Special Aircraft Service

the SAS Hangar => The Lounge => SAS Dogfight Server => Topic started by: SAS~Skylla on June 29, 2018, 06:21:39 AM

Title: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns") [discontinued]
Post by: SAS~Skylla on June 29, 2018, 06:21:39 AM
Edit SAS~Skylla 2021-02-19:

End of service notice:

Due to the ongoing problems with IL-2 Great Battles we now stop the operation of our dedicated server.
We've had great fun on this server together with you during the programme's peak time, but since some serious flaws have been deliberately introduced by the developer team over 10 months ago and responses to the question when this state will be fixed vary from denial to straight out ridiculing answers we see no need to keep supporting this business anymore.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0BdMbMOvgs

Old introduction message will be kept below as reference





















Hi Gents,

(https://s33.postimg.cc/qm7o2s4rz/FACserver_Intro.png)

we now also have a dedicated 24/7 Server for IL-2 Great Battles (BoX) up and running! The server is called
The Flying Ass Clowns
and can be found in the in-game lobby. Now that we've finished testing, it is open to public and everyone is invited to fly on it.

Right now we have a two sided training mission up in different seasons where you can choose from a wide range of different targets (artillery, trucks, tanks, trains, airfields, bombers, fighters). We furthermore provided air spawn points for bombers, so newbies can take those for an easy ride as well. There are also spawn points for player controlled tanks available on both sides.
Apart from that, a great amount of randomization ensures that you will never know precisely what's coming .. for example how skilled your enemies are 8)

Of course new missions are under construction, and because of the variety of the BoX Mission Editor the possibilities seem endless ...
That being said, making missions for BoX takes even more resources than for 1946, so please bear with us!
Meanwhile, if you are interested in helping us with mission building you are welcome to do so ;)

Below you can find a summary of the server details:

1. Connection details (#post_a0101)
Server name: The Flying Ass Clowns
Stats page: www.sas1946.rocks:8000 (http://www.sas1946.rocks:8000)

2. Difficulty settings (#post_a0102)
You can see our server difficulty settings below:
(https://i.postimg.cc/bwDPvnFc/dserver_normal.png)
Edit Skylla 2018-09-20: We decided to switch the difficulty settings to 'Normal' (as seen above) in order to make life easier for beginners.
It is still possible to fly 'full real' on the server nevertheless. Players have the possiblility to decide themselves if they want to use the auto engine control options, icon overlay, navigation map and outside views.
Those who do not like those while flying can not use them / turn them off ;)

3. Missions (#post_a0103)
A list of recently played missions can be found here: http://www.sas1946.rocks:8000/en/missions/ (http://www.sas1946.rocks:8000/en/missions/)
At the time of me posting this, we have the following missions on the server:
More missions are under construction.

4. Busiest Hours (#post_a0104)
Our weekly FAC Session usually moves from IL-2 1946 to IL-2 Great Battles on Sunday, 4 PM UTC. Everyone is welcome.
We also have a TeamSpeak 3 Server running for comms. Just ask in the chat for connection details.
During the week there's a chance that you'll meet Storebror and / or me between 7 and 8 PM CEST.

5. Server Admins (#post_a0105)
The Server Admins are
In case of problems please reply into this thread.

6. Server Rules (#post_a0106)
So far we didn't need any special rules for the server. I hope it stays that way.
Edit Skylla 2018-07-25: As it seems, certain individuals were confusing "no special rules" with "no rules".
Therefore, the following rules are now in effect on the server:
Dicks and Sissies might get booted from the server without further notice!

7. Enable Mods! (#post_a0107)
Our Server uses "Mods On" mode, therefore in order to see the Server on the list of available Servers in the "Multiplayer" screen, you have to have "Mods Enabled" checked in the Game Settings:
(https://s33.postimg.cc/deh79sv0v/mods_on.jpg)

Best Regards
skylla
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on July 07, 2018, 12:27:43 AM
This is how you meet us. Click Screenshots for full size.

First, disable mods mode. If it was enabled before, restart your game when being asked for:
Edit Skylla 18-09-02: Mods need to be enabled now! See first post.

Seconds, click "Multiplayer", then choose "Dogfight" mode and click "Continue":
(https://www.sas1946.rocks/flickr/storebror/839/42346435225_eaeb98365f_c.jpg) (https://www.sas1946.rocks/flickr/storebror/839/42346435225_e0c9ddda17_o.jpg)

Scroll down on the Server List (it's sorted alphabetically per default) and find us listed as "The Flying Ass Clowns".
Click the line and click "Join Server" or simply double-click the line to join:
(https://www.sas1946.rocks/flickr/storebror/840/29380048878_8852cc6019_c.jpg) (https://www.sas1946.rocks/flickr/storebror/840/29380048878_afc2a7103c_o.jpg)

Wait for the game to download Server Files (that's the mission file) and to load up the mission.
When the mission has been loaded, you will be presented with a map, but there's nothing much on there yet.
Wait a bit (up to a minute or so) for the map to be fully loaded.
During this time, you can read the mission briefing on the right already...
The screenshots below show our current training mission.
(https://www.sas1946.rocks/flickr/storebror/1770/42346435005_15dcd69c1d_c.jpg) (https://www.sas1946.rocks/flickr/storebror/1770/42346435005_ee5ac6edfb_o.jpg)

Finally you will see the spawn points - this image shows our training mission again, left side is germans, right side is russians.
Click on a Spawn Point to see what is available there.
The "Bomber" Spawn Points have airstart, but you can only select bombers there.
The "Modmover" Spawn Points have runway start - you spawn with engine on, lined up on the runway, ready to go. Here you can choose bombers and fighter-bombers with ground attack loadouts.
The "Everything" Spawn Points have parked start - you spawn in the parking position with engines off and will have to start up your plane and taxi to the runway first. Here you have free choice of everything.
The "Tank" Spawn Points let you play in all available Tanks, currently one per side.
(https://www.sas1946.rocks/flickr/storebror/1823/29380048698_200819b705_c.jpg) (https://www.sas1946.rocks/flickr/storebror/1823/29380048698_effd2a8185_o.jpg)

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: bomberkiller on July 07, 2018, 01:37:20 AM
 ]cheers[
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on July 16, 2018, 04:43:38 PM
Great news indeed, but I have a few questions (please move them to elsewhere if they do not belong here):

1. Currently we've got a speed bar covering the lower left section. Are there any tricks to hide it client-wise? I mean removing the speed bar without removing icons/labels?

2. Will the FAC server remain a mod-unfriendly server? Current mods (so far as I see) do not affect gameplay, so IMO they could be enabled with no risk.

3. Are any measures planned against vulchers? I was on training, and could not even taxi due to some LW vulchers firing at me when my nav lights were on and my engine warming up. I depleted 4 to 5 airplanes as a sitting duck until I could finally get airborne. Easy kills for them, but no joy for me. Maybe more AAA to make it a no-fly zone?
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on July 16, 2018, 11:41:11 PM
1.) Hit "I" key to get rid of the so called "Tech Chat" and the Speedbar
2.) Problem with Mods is that the online world is separated in two parts. Clients with Mods enabled can only see Mods enabled Servers and vice versa. As soon as we enable Mods, we lose 99% of potential users.
3.) AAA is extremely inefficient against fast planes and the Luftvulchers know that fact. The airfields are actually crowded with AAA already. We'll take a look at that.

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Skylla on July 17, 2018, 05:22:06 AM
3. Are any measures planned against vulchers? I was on training, and could not even taxi due to some LW vulchers firing at me when my nav lights were on and my engine warming up. I depleted 4 to 5 airplanes as a sitting duck until I could finally get airborne. Easy kills for them, but no joy for me. Maybe more AAA to make it a no-fly zone?

Looking at the situation on the server lately from my own experience I recon that our test mission has attracted a few of those "heros" who like to fly the most capable planes, but in a very cowardly manner.
Their only goal seems to be to trace other players down, especially if they're flying "easy targets". Even better if they catch them busy: right after take off, while landing, on the ground.
I find that despicable. When making that mission, Mike and me provided as many (different) targets as possible, with AI planes refreshing constantly.
This doesn't mean that you mustn't shoot at players, but our server is thought of as a place where everyone can have fun: fighters, bombers, mud movers, aces, newbies.

All that being said, how should we react best on this? Sure, we could introduce a rule set which prohibits attacking player AC under certain conditions. But I never was a fan of such rules, because the individuals for which these rules are made don't care for them anyway and for everyone else, especially if they are new, a huge set of flying rules can be quite off-putting.

In any case, I will be looking out for unwanted behaviour on the server in the next days and confront players about it.

Does that sound good to you?

Best Regards
skylla
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on July 17, 2018, 07:45:15 AM
Yep, I really don't grasp the fun involved in strafing a human player when there are plenty of AIs around, all the more so, as I tried to get airborne in a MiG, while those guys were flying G-14s and A-5s, so that I would have been easy meat anyway. Possibly I should have sent them a massege, 'You are like a cat who doesn't let the mouse out of its hole, maybe out of fear that the mouse would catch the cat?'  :P

Anyway, I don't think that much can be done against such behaviour, other than declaring that it's regarded as childish cowardice and will be dealt with as such by the voodoo sorcerers behind the Ass Clown mask.  8) You know, curse of the pharaoh, etc, etc.  ;)

It would be too complicated (or even impossible) to include in the personal statistics if someone shot down a plane (1) occupied by a human, (2) having the nav lights on, (3) being within an N meter circle around the spawn point.  :-|

BTW thanks for the server and the excellent mission design!
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on July 17, 2018, 10:02:23 AM
1.) Hit "I" key to get rid of the so called "Tech Chat" and the Speedbar

I'll have to check it online as well, but offline it works just the other way round.
If 'Simple gauges' is checked in Difficulties, you have the full Speedbar by default (together with icons and the technochat).
If you turn it off by pressing 'I' ingame, it hides the whole Speedbar and all unit icons/labels, but the technochat is still displayed.
Am I wrong assuming that there's no way to hide just the Speedbar?
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Skylla on July 17, 2018, 10:31:23 AM
If you turn it off by pressing 'I' ingame, it hides the whole Speedbar and all unit icons/labels, but the technochat is still displayed.
Am I wrong assuming that there's no way to hide just the Speedbar?
Unfortunately you assume right as it seems :-X
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on July 17, 2018, 11:59:23 AM
Am I wrong assuming that there's no way to hide just the Speedbar?
Ah, now I understand.
No sorry, that isn't possible.
Something to a similar effect has been requested here (https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/37905-thread-concerning-an-option-to-turn-off-the-%E2%80%9Ctechnochat%E2%80%9D-in-realism-menu-by-server-administrator/), but I doubt the devs care too much for anthing that happens in the english forum.

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on July 19, 2018, 12:57:25 AM
I might have an idea how we could change the situation regarding constant strafing of airfields.
Before I start trying to implement it, I'd like to have your feedback on the idea:

In a nutshell, it consists of a checkzone (technically two checkzones, but from a logical point of view let's say it's one) which detects when enemy planes get close to the airfield.
When the first enemy plane enters that zone, a timer will start and once the timer elapses, all medium AAA on the airfield will be set to "high/ace" level.
When the last enemy plane leaves that zone, another timer will start which on elapse will reset all medium AAA on the airfield to "low/normal" level.

