Some insight on TF's history and development reasons

[Buzzsaw]

(This was originally posted on another thread... but was requested to be pinned)

 

Everything that Team Fusion does in the way of additions, improvements, or upgrades to CLIFFS is a function of our resources... manpower and skills.

 

From the period late 2012 to 2017, the team had only one programmer/coder who was capable of working with the raw game files... remember, at that time, we did not have access to the Source Code.  No one else, no matter how loudly they made their points, were capable of actually getting into the game and making changes.  And our single programmer was working completely in the dark... searching through a mass of encrypted material and trying to guess how what he might be looking at actually affected the game.  Progress was incredibly slow.

 

In March of 2017, after a six month negotiation, we were given access to the Source Code.  (an older version, the most recent had been lost, and we were lucky someone found it on a PC in a back room)  And this SC we were given had none of the normal supplementary information or tools for developers... all had been lost.  We had no guides or tools as to how to import aircraft, no guides or tools as how to create maps, no standards for 3D modeling, etc. etc.

 

With this access,, our original programmer was able to compile all his changes 2012-2017, add some critical additional improvements like re-writing the entire physics engine for aircraft power systems, (original was completely broken) as well as start the process of writing a map creation tool.  (new maps being impossible without one)  A new second programmer deciphered a means to adapt the IL-2 1946 aircraft import tool to CLIFFS, and our Sound engineer/coder updated the game to the latest Firelight FMOD sound version.  With these improvements, first steps were taken with the new flyabe Beaufighter, new BF-110C-6, and new versions of the Tiger Moth.  But we didn't have anywhere near the number of programmers we required to make all the changes we knew we had to implement, as for example, new AI combat routines, new SPEEDTREE version, VR, trueSKY, PBR visuals, fixing the issues with bridges, road, etc. etc. etc.

 

Meanwhile, we we in the planning stages for TF 5.0.... with a dilemma...  we had only a partially complete map tool... one which would not allow rivers or lakes... which meant we could not improve or modify the existing Channel map.  Our only choice was to go to N Africa...  where the Western Desert Campaign in the Tobruk area offered a map alternative which didn't need flowing rivers... there were only dry wadis.  So there is where we went.

 

Meanwhile our original programmer had burnt out... and bowed out... (common theme for TF members when seemingly there is nothing but criticism no matter how hard you work to improve the game)  He had just started on an original Dynamic Campaign Generator for Single Player, but that was not to be.  His partially completed work on the map tool was taken up by two new programmers... we now had three in total.  Meanwhile 3D work on the new aircraft needed for the N Africa map was progressing... although most of our modelers were having to learn on the job... with the help of our longtime supervisor who had lots of experience outside the CLIFFS game engine, and had found a way to understand how our game's systems work.  But progress was slow.  With the manpower shortage, we decided to make flyable as many of the original aircraft as possible... meaning only a cockpit had to be created, instead of both external and cockpit... a savings of 60% in modeling time.

 

We originally had the goal of implementing for TF 5.0 everything we currently have planned for the Visual Update/VR.... but soon realized that was an impossibility, even with all three programmers working 60 hour weeks. (day jobs and TF work)  We had to settle for creating a new Map, (which once the map tool was finished required the recruitment of an entirely new Map Team) and a set of new aircraft and ships.  These new aircraft would all be done to standards needed to allow implementation of VR and 4k later... but we didn't have the time to go back and re-do all the old CLIFFS aircraft cockpits... many of which were a mix of 3D and 2D... therefore not suitable for VR.  The new ships required a complete re-write of the systems required for large types... (we were moving from Minesweeper Class to Battleships) as well as all the research, programming and files needed to model entirely new cannon, shells, etc. etc.  Same applied to our new set of vehicles.  Our programmers also found the time to re-write the combat routines for the aircraft... (a common complaint from SP players) these are much improved from the original game to TF 5.0.  (the routines for in-cockpit player control of the AI aircraft remain to be completed and are a goal of TF 6.0)  We also comprehensively rewrote all the landing routines of the AI aircraft, eliminating most of the glitches which caused them to over-run the runways or crash.  And did a complete re-write of the overheat systems... to more accurately reflect the effects heat had on engines... no more inaccurate single effect of overheat... burst radiators... now the damages run the gamut from failed oil pumps to valve systems, with radiator valves set to vent, etc.

 

With all this work, and much more not mentioned, we were able to complete TOBRUK in 2020.  It was not what we originally hoped for, but it did get positive reviews from magazines and bloggers, as well as the majority of the community.  But then in 2021 we were hit with another whammy... Covid...  Many of our members backed away from their TF work or quit entirely.  We lost one of our programmers, and three 3D artists.  The rest of the TF group's production fell.  Recruitment of new members dropped to near zero.

 

Still we kept working... set our goals and focused on accomplishing what we could.  Improvements in the map tool meant we could now work with water... address the issues in the existing Channel map... we set that as a goal... and decided the most efficient way forward was to kill three birds with one stone, fix the CLIFFS map, and at the same time, create a new version of the map, for a 1942 DIEPPE dlc... which could in turn work for a Nightbombing dlc based on the Lancaster.

 

Recently as the community is aware, we have had positive steps forward, and also setbacks.  We have recruited three new programmers, which will allow us to address many of the longstanding issues... as well as implement the VR/VU update sooner, but on the other hand, we have lost multiple 3D artists to the competion.  (no, I will not say who that is... please do not speculate) and the time required for the VR/VU update has been quite a bit more than expected... due to bugs within the software of the 3rd party programs we are adapting.  We have also been required to update some of core Microsoft visual software as a corollary to the other work.

 

We continue to progress... we have not lost faith.  As a team we are still convinced the original Maddox Games software was a brilliant but flawed piece of code... which almost unlimited scope for improvement and expansion.... once you got the bugs fixed... still an ongoing process... some of the stability issues with VR were traced back to the original Maddox code.

 

While people in the community are entitled to their opinion, the fact is, everything TF has done has been based on logic and consensus... we do not have an axe to grind when it comes to the improvements we focus on, and we are not deliberately neglecting parts of the game as part of a bias or agenda.  We want to create as good a game as possible... for both Single Players and Multi Players.... why else are we creating a Nightbombing dlc... which by its very subject, will be played almost entirely by the SP community ?  We continue to be optimistic... and hope the community will understand our unique and very different development model.