posted 04-01- 05:39 PM               

What I am proposing to do will require some approval, but I'm sure that will not be a problem, but here it is:

I will on my one time, gather EVERY submission made for SDOE. From Peter Hawks Flying Zepplin to the Flying V, from the WWI Fokker to the WWII Bf-109F, I will collect everything and package it together into one HUGE addon. Winter terrain, WWI terrain, every WWI aircraft and object, every WWII aircraft and ground objects (including the Carriers), and as well Meatwaters sound pack I will throw it into one large Zipfile (50+ Megs).

PLUS - for those of you who have a slow online connection, I will burn you a CD as long as you pay for the cost of shipping and the CD. I will give you a way to order them. Now, I have to work out this point with the boss, but I really don't see any hickups.

What I need
Every aircraft, every object, either in file or the URL for download - I need it all. Once I have everything (I'll set a deadline for submission), I will package everything together and make it available for download.

Now, I leave this in your lap for you all to ponder and consider. If you want this done, I need your support!

I will make the final decision by Friday (April 6th) on the CD thing, but it also depends on the communities interest whether or not we need this done. I feel we do before it gets out of hand.

If you wish to discuss or help out with the project, please email me here: brandor@home.com .

posted 04-01- 06:25 PM               

Have you checked www.fshanger.com/files/

Most everything (I would say about 95%) is there now avaible for download. Just a thought but it might be easier to let it all stay as a download. (A lot less work for you I am sure).

Condor out

posted 04-01- 06:35 PM               

You have done a great service to us in your efforts to help promote this sim to the general public.

I have no problem with you releasing my stuff as part of your proposed package. I looked at the link below and it didnt work. If my stuff is available elsewhere its news to me. BTW thanks for asking guys

I will mail you the links ot the direct zips of the FokkerDVII and Rhineland Winter.

Also dont forget the Nations projects.

My only question to you is this. Will you be able to keep the files updated? Atleast current with the release of future plane packs.

Good luck.

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Zoycite 33rd~GS

visit The War Paint Factory

posted 04-01- 07:21 PM               

Let us know if you want terrains included, right now other than skins thats all I got to offer.

Thanks SM... think this is needed right now

~Nat~

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JV~44 "Naturlich"

If you can't beat em.... out run em!
there again, you could go buy a shiny new F4U, and kick some butt!!!
<b>Nats FS-SDOE Site</b>

posted 04-01- 09:16 PM               

Dont mean to be rude but i dont think this is a good idea, but it is a bright idea. If this is done, you got to make sure these files are final and not beta. If they are beta, new versions of that beta could be released causing you to overwrite old files from the 50mb zip which could cause more confusement and that doesnt look pretty. But like i said, if these files are final, all good.
We certainly want to fly the latest and the geatest.

i know something like this has be done, i think making seperate WWI pack and a WWII pack would be better. Smaller d/loads and more organized. Both will have to be compatible with each other of coarse.

Please reply any flames and comments....
http://PlaneCentral.tripod.com

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Raptor2

posted 04-01- 10:39 PM               

I'm really glad there are people here who are listening and thinking; thanks from 'just a pilot'...

posted 04-02- 05:57 AM               

Still... from head to toe, I like the idea

posted 04-02- 11:19 AM               

As it is a great idea, Me and Jaguar had this idea many months ago about giving out a CD of the Hangar. After many days of email tag we found that since planes was changing all the time that once you got the CD back something on it would be out of date.

As for a central site to download the stuff is the whole reason why the hangar was created. Now there is so many sites it's hard to keep things on one page. Since most people thta have sites don't want their files on other pages.

This is the reason the Hangar doesn't have everything.

posted 04-02- 12:11 PM               

It was once said "It is far easier to finish building your boat once the keel had been laid down".

If we get a standard, I could always release small incrimental updates for new planes. We need a starting point for all our aircraft and once that is met, it is far easier to update the standard with a 500k file than it would be with a 50000k file.

I'm talking about incorporating every single addon into a couple of PAR files so that the change is seamless. I'm going to try and post a cut-off date for submissions, and once that is done, I'll post the update in a SINGLE place for everyone to download.

Over the next few weeks, I'll be contacting individuals who have released their add-ons about the current state. From there if it is final version (non-beta), I will add them into the release.

Now, I need a name for this add-on. Does anyone have a suggestion for a name? Ie. Boxset 1? :/

posted 04-02- 03:00 PM               

I'm about 99% sure I have the current versions of the planes. I know I don't have the tundra terrain or the snowy Dover or WWI terrain yet. I'm not sure I want to download, say, 50Meg when I only need 30Meg of stuff.

Would it not make sense to have a central download location, but have the individual files available? It would, of course, take twice the space to have a huge "pack" and all the separate update files as well.

The advantage to having the individual files there is that, when someone DOES update a plane (and guess what, there will be new Corsairs about a week after the contest is over) you can simply replace the individual aircraft file, change the banner or readme at the site, and then folks would know that they need to download maybe one or two "new" planes as well as the mongo "FS Updater" file.

