Hope to improve the weather system

Now DCS's simulation of the weather system is poor, and online players are out of sync. I want to have a good weather simulation system that can simulate the effects on aircraft and weapons

They have plans for an updated weather system, since a long time unfortunately. From time to time you can also see new clouds (with some lua magic only tho)(which get poorer every new time)

Clous are DCS’s worst feature. Please do something to them!

There are at least three parts to it, though.

One is the visuals and how they don't quite sync – this is a comparatively minor thing, but the one that is most obvious in how it affects everyone. It's not just an MP issue either since cloud flicker, twisting and other odd movements appear just as readily in SP.

A second is the effect weather has on various AI behaviours. You'll have no problem finding threads about how wind affects (or fails to affect) weapons in rather bizarre and/or opaque ways, suggesting that it might not be evenly applied to everything. There also the much-belaboured ATC issues with weather, which is its entire own can of worms. And of course the actual AI pilots that seem to be impervious to weather in certain on-rails situations (starts and landings for instance). Same with ships, which could probably use a bit more reactivity to weather conditions now that carrier operations have been given an increased focus throughout numerous new and upcoming modules.

And finally, there's the weather toolset — the almost complete lack of manual control over weather in the mission editor outside of a couple of very simplistic settings.

Of the three, I'd say that the third one is actually the most critical, yet potentially also the easiest one to fix. The funny thing is that DCS has a pretty darn advanced weather system underneath — it's just next to impossible to work with because you can only get to it through cumbersome Lua editing and lots and lots and lots of time-consuming trial-and-error testing. The only proper functionality that is currently lacking from dynamic weather is making it… well… dynamic by allowing pressure fronts to move, and that's more of a luxury feature for the odd 24/7 online mission. Everything else is “just” a matter of lack of UI: being able to actually manipulate the pressure systems in-editor and preview the effects (and, of course, some engine documentation to explain which patterns yield which results so you can still get exactly the kind of zero-visibility snow storm you're after).

AI (or at least ATC) updates are in the works by the sound of it; network syncing is an on-going issue with several systems and isn't necessarily tied to weather as such; and UI improvements are so unsexy and difficult to sell to anyone who's not diving into the ME on a daily basis. Nevertheless, I feel it's that last bit that needs to happen because without it, it'll still just be the same old boring weather — just slightly better-looking.

There are at least three parts to it, though.

 

One is the visuals and how they don't quite sync – this is a comparatively minor thing, but the one that is most obvious in how it affects everyone. It's not just an MP issue either since cloud flicker, twisting and other odd movements appear just as readily in SP.

 

A second is the effect weather has on various AI behaviours. You'll have no problem finding threads about how wind affects (or fails to affect) weapons in rather bizarre and/or opaque ways, suggesting that it might not be evenly applied to everything. There also the much-belaboured ATC issues with weather, which is its entire own can of worms. And of course the actual AI pilots that seem to be impervious to weather in certain on-rails situations (starts and landings for instance). Same with ships, which could probably use a bit more reactivity to weather conditions now that carrier operations have been given an increased focus throughout numerous new and upcoming modules.

 

And finally, there's the weather toolset — the almost complete lack of manual control over weather in the mission editor outside of a couple of very simplistic settings.

 

Of the three, I'd say that the third one is actually the most critical, yet potentially also the easiest one to fix. The funny thing is that DCS has a pretty darn advanced weather system underneath — it's just next to impossible to work with because you can only get to it through cumbersome Lua editing and lots and lots and lots of time-consuming trial-and-error testing. The only proper functionality that is currently lacking from dynamic weather is making it… well… dynamic by allowing pressure fronts to move, and that's more of a luxury feature for the odd 24/7 online mission. Everything else is “just” a matter of lack of UI: being able to actually manipulate the pressure systems in-editor and preview the effects (and, of course, some engine documentation to explain which patterns yield which results so you can still get exactly the kind of zero-visibility snow storm you're after).

