What Is The Best Compiler For C++?
Posted: Wed May 17, 2006 12:12 am
Don't laugh, but I'm going to try and learn C++ over the next year or so. My plans are to punch up my own WWII flight sim game. I'm so new to coding C++ that I don't even know what information is needed by whoever can answer this question, so I'll tell you my plans and you guys can tear it apart from there.
Don't worry about the copywrite issues because I'll be getting around most of that by releasing the game as freeware, but encrypted for to keep anyone from arguing that it could be used in the future for commercial projects and to prevent cheating and security threats.
I want to make a game that has everything equally capable online as it is offline.
I want all planes to be able to choose all possible bomb loadout combinations and NOT have them capable of choosing a bombload combination that was not possible in real life.
As far as I'm concerned, the core of the serious flight sim game is the simulation engine and the algorythms that go into it. Yes, this is going to be very CPU intensive. In fact, with as many variables as I'm going to make it track for just one plane, there's not much point in doing anything but learn how to do it for at least the next three years. By then, even a complete moron such as myself may have learned something with some help from the flight sim community. So far, I've found 420 + algorythms to track for each and every flyable plane. Most of these are to help refine the feel of the plane, especially when damaged.
Ever notice that this game as I remember has stuff getting rippied off, but never any pieces flapping in the wind or getting loose in their mounts or hinges. The code I'll punch will model how the plane reacts to damage much better. As a result, there will be big time demands put on the CPU. I estimate it will take a CPU that is twice as capable as what we've got now in an FX chip. If push comes to shove, I'll punch the code so the flight modelling is as correct as possible and leave options for pretty water, trees and the cliffs of Dover for later because that's something you can more easily add or change than the basic computation parameters to simulate the flight.
The game will unfairly assume all online players are using what we have in standard cable internet capabilities today. I'm not happy with that decision and may change it, but for what I want to accomplish, I doubt that will ever happen. I'll just be wanting to exchange too much data too fast to hobble the whole thing with doing it any other way. Im still going to work very hard to make it so you can strip it down for a online game on dial-up, but I doubt I could make both versions compatible from what I've read so far. If worst case scenario comes to pass, then there will be two versions of the game.
It will be designed specifically for the Track IR Pro 4 or better.
I want it to have sound capability that will make it so the neighbors report you to the neighborhood association for running real engines in your house. Yes, I know, all those base tones are big time data users, but there it is, Hopefully Audigy will be up to the task by then. they say they are almost there now with the X cards, but feel I'll just slightly notice it's not a Merlin engine with what's available now. They warned me the problem is APU and CPU loading when I go to try and do this, but we'll see.
Speaking of sounds. I plan on you hearing creaking, groaning, wires getting tight and then vibrating and then the sound of the multistrands starting to give way! There will be banging noises from parts that didn't quite make it cleanly off the plane when it was damaged. There won't always be a rythm to the banging noises either. The plane will make cold noises when it is cold and hot type noises when it is hot. Yes, I know, the CPU loading! Still, I'd rather have a game that aged gracefully than something dated right away. There will be noises when appropriate and accurate when bombs, rockets and cannons/guns are fired. If you lose a gun to jamming or damage, well, it's going to sound that way as well as look that way.
There will be some chaos theory applied and you won't get exactly the same results for the same amount of damage to the same location because that's the way it was in real life too! In fact, don't count on your plane starting every time. Don't expect that because you never took a hit, that a mechanical problem won't crop up.
I want to make it so we can later add a live tank component to the game. Also, a live Naval group as well for those who want to... I have no idea why anyone would do anything other than fly, but that's their business. Who knows, maybe some day I can even add an aircraft control position that takes a live player for those of you who like to boss folks around at the airport or carrier.
I want the carriers to have working lifts and hangar decks.
The game will be built primarily around the four engine bombers. I want all positions to be able to be worked and all possible bomb loadouts to be done before proceeding to another bird. I'm leaning towards theming the first part of the game on the secret U.S. bombing campaigns on the Eastern front, Ploesti oil fields, then do Med, and onward and outward and I think to honor Oleg, for every expansion West, there will be two expansions East until East meets West.
