Getting the framerate up will allow one to add aircraft to the formation.

I find that pretty worrisome, I suppose you are flying with an handful of planes, not the big formations saw at the battle of Britain.

The developer only made missions to suit lower end systems. Quite awhile ago I made a mission in the FMB with over 100 bombers, I can't remember how many fighters, but it was something like 16 Spits, and 16 109's and I could fly it with no problems. I'm sure when the performance patch comes out people with average systems will be able to do the same. I would figure my system will be able to handle massive Battle of Britain airraids well enough after the patch. Although I don't think 600 aircraft are that necessary to simulate the BOB as it didn't happen that often, and I found that you only notice all the dots for a few moments before the fight begins, then you have more pressing issues at hand. I have no doubt the community will start building very emmersive missions and campaigns after the performance, and AI issues are sorted.

I can get high numbers in formation, and alot of planes before it starts stuttering (~90 planes before I take a noticeable hit, mostly single player now, building stuff has taken over flying....), but there's no way to keep escorts on the bombers, and no real way to stack them, and have them perform different functions.

Did you know in 1940, the average LW bomber had 4 fighters escorting it every time out? Mind boggling the resources both sides threw at each other, but it presents us a different perspective on what was happening. Only at the other limits of the 109's range, did the RAF get to go into "turkey-shoot" mode that we have now, practically undefended bombers. Flights were thrown at the LW at different points, to wear down the defenses, and get them out of position. Its a very different bird to what we have at the moment.

The AI will be very difficult to get right. I know in BOB WOV and the original IL-2 if a small force of a dozen Spits or Hurricanes attacked a large group of bombers with escorts, I could have as many as six to ten 109's on my six. BOB WOV eventually fixed this by having an option to set the amount of aircraft that could target your aircraft at one time. Even then I found the AI hopeless if they were in a situation outside the basic mission plan. I doubt the AI will be very good for a very long time in any sim, as it quickly becomes predictable, but while online against human and AI pilots its like a box of chocolates.

The patch better come out soon and make abig difference, because this thing is losing steam fast. Just look at the forum participation, how low it is.

As I write this there are 18 members on the website forum, there are 7 at DCS and 76 at BMS. This is normal now and it used to be reversed. So even in comparison to other sims, it is losing members interest rapidly.

I think it's because performance is only a small part of the issues people have with CLOD. Once we get the performance patch people are going to be chomping at the bit to see game made in to a game rather than a sort of bare bones engine.

What's there to say until the patch comes? You may be correct that the lack of participation may mean lack of interest, but I think every one has spilled their spleen and have now resigned themselves to waiting. Even the current participation on 1C is people spitting at each other and comparing willies. Not much productive will happen until the patch comes.

Once that happens we'll (hopefully) start seeing the sort of participation we're accustomed to from the old IL2 days.

Can you tell me the CPU loads for those mission you made?

Thanks.

There is no doubt that forum participation is down as most people can't enjoy the sim in its present state. Although there are still 40 people presently in the COD forums, and another 31 in the IL-2 forums. Even many of the most negative posters are still here, so there is no doubt they still have alot of interest, otherwise you gotta wonder why they are here. I'm quite sure that forum participation will quickly increase once more people are flying, which will create far more issues to praise and complaint about.

Improvements to the sim should come faster after the performance/graphic patch is released and tested by the community. All the other features should have made some progress, but couldn't be properly implemented and tested until the critical performance patch was stable and providing the headroom necessary for other resource hungry features. The future is looking brighter with the 25% increase to the development crew.