The zone would e.g. have a range of 5km / a diameter of 10km. The timer for switching AAA to "high/ace" level would be set to 2 minutes.
This means a plane can travel through the airfield's airspace at 300km/h or more without getting caught be the ace AAA. However if that plane turns around to strafe again, it will get humilated.

The 2nd timer (reset AAA to "low/normal" level) would be set at e.g. 5 minutes to give players enough time to takeoff.

I think this would also cope the real life situation where when you'd attack a heavily defended zone like an airfield, you would plan your attack wisely, come in quick by surprise, drop your load and get the hell out of there. You might return, but only much later and from a different direction. That'd be exactly what would still work here, too. But the constant strafing would definitely become deadly.

Your feedback please gents ;)

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on July 19, 2018, 03:26:41 AM
*bump*
We could even go a tad further.
For instance, player planes could be set "invulnerable" until they took off.
Heck, even AI planes could be set the same way... just let me know what you think would work best ;)

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on July 19, 2018, 03:47:47 AM
*bumpity bump*
Dammit.

Patch 3.005 effectively killed our Server.
3 times in a row not, it crashed right when the 1st player spawns, see report here:
https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/13160-multiplayer/?do=findComment&comment=642509

F*ck.
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Skylla on July 19, 2018, 03:59:26 AM
since I like to trash those airfields myself from time to time, I don't like the idea of increasing AAA (skill) to much. Hell, for a mud mover they are challenging enough already ...
Then again my targets are not so much the rolling planes, but the defences themselves.
If I strafe planes, then only AI and (mostly) because of the fact that I have no chance against them once they took off .. If there's a player around it's time to gtfo for me anyways ;)

That being said, I think making player AC invulnerable for the take-off sounds like the best idea to me.

Quote
Patch 3.005 effectively killed our Server.
3 times in a row not, it crashed right when the 1st player spawns, see report here:
lovely.

Maybe a problem with the mission?
The last times I've been flying (on 3.004) the overload message kept popping up (I would definitely vote for removing the traps now).

Another thought: Maybe it has to do with spawning of planes on the beginning of the mission? Did anything change there in the notation with the new patch? I mean, the MissionEditor for example cannot open old missions with existing .msnbin file again ;)
If we're lucky it might be enough to open the Mission in ME and resave it ...
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on July 19, 2018, 04:00:30 AM
Thank you for giving it a thought.

Could you perhaps combine invulnerability with friendly fire? I mean, shooting at planes set to invulnerable (or having the nav lights on in the vicinity of an airfield) could also count as friendly fire and would lower the fairness percentage of the attacker. Once the percentage drops below 50%, the player will be automatically kicked for one day. Dunno if it's feasible, though.  :-|

My problem with your other concept is that it would also punish AIs and 'normal' humans. You can never be sure whether the terminator mode has already been triggered by a stray AI or a fellow human pilot. Good guys flying into a death trap is possibly too pathetic for a training server.  :D

To be clear, I'm not against strafing airfields in so far as it's not about preventing others from playing the game.
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on July 19, 2018, 04:08:32 AM
Maybe a problem with the mission?

Maybe. 3.005 also broke track replay. Normally the game drops an error #10000 when trying to load an older track, but when I try to load a track recorded on the FAC server, it loads as nothing happened, but at the end of the loading process there comes a black screen and a CTD.
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on July 19, 2018, 04:46:36 AM
The missions cannot be opened per default, that's right.
However the workaround is just the same as always: From the Mission Editor Tools Menu, pick the "Resave all missions in folder" option and let it walk across the old mission files.
Works perfectly and I did that, but nevertheless the Server keeps crashing.

It's a pity.
At the moment I have no idea what's going on here and frankly I don't have time to track it down on behalf of the devs who broke it.
Therefore, as it stand right now, our Server runs Skylla's new mission instead.

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: bomberkiller on July 19, 2018, 05:58:02 AM
Quote
Patch 3.005 effectively killed our Server.

Das erklärt warum es bei mir gestern Nachmittag nicht klappte.

Zunächst mindestens eine Stunde "Update" und dann NOTTING! (< = kölsch   ;) )

Will ich 'mal mit dem "STEAM-Mist" etwas spielen, kackt der Krempel gleich ab.

Was soll's, habe ja nur zwei Stunden Lebenszeit und Strom verschwendet.

Bin gespannt wie es in diesem Fortsetzungsroman weitergeht.

Gruß, Gerhard  :)
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on July 19, 2018, 06:44:07 AM
Quote
Patch 3.005 effectively killed our Server.
It seems that each major update adds a few more new bones to the skeleton in the cupboard.

kackt der Krempel gleich ab.
Das musste ich im Duden nachgucken...  ;D
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: bomberkiller on July 19, 2018, 06:59:11 AM
 :D
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on July 19, 2018, 07:27:25 AM
At the moment the Server list is almost empty.
Something must have gone wrong, seriously.

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on July 19, 2018, 07:34:46 AM
Looks like I'm getting closer to the cause of the issue.
Cross your fingers, doesn't seem too severe... for us, that is 8)
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on July 19, 2018, 08:30:35 AM
15. Erfreue uns nun wieder, nachdem du uns so lange plagest, nachdem wir so lange Unglück leiden.
(Psalmen 90:15)
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: bomberkiller on July 19, 2018, 08:52:49 AM
Amen

 8)
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on July 19, 2018, 09:30:03 AM
Alright guys, we're back in business.
Reason for the DServer.exe crash has been found - of course not by the devs, but by myself.
It's whenever there's an AI Pe-2 ser.87 on airspawn, DServer.exe will crash. Changing the same plane to ser.35 fixes it temporarily.
What a nice bug...

The good news is that there's still just a handful of servers back online and we get our fair share of players now.

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: bomberkiller on July 19, 2018, 09:37:13 AM
 ]cheers[   Prosit  ;)
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on July 19, 2018, 09:44:10 AM
Oh my gauche, the new blister turret bug...

https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/38016-pe2-ser87-blister-turret-ctd/

Really, what 'nice' bug
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on July 19, 2018, 10:00:53 AM
Yep, unfortunately it has been posted to the dump, read: Not on the moderated, well formatted dedicated bug report threads.
All the other threads of that bug report forum are simply for the bin as it's literally impossible to spot anything useful inside that clutter.
Too bad nearly no one cares to simply format their bug reports and put them to the moderated threads.

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Skylla on July 19, 2018, 10:16:40 AM
glad to hear you could find the issue so fast, Mike! Thanks a lot :D
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on July 19, 2018, 10:21:27 AM
You're welcome.
On that opportunity, I've cut the list of available planes on the mud mover bases a bit (because we still cannot prohibit the default payload), and the new planes (Fw 190 A-8, Fokker Dr.I and Spad XIII) have been added to both AI and player spawns.
Oh, and the new tanks are available on the spawn points too, and a couple of russian tanks have been replaced by KV-1 tanks now, in the hope to counter the germans who usually simply overrun that russian tank column.

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on July 19, 2018, 10:42:10 AM
All the other threads of that bug report forum are simply for the bin as it's literally impossible to spot anything useful inside that clutter.
Too bad nearly no one cares to simply format their bug reports and put them to the moderated threads.

Yep, but it's understandable to some extent. People want confirmation first, and when the bug is confirmed by others, they lean back in the good faith that someone from the devs monitors these threads regularly to pick up issues to be solved. You're quite right it's a wastebin, but unless it's announced there in large neon-red capital letters, 'Let off the steam, no one else reads', nothing will change.  ]pottytrain5[

BTW congrats to successfully tracking down the problem, and thanks for the solution.  ]cheers[
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on July 19, 2018, 11:57:57 AM
Well speaking of "solution", I'm just looking at the server console and see how the server is frequently plotting the "overload" dots.
What a pity, this means that instead of eventually fixing the DServer CPU load issue with AI planes, they managed to make matters worse :-[
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Skylla on July 19, 2018, 12:41:10 PM
I was on the server over the last hour. While I saw that overload message popping up again two or three times, I could not spot any "errative behaviour". Then again, I am more focused on hunting tanks.

Apart from that I haven't enjoyed myself that much for quite some time. Over the time I was flying there were new guys popping in and out .. 'it was a hoot', as Gubi would've said ..
And as someone who came late to the party for '46 online flying, this is something new for me, and nice at that.
Go figure, there were people battling each others with tanks (one even was barefaced enough to turn his MG at my Sturmovik ;D) and all other targets were in use, too .. it was fun to just watch all that for some time.
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on July 19, 2018, 01:29:39 PM
What a pity, this means that instead of eventually fixing the DServer CPU load issue with AI planes, they managed to make matters worse :-[

Perhaps just nitpicking, but I guess it's not only a DServer issue, for me it seems to be a more general optimization issue related to how flight data and/or combat decisions are processed. I mostly fly offline stock campaigns on a budget rig (i5-6500), and I experience significant slow-downs when bad weather is combined with a great many actors. On top of that, not even time compression works the was as it did prior to 3.000, a clear sign of a CPU limit newly introduced.  :-[
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on July 19, 2018, 05:39:33 PM
Sorry again, but reload a track and measure the time (and monitor the processes) between loaded to 100% and actually shown. Minutes on my crap system.
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on July 19, 2018, 11:35:14 PM
I was on the server over the last hour. While I saw that overload message popping up again two or three times, I could not spot any "errative behaviour". Then again, I am more focused on hunting tanks.

Apart from that I haven't enjoyed myself that much for quite some time. Over the time I was flying there were new guys popping in and out .. 'it was a hoot', as Gubi would've said ..
Thanks for the report Skylla.
Indeed the Server was crowded.
We've had 20 players on the 5PM mission and 35 on the 7:30PM one.
This would probably have continued, but unfortunately the Pe-2 ser.87 blister turret bug isn't the only one, since this is solved now (by workaround) but DServer.exe crashed on 8:13PM nevertheless (all times are GMT).
It's a bummer.
I'll try to get a watchdog done that will restart the server in case of such crashes.

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on July 20, 2018, 03:32:48 AM
I was on the server when it crashed. The mission went down fine with 8-9 players on both sides. When the mission ended, one half of the players exited, the other half stayed (including me), and the crash occured during or after the loading of the next mission.

I made a few track recordings on FAC and on Coconot's Normal later on, and reloading those tracks takes ages. Seems normal until the progress bar reaches 100%, but it halts there on the splash screen for minutes before it transfers to the cockpit.
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on July 20, 2018, 03:34:53 AM
If you could upload the tracks, we could compare results.

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on July 20, 2018, 06:08:46 AM
I'll try to get a watchdog done that will restart the server in case of such crashes.
Done.
At most, the server will now be offline for ~30 seconds in case of such crashes.

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: Eboy on July 20, 2018, 03:54:36 PM
Hey guys, I really enjoy your server! A lot of times I see it is not online, like right now. Is there a reason for that?
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on July 21, 2018, 12:23:22 AM
Hi Erab100,

Thanks for your message.
The reason for not being online is the current instability of DServer.exe.
Something got messed up with Patch 3.005 and it hasn't been fully fixed in Patch 3.005b yet:
(https://s22.postimg.cc/9ku0fv84x/DServer_crash_2018-07-20.png)

We're trying to fight this with a watchdog that automatically restarts the server in case of such crashes, but unfortunately that crash shows so many facets that it's really hard to cover all of them.

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: Eboy on July 21, 2018, 01:18:05 AM
Thanks for replying Storebror! Should I report every time I see the server is down? If so, where?
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on July 21, 2018, 01:28:11 AM
Thanks for your effort Erab100.
You can report here in this thread for the time being.
Skylla and me can restart the server if it locks up again.

