Monthly Progress Update - November 2010 news - WIC: Modern Warfare Mod for World in Conflict

November Progress Update

Remember, you can still find a guide on installing update 4 here

We've had one of our busiest weeks this month. Deadlines are looming, time is getting short and funds are running dry. This could only mean one thing: work harder.

Well, let's take a look at some of what we've been doing since our last update!

Air Role, Avionics Simulation and Ground Collision Modeling

Because of the inherent FPS-like nature in which Air is played, we've decided to make it almost feel like playing a simulator. We've made basic abstraction layer code to simulate aircraft avionic systems and also added ground collision modeling as well. In other words, if you run your chopper into the ground while flying, you will crash and explode (where as in the past, choppers clipped through the ground and nothing happened).

To help air players recover from a potential collision into ground, we've also spent lot of time programming a Ground Collision Avoidance System (GCAS) using principles of inertial navigation math.

You can read more about it here: Moddb.com

Also watch the ground collision modeling and GCAS system in action here:

We also implemented Dynamic Damage Modeling into attack helicopters, where as you take damage, certain systems become damaged and go offline until you get repaired.

You can see the dynamic damage modeling in action here:

Python Ammunition Manager

Since playing air requires more micro attention, we've also implemented ammunition management behind the scenes using python scripts. The offensive special ability for Hellfire missiles now recharge as short as only 1 second! But, behind the scenes, the python scripts track the number of Hellfire launches you initiate using offensive ability. Once it reaches maximum amount of missiles carried by your helicopter, the offensive ability feature is then locked out until your aircraft has fully reloaded its missiles.

With this feature, you can launch all of your Hellfire missiles in one go, or conserve your ammo and fire 1 missile at a time. Much more realistic and gives lot more powerful punch to the Air role to take out an armored column with a single chopper.

FGM-148 Javelin: The Most Deadly Anti-Tank Missile Ever

In response to feedback that we have not cared much about the infantry role, we are now introducing Fire & Forget FGM-148 Javelin missile into the game, complete with abstraction layer code to provide basic simulation of Command Launch Unit (CLU) feedback, proper missile guidance logic and animation.

You can see the Javelin in action here:

If you're infantry and in a mood for a nasty surprise, this is it!

Cruise Missile Guidance

We've been spending quite a bit of time modeling the cruise missile guidance. In the final version of the mod, cruise missiles will no longer be unrealistically controlled by the player. They are taken over by a computer script and guided automatically to their targets.

The script acquires an enemy target, guides the cruise missile to that enemy's predicted move point (target leading) at normal cruising speed. Once the cruise missile arrives near the area, it then switches to 'terminal phase mode' and begins performing a series of basic evasive maneuvers, such as speeding up and slightly moving by 1 or 2 degrees left/right. The evasive terminal maneuver is designed to give the victim target practically no time to evade the missile and also to screw up tracking by point defense AA guns.

Both factions will receive access to the cruise missile launchers via Tactical Aid menu.

Also be aware - AI bots (support bots in particular) now use cruise missiles too.

Heavy SAM and Integrated Air Defense System (IADS)

To counter the increasingly deadly threats posed by cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and helicopters carrying 8-16 air-to-ground missiles per unit, it has become abundantly clear that the current existing anti-air defenses are combat-ineffective to deal with these full spectrum of air threats.

After a week-long study, we have come to the conclusion that the current existing AA logic in WiC can be easily overwhelmed by air players using transport helicopters as "penetration aids" or "decoys". Combine that with salvo of cruise missiles and you've got a big game imbalance problem.

To