A few more ideas:
a) This mod patch system can use SFS-archives to store changed FMs/DMs/weapons and other critical files that shouldn't be edited by players.
b) The 5.xxMOD server code can include some community-made tool that checks that all players joining the game have all required mods installed and similar FMs/DMs/weapons. If that kind of tool can be done, there won't be any need for changing the game version anymore. If the host wants to use some mods not included in 5.xxMOD, he can simply install them on top of latest 5.xxMOD server and the tool checks that all players joining the game have at least these mods. If some mod is missing, the tool denies connection and tells which mod is missing or too different.
And even if this is policed from this site, what about the other mod sites out there??
Which, once this site locks down what it does- and locks things into an "offical mod patch", will multiply due to the amount of people unhappy with this, and have the tools to mod 4.09 anyway, so thus, with this site concentrating on her own version, we see cheats start to emerge...
The 'other communities' will have to buy into this, and that means allowing AAA to incorporate their stuff into the 'official' patch..
The trouble is, we are already seeing outside agencies who are complaining about the use of their material being incorporated into other modders wares.. The whole concept will be so difficult to police that its doomed from the start.
'Modding' IL2 is growing, which is a good thing, because it will now extend the life of the game.. but keeping control of it in an 'official' way outside of this community will be impossible..
I agree with that. And it should be relatively easy to achieve this compatibility, i.e. through downloading only one, two or three files (patches) and that's it. Because I think this is the best, and maybe the only way to keep the people playing the game online and thus keep the game alive.
Therefore I second the idea of an "official AAA mod patch", maybe every 4 weeks or so. I believe that Oleg's way of continous patches was very important in keeping the game running.
Let the single mods be available for download, so people can try them out offline or on certain servers, but for online play a complete patch would be the best. I know this will bring problems with people who want their favourite planes in the game, but I think it's better to have less, but thoroughly tested mods. If everybody would have a "different" game, we would have the tower of Bable, especially because most of the people playing the game are not modders, just like me.
You at AAA gave us a whole lot of planes most people dreamed of (and I thank you that :!: ), but you also accepted a great responsibility. Just to tell you my point of view: I'd have no problem accepting a "No, this plane mod is not good enough, so we won't add it to the patch at the moment." from the AAA admin guys, because I know, there's people here, who have the knowledge and think about what they do and say. But I wouldn't like to fly online with and against people who use their own modded
