Author Topic: Wanted: Better Collision detection.  (Read 4837 times)

Offline toasted

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Wanted: Better Collision detection.
« on: September 01, 2026, 11:03:03 AM »
I Really want to be able to kamikaze a bomber from time to time. The current collision model leaves a bit to be desired. If i sacrifice myself flying 500 mph through someone they shouldn't fly off undamaged. I think this is my biggest pet peeve with this sim.

c'mon you know its annoying when you have a solid collision on your screen and the other player flies off like nothing happened. This seems to happen more often than not.

I know network timing makes this a bit dicey. Since both players dont always see the same thing. But there has to be some improvement we can make here.

maybe now that the ah gods have returned my prayers will be answered.
i wonder how much of a bribe this would take :)

i would also like drop tanks to hurt light vehicles. if i drop 150 gallons of fuel tank on an m3 i think it would hurt. but that's a minor issue for another day.
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Online Shane

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Re: Wanted: Better Collision detection.
« Reply #1 on: September 01, 2026, 12:36:52 PM »
I Really want to be able to kamikaze a bomber from time to time. The current collision model leaves a bit to be desired. If i sacrifice myself flying 500 mph through someone they shouldn't fly off undamaged. I think this is my biggest pet peeve with this sim.

c'mon you know its annoying when you have a solid collision on your screen and the other player flies off like nothing happened. This seems to happen more often than not.

I know network timing makes this a bit dicey. Since both players dont always see the same thing. But there has to be some improvement we can make here.

maybe now that the ah gods have returned my prayers will be answered.
i wonder how much of a bribe this would take :)

i would also like drop tanks to hurt light vehicles. if i drop 150 gallons of fuel tank on an m3 i think it would hurt. but that's a minor issue for another day.


ehhh, this taran feature has existed forever, you just have to time it right and fly up *in front* of the bomber, missing them by maybe 50-100 yds on your front end, but them seeing a collision on theirs and taking the damage.

Let's just focus on adding DD Sherman tanks to the fleets!


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Offline toasted

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Re: Wanted: Better Collision detection.
« Reply #2 on: September 01, 2026, 01:00:49 PM »
Can't tell if sarcasm ... lol. cause that seems to be the case. i guess i shiny new tank would be better than fixing the annoying collisions. or maybe not.  I'm gonna have a hard time living out my kamikaze fantasy in a tank.
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Offline CptTrips

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Re: Wanted: Better Collision detection.
« Reply #3 on: September 01, 2026, 02:44:45 PM »
I'm gonna have a hard time living out my kamikaze fantasy in a tank.

You can, but it is in slow motion and not as impressive.

It would be interesting if you could select up a Kamikaze explosive load out and take out a carrier.
The trade-off should be that is a high perk ride and you show up as a special HVT icon regardless of your position and you have to get thorough them trying to stop you.

Something like it has been suggested before and the pearl-clutchers wet themselves.
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Offline Lusche

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Re: Wanted: Better Collision detection.
« Reply #4 on: September 01, 2026, 02:57:44 PM »
I know network timing makes this a bit dicey. Since both players dont always see the same thing. But there has to be some improvement we can make here.


And that's why no of those 'improvements' that were asked for hundreds of times would work. At least, not the way players often think it would.
What Aces High now has when it comes to collisions is 'What You See is What You Get' for your own plane. You collide on your screen -> you get damage. When a collision happens on the other players screen, he gets damage.
Both can happen in a single incident, or just one of them. All depending on what happens on both computers.

If you want Kamikaze/rams to be a thing, AH would have to divert from that procedure. It would mean both get damage all the time, no matter on which players frontend a collision was detected.
That would also mean, you will get collision damage even when you CLEARLY avoided an incoming plane-> "WTF, he passed 20ft behind my tail, and I go down?"
But that's something the 'both must go down' crowd always ignored.
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Offline Vulcan

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Re: Wanted: Better Collision detection.
« Reply #5 on: September 01, 2026, 03:05:02 PM »
I Really want to be able to kamikaze a bomber from time to time. The current collision model leaves a bit to be desired.

The collision model is one of the best around. It is client driven, ie from what you see. When you collide your client tells the server "I collided" and "I'm missing a wing" and so on.

The alternative is a server driven collision model, which would eliminate the international player base and many US plays with slightly below par internet. In this model the server detects the collisions and tells you "you collided". It heavily favours those closest to the server (lowest ping, best internet connection).

Also if you switch to a server driven collision model it requires increased processing on the server, potentially increased network traffic, and so you need a big server and you push down the maximum number of players that can play.

People would start complaining about stuff that appeared different on their end, like them getting shot, or colliding when they thought they didn't but the server decided they did.

