EDIT: This post is constantly being updated.
If there one day can be a "Jane's F/A-18 Simulator Improved"... what would you like for this version?
I think there are three main categories: Bug fixes, Change/Improvement Requests, Feature Requests.
Bug fixes are real errors that shouldn't be in the game. Change/Improvement Requests are requests that something that is in the game, but is not a bug, should be changed and/or improved. Feature Requests are requests for things that are not yet in the game.
The bugs are #1 priority, change requests #2, feature requests #3. Yes I know people will be jumping and screaming to get new stuff for the game, such as a dynamic campaign generator and new planes. However feature requests are that which will require the most planning and work. Bug-fixing is relatively easy in comparison and can give fast results. People like to see that things are happening.
Ok, some things to put on the wish-list from the top of my head:
Bug fixes for:- The Ramp Strike bug
- CTD when Volumetric Explosions are enabled in Windows XP
- View/Hat Up-bug in XP
- Gridlines in water when enabling antialiasing in XP
- The times stated for each leg in the mission planner are off by one waypoint.
- FAC gives information based on the wrong waypoint.
- FAC CTD.
- Inaccurate effect of weapons meant for hardened/non-hardened targets.
- Cannot jettison rocket pods individually.
By Bones:
- HARM PB Bug
- Bug with carrier landings not shown in total.
- Bloated pilot file bug.
By Recluse:
- ATFLIR/HARM exploit that allows a timer/release cue in HARM TOO mode.
- Bug that makes cluster munitions ineffective against parked aircraft.
- Mission builder/briefing map going black when zooming.
By FLYdude:
- JDAM tracking moving targets.
By 96th_Wolf
- Range arc missing for A/G gun pipper.
- AIM-120 gives RWR warning before seeker is active.
By Alex41:
- A/G rocket pipper is grossly inaccurate.
By Tatsu:
- Frame rate drop in Air-to-Air mode when using antialisasing.
Change Requests:
- The flight model of the F/A-18 should be made to better represent the RL aircraft type.
- Improved ground radar, similar to that in JF-15.
- You should not be able to padlock an object/plane that is not within line of sight (takes the fun out of MP dog-fights).
- Padlocking should only work if you look in the general direction of the object/plane you want to padlock.
- View zoom (to better represent the capabilities of the human eye)
- Improved alpha checks to friendly flights.
- Scalable fonts so that the screen resolution does not affect the readability.
- Replace PCX-graphics with BMP dito.
- More accurate HARM modelling (35 nm range on any altitude and then 45 degree nose down? NFW!).
- More accurate weapons modelling in general, with for instance wind drift, wobbling and CEP modelling.
- Application controlled antialisaing and ansiotropic filtering (instead of having to hardwire the card to do it).
- No more CPU-hogging (Alt-TAB to the desktop while in flight and you'll see what I mean).
- Better interaction with voice com software(BattleCom + JF-18 + XP works poorly for many. JF-18 + TS 2 works adquatly but experiences random disturbances)
- AI improvement when it comes to SEAD. (I'll strangle the next AI that fires a HARM at a AAA when there is a SA-10 shooting at me!!!).
- AI should stick to their wingman instead of the flight lead.
- More than 8 players in MP.
- More sofisticated EW and SAM AI. Such as the ability to make "SAM traps".
By Bones:
- Wide angle view.
- Improved pilot editor/viewer.
- New flight callsigns.
- Improved breifing with target recon photograhs.
- Improved user interface for mission builder.
- Aircraft loading interface improvement.
- Color BIT page.
- Updated manual.
- Graphics showing hands while in cockpit.
- Analog back-up compass.
- Updated comms.
- Animated details on GBU.
- Updated explosion graphics.
- Updated missile exhaust flash.
- Sonic boom in external view.
- Updated AB spikes.
- Animated exhaust nozzles.
- Updated steam graphics.
- Updated animations/models for crippled/destroyed aircraft.
- Animated refueling probe.
- More options for controlling what targets the AI attacks.
- Locked targets should remain visable in the HUD even if you are winchester.
- Updated head slewing.
- Padlock line-of-sight object.