Then you "repack" the big file every couple of months with the most current stuff, but leave the individual files available as well.

Just a suggestion of course. I think the Huge File Idea (tm) is a good one. I would suggest that the info header at the top of the page also links to a resumable download utility such as Getright or Gozilla tho. The odds of my computer and Inet connection completing a 50Meg download unassisted are practically nil.

posted 04-02- 03:08 PM               

ANOTHER thing we should do is have a sort of "semi-official" list of the website gurus who are committing to maintain the up-to-date files. That way the designers can notify or email their new stuff to 4 or 5 guys and be pretty sure that the "main" update sites for the community have the correct stuff.

It's pretty much impossible for a designer, once he posts a plane, to INSURE that the most current version is on ANY of the download sites except his own. Having some "sanctioned" sites that the designers and web site gurus all agree to keep current seems like one way to minimize online chaos, no?

posted 04-02- 03:31 PM               

CD is not. things change too fast, way to fast.

A 50 meg zip with EVERYTHING in it could be good, with updates every week or 3.

posted 04-02- 03:46 PM               

Right now, if you have to reload, you have to download numerous files from numeous places. If an update comes out you stil have to go get that as well. Having a central large download of "SDOE Standard as of 4/15/2000" for example would allow you to get up to date on the online standard and extras as of that date. Then you can seek out individual planes and extras to fill out your install to the most up to date options.

Then, should a new standard be created, a new Ultimate Update could be created bringing everything to date as of that time.

It will never be 100% up to date, but it will be a fast way to get very close, very quickly. Its more than any game I've ever bought was willing ot do. They'd make you buy a new version.

posted 04-02- 04:45 PM               

But I do not think it would help as far as an on-line standard. This seems to require allot of work and may change monthly, also the WWI pack may roll out new versions seperate from the WW2.

This could, however, allow some terrain additions to become on-line standars. The winter, the night, the WWI terrain, etc.

I think there is certainly value to this in terms of just collecting everything ever made. I would think it would be best to let people browe the archive/CD and install what they want to when they want to - as opposed to istalling every object, what a mess! But this is just my personal feeling.

I would be happy to supply you with URLs to everything I have made...

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-Sv =FC=

WWI in SDOE!

posted 04-02- 05:51 PM               

Add your site here http://pub10.ezboard.com/bnoflyzone.html

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Sun Tzu's Officers Club
http://nosuntzu.homestead.com/index.html

posted 04-02- 10:17 PM               

6 months? you guys are insane. it will be outdated in probly 2 or 3.

posted 04-03- 12:06 AM               

For example: if the Contest Pack were an online standard, Laika has already posted an update to it. He's proud of his I16 and wants it to be as good as possible. Are you going to tell him to stop working on it and not to post improvements? Are you going to tell me I can't download his improvements because they are not the online standard?

posted 04-03- 01:04 AM               

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-=TheReaper=-

posted 04-03- 10:23 AM               

What I will do is do a 'monthly' update where guys can download a single file that will update the standard, include any new fixes, skins, objects, and especially - beta patches from Michael.

The more I think about this, the easier it is getting.

posted 04-03- 11:28 AM               

It is nice to see you took my advice

I really do think your decision is the best way to go.

Condor out

posted 04-03- 05:28 PM               

Uh oh.

Let me do some investigating.

posted 04-05- 08:05 AM            

Maybe we should limit plane and update releases to the first of every month.
OK I just got shot down (again) by every plane maker but surely you can hold off until the first of the following month to release it. It might help stop the endless patches saga.

Also to help stop mismatches use two copies of SDOE on your machine. One to use online using ONLY the 'ONLINE STANDARD' , and one to muck around with all the pretty new planes!

Just my 5 cents worth. (2 cent coin no longer exist here in Aus)

posted 04-05- 10:12 AM               

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posted 04-05- 10:25 AM               

A pack of wolv.. i mean lawyers is hard to reason with. If someone decides to flush a bunch of money on litigation it could make life interesting )

TS

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TS Aircombat

posted 04-05- 11:55 AM               

At the moment I'm working on a util that does the following:

When you run it, checks the installed add-ons, looks on internet and downloads a small database (update maybe) and then checks your files with the info in the database. Then it tells you which of your files are not standard, and (if the maker or updater of the database supplies this info) gives you the download link for the update.

I am a developper, but I do not have the time to maintain this database myself (in fact I now hardly have an idea what is available), so it would be nice if one of the 'leading' persons is prepared to keep an eye on the standard and puts it into the database (I try to let it be as automatic as possible where developpers can send imports to this person etc.) and sets it on-line.

I'm also looking into the possability were you can check your data vs that of another player before you connect to a server....

I hope you guys will like this....

posted 04-05- 12:49 PM               

K take a look at this site
http://www.3dgw.com/simfiles/

He has my idea already running in a lean sort of way. This will work out perfectly if everyone uses it. Maybe we can get something like this hosted right off the left hand menu on www.fightersquadron.com

Then when you make a new plane or anything you just post a little blurb on the forum about it and tell people to look on the releases page.

Everything will be there and it will always be the latest version.