Offline toasted

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Re: Wanted: Better Collision detection.
« Reply #6 on: September 01, 2026, 04:12:33 PM »
i realize its not as simple as it sounds. I do feel like there is some compromise that could be made though.  I do understand that its a byproduct of network timing since what you see locally is not always what the other player sees. and i get some have learned to game the system.

i get it would also be annoying if you missed on your screen and still counted a collision. on the other hand id trade a bit of that for realism. there is no situation i should be able to hit on my side and not cause dmg to them. id rather take some damage from what looked to be a near miss.

id argue for at least some system that if i took a full collision and did fatal damage to myself the other plane takes some sort of damage.

kind of like bullets, if i see it hit on my screen you get should dmg even if they dont always hit on yours.

I get most people wont care , or will prefer it as is.

ill still dream of being able to crash through a bomber and actually do something.
« Last Edit: September 01, 2026, 04:15:08 PM by toasted »
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Offline toasted

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Re: Wanted: Better Collision detection.
« Reply #7 on: September 01, 2026, 04:21:41 PM »
ill take a compromise, if i collide, but the other player doesnt then damage should be limited to non critical systems so the fight can continue. that way one player doesnt insta die while the other flies off unharmed.
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Offline CptTrips

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Re: Wanted: Better Collision detection.
« Reply #8 on: September 01, 2026, 04:26:24 PM »
So you think you should pass through the body of a B-29 and only get flap damage?

You are responsible for the collision you fail to avoid on your end.

They avoided a collision on their end so it would be a worse solution to apply a phantom collision to them.

Letting you pass through the body of a bomber with "minor" damage wouldn't be an improvement.

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« Last Edit: September 01, 2026, 04:30:04 PM by CptTrips »
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Offline toasted

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Re: Wanted: Better Collision detection.
« Reply #9 on: September 01, 2026, 04:44:45 PM »
it would be no more unfair than the current system.
i kind of feel like the current system is unfair also.
if the enemy doesn't think i collided, then i shouldn't die instantly.


maybe a collision also blacks you out for a few seconds. and maybe it sucks some speed.
this doesn't really solve my main issue either.

really this just comes down to i want to be able to purposefully collide.

this was a valid tactic and can be useful.

the current system just does not allow for it consistently.

though i get there is no real clean easy fix or it would be solved by now.



i guess i could stop trying to ram people, but what fun is that.
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Offline Devil 505

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Re: Wanted: Better Collision detection.
« Reply #10 on: September 01, 2026, 05:06:51 PM »
What's unfair about you taking damage from a collision you completely participated in?

The solution to your problem is to fly better.
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Offline CptTrips

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Re: Wanted: Better Collision detection.
« Reply #11 on: September 01, 2026, 05:08:48 PM »
it would be no more unfair than the current system.
i kind of feel like the current system is unfair also.
if the enemy doesn't think i collided, then i shouldn't die instantly.

Have you considered....you know...using your guns?

That can be kinda fun too.

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Offline caldera

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Re: Wanted: Better Collision detection.
« Reply #12 on: September 01, 2026, 06:06:14 PM »
The collision model is perfect.  You collide, you take damage.  If you don't, you don't.
The internet is not instantaneous and if it were, the same collision model would work just as it does now.

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Offline The Fugitive

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Re: Wanted: Better Collision detection.
« Reply #13 on: September 01, 2026, 06:15:24 PM »
it would be no more unfair than the current system.
i kind of feel like the current system is unfair also.
if the enemy doesn't think i collided, then i shouldn't die instantly.


maybe a collision also blacks you out for a few seconds. and maybe it sucks some speed.
this doesn't really solve my main issue either.

really this just comes down to i want to be able to purposefully collide.

this was a valid tactic and can be useful.

the current system just does not allow for it consistently.

though i get there is no real clean easy fix or it would be solved by now.



i guess i could stop trying to ram people, but what fun is that.

Just think of the chaos that we would have with everyone just flying around colliding with everyone else!

Defense is easy, just keep re-upping and collide with the next guy you can, rinse and repeat. Dont even need guns.

One other correction in what you are saying in these posts, you said......"what you see locally is not always what the other player sees.". Replace "not always with NEVER what the other players sees.

Even if you lived next door to Hitech and the servers there is ALWAYS delay so you can NEVER see what the other player sees. Thats why all the collision info is taken from the computer that sees the collision. Its also why bullet hits are calculated by what your machine sees and sends the hit data to the server and it passes the damage on the other player.

Until they come up with instantaneous connections we already have the best collision model around.

Offline Dadtallica

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Re: Wanted: Better Collision detection.
« Reply #14 on: September 01, 2026, 09:26:30 PM »
A Mossie and my Ta-152 collided head on and all I lost was my rudder... but that was plenty.
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