Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Aces High General Discussion => Topic started by: medic- on August 05, 1999, 12:52:00 AM
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can the game be modeled to allow a player to
custom paint his or her plane?
this would allow a great feature. much like
the red baron or nose art style of nostalgia.
medics.
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How about a little utility where you could paste in historical nose art, Pin-Ups Painted on the side of Bombers. Aircraft Camoflage paint schemes, Etc. Before you took off?
I think B-17 Flying Fortress had a thing where you could choose the name of your aircraft, and pick the Pin-UP on the side of your aircraft. Could this option somehow be added to AH?
Just another idear
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"I could feel the 20MM Cannon impacting behind me so I made myself small behind the pilot armor" Charlie Bond AVG
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Let's see... You cannot see the noseart on your plane while you are in it!
Of all the useless features requested from HTC this must be the most useless.
How many people would spend time downloading megabytes of unknown quality bitmaps for all your planes just to see it if you happen to fly by?
I am not going to notice the noseart of your plane if I am fighting you, let alone download the crap.
The only people who would be able to see it are your wingman on the flight to the destination. And only if they care to download the bitmap for your particular plane in advance.
And because of that you want HCT to programm that stuff and use precious bandwidth to transfer that information to everybody?
Get a grip.
If your squaddies want to see the noseart of your plane, post it on your squad website, like our squadron did (http://416rcaf.org/).
Paint the nose art on the side of your monitor. Build the whole cockpit if you want. Or just pretend the noseart is there... You cannot see it, so what is the difference.
Respectfully,
miko--
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Hi. Think about 4 stripes in the rudder of every plane. With 8 colors available for each strip, there would be 65536 combinations!
When you create a squadron, you choose the 4 colors that will be displayed in the aircrafts of your squadron.
It's not that hard to code, but sure it's not a top priority.
[]'s
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I m repeating myself:
"Would it be technically possible to put a player's handle (or the first couple of letters or initials) on his/her plane for all other players to see? If a player would choose to reveal his handle to others, the FE would simply replace the standard unit markings of the AC in question with the callsign."
That doesn t seem too hard.
Sascha
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How much frame rate is it worth to ya Sascha ?
I always luv how non programers just luv to add to there idea's somthing of the sort "that dosnt seem to hard" when the way it works is once you know how to do it it's always easy, if you dont know how to do it it's hard. The rest is just a balance between the time in a day and the top item on the list.
Anyway suscha ive been considering doing this for a while. Dont look for it any time soon, There just isnt enof gain for the time spent doing it at this stage of AH development.
HiTech
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just being curious here HT, as you pointed out: I m not a programmer (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/smile.gif)
Would ve been cool though..
Sascha
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Thx for the sugestion Sascha keep the idea's comming.
HiTech
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Hitech, could it be done only at the Front end.
Miko is kinda right that alot of people aren't looking, and don't care.
But On my Gun Camera/Flight Data Recorder movies that I make and keep. I would like to see it.
And at 600 mph closing speed, who is gonna have time to read the other guys handle off his fuselage?
If you set it up so only the front end sees them. And only used it for GC/FDR Playback and Screenshots, it shouldn't affect FPS and Data Transfer over the internet.
I mean, I'm the one who cares the most about how my ride looks. And If I want everyone else to know, I take a screen shot and post it on my webpage, so everyone who shot me down know what my plane looked like in my mind while they were shooting me down?
Your right its not a high priority, but it would be nice.
Did you see the application in Flying Fortress #1, with the Pinups and Etc.
Also the camoflage thing would be good for Theatres. Dessert Camo for North Africa. OD Green for Army Planes. Gray and Green for the Brits, Etc.
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"I could feel the 20MM Cannon impacting behind me so I made myself small behind the pilot armor" Charlie Bond AVG
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Punting, to get a response on the FE only thing?
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"I could feel the 20MM Cannon impacting behind me so I made myself small behind the pilot armor" Charlie Bond AVG
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What Hitech should have said and probably will in time is to get all these pictures and different color scemes on every computer we will have to download all of them everytime some one changes his color or id. Do you have any idea how much disk space this will take and if you want the server to handle all this how much bandwidth do you think this will take, Im not a programmer but have some programming background from way back and I know this will really slow the game down. To have a plane editor for your own use would be fine something like the SAC utility from AWIII that way we can all make plane skins and post them for all to use.
