bbosen - 2022-01-19

I just published beta-test version 8.56 in our experimental downloads section here:

https://askmisterwizard.com/2019/LinuxAirCombat/Installers/index.htm

Please try it out. I think you will like the changes!

Changes in Lac08p56

The flight model has been made more realistic as a consequence of torque-induced roll. This new torque-induced roll must be specifically switched on through LAC's menus, whereupon all propellor-powered aircraft except for the Lockheed P38 Lightning tend to roll in the direction opposite prop spin when flying too slowly for their ailerons and rudders to compensate, especially when at maximum power. (The P38 is the only prop aircraft that does not suffer from torque-induced roll because its two engines rotate in opposite directions, so that each engine cancels the torque induced by the other. Rocket and jet-powered aircraft do not suffer from torque-induced roll either.)

For most aircraft under normal flight conditions, this new torque-induced roll is a subtle effect of little consequence, and it is generally not felt at all when airspeeds exceed about 160 MPH. However, it will almost always be felt at takeoff and in low-speed turnfights, and the effect is greater for single-engine fighters equipped with large powerplants and props. In particular, the Vought F4u Corsair was notoriously difficult to take off because of its high torque-induced roll, and LAC's F4u suffers accordingly. Be gentle as power is applied during its takeoff, and (in any of the single-engine, prop-powered fighters) be ready to assert opposite aileron to steady any induced roll as soon as one of the wheels lifts off from the runway. In low-speed encounters, pilots that are aware of the quirks of torque-induced roll can gain an advantage in combat because their own aircraft may be able to roll a little faster in the direction favored by engine torque, and if they know that the aircraft they are opposing prefers to roll in the opposite direction, they may be able to compound that advantage by forcing the fight into rolls that the opposing aircraft cannot match.

As an option, this new torque-induced roll can be switched on or off. This is done from within LAC's "SETUP OPTIONS" -> "GAME" -> "DIFFICULTY" menu buttons, by cycling the value of "DIFFICULTY" back and forth between "2" and "3".

When "DIFFICULTY" is set at "2", all of the aircraft, flight models, and missions are the same as in prior versions since 7.92, so competitive, multiplayer aspects remain completely interoperable by default. Players that increase "DIFFICULTY" to "3" can still fly among other players using older versions, but their flight characteristics will be slightly more complex and more realistic.

All of the mission selection menus have been enhanced. Now, as the user views one of the menus describing any of the online, multi-user, server-based missions and cycles among the 32 associated realms, the "ACTIVE PLAYERS" list is immediately and dynamically updated with no need for the user to press the "UPDATE" button. The descriptive text associated with the most important and most popular mission/realm combinations has also been improved for better clarity and additional detail.

Consequently, as the user continues to click the menu's "REALM" indicator to cycle through the 32 realms that can host a particular mission, the names of all participating players are immediately updated in the prominent "ACTIVE PLAYERS" list. These improvements make it much easier for players to identify realm and mission combinations that are populated with Sentient players or with "Replay Blokes" (generated when the server replays previously recorded player activity).

The cockpit RADAR display was also enhanced. It now features a new indicator that announces "NO IFF" whenever the "Identify Friend or Foe" facility is switched off or disabled due to aircraft damage, airfield damage, or detected fratricide attempts. (Prior to this enhancement, some new users have been confused and mystified when the color of RADAR blips degraded to grey from their normal red or blue colors due to loss of IFF functionality.)

We also expanded LAC's aircraft selection menu by displaying new text that asks new players to fly online missions, to join Mumble, to join our forums, and to post favorable online reviews in order to expand our community. In order to make room for this new block of text I also moved the rotating aircraft image slightly to the left.

We also enhanced the text that displays the names and descriptions for all available online mission menus so that the old "TEST" labels now say "BETA TEST" instead, for better clarity. New text also advises users about the best realms for their use and the probability that the server may offer "Replay" missions in case no live, sentient players are participating. Browsing among the available missions and realms is now much more dynamic and responsive to the nuances of different mission/realm combinations. As a consequence, new members of LAC's growing user community will have an easier time finding other players or enjoying Replay Missions in Realms "00" or "01" when other players are not available.

Finally, we eliminated Linux Air Combat's "ESC abuse penalties" for anybody that is operating under all of these three conditions:

1 of 3: Mumble is installed
2 of 3: LAC is configured NOT to manage Mumble automatically
3 of 3: LAC is NOT running in full-screen mode.

It is very unusual for LAC users to operate under all three of those conditions, but when they do it is probably because they need to manage Mumble with their mouse pointer by clicking in Mumble's application frame displayed in a separate window adjacent LAC's application frame. In order to do that, they need to temporarily escape out of LAC, click something on the Mumble frame, and then return to LAC.

We don't want to penalize players for that behavior, because it is quite different from pressing "ESC" to temporarily flee from a threatening online combat situation.