The burning question, re: AF and terrains

[Malc]

I guess the only question we'll ever want answering is simple - given the desire for terrain development for AF and the incompatibilities between current data formats and the existing tools, will LP ever make updated tooling available to allow us to continue/develop theaters for AF?

TacEdit, F4Browse, and Terrainview (to allow proper fogging, etc. above all) would be required at a minimum.

[Snake Man]

Indeed, without the updated utilities or file format structs to make our own utils, we are out of luck regarding editing F4AF.

[T_Rex]

Edit: Here's hoping they provide tools for community dev to go along with their TPAA or whatever they called it.

[Malc]

As I see it Tom, AF is current big thing, and I believe the majority of Falconeers today are probably flying AF.

FF4 is more and more being "vapourwarised" this term (C) Me, today, and the current clamour is for AF to have somewhere other than Korea or the Balkans to fly in.

The ODS release has been received very well, but if we look at in harsh light, its no more than was released as ODS512 way back when...

Obviously, if/when FF4 sees the light of day, perhaps some fresh impetous will be given to F4, but in reality its losing appeal in the masses. Cuba had great potential, as did OF Europe, but I don't believe either are in the making any more either.

I really do hope that now the "next big thing" from LP appears to be well into development, they can relax their strict policies and give the community back the sim. If they were to allow us the tools and info, we could easily make theaters which wouldn't compromise their Holy Grail in any way.

[T_Rex]

Edit:
Maybe I'm just growing nostalgic.

[Sherlock]

As I see it Tom, AF is current big thing, and I believe the majority of Falconeers today are probably flying AF.

FF4 is more and more being "vapourwarised" this term (C) Me, today, and the current clamour is for AF to have somewhere other than Korea or the Balkans to fly in.

The ODS release has been received very well, but if we look at in harsh light, its no more than was released as ODS512 way back when...

Obviously, if/when FF4 sees the light of day, perhaps some fresh impetous will be given to F4, but in reality its losing appeal in the masses. Cuba had great potential, as did OF Europe, but I don't believe either are in the making any more either.

I really do hope that now the "next big thing" from LP appears to be well into development, they can relax their strict policies and give the community back the sim. If they were to allow us the tools and info, we could easily make theaters which wouldn't compromise their Holy Grail in any way.

My bet is on AF because it is still commercially available and as already noted the growing and largest group. And we could make our own utilities to replace F4Browse, TacEdit and TerrainView. Just my 0.02 worth.

[Snake Man]

Okay guys, this topic started with

will LP ever make updated tooling available to allow us to continue/develop theaters for AF?

Lets keep it on topic and ALL Falcon 4.0 vs Falcon 4 Allied Force discussions go to the existing topic Falcon Versions versus Editing - the mess sorted out

Thank You.

[T_Rex]

Apologies.

You're right.

:thumbs:

[Sherlock]

Okay guys, this topic started with

will LP ever make updated tooling available to allow us to continue/develop theaters for AF?

Lets keep it on topic and ALL Falcon 4.0 vs Falcon 4 Allied Force discussions go to the existing topic Falcon Versions versus Editing - the mess sorted out

Thank You.

The answer to the question at this time is "UNKNOWN". LP is not speaking out and no one else knows for sure one way or the other.

Oh, and Snake Man....

you rule with an iron fist !

j/k

my apologies for going off topic.

[Malc]

Okay guys, this topic started with

will LP ever make updated tooling available to allow us to continue/develop theaters for AF?

Lets keep it on topic and ALL Falcon 4.0 vs Falcon 4 Allied Force discussions go to the existing topic Falcon Versions versus Editing - the mess sorted out

Thank You.

I am clinging to a hope, a dream if you like, Julian will look sympathically to his roots and help us out here...

I guess one day LP will need to draw a line under support for AF and then we can be let to lead our merry dances!

[Snake Man]

I see what you mean, but why would we need to jump back into year 2000?

[ranger822]

doesn't seem likely to see new tools. Making tools takes time and some genius - - Julian is a bit preoccupied would be my guess. There are only a handful of other people who can and might willing to make decent tools - they are not with LP. The other part of the equation is you need a larger solid core of people developing, Sherlock and his crew is a start but I would guess they are like most teams - rather lean and overworked. Also, toolmaking needs testers, people who know something about Falcon and can troubleshoot - without LP doing something to foster that learning process the pool of people may be be too small to give the toolmakers the sort of feedback to make some good tools . . . test them and improve them. The process back in the "good old days" with Snakeman, Schumi, Widowmaker, and others - well that just doesn't exist. That was special time. So, the two really critical elements for LP to make tools seems to be absent even though many of the the original guys that did that are with LP now . . . if they wanted to do it they have had plenty of opportunity by now.

[phoenix]

Agreed,

Imho LP and Atari decided to take the F4 engine and clean it up,make it as stable as possible and market it the way it should have been back in 98...

Now its easy to see why the tools and modding were put on a tight leash

Lets face it if your going commercial then the product must work and also must SELL...

What i cant grasp is wtf the policies have to be still in place today.

If LP are hammering out another sim then thats excellent news but AF has surely filled its quota and mods are now the best way to keep it alive and let the community that support it make it even stronger...

That way when nuggets see the sim and check to see what extras its got they will want to purchase it even more 8)

You can be sure that an updated version of Tacedit and F4browse exists in the LP stable but we may wait till hell freezes over to ever get to see or use them....

Very hard to modify or try adding something better without the tools or support of the company that made the tools in the first place

ODS for AF is ok but it could be spectacular if we had the proper tools to work with....

Such is the road with Allied Force