So, if you started a flight sim from scratch, a new project, what are your must have features?

[Mysticpuma]

My short list of core features. 

 

1) Code and Netcode that can handle large formations of aircraft. 

 

2) CPU multi-core support

 

3) PBR graphics (for future proofing) 

 

4) VR support

 

5) Clouds and environment like DCS or an enhanced version of Truesky

 

5) 4 engine bombers

 

6) A detailed Quick Mission Builder much like @SYN_Vander has created for BoX. 

 

7) Ai of a coding level like Buddeye created many years back. 

 

I have lots more but as a starting point, those are a few points. 

 

What would yours be? 

 

 

Edited January 10, 2023 by Mysticpuma
Typos

[ITAF_Airone1989]

- Large AAA numbers
- Non-combat missions (pilot rescue, parà, supplies, recon...)
- Engine ruled by temperatures and not timer

[I.JG3_CDRSEABEE]

Ground Targets. After all, ground units win wars...

[Trooper117]

No Multiplayer.

Single player only.

A working and believable AI.

Flight/Squadron and Control Station communication system.

A working SP Dynamic campaign system, similar to PWCG.

 

[Irishratticus72]

Jesus. It must have Jesus as copilot.

[spreckair]

...and maybe a lot more help with understanding the graphics settings and how they impact the overall performance in VR

[Noisemaker]

Historical unit strengths (and skills) for both combat aircraft and AA/AAA for campaigns.

 

Oh, and historical unit tactics and formations.

 

And finally, Malta/Italy!!!

 

And customizable nose art!

Edited January 9, 2023 by Noisemaker
Thoughts float up like bubbles...

[PB0_Roll]

A coherent vision of what I project to sell, to who.

 

A team that can perform the task, even if some go and or are sick.

 

 

If I'm projecting I'll be selling my game to the same niche as legacy flights sim, make sure I have a solid SP experience, with believable FMs, as accurate cockpits as possible with available doc, nice large maps, believable weather system, believable AI world that player can interact with and allows large amount of AI objects with good frame rates, powerful but easy to use mission editor that can build SP and COOP missions in a few minutes, PvP stuff that can handle 80+ player without hiccups (just like 46 coop mode could), VR since even if not fully mature it's a real salespoint. Dynamic campaign/career mode inspired from Falcon4 or BoB2 or EAW or RBR2.

 

If project is to sell to a new niche well.... I don't feel qualified.

[Chief_Mouser]

Truly dynamic SP career - PWCG x 1000.

Truly dynamic multiplayer co-op wars.

Hyperlobby-style multiplayer room.

Bomb-aimers separate from pilots. 

Proper navigation! Never been seen in Il-2 so far.

Accurate date-specific maps - lots of them.

Ability to have large numbers of ground and naval objects.

Working and authentic communication system with ground and AI.

No GB-style modules. Buy the planes to go with the maps and not be forced to have those you don't want.

All non-flyable a/c to be included as AI from the release of a relevant map.

Torpedoes.

Aircraft carriers.

Reconnaissance and transport aircraft and uses for them.

Something released before I get too old and die.

[ROCKET_KNUT]

When in doubt, 109s, lots of them... ?

 

RELAX, IT´S A JOKE! ?

 

a stable game/simulation using all or most of the computing power provided by the setup

a simple and easy to use game-user-interface

a credible flight- and damagemodel

an enjoyable game experience for the target group(s)

 

[BlitzPig_EL]

OK, I'll play.

 

Proper game play modes for both single player and multiplayer, including a solid, well thought out campaign system, and a multiplayer lobby that is worth the name.

 

Cutting edge graphics, including VR, is a given in this day and age.

 

State of the art, well researched FMs and DMs.

 

Good scalability that will give pleasing performance for mid range computers, and knock your socks off performance for those at the bleeding edge of computing power.

 

Believable AI behaviors, without them cheating on FMs, this also should apply to non flight units.

 

The ability to properly replicate everything from small tactical missions to strategic bombing, in both SP and MP modes.

 

An easy to use GUI, and good communication between the player base and the development team.

 

An easy to use, powerful mission builder is a MUST HAVE.

 

The Pacific, including both naval and land based operations.

 

 

 

 

Edited January 9, 2023 by BlitzPig_EL

[LuftManu]

I am really surprised many of us have the same thougths!

 

I'll be more general, but simple:

It needs a good historical campaign system and proper AI order / management. Alongside historical units.

