Author Topic: skins (Read 2653 times)

mrfish · « **on:** August 13, 2001, 11:34:00 AM »

i've heard this debated before but what was the final answer?

will there ever be a choice of skins in ah? it would really add a neat twist - provided there was some way to keep out the pink neon we oWns j00 skins and keep them realistic.

is it a programing difficulty or what?

Fatty · « **Reply #1 on:** August 13, 2001, 12:04:00 PM »

I use lotion sometimes, but not a lot. When it looks like I might get really burnt.

I also like the soothing of aloe when I do get burnt.

Read the above on any level your mind wanders to.

AKDejaVu · « **Reply #2 on:** August 13, 2001, 12:08:00 PM »

Fatty,

Lotions might help in the short term, but if you are serious about wanting to avoid burning the skin, you're just going to have to cut down on frequency.

I gave the same advice to Animal and Swulfe. I only hope they heed the advice before carpel-tunel sets in.

AKDejaVu

mrfish · « **Reply #3 on:** August 13, 2001, 12:14:00 PM »

that's not my question you idiots!

my question was clearly aimed at the new vitamin d-124 debate and it's long term effect on elasticity and smoothness - do i have to spell it for you! sheesh....

AKSWulfe · « **Reply #4 on:** August 13, 2001, 12:48:00 PM »

Jergen's Hand Lotion and a wet towel rolled up and folded for maximum coverage...

It prevents rashing from the repititious.. err "stroking"....

Last I heard, Animal was using his kitchen sink's drain...
-SW

Westy MOL · « **Reply #5 on:** August 13, 2001, 12:59:00 PM »

Well, AW has had the ability to use custom skins for a bit over 4 years now. Thanks to the great work from guys like G42, Fidd (Fidd flies AH), Wrongway and a number of other folks. The built a stand alone program that organized the hundreds upon hundreds of different historical skins, sky textures as well as water textures. Many of those textures you see in some of these new AH terrains btw. Thanks Squirrel!! <S>. This program called "SAC" would allow you to change your skins chock-a-block (all sides, Axis or Allied) by era, change them for any specific theatre or even in singles. Just for reference here is the web site. Take a look. It'sa very fine example of players empowering themselves. http://www.airwar.org.uk/SACv1.html

Now, my .02 as regards skins.

It is just a small number of people in a community that even try to do skins, out of that few end up being able to learn how to do them and from that small number only a very small few can actually do skins well.

While you are flying the only thing you will see of the enemy is a blurr. Like squad nose art, skins are worthless in online combat because you cannot see it. Well, maybe you couyld tell the difference if you are in a desert theatre of war and a Euro green FW flies by you. And ranted at times it is nice to see your the formation of friendlies around you in historical and appropriate theatre colours. However most times those that stare at the 'perty' colors tend to be the first to lay on the ground a smoldering wreck.
Essentially it is good eye candy for when watching back films or taking screen shots.

Like padlock or squad nose art, is it worth asking HTC to spend resources on?? Honest question. Yes, it would be nice feature. But in the big picture it's trivial. (again, just imo)

As for folks who would paint the 51 dayglo purple? Well not only do they have no fashion sense but they suck real bad if they need that kind of "cheat."

As for the final answer from HTC? Never got one. But an interview with him two years ago alluded to HiTech sayin he would not allow it.

Westy

[ 08-13-2001: Message edited by: Westy MOL ]

Voss · « **Reply #6 on:** August 13, 2001, 01:03:00 PM »

If you are asking this question because of the features within another sim, don't. How would ou like to have the other features of that game as well? I would like to have aircraft skins (I said it right) as a user modification, as well, but HT has said before it will never come about.

It sure would be nice to have a little more detail in the game, though. The low res dash panels, and skins that we have are probably helping out with frames, though, so let's let it be.

Effdub · « **Reply #7 on:** August 13, 2001, 03:13:00 PM »

hmmm, I've seen great user made skins in W**b**ds, Skyfighters, Fighter Squadron etcpp. There never seemed to be a shortage of talented people that had fun creating historical camoflages in those sims... is the AH crowd less talented? I don't think so...

I'd like to see this feature added but I'd restrict it to the duelling arena. This would solve the "purple P-51 in MA cheat", whilst at the same time give you a chance to actually see the other guys camo in a 1v1 slow turning battle...

whatever

Effdub

R4M · « **Reply #8 on:** August 13, 2001, 03:28:00 PM »

I would like to see this implemented, and not only in a duelling arena ,but also in the CT (I couldn't care less about the MA, but if it works for the Ct, it works for the MA, I suppose

).

