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Hello all, :hi:

Its time to write down my thoughts, my motivation behind this, my aim and some other more technical details/specifications.

After all these years playing in various Air-Wars, and playing co-op style missions and campaigns in Hyper Lobby, the Biggest Issue that forces most of the players to leave IL2 eventually is the only thing we cant buy, TIME.

All these years people have been waiting endless hours to just play few minutes and enjoy IL2. I can still remember the Endless hours waiting for the "Slots" to get full and then launch the game. Of course the old co-op style of game where one player is/was the Host was/is/will Never be as reliable as a DF server is so despite our 30-40 mins waiting on the "Slots" we got disconnected often due to Host issues, like loss of internet connection, Crash to desktop, and other fatal failures.

The Need to use the co-op model for on-line playing was forced due to capabilities that, until |ZUTI|'s MDS arrives, only the Co-op had and were absent from the DF Server itself so the DF Server environment was Completely Ignored for the purposes of an Air-War so the popular Bellum and later the Scorched-Earth engines were only made for the co-op style game.

Thus the OLD-Style of air-wars that people had to stay for Hours until they will be able to play emerged. The Host who was a simple player had to act like a Server and wait for hours to close the mission and upload his statistics to the web-page for necessary calculations. of course there were many incidents that Hosts many times were cheating by altering the co-op logs to suit their ambitions, so it was not safe at all but it was the only one available method.

But now, after the "MODS" came out and ZUTI got his hands at IL2's source code, the MDS bridged the co-op and the DF Server environments up to the point that they are no longer separate but IDENTICAL.

The Bellum and SEOW use Databases and external scripts for resources management but MDS have them Built-In in Game's engine making the maintenance a LOT easier.
So, my Idea is to MAKE a compact package like SEOW but for the New DF Server environment taking advantage of MDS and other addons that i will name below. My main focus is that it will Use existing In-Game implementations so the maintenance will be Extremely LOW unlike SEOW, Bellum and the rest.
I still remember that Every Squad that was maintaining an On-Line almost NEVER played or Enjoyed it.
But this is something that will dramatically change. Our main aim will be that EVERYONE who wants to Set-Up an on-line war will be Easily able to do it with Minimal maintenance having the Only obligation to Rent or Make if he has the means, a DF Server.

So lets see what kind of capabilities the DF Server Musty have:

A) The DF Server must Explicit Allow the connection based on User Name (nick-name). Only Registered players (in the web-interface) will be allowed to connect. If an un-registered player tries to connect to DF Server he will get Disconnected in 5 Seconds and a pop-up will get displayed telling him that he is not registered or allowed to connect.
- Another feature i have seen in some Air-wars is that the Database also Holds your IP and bonds the Nick-name with the IP address so if any of these two is different the connection is not allowed. If you have dynamic IP then you should log-in at the Web Interface and press an update-IP radio-button so your current new IP will get Bonded with your Nick-name. You were also able to set the Duration that the IP will be Valid for your Nick-name. (Drop-down list of year,day and month.
This will add a lot to Credibility and maintenance.

B) The DF Server must be able to Identify your Side, Red or Blue based on your Squadron's Prefix and will authorize you to see the Briefing Screen of Your Side only!. So the Red squads will only see the Red briefing and Bases/ground units while the Blue team only the Blue Bases and forces.
For example the "StG77_" prefix will be always Blue while the RAF always Red. So every player will get identified by his Squadron Prefix that, preferable, the one who will do the registration for the specific Squad (Leader) will put into the Registration page under the "Squadron Prefix" area. So tghe Leader will input the Squad's Prefix and its Side and the rest will get into the Database or in a text file in the DF Server root. (we'll see how it can be done easier).
It should be able to update the Valid Player's database/text file either "Live" or in an interval time (e.g. 5-10mins).

C) The DF Server should be able to display (feed) the Stats to the web-page and (perhaps) by using a parser to correctly identify the losses and determine the Winner side. Perhaps it would be also nice and possible to transfer the stats to next map (resources, etc...) but its not necessary.
Would be also sufficient that after the specified mission duration (orR a Specified Loss in Supplies and/or Flyable planes) the Winner will be decided based on the Resources available (or lost) and this could be also done internally by the DF server itself and possible through MDS. Then depending on the Side that has won this map the next map Will be also dynamically determined until the end of the Air-war. (for example If the Blue are winning they will push the Soviets to Russia and Vice-Versa).
The maps-sequence along with mission planning for each map should be made by the air war owner/Squadron.

D) The DF Server should be able to Run WITHOUT Human intervention with the help of external scripts/programs if/when required so.

The above are the characteristics that a DF Server Must have. Now lets see more details/thoughts/ideas.

