Question To PixelPoke..

[Panther_99FS]

Will multiplayer include the option of also seeing other player's effects? (Smoke, etc..)

[MCDesigns]

I really hope the new multiplayer will include it as it is in single mode. I have done so many flights on bushnet (VA and not) and it just kills the realism at how jerky the flight is and lack of proper animations, especially in helis. Wish AI could be included also, but that would be a pain since everyone has different AI.

Funny I was playing BF2 the other day and the sever I was on had several Blackhawks that were flyable on the carrier. Man what a cool scene to have them all lift off and head to the LZ in full motion and fluidity, it was spectacular (especially since BF2 defaults at highest settings for me and I get 30 FPS in FS, LOL)

[VF15_gray]

The lack of single player effects in CFS2 mutiplayer is the only thing that keeps it from being the best combat flight sim every produced. We (VF15) have had several members drift off to IL2 / PF for the multiplayer aspects but they eventually come back because the flat box map world, lack of wind and weather, etc. These issuses reduce the product to just a games after a while. The immersion factor of having a round virtual world with accurately rendered land masses and weather cannot be overlooked.

Multiplayer needs to have all effects visible to every player. Personally, I would give up some of the stunning visual effects, like water reflections, in FS9 for moving carriers with wakes.

CFS2 uses a multi-res concept. This reduces the model poly count in steps as you get further away, reducing the load on the system. Maybe FS10 will do the same!

S`
gray

[tdragger]

Visual effects are all generated from a player's sim. If each client runs a local copy of the sim for each player in the session there should be little to prevent effects showing up--in theory anyway.

[VF15_gray]

I keep hoping MS will come out with another FS based combat flight sim along the lines of CFS2. This could be a FS add-on or stand alone products.

CFS2 Multiplayer has some pretty cool aircraft effects. Leaking fuel, smoke, etc. The problem is that everyone is in there own game (mission) and only aircraft data is transmitted between players. So... if one player shoots a ship and sinks it, only he sees the ship go down because it is in "his" mission. Others will see the ship in its normal position because it has not been destroyed in there game. The same is true for ground objects. I have purchased every MS flight sim from late DOS version on but I currently only have CFS2 loaded and spend countless hours flying around in it. I don't know much about FS9 multiplayer but the scheme they used for CFS2 works pretty well considering when it was made. At that time the average user only had a 28 or 14 kbs dialup modem.

[pixelpoke_MSFT]

I cannot comment one way or another.:censored: .

Cheers,

Jason

[crashaz]

Ah the CFS ghosts Mike was referring to haunting Aces. Heh heh.

BOO!:d

[Snuffy]

Actually I'd like to see combat effects placed in FSX so that any air war of any period can be located and replicated around the world. Rather than creating a program with a specific world deliniated as such.

You have all you need with FS9 (FSx) just give us the abilities to damage, :) both guns and bombs. And in so doing, provide all the effects and visuals that have been around since CFS2.

[Ken Stallings]

I cannot comment one way or another.:censored: .

Cheers,

Jason

About as honest an answer as I've heard in a long time. :mixedsmi:

Ken

[Tom Clayton]

I've discussed this elsewhere before. The issue is data bandwidth. You already have enough data flowing through the host server to describe the position of the aircraft, the status of all of the primary animations (gear, props, ailerons, etc.) and weather if that's being controled by the server. Then you have chat com's as well if there's not a separate voice server running. Multiply that by the 15-18 planes that we've been known to have on a Saturday night flight, and that's quite a bit (no pun intended). I can see including status for lights, contrails and airshow-style smoke, but that's about it. Of course, both players' planes would need to be set up the same for this to work.

[JData]

I've discussed this elsewhere before. The issue is data bandwidth. You already have enough data flowing through the host server to describe the position of the aircraft, the status of all of the primary animations (gear, props, ailerons, etc.) and weather if that's being controled by the server. Then you have chat com's as well if there's not a separate voice server running. Multiply that by the 15-18 planes that we've been known to have on a Saturday night flight, and that's quite a bit (no pun intended). I can see including status for lights, contrails and airshow-style smoke, but that's about it. Of course, both players' planes would need to be set up the same for this to work. Those NASCAR racing games have 43 cars on the track capability and you get to see all the neat stuff if there is in a crash. Sure, FS models a bigger bubble than a racing track but you don't need data from anything that isn't an airport and the online aircraft positioning/animations.

[Panther_99FS]

Those NASCAR racing games have 43 cars on the track capability and you get to see all the neat stuff if there is in a crash. Sure, FS models a bigger bubble than a racing track but you don't need data from anything that isn't an airport and the online aircraft positioning/animations.

Excellent point JData.....

[Deeds]

If we're doing another wishlist...

Eventually I'd like to see an update of the aircraft container system that would allow in-game transfer of aircraft and weapons files. It would automatically, if selected, download the other players model and textures so that they would be visible to all the players selecting the option to get the data. I bieve this was considered, but not implemented in CFS2. Not sure about FS9. The speed of transfer would depend server load. Complete transfer of the aircraft would also be possible on a request/consent basis, with a tag the designers could use to prevent the transfer of payware models. This isn't pie-in-the-sky stuff, it's do-able and the right transfer system could manage the server loads. I have a dream.

I want to see the other players aircraft on my screen in high detail, ask for it if I'm interested, have him push a button to send the whole package if he's willing.

[michaelblackbird]

Hello

To wait an eventual new multiplayer mode with FS X, have you try IBNET. We use this be-ta software for all of our flights, patrol (Patrouille de France), military flights, warbirds, firefighters....

Here's the link to know more about it :
http://www.ibirdsoft.altervista.org/

Have a look to our site to see in pictures and video :
http://paf.virtuelle.free.fr/

Bye