I hope it won't though - from last night's crash I've checked the reasons for our Watchdog not being able to pull up the server again, and I hope I've fixed that now. Cross your fingers ;)
Right now it's up again.

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on July 21, 2018, 08:02:24 AM
*bump*
Okay, looking good, sort of...
Server was restarted at 9:19 AM local time, at 3:37:53 PM local time DServer.exe crashed again but the Watchdog was able to terminate the hanging process, so that at 3:28:06 PM local time, 13 seconds after crashing, the server was back up again.
Of course it's still disturbing for the players who were online at that time, but that's the best we can do at the moment until the devs finally get the issues sorted.

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: Eboy on July 21, 2018, 12:50:21 PM
Server's down again, did it crash?
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on July 21, 2018, 12:51:44 PM
Thanks for the heads up.
This time it looks like DServer took the whole Server OS down with it.
Restart coming soon...

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: Eboy on July 21, 2018, 12:52:30 PM
Thanks!
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on July 21, 2018, 01:06:06 PM
Server is back up.

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: Eboy on July 23, 2018, 09:16:39 AM
I think more ground targets for the Allies would be a nice addition seeing as the Axis have a lot of ground targets to shoot at. :P
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on July 23, 2018, 09:47:16 AM
Well the allies have much better weapons against Tanks (--> IL-2 Sturmovik anyone?) and both sides can attack the other side's train (which respawns after 15 minutes).
Nevertheless, in the long run there will be artillery for the reds to attack too ;)

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on July 24, 2018, 02:28:29 PM
I like the new rules  ;)
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on July 24, 2018, 09:51:49 PM
I like it that you like them 8)
For those wondering what the rules are, we've got two of them:

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Skylla on July 25, 2018, 06:33:27 AM
New rules have been added to the first post: https://www.sas1946.com/main/index.php?topic=58998.msg650329#post_a0106
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on July 25, 2018, 10:43:37 PM
I see that "HardyMachtParty" still didn't get the message.
Looks like we soon have the first one to get booted, for being a Dick and a Sissie at the same time.

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Ghost129er on July 26, 2018, 09:37:28 AM
There needs to be a smite/slap command for BoX, hope that's able to come out soon... That way instead of banning them, just randomly screw with them in return until they stop or rage quit. :))
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on July 26, 2018, 09:57:10 PM
Our famous UP3 slap command? Yeah that would be great.
Parts of it are even there already.
You can have command hooks in your mission on BoX and there's a "Damage" command that can either repair or damage a given object.
The problem lies in the definition of "object". In BoX an object is something you put on your mission, but it's not the actual object being spawned at runtime.
Therefore we could damage the airfield where players spawn from, but not the aircraft actually being spawned.

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on July 27, 2018, 04:31:36 AM
The problem lies in the definition of "object". In BoX an object is something you put on your mission, but it's not the actual object being spawned at runtime.

An interesting concept of God, where you have full power over the material world you've created omnipotently, but have no control over subjects newly born into that world. Maybe you could affect exactly where the sinner is to be reborn next time? What I have in mind is a special Purgatorium spawn point with some hell-fire and obstacles. ):D :))
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on July 27, 2018, 05:25:50 AM
Well now that we know that...

(https://www.sas1946.rocks/flickr/storebror/860/42953351864_ef65bd2347_o.png)

...what else should we punish them with?

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on July 27, 2018, 05:43:36 AM
My thought exactly, a spawn point inside a closed hanger with posters like that on the wall (unless you can manipulate his mission loading screen...)  8)
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: Dark Apostle on July 27, 2018, 09:42:42 AM
2 Thumbs up on the Server guys! As someone easing back into flying, I found it easy to get around on. Now I need to decide which xpac to grab..torn between Kuban and Moscow.
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on July 27, 2018, 11:41:25 PM
Thanks DA :)
Moscow or Kuban... trust me you'll want to have both.
If you can't afford both at the same time, I'd make it up to the next sale.
Stalingrad and Moscow are usually 66% off in sale, Kuban was just on sale for one time yet and was 10% off then.
So... if Kuban should be 66% off on next sale, get it.
If not, get Moscow first and wait for Kuban to become cheaper in sale. Most probably it will got the 10-30-50-66% off route.

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Skylla on July 28, 2018, 12:26:23 PM
Hi DA,

was nice to fly with you yesterday. Always nice to meet someone who has the guts to take a mud mover once in a while :D

Best Regards
skylla
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: Dark Apostle on July 29, 2018, 04:45:58 PM
Thanks Skylla, I grabbed Kuban, mainly because Hs129, but I bought the P-40 separately yesterday and think I've found my spirit animal!
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Skylla on July 30, 2018, 03:47:57 AM
Oh yeah, the P-40 .. one of my favourites, too.

Simply because flying this kite is a little bit more challenging .. and if you know what you do, you even might become a nasty surprise for the random 109 jockey who thought of an easy target 8)

Also you can carry a FAB-500 bomb, which seems to be the only weapon to effectively fight german tiger tanks atm. With the Sturmovik - as much as I like it against tanks - I just wasn't able to kill one yet.

Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on July 30, 2018, 05:51:20 AM
Indeed, FAB-500s provide us with eloquent means to express our gratitude to and respect for those brave enemy tankers who took the pain to sneak close to our air base.   ;D
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on July 30, 2018, 06:27:49 AM
Looking at the sorties flown during the past week, I think that "HardymachtParty" will be the first to get hit by the ban hammer.
He's constantly acting both like a dick and a sissie, for instance...

A real 1st grade asshat, soon to be gone.

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on July 30, 2018, 07:02:05 AM
Couldn't he get the Vulcher's Paradise instead? It would be more fun to imagine his face when he's being spawned next time onto a meadow surrounded by trees, with a campfire beneath his cockpit, and with some enemy AAAs around, delayed for 20 seconds, just to give him time to read the verdict while the fire is slowly warming up his asshole... 8)
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on July 30, 2018, 07:10:16 AM
While I definitely sign the idea, this unfortunately isn't possible with BoX ;)

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on July 30, 2018, 07:17:40 AM
So it's not possible to redirect a particular player to a particular spawning location. What a petty! Anyway, thank you for your efforts!  ]cheers[
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on July 30, 2018, 07:29:12 AM
Correct. You cannot do anything to a specific player but to apply a ban.
And even that ban implementation sucks.
For instance, you have no control over the bans locally on your server.
There's one server config file that sets a ban time for all bans you apply.
The only thing you can do is apply that ban with that time you've chosen beforehand, to any player who is currently online.
The ban itself will be stored on the Master Server then - out of reach for yourself as the server operator. A pity.
So if you accidentally ban someone, you will need to unban him - which you can't.
At least not specifically that player.
If you need to unban anyone, you can only unban all players at once.

In order to somehow work around all these limitations, coconut is developing a "SturmovikServerControl" tool, but frankly it's main purpose seems to be handling dynamic campaigns and as such, it comes along as a complete overkill to us, where currently the only functionality we might want to use is the ban controller.

Probably we're gonna write our own tool to handle this issue.
The idea of coconut's "SturmovikServerControl" concerning bans is a good one: He's storing the ban locally, with quite short timeout, and the ban will simply be re-applied at the moment a banned player connects to the server.
It's an awkward workaround, but it does the trick and this is something that actually can be done from 3rd party tools by using the "Remote Console" functionality of the dedicated server, something that has been carried over straight from Rise of Flight (heck, the console client even still has ROF in it's name).

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on July 30, 2018, 08:51:55 AM
The ban itself will be stored on the Master Server then - out of reach for yourself as the server operator. A pity.

All this sounds a little, errr, weird, to say the least.

Probably we're gonna write our own tool to handle this issue.

At least some room for hacking around a bit again, just a pity it cannot be done the straight -- and less time-consuming -- way.
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on July 30, 2018, 04:50:20 PM
Just to doublecheck, I had a #10009 error "Game server connection lost" at 00:07 and again at 00:19 CET.
The game was up and running, I could reconnect soon, but my name on the stats page turned red.
Probably a connection error on my side, which I find however strange, as I believe to have a very stable wired broadband connection (212/20 MBit/s a few minutes later, 7 ms, FAC server ping is generally 29 ms).
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on July 30, 2018, 11:20:33 PM
I've just checked the logs, nothing special in there. We've had no server crash since about two days now.
The sortie logs of the two sorties you've mentioned are here:
http://www.sas1946.rocks:8000/sortie/5489
http://www.sas1946.rocks:8000/sortie/5491

We can see the disconnect on both sortie logs.
While the server wasn't too crowded at that time, one guy (volga1965) was flying with you, and these are his sortie logs of the same timeframe:
http://www.sas1946.rocks:8000/sortie/5488
http://www.sas1946.rocks:8000/sortie/5490

As you see, just normal sorties without disconnect so... yes, that's been a connection error on your side. Maybe a nightly reconnect enforced by ISP policy to keep you from operating static IP business webservices.

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on July 31, 2018, 01:54:15 AM
Thanks Mike, I guessed so, just wanted to be sure. Maybe a good idea to make a complete system restart around mindnight to avoid such disconnects?
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on July 31, 2018, 03:00:00 AM
If your ISP forcibly reconnects you once a day, then a PC restart might not help much as it'll be the router that will drop the connection about the same time regardless what you do.

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: Eboy on August 01, 2018, 04:47:49 AM
Is there any objective for the Ju-52? I am thinking about buying it as it seems like a really nice and neat plane with such a unique role in the game. I'd be happy to use it on the server, dropping off troops or cargo over Soviet territory. :D
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on August 01, 2018, 05:14:44 AM
Yes, you can occupy the russian airbase by dropping paratroopers on it.
Parameters for capturing the airbase are:

Take note of the wind: We have ground winds with 3m/s from West, up to 7m/s at altitude.
Take care of the airbase AAA. When you stay within their defense area for too long, AAA will become very nasty. With a Ju-52 this will be the hardest part. Fighters might slip through - once - but a Ju-52 will not be able to cross the red airbase without getting a massive slap from the defenders. Therefore the best tactics are to approach from the West (so the wind drags your Paratroopers across the base), drop the Paratroopers at the edge of AAA's defense area, turn around asap and leave to the West again. Don't attempt to fly across the base, it's highly unlikely that you will survive this stunt.

Once you managed to drop 30 Paratroopers on the red base, you will capture it and win the mission.

Sorry to red players: There's no plane available in BoS yet to give you a similar opportunity.

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on August 01, 2018, 05:41:52 AM
Sorry to red players: There's no plane available in BoS yet to give you a similar opportunity.

What about dropping N tons of bomb on the runway to make it inoperable for a while?
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on August 01, 2018, 06:20:46 AM
No way to count that in BoS, sorry.
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: Dark Apostle on August 01, 2018, 07:15:38 PM
Sorry to red players: There's no plane available in BoS yet to give you a similar opportunity.

What about dropping N tons of bomb on the runway to make it inoperable for a while?
Someone was trying that yesterday, I don't tend to hunt people, but after his first attempt at two sc1000 He-111 run as I'm taking off failed, I figured more was to come, never actually got him though lol.
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on August 01, 2018, 10:34:07 PM
If anyone's brave enough to try level bombing the enemy airfield, I'm fine with that.
It's not really comparable to the itty titty strafers we've had, as the level bomber might come around every 30 minutes or so, not every 30 seconds like the strafer.
That's why we didn't see the big AAA guns to "high" AI level, as otherwise level bombing or Paratrooper dropping would become almost impossible.

