Anyone want a huge multiplayer formation?

[TheOptimist]

Firstly, I admit the title of the thread looks very closeable - but that's mainly to draw your attention. Secondly, I am brand new here so go easy if I've put this in the wrong place etc.

For a long while now I've been wanting to do a large WW1/WW2 formation across the English Channel and back. With remembrance day so fresh in my mind I'd love to finally do it. Here are my considerations so far, and some possible logistics;

1. Upwards of 40 planes in rough formation (I can only fly one - who's up for it)?

2. WW2 planes only (gives a bit more scope than WW1)

3. Weather set on 'pearl harbour setting' - (imagine the look from the film pearl harbour - cheesy sunset/sunrise etc etc)

4. We do it the good old fashioned way - planes take off, climb to 2000 feet, then circle as other aircraft join, until we're all set and we can go.

5. Realism set to minimum and crash detection off (a midair crash in a big formation would knock out about ten planes)

6. A dedicated 'cameraman' who is happy to switch between cockpits (with cockpit sharing) and film the whole thing - as well as all the exterior shots. They would have to have one HELL of a computer to deal with such a vast number of aircraft. Also it'd be great if they had REX/settings maxed etc. I'm sure this is the place to find someone like that.

7. Edit the video, put it on youtube as a tribute to the brave airmen and women who served.

Some other considerations;
- Not exclusive to allies
- Fighters/bombers/whatever you like is allowed. The more variation the better - as long as they can maintain altitude at the required speed.
- If we use add-on planes the cameraman would be able to sit in them and see them right? It wouldn't do that thing where it defaults to the closest match and all of a sudden a spitfire becomes a C172....

Let me know what you think. I'm only throwing preliminary ideas around, but I think it would be a great oppurtunity to have a huge formation amongst true enthusiasts as a dedication for those we owe our freedom.

Thoughts? :ernae:

[Scratch]

Sounds like a cool idea. I've never seen a screenshot with that many planes in it.

Welcome to the Outhouse!:ernae:

[TheOptimist]

Thanks, it's nice to be here.

I think it'd be an excellent thing to do. Perhaps even the biggest formation in FSX history!?

My main concern would be filming/flying the thing with the slowdown. I don't know how it works on fsx multiplayer. If one person has all their settings on minimum, but someone who is sharing the airplane has them on maximum, does the person sharing see their settings or yours?

Regardless with so many aircraft on screen I think that's the main problem with the concept. Anyway if this went ahead (after a week or two's organisation, would you have a plane to fly? I don't know what speed to settle on.....

[MCDesigns]

Neat idea and welcome as well! My only concern would be sim performance with that many aircraft on screen.

I have seen shots from users that have used the recorder module that have quite a few aircraft in formation, they were quite impressive images.

[TheOptimist]

Neat idea and welcome as well! My only concern would be sim performance with that many aircraft on screen.

I have seen shots from users that have used the recorder module that have quite a few aircraft in formation, they were quite impressive images.

Yes I expect it would be quite a sight. Also, given the aircraft in question - undoubtedly the aircraft that most of us have grown up to truly love, it may be quite emotive as well!

As I mentioned previously sim performance would be my main concern. In my last post I mentioned the different players settings - do you know the answer to that question? I was thinking;

- All pilots have absolutely minimal settings
- 'Cameramen' - who have experience with filming and a BEAST of a computer have maximum settings (or whatever) including REX, GEX, photorealistic scenery for the route etc. These cameramen (maybe 2 or so) could just hop between our aircraft and get the footage that way. The pilots can concentrate on flying and slowdown would be minimal, wheras the observers (new name for cameramen :icon_lol:) could get the shots.

Edit: There would be no rush to do this - we have all the time in the world and a good degree of planning would be required.

[Shylock]

Hit up the guys over at http://1stbombersquadron.webs.com/ Also if you would welcome some advice. As MCDesigns had mentioned you are going to take a huge hit. To give you an example our group had been requested to do a flyover to kick off a charity event for BVATC. Our flight plane was to have the entire team take off from Otis Air base and fly over in formation KBOS. Well with over 75 people including our 8 fliers the only thing that went good was the engine start up and taxi.

After take off our C-130 Fat Albert was in a bank the entire flight. We joined up for the Delta with me flying stinger. As soon as we got to within 30 miles of KBOS all the people had been parked there or in the tower and our FPS went from 30-40 FPS to 2-3 FPS. All of our planes were doing crazy thing and jittery all the while team members were flying straight and level but to others they were either in banks, high Alpha's or just disappearing. BVATC operates a dedicated server.

With our team we have our practices and or demos in private which is why we livestream them if people want to see. As great as it would look, I cant see us ever being able to fly more then 15 people at one time fly in formation. I hope you can find some way to pull this off as I would tune in.

