How close is RoF snapping behind P4?

[Siggi 10]

Coming back to P3 with fresh eyes the main issue I've come up against is the way combat invariably goes down to the deck and most/all the target a/c (fighters) end up yo-yoing (high-angle climbs and stalls). I'm also not able to change the FOV with TiR enabled which results in a very claustrophobic feeling in the cockpit. The distance from the instrument panel is authentic but the severe lack of peripheral vision is not. I understand the former is addressed in P4, no idea about the latter.

 

I'm not sure it matters how many planes RoF produces, and/or how quickly, as its engine is simply unable to handle large numbers of AI planes simultaneously. They have got around that to a degree with a good spawning system however.

 

My general analysis is that OFF has everything but at a medium graphical level while RoF has little but at a very high graphical level. RoF also masters the feeling of being in a real plane very well in terms of functionality and movement and technical detail.

 

OFF is the glass 3/4 full and needs RoF's 1/4, if that makes sense.

[33LIMA 972]

sorry, don't mean to sound rude, but all that you've listed now has been reworked from scratch and it's going to be completely different than in p3. have you seen any of the p4 pics yet or the first vid? also it was confirmed about dozen times from the devs already, all that and mainly the campaign system is reworked completely. better graphics, better FM, DM, campaign, and a ton of other things.

 

 

No probs Creaghorn; yes I've seen the vid. From that and from the dev's posts, the points in green below seem to be already covered in P4, but the ones in red have not, from what I've seen or read.

 

Anyway my points are just suggestions, based on the OP's original (and I think very useful and illuminating) concept of benchmarking P4 against RoF. My central point is that I think the main 'learning point' for P4, based on doing that P4-RoF (and P4-FE2) benchmark, is the need to make a step change in the flight-leading and air-to-air combat elements of P4. From what's been announced or seen so far, some more work here seems likely to be desirable (to the extent practicable). The stuff announced so far does show that the devs are working on the right lines here, and I wanted to re-inforce that. In particular, worry less about streamers and Colt .45s or even more planes (which can come as expansion packs) and more about FMs, DMs and AI.

 

 

'So, and acknowledging that some of these things are known to be on the P4 cards already, my list now would be:

 

- aircraft graphics - cockpits with higher resolution textures and that don't look they have cockpit lights on permanently; higher-res external graphics, with self-shading if possible; better plane LODs, especially more distant ones; more crew animation (even if it's only better-posed observers and pilots who look more into the direction of bank (a few do now but it's barely noticeable);

 

- better plane damage efffects eg no more CFS3-style engines jumping out of airframes, no wings falling off or crew jumping out but being there again next second, better/more varied plane wreck effects/graphics;

 

- better damage models eg no more flying flamers, glass engines, or planes destroyed after minor forced landings;

 

- better FMs eg no AI takeoff probs, no strange stalls or spins, better warning of stall onset eg visible and/or audible buffet, no more AI flying 'light';

 

- better AI flying and fighting eg better 2-seater under attack routines, minimise/eliminate going for the deck and then doing endless rollorcoasters/wingovers (either to escape or in trying to hit you if you're low), better leader-following/formation-keeping, split if ordered, not follow damaged leader to deck, go home on 'washout' command.'

Edited January 6, 2012 by 33LIMA

[Hasse Wind 46]

It will be interesting to see how much the AI has been improved in P4. It's a very important factor - even decisive - for a great single player experience.

[33LIMA 972]

I can tell you for certain I have been studying RoF's texture techniques, as I am sure they did ours.. all that holds back our graphics is the DX engine. If we had

the ability to produce the lighting that RoF does, you would be astounded at how amazing this sim looks... even as good as P4 looks now, which is freakin' incredible without the aid of DX11 shading ... ;)

 

The external plane textures in P3 already look rather beautiful, mostly, with really nice lighting effects. The new improved (and darker) P4 cockpits will transform the OFF in-cockpit experience and is a much needed step-change catch-up with RoF and FE2. The better external textures in P4 will be icing on the cake and will likewise keep P4 competitive (assuming we also get better distant LODs and other m3d improvements where needed eg the drooping Pfalz DIII tailskid, better crew poses/animations). It would be really good tho to get rid of the awful legacy CFS3 'fisheye lens' external view, which would make the plane external views look less distorted and more like they do in RoF and FE2.

Edited January 6, 2012 by 33LIMA

[+elephant 36]

I would be grateful if that fish-eye lens in externals could be addressed, at last...

Please!