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on August 17, 2018, 03:28:54 PM
There's a strange thing here:

http://www.sas1946.rocks:8000/en/mission/3392/

How did Axis win? In-game there was an LW player who is not included here. I haven't seen him personally. According to the in-game stats page (not screen-captured, unfortunately), however, he destroyed some 30 vehicles within 0:00 of time and scored multiple thousands of points. Was he you, Mike, doing some tests, or is someone gaming the system?
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on August 18, 2018, 12:20:23 AM
Simple answer: The Stats don't show Player Tank sorties. It's a bummer, but that's what it is. I've asked the creators of IL-2 Stats but there's no plan to ever implement this feature.
And: No, that wasn't me ;)
In the long run we might completely replace IL-2 Stats with an own system, working on this has already started but it's a lengthy process.

In detail, on that mission you've had two players driving german tanks, in particular "doebel65" was driving a Pz-Kpfw.III Ausf.L and "I./ZG1_feuervogel" was driving a Pz.Kpfw.VI Ausf.H1 aka "Tiger".
The latter is known to have no opponent within the set of available objects in BoS currently, except for huge Flak guns (8.8cm Flak37 on Luftie side and 8.5cm 52-K on Ruskie) abused as anti-tank guns.
Now that the new assault zone in the south of our mission doesn't have anti-tank guns (they'd humilate all other AI if they were there), it's an easy thing to jump a Tiger, drive to the assault zone and pick one easy prey after another.
Only thing you need is patience and a certain weakness in your brain, because it takes quite some time to get where you could abuse that power - both was the case for "I./ZG1_feuervogel" apparently, who wasted more than an hour to get that fruitless job done.

We - as the mission creators - would pretty much love to put an end to this without having to take the Tiger off the map completely.
And it would even be an easy thing to do, believe it or not.
One thing is already there, but it's not working: Payload limitations. To be precisely, it was working fine in BoS 2.x, but got broken in 3.0 and from there on, with each new patch the devs either broke it again in a different fashion or left the bug untouched.
Currently we exclude payloads but the default one - "default" is always available, no matter what. And "default" for a tiger means that it's equipped with it's deadliest anti tank ammo, and to make matters worse, it's 92 of them.
It's a sad fact that devs have first ignored this bug, then denied it, then made it even worse, and now that I've even been in touch with Jason Williams by PM about this thing, there's only - s-i-l-e-n-c-e. Nothing happens.
The other thing needed to be done was a simple update to the game code in order to give mission makers the possibility to limit fuel load on player tanks.

That's it.

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on August 18, 2018, 03:43:31 AM
Thanks Mike for the elaborate explanation. I guessed that tanks may have played a role, and I vaguely remembered that you asked Vaal about plans to implement tank action into the stats. What struck me, however, was the vast number of destroyed ground targets, I simply could not believe it was possible without some cheat or exploit.
Anyway, I'm fine with it now that I know how it worked, and if someone feels happy driving one hour just to make a turkey hunt, it's his choice, let he have fun, I don't mind. Maybe next time I'll take a FAB-500 and seek him out just to make his experience more 'immersive'.  :P
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on August 18, 2018, 07:10:15 AM
the vast number of destroyed ground targets
There's 16 russian vehicles running around in that assault zone all the time, with 10 seconds respawn on kill, so you can get like 92 kills with your 92 shells on the Tiger, or even more when you use your guns to kill the unarmored trucks.

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: BalDaddy on August 19, 2018, 02:31:11 AM
Sounds as if your server is somewhat blighted by a few 'War Thunder' mentality player types!
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on August 19, 2018, 02:59:17 AM
You always come to meet the shallow end of the gene pool once you go full public.
We've seen it on our forums, we've seen it on the UP3 gameserver, and now we see it on the BoS Server too.
The one thing we've learned is: It makes no sense to start discussing their behaviour to those cretins.
Therefore we simply kick them and if it happens again, we ban them for some time and if it happens again we ban them forever.
No debates, just responding immediately and properly.

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on August 24, 2018, 10:48:45 AM
The server seems to be down after rotation as of writing this.

Edit: Later I realized that the server only changed status, running now as a mod-friendly server.
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on September 03, 2018, 12:41:37 PM
I laughed my ass off reading Skylla's polite and factual answer to Hardy's question why he's unable to join the FAC server. (He broke the rules and did so against the server admins personally.)
All this reminded me of the old joke:
- 'Why did I get banned from the swimming pool?'
- 'Because you pissed into the water.'
- 'I know it's forbidden, but everybody does it, so what?'
- 'Yes, but they don't do it from the spring board as you did.'
I'm aware I'm too keen to look on the bright side of life, but I think Hardy deserves a second chance. It's priceless to enjoy the company of a Darwin-prize nominee.  ;D 
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Skylla on September 04, 2018, 02:01:49 AM
Glad if you liked it. Just because someone decided to be rude I don't need to sink to his level, do I? :)
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on September 04, 2018, 02:57:37 AM
Re a second chance, it'd be the third actually.
He's been spotted once doing that, has been addressed on chat for this, yet repeated being a dick and got banned for a week.
He came back after the ban expired just to be a complete dick repeatedly on each and every opportunity.
Let me briefly consider whether he's worth a third chance...

...

...

...

...okay, conclusion reached. No.

I can do well without dickheads like Hardymachtparty.

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on September 04, 2018, 06:46:22 AM
I did not know he worked that hard for the ban, I was just amused by the Pythonesque situation emerging from his question and Skylla's answer. I can do without him as well, of course.  8)
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Skylla on September 20, 2018, 12:18:52 PM
As stated in the first post (https://www.sas1946.com/main/index.php?topic=58998.msg650329#post_a0102) we decided to switch to 'Normal' difficulty settings in order to make life easier for beginners on the server.
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on November 21, 2018, 08:19:23 AM
It's been some time since we've posted updates here, so I thought I'd let you know that the new planes from Patch Level 3.007 are available on our training mission now.
Actually, anything there is to fly or drive around with in IL-2 Great Battles is available on the mission and you will meet most of them as AI opponents as well 8)

(https://image.ibb.co/cekiUq/2018-11-20-18-46-12.jpg)

(https://image.ibb.co/eiyRhA/2018-11-20-18-47-13.jpg)

(https://image.ibb.co/m4LvaV/2018-11-20-18-52-25.jpg)

(https://image.ibb.co/ncjMFV/2018-11-20-18-53-02.jpg)

(https://image.ibb.co/kEBe2A/2018-11-20-18-58-30.jpg)

(https://image.ibb.co/h23sNA/2018-11-20-19-01-31.jpg)

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: LuseKofte on November 21, 2018, 09:28:46 AM
Well I own that boob thing and tested out the Jug, It felt very heavy and got a terrific punch with those 8 0.50 cals.
I found the flight model very suitable to me . So  now I only need some motivation to fly box.
I traded with the SU 25 in single player on DCS as a only option to fly right now. Short missions so I can go and take a coffee in-between :D
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on December 22, 2018, 04:19:15 PM
Possible bug, although a small one. According to description the map is won by completing 4 objectives out of 6. I'm positively sure no-one else was on the server.
http://www.sas1946.rocks:8000/en/mission/5348/
I only completed 3 objectives when the map was won. Maybe the AI did the rest? Anyway, thanks for the FAC server and Happy Xmas to all.

P.S. Anyone noticed that external bombs don't show up in tracks? Happened to me with the Il-2 1941, but possibly more types are affected. Need confirmation and please report if adequate.
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Skylla on December 23, 2018, 03:47:17 AM
One mission objective is that a certain number of ground objects need to be destroyed in the northern ground battle area. After a certain time this objective gets achieved by both sides automatically since the tanks there are shooting at each other, too. Ground pounders have the possibility to accelerate the time needed.

Normally a player therefore has to complete only three objectives as the fourth is being achieved automatically after some time ;)

Quote
P.S. Anyone noticed that external bombs don't show up in tracks? Happened to me with the Il-2 1941, but possibly more types are affected. Need confirmation and please report if adequate.
I haven't noticed yet since I don't watch tracks in game too often. I'll check it out.
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on December 23, 2018, 05:29:46 AM
I haven't noticed yet since I don't watch tracks in game too often. I'll check it out.

Never mind, false alarm, I fooled myself  :-[
As to the rest, one has to be very careful not to kill all artilleries too soon, or he has to start it over again after 30 minutes or so when the mission rotates due to the map won :D
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on January 11, 2019, 03:10:18 PM
Sorry for having been a pain in the ass, but I just wonder how Mike could take out that KV1?
Did you finally crashed onto it, or what?
Yesterday I made some experiments with the BK37, and the 9th hit could disable the tanks's track, but otherwise it seemed fully invulnerable until I crashed onto it in my usual kamikaze manner.
Anyway, I'll try to set up this bloody headseat I bought, because speaking seems still easier than typing while crashing into the ground. :)
Thanks guys for showing me around on the battlefield.
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Skylla on January 12, 2019, 12:21:30 AM
Quote
Sorry for having been a pain in the ass,
You were absolutely not. No need to excuse for anything. On the contrary, it was very nice to have you flying with us.
We are by no means some elitist club here. Everyone is welcome to fly with us, and we are more than happy to see people like you joining in once in a while. Even better if on voice comms too. Looking forward to hear you next time as well :)

And, I wouldn't dare to call myself 'expert' as well. The average length of my virtual lifes speaks for itself there :P

Quote
I just wonder how Mike could take out that KV1?
Did you finally crashed onto it, or what?
He flew an attack run against that tank before he collided with it during pulling up. But the collision was definitely the main reason for the tank getting killed there  ;D

Quote
Yesterday I made some experiments with the BK37, and the 9th hit could disable the tanks's track, but otherwise it seemed fully invulnerable until I crashed onto it in my usual kamikaze manner.
Haven't tried the BK3.7 since the latest patch yet, but from experience with other ground pounders it seems that we're now fighting against the concrete version of those tanks.
On yesterday's Henschel sortie (http://www.sas1946.rocks:8000/de/sortie/10058/?tour=1) for example I destroyed two T-34 tanks, depleting my whole load of 80x 30mm into them (roughly 30 must've been hits as seen in the stats).
I also had to fly several attack runs against the second T-34 with the 20mm once the 30's where depleted. Timeframe for the whole attack was about half an hour.
Almost the same observation was made when flying IL-2 with 20mm loadout + bombs & rockets.
I don't want to complain about it, but destroying tanks got a little harder as it seems.
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on January 12, 2019, 12:43:10 AM
Hi sniperton,

Thanks for joining us yesterday, it's been fun while it lasted ;)
Indeed I took out the KV-1 by crashing into it, albeit not intentionally.
I've scored three hits with the MK-103 on it from short distance, damaging the KV-1 by 5.1, 5.7 and 4.0 percent each. Further hits might have been able to take it out, or maybe not, who knows...
I've been extremely low, so eventually on the pull-up my tail wheel struck ground, and disaster took its course.
The tail came back up, the nose down, pull-out wasn't possible anymore... instead, props struck ground as well and I ran front-first straight into the KV-1.
Incidentally, if I would have managed to lose my tail wheel at any time before this happened, I would have made it over the KV-1, albeit barely.

See the sortie details are here: http://www.sas1946.rocks:8000/de/sortie/log/10057/?tour=1
Picture story below...