- Tweak/fix the terrain textures and motion to give a better feeling of high speed at low altitude.
By John_H:
- Enhanced Track IR support
- Improved helmet aiming.
By FLYdude:
- Updated AIM-9 behaviour modelling.
By Alex41:
- Improve AI leader abilities, among other things to take command of a flight when the flight lead is no longer mission capable.
By Tatsu:
- Improved tutorial missions.
By StealthSnake:
- In multiplayer, all players should be in the briefing at the same time.
By Clark:
- Improve (or rather: create) anti-blue-on-blue behaviour for AI Tomcats.
By Nef (and others at Checksix.com):
- Improved FM for
all aircraft.
- Add missing MFD pages (compare to NATOPS).
- More buildings (bases, cities etc).
- More AI aircraft airborne.
Feature Requests:
- "Coherent & Total Immersion Campaign" engine. The campaign engine should to a higher degree reflect that resources are being used/destroyed/repaired/replaced. Today the campaign author must handle this manually and only a small degree of automation exists. Further more the campaign engine whould be able to handle many other things automatically, such as dynamic creation of missions.
- User friendly addons manager (the one in F4 gives me chills because of its complexity and non-user-friendly interface).
- Object/Landscape/Theatre manager (perhaps under the addons manager?)
- Object/Landscape/Theatre editor.
- Better ACMI/Replay. It would be very nice to be able to direct "movies" that can be saved and replayed within the game.
- Plug & Play/Addons architechture for allowing new aircraft/vehicles.
- Same as above but for
flyable aircraft
- Multiplayer voice com integrated in the game.
- Voice controlled aircraft functions and AI (exotic, I know... but possible
)
- In MP games, being able to leave and join a flight in progress. If you leave, AI takes your place. If you join, select an AI controlled plane.
- Dedicated servers.
- Linux servers.
- Remotely controllable servers.
- Wind.
- Chat lobby.
- Voice chat lobby.
From Bones:
- F/A-18F, flyable by two players.
- Deck crew.
- Sound editor/plugins.
- On-deck controllable F/A-18.
- Pilot career simulator.
- Changable carriers/battle groups.
- NVG for pilot.
- Controllable canopy and wing folding.
By Alex41:
- Dynamically changing sky depending on flight altitude and similar effects.
By pfunkmusik:
- Casual and hardcore flight models/avionics.
By Big_Daddy:
- Weather patterns, preferably dynamic.
- Allow more movie formats for campaigns (for example *.avi and *.mpeg)
- Arbitrary headings for airfields.
- Standby attitude reference indicator with azimuth, elevation deviation bars, water mark and slip indicator.
- View weapons on all planes.
- Dual throttle control.
- Realistic start up procedures
- Cockpit lighting
- Ejection handle in the cockpit
- Active left and right consoles with clickable switches.
- Smooth cockpit zooming.
By Julian Data:
- More active and varying deck operations with for instance parked aircraft on the bow.
- Taking advantage of modern graphics card features such as T&L etc.
By Nef (and others at Checksix.com):
- Folding wings on all (compatible) aircraft on a carrier.
- Revise the amount of skill needed to evade missiles (too easy today).
By Recluse:
- Address book for MP.
Rejected requests:- Range finder and launch cue for the HARM when in TOO mode. Reason: The real F/A-18 doesn't have this. (I'm shocked!).
Feel free to add anything to this list. If you add anything, please be as specific as possible. The development team
cannot use requests that are fuzzy and/or too abstract. A request
must be so that you can print it in a list... do some changes, look at the list and say "Yes, we have done this"... and put a big fat mark next to the item.
Example:
"I want a better campaign engine".
Well d-uh... good for you! How does the team know when they have fullfilled that request? They can't! The request is too fuzzy.
Example 2:
"My game doesn't work when I take off!"
Eh... well how do you expect the team to do anything about
that when you're not giving them enough information to be able to reproduce the error?
Example 3:
"You cannot jettison rocket pods except when you jettison
all weapons."
This is good! This is something the team can narrow down easilly. Once you can jettison the rocket pods separatly, the team can mark this item as finished.
/J