Then just add a mission editior and the ability to host that campaign into MP.

 

Kind regards!

[Alexmarine]

45 minutes ago, Irishratticus72 said:

Jesus. It must have Jesus as copilot.

 

Playing the Devil's advocate here I would say:

 

Anime girls. It must have anime girls as copilots

 

[Bonnot]

Almost all the features above, plus :

A new plane before going to a 3rd or 4th version  =  if 3 BF109 exist,  give a Beau before making a 4th 109  !

Expand Planes collection to Japanese/ US navy/ USMC   ( F4U, Catalina, Hydroplanes....)

An Editor with an easy access -for SP at least- like an Arma ed. where it is possible to create short scen fast, or build large if you have time and know-how......

Keep the Auto-pilot, gradual difficulty, camera and photo, as now;

Maps with reasonnable LIFE on the ground level : trafic, wrecks, animals, Flak, smokes, rubbles etc.....even if they are not really active.

No nonsense items like the empty ships and defenceless blockhaus of DDay maps...

[DBFlyguy]

I'll bite....

 

• Large air battles (meet or exceed the numbers capable in DCS, CloD and 1946)
• Carrier operations
• Flyable allied Heavy and Medium bombers
• Historically accurate and highly detailed maps
• Full Fidelity aircraft - I'd rather have less flyable aircraft that are of higher quality than a bunch of lower quality aircraft with highly questionable performance
• Immersive sound design (recorded from the source where possible)
• Fleshed out single player options (campaign, single missions, quick missions, historical missions)
• PBR textures
• Robust and challenging AI
• Fully fleshed out communication system for ground and air communications.
• User friendly mission editor

 

 

[BraveSirRobin]

There are some pretty amusing assumptions about what the budget for this sort of project would be.

[Gambit21]

[Chief_Mouser]

Forgot the mission builder but that's an absolute must- and one that we can all understand.

No driveable tanks - TC took too much resources away from the flight side of things.

Forget about WW1 - didn't get enough resources; just a means of reselling RoF. If you're going to do a WW1 flight sim keep it entirely seperate - and brand new!

[Voidhunger]

career mode, but better one than what we have now.

[Mtnbiker1998]

VR, VR, VR, VR. Build it from the ground up to look and run great in VR. This is the best possible futureproofing you can do to a sim.

 

a good dynamic campaign system and AI to go with it.

 

Mod Friendly design to let the community keep it alive for years (see; 1946, Richard Burns Rally, Falcon BMS, etc)

 

And for good measure, lots of hot redhead NPC models ...For reasons.

[jollyjack]

As for VR, i only had a brief stint once, and wonder still how one copes with PC keyboard use;

you need to use one quite often, and with this ole blindfold lump on your head; how? I'm still stuck with my TrackIR ...

[Qcumber]

4 minutes ago, jollyjack said:

As for VR, i only had a brief stint once, and wonder still how one copes with PC keyboard use;

you need to use one quite often, and with this ole blindfold lump on your head; how? I'm still stuck with my TrackIR ...

There are some great options for VR that make it work well with a keyboard etc. Check out the VR posts in this forum. 

[SYN_Vander]

I was having same thoughts about "what if..."

My main concern would be about gameplay and to avoid thinking "inside the box" the question would be:

 

"Describe how your ideal combat flight simulator experience on a PC would look like." 

 

Mine would be something like this:

• I turn my PC, start the simulator (pretty standard so far  )
• The simulator starts quickly (within 10 sec) and presents the following:
  -My Pilots (avatars)
  -My Planes (personalized)
  -A list of ongoing campaigns/battles
  -A campaign / scenario creation option
• I have just read "Goshawk Squadron" by Derek Robinson so I'm in the mood for WW1 flying. I browse (search?) through the active battles and notice several WW1 battles. One is set in May 1918, so I select that one.
• I can choose to sign up for an active squadron if I want to fly multiple missions as in a campaign or I can simply choose an open slot as replacement pilot. Since I just want to get into the action quickly I choose the latter.
• I read the battle description, historical background and select a side.
• I can now choose the game type, Single, PvE or PvP. Since I don't want to fly alone and PvE usually has more missions going I choose that.
• I can see the active missions and their squadrons, planes and objectives. Some are already in progress (in the air), while others are waiting to start.
• I select a mission that is in progress and see that the there are 8 planes in flight. Three of them are occupied by actual players, the others by AI. I select an available slot
• I quickly read the mission briefing and objectives and hit "FLY" - now the game starts loading for real.