[TheOptimist]

After take off our C-130 Fat Albert was in a bank the entire flight. We joined up for the Delta with me flying stinger. As soon as we got to within 30 miles of KBOS all the people had been parked there or in the tower and our FPS went from 30-40 FPS to 2-3 FPS. All of our planes were doing crazy thing and jittery all the while team members were flying straight and level but to others they were either in banks, high Alpha's or just disappearing. BVATC operates a dedicated server.


Hmmm. I'm going to try to figure out exactly why the slowdown occurs and see if it can be minimised. For example only have the whole formation above cloud cover where the cameraman can essentially switch off all his scenery, then have a reduced number of planes and use some camera tricks for low passes etc.

I'll get back to you all when I've figured something out.

Edit: Another potential problem to consider is who would host the server!

[cheezyflier]

welcome!

i have a question...

wouldn't everyone in attendance have to have all the planes the others had in order to see them? i seem to remember once when i tried to fly online a guy showed up in a heli but my sim saw it as a beech baron.
seeing the baron do a vertical takeoff, spin 180 and roll out was a sight i won't soon forget :applause:

[dhl1986]

I would definitely participate in this... Let me know when and where :ernae:

[calypsos]

To attempt this, first agree on a list of aircraft to be used (all freeware) and ensure that you have every aircraft on that list to participate! I suggest using only native FSX and as simple as possible, I cannot think of one that fits the bill in WW2, but Piglet's models are always pretty good on Fr's.
I flew in a formation of Lancasters (about 6 of us) on a two and a half hour formation low level formation sortie a couple of years ago, quite impressive thing to see, so 40 will be interesting.

Edit, Dave Garwoods Auster has a lot of repaints and is slow and stable to fly....and easy on the FRs!

[Tylerb59]

the only thing that went good was the engine start up and taxi

rofl :)

:isadizzy:

[letsgetrowdy]

That sounds great. Count on me bringing the Virtual OFMC :jump:

[TheOptimist]

welcome!

i have a question...

wouldn't everyone in attendance have to have all the planes the others had in order to see them? i seem to remember once when i tried to fly online a guy showed up in a heli but my sim saw it as a beech baron.
seeing the baron do a vertical takeoff, spin 180 and roll out was a sight i won't soon forget :applause:

You're right, but only the cameramen would have to have all of the planes installed, so they could see every aircraft. The pilots wouldn't, it would look really odd for them (as like you said the planes would be substituted) but as long as the cameramen can see them that's not a problem.

Secondly, does anyone know if it is possible to post-render the graphics in FSX after a video has been recorded? I wonder if the cameraman could 'film' on low settings, and then playback/render the film in high settings? Obviously this would have to be done 'in' fsx rather than externally. But I wonder if you can use fsrecorder to record on low settings, then make it actively render what it has recorded on high settings.

Does anyone know any really really smart people who programmed fsx etc?

[SkippyBing]

But I wonder if you can use fsrecorder to record on low settings, then make it actively render what it has recorded on high settings.

Yes, fsrecorder is recording the aircrafts' position, course speed etc. and then replays them as AI traffic. You can replay a flight in different weather, time of day etc. etc. with different graphics settings. As FSX isn't calculating all the flight parameters when it's played back as AI you can ramp things up a bit more.

[TheOptimist]

Yes, fsrecorder is recording the aircrafts' position, course speed etc. and then replays them as AI traffic. You can replay a flight in different weather, time of day etc. etc. with different graphics settings. As FSX isn't calculating all the flight parameters when it's played back as AI you can ramp things up a bit more.

Giggety-goo.

I shall experiment and come back with the results.

Edit: Can someone give me the most FR intense freeware aircraft/scenery that they can think of? I'm going to kill my PC in flight then see what FSrecorder can do.

[daytonite_andy]

Also something else to note when flying multiplayer.

If all participants want to fly with a different paint on their plane then for all to be able to see the individual paints during the flight everybody has to make sure that they have all the repaints installed on their computer. Does that make sense? :isadizzy:

Forty players sounds a bit optimistic, but I agree, it would be great to see (I'm thinking from a communication point of view).

KiwiKat organized a D-Day memorial flight a few months ago and we took A2A's P-51D on a flight from Norwich, down to Dover, across to Le Havre, along the landing beaches and eventually landed at Cherbourg. Really good fun.

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/showthread.php?t=17826

Another note. Lots of people will say they will attend but the amount that actually fly will be greatly different, unfortunately. It would be nice to be proved wrong on that one though..:icon_lol:

[TheOptimist]

Before I get anywhere with this is there anyone who might like to be a cameraman? I need to ask some questions about recording techniques. The cameramen/women would be the brains and brawn of the whole thing - you need the software and intelligence to record excellent footage as well as a great PC to do it justice.

Specifications of the cameramen/women;

- Experience with successful/popular/artistic FSX videos
- A full version of fraps/equivalent software. I don't care how you've got it!
- As previously mentioned a great PC

Even if you don't want to be a cameraman I'd love to ask some experienced video-makers some questions so if anyone could post and help out that'd be great.