25.07.2009, 23:38
What this comes down to in my opinion is whether or not people want to play a game that is intended to be a sim or if they simply just want to play a game.
There is no such geological event that could have caused or will ever cause the surface of the Earth to shrink down in size so therefore a map created for IL2 which is not made to 1:1 scale can not possibly be modeled after the real world as it was or ever will be. Such an out of scale map made for IL2 can only be considered a fantasy gaming map and this point is a fact and not an opinion.
I have found that the vast majority of IL2 players have little concern for realism. The proof of this can be seen by going on the hyper lobby and finding that the servers with the most unrealistic settings always seem to be the most populated with players.
I must also point out that on a 1/2 scale map for example there is no way for one to determine if the map maker is trying to say the surface of the Earth could have somehow shrunk or if he is instead saying that all of the aircraft have been modded to have an increased ground speed and maximum range. In either case the game would not be a sim.
It comes as no surprise particularly on a site that uses the word "arcade" in their name that when someone comes on the forum and wants to find support for realism in the game from other players that they will instead be disrespected and or called names by people that reply to their post.
The argument that reduced scale maps reduce flying time from one area to another on a map is not valid in the context of playing a sim since a map that is not made 1:1 scale quite simply is not a map that was modeled after a real place in the world. The surface of the Earth never seems to shrink in scale and if it had done so in the past it certainly would have been consider worthy to notate in a historical accounts.
The argument that 1:1 scale maps take too long to load is only valid if the mapmaker tries to encompass too large an area for the amount of things that will be included into the map.
The argument that campaign style games are more playable on a reduced scale map cam only be valid if the goal is to play a fantasy game and not a sim, and even then the game will only be more playable under certain conditions.
The argument that reduced scale maps make the game more playable can be quite valid if the goal is to play a fantasy or Arcade like game. I suggest that people take a look at the name of this website.
The idea of shrinking down the surface of the Earth in order to reduce flying time or to allow a map to load up in less time would never even be considered a valid option in a Civilian flight simulator, and that is because the makers of these types of software would know that if they were to do so no one would take their software seriously as a tool to help people learn about aviation.
I must also point out that if one were to create a 1:1 scale map for use in this game assuming it had a reasonably loading time the majority of players would choose not to use it since there are very few players of IL2 who seem to want to play the game as a sim.
In my opinion if given a choice between four different maps for a region of the world assuming they all had the same loading time, for example one, 1/4, 1/2 ,3/4, and full scales the vast majority of players would opt for the 1/4 scale.
I have already heard people in certain squads refer to the people who use 3/4 scale maps as being "retarded" for not opting to use the 1/4 scale maps instead. Therefore because of this it seems to me that the idea of introducing out of scale maps has certainly resulted in animosity between the players as apposed to making things better.
The solution to all of this in my opinion is to simply play a different game entirely where it is not possible for anyone to reduce the scale of the virtual surface of the Earth in the game.
There is no such geological event that could have caused or will ever cause the surface of the Earth to shrink down in size so therefore a map created for IL2 which is not made to 1:1 scale can not possibly be modeled after the real world as it was or ever will be. Such an out of scale map made for IL2 can only be considered a fantasy gaming map and this point is a fact and not an opinion.
I have found that the vast majority of IL2 players have little concern for realism. The proof of this can be seen by going on the hyper lobby and finding that the servers with the most unrealistic settings always seem to be the most populated with players.
I must also point out that on a 1/2 scale map for example there is no way for one to determine if the map maker is trying to say the surface of the Earth could have somehow shrunk or if he is instead saying that all of the aircraft have been modded to have an increased ground speed and maximum range. In either case the game would not be a sim.
It comes as no surprise particularly on a site that uses the word "arcade" in their name that when someone comes on the forum and wants to find support for realism in the game from other players that they will instead be disrespected and or called names by people that reply to their post.
The argument that reduced scale maps reduce flying time from one area to another on a map is not valid in the context of playing a sim since a map that is not made 1:1 scale quite simply is not a map that was modeled after a real place in the world. The surface of the Earth never seems to shrink in scale and if it had done so in the past it certainly would have been consider worthy to notate in a historical accounts.
The argument that 1:1 scale maps take too long to load is only valid if the mapmaker tries to encompass too large an area for the amount of things that will be included into the map.
The argument that campaign style games are more playable on a reduced scale map cam only be valid if the goal is to play a fantasy game and not a sim, and even then the game will only be more playable under certain conditions.
The argument that reduced scale maps make the game more playable can be quite valid if the goal is to play a fantasy or Arcade like game. I suggest that people take a look at the name of this website.
The idea of shrinking down the surface of the Earth in order to reduce flying time or to allow a map to load up in less time would never even be considered a valid option in a Civilian flight simulator, and that is because the makers of these types of software would know that if they were to do so no one would take their software seriously as a tool to help people learn about aviation.
I must also point out that if one were to create a 1:1 scale map for use in this game assuming it had a reasonably loading time the majority of players would choose not to use it since there are very few players of IL2 who seem to want to play the game as a sim.
In my opinion if given a choice between four different maps for a region of the world assuming they all had the same loading time, for example one, 1/4, 1/2 ,3/4, and full scales the vast majority of players would opt for the 1/4 scale.
I have already heard people in certain squads refer to the people who use 3/4 scale maps as being "retarded" for not opting to use the 1/4 scale maps instead. Therefore because of this it seems to me that the idea of introducing out of scale maps has certainly resulted in animosity between the players as apposed to making things better.
The solution to all of this in my opinion is to simply play a different game entirely where it is not possible for anyone to reduce the scale of the virtual surface of the Earth in the game.