I don’t see any updates to the 2024 SDK for Multiplayer Model Matching vs what was available in 2020, so I assume the process and generic fallback aircraft are the same as in 2020? Are there plans to expand generic fallback aircraft offerings (specifically, single-engine/multi-engine taildraggers, fighter jets, and helicopters)?
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If the player aircraft can be streamed from the server, why can’t all aircraft models be streamed in a lower LOD?
It’s was a much requested feature in 2020 from both players and developers, I thought this was the raison d’etre for aircraft model streaming in 2024?
Hey Asobo, I’ll do some simple Regex for you free of charge.
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I would think that all available aircraft a user has installed (whether locally or streamed) could be a fall-back aircraft for what they DON’T have installed, or perhaps leverage all the low LOD AI aircraft (although there isn’t a helicopter or fighter jet model in any of the photos I’ve seen).
The main issue is: Which aircraft should be represented for model matching? Currently, fall-back to a generic model (failing a livery name and OFFICIAL ICAO check) is to look at the icao_engine_type, icao_engine_count, and (possibly) the icao_wtc. What’s missing from these checks is a variable for taildragger and jet fighter (and a warbird designator sure would be nice). There is a helicopter call-out in Category and object_class, but these aren’t used in 2020 for model matching (nor is there a fallback generic helicopter, anyway).
I believe with a few additional variables to the object class, and then linking those to matching user aircraft or AI aircraft (again, if there is a helo and jet fighter available), the level of immersion would be greatly increased within the sim.
One final thought: Using the icao_type_designator as a check for fallback is not working well today since ~50% of the developed aircraft in the sim (including Asobo and Microsoft aircraft!) do not use a valid ICAO. Which means if someone shows up in an aircraft you own, doesn’t have a valid ICAO, and in a livery you don’t have, you see a generic model.
I suggest not just what the user owns, but all marketplace aircraft should be streamed in multiplayer. Would work great for us, players and MS alike, as they would function as flying adverts enticing players to seek out aircraft on the marketplace when they encounter them in multiplayer.
Ahh yes, I see what you mean, and that would be a good start. Maybe that’s already being considered? I would like the above suggestion then more tuned to 3rd party aircraft outside of the marketplace, if that were true.
TBH - I would hope they did away with the icao_type_designator check against the official database altogether. That alone would address quite a few issues with model matching,
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