Initial hits, note the ricochet which is usually MG-17 ammo just bouncing off the KV-1's armor plates:
(https://i.ibb.co/zPT1T2f/2019-01-12-07-17-32.jpg)

1st good hit right on the body/turret connection, note the damage shrapnel effect:
(https://i.ibb.co/QJxjrtd/2019-01-12-07-17-54.jpg)

Further hits from short distance...
(https://i.ibb.co/6JMRBx2/2019-01-12-07-19-05.jpg)

See next MK103 103 bullet right before hitting the turret. This was the last good hit:
(https://i.ibb.co/Lvphvs2/2019-01-12-07-20-47.jpg)

Now I've been trying to pull out. See how the tail strikes the russian steppe here:
(https://i.ibb.co/dKC77Yd/2019-01-12-07-22-24.jpg)

(https://i.ibb.co/BjGbMZ6/2019-01-12-07-23-15.jpg)

My life's last split second:
(https://i.ibb.co/TMhqfPB/2019-01-12-07-24-18.jpg)

The bang. Note the details, I've been coming from top right, remaining parts of my plane are on the lower left of the KV-1 and top-left you can see an MK-103 bullet ricochet up in the air:
(https://i.ibb.co/mB4HCHG/2019-01-12-07-25-44.jpg)

(https://i.ibb.co/QPQMV83/2019-01-12-07-26-25.jpg)

(https://i.ibb.co/gSdbVFz/2019-01-12-07-28-04.jpg)

(https://i.ibb.co/9VqNJZQ/2019-01-12-07-28-32.jpg)

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on January 12, 2019, 05:12:54 AM
Thanks guys for the nice words and the great pics.

My attempt with the BK37 can be seen here: http://www.sas1946.rocks:8000/en/sortie/log/10021/?tour=1

I made altogether 6 passes and hit the KV1 3+1+1+4+1+1=11 times with a cumulative damage of 69.7%. It was finally the blast of my crash that destroyed it. Average damage per hit was ca. 5.5 to 6.5%, so I estimate that 15 to 20 hits would have destroyed it in any case.

As you can see, my approach angle is somewhat steeper, and I start firing from a greater distance.
(https://i.postimg.cc/Bb0ydYHr/2019-1-12-10-12-30.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/ft8BdvHC)

(https://i.postimg.cc/V6Dn85Cz/2019-1-12-10-8-51.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/R6JN1SdY)

(https://i.postimg.cc/BvwNThmT/2019-1-12-10-9-26.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/CZkjY4T5)

2nd pass:
(https://i.postimg.cc/WpSzXQGc/2019-1-12-10-15-15.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/G98bpggX)

(https://i.postimg.cc/nrLHyh4b/2019-1-12-10-16-45.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/JD9VJmYP)

After the 5th hit the KV1 is already smoking.
(https://i.postimg.cc/xTJQM7gR/2019-1-12-10-24-8.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/mtsKGmvz)

Now the interesting part. One might think it was a perfect and decisive hit, but it only registered with 5.1% of damage:
(https://i.postimg.cc/bwLjhhvq/2019-1-12-10-30-57.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/mPcnYKMn)

This one, on the other hand, registered with 17.9% and disabled the tank's left track.
(https://i.postimg.cc/Bb3hbjhk/2019-1-12-10-31-8.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/8Jydnzgm)

One has to be disciplined. There's a tendency to start consecutive attack runs at lower and lower altitudes, as happened to me here, where I needed some luck to avoid crashing.
(https://i.postimg.cc/Y9RX4pJS/2019-1-12-10-33-40.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/bDG0WjYX)

(https://i.postimg.cc/HsVSx13p/2019-1-12-10-34-16.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/YhBNnVJV)

(https://i.postimg.cc/RFSdxkNx/2019-1-12-10-34-27.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/Y4PY1y6d)

(https://i.postimg.cc/0j30mrZ9/2019-1-12-10-34-36.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/H8wM1YfN)

And this is my last hit before the bang. Too low, as you can see:
(https://i.postimg.cc/vZ758PRY/2019-1-12-10-36-48.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/9DMDJYFK)

(https://i.postimg.cc/GmpsrbjQ/2019-1-12-10-37-48.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/zV9fFZ6b)

(https://i.postimg.cc/3N7dqhR2/2019-1-12-10-37-59.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/WFWNDQ04)
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: bomberkiller on January 12, 2019, 05:29:16 AM
...sharpened  ;)

(https://i.ibb.co/BVn6TKQ/Henschel-attack-Mike-bk.jpg)

 8)
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on January 12, 2019, 06:11:12 AM
Beautiful, BK, next year Mike can use it as a Christmas or New Year's greeting card image.
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: Dagwoody on January 26, 2019, 10:26:56 AM
Having trouble finding "everything" spawn locations on "Clowns" map and cannot seem to change map' zoom level. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Skylla on January 26, 2019, 10:58:38 AM
(https://i.postimg.cc/DfC9HbPT/2019-1-26-17-46-45.png) (https://postimg.cc/ThDNW1s7)

(https://i.postimg.cc/2yJX6h0L/2019-1-26-17-46-54.png) (https://postimages.org/)

(https://i.postimg.cc/WpK90m7h/2019-1-26-17-47-6.png) (https://postimages.org/)

blue side works just the same.
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: Dagwoody on January 26, 2019, 11:24:25 AM
Thx, adding mousewheel to my trackball as we speak!
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: Unca-Fester on February 06, 2019, 04:17:58 PM

  So how is the ROF clone in online play. Is there any interest in WWI?

  I've been looking to fly online WWI ever since I just missed TargetWare's Richthofen's Skies server getting shut down by a week back in 2008.
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Skylla on February 07, 2019, 01:00:15 AM
Our current training mission has it's own WWI area, so if you have the expansion you can fly the kites on the server (against AI or other players).

Unfortunately I don't own the Flying Circus so I can't say much about it, but those who do have it seem quite enthusiastic about it. But for more details on that matter we should probably wait for someone who knows what he's talking about ;)
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on February 07, 2019, 02:49:18 AM
The WW1 kites are definitely much fun to fly and fight with.
As Skylla said, we do have a WW1 zone to the east of our training mission so you can do your fights without being jumped by the WW2 guys all the time.
The WW1 part of training mission features two airfields close to Stalingrad, with about 5 minutes flight time to each other or to the AI dogfight zone respectively.
In the AI dogfight zone you meet one or two (randomly, sometimes just one, sometimes two) opponents of random types with random skills, so it never gets boring.
You've got all kites available (currently two on each side: Spad XIII, Sopwith Camel, Fokker Dr.1 and Pfalz D.IIIa) with all available modifications.

What else there is to say about Flying Circus?
Well... the fighting style is significantly different to WW2.
Time after time, we expect to see all ROF content being ported to FC, but it will surely take a few years to do so.
Probably the most important step would be to have a dedicated WW1 map and some ground objects.
At the moment you're essentially flying a canvas plane in a WW2 scenario, giving you little other options than to shoot down other canvas planes.
You definitely get to know so when you try to kill enemy ground objects with your bomblets or peashooters, or if you happen to get within enemy AAA's range.

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on February 28, 2019, 05:42:38 PM
I wonder what those damage percentages stand for.
http://www.sas1946.rocks:8000/en/sortie/log/11098/?tour=1
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on February 28, 2019, 10:00:32 PM
I guess you're referring to the Macchi.
From the look at it, I'd say that a burst of bullets grazed the Spaghetti plane's engine and cockpit section, hitting the pilot and some parts of the engine's cooleant/oil system.
As a result, the pilot started bleeding (that's what causes all the "wounded" log lines) and the engine slowly died.

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on March 01, 2019, 03:21:22 AM
Yep, IIRC one short burst set the engine on fire (at 22:25:33, that's the 50.0+1.3+1.6+0.3+0.1% airplane damage), and all the rest seems to be the result of this and only this. I'm still amazed how effective a single hit can be, and how the consequences work out bit by bit in the following 9 seconds until the crash of the plane at 22:25:42. It's the hundreds of "wounded - 0.1%" messages that made me raise the eyebrows, as if each square-centimeter of the pilot's burnt skin would register separately.
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: Eboy on March 11, 2019, 10:38:37 AM
Is there a way to disable the bombs and rockets reticule? I want to practice.  ;D
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on March 11, 2019, 11:43:04 AM
Our difficulty settings are "normal" and therefore offer all kind of helpers especially designed for beginners.
However all these helpers can be turned off individually if you prefer to fly without them.
At least Skylla and me do the same.

There's key bindings in the "Controls" settings of the game for doing so.
Defaults are:

H: Toggle entire HUD
I: Toggle instrument panel, navigation and map markers
RCtl+I: Toggle Aiming help
LSht+M: Toggle Automatic mixtures and superchargers control
LSht+R: Toggle Automatic radiators control
LSht+N: Toggle Automatic RPM limiter

To answer your question explicitely, just hit RCtl+I after you start your sortie and the aiming helpers will be gone.

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: Eboy on March 11, 2019, 11:53:07 AM
Our difficulty settings are "normal"
....

Thanks! Do you guys have a Discord or a TS server you use to fly together?
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Skylla on March 11, 2019, 11:56:07 AM
yes we do! That would be our famous Gasthaus (TS-Server).
You can find the connection details in the mission briefing ;)
Otherwise just write me a PM and I'll send the details to you
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on March 11, 2019, 12:14:20 PM
H: Toggle entire HUD
I: Toggle instrument panel, navigation and map markers
RCtl+I: Toggle Aiming help
These switches have a permanent effect, that is, once switched off, you don't need to switch them off again each time you respawn.

LSht+M: Toggle Automatic mixtures and superchargers control
LSht+R: Toggle Automatic radiators control
LSht+N: Toggle Automatic RPM limiter
These are reset to the default "on" state each time you respawn. You may want to reassign them to a single key or key combination so that you don't have to play piano on each start.  ;)
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Skylla on March 11, 2019, 01:19:36 PM
LSht+M: Toggle Automatic mixtures and superchargers control
LSht+R: Toggle Automatic radiators control
LSht+N: Toggle Automatic RPM limiter
These are reset to the default "on" state each time you respawn. You may want to reassign them to a single key or key combination so that you don't have to play piano on each start.  ;)
That's a great idea actually. Right now I'm a piano player :))
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: Eboy on March 17, 2019, 03:39:16 PM
Hey! I recently got a VR headset that works with Il-2 BoX, and I noticed the server allows mods. Can I use 3Dmigoto for easier time with VR on the server?
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on March 17, 2019, 11:22:45 PM
You can use whatever floats your boat ;)

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on April 11, 2019, 02:58:04 PM
Hi, thanks again for this server and the excellent training missions.
This is a feature request, please consider and act as you find appropriate.  ;)

1. Missions now universally start at dawn. This might become repetitive. Could or would it be possible to randomize it to the effect that mission duration encompasses various periods from dawn to nightfall?

2. Now we have server masseges "two hours left", "one hour left", "30 mins left", but would it be possible to have a counter on the info page telling how much time is left if nobody wins the map?

3. As I see one person can single-handedly win a map in 15 to 30 minutes, so would you consider making it more though? (Just annoying to always having to kill those pesky howitzers, to make a few bomb runs, and to find it's all over now.)  8)

Thank you again.
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on April 11, 2019, 11:38:06 PM
Thanks for your suggestions sniperton.