The Package has to be compact, use Free/Open software for no cost (and preferable software that can run in Both Linux and Windows for Maximum compatibility), and has to be set up relatively Easily even by One person.

So, lets go a bit deeper to some more technical details. I will separate them to External prerequisites (Database, Stats, etc) and Internal (MDS, and every other that will be In Game's java code by default).
I am not specialist for the DF server external programs but i will make a try and you will of course correct me and also update/suggest new ideas.

External Requirements:

A) The air war must have a Web-Interface holding the Registration Process along with the Statistics and other various details (and perhaps some display of the warfare).
So it should Use Apache as a Web-Server (it also run on Windows) and a Simple interface has to be made for the Registration process (Radio Buttons) and for the Stats. This Web Interface will be the Minimal-standard and Each squad or individual could update it with his banners, colors, forum, other links, etc....

B) Then it must have a database for the Stats and perhaps the Registered users. MySQL comes handy as it can run in Both Linux and Windows environments.

C) Stats parser that will be a custom-made and updated for UP like FBDj and/or like USLG parser, or perhaps a combination of both/new parser. This parser will feed the stats to the DB and the the Web-page will retrieve them.

D) For the Interoperability/cooperation between the DF Server-Stats (MySQL) and Web Page perhaps we could use PHP or something else.


Internal Requirements:

A) We will need a modification in game's code that will check the Player's name (and his IP perhaps if we will go this way) and depending on the outcome it will terminate connection with a displayed message thus freeing unused DF Server slots. This modification will most probably check/parse a text file in DF Server root OR it could also use a MySQL query to the Database to determine the validity of the player/nick-name/IP. (The latter perhaps would be quicker ?)
It will also check player's prefix and determine which Briefing this player can see, Red or Blue.(or even more)
I have already a modification that checks the User name's prefix and determines the Side, but it will require a bit of tunning to add the auto-disconnection and the checking of the text file as it currently checks mission file. In any case the coding of this addon so far is not extensive and looks very doable.

B) We need a mechanism to "balance" the game when one side has too many players and the other very few. I am thinking that Java adjustments have to be made to Deny new connections for the side that has twice the numbers of the other side. (if you have thought other means please suggest).

C) Basically there is no C! :yahoo: All the important functions regarding resources management, moving fronts, moving ground and naval units is done with MDS! So we get rid of any external script doing this.

EDIT: Actually there is C, ;) The game won't trigger the advanced functions if a specific file is missing from the root directory, so the Client version of the files.SFS will act normal since the text file won't be found in the root. Or perhaps we can control it from elsewhere by using a switch or button. ?


So basically imagine an Environment where the player doesn't know about the other Side, its Units, planes, ships, etc... The AI triggers will trigger Interceptors to Intercept unwary players who go to Bomb targets or Intercept bomber formations. The weather will also change during mission thus adding a Great immersion to the players.
Moving Units, tanks, soldiers, and moving fronts, capture of bases and ammo/fuel depots, RRR, Multi-Crew support that will boost imersion after the introduction of the night fighters,
http://www.sas1946.com/main/index.php/t ... #msg179270

player penalty for Death, etc will make this environment the TOTAL Simulation. Such immersion in a dynamically "LIVE" environment was UNTHINKABLE not only for IL2 but for other "new" games like CloD.
Il2's capabilities are Huge because the DF Server, after the raise in amount of memory utilization through the new executables, can handle all the above. Such an extensive Dynamic environment cannt get realised by later games due to hardware requirements. Imagine also the new Jet Era and the upcoming radar station implementations and the SAM missiles that will get materialized and we are talking for the ABSOLUTE WWII filght Sim Warfare.
People will quicly forget the Old game engines like SEOW, Bellum, and they will only get occupied with this one since they won't WASTE their scarce free time, no more! Do I have 1 hour to play? I will choose this Highly versatile and dynamic realistic environment being able to use strategy and track my stats. What best of this?
NOTHING, plain and simple. No SEOW no Nothing.

We will offer to people what they REALLY WANT. A chance to PLAY and ENJOY IL2 in their scarce Free time.

What do you think Gent, does it worth the try?

We have very capable people, Experienced programmers/DF Server admins like Pappy, Ante, Acht, Willie, ZUTI, Lutz and all the rest. Provided that they have a bit of free time to help of course. No-one is obliged of course.

:drinks:

P.S.
A nice air-war that is no more is this:
http://www.adw.alkar.net/en/

They have some very nice scripts and we could get ideas and scripts either from them or from other squads if we need to.

P.S.2
Of course it will start AFTER we finish UP 3.0 ;)


P.S.3
I have also contacted more DF Server admins that have programming/DB and scripting knowledge that run Air-Wars and they have replied positive. I will grand them access as time permits.

_________________
Ночь полетам не помеха....
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