 

AI (or at least ATC) updates are in the works by the sound of it; network syncing is an on-going issue with several systems and isn't necessarily tied to weather as such; and UI improvements are so unsexy and difficult to sell to anyone who's not diving into the ME on a daily basis. Nevertheless, I feel it's that last bit that needs to happen because without it, it'll still just be the same old boring weather — just slightly better-looking.

Fully agree in all points.

Maybe this one says it: "Much work is lost due to the lack of a little more."

IMHO ED is underestimating the Mission editors importance.

In an interview I listened several months ago Wags stated that there will be an improved weather and clouds system. However there was no information when we can expect these improvements.

it would be great some news, or at least, fix the bug related with static cloud disappearing and stuttering. Weather in flying experiencie is a TOP priority IMHO.

They likely don't touch anything in current weather system, because they are developing new weather system.

So instead allocating manpower to fix things ugly, breaking everything else, they stick to plan and proceed to write a completely new weather engine.

Last news were that they were working on how to simulate moisture, a core feature (essential) in weather development.

And all that will affect as well to not just clouds developments, but to all flight characteristics, sensors detection capability, lighting etc.

Not a "just a visual update needed".

It is more like Lock-On vs DCS 2.5 difference that is coming from there.

I really hope the new weather system won't take too long, because the current one is really awful.

Oh, I don't know… you can create some pretty neat things with it.

The issue is more that it has to be done all by hand and through trial-and-error since the in-editor previews sit somewhere between very inaccurate to completely missing.

Clous are DCS’s worst feature. Please do something to them!

No. Trees now are worst feature. They look like bush

They likely don't touch anything in current weather system, because they are developing new weather system.

 

So instead allocating manpower to fix things ugly, breaking everything else, they stick to plan and proceed to write a completely new weather engine.

 

Last news were that they were working on how to simulate moisture, a core feature (essential) in weather development.

 

And all that will affect as well to not just clouds developments, but to all flight characteristics, sensors detection capability, lighting etc.

 

Not a "just a visual update needed".

 

It is more like Lock-On vs DCS 2.5 difference that is coming from there.

This doesn´t meanst that fix a bug that makes cloud disappearing and stuttering couldn´t be done. Since DCS 2.0, weather is completely broken (appart of overcast and lack of control dynamic weather).

In fact, I remember to had better weather in LOMAC (year 2004, even with sunshaft effect throught the clouds, was very nice). At least, clouds doesn´t disappears at 50 Km range or by changing external views.

I agree to manage resource to a new item, but I disagree completely the lack of fixing 2 bugs since many years ago, for the currend (bad o good) weather system we have NOW.

Oh, I don't know… you can create some pretty neat things with it.

 

The issue is more that it has to be done all by hand and through trial-and-error since the in-editor previews sit somewhere between very inaccurate to completely missing.

I would like to know how to create a mission with dynamic weather with complete overcast then?

I would like to know how to create a mission with dynamic weather with complete overcast then?

Probably about 400–500 or so very tiny overlapping low pressure systems. The winds will be… interesting. As will performance. :D

I mean, yes, there are shortcomings. Proper overcast is one of them; proper rain and lightning without much wind is another; a fixed cloud layer is a third. My point is just that it's actually quite capable, but horrendous to work with, and with a proper UI, a huge portion of the awfulness would be gone. What remained would then just be a matter of feature set, but that's imo secondary — every feature in the world wouldn't help if it remained as cumbersome to work with as it is now (indeed, more features would if anything just make it more of a pain to manipulate).

Probably about 400–500 or so very tiny overlapping low pressure systems. The winds will be… interesting. As will performance. :D

 

 

I mean, yes, there are shortcomings. Proper overcast is one of them; proper rain and lightning without much wind is another; a fixed cloud layer is a third. My point is just that it's actually quite capable, but horrendous to work with, and with a proper UI, a huge portion of the awfulness would be gone. What remained would then just be a matter of feature set, but that's imo secondary — every feature in the world wouldn't help if it remained as cumbersome to work with as it is now (indeed, more features would if anything just make it more of a pain to manipulate).

Well yes, the weather system at it's core seems to be pretty great, even taking stuff like humidity into account AFAIK, but working with it is just absolutly horrendous and needs a complete overhaul!