Part one (mission start time) can easily be implemented by having several copies of the same mission that differ by start time only. The Server already has a random rotation, so they will pop up just randomly.

Part two unfortunately seems impossible.
There's no way to know the real remaining mission time.
Public pvp Servers showing the remaining time on their stats page can only do so because their missions have the very same duration every time they run.
In our case it's different, the mission duration strictly depends on what's happening on the mission, and there's no way to signal this to any outside application.

Mission Targets are a tricky thing. Currently you need to achieve 4 out of 6 goals, available goals are: Kill Howitzers, Kill Rocket Arty, Kill Train, Kill Level Bombing Target, Kill Vehicle Column, Kill 10 Tanks.
Another logical goal would be "kill <n> enemy aircraft", but the "Kill 10 Tanks" goal already taught us that there's no way to distinguish whether a player actually contributed to the achievement of that goal, or just AI.
Therefore essentially we are limited to goals where AI doesn't take care of.
We could make it 5 out of 6 goals to achieve, but I'm not sure how much that would add to the immersion.
Would be great if we would be able to count player activities only, but for the moment this is out of reach.

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on April 12, 2019, 02:30:53 AM
Part one (mission start time) can easily be implemented
Great, but appetite comes with eating, so what about a bit more versatile weather? I don't think of rain storms or fully overcast weather, but a 1/10 to 3/10 coverage could be perhaps more frequent without seriously affecting performance.

Part two unfortunately seems impossible.
There's no way to know the real remaining mission time.
Not even the time elapsed since mission activation? It would give a good guesstimate how much time is left unless the mission is won by either party.

Mission Targets are a tricky thing. Currently you need to achieve 4 out of 6 goals, available goals are: Kill Howitzers, Kill Rocket Arty, Kill Train, Kill Level Bombing Target, Kill Vehicle Column, Kill 10 Tanks.
Killing the first two is self-rewarding, since they are shelling your home airfield, so that you're advised to kill them for your own safety. Perhaps one of them (whichever is closer to the base) should cease to be an objective and players should achieve 4 out of 5 goals to win the map. Just an idea.
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on April 12, 2019, 03:06:52 AM
what about a bit more versatile weather? I don't think of rain storms or fully overcast weather, but a 1/10 to 3/10 coverage could be perhaps more frequent without seriously affecting performance.
It's not that much the performance that causes the weather to be "bright blue skies" on our training mission.
Every once in a while I'm putting clouds back in, just to see ourselves turn away in disgust once we see that butt-ugly cloud implementation in BoX.
No seriously, as much as I'd love to have shitty weather on the missions, as little do I tolerate that bad excuse of something they call "clouds".

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on April 12, 2019, 03:56:10 AM
No seriously, as much as I'd love to have shitty weather on the missions, as little do I tolerate that bad excuse of something they call "clouds".
I faintly remember of having seen quite spectacular weather effects and conditions in SP campaign missions, but possibly it was before the damn new clouds were introduced. Maybe it's time for me to fire up some old careers and to note the combination of weather settings, date of year, and time of day when I see something bearable. Anyway, don't hold your breath  ::)
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on April 24, 2019, 05:08:03 PM
Tonight I experienced weird behaviour on the server (ghost sounds, graphics glitches). Most notably landings count now as "forced landings" and sortie results look rather odd both in-game and on the stats page:
http://www.sas1946.rocks:8000/en/sortie/log/12129/?tour=1
http://www.sas1946.rocks:8000/en/sortie/log/12130/?tour=1 
Maybe these are just temporary issues due to the server not yet updated to 3.012c.
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on April 24, 2019, 10:30:23 PM
Maybe these are just temporary issues due to the server not yet updated to 3.012c.
That's exactly the reason why.
I've had my little rant about this freaking lack of communication here:
https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/46425-update-today/?tab=comments#comment-761795

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on April 25, 2019, 02:59:08 AM
Thanks Mike for your efforts. Now you see why BS Robin is on the ignore list of many people...
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on April 25, 2019, 03:33:45 AM
Yep thanks, I get an idea about him 8)

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on May 07, 2019, 04:29:56 AM
Here is the sortie, seemingly nothing special, just the usual poor marksmanship on my side:
http://www.sas1946.rocks:8000/en/sortie/log/12341/?tour=1
(I also have a track recording the incident until my landing.)

The AI F2 went into circling mode and was shooting into the empty air already before I attacked it.
When I arrived at his tail, he continued circling and shooting into the air as if nothing happened.
It was like he was target-fixated and was shooting at an invisible ghost plane circling in front of him.
His ammo lasted for more than 3 minutes (plus add the time before my attack).

After his ammo was gone (?), he finally took notice of me and made some hectic evasive maneuvres.
By this time the F2 was cheese and my ammo gone, so I disengaged and headed home.
The damaged F2 tried to pursue me, albeit quite slowly and seemingly struggling with his controls.
He reached my airbase when I was already landed, and was doing high-G maneuvres with his cracked wing.
5 minutes later he crashed and the kill was credited to me.

Possibly it was just another netcode issue, I only report it for curiosity and because I've never ever seen such an odd AI behaviour.
Prost!  ]cheers[
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on May 07, 2019, 05:20:41 AM
Might be worth a bug report at the official forums so the devs get notice of it.
Especially the track recording should be valuable to the devs.
From Server side I can only say that there's no single glitch in the logs for several weeks now.

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on October 13, 2019, 04:17:49 PM
Just a short notice that I couldn't join the server tonight.
Yesterday I could (after a long abstinence), tonight I couldn't.
So far as I'm aware of, nothing has been changed in my system since yesterday, apart from a few keyboard assigments.
There were two people on the server when I tried to join, mission loaded up to 100%, then it threw me back to the mission type screen (dogfight/cooperative). I tried several times after a system reboot, but with no avail. Is there any log I could attach? Thanks
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on October 13, 2019, 11:21:41 PM
Nothing much you can do, the Server just locked up for unknown reason (no log, nothing, just locked up).
That's one of the major issues with IL-2 Great Battles: You just don't have any f*ckin' logs to see what happened, neither on Server nor Client side.
In 1946 we know every tiny fart the game makes, in IL-2 GB we hardly know it's there at all.

In the past, I've developed a "Watchdog" which would check whether the Server Process still responds to commands.
If not, it would simply take screenshots, collect logs (if available - in fact this only collected me a hundred of 0-byte files), kill the DServer process and restart it.
The issue now is that the process does respond to commands (except for the "exit" command which will hang the process completely), it's just that the Server doesn't do anything anymore except for hogging the CPU with 100% load and fooling the admin into thinking it was still alive.
The only thing that gave me a clue today that something's fishy is that the "Tick delay" of the Server didn't match the CPU load anymore.
The "Tick delay" was at 13.5 and the CPU load at 100%. Normally, a CPU load of 100% equals a "Tick delay" of 20.
So it seems I will have to enhance the Watchdog in order to work around this issue.
Again.
The next workaround for issues brought to the game by large updates.
This, unfortunately, has a long lasting history in IL-2 Great Battles already... :-|

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on October 13, 2019, 11:41:53 PM
Thank you Mike for the clarification and your continuous efforts, and my sincere condolences regarding that failure is a viable option in GB  ;)
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on October 27, 2019, 03:02:48 PM
Just to notify you, the same is happening with the same symptoms. The first time I tried to join was around 8 PM CET, and the problem still persists as of now (10 PM CET). The server displays 30ish ping and one player online (which is probably the state when it died).
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on October 28, 2019, 12:01:39 AM
Yep, it's a "random lockup" on the Server, introduced with the last big update 3.201.
Nothing much we can do but to restart the server when it happens.

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: macgiver on January 04, 2020, 04:43:58 PM
Yesterday I tried to enter the FAC server, we can say a test of connection and to satiate curiosity (I'm still struggling with the game settings and my computer). I can't say anything at the moment (I've been here 4 minutes) but today I went on the stats page and was pleasantly surprised: I can choose Spanish and French!  :)
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on January 04, 2020, 05:25:07 PM
Congrats to Skylla who destroyed 70 (!) airfield objects in one single sortie! Honestly, I had no idea there were so many in an airfield, and my first thought was that he nuked the cows grazing the grass there.  8)
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Skylla on January 05, 2020, 04:32:58 AM
Yesterday I tried to enter the FAC server, we can say a test of connection and to satiate curiosity (I'm still struggling with the game settings and my computer). I can't say anything at the moment (I've been here 4 minutes) but today I went on the stats page and was pleasantly surprised: I can choose Spanish and French!
Nice to hear it is working for you, I think I was even online at that time. At least I saw some "Player-XXXX" connecting for a few minutes.
If you happen to meet me on the server at some point, write me a line, maybe I can help you a bit with setting things up :)

Congrats to Skylla who destroyed 70 (!) airfield objects in one single sortie! Honestly, I had no idea there were so many in an airfield, and my first thought was that he nuked the cows grazing the grass there.

Thanks!
No, I leave the poor cows alone - they get slaughtered by the AI mudmovers far too often anyways.

I was attacking the fuel depot on the southwest side of the airfield and the AI spawn point with two 1800 kg bombs. The spawn point bomb didn't hit, but the one aimed at the fuel depot scored a direct hit.

Ricky, who was also flying a He-111 at that time, scored a direct hit onto the spawn point. IIRC he destroyed a couple of aircraft with his payload there.

The airfields really have become juicy targets for bombers with the new fuel depots .. but if you want to attack them you should not attempt to do so below five km altitude, otherwise you will be the juicy target for the base defence figthers! ;)
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Ghost129er on January 05, 2020, 04:38:24 AM
Thanks!
No, I leave the poor cows alone - they get slaughtered by the AI mudmovers far too often anyways.

LEAVINGS MY SACRED ANIMALZ ALONE!!! -yells in obnoxious Indian accent- :)) Jokes aside...

Ricky, who was also flying a He-111 at that time, scored a direct hit onto the spawn point. IIRC he destroyed a couple of aircraft with his payload there.

Yeah, if I didn't hit B instead of V, like I was supposed to, I would have had an extra bomb for some extra damage, but noooo.

Congrats to Skylla who destroyed 70 (!) airfield objects in one single sortie! Honestly, I had no idea there were so many in an airfield, and my first thought was that he nuked the cows grazing the grass there.  8)

Oh for sure, he was like "I got 70 buildings" and I was like "... Wait, what the hell? What the hell was your score??" so we both have the same reaction, haha~ I've given up on trying to compete for Top 5 - I don't have that much time to invest into IL-2 BoX at the moment but I'm good enough with being Top 10.
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on January 05, 2020, 02:23:27 PM
I leave the poor cows alone - they get slaughtered by the AI mudmovers far too often anyways.
We need retaliation for that: Supercow going up when that happens, slapping her udders around the attacking pilot's face :D

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on January 27, 2020, 05:12:07 PM
FYI server stats are not updated after I had some weird crashes.
It was local Joystick Gremlin that crashed on not finding vJoy device #2 (which is not in use), but after reboots everything went fine, except that stats are not updated.
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on January 28, 2020, 05:03:19 PM
Sorry if I hadn't been clear enough.
The FAC server stats page seems to be locked up in its state as it was on the afternoon of 26 January (Sunday).
Is it a known problem or is it just me who doesn't see it being updated? Please confirm whatever the case, thanks.
 ]thumbsup[
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on January 28, 2020, 10:14:33 PM
Thanks sniperton, confirmed and will get fixed soon.
No worries, your stats aren't lost.

