Posted April 29, 2016
Will the area we fly over be the same scale as the real-world (1:1 scale)?
We use 1:1 scale. We have time skip and time acceleration to deal with the large distances involved. Although I know some of you wouldn't *dream* of using it...
How will towns and cities be modelled - can we expect to see huge 3D towns and cities as in Flanker 2.0?
Yes you will see HUGE towns and cities all in the correct geographical places and 'grown organically' to the correct size around the correct arteries; roads, rivers and railways - just like real towns and cities evolve in fact.
So you can fly from town to town along the correct roads. The towns are bump mapped, and we place 3D landmarks such as churches, Notre Dame, Eiffel Tower, Tower Bridge (loads of these sort of classics), Railstations etc, - and of course the targets. All in the correct places with regards to the arteries and all blending and shadowing correctly with the bump mapped stuff, ie. you do NOT get the usual chunks of 3D 'floating' on smudge-o-vision low res filtered tiles.
Will the bombers have kill markings painted on them as the war goes on?
No. This did not make it in the final release.
Can I add my own nose-art?
Yes, you can add your own noseart to the B17's, once Wayward released the nose art utility.
Is an olive drab version of the B-17 available in the game?
No, the Olive drab plane did not make it in the release.
Tell me more about "bump mapping" please. Does it require any specific hardware?
The bump mapping in B17 II's terrain engine is completely independant of the video card hardware. You do _not_ need a specific card to see these effects.
One of the most important features of this technology is that the bump maps cast shadows onto themselves and each other - a feature that unfortunately cannot currently be implemented in hardware.
The tracers in this game, will they wobble and shake like in the gun cameras of WW2?
We have a nice tape of actual World War II guncam footage. This stuff hasn't been processed at all, except to put it onto a VCR tape from the film, and it was a real eye-opener for our special effects guy. The tracers we have in B-17 are exactly like those on the Guncam, and they look terrific! Our tracers replicate the effect caused by unevenly burning phosphorous (that wiggle and shake you mentioned) and also ricochet up from the impact area, just like the real ones did.
On a long mission, will the Luftwaffe fighters be able to attack, land, refuel and rearm, then take off again to hit the bombers on the return trip?
The LW planes are scrambled from the many (real) LW airbases in mainland europe to intercept passing B17 formations. So, if the planes have had time to return, land, re-fuel and rearm, and if the B17's pass that way again on the way home, then of course!
Will AI fighters use the tactics used back in WW2?
The fighter AI's, both allied and escort, can handle most of the tactics used at the time. Enemy fighters can attack en masse, alone, from behind, above, below, HO, out of the sun etc. The massed attacks try to knock a B-17 or two out of formation to be picked off at leisure. The fighters, both sides, taxi, take-off, intercept, attack/escort, head home, land etc all under AI control.
About navigation:
We have a real mission map here, borrowed from one of our author friends, which went on a real mission. It has all the waypoints, IP etc marked, expected flak areas and enemy fighter bases (Excuse my use of the word 'enemy', German friends; force of habit I'm afraid!) It even has the nav's notes, taken during the mission written on it! In fact we have modelled our navigators map on this original.
B17 is a premium product, and we are discussing what will be put in the box with Microprose/Hasbro. We would also love that a map be included; I'll let you know how we get on. Even if it's not included in the standard pack, we have been discussing a Special Edition, which should have all sorts of extra goodies in the box.
Navigation is not my bag, but as I understand it, it involves the AI navigator marking where he thinks you are on the map, and directing the pilot accordingly. You should correct him if he is wrong, or lost, and this involves looking out the window, use of the drift meter etc. It's possible to have an 80mph wind at altitude which can make things interesting!
Can the player modify waypoints, targets etc?
The AI's in B-17 are passing information to each other constantly, but one of the things that we've kept a close eye on within B-17 is making sure that the Player retains control of the situation. There are many circumstances where the route, as posted, might need to be altered or scrapped entirely due to the changing circumstances of a B-17 mission and we've included an interface within the B-17 to allow the player to make those decisions. The player sends radio messages to the rest of his squadron which he can use to affect both his plane and the behaviour of the rest of the Squadron. I won't list all the decisions that the player can make here, because there are far too many of them, but I'll provide you with a few samples that involve changing the route.
Weather changes over target - Divert to the Secondary or Tertiary targets or find a Target of Opportunity.
B-17 hit too badly to continue - Abort the Mission and head home on your own.
Flak a bit too accurate at present altitude - Order the formation higher for a margin more safety.
Fuel Status critical - Order the Navigator to plot a course to the nearest friendly strip.
Can't make it home or to that "last chance" strip - Ditch in the sea, head for neutral territory or try and glide it over friendly lines at least.
Note that the player has to make a decision to take the correct action dictated by the present circumstances. Just like in real life the player might make a good or a bad call - but he's the aircraft commander and those are his men that he's responsible for.
