Any rumors about improving the terrain?

[Ack-Ack]

That game is gorgeous, though buggy as hell from what I hear.  It is also not really playable on full graphics settings even on a brand new computer from what I have read.  I suspect that HTC attempting graphics of that level wouldn't pan out very well.

As far as the earlier screenshots you posted.  I think the current engine could replicate them with just some small changes.  Mostly I think it is just color and tree model differences.

CoD ended up being such a clusterf*ck that it's no longer being supported and instead the next installment was farmed out to a 3rd party developer, the guys that made the fantastic WW1 Rise of Flight sim. 

ack-ack

[MrRiplEy[H]]

What was your point again? Seems like you got thrown a bone and completely lost your original point.

I was never even talking to you wtf are you ranting about? I made my point very clear: The image was photoshopped - easyscor claimed it wasn't.

Now why are you bugging me about this again? Is it over your head or what? 

[Nathan60]

I was never even talking to you wtf are you ranting about? I made my point very clear: The image was photoshopped - easyscor claimed it wasn't.

Now why are you bugging me about this again? Is it over your head or what?  

Im not on a rant at all. Just wondering if whether the edges were blurred or not was you only concern in this entire thread. Thanks for clearing that up.

[GScholz]

CoD ended up being such a clusterf*ck that it's no longer being supported and instead the next installment was farmed out to a 3rd party developer, the guys that made the fantastic WW1 Rise of Flight sim. 

ack-ack

Yes Cliffs of Dover was a buggy POS that was launched a year too early. However it still represents the state of the art in visual quality for a flight sim.

It is a lot better now though with community patches and mods. Online play is very good if you're into scenarios rather than furballing.

Some online play from JG52: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vn6umUtXpWk

[Gixer]

Stunning graphics, makes one wonder why AH can't even get the basics of light/shadows right.

Let alone the terrain etc.


<S>...-Gixer

[MrRiplEy[H]]

Stunning graphics, makes one wonder why AH can't even get the basics of light/shadows right.

Let alone the terrain etc.


<S>...-Gixer

HTC is a small company with limited resources. They have to prioritize tasks. In addition to this AH is a very old product which has been gradually updated - but probably a lot of old code and design limitations still hang on. To update the graphics to Cliffs of Ben Dover level would mean a whole graphics engine rewrite most likely or having to license an engine from outside. I'm sure HT is balancing the cost / payoff ratio very closely when making the devel guidelines. In the end I think most players play AH solely for the gameplay experience and only secondarily for eye candy. If they wanted only eye candy they'd flock to WT and the likes.

[GScholz]

I tried to get back into AH, but I only lasted one sortie. Just couldn't handle the dated look. And to be blunt... The AI in most other flight sims give me a better fight than most players in AH now.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

I tried to get back into AH, but I only lasted one sortie. Just couldn't handle the dated look. And to be blunt... The AI in most other flight sims give me a better fight than most players in AH now.

You got your hiney handed to you that fast? Don't worry, it will pass once you get used to the game again.

[Rich46yo]

I tried to get back into AH, but I only lasted one sortie. Just couldn't handle the dated look. And to be blunt... The AI in most other flight sims give me a better fight than most players in AH now.

<sigh> Ive noticed a lot less Euro players.

[Lusche]

I tried to get back into AH, but I only lasted one sortie. (...) The AI in most other flight sims give me a better fight than most players in AH now.

How do you know that with only one sortie? 

[GScholz]

I re-upped my account after God knows how long since I played last. I took off... Looked at the dated state of the game... Landed with five pelts in a 30 ENY plane. Logged off.

[Lusche]

 

So if you accidentally had run into a top player killing you skillfully in a matter of seconds, would you have concluded from that single incident that today's avg. skill level is higher than ever?

[GScholz]

I was rusty, but not THAT rusty. 

[Gixer]

HTC is a small company with limited resources... In the end I think most players play AH solely for the gameplay experience and only secondarily for eye candy. If they wanted only eye candy they'd flock to WT and the likes.

Then grow the company, develop a community to increase resources like a lot of the new game developers are doing. It's been over 14 years with the same old engine, if increasing resources or bringing in outside paid help to assist with a new engine is what's required then it should be done and should of started over 10 years ago.

Sure we all take gameplay experience over eye candy, but the gameplay is declining due to the ever reducing numbers and one of the mains reasons for that is the dated graphics at a premium price for an online game. Off peak numbers are around 50 players, peak times about 300-400

It's not just a simple matter of saying gameplay over eye candy it's the eye candy which helps to create the sim in the first place, better eye candy = increased immersion & realism and for whats suppose to be a sim that is very important. Also a new engine would have improved physics and FM.

You only have to look at this years racing sims in beta to see the advancement in physics compared to racing sims of 5 years ago, even just 2 years ago. Project Cars which is shaping up to be the most advanced of them all to be released this year and its a small community developed sim, not some major gaming house.

Graphics,visuals,realism,physics,FM  is what will draw in and hold new customers as well as keep the old ones. People seem to think you can't have good FM,physics as well as good graphics and use console games to defend that argument which is completely untrue, no reason why you can't have all those things in one sim.

Starting to think that HT has no future plan for AH. Unless there is a major update soon with a completely new engine not just a few added effects, models and textures like AH2 over AH1. AH is at risk of slowly dying off if it hasn't already started to do so a few years ago.



<S>...-Gixer

[gyrene81]

I tried to get back into AH, but I only lasted one sortie. Just couldn't handle the dated look. And to be blunt... The AI in most other flight sims give me a better fight than most players in AH now.

so basically you're sitting in these forums talking stupid about how bad something is that you have no stake in...figures. if you have that much time, go build your own mmo flight sim, i'm sure you can do better.

You only have to look at this years racing sims in beta to see the advancement in physics compared to racing sims of 5 years ago, even just 2 years ago. Project Cars which is shaping up to be the most advanced of them all to be released this year and its a small community developed sim, not some major gaming house.

pcars has been in beta for years and it stinks compared to iracing. the physics aren't any better and the graphics are just slightly better (they've done good with the dynamic lighting effects). by the time its actually playable, it should be the top of the line racing sim bar none...it's taken long enough just to get where it is now.