bbosen - 2020-04-29

Changes in the later-Apr 2020 version (Lac08p06) include:

The Mission Detail menus for the three online, server-based, multiplayer missions have been further enhanced. In addition to the two new clickable areas from version 8.05 that cycle Team and Realm affiliation, a third clickable area has been defined. It is labelled "SYNCHRONIZE MUMBLE WITH REALM/MISSION/TEAM". The prior version had attempted to keep Mumble synchronized with every incremental change in Realm or Team, but that proved to be slow and cumbersome and it generated a lot of extraneous, administrative Mumble traffic. This new version only synchronizes Mumble to the user's chosen combination of Realm, Mission, and Team when the user clicks on that new "SYNCHRONIZE MUMBLE WITH REALM/MISSION/TEAM" label.

This version also modifies the value of "NetworkTransmitTimerInterval" when Realm "01" is in use. In that case, the value of "NetworkTransmitTimerInterval" is set to the special value of "101". This greatly improves the visual perception of network "jitter" when flying in Realm "01". If long-term experience with this setting does not cause problems for the server, then we may double the rate of packet transmission with a similar adjustment to "NetworkTransmitTimerInterval" in some or all of the other Realms too.

I found and fixed the "Default Aircraft Selection MenuRendering Bug" that has long plagued LAC. As a result of the improvements implemented in this new version 8.06, our menus are now prettier and a lot more functional. For the first time in almost 5 years, rendered images of mission aircraft are now visible in all appropriate areas of our menus according to reasonable user expectations, and menu clicks can cycle TEAM and REALM affiliations without editing the LacConfig.txt file. Mumble is easily synchronized with the user's choices, and any entry into Realm01 automatically enforces an experimental, more agressive setting of "101" for "NetworkTransmitTimerInterval".

This version remains interoperable with all versions since Lac07p90.

Changes in the late-Apr 2020 version (Lac08p05) include:

The Main Menu has been expanded with an extra button, labelled "ONLINE DOCUMENTATION". It activates an Internet browser for the user from within LAC and conveniently presents several pages of specially chosen online documentation and training video clips. By default, LAC tries to use the "firefox" browser, but the user can specify a different browser by editing a new line, near the bottom of the "LacConfig.txt" file.

Two types of user misbehavior are better managed as follows:

1 of 2: in MissionNetworkBattle01 and in MissionNetworkBattle02, if a user in flight presses <esc> to temporarily exit a difficult tactical situation and then returns without reasonably exercising menu buttons, he sees "<esc> ABUSE DETECTED" in his SystemMessage Panel and he gets destroyed as punishment.</esc></esc>

2 of 2: Anytime the player damages a friendly aircraft or facility in any of the three online, server-based, multiplayer missions, he sees "YOU INFLICTED FRIENDLY FIRE!" on his SystemMesssage Panel and, if he is participating in MissionNetworkBattle01 or MissionNetworkBattle02, he loses access to IFF for a period of time that is proportional to the amount of friendly damage inflicted. If the damage is extremely serious, he suffers other consequences, building up to permanent loss of HUD, RADAR, Tactical status reports, target vocalization, airfield service, and finally, upon landing, summons to court-martial for treason.

The Makefile was enhanced with the "-fPIE" compiler option for better compatibility with popular compilers.

The Mission Detail menus for the three online, server-based, multiplayer missions have been enhanced with clickable areas that cycle Team affiliation back and forth between BLUE and RED and that cycle "REALM" through all available values from "00" to "31", so it is no longer necessary to edit the LacConfig.txt file to specify Team and Realm affiliation. Keep in mind that with the small population of users currently active in LAC, we are urging everybody to limit activities to REALM 0 so we can find one another.)

This version remains interoperable with all versions since Lac07p90.

Changes in the mid-Apr2020 version (Lac08p02) include:

Better support for players that don't have a joystick. The logic that supports flight without a joystick has been improved. Several serious bugs were fixed. Now it's much easier and more reliable to fly with just a mouse and keyboard, whether using the formerly flawed, optional "RELATIVE" mode, or the long-stable nonrelative mode. Both modes are now improved. As an option for pilots that are serious about tuning mouse controls for the maximum possible performance, players can edit their ~home/.LAC/LacControls.txt file to map two keyboard keys to "key_TrimRudderLeft" and "key_TrimRudderRight". In that case, even rudder inputs become available to players flying with only a mouse and keyboard for flight control input. Moving the mouse left or right controls ailerons, and moving the mouse up or down controls elevators. LAC's "SETUP OPTIONS -> GAME" menu allows configuration of mouse controls in "RELATIVE" or nonrelative mode. Beginners will probably prefer the "RELATIVE" mode.