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Tommy (INDIAN) Toon
http://www.geocities.com/~tltoon
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I liked Jedi's idea (I think it was Jedi's) about Aces High offering each plane type in 2 or more different schemes. So when you went to the 'choose a plane' menu you would select 'fighter' / 'F4U-1D' / then 'scheme'. This describes the WB selection boxes of course but you get the idea. Just add a small sub menu for each plane type. The F4U for example would have a US Navy 'tri-color' skin, a US Navy 'deep sea blue' skin, a 'Royal Fleet Air Arm' skin, and an 'RNZAF' skin. This finite number of skins would be standard HTC creations and offered with the basic download. There would be no player created skins (although players could certainly play a part in helping HTC choose schemes). This would allow players to have a semi-personalized aircraft, or at least one with winterized or desert camo to match particular terrains. Squad nights could be enhanced by choosing one of the less popular schemes for the squad in order to offer quicker identification of one another.
This is a much more realistic approach than the idea of player generated 'skins'. It's easy on the megabytes and still offers players some degree of personalization.
As much as I loved the F4U-1D scheme in WB's, making 2 or 3 more schemes available for the plane would have given it MUCH more of a character factor. Also when you see a 'desert camo' Bf-109 in WB you know what type it is and all its secrets. During the war pilots didn't have such luxuries. Offering 2 or more schemes would add to the 'fog of war' in a very interesting way. I definately think it would go a long way in adding more diversity to the game.
So HiTech, does this sound a little more reasonable from a programmers POV?
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Windle
*Future Aces High VF-17 'Jolly Rogers' squadron 8X
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Nose/tail art .... are you going to notice it when you're dogfighting? Of course not but I don't think that's why people want it. Since I can't speak for them, I'll tell you why it interests me.
I'm in a squad. There's no way you can tell that in Sim Brand X unless you keep an eye on the text buffer and see "kill of xxxxxx awarded to Spof of the 900th Bloody Jaguars" (watch carefully, it's a rare occurrence, hehe). One the other hand, wouldn't it be cool in AH for an enema to see a group of redtailed, bluenosed 51s and think "Oh toejam, that's the 900th! Let me quickly hide in the ack and hope for the best!" (or something to that effect)?
In my squad, we often take screenshots of us in formation or attacking bases/CVs. It would be awesome to see those pics (guncam!!) with us in our squad colors and would be a great recruitment tool as well.
Couldn't this be implemented mainly on the client side in the form of an optional art download? The server would spit out what the plane's supposed to look like to the client (51d1, 51d2, etc) with the default 51 with standard art displayed if the client hasn't dl'd the art pack? While this would increase the dl of art packs (optional), wouldn't the bandwidth req be low/non-existent?
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Chris -Spof- Singleton
spof@dogfighter.com
Spof's News @ Dogfighter
www.dogfighter.com (http://www.dogfighter.com)
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In princple im for the idea of squad markings. Problem is when i do the math of both download size and texture memory limtions things start getting ugly.
Things i can say that wont happen are fully customizable plane skins for squads or indeviduals.
What i might (REPEAT MIGHT)consider is a 32x32 tail or nose marking or the ability to change plane skins on your front end only.But do you want the ability for people to make neon type skins so they can see other people's planes better? Or make pieces of there plane invisble?
Hitech
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HT,
How about something "simple" like color bands on aft fuse and wings? Kinda like D-Day stripes, but customizable. Allow the player to pick from a limited palette of colors you define (keep bitcount down) for oh, maybe 4 stripes. Make this an option to turn on or off for your own plane so player can be "anonymous" or not. Paint those stripes where allied invasion stripes went.
Make the colors bright enough to be seen inside a couple of hundred yards if they're turned on, otherwise the plane's normal skin shows. Maybe allow plane nose/spinner/rudder to be colored too?
Or not (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/smile.gif) Payoff vs. effort involved might not be high enough.
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eagl <squealing Pigs> BYA
Oink Oink To War!!!
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Great point about the neon skins HT. There is always somebody 'gaming' it.
After that comment, I would vote for no ability to do your own skins. The only choice might be Eagle's idea about the squad markings/invasion stripes.
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HiTech How about the option to show squad names in the neon sign over the aircraft that show the type of plane and squad name of nme. This might be easier to do and give us the option to turn it off on our side for those not in a squad. Squads could come up with a three to five letter id for them to show th nme. But personally why would anybody want to identify theirself to the nme this only helps those who have a grudge against a player find them. The paint sceme would be way to big for everyone to download to many differnt scemes to have. Most dont see the problem with this request. Which is we would have to all the plane skins that everybody wants to make on every harddrive the game is loaded on to show up in the game any other way would slow the game down to unplayable screen rates.
