I know I shouldn't read into this - but I will!!!

We talk every once in a while. 777 has been very supportive both of my efforts.

Anyhoo, 11.0 - probably 2-3 weeks out but coming along faster than I had hoped. Not in any way related to any discussions with 777. Wanted to get that out there to avoid disappointment. I'm all in with 11.0 - way to deep to back out - so here's what's coming:

1. Total revamp of the UI. It is all full screen. Will look totally different, function totally different, but in the end accomplish the same task. Should be a much better experience.

2. Missions are now editable after creation via a drag and drop Map UI. Move way points, add them, delete them, add or remove pilots, change altitude.

There are limitations. Edits are limited to your flight. You can't change takeoff, landing, WPs. You can't change the WPs of a flight you are escorting, or the target WP if the target is a balloon or something similar. You can't change the lead pilot or yourself. If you think about it the restrictions make sense ... why change the target location of a balloon bust flight to a place where there is no balloon?

So what can you do? Completely alter patrol way points. Alter approach routs - i.e. for a balloon bust, maybe you want to fly a different pattern to the target at a greater altitude - now you can. Don't want to fly outnumbered? Take an extra pilot or two ... or six.

3. Added many more aces - there are now over 180. Pretty much every historical pilot with > 22 victories is now represented. This is IMHO important. These guys were the core of the "lesser" squadrons. It should make flying in them and facing them more fun.

4. Added lots more names for each nationality.

Progress
2, 3,and 4 are coded and to a great extent tested. 1 is probably 60% - 70% complete.

I really think that you will like this one.

That all sounds wonderful

As always, the more you do the more you find to do. Splash pinged me about getting RFC/RNAS/RAF right. Need to do that - MJS as well. Both will be important with the upcoming channel map. It would be pretty cool to go from the W-12 to an MJS squadron and back, similarly from RNAS seaplanes to RNAS land squadrons and home front. How about cross channel Gotha raids? Need to get ranks and medals correct, and for the British the transition to RAF. It's all possible and definitely coming, just not in the next two weeks (well, maybe in Oleg time).

For the aces I have to start trolling through the skin packs and assigning skins. It would be pretty cool to see all of those aces in their proper livery. Hopefully I can enlist folks in helping me with that.

Proper arty spot missions.

more ...

Amazing stuff Pat!

Great news. PM on the way.

Progress has been great and I am ready to send it out to folks who want to test it. This is for test and evaluation. I need coverage and feedback. Send me a PM if you're interested.

"1. Total revamp of the UI. It is all full screen. Will look totally different, function totally different, but in the end accomplish the same task. Should be a much better experience."

That's a huge step! Have to say i didn't really liked the way it was before. It was killing immersion lol
Great job, can't wait to try it!

Are rainy days added with overcast weather too?

I completely agree - I never much liked it either. I have always been an internals guy with some - but dated and limited - UI experience. The folks who really made use of the generator always understood that what was under the hood was quality, but let's face it, the visuals were poor.

I looked into other technologies but in the end decided to just get better at Java Swing. 11.0 is the result.

I am still about a 5 on a 1-10 scale of graphics artist. I hope to get input from the community to improve underlying visuals once 11.0 comes out. Red Piano has already been kind enough to redo the main screen background.

Progress is being made. 11.0 is functionally complete and in the hands of the testers.



I have rainy days in the campaign, but they are rare. I got a bad weather/overcast/low ceiling mission just a couple of days ago in testing. They certainly flew in less than ideal conditions, but there were limits. If it was really coming down or they were completely socked in, they didn't fly. Not much to be done in a WWI crate in pouring rain with limited visibility other than kill yourself. Recon, Arty spot, bomb, balloon - can't see so why fly? No targets in the air no need for scouts.

I also don't like the way RoF (or any combat flight sim that I have ever played) plays out in bad weather. Get into a cloud - zero visibility - but the AI sees just fine. Mostly I prefer to model bad weather days as non-flying days.