MY Patch test results Multiplayer

[Seawolf 0]

Before i get started let me say something about multiplayer in general in sims. The online crowd has always been treated like the bastard kids of flight sims. Multiplayer is always the last thing to be worked on in a sim when at the point where there is no more money or time left to complete multiplayer coding or add the features needed in multiplayer. If you are a single player only or a modder and dont care about multiplayer then fine, but there is a whole other community out there that does care about multiplayer and actually spend all of our simming online. AI will never substitute real human pilots, period! You will never get the sense of working as a team with AI either.

The SP1 patch for SF did fix and add a lot of things, BUT it did nothing for multiplayer. There are still several features missing from multiplayer that absolutely need to be added and several issues that still need to be fixed.

Below i will discuss a few of these issues and features needed:

 

Stability! I can't stress this enough. Constant CTDs and lockups kill multiplayer. The SP1 patch did not correct this issue in multiplayer. Some are having some luck in Gamespy, but it's not the majority at this point. Since Hyperlobby is not an official hosting spot for SF we cant really expect HL to work or be fixed through TK. Jiri will have to get Hyperlobby updated. The problem with this is that most who fly online know to go to Hyperlobby and can't stand Gamespy (or as most call it "Lagspy).

CTDs and Lockups are occuring when trying to launch a flight, when trying to use text chat in the waiting area or inflight, and as people enter and leave a game in progress.

A missing feature that is desperately needed is a password protection so you can lock a game in progress if you are the host. I'm not talking about locking through gamespy or Hyperlobby. I'm talking about a lock game feature in the waiting area after the game has launched.

 

Missions! A few features or changes are needed here. As the host you can only select deathmatch for dogfighting (basically air quake) where each person is the enemy and starts at a different spot on the map. If you manage to find one another (easily done by looking at the map instead of actually using the radar) you duke it out in a free for all. This needs to be changed to a mission in which both sides can start from a home base and have 4 or 6 people per side. The host could select and lock the loadouts for each team (to keep others from changing thier loadouts in order to cheat) and assign who will fly what type of aircraft. If one side wants to be Russian and fly Mig19s and the other side US and fly F4Bs then the host should be able to set that up. Also being able to setup up waypoints on the fly either in flight or before the mission launches is needed. Also needed is being able to land at a friendly airbase and refuel and rearm and repair damage. Aircraft respawn should be back at home base on the runway or in the air also selectable by the host. Each sides home base will be protected by AAA and SAMs to keep people from "Spawn killing".

As far as Coop goes I happen to like the Force 1,2,3,4 layout, but what is needed here is a way to look through and select from a list of actual missions by the host. Either user created with a mission builder or predefined missions already in SF. Right now you can only choose what type of mission and then you are at the mercy of SF as to which exact mission you can fly. You can choose which aircraft and skin to fly, but have no control over loadouts for your aircraft, SF assigns the ordy needed for whatever misiion type you selected. This needs to be changed and a way to select loadouts right down to each pylon needs to be added. Each pilot should be able to load his own aircraft with what he wants or the host should be able to do it for the pilots. I vote for each pilot having that option himself in a coop.

The ability to change waypoints on the fly while inflight on the map is needed as well. If missions are dynamic then the ability to adjust your tactics is needed as well. If the mission is user created through a mission builder then setting waypoints on the fly may not be needed as badly, but still would be a nice feature.

 

Mission Builder! Gotta have one! It doesn't have to be as detailed as something you see in F18, but we need the ability to create our own missions for multiplayer use. I dont know of any sim that doesn't come with some sort of mission builder these days and SF shouldn't be any different. Some how, Some way we need a Mission Builder and a way to play these missions online and in single player.

 

These are only a few of the suggestions I have right now and I am sure I will think of more. If you guys have anything else you can think of we need for multiplayer please post it. Keep in mind I am looking at features that are considered a "must have" at this point.

[wiegehts 0]

Online Simulation is the FUTURE.

 

Any developer should have this understanding.

 

 

People are Always going to be the "true test" of battles. In short, Advanced AI logic, routines.. and other artificial simulation will never be as exciting as going against another living, breathing, angry/happy, emotion filled thinker.

 

Online Simulation is the future, and the Ultimate goal of all simulation fans should be, or most likely be aimed at some sort of complete "Virtual Battle Field" including everyone from Ground troops/medics/Air Forces, Naval forces, and any other wartime occurances. Time frame for each set of Virtual battle fields will be the only differing factors once we are able to implement graphically as well as stabilty/fast transfer rates between connections.

 

 

Battle Field 1942 is an excellent "GAME" not a simulation, however it has the "environment" that makes for the war "atmosphere" nessecary to recreate the feeling of being there on the ground. Once we can implement that along with something sort of "Aces High" then we are half way there.

 

WWIIOnline is trying to do this.. and they do the ground war better then anyone else.. although with poor connections,, and over all lag infested gameplay with the Flying aspect.

 

okay That is enough of my rantings. :)

 

Bye for now

[snapple2993 0]

I just got the game like a week ago, and the single play sucked (after two A2A kills the game would crash... everytime). But hey atleast i could get into MP, and fly until somebody hit "R", needless to say that got old immediatly. So i get the patch, and single play is great, I am actually learning the game (without it crashing). But MP, is a total drag, ive tried everything, tips from all sources, and I still get that aweful black screen. I think I spent something like 4 hours on HL trying to sort it out, uninstall, reinstall, in all sorts of combinations, deleting folders, moving skins, and nothing worked.... except this once. I had to wait out the black screen for like a minute only one other guy joined the game, and im pretty sure he loaded because his plane was on the map, but then he left... so maybe he didnt load.

 

I dont know if loading all by yourself is an indication that my game isnt messed up, or it could be that everyone elses is. I carried out Fast Eagles intructions completely, so im beginning to wonder if some people just havent done the right thing with the patch (uninstall the whole thing including the folder, and then reinstall, and then patch). But then again i could be wrong.

 

I am beginning to feel that SFP1 is a black mark over the Strategy First name, they should stick to their name's sake "strategy" and not sims.

 

So regardless of all the tips people are throwing around, about what to do with the patch, I have this to say is, there should never be any discussion about the effectiveness of a patch, it should fix everything, and not mess up anything in the process, there should be no special process to install, it should just be click "install", and then be ready to go.

 

My few experiences in this past week with this game, make me feel incredibly sorry for you people that have had this game for months.

 

No I'm not a code writer, or a software producer, I am simply an American Consumer, and as one I demand excellence, and this thing, that i see being discussed at great length on these boards is part of the reason why the PC gaming market is being run down by the PS2's and X-Boxes of the gaming industry.

 

The only reason why I am even playing this game anymore, is because I put myself in a position to be obligated to Fast Eagle and my fellow Pukin Dogs. Unlike the people at Third Wire, I plan on sticking with an endeavor untill it is finished.

 

Jason R. Saffell