Originally Posted By: DrStrangePool


I recognize that game! biggrin
Originally Posted By: DrStrangePool

It's tough when a 1995/1998 simulator beats DCS in immersion factor!

To be fair, the ground war is abstracted in both EF2000 and TAW. EF2000 (WARGEN1) abstracted it with airfield control based on turn and probability, and TAW (WARGEN2) had ground units planned, but then had them taken out because Atari rushed TAW to market. Falcon 4.0 (and to a lesser extent EECH) are the only flight sims that represent a ground war, and Falcon 4.0 can only due this because of the bubble system it uses. Also, Falcon 4.0's development effectively bankrupted Microprose, so I have a feeling that its campaign engine is a one-time-only deal.

ED has stated that they will not introduce a bubble system, as this goes against the philosophy of the military customers (which is to have the instructor/scenario designer have control over everything). I could see something like this happening with today's hardware as long as we had the following:
  • A dedicated server (with dedicated server software) that controls the entire battlefield
  • a ground bubble specifically for air clients, and an air bubble specifically for ground clients
  • Tasking specific to the client would always be part of their bubble (e.g. going to provide CAS to a unit currently outside the client's bubble)
  • Bubble size would be determined by the server, with possibly dynamic bubbles based on the number of clients

The bubbles would only apply to un-like units, e.g. the bubble for air units would only apply to seeing ground units and vice versa. Long range SAMs would need to be an exception, as the bubble would need to be at least 1.5 times their radar range (to allow for RWR hits).

This way ED could have their cake and eat it too. The server would keep track of everything, and since it has no requirement to render it could use the entire CPU to manage the battle as well as the information distribution. Clients would receive only the updates they need, which would keep internet traffic down, allow the CPU to deal with the client actions, and yet still not be unfairly surprised by threats since like platforms would be exceptions to the bubble. Of course, this would require some serious work in netcode, and it is a non-starter until at least the DCS 2.5+ dedicated server is released.


-Home Fries

"Pacifism is a shifty doctrine under which a man accepts the benefits of the social group without being willing to pay - and claims a halo for his dishonesty."
- Robert A. Heinlein

The average naval aviator, despite the sometimes swaggering exterior, is very much capable of such feelings as love, affection, intimacy, and caring. These feelings just don't involve anyone else.