The amount of fuel available at the commencement of MissionNetworkBattle01 and MissionNetworkBattle02 has been diminished in order to more diligently force all players to land for fuel before commencing any other mission tactics.

Bugs in the Me163 refueling, rearming, and repair logic were repaired.

Fixed a bug that had failed to assert accurate "blackout" and "redout" effects when in the external view mode.

Airfield objects and battleships are now visible from much greater distances. This aids in accurate bombing and dive bombing.

Fixed bugs in the Junkers Ju87 and the Aichi D3A that were incorrectly permitting them to retract landing gear, in conflict with their historic, fixed-gear designs.

Fixed bugs in the Junkers Ju87 flight model that had caused occasional segmentation faults when its dive brakes were active and during violent maneuvers.

Enhanced cockpit realism when IFF is disabled or damaged: without IFF, many of the advanced cockpit and RADAR targeting features are now unavailable and pilots are forced to rely on voice radios and LAC's target "vocalization" to locate other aircraft and airfields.

Enhanced the results of damage in flight: Now, as damage levels increase toward 100%, pilots experience various new types of failures associated with WEP, Undercarriage, IFF, Ordnance access, Speedbrakes, and flaps, in addition to the aileron and engine thrust damage that have long been experienced by LAC pilots.

Improved pilot experience after landing for refuel, re-arm, and repair services: the 20-second duration of HUD and RADAR shutdown has been diminished to just 5 seconds.

This version remains interoperable with all versions since Lac07p90.

Changes in the early Apr2020 version (Lac08p01) include:

The cockpit's "TAR ALT" display is now colored red when RedTeam objects are selected, and colored blue when BlueTeam objects are selected.

The duration of flight supported by fuel supplies has been adjusted for all aircraft so that bombers have longer flight endurance and greater range than fighters, etc. The B29 now has the longest flight duration (without refueling) in the sim, and the Me109 has the shortest endurance of all piston-powered aircraft, according to its well-known reputation. Others fall in between these extremes. In general, heavy bombers can remain aloft about twice as long as fighters, and medium bombers can remain aloft about 50% longer than most fighters.

The Spit5 and Spit9 now suffer from fuel-flow cutoff when pulling negative "G" forces, in the same manner as their historic counterparts.

The DeHavilland "Mosquito" has been upgraded from the "bomber-only" version to the "Fighter-Bomber" version, equipping it with guns and rockets in addition to its bombs. These changes should make the "Mossie" a more popular choice among LAC players.

I found and fixed several minor errors in the menu logic that displays "HISTORIC PERIOD" associated with each aircraft. Now, in LAC's menus, early-war aircraft are correctly described as "EARLY WAR", and all late-war aircraft are correctly described as "LATE WAR".

I found and fixed a tiny little bug in main.cpp's "event_targetPrevious()" function that was failing to vocalize aircraft team affiliations if there was only one other aircraft in the mission.

I found and fixed a bug that was causing the "FIGHTERS" tutorial mission to start out with IFF disabled every second time it was re-started.

I enhanced the two-player "HEAD TO HEAD" mission so that its cockpit instruments now display "DATA FLOW" instead of "CONNECTION" to better describe that mission's true use of network activity.

I adjusted starting positions in all three of the server-based, multiplayer missions. Now the player starts out farther from his requested airfield and higher up, giving more time to set up landing when desired.

I found and fixed a bug that sometimes caused LAC to "Hang" destructively when a targetted object was destroyed (either by the player or by somebody else). This bug had also sometimes caused segmentation errors WITHOUT "hanging" the sim.

I adjusted startup logic that was sometimes causing segmentation errors within the first 5 seconds of online missions. (Those errors are now diminished in frequency but still occur from time to time. Not very often. They can be avoided by avoiding violent maneuvers during the first 5 seconds of a new mission.)

I found and fixed a bug that was sometimes causing segmentation errors when the player collided with another aircraft or mission object.