I dont know even how it works, but I would say that 2-3 community-made skins per plane, aproved by HTC, would make a cool adition.

You want Hartmann's G6?...you got it. You want a finn G6?. Just select it on hangar.

Maybe Bär's 190A8?. Select it. Nowotny's?...is just a click away.

Gabresky's P47D25, or the Brazilian one?...go to hangar, select it and there ya go.

A RAF P51 MkIV?. Select it on the hangar. A Canadian P51 MK III? right on, 10 seconds and you fly on one.

A New Zealand F4U, or a US navy one? Maybe a US marines?. just click and you got the one you want...

3 skins per aircraft. 1 made by HTC, and the rest by the community. Think of it.

I think its an awesome idea.

[ 08-13-2001: Message edited by: R4M ]

AKSWulfe · « **Reply #9 on:** August 13, 2001, 03:33:00 PM »

Currently there's a limit on how many different plane types you can see on your screen I believe...

This is because beyond x number of paint schemes, your system's video memory/system memory becomes very tied up with bitmap images and a lot of your CPU's cycles are being taken up trying to manage/load the paint schemes as new ones appear/leave your view (too far away to see) etc...

I think the reason to not to do them is just to keep system performance up. If you want to find out what an arena full of various paint schemes is like, Red Baron 3D allowed them.. if you had over 20 planes in one area with different paint schemes.. it was hell on framerate and caused lots of warping too.

OTOH, squad paint schemes for squads larger than 8 would be cool.. not sure if they are do-able though.
-SW

Zigrat · « **Reply #10 on:** August 13, 2001, 03:46:00 PM »

i think itd be pimpin if every squad over a certain size got to pick 1 airframe, where they got a special squad skin they designed for that airframe. thatd be really really cool.

another way that would require only additional storage space not memory would be for the skins to all be the same, but dependent on the terrain. each terrain could have a "skin set" with it. so when flying on ndisles you could have a certain camo but on norway a different one. this would be cool for scenario terrains too. still only 1 skin per aircraft, but you get the idea.

R4M · « **Reply #11 on:** August 13, 2001, 04:08:00 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by SWulfe:
Currently there's a limit on how many different plane types you can see on your screen I believe...

This is because beyond x number of paint schemes, your system's video memory/system memory becomes very tied up with bitmap images and a lot of your CPU's cycles are being taken up trying to manage/load the paint schemes as new ones appear/leave your view (too far away to see) etc...

Granted that I dont know toejam about this, but...

the plane limit exists if what you are seeing are 2 spits, 5 190s, 8 109s, 5 B17s, 8 typhoons, 2 N1ks...etc etc etc...

but also if all you are seeing are 32 Fw190A5s.

I dont see how the plane # limit has anything to do with the skins.But as I said I dont know toejam about how can it be implemented anyway.

AKSWulfe · « **Reply #12 on:** August 13, 2001, 04:13:00 PM »

Should be 64, last count, but you're right that might be limit you can see because of latency and bandwidth and all that...

You proposed 3 skins for each plane, sounds reasonable... I'm just thinking that if we get a whole load of skins that systems will be bogged down and it will also interfere with current bandwidth and stuff.

I dunno, after a certain number of *different* skins/planes on your monitor (in memory, video and system), your CPU becomes very bogged down.

Of course this more or less effects lower end systems.

If you have a 1.4GB Athlon, 1.5GB memory, GeForce3 64MB onboard memory set to 128MB AGP aperture size and a 266mhz FSB with a 7200RPM HDD, then you would be set because it would take a lot to slow that bad boy down.

-SW

Zigrat · « **Reply #13 on:** August 13, 2001, 04:19:00 PM »

swulfe

that system you just mentioned can be yours now for $1500

its not so outrageous anymore

i figure a pcs expected lifetime should be 2 years. 2 years ago, a good system was a p3-500 mhz, 128m ram, with a TnT2 32 meg card.

imo a good standard is thta a 2 year old system be capable of sustaining (ie not going under in all but the most intense circumstances) 30 fps.

AKSWulfe · « **Reply #14 on:** August 13, 2001, 04:24:00 PM »

Can't afford it though, I'm not saying "keep it playable for me".. I know it's getting very close to retirement for my PC, and I expect that if AH should demand more than my PC can deliver I would no longer play until I CAN afford the bigger and better PC (build my own of course)...

I'm just trying to give insight based on my experiences with a game that had the ability to use custom skins (paint them yourself, etc) and how it would put a hurting on what was considered a fast system back then.

I'm not trying to say "NNNOOO!!!"

Just let ya know what it might be like.
-SW