 

Edited January 9, 2023 by SYN_Vander

[Dragon1-1]

8 minutes ago, jollyjack said:

As for VR, i only had a brief stint once, and wonder still how one copes with PC keyboard use;

you need to use one quite often, and with this ole blindfold lump on your head; how? I'm still stuck with my TrackIR ...

I've bought a Winwing HOTAS with a big honkin' throttle panel and a ton of buttons on both grips. It's poorly suited to Il-2 due to having a large number of switches, but it does a great job. I still have to fumble around for the keyboard sometimes, but not a whole lot. 

 

Keys "F", "J" and arrows get bound for some commonly functions, as they can be easily felt. The spacebar is great, too. Otherwise, a switch/button box is your friend in VR. In DCS, a clickable cockpit makes things easier, but I made Il-2 work, too.

 

I want clickable cockpits, VR optimization and, most of all, a realistic singleplayer mode with a good story to tell. Doesn't need to be dynamic, but it has to be well done, with good characters and meaningful interactions. Star Wars: Squadrons had its problems, but I loved the storytelling and the characters. I'd love that in a realistic simulator.

[SYN_Speck]

Plausible AI would be nice.

[Trooper117]

No Swastikas!

[Alexmarine]

1 minute ago, Trooper117 said:

No Swastikas!

 

PTO: No swastikas for miles and miles 

[Wardog5711]

So from what I'm reading....

No commercial tie-ins to totally unrelated subjects like WG does?

No first aid kits hanging from balloons to regen your damage as you fly past?

No trail of gold coins streaming from your enemy that you can collect in flight for use on in-game purchases?

Poop. I better submit a new project plan.?

 

 

[Irishratticus72]

53 minutes ago, Gambit21 said:

Still with the Cactus/Midway idea, eh?

Edited January 9, 2023 by Irishratticus72

[Alexmarine]

11 minutes ago, Wardog5711 said:

No commercial tie-ins to totally unrelated subjects like WG does?

 

Only if they not include anime girls, afterall anime girls are the pin-up nose arts of modern days 

[Cravis]

• Dynamic campaign (e.g. BMS)
• Adjustable and believable AI 
• Globe instead of "maps" (e.g. MSFS)
• Dynamic weather (e.g. MSFS)
• Support for large scale battles with several hundred units including heavy bombers in the air
• Carrier operation
• Mod support
• Structured as platform rather than a single game (e.g. FSX)
• User friendly quick mission editor that exist next to a detailed mission editor
• Option to upgrade to study level/fully fidelity modules including clickable cockpits and more importantly detailed engine simulation (e.g. A2A Accu-Sim)
• Support for USB devices with 128 buttons ?

 

[Gambit21]

21 minutes ago, Irishratticus72 said:

Still with the Cactus/Midway idea, eh?

Cactus

I can take or leave Midway.

 

 

[danielprates]

Better communications between you and AI wingmen. 

 

Better radio nav. The way il-2-1946 did it would be enough. 

 

Night missions for bombers and interceptors. Even if simplified, some of the radio/radar navigation gizmos common after mid-war. 

[ITAF_Rani]

New engine and guns sound

[Cloyd]

47 minutes ago, Irishratticus72 said:

Still with the Cactus/Midway idea, eh?

He's not the only one!  ?

[Cmndr613]

You guys are going to need more money.

[PatrickAWlson]

3 hours ago, Irishratticus72 said:

Jesus. It must have Jesus as copilot.

 

I prefer God as my copilot.  Are they the same?  I flunked out of Bible studies.

[CountZero]

10 minutes ago, Cmndr613 said:

You guys are going to need more money.

Well its not our idea to make new game when we have working one, so if your just doing better graphic +10% FM +5% DM +20% , 8 airplannes insted 10, 200km map insted 300km because added complexity, why do new game. If you plan to do new game then expectations are acording 2023 not 2013, MSFS2020 exist now, this is new game standard, not failed CloD standard of old.

Edited January 9, 2023 by CountZero

[Raptorattacker]

Lickable Cockpit... (yes, Lickable).

[Noisemaker]

1 hour ago, Alexmarine said:

 

Only if they not include anime girls, afterall anime girls are the pin-up nose arts of modern days 

Oh, I have to add nose art to my list, thanks.