Don't worry about the copywrite issues because I'll be getting around most of that by releasing the game as freeware, but encrypted for to keep anyone from arguing that it could be used in the future for commercial projects and to prevent cheating and security threats.
I want to make a game that has everything equally capable online as it is offline.
I want all planes to be able to choose all possible bomb loadout combinations and NOT have them capable of choosing a bombload combination that was not possible in real life.
As far as I'm concerned, the core of the serious flight sim game is the simulation engine and the algorythms that go into it. Yes, this is going to be very CPU intensive. In fact, with as many variables as I'm going to make it track for just one plane, there's not much point in doing anything but learn how to do it for at least the next three years. By then, even a complete moron such as myself may have learned something with some help from the flight sim community. So far, I've found 420 + algorythms to track for each and every flyable plane. Most of these are to help refine the feel of the plane, especially when damaged.
Ever notice that this game as I remember has stuff getting rippied off, but never any pieces flapping in the wind or getting loose in their mounts or hinges. The code I'll punch will model how the plane reacts to damage much better. As a result, there will be big time demands put on the CPU. I estimate it will take a CPU that is twice as capable as what we've got now in an FX chip. If push comes to shove, I'll punch the code so the flight modelling is as correct as possible and leave options for pretty water, trees and the cliffs of Dover for later because that's something you can more easily add or change than the basic computation parameters to simulate the flight.
The game will unfairly assume all online players are using what we have in standard cable internet capabilities today. I'm not happy with that decision and may change it, but for what I want to accomplish, I doubt that will ever happen. I'll just be wanting to exchange too much data too fast to hobble the whole thing with doing it any other way. Im still going to work very hard to make it so you can strip it down for a online game on dial-up, but I doubt I could make both versions compatible from what I've read so far. If worst case scenario comes to pass, then there will be two versions of the game.
It will be designed specifically for the Track IR Pro 4 or better.
I want it to have sound capability that will make it so the neighbors report you to the neighborhood association for running real engines in your house. Yes, I know, all those base tones are big time data users, but there it is, Hopefully Audigy will be up to the task by then. they say they are almost there now with the X cards, but feel I'll just slightly notice it's not a Merlin engine with what's available now. They warned me the problem is APU and CPU loading when I go to try and do this, but we'll see.
Speaking of sounds. I plan on you hearing creaking, groaning, wires getting tight and then vibrating and then the sound of the multistrands starting to give way! There will be banging noises from parts that didn't quite make it cleanly off the plane when it was damaged. There won't always be a rythm to the banging noises either. The plane will make cold noises when it is cold and hot type noises when it is hot. Yes, I know, the CPU loading! Still, I'd rather have a game that aged gracefully than something dated right away. There will be noises when appropriate and accurate when bombs, rockets and cannons/guns are fired. If you lose a gun to jamming or damage, well, it's going to sound that way as well as look that way.
There will be some chaos theory applied and you won't get exactly the same results for the same amount of damage to the same location because that's the way it was in real life too! In fact, don't count on your plane starting every time. Don't expect that because you never took a hit, that a mechanical problem won't crop up.
I want to make it so we can later add a live tank component to the game. Also, a live Naval group as well for those who want to... I have no idea why anyone would do anything other than fly, but that's their business. Who knows, maybe some day I can even add an aircraft control position that takes a live player for those of you who like to boss folks around at the airport or carrier.
I want the carriers to have working lifts and hangar decks.
The game will be built primarily around the four engine bombers. I want all positions to be able to be worked and all possible bomb loadouts to be done before proceeding to another bird. I'm leaning towards theming the first part of the game on the secret U.S. bombing campaigns on the Eastern front, Ploesti oil fields, then do Med, and onward and outward and I think to honor Oleg, for every expansion West, there will be two expansions East until East meets West.