I enhanced the "TargetNext" and "TargetPrevious" facilities. Now they ought to be more accurately named "TargetNextRed" and "TargetPreviousBlue", respectively, since the first of them cycles FORWARD through all RedTeam mission elements (skipping BlueTeam elements), and the second of them cycles BACKWARD through all BlueTeam mission elements (skipping RedTeam items). Accordingly, the keys and processes formerly known as "TargetNext" now yield the next RED target, and the keys and processes formerly known as "TargetPrevious" now yield the previous BLUE target. This arrangement sensibly preserves existing habits, keyboard and joystick mapping, and documentation, with only a small adjustment in pilot behavior. The arrangement is more convenient than the "classic" arrangement that has been in use for the prior three years, since a player that knows the team affiliation of his desired target can now select it with an average of only half as many keystrokes or joystick button activations.

I enhanced the "Map Mode" display with new information revealing the player's current altitude and true airspeed, making "Map Mode" a lot more useful (especially when the Norden Bombsight is active.)

I completely rewrote the Norden Bombsight logic. The "Continuously Computed Impact Point" pipper (which was too "jumpy" in prior versions) now moves much more smoothly. Accuracy is greatly increased. The prompting text has now been optimized to give better advice, which is customized a bit according to the type of aircraft being used.

I eliminated the universally despised, vocalized "tour" of the tactical situation at the beginning of all three online, server-based, multiplayer missions.

As a consequence of all of these changes, LAC is a little more realistic, suffers from fewer segmentation errors and "HANG" problems, is more accurate, and easier to control in complex tactical environments.

This version remains functionally interoperable with all versions since Lac07p92, but it is better behaved, a bit more realistic, and nicer to fly. All players are urged to upgrade.

This version remains interoperable with all versions since Lac07p90.

Changes in the late Feb2020 version (Lac07p96) include:

Another small improvement in the visual representation of network "jitter". This version remains operationally compatible with all versions since Lac07p90.

This version remains interoperable with all versions since Lac07p90.

Changes in the Feb2020 version (Lac07p95) include:

When flying at very high speeds (beyond 380MPH) it has been possible to collide with your own bullets. This didn't happen very often, but it seemed to be a bit more frequent when flying in a straight line. Subsequent testing confirmed that aircraft began colliding with their own bullets at any speed beyond about 375MPH. This has now been fixed. After this change you will find that aircraft can now safely fire their guns and cannons at extremely high speeds without ill effect. This will be especially helpful for fans of the German Me163 "Komet", which can easily exceed 500MPH in combat. This version remains operationally compatible with all versions since Lac07p90.

This version remains interoperable with all versions since Lac07p90.

Changes in the mid December 2019 version (Lac07r94) include:

Improvement in the visual representation of network "jitter". This version remains operationally compatible with all versions since Lac07p90.

This version remains interoperable with all versions since Lac07p90.

Changes in the mid November 2019 version (Lac07r92) include:

Users can now edit the "NetworkMode" field of their LacConfig.txt file to instruct LAC to ignore the presence of Mumble. This will be good for users with computers suffering incompatibilities when trying to use Mumble, or for users wishing to employ some other VOIP application.

Run-time diagnostic reporting was simplified, eliminating several unimportant details and improving framerate when looking to the right, left, up, down, or to the rear from within the cockpit.

LAC's video resolution configuration menu now offers nine standard resolution options instead of just five, making it far less likely that inexperienced users will ever need to manually edit the corresponding resolution fields in their LacConfig.txt file. The vast majority of new users will be able to find an appropriate setting from within LAC's menus.

The flight model of the Nakajima N1K1 fighter was improved with better handling of high-speed compressibility.

LAC's volunteer flight test crew flew meaningful missions, including takeoffs and landings with agressive ACM, in all 54 of the WW2 aircraft and confirmed that all of them fly reasonably without a lot of segmentation errors, and within expected flight performance parameters according to the best available historic and anecdotal records. Top speeds at sea level, climb rates, stall speeds, roll rates, maneuverability, lethality, and durability are all adjusted to our satisfaction. For controlled flight at normal altitudes and speeds, the overall performance and "feel" is entirely reasonable for anybody willing to use a little imagination. (At the extremes of speed and altitude, the flight models are less accurate, but still respectable.) The biggest flight model compromise is evident during takeoffs and landings, which are considerably simplified and easier than in real life, but all of the active principles of flight are modeled in principle; LAC's compromises in takeoff and landing are matters of degree. All of the flight testers are satisfied with the resulting compromises.

Accordingly, we are declaring this release of "classic" Linux Air Combat as DONE, and we are issuing it with a new name:

"LINUX AIR COMBAT R 7.92".

The compiled executable program is now named "lac07r92".

This is the version that will be released for public distribution on 15Nov2019 after more than four years of intense development effort.

This version remains interoperable with all versions since Lac07p90.