The AI's will never dictate which of those actions is taken, but the player can change the goals of those AI's simply and quickly (4 keyboard presses or mouse clicks from anywhere in the aircraft). From that point he can leave the AI's to deal with it whilst he mans the tail gun, if he wishes. None of which is saying that the crew won't be letting the player know about it if he's neglecting an important command decision - they'll let him know of injuries, mechanical problems, fires and if the aircraft is flying less than it is gliding - and they'll let him know if they think he's ignoring the situation too!
About the terrain:
B17-2 has the most sophisticated terrain system ever seen in a flight sim. Period. We have seasons, shadows, snow, mountains, roads, hedges, forests, non-repeating towns/cities, pigs, white horses ..... I could go on. All rendered to 20cm resolution. Ever seen a pig covered in snow in a flight sim before ? Thought not;-)
Unfortunately, almost all the missions fly out of the south east of England (flat n boring) and across France (flat as a fart) at altitudes in excess of 25,000ft.
You could get creative with your waypoints to 'see the sights', but there is also a free-flight option which will fulfill your every fantasy...
How many aircraft will be in the air at the same time?
The exact number of planes that will be available is something I am working on now, so I can't be too specific yet.
It would be nice to have a group of B17's (18), an escort squadron (16) and a similar number of enemy fighters buzzing around at any one time, but this does depend alot on machine specs etc. There are of course always relief escort squadrons and other enemy groups on route which we have to deal with as well, which ups the numbers. We want to have every plane doing the whole thing; taxi, takeoff, intercept, return, land etc, from multi airbases in the UK and Europe.
A tall order I can assure you! But the worthwhile things in life are never easy. It's something which will be decided in the next couple of months, and the code gets optimised, tests on minimum spec machines are carried out etc. Don't read anything into the screen shots though; we routinely have only 3 B17's in formation during development, because it makes debugging a lot faster.
Will objects like tanks, cars, boats, trains, people, etc be included in the sim?
Yes, all of the above, and sheep, Cabbages, Green fly. (OK, I'm joking about the green fly...)
Will the (human) radioman, pilot, or co-pilot of one plane be able to send/receive messages to/from other planes?
In B-17 II the radio operator can communicate with the other planes. You want everyone to rise a couple of Thousand feet? - use the radio to tell 'em and up they will go.
Will there be night missions in B-17 2?
The B17's of the 8th only did daylight raids. We don't have any night missions in B17-II.
What time period is used in this sim?
The game starts in late 1943 and continues right through to the armistice in May 1945 (we have the date for the last ever heavy bomber mission and are using that as our end date).
Will our escorts have to turn back because of low fuel?
Yes.
We use 1:1 scale. We have time skip and time acceleration to deal with the large distances involved. Although I know some of you wouldn't *dream* of using it...
How will towns and cities be modelled - can we expect to see huge 3D towns and cities as in Flanker 2.0?
Yes you will see HUGE towns and cities all in the correct geographical places and 'grown organically' to the correct size around the correct arteries; roads, rivers and railways - just like real towns and cities evolve in fact.
So you can fly from town to town along the correct roads. The towns are bump mapped, and we place 3D landmarks such as churches, Notre Dame, Eiffel Tower, Tower Bridge (loads of these sort of classics), Railstations etc, - and of course the targets. All in the correct places with regards to the arteries and all blending and shadowing correctly with the bump mapped stuff, ie. you do NOT get the usual chunks of 3D 'floating' on smudge-o-vision low res filtered tiles.
Will the bombers have kill markings painted on them as the war goes on?
No. This did not make it in the final release.
Can I add my own nose-art?
Yes, you can add your own noseart to the B17's, once Wayward released the nose art utility.
Is an olive drab version of the B-17 available in the game?
No, the Olive drab plane did not make it in the release.
Tell me more about "bump mapping" please. Does it require any specific hardware?
The bump mapping in B17 II's terrain engine is completely independant of the video card hardware. You do _not_ need a specific card to see these effects.
One of the most important features of this technology is that the bump maps cast shadows onto themselves and each other - a feature that unfortunately cannot currently be implemented in hardware.
The tracers in this game, will they wobble and shake like in the gun cameras of WW2?
We have a nice tape of actual World War II guncam footage. This stuff hasn't been processed at all, except to put it onto a VCR tape from the film, and it was a real eye-opener for our special effects guy. The tracers we have in B-17 are exactly like those on the Guncam, and they look terrific! Our tracers replicate the effect caused by unevenly burning phosphorous (that wiggle and shake you mentioned) and also ricochet up from the impact area, just like the real ones did.
On a long mission, will the Luftwaffe fighters be able to attack, land, refuel and rearm, then take off again to hit the bombers on the return trip?
The LW planes are scrambled from the many (real) LW airbases in mainland europe to intercept passing B17 formations. So, if the planes have had time to return, land, re-fuel and rearm, and if the B17's pass that way again on the way home, then of course!
Will AI fighters use the tactics used back in WW2?
