Preview build on the way to Biohaz!

[MadJeff 3]

Just wanted to let everyone know I should have my LOMAC preview build in my hot little hands sometime next week and will be writing up a few preview articles soon afterward, so stay tuned!

[Inferno 0]

w00t! Can't wait Jeff! Now I know why you started biohaz hehe :D

[+pcpilot 181]

It'll be interestin to hear your opinion. The SinHQ preview was positive. So with another good preview and this game is bought!

[CowboyTodd41 134]

You lucky son of gun, and you get to talk about it, unlike my Star Wars Galaxies Beta NDA, which since it's up now, DON"T BUY THAT GAME! It still has like 3 months dev time, but anyway, have fun with Lo-Mac!

[+Dave 2,322]

Mine will be here Monday too Jeff. It wa supoosed to be here 2 weeks ago but I gave them the wrong zip code. :evil:

 

The Avsim preview will be soon after.

[Inferno 0]

USAFMTL, you work for avsim? Aren't you a mod on one of the simhq forums as well?

[Kedas 0]

Could you also test this:

 

This is one of those cool features :)

 

from other forum

Author: Stormin

Rank: Over 2000 Postings

Date: 07/03/03 11:33AM

 

 

Sonic booms are modeled in Lock On. The vapor condensation is not. That effect does not happen everytime an aircraft goes Mach. The atmospheric conditions have to be right for the vapor effect.

 

In Lock On, once your aircraft goes Mach 1 there is a sonic boom. You do not hear it from your aircraft but if you are looking externally you will hear it when it occurs. If you hit the F3 flyby view you will hear it each time you hit F3.

 

I also tested this out using the airfield view. I flew an F-15 past Mach 1, kept it straight and level, flew down a runway heading and then switched to the F11 airfield view and sure enough, BOOM!

 

Cheers,

Carl

[S77th-Dante 0]

ive been wondering mj would get to preview lomac. i look forward to seeing and reading your review.

[MadJeff 3]

It's here! In a plain brown wrapper even! Installing as I type....

[Seawolf 0]

Jeff will you be doing a Preview article on this build? if so can we ask questions on specific areas such as Missions builder, AI, etc?

We all know the graphics and flight models are awsome, but its the other things behind the scenes I would like to know about.

Thanks bud

[MadJeff 3]

Ask away. I plan on a very thorough preview and will try and concentrate on a lot of stuff that has not been covered before.

[Kedas 0]

You asked questions well here are some: :)

 

-could you check which figthers are very accurate represented and which are medium accurate.

I heard/saw that the non-flyable F/A-18 is very accurate.

 

-Also the system you use and the frame-rate you have.

(although a BETA doesn't really represent the gold version)

maybe the same screenshot with min. and max. settings

 

-if you can compare, are most keyboard buttons the same as in flanker?

(soo we know if we will have to change thoughts about that)

 

-How different is novice settings compared with realistic settings.

(can a novice really start without much headache and have fun)

 

-Could you make a video-clip of a fuel 'stop' in the air?

(how compressed/format is it in?)

 

-Do problems emerge (visible on the instuments) when you are hit but still flyable. (for example a small rocket launch from a soldier on a A-10)

 

-What do you think about AI.

(could you mistake it for an other player?)

[S77th-Dante 0]

review (n. general survey of events or a subject; reconsideration; cerimonial inspection of troops, report assesing the mertits of book or play{game}. v.t make or write a review - a reviewer)

 

multiplayer features.

 

air 2 air refuel in multi both with nato & vvs difference between basket system and refuel boom .

 

kuznetsov operations (tho limited i know) in multi

 

multi player 'recover' like in flanker (but back at waypoint 1) possibility of recover back at airport in take off or taxi way positions. or back at lauch 1,2,3 or parked position on kuznetsov

 

perhaps a 'flight lesson' teach us how to land safely (ok i know but hey there are some new people out there im not 1 but ...for them)

 

just some thaughts...

[MadJeff 3]

I can look at a lot of that, but you guys need to remember this is a PREview not a REview, there is a difference. From what I've played so far a lot of things are close to complete, while other things are not so polished. While I have a pretty recent build, it will be far different then the final RTM version I'm sure. ;) But I'll do what I can.

[Seawolf 0]

Jeff, Basically what I would like to hear from you (and I think you and I look for the same things in a sim) is how it makes you feel overall. Immersion is a huge part of a sim to me and I want to feel like I am strapped into the Jet screaming along at Mach1 , 200ft above the ground.

Flight models are a big deal as well and how the planes "feel" and not just the numbers, but do the aircraft really "feel" as they should.

third is sounds, sounds in any sim or game can make or break it and from all reports the sounds in LOMAC are great, but what about things like Wingman voices, ATC, or just chatter in a battle, etc.

Fourth, User friendliness as far as the interface- such things as was the mission builder easy to navigate, was a quick mission easy to setup and fly right away, was the settings menue easy to understand and navigate as well.

Also the view system like padlocking, panning, external views, etc and how they look and respond compared to what we have seen in the past.

These are just a few areas that dont get a lot of attention and would be nice to hear about.IMO

Thanks

[+Dave 2,322]

USAFMTL, you work for avsim? Aren't you a mod on one of the simhq forums as well?

 

 

Yes I am. Got my fingers in alot of stuff.

[TPN_Bard 0]

I'm very interested to see what the bandwidth usage is for a multiplayer session.

 

I can point you out to utilites that will help you measure this (a VERY simple process, look at some numbers displayed and scribble them down).

 

This will give us an idea of what the code can support now, ie a worst case scenario.

[MajBlunder 0]

How is rearming handled in MP?

 

Is there a observer mode in MP?

 

Can I ditch in the ocean and be rescued?

 

If I crash into the carrier on landing approach does the carrier sustain damage? thus halting flight ops till its repaired

 

Do the cats sometimes malfuction?

 

IF/can i change IFF frequencies, do friendlys attack?

[Inferno 0]

LOMAC focuses on land ops, not carrier ops, so I don't think all that is in there right now.

[Trident 0]

I'd like to know if you can engage and destroy ship-radars with ARMs. The Su-25 with Kh-25MP missiles is the likely candidate for this test. You'll probably have to experiment a lot regarding the target ship though. As the Kh-25 is relatively slow you will have to find one that is pretty ineffective at intercepting missiles while still having a SAM system (and therefore a radar). A Kara-class destroyer might work, its SAMs are crappy and it doesn't have a CIWS to speak of IIRC.

 

 

How is rearming handled in MP?  

 

Is there a observer mode in MP?

 

Can I ditch in the ocean and be rescued?

 

If I crash into the carrier on landing approach does the carrier sustain damage? thus halting flight ops till its repaired

 

Do the cats sometimes malfuction?

 

IF/can i change IFF frequencies, do friendlys attack?

 

 

Going by what was in Flanker2:

 

- you land on an airfield (any airfield) and hit CTRL-W

 

- there is an observer mode (your country was United Nations then :) )

 

- No

 

- Yes, the flight-deck will catch fire. I think ops cease once this has happened, but I'm not positive as I haven't had the nerve to experiment any further after such a crash ;)

 

- the only carrier you are going to take off from in LOMAC doesn't have any cats

 

- no idea

[MajBlunder 0]

Thanks Trident,

 

Some things I guess ill just have to try out on my own when I get my copy

 

Still this is getting very tense, gotta think with all the stuff coming out about LOCK ON that release is close,, really close