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on January 28, 2020, 11:47:15 PM
No worries, your stats aren't lost.

No worries here, I can only lose my epic fails  :D
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on January 29, 2020, 12:53:50 AM
Stats have been updated, thanks again for the heads up.

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: macgiver on March 04, 2020, 08:28:22 AM
Tonight I was flying on the BoX server and after two landings with RRR without problems, on the third I could neither refuel nor rearm (I didn't even get the "you're in the service zone" message).
Is this normal? is there a limit of times we can refuel? or was it a server problem?
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on June 01, 2020, 04:27:13 PM
Hi, after a long abstinence, today I returned to the FAC server, and I have the feeling that turbulence is a bit overdone. No problem that I can't hit the broad side of a barn, but still it feels a bit exaggarated. (Clouds and winds are fine.)
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on June 01, 2020, 10:20:57 PM
two landings with RRR without problems, on the third I could neither refuel nor rearm
Not a known issue so far.
RRR spots are at the spawn point on each base and at the tower.
Each of them can be identified by a "Horch" car standing nearby (which is undistructable).

What's your player name if I may ask?

turbulence is a bit overdone
Autumn map uses turbulence setting 3 (which is max).
Summer uses 2, winter 1.
Many - if not all populated - online servers use "0" which is a chicken setting IMHO.
Turbulence ingame feels off because all planes, particularly the heavier ones, fly as if they were attached to some kind of rubberband 50 meters above.
This is rather a flight model than a turbulence issue, but talking about flight models at the il2sturmovik.com forums is like writing down your surename 5000 times on a roll of toilet paper, or talking about nipple piercing in a nunnery.

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on June 02, 2020, 04:00:13 AM
Turbulence ingame feels off because all planes, particularly the heavier ones, fly as if they were attached to some kind of rubberband 50 meters above.

For me it was more like watching a footage recorded with a hand camera by someone with Parkinson's desease. I'm fine with rubberbanded altitude changes ("bumpiness"), but I wonder if in RL turbulence results in violent pitch and yaw changes as much as as it does ingame.
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on June 02, 2020, 11:10:35 PM
I wonder if in RL turbulence results in violent pitch and yaw changes
Yes, down on the deck it does.

as much as as it does ingame.
Not on this planet, nope :D

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on June 03, 2020, 04:23:54 PM
as much as as it does ingame.
Not on this planet, nope :D
The game is "as it is", so please feel free to adjust mission parameters until the result is closest to your expectations based on RL experience. I mean, reducing turbulence level might be a workaround, at least at altitudes above 100 or 500 meters. Not a request, just the input of a grateful user without pretensions.  ;)
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: LuseKofte on June 03, 2020, 05:59:47 PM
Only plane I flown resemble authentic behavior in strong turbulence is in fact the U2
It flies like a cessna right behind a 737 and I find it pretty realistic. Not that I have flown a cessna behind a jumbojet nor a U 2 but I am sure my feelings on this is correct.
Do not argue with my feelings
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on June 03, 2020, 10:22:54 PM
reducing turbulence level might be a workaround, at least at altitudes above 100 or 500 meters
I'm quite happy with having added that additional challenge to be honest.

Turbulence cannot be set for specific altitudes (only wind can), but once you climb through the lower cloud layer on our autumn mission - which by the way is something I haven't seen on any other online server yet, I mean a weather setting that gives you this beautiful two-layer clouds - the turbulence is almost gone.

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on June 09, 2020, 03:11:55 PM
Turbulence cannot be set for specific altitudes (only wind can), but once you climb through the lower cloud layer on our autumn mission - which by the way is something I haven't seen on any other online server yet, I mean a weather setting that gives you this beautiful two-layer clouds - the turbulence is almost gone.

Tonight I had a chance to enjoy it, but probably I wasn't high up enough, at 1500 m turbulence was felt as strong as down on the deck. Not a problem itself, it's just overly funny to see myself and my target trembling as much as protagonists in a Lumiere movie do. After all, no matter the turbulence setting, I can hit my favourite trees at any time.  ;D
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Skylla on June 10, 2020, 01:19:47 AM
Yes, that's still too low. Turbulence vanishes around cloud top height, which is ~ 2300 m GND on the Autumn map.
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on June 10, 2020, 01:48:40 AM
Turbulence vanishes around cloud top height

(https://i.postimg.cc/rw40ZF1g/44mhli.jpg)

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on June 12, 2020, 02:46:00 PM
Sorry about spamming this thread with questions again and again, but what's the concept behind No. 56 Summer on the Stalingrad map?
The inventory seems to be reduced to late-war German and Western Allied crates, with the addition of the LaGG and the Kukuruznik, but without any bomber on either side. Or is there something I missed?
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on June 13, 2020, 12:38:51 AM
The training mission up to version 54 featured the full planeset of all modules everytime, everywhere.
We figured that fighting '45 AI kites when you decided to carry out a ground attack with '41 ones can be quite annoying, but even more so, human players tend to always use the "latest and greatest" planes available, which in summary ruined all the fun for anyone not wanting to fly late '44 / '45 stuff only.
Therefore, since version 55 planes from just one module at any time will be available.
Which module becomes available will be chosen randomly at mission start time.
If admins are around, you can ask us to activate a specific planeset - we can do so at runtime.

So the fact that you've seen late-war stuff on the Summer training mission means that when you flew there, BoBp was active.
The lack of bombers is because there are no flyable bombers in BoBp. Simple as that.
The reason why you see the LaGG being available when BoBp is active simply results from the fact that not all players own all modules, so we decided to offer one BoS plane as "fallback" in case a player doesn't own the specifically active module.
For the russians, that fallback plane is the LaGG.
Additionally, you will always have the Ju-52 available and on russian side the Podwa.

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on June 13, 2020, 04:26:01 AM
... human players tend to always use the "latest and greatest" planes available, which in summary ruined all the fun for anyone not wanting to fly late '44 / '45 stuff only.
Therefore, since version 55 planes from just one module at any time will be available.

Don't get me wrong, but I feel a slight contradiction here. While I understand your reasons, don't you think that a strict Moscow planeset will ruin the fun for the late-war buffs and a barebone BoBp for those who prefer low and slow?

On the other hand, even the official campaign mixes module planes if they fit the timeframe. I encounter Moscow planes in Kuban, for instance, which is historical. If you want to recreate not just pure Moscow or BoBp on the Stalingrad map, I suggest you should add planes that might have been there in the given timeframe.  ;)

This would offer more choice for anyone while not mixing the hotrods with the underdogs.
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on June 13, 2020, 06:57:30 AM
You can't please everyone, can you?
Our simple approach - which of course is always open for discussions, feedback and suggestions for improvement - is to offer all available planes in all available modules, on a level playing field.
That's why we don't mix modules.
Yes of course, someone who is only into late '44 stuff will not like the Moscow planeset. He won't like Stalingrad or Kuban either. Yet we're not gonna provide a 262 on every mission just to please the oddballs.

If we dive into the historically available planes at any given timeframe, then the simple answer would be: All earlier planes would remain available in all later modules (because historically they were still flown, if only in auxiliary / training units) and particularly on the german side, planes like the 262, the K-4 and the D-9 would be available in numbers like... one per mission? - maybe. With 10 litres of fuel. Okay: 50, but only in the last 5 minutes of a mission.
But that's just BoBp. However, in BoS you would only have two german AI planes vs. 6 russian ones assisting you, in BoK it would be one german vs. 7 russians and in BoBp no german AI at all, but a sky full of red AI.

Sounds intimidating?
Okay, so let's stick to the "one module at any given time, level playing field" approach until someone comes up with a better suggestion.
Mind you: You will always have your preferred planeset available in your preferred season once - in that combination it's a 1:11 chance.
If the season doesn't matter, it's 1:3.

]cheers[
Mike

@edit: P.S.: We've just been starting to talk about possibly changing the difficulty settings from "Normal" to "Expert".
Feedback welcome!
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Ghost129er on June 13, 2020, 08:58:15 AM

@edit: P.S.: We've just been starting to talk about possibly changing the difficulty settings from "Normal" to "Expert".
Feedback welcome!

Differences?
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on June 13, 2020, 10:53:46 AM
I prefer custom settings: icons reduced to small object markers without text (mod), the speedbar reduced to the compass (mod), techchat is on, GPS is on, everything else is set to expert.
I can live without GPS and techchat, but I can't see shit without object markers.

As to the planesets, Mike, I argue neither for the inclusion of fully obsolate planes, nor for the correct recreation of operating circumstances. I argue for sandbox scenarios with sowieso plausible planes. The BoBp planeset is limited in its scope by design, it could only benefit from adding the 110-G, the Ju-88, the A-20, and the B-25 as an AI target. Adding one or two slightly earlier planes wouldn't hurt either, and those with no BoBp would have a better choice than "take the LaGG or leave".  ]salut[
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on June 14, 2020, 08:01:00 AM
Differences?

Simply explained, but you could get this by just looking at your ingame difficulty settings too:

Helper Normal Expert
Object markers
Aiming assist
Bombing assist
Padlock
Navigation markers
Instrument panel
Alternate plane visibility
Allow spectators
Technochat
Handling tips
Simplified physics
No wind
No misfires
Unbreakable
Invulnerability
Simplified physiology
Unlimited fuel
Unlimited ammo
No engine stall
Warmed up engine
Simplified controls
Rudder assist
Cruise control
Autopilot
Throttle auto limit
Engine auto control
Radiator assist

Green is available, red is unavailable.
Note that users can always disable available helpers after sortie start.

I prefer custom settings
Meh...
I don't think I need to explain the impossibility of agreeing on any custom setting between two arbitrary players, do I?

As to the planesets, Mike, I argue neither for the inclusion of fully obsolate planes, nor for the correct recreation of operating circumstances.
Yep, so why not just stop complaing and offer proposals that qualify for a real solution instead?
Name the names.
Which plane is deliberately missing in which era and on which spawn base (parked/runway/airborne, red/blue)?
I'm not here to rack my brain on your behalf. No offense intended 8)

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on June 14, 2020, 11:26:42 AM
Meh...
I don't think I need to explain the impossibility of agreeing on any custom setting between two arbitrary players, do I?
Meh, no need. Mine was a simple feedback simply stating that I can live with any expert setting except the complete lack of object markers, particularly since artillery is no more in the open.

Name the names.
Watch this column.  ;D
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on June 14, 2020, 11:54:37 AM
We've just had an evening with "expert" setting active.
Just skylla, me and "octagon" - a guest player.
It's been distinctively different, very interesting and challenging.
You've got less gangbang going on, have to watch out for contacts a whole lot more, actually half of the time you spend not losing sight of your wingman 8)
Communication is the key.
I felt less stalked by AI planes, but that could just be coincidental.
Spotting is a challenge, albeit with the current "aura" bug when planes fly in front of clouds, you've got some kind of "spotting assist" if you are in the right position relatively to your opponent.
Identifying friend/foe is really something, especially once you enter a crowded area.

Definitely worth repeating.
For the time being, I've set the server back to "normal" settings to avoid confusion.

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on July 31, 2020, 12:32:48 PM
Alzheimer Memorial Mission.

Took the Jug for a ride, attacked the vehicle column with moderate success, RTB, respawn, went for the train reported in the previous mission, couldn't find it, went for the vehicle column to finish it off, couldn't find it, went for the tanks, couldn't find them, finally went for the artillery to the West.

