enough to prioritise over getting an entirely new map if/when a new FC vol.2 is announced?

 

HH

 

 

[ZachariasX]

I would love to have a more authentic depiction of the front line. Having PWCG, I would rank an elaborate career module lower than a more authentic scenario.

[Feathered_IV]

FC volume 2 having a more authentic looking frontline would make it worth purchasing for me.  

[JG1_Butzzell]

S!

 

Very disappointed not to see bodies hanging on barbed wire. Completely destroys the immersion.

[No.23_Gaylion]

^ if you want to find the priiiivate I know where he his!

 

[71st_AH_Rob_XR-R]

Yes, but have you seen the Colonel?

[JGr2/J5_Baeumer]

We have the Colonel....and the tins of jam!

[No.23_Gaylion]

Hes pinning another white max on his chest.

[1PL-Husar-1Esk]

We pretend to fight I combat sim without need to be immersed by the real background. More early airplanes please that would  have significant impact to the gameplay , because  there will be never 3d trenches and individual soldiers to blow up....

 

Points and in-game  mechanics for use camera and radio please! 

[ZachariasX]

No man's land on a sunny day:

 

Somebody colorized the images. Rather different from what we have.

Edited November 15, 2019 by ZachariasX

[1PL-Husar-1Esk]

 Water ponds on those colored photos have to clear water IMHO , for color I would suggest muddy  At last mud would fell to bottom but still it have no peace time to do it because neverending barage and Lost of ground , dust  and mud falling into them from near by explosion.

Edited November 15, 2019 by 1PL-Husar-1Esk

[Redwo1f]

Expressing a desire to do something and formally stating a commitment to do something are two different things.

 

There was no guarantee made regarding FC2 in that announcement whatsoever. I personally believe they are still very much in a wait-and-see situation (and of course with sales being absolutely crucial right now, they came out with as positive a statement they could given the situation)  1C dances along the line of build-it-and-they-will-come and come-and-we-will-build-it - almost in a catch-22 - lacking some attractive features (especially to SP) that would entice more sales (eg. in-house dynamic campaign, inclusion of additional two-seaters (even AI) to round out the experience, etc. etc.) but not willing to take the risk in that initial investment...

 

What will be, will be...and we will still very much have to wait and see...

 

 

Edited November 15, 2019 by Redwo1f

[ZachariasX]

16 minutes ago, 1PL-Husar-1Esk said:

 Water ponds on those colored photos have to clear water IMHO , for color I would suggest muddy  At last mud would fell to bottom but still it have no peace time to do it because neverending barage and Lost of ground , dust  and mud falling into them from near by explosion.

I think they would be muddy if they were fresh craters. But dirt sinks, at some point the patches of water my well reflect the sky. I guess it would depend on the ground. I mean, I'm not saying it has to be that way as those colorized photos certainly contain a good portion of artistic freedom.

 

In all cases, water patches should reflect light, regardless of the water color. This means, from aboove you're not looking at a uniformly dull brownish mass, but a rather diverse mess.

[SeaW0lf]

Depends on where you look. Since they can't personalize no man's land by section, they have to pick a general representation and that's fine. I have no problems with it.

 

I think that a big part of no man's land for us is translated into game-play, meaning AA batteries and ground fire (MGs, rifles). And then tanks and artillery units, that sort of thing. And then enable the mission builders to use them historically, in good numbers, which might come to netcode / dserver (not sure which one). For example, in the Cambrai offensive, in 1917, there were at least 30 pieces of AA in the front alone for the British* (divided into sections and batteries), a front that had 20/25km of extension if I'm not mistaken, which gives more than 1 AA piece for kilometer. And this in the front alone. That's why we see vivid representations of archie in the books of Gould Lee and Rickenbacker for example.

 

These are things that I consider important before the ground troops (that might never be possible with this game engine).

 

--

Edited November 15, 2019 by SeaW0lf

[the_dudeWG]

I love the idea of tying the location of NML into the season, but then again, I’m just hoping we eventually do get 4 different seasons for Arras, and any other future maps. I believe that seasonal and yearly versions of our map(s) with an historical moving front would more than make up for any disappointments with the graphics of our current  NML.
S!

[1PL-Husar-1Esk]

Current mud texture is to repetitive IMHO. I can't assume they have technology to use mega textures but those tiles are not good enough. I wander why not use tech used for steppe in Stalingrad which replaced repetitive tiles.

[unlikely_spider]

10 minutes ago, 1PL-Husar-1Esk said:

Current mud texture is to repetitive IMHO. I can't assume they have technology to use mega textures but those tiles are not good enough. I wander why not use tech used for steppe in Stalingrad which replaced repetitive tiles.

I don't think that tech was invented until the 1940's

[Feathered_IV]

Looking through the game files, there are any number of grass and field textures, but only a few generic repeat textures for no-man’s land and the trenches. Introducing more for greater local variation would be very welcome. 

[US103_Hunter]

The next one should be Meuse-Argonne!