[Inquisitor]

Multiplayer client stuff, including an IRC client.

In-engine Cutscenes

Xvid support (?)

Ogg support (?)

What else?

[IceFire]

- Volley fire guns (or is that already in?  I know it was just started).

- The famed "Gunship" AI class for vessels that are bigger than bombers, smaller than cruisers, and more manuverable and agile than a capital ship but with many of the other characteristics (turrets, figher bays, etc.) and player control.  Useful for TBP WhiteStars, SunHawks, as well as for planned future MOD's with player controlable gunships.

- Specular highlighting so that metalic ships reflect in a metalic way?  (presumably easier than doing bump mapping at this time)

[deep_eyes]

-Incorporate more optimized decals into code if possible rather then in TBL (this would less complicate newbies on editing TBL's) if possible.

-Custom made Launcher with abilities of the original Launcher but incorporating the newer features.

-If you havent already, maximize TBL input from 400kb to like a meg each.

-That gunship funtions makes sense.

-regarding Open GL, i know FS2 is C++ all the way, but is it possible to say incorporate engine aspects from another game thats C++ with a better Open GL source? like Q3?

[Stunaep]

since you seem to be going for engine updates anyway, why not make one simple thing. lens flares for suns.

[Bobboau]

if we can get DX8 merged with the source we could have some major perfomence boosts

[deep_eyes]

Originally posted by Bobboau
if we can get DX8 merged with the source we could have some major perfomence boosts

good idea

[Stunaep]

one more thing, you could work on the AI, and boost the survival rate of an average wingman up from the current 3.5 seconds

[Inquisitor]

Right now, the DX code is actually slower than what we have, if the testers are to be believed.

There is a pretty robust OGL implementation in there, by the way, don;t forget that.

Anywho, full DX is on hold till we get one of the DX boys back

[Galemp]

Originally posted by Stunaep
since you seem to be going for engine updates anyway, why not make one simple thing. lens flares for suns.

OOOOooooohh...

Optimization of the Decal code to make it useful would be the best now, then more performance tweaks to make the code more efficient all around.

[deep_eyes]

u guys should really look @ (if u havent already) other source code projects from other games that  have similair coding. maybe u can incorporate those features into this project.

beyond that, everything is fine besides my lil misspelling opengl issue, which i didnt misspell meh.....

[aldo_14]

Some more accurate AI when it comes to NOT_BLOODY_FLYING_INTO_EACH_OTHER could be useful

Actually, is it posible to implement a sort of crude motion prediction into the AI routines that slows down when it looks like another ship or object is about to hit them?  Or maybe to make them reverse (if possible in the tbl entry..?) or halt when they collide with another object twice in rapid succession, and that object is ahead of them?  (maybe override this for the kamikaze setting)

[IceFire]

If were talking AI...I wonder if we can make them do some more interesting things.  Right now they fight pretty hardy on both friendly and enemy side...but their manuvering sucks.  Love to see them do barrel roles in an attack, loops, whatever.

Not a priority, just putting it on the table.

[Solatar]

Maybe different AI's? Like Rebel, Special Forces, Shivan, Terran, Vasudan, Pirate. They all fight differently.

[ZylonBane]

SKYBOXES!

This is actually already supported via the subspace tunnel code. Someone just needs to implement a new table that parameterizes all its settings and then integrate that into FRED. So, instead of checking "Subspace", you'd have a dropdown list of available skyboxen.

The table (sky.tbl, or whatever), would probably look something like this--

$Sky: Subspace
$AmbientLeft: Subspace_Left.wav
$AmbientRight: Subspace_Right.wav
$Model: subspace_small.pof
+Spin: 1
+Alpha: 0.5
$Model: subspace_big.pof
+Spin: -1
+Alpha:0.5

As you can see FS2 already supports sky effects much more elaborate than your typical boring box. It's just a matter of exposing this power to the modders. And thanks to the ability of POFs to have rotating parts, you could, for example, have a Saturn-like planet in your background with rings that actually spin. Or orbiting moons.

[Solatar]

I like the plant idea. I have a Saturn like planet but no rotation....

[IceFire]

Awesome suggestion!  Skyboxes are indeed something that can be used to powerful effect.  Dark, back in his day, was able to accomplish amazing feats using what was available then to make some really neat looking things!

[ZylonBane]

Anyone know whether the spinning of the subspace tunnel models is at the POF or source level?

[LtNarol]

a few of things that I personnally would like to see

- Max ships.tbl entries bumped to 200ish, without breaking multi (which means redoing the packets thing)

- AI docking while both ships are moving.

- And finally, to top it off, Grabity!  Last one's probably the toughest, but ya, it'd be very very good.

Yes, I do know none of these are 1 line fixes, yes I do know they're gonna be pains in the rear, but IMHO they're gonna open a bunch of new doors.

[penguin]

Originally posted by ZylonBane
SKYBOXES!

OK, I'm stupid.  What is a skybox?  

I'm assuming you don't mean the luxury suites at baseball parks...

[IceFire]

Originally posted by penguin

OK, I'm stupid.  What is a skybox?  

I'm assuming you don't mean the luxury suites at baseball parks...

The best example is in say...Unreal Tournament where you go into spectator and float around the sky and stuff.  You look around and the entire level is actually just floating in a big box with textures on it for the background sky and whatnot.

In FreeSpace, the skybox is the stars and nebulas.  Or in subspace...the blackness with a model file in it for the subspace portion.