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Tommy (INDIAN) Toon
http://www.geocities.com/~tltoon
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I put in my vote for Jedi's suggestion. Let's have 2 or 3 "skins" for every plane that it's applicable to. While I would LOVE to jump in a P-51D with a Blue nose and rudder, Juve and his pals might not be so excited about the idea (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/wink.gif)
Plus, think of the good it would do for Scenarios and HA-type arenas (I am assuming these will be a part of AH). Grey 109F's in France and tan ones in Africa, US P-39's in the PTO and VVS one's for the Russian front, etc, etc.
I think that we could increase the historical "feel" of the game substantially without increasing the number of planes. Also, this would make more squads happy because it's more likely that a plane like the one their namesakes flew would be availible at some point during the RPS.
My $.02. (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/smile.gif)
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487th F.S. "Lil' Bastards"
Flying Tigers
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Absolutely Dune.
--Westy
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Hitech,
PLease on the Front End thing.
And I think the 32X32 Stamp for squadrons is a good idea.
And perhaps one stripe, rudder, or nose cone color for a squad.
Limit the strip colors. Still gives
128 Possible Squadrons with an individual color nose cones, waist or wing stripes, or Rudders.
Then thrown in the Postage Stamp Icon, and Whooo Hooo, loss of individuality.
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"I could feel the 20MM Cannon impacting behind me so I made myself small behind the pilot armor" Charlie Bond AVG
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I'm not fussed about squad art,Pilot markings etc...
What I would like to see is a set of suitable skins for each theater that plane was used in.
I'd hate seeing a "Med" brown 109 over snow, P39 in Russia with US markings (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/frown.gif) etc.. etc
For a main type arena I dont care, but for events & HA it should be a must.
laika-
8./JG5
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Laika, Dune etc,
My sentiments exactly - 3 paint HISTORICAL scheme options for each aircraft would be excellent.
Helps tremendously towards "player immersion".
As noted before it gets annoying sometimes when your supposedly over the Russian Steppes in 1943 and a P39 zooms by with US markings, followed by a P40 with similiar markings. All while flying my DESERT camouflaged Bf109F!!! (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/smile.gif)
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P/O kkoori
75 Squadron RAAF Australia
Australian Aboriginal Soldiers Homepage:
http://www.geocities.com/pentagon/bunker/6545
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How about interior color schemes? I would really love a paisley print motif on my F6F dashboard. It would really add to my AH experience and be a real design statement. Then we could have parade of cockpits and cockpit fashion shows.
This IMHO would be SUPER DUPER...
(I don't think I need one of these but I'll add it just to be sure... (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/wink.gif) )
Not to be a butthead (I know, too late) but although I'm sure to a lot of people this is a great idea, I hope that HT and the gang put their energies to things that would much more significantly affect the way AH plays. This is really just eye-candy. Give me the guts, please. Leave the eye candy for the kids.
[This message has been edited by Cuff (edited 08-12-1999).]
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I'll take the eye candy along with the guts, thanks. (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/smile.gif)
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Windle
*Future* Aces High VF-17 'Jolly Rogers' 8X
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does anyone belong in a Squadron in Janes WW2 fighters?
i use to, was the 365th Hellhawks flying P47Ds
using a paint shop pro utility and making several types ie like 4 copies inculding reversal image etc you were able to have on RAF and USAAF planes a squadron marking on the tail and on LWs a squad marking under the cockpit like the JG26 squad.....because this game is full of "eye candy" so to speak you can make out the markings at a good decent range and identify what that marking is....also which is a good example on Janes which AH could adopt is the number of kills you can tally up...on Janes each and everytime you kill someone you get a kill marking painted on your plane RAF was on the engine cowl the USAAF was under the cockpit and the LWs had bullet like shapes painted on the tail ( i suspect a few people know what im talking about if they play this sim) would be nice to see these ideas implemented into this new game
Belgar
Member of 617 RAF [TANGMERE WING]
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Kill markers on the planes? Great idea!!
Put the current (or longest) kill streak on the player's plane in the appropriate spot.
Hmm I did it again...
**waiting for HT to show up, slap the back of my head and say : "Tsk, tsk..it can t be done, silly!"*** (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/wink.gif)
Sascha
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Subject to feasibility, I'll add my vote for jedi's suggestion. There should be a default choice, though, for them as don't wanna or can't download everything. Remember, a "p51d3.vew" file averages 1MB or more. Three schemes triples the requirement, doesn't it? I'm not a programmer either (though I have tried, alas), but I'd bet that whatever other differences AH has from WB, art file size won't be appreciably different.
Flathat
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Kill markers? Bomber logos?! Who's going to see these things?!! Just IMAGINE they're on there and be happy. When I engage a guy I note his type and I could give a flying rip what number is painted on his side or whether he has a logo on the side or even what color he is!