I noticed that map icons are frozen, but the artillery was there, dropped 3 x 500lb bombs one by one, fired 6 rockets, all were near hits, a single FAB100 would have wiped out that artillery.

Gave up, spared my gun ammo, went for fighters, couldn't find any, RTB.

See what:
(https://i.postimg.cc/LXZXpq4b/2020-7-31-17-48-36.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/r0McGwr1)

3rd near hit with a bomb (before explosion):

(https://i.postimg.cc/Zn4hM0W3/2020-7-31-18-8-11.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/ZB7g9bFK)

Server stats:
http://www.sas1946.rocks:8000/en/sortie/22312/?tour=1 (http://www.sas1946.rocks:8000/en/sortie/22312/?tour=1)

 :D
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Ghost129er on July 31, 2020, 03:21:29 PM
Means the server crashed, or, you crashed the server, did you crash INTO the server..? :))

lmao
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on July 31, 2020, 05:13:39 PM
Means the server crashed, or, you crashed the server, did you crash INTO the server..? :))
I'm sort of proud of it.  ;)
It was like being in a parallel universe.
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on July 31, 2020, 11:32:55 PM
You're right Ricky, I've just checked and DServer.exe indeed has locked up.
It still showed sniperton "online" right now, caused 100% CPU usage and didn't react to anything anymore.
This unfortunately is the single lockup case that is not covered by our "watchdog" yet, as from a process point of view everything is still responding properly.
I'll have to find a way to artificially identify this case in a reliable manner, without erratically restarting the server when it's actually still working properly.
That'll be a tough ride... the devs are less than unhelpful when it comes to DServer issues unfortunately.

One more thing mentioned by sniperton is mission related: There's an issue with the blue train that got introduced with the 4.008b update.
No idea what's going on there, but when the train has been killed for the first time, it respawns in a weird manner:
The locomotive appears at the 1st waypoint after the spawnpoint, 1 meter off the track, and the carriages are missing altogether.
Only happens to the german train - the russian one is okay - and only happened since the 4.008b update, without anything having been changed on mission side.

Considering the past results I'm not even bothered to consider reporting this at the il2sturmovik.com forums cause frankly that place is flooded with ignorance, naysayers and bootlickers.
I could as well print my bug reports on a roll of toilet paper.

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Ghost129er on August 01, 2020, 04:32:37 AM
Just.. Wow. Can't imagine how our great mission will break next in the updates yet to come.. 

That's one whacky bug though, surprised its a blue object only thing... Wonder what they did to break that train only.

Thanks for taking care ajsbputting the server back up Mike. 8)
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on August 01, 2020, 04:41:45 AM
No idea what's going on there, but when the train has been killed for the first time, it respawns in a weird manner:
The locomotive appears at the 1st waypoint after the spawnpoint, 1 meter off the track, and the carriages are missing altogether.

Seemingly I was the first (and apparently the last) on that map to play, and on my first sortie I didn't attack the train. Maybe an AI killed it while I was busy with the vehicle column? The only irregularity I can remember from the first sortie is a major hickup of several seconds when I was already limping back to base. But the 2nd sortie started just fine, I followed a taxiing AI Spitfire that took off in front of me.
Anyway, thank you for your continuous efforts Mike.

I'll have to find a way to artificially identify this case in a reliable manner, without erratically restarting the server when it's actually still working properly.

BTW, is 100% CPU usage normal for a prolonged time of, say, more than 5 minutes?
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on August 07, 2020, 01:33:45 PM
The locomotive appears at the 1st waypoint after the spawnpoint, 1 meter off the track, and the carriages are missing altogether.
Only happens to the german train - the russian one is okay - and only happened since the 4.008b update, without anything having been changed on mission side.
Autumn map. The Russian (here blue) and German (here red) train met at the border. Russian loco departed back to East -- leaving behind the carriages off-track (pic #1, to the left). I'm positively sure they are Russian as I mistakenly attacked them and got a friendly fire warning. The German train (to the right) is stopped, but is still heading East. Four carriages were destoyed in my previous bomb attack, and now I'm attacking the German loco.
Pic #2 shows the Russian loco happily riding East.
Not that you should do anything about it, it's just FYI.
 ]cheers[
(https://i.postimg.cc/qvKfyQ8Z/2020-8-7-18-54-51.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/LJm0MtQz)

(https://i.postimg.cc/prr4TBWC/2020-8-7-18-55-25.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/N2hpCmr2)
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on August 08, 2020, 12:14:12 AM
Looks funny.
I'm afraid we can't do anything about it.
From the look of the pictures, the german train arrived at the station but didn't receive a command for the next waypoint yet.
That's why it's still "heading east".
The russian train just received the command for the next waypoint, which causes the whole train including it's carriages to suddenly flip around and head back east.
This 180° flip turn apparently doesn't take railway tracks into account accordingly.
It's a bug of the game, nothing we could change in any way.

The fact that those trains meet in the middle of the map is intentionally.

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on August 15, 2020, 11:23:54 AM
My usual weekly oddity report. Just FYI  :D

Winter map, Bf-110E with sc50 bombs dropped in pairs onto Russian howitzers.
Each time bombs explode I get a message 'sniperton is firing at a friendly'.
Kills are normally registered a few seconds later and no retribution for friendly fire, as expected.
If I fire board guns at howitzers, there's no friendly fire warning, as expected.

 ]cheers[
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Ghost129er on August 15, 2020, 10:33:56 PM
y u shoot friendli? xD
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on August 19, 2020, 05:43:27 PM
Alzheimer Memorial Mission #2.

We've been on the server together with player-#####, everything worked perfect, I made my best landing ever without rudder and elevator authority, but the stats page doesn't seem to update for two days.  :D
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on August 20, 2020, 12:22:10 AM
The stats page doesn't update because the 4.009 update released two days ago requires the stats to be updated too.
Now that I'm on vacation, I'm not bothered to update the server right now.
But don't you worry, your stats aren't lost, they will just be proceeded later on.

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on August 20, 2020, 05:42:39 AM
No worry here, take your time and enjoy your holiday  ]sunny[
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on February 16, 2021, 01:31:50 AM
Since nothing changed about the most important issues in IL-2 Great Battles for more than 10 months now, and since nothing changed about the constantly crashing DServer.exe every other day despite endless data given to the devs, and since there is no end in sight concerning all these issues, and finally: Since I got banned on the forums - allegedly for calling a troll a troll, in fact simply for bringing up the issues which these idiots don't want to solve and don't want to hear anyone complaining about, cause it ruins their business if things get named...
Since there's no reason to give ample room for such a pile of crap I've wasted easily a thousand bucks on, is there any reason for keeping our BoS Server up?
I'm considering to shutdown that Server and close that chapter.

Any obligations?

And don't you worry, we're not talking about the UP3 Server.
That one of course will keep running.

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: whistler on February 16, 2021, 03:46:15 AM
Since I got banned on the forums [...]

A healthy community should be able to keep (true) trolls at bay on its own, just like in life. Community-driven rating systems work, imho. In this case they banned a whole community from an eventual hit you would have produced. Everyone's loss because of fear-based management.
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on February 16, 2021, 05:15:31 AM
Since I got banned on the forums - allegedly for calling a troll a troll

WTF? You were banned with so many upvotes? And without warning? WTF  ]iamwithstupid[

But now I see what happened, obviously right after that. Probably the same moderator sent in the heavy cavalry, asking a dozen (otherwise mainly respectable) forum members to teach the rioting mob a lesson along the lines "learn aiming", etc, etc. But it fired back, RedKestrel and others politely explained the issue to the effect that some vocal members, previously uninterested, publicly admitted there was actually shit in the pancake.

BTW I can live even with these porked .50cals, I don't give them a fuck, really, it's the handling of the issue and the lack of perspective, together with the above communication schemes, that annoy me and make me sad.

As to the server, it's really up to you to decide whether you can afford the time and resources to maintain it under the given circumstances. I personally would regret if you shot it down, because it's the only public mod-friendly server with normal difficulty settings, so it's ideal for training and for any non-competitive online flying, and as I see there's a small, but solid demand for that.

My suggestion is to leave it up and running "as is" -- as long as it doesn't demand too much time and effort to keep it up.

 ]thefinger[
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: macgiver on February 16, 2021, 06:22:42 AM
I am no one to take part in this conversation, but to "let off steam" I can say that I have not visited the server for several months now, nor have I been flying with this sim. It may sound pathetic, but I'm feeling scammed by jason&co (and I haven't spent almost thousand "bullets" as Storebror). I've been buying parts and planes as they come out, hoping that they will fix existing problems and polish things up, but it's been getting worse and worse, until it was time to say stop (not to mention the fact that there are too many things that were poorly done from the beginning and needs to be remade, not repaired).I stay with our "obsolete and defective" Il-2...
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on February 16, 2021, 07:26:30 AM
Another update just got released, 48 changes and "improvements" listed but of course, none of the real biting issues got addressed.
Again.
I doubt the devs will ever change it.
As long as the crowd of wannabe Hartmanns can't cheer each other enough of their heroic "victories" and keep buying the game, nothing will change.

That horse is dead, sorry to say.

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Skylla on February 16, 2021, 10:49:31 AM
It's really sad to see what this BoX project has become.

Nevertheless it's very sad to see our server go down, albeit I have to admit I also ceased flying on it once BoX went south.

During its peak time I very much enjoyed flying on the server with you all and I think we can proudly say that we've been operating the first and most reliable mod friendly server in BoX. And I'm glad I could provide some missions for it :)
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Ghost129er on February 16, 2021, 02:05:21 PM
RIP. Until next time I guess. We had some great memories there, now, we just wait I guess. They can only milk the product so much, won't be till a matter of time I suppose. 
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: sniperton on February 16, 2021, 03:17:36 PM
And I'm glad I could provide some missions for it :)

Heartful thank for that. I would miss them. And thank you Mike for your support too.

]hello2[
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on February 16, 2021, 10:37:25 PM
Just for the record, this is Jason Williams' true opinion of the issue, in contrast to the december's official statement that they'd look after DM and weapon issues:

Quote
We have addressed the .50s and all of our weapons several times over the years. We don't ignore anything and our years of work prove it, but if you're rude about it we will ignore you. The .50s are not nerfed they just aren't to your liking. We are focused on other tasks at the moment. Right now my engineers are focused on new planes and fuel systems. I do not have a large team that can work on multiple revisions of old features endlessly and new features at the same time. And after we updated the weapons last time MANY more users are happier than they were before the update so not everyone shares your opinion.

This was in reply to a complaint of mine in reply to a Facebook announcement of their latest update.
Read: For them, everything's fine and dandy and nothing needs to be changed.
Still complaining about the .50s is "rude".
Sissies. And fuckwits.
Needless to say that the ass kissers are all around him, that reply immediately got him 11 likes.
Unbelievable idiots, they'll see what they get from it, once GB cripples their beloved 109s too.

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Skylla on February 17, 2021, 01:17:33 AM
Well, technically they are crippled already. But this happens in a way that those who sit in one benefit from it. So no complaints on that I guess ...

Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Storebror on February 19, 2021, 04:48:03 AM
After having slept a couple of nights on this, the penny dropped.
Game Over.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0BdMbMOvgs

]cheers[
Mike
Title: Re: SAS BoX Server ("The Flying Ass Clowns")
Post by: SAS~Skylla on February 19, 2021, 06:26:23 AM
First post has been adjusted.

Since the server is no more this topic is now locked & unstickied.