The fighter AI's, both allied and escort, can handle most of the tactics used at the time. Enemy fighters can attack en masse, alone, from behind, above, below, HO, out of the sun etc. The massed attacks try to knock a B-17 or two out of formation to be picked off at leisure. The fighters, both sides, taxi, take-off, intercept, attack/escort, head home, land etc all under AI control.
About navigation:
We have a real mission map here, borrowed from one of our author friends, which went on a real mission. It has all the waypoints, IP etc marked, expected flak areas and enemy fighter bases (Excuse my use of the word 'enemy', German friends; force of habit I'm afraid!) It even has the nav's notes, taken during the mission written on it! In fact we have modelled our navigators map on this original.
B17 is a premium product, and we are discussing what will be put in the box with Microprose/Hasbro. We would also love that a map be included; I'll let you know how we get on. Even if it's not included in the standard pack, we have been discussing a Special Edition, which should have all sorts of extra goodies in the box.
Navigation is not my bag, but as I understand it, it involves the AI navigator marking where he thinks you are on the map, and directing the pilot accordingly. You should correct him if he is wrong, or lost, and this involves looking out the window, use of the drift meter etc. It's possible to have an 80mph wind at altitude which can make things interesting!
Can the player modify waypoints, targets etc?
The AI's in B-17 are passing information to each other constantly, but one of the things that we've kept a close eye on within B-17 is making sure that the Player retains control of the situation. There are many circumstances where the route, as posted, might need to be altered or scrapped entirely due to the changing circumstances of a B-17 mission and we've included an interface within the B-17 to allow the player to make those decisions. The player sends radio messages to the rest of his squadron which he can use to affect both his plane and the behaviour of the rest of the Squadron. I won't list all the decisions that the player can make here, because there are far too many of them, but I'll provide you with a few samples that involve changing the route.
Weather changes over target - Divert to the Secondary or Tertiary targets or find a Target of Opportunity.
B-17 hit too badly to continue - Abort the Mission and head home on your own.
Flak a bit too accurate at present altitude - Order the formation higher for a margin more safety.
Fuel Status critical - Order the Navigator to plot a course to the nearest friendly strip.
Can't make it home or to that "last chance" strip - Ditch in the sea, head for neutral territory or try and glide it over friendly lines at least.
Note that the player has to make a decision to take the correct action dictated by the present circumstances. Just like in real life the player might make a good or a bad call - but he's the aircraft commander and those are his men that he's responsible for.
The AI's will never dictate which of those actions is taken, but the player can change the goals of those AI's simply and quickly (4 keyboard presses or mouse clicks from anywhere in the aircraft). From that point he can leave the AI's to deal with it whilst he mans the tail gun, if he wishes. None of which is saying that the crew won't be letting the player know about it if he's neglecting an important command decision - they'll let him know of injuries, mechanical problems, fires and if the aircraft is flying less than it is gliding - and they'll let him know if they think he's ignoring the situation too!
About the terrain:
B17-2 has the most sophisticated terrain system ever seen in a flight sim. Period. We have seasons, shadows, snow, mountains, roads, hedges, forests, non-repeating towns/cities, pigs, white horses ..... I could go on. All rendered to 20cm resolution. Ever seen a pig covered in snow in a flight sim before ? Thought not;-)
Unfortunately, almost all the missions fly out of the south east of England (flat n boring) and across France (flat as a fart) at altitudes in excess of 25,000ft.
You could get creative with your waypoints to 'see the sights', but there is also a free-flight option which will fulfill your every fantasy...
How many aircraft will be in the air at the same time?
The exact number of planes that will be available is something I am working on now, so I can't be too specific yet.
It would be nice to have a group of B17's (18), an escort squadron (16) and a similar number of enemy fighters buzzing around at any one time, but this does depend alot on machine specs etc. There are of course always relief escort squadrons and other enemy groups on route which we have to deal with as well, which ups the numbers. We want to have every plane doing the whole thing; taxi, takeoff, intercept, return, land etc, from multi airbases in the UK and Europe.
A tall order I can assure you! But the worthwhile things in life are never easy. It's something which will be decided in the next couple of months, and the code gets optimised, tests on minimum spec machines are carried out etc. Don't read anything into the screen shots though; we routinely have only 3 B17's in formation during development, because it makes debugging a lot faster.
Will objects like tanks, cars, boats, trains, people, etc be included in the sim?
Yes, all of the above, and sheep, Cabbages, Green fly. (OK, I'm joking about the green fly...)
Will the (human) radioman, pilot, or co-pilot of one plane be able to send/receive messages to/from other planes?
In B-17 II the radio operator can communicate with the other planes. You want everyone to rise a couple of Thousand feet? - use the radio to tell 'em and up they will go.
Will there be night missions in B-17 2?
The B17's of the 8th only did daylight raids. We don't have any night missions in B17-II.
What time period is used in this sim?
The game starts in late 1943 and continues right through to the armistice in May 1945 (we have the date for the last ever heavy bomber mission and are using that as our end date).
Will our escorts have to turn back because of low fuel?
Yes.