QUOTE
OK, so it's time for a little update and I'll do my best to convey where we are and where we still need to go before release.
First I really want to thank (most of) you all for your patience and support. It's been really great and I'm actually pretty overwhelmed at how supportive everyone has been. Sure, there's a few kids (I hope) that don't really "get" what it takes to put something like this together, coupled with little to no etiquette, but those have really been far and few between, and we appreciate it because it lets us concentrate on our jobs instead of policing the forums. Thanks again.
We estimated we'd be done by summer - we're not. I'm afraid that's just something that goes with the territory we're blazing with the TacPack. The primary reason we're going over our estimate really isn't all that surprising; like anything else, it's the little details and unanticipated road blocks that got us. The TacPack needs to work multiplayer, and when we're talking about FSX multiplayer, synonyms like "limited" and "confining" tend to pop up like toaster strudel. In order to get around that, we had to put in a LOT of effort that's just not outwardly appreciable, but critical to the success of the package as a whole.
We also ran into some interesting documentation over the past month or so that literally promoted us to change the way the stores management system works in a fundamental way. As a result of these recent changes, you'll see major differences not only in how the stores and HUD interfaces look, but how they work. Recently our focus has been on GPS guided weapons, and we think you'll find the implementation for things like JDAMs rich in systems depth and just plain awesome to play with. Every weapon we currently offer has had to make a transition from "faux" to the real deal, and almost every stores-related interface has been updated to reflect that shift.
One of the other things we haven't mentioned, but will at least be providing a basic first draft of, is a padlock view system.
We've also moved a LOT of functions to C++ which were previously being done ala XML. This allowed us to pave the way for third party integration and simultaneously improve performance. If anything, the Superbug with TacPack will be faster than the vanilla Superbug as a result.
We'd also like to announce that the very talented FSX@War team have kindly agreed to supply some of their outstanding models for SAM/AAA which we'll be arming and integrating into the TacPack's AI menu. The AI menu will allow you to deploy simobjects like the aforementioned SAMs, refueling tankers, as well as carriers similar to the way AI carriers works, only without the need for Java. We would very much like to thank the FSX@War team for their fantastic contributions, and look forward to our continued collaboration.
There really isn't anything in the way of screenshots that would knock your socks off except for the FSX@War models, and I'll let Cougar share those with you whenever he and his team are ready. Everything else is changes on the back end, the TPM and Aircraft managers, and avionic additions/modifications, which just don't make the most exciting screenshots. If you've seen the official video, you pretty much get it in terms of weapon's doing things for real. Anyway, I tacked on a few new interface screens, FWIW.
We are going into a limited closed beta in approximately the first week of July, followed by an open beta which you are all welcome to participate in. Hopefully if all goes well, we should be killing each other by August. Once again, our apologies for the delay and our sincerest thanks for your patience. Please feel free to continue/comment in the Tacpack mega-thread here.[/quote]
A couple of months guys.
First I really want to thank (most of) you all for your patience and support. It's been really great and I'm actually pretty overwhelmed at how supportive everyone has been. Sure, there's a few kids (I hope) that don't really "get" what it takes to put something like this together, coupled with little to no etiquette, but those have really been far and few between, and we appreciate it because it lets us concentrate on our jobs instead of policing the forums. Thanks again.
We estimated we'd be done by summer - we're not. I'm afraid that's just something that goes with the territory we're blazing with the TacPack. The primary reason we're going over our estimate really isn't all that surprising; like anything else, it's the little details and unanticipated road blocks that got us. The TacPack needs to work multiplayer, and when we're talking about FSX multiplayer, synonyms like "limited" and "confining" tend to pop up like toaster strudel. In order to get around that, we had to put in a LOT of effort that's just not outwardly appreciable, but critical to the success of the package as a whole.
We also ran into some interesting documentation over the past month or so that literally promoted us to change the way the stores management system works in a fundamental way. As a result of these recent changes, you'll see major differences not only in how the stores and HUD interfaces look, but how they work. Recently our focus has been on GPS guided weapons, and we think you'll find the implementation for things like JDAMs rich in systems depth and just plain awesome to play with. Every weapon we currently offer has had to make a transition from "faux" to the real deal, and almost every stores-related interface has been updated to reflect that shift.
One of the other things we haven't mentioned, but will at least be providing a basic first draft of, is a padlock view system.
We've also moved a LOT of functions to C++ which were previously being done ala XML. This allowed us to pave the way for third party integration and simultaneously improve performance. If anything, the Superbug with TacPack will be faster than the vanilla Superbug as a result.
We'd also like to announce that the very talented FSX@War team have kindly agreed to supply some of their outstanding models for SAM/AAA which we'll be arming and integrating into the TacPack's AI menu. The AI menu will allow you to deploy simobjects like the aforementioned SAMs, refueling tankers, as well as carriers similar to the way AI carriers works, only without the need for Java. We would very much like to thank the FSX@War team for their fantastic contributions, and look forward to our continued collaboration.
There really isn't anything in the way of screenshots that would knock your socks off except for the FSX@War models, and I'll let Cougar share those with you whenever he and his team are ready. Everything else is changes on the back end, the TPM and Aircraft managers, and avionic additions/modifications, which just don't make the most exciting screenshots. If you've seen the official video, you pretty much get it in terms of weapon's doing things for real. Anyway, I tacked on a few new interface screens, FWIW.
We are going into a limited closed beta in approximately the first week of July, followed by an open beta which you are all welcome to participate in. Hopefully if all goes well, we should be killing each other by August. Once again, our apologies for the delay and our sincerest thanks for your patience. Please feel free to continue/comment in the Tacpack mega-thread here.[/quote]
A couple of months guys.
