I understand the desire to make a completely detailed interior from what is visible, but this is obviously not practical and as you stated a general waste of resources. I dare say players can overall forgive lack of detail in some out of the way or hard to see areas as long as the panel in front of them and all relevant controls are modeled, with some details sprinkled around the immediate area. For example, the F-14’s copilot panel is not modeled at all, it is just blank. However, unless you are in VR or move the in game camera backward, you won’t see that. This does not mean that the modeler did not do a thorough job though, it shows that resources were focused on where it matters to the player. I believe this same process can be applied to all current placeholder cockpits.
Personally, I don’t know much about creating games, but I will give one example, the Il-2 1946, which has a lot of bombers and planes, each of them has a very detailed cockpit, everything in it works and can be damaged, the Il-2 is very an old game, but graphically after adding graphics mods it looks nice, the physical and visual damage model is several classes better than the previous one, jet engines can break in half or fall off, hulls break in different ways, various devices on the board break, etc. and in this game, which has several classes better technology and for this you can use AI that is coming to the market, it cannot make a cockpit for a bomber, it is ridiculous, of course, in my opinion, how could the creators of il-2 be able to do so much so quickly and so nicely , on such an old engine and limited technology?
Could always ask them.
Well, you answered your own question
I was making very detailed skins for another game in the early 2000s, around when the first version of that game you mention had come out and… well yes… those times were much more simple… I even had to fake certain details on skins to make the models look more detailed than they really were because of the modeling and gaming standard limitations…
These days tho… it is far more complicated and complex… there are much higher gaming standards and technology to take into consideration, and Gaijin has been on the front lines of the gaming standards
As I mentioned tho… if players wish to make detailed cockpits or models, they are very welcome to do so on WT.Live… and if something catches the eyes of the Developers, then certain things can end up in game due to our RSP
I acknowledge the workload involved in creating intricate models, but in the interim, we should strive for a compromise that harmonizes both aesthetics and simplicity of execution. Presently, the quality of our cockpit designs significantly deviates from the optimus for a game of this caliber. They lack any distinctive character, devoid of textures and composed of low-polygonal shapes. It is unacceptable that our minimum requirement for a model’s depiction is merely a replication of levers fashioned from elementary geometric forms; a cylinder attached to a sphere, a task that can be completed within seconds using any modeling software.
On the topic of resources, can you not going forward as the game is both increasing in size and popularity as time goes on. Specifically set aside developers to start working on the backlog of missing features for vehicles and cockpits/interiors which would help elevate the completeness and urganomics of the product that is War Thunder? I started playing War Thunder in 2013 as a bomber player specifically hoping that as time went forward from the Lancaster and B-24’s edition that bomber cockpits would be added as we were told year after year that they were part time placeholders as the name is provided. And that someday soon I and many others would start to see lovely fidelity cockpits just like those seen in the F-111, Buccaneer and others.
But we are yet to see this, just as the edition of more bombers has stagnated since the Avro Shackletons Edition. Is there anychance what I suggested may occur to help as a quality of life progression towards us who play the game for many of it’s features but mainly the ability to play bombers.
(For extra information many of us bomber players have had to go to gamemodes such as pilotage since the main gamemodes are no longer useable for events or tech tree progression in an efficient matter unless you conform to the 5 minute combat time of fighter players).
I found funny that everythimg BUT the bomber cockpits are modeled, really find sad and infuriating about “we will add bomber cockpits” then retracting since its too much work (even if they’re payed to do that) but they can pump 100 premium packs a year with HQ textures and historical accurate studf too.
It’s rather difficult for bombers to be more popular when maps are often designed with fighters in mind.
Interceptors, twin engines, night fighters, etc are often rarely in consideration. When the maps are designed.
Long Range Bombers yes are meant to be for strategical targets however currently the only targets we have are 4 bomb bases. Rather than need to bomb this said objective is to open a pathway for your on-the-ground tank forces. While placing a giant bomb point hover above it. But I digress.
In my experience in 3D modelling, it’s the textures that eat up time. I have already created very complex models within a day. But in the end, of course, it’s an effort that few players will see. Simply because of the smaller number of players in the sim sector. BUT I still think it’s important to take these players and their wishes seriously.
As a player of games like DCS and FS, I can understand the desire.
This is the thing interesting thing, If Gaijin reached out to the community and requested them to make cockpit textures, animation work, sounds, etc. For the ones missing in the game. I bet many upon many would be willing to do so and paying them would go even farther on expected.
I agree, but I think it is also because the bomber gameplay is lacking, compared to fighter or CAS-gameplay. Are there any plans to experiment with things, offerring different gameplay, which could improve the situation and make this additional work worthwile?
Also it could be a DLC/Pack etc, regarding the monetization, so it is less about either doing 1 bomber cockpit, or the cockpit for 3 or more other planes.
No DLC’s packs the heck? that’s a one-way ticket to piss off the community even more.
I think it is better than having these low poly placeholders forever. Not the best, but better than the alternative
No its not better. I don’t know where you got this idea. Cockpits lacking actual textures limit people cinematics who would love to make more bomber-focused cinematics but since many don’t have a cockpit it’s rather difficult to do one.
Did you ever do any mod work on the Strike Fighters games? Some of those have absolutely nutty levels of detail in the cockpits and skins for the base game they are in.
No, not for that game, 23 years ago I did work on high detail skins for another game back then, also won three Skin competitions for a few other games as well
yes it is bad. But getting those better textures is better than not getting them. And as of now, we are not getting them.
We need cockpits and we also need a game mode designed for bombers. Think Air Assault but in reverse (or something).
I like cockpits…
Their use is as follows…
- SIM - you can’t do without cockpits here
- Ground/Navy RB - since there are no markers here, there is a great chance for full use of the cockpit
- ARB - partial utilization
- yes for a start
- climb to the battle according to the instruments
- yes for attacking ground targets if there is clear air around you
- yes for situational battle tracking
- yes for landing
- very risky to attack the opponent, you need to understand 3-space orientation
- NOT for a dogfight in a small space
- AAB - probably not here at all, the arcade looks like a very reflective ball of hell to me…
I understand that cockpits are difficult, but the game has a lot of helpers,
so what do you actually need in the cockpit in the game… ?
- lighting
- variometer
- altimeter
- maybe an artificial horizon
This is necessary for the game…
That the stick, gas levers or foot pedals do not move?
That’s quite pointless…
Personally, it really bothers me that the cockpit structure looks like an unsuccessful black cardboard box…
The color of the structure, the smoothing of the edges, the indication of some rivets or padding … and it is much, much better more pleasant … !