Single player skip button

[Bemused]

Hi all,

 

I mostly play online but notice of late that server populations seem to be lower than usual.  I have tried to give the single player mode a go but it is beyond tedious waiting for things to happen (even sped up to times 8). I understand that some may like this in terms of immersion but has a "skip to event" button ever been considered?  If not, can it be added?  

 

Thanks.

[R33GZ]

1 hour ago, Bemused said:

Hi all,

 

I mostly play online but notice of late that server populations seem to be lower than usual.  I have tried to give the single player mode a go but it is beyond tedious waiting for things to happen (even sped up to times 8). I understand that some may like this in terms of immersion but has a "skip to event" button ever been considered?  If not, can it be added?  

 

Thanks.

What servers do you play on? Most of the online flying I do is about 40 - 50 min per mission... assuming I survive. That is comparible to singleplayer missions for me. I don't own Normandy so maybe that is your comparison?

 

As far as a 'skip to next event' like the old Aces of the Pacific/Europe had, no, I don't believe that would ever be introduced, or even possible.

[Bemused]

Combat Box and Wings have no more that 20 on them every time I have looked over the last couple of weeks. Finnish has 60 odd but I don't care for that server. Where there is reasonable population online I don't mind how long missions take, but mine are usually shorter as I attack enemy objectives which generally have plenty of enemy loitering over the objectives.

 

I'm not a coder but why should it not be possible to introduce a skip function, say to the next waypoint?    

Edited July 30, 2023 by Bemused

[AEthelraedUnraed]

4 hours ago, Bemused said:

I'm not a coder but why should it not be possible to introduce a skip function, say to the next waypoint?    

Because the mission scripting system is too complex for that. For example, based on a random number generator, the AI may choose between a number of possible flight paths, or the flight may not spawn at all. And Flak may or may not hit an AI flight. Or a mission writer could choose to temporarily make an AI flight invulnerable if too many of their aircraft are killed. There's just too many variables to program a "skip function."

 

A "super speed" function à la IL2 1946 would be possible, where you switch off the graphics and much of the physics modeling and AI for a much faster simulation rate, but someone has to code it, and it sounds like a LOT of work. Given that the Devs are focused on their "new project" which seems to be separate from IL2 BoX, I don't think we'll see anything of the sort.

 

EDIT: have a look at some of the excellent scripted campaigns out there, both paid and free. Some feature pretty quick combat. E.g. regarding free campaigns, if you're into ground attack, my own Hürtgenwald campaign has flight times of ~10 minutes to the front. BlackSix's Wings over Caen usually has similar flight times or even shorter, although the first mission is much longer.

Edited July 30, 2023 by AEthelraedUnraed

[PB0_Roll]

Implementing a skip to action function that was avalaible in 90s sims, just like having hundreds of planes flying at the same time, seemed not worth, or too hard, or too expensive implementing, to this dev team.

 

As a sidenote, it was the same in the old Il2 (as in up to 1946 old) until fairly recently. More powerful computers and mods solved it, but even this one isn't at the level of European Air War or Battle of Britain. 

 

On the other hand, you can now enjoy watching 30 seconds starts with all levers moving (even if you had no other action than press "start"), and AI is reported to use the same exact flight model you use, with no brain (and no coordination with you due to absence of comms, unless you're flight lead) but a good aimbot.

 

I fyou don't want to play scripted campaigns,  check where your airbase will be in the career (picking one close to the frontline helps), what missions you're given and if that's too far, jump into another squadron that flies shorter missions.

[CountZero]

30 minutes ago, PB0_Roll said:

Implementing a skip to action function that was avalaible in 90s sims, just like having hundreds of planes flying at the same time, seemed not worth, or too hard, or too expensive implementing, to this dev team.

 

As a sidenote, it was the same in the old Il2 (as in up to 1946 old) until fairly recently. More powerful computers and mods solved it, but even this one isn't at the level of European Air War or Battle of Britain. 

 

On the other hand, you can now enjoy watching 30 seconds starts with all levers moving (even if you had no other action than press "start"), and AI is reported to use the same exact flight model you use, with no brain (and no coordination with you due to absence of comms, unless you're flight lead) but a good aimbot.

 

I fyou don't want to play scripted campaigns,  check where your airbase will be in the career (picking one close to the frontline helps), what missions you're given and if that's too far, jump into another squadron that flies shorter missions.

perfectly explains problem with modern games and why they fail to gather new audiances, focus on things that make players leve game insted things that make player play more, i stil remenber when they added this pointless wait to start your engines, your just sitting and waisting time while script is starting your engine... was such turn of from MP cold starts

[RedeyeStorm]

@CountZero,

 

I guess that greatly depends on one’s point of view. Personally I regret that the career missions start on the runway with engines running. I would love to start at a parking, start the engines and taxi to the runway. Allas not to be. It is one aspect of DCS that I really appreciate.

[CountZero]

58 minutes ago, RedeyeStorm said:

@CountZero,

 

I guess that greatly depends on one’s point of view. Personally I regret that the career missions start on the runway with engines running. I would love to start at a parking, start the engines and taxi to the runway. Allas not to be. It is one aspect of DCS that I really appreciate.