I don't care what you guys say - I'm still trying to figure out when you would actually get a chance to see this stuff you want slapped on your airframes. Your enemy ain't gonna see it unless he's sightseeing and you ain't gonna see it so that leaves your squad/wingmates. They already have an idea of how many kills and what squad you're in and unless they're sightseeing they're not going to see it either. Personally I want my wingie scanning the skies and clearing me, not gawking at my logo/colorscheme... (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/smile.gif)
As for the technical issues, people need to realize that changing the graphics in a single person game is completely different from a multi-person online setup. In a multi-user game somewhere along the line all the individual users' data needs to be sent to all the other users. This not only adds to server loads but burns up game time transferring the data for the users.
The kill markers would be relatively easy to add to the FE, using your score. The artwork is do-able if you would be happy with preset art loaded into the FE. So they could add 40 different logos into the FE you could select. As for the custom airframe paint - that wouldn't be that big a deal either although the option to change colors dynamically would add to the server data load being sent.
However, the custom logos would be a download/upload issue. Users would probably have to upload their logos to a server and in order to see them everyone would have to download them at regular intervals. The airframe color data should probably be included in this to avoid having to send extra data realtime to the game server.
I suggest to HT that he just TELL you the logos and kill markers are in the game and leave it at that. No programming would be necessary. No one is going to see them anyway. (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/wink.gif)
Now before you flame me, I'm NOT saying these are bad ideas. It's just at this point it's unreasonable to expect and/or request this sort of thing. Dreaming is fine too of course, as long as that's all it is... (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/smile.gif)
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Cuff:
I think, other than some of the stripe and 36x36 stamp ideas, people are talking about things they would see on their FE only. Mainly for screen shot/gun camera stuff.
I agree, I don't want bandwidth saturated with diff art stuff, I want it saturated with strategic stuff....
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Well, I was hopin for player-designed artwork, and it wouldn't bother me a bit if some clown decided to make all Corsairs appear neon pink on HIS FE, but I admit I never considered that you could make your plane invisible. THAT would obviously be intolerable (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/wink.gif)
But I reckon the "plane-slot" idea is still viable. If the game supports, say, 200 different airplane types, then there should be no problem if 6 of em ar FW-190s that differ only in paint scheme, and 3 of em are F4U-1D in Brit, VMF-214, and of course VF-17 livery (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/smile.gif) The problem then becomes WHO does all this artwork?
That's where I hoped the players could come in. I was kinda thinkin, OK, the designers release the artwork utility to the rabble, -dwebo- paints a plane, sends the file to HTC, who give it thumbs-up or thumbs-down, and then "tag" it so the game will accept it as a legitimate paint job. Then it goes on a website where anyone who WANTS it can get it, and -dwebo- THEN can put it in one of his 3 F4U-1D slots (as could his squaddies).
As miko said, you rarely get close enough to someone to care about what YOU look like, but the one time you do is flying around with your squaddies. Adds a bit to the immersion IMHO.
Not high-priority, but certainly worth considering I reckon.
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I second Jedi's motion! HTC, might you see this fitting into your scheme of things in the long term?
I really want to hear some feedback on this particular concept!
Thanks (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/Smileys/default/smile.gif)
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I like the idea of the rudder paint to idenify the squad, though I would also like to see color banding around the rear of the plane and no icons. That would make it alittle more realistic. You would have to go looking for your target.
~nastee~
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As stated afore.
I am a proponent of allowing the players to do whatever they want to their aircraft skin, and how it appears on THEIR FRONT END, it would show up only on their SCREENSHOTS, and GUN CAMERA/FLIGHT DATA RECORDER type animations ONLY.
HT Said he could see this in the future.
He also said that he would consider the standard 32X32 Postage Stamp Icon for online play. If he allowed this, and allowed 32 colors to go into the pixels I don't see why they couldn't pick sections of the aircraft that could be painted online. I.E. The Rudder, Spinner, A Mid Body or Mid Wing Stripe. I would make these squadron ONLY type markings. Everybody in the "BLACK NIGHTS SQUADRON" would be identified by their BLACK RUDDERS. THe White Rooks would have a white Stripe on EACH Wing.
Surely it can't be that difficult to code this in.
I also am in favor of Theatre Skins. P-39 and P-40 with US and Russian Markings.
Spits with RAF, RNZAF, or RAAF markings.
Me-109s with Desert, Forrest, and winter markings, Etc.
Skins for the Theatre/Terrain/Arena.
I believe that all of these options are viable.
I am willing to wait for them. (Though I must admit screen shots, or FDR/GC of my personally edited plane viewable on my Front end would be pretty cool.)
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"I could feel the 20MM Cannon impacting behind me so I made myself small behind the pilot armor" Charlie Bond AVG