There is reason why they made it so in career, it seams even they see how boring it gets after few trys, in MP after you do 5-10 sorties in day, every time waisting time on thouse animations it gets boring realy fast... i doubt SP player does 5-10 sorties in day

[R33GZ]

44 minutes ago, CountZero said:

There is reason why they made it so in career, it seams even they see how boring it gets after few trys, in MP after you do 5-10 sorties in day, every time waisting time on thouse animations it gets boring realy fast... i doubt SP player does 5-10 sorties in day

I really enjoy the start up procedure. It would be nice if it was a bit more like CloD,  but I don't really want to be switching every circuit breaker on either

[Aleksander55]

1 - Start a career commanding your unit from the beginning.

 

 

 

 

2 - Choose to start a mission in the air.

 

 

 

 

3 - Click on the Headquarters tab for the map and click on the orange dot. You'll have access to the waypoints.

 

 

 

 

 

 

4 - You can drag waypoints anywhere on the map. So drag Waypoint 2 as close as you want to waypoint 3. There's a limit radius for each waypoint. When you start in the air the limit will be a bit larger and you'll still be some distance away from WP2.

 

 

 

 

 

5 - You can also edit the waypoint's speed, altitude and formation by clicking on the numbers below it.

 

 

 

 

 

6 - THAT'S HOW YOU GET THE BOMBERS YOU'RE ESCORTING TO FLY HIGHER. WAYPOINT 2 FOR INGRESS AND WAYPOINT 3 FOR RETURN.

 

 

7 - The interaction of your mouse cursor with the map is finicky. You can't click or grab anywhere with mission information drawn on the map. So you may need to zoom in/out and move and drag the map around until you can do what you want.

 

 

 

 

 

 

8 - You don't need to lead the flight if you don't want to. Just put yourself in whatever position you want.

 

 

 

 

9 - Starting in the air and moving the waypoints around can be used to 'cheat' in many ways. The fuel comsumption is not calculated, so you can help short legged fighters in longer missions, or start with a light fuel load close to the action. In attack vehicle colum missions this will let you catch many of them still parked on the side of the road if you fly fast the rest of the way. Intercept Recon planes you'll start at high alt.

 

But it can also cause the problematic AI to act in even more erratic ways. It's the risk you pay.

 

edit: This will also 'break' the timing of spawning of friendly and enemy flights, for better or worse. Any kind of mission may run very differently from when you start with a takeoff.

Edited July 31, 2023 by Aleksander55

[RedeyeStorm]

18 hours ago, CountZero said:

There is reason why they made it so in career, it seams even they see how boring it gets after few trys, in MP after you do 5-10 sorties in day, every time waisting time on thouse animations it gets boring realy fast... i doubt SP player does 5-10 sorties in day

Again I have to disagree. I love it and will never grow tired of it. I love cold starts in DCS and MSFS too. For me a flight has a beginning on the ground and an end on the ground (irrelevant if in one piece or more?). Sometimes RL intervenes and I have to abort mid flight. I usually refly those missions too. That is a sim for me. 

Edited July 31, 2023 by RedeyeStorm

[dburne]

2 minutes ago, RedeyeStorm said:

Again I have to disagree. I love it and will never grow tired of it. I love cold starts in DCS and MSFS too. 

 

I am with you there.

[Koziolek]

I agree that DOING cold starts is fun but WATCHING them  - not so much. After a while.

But still, having an OPTION of starting parked would be really nice

[Bemused]

Thanks Aleksander, that's very useful.

[FuriousMeow]

On 7/30/2023 at 12:30 PM, PB0_Roll said:

Implementing a skip to action function that was avalaible in 90s sims, just like having hundreds of planes flying at the same time, seemed not worth, or too hard, or too expensive implementing, to this dev team.

 

 

 

You may want to go back and look at those games, they didn't have hundreds of planes in the air. The game that had the most was Battle of Britain, but it had the illusion of a hundred planes. Most weren't modeled other than their 3D model being visible. Even EAW had maybe 60 in the air. 12 escorts, 8 or so attackers and 32 bombers. The AI ground objects, also, were very very sparse.

 

The skip was easier back then because the missions were incredibly simple. One flight path that had preset variables, with a random dice roll algorithm if your flight was to be intercepted. The missions were incredibly simple. They are much more complex now, everything is more complex. Red Baron II/3D is a good example of a complex mission system, came out in 1998 and there was no skip function because it couldn't work right with the way the missions worked. Everything played out in real time, even if it couldn't be seen. There was an active world, skip functions just don't work with those.

 

You may be happy with simple missions, simple FMs, simple DMs and AI that cheats, but I wouldn't pay for it and I'm sure most that purchase DCS/CloD/GB series wouldn't either.

 

 

Edited August 4, 2023 by FuriousMeow

[PB0_Roll]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/514130/European_Air_War/

 

Quote

Missions that include up to 256 planes in the air simultaneously. Combat missions include Fighter Sweep, Bomb Target, Escort Flight, Intercept, and Interdiction.

 

 

https://a2asimulations.com/product/battle-of-britain-ii-wings-of-victory/

 

 

Current gen games have better graphics, more authentic FMs, that's true. They are better at simulating the aircraft you're in.

 

Are they always better at simulating the war experience though ?

 

Are they better games ? Or are they sometimes, dull, boring, time consuming for nothing ?

[BlitzPig_EL]

Aieeeeee!!!!! My ears!! My ears!!!

 

That audio was terrible.  I'm glad we have moved on.

[PB0_Roll]

Irrelevant but true indeed.

 

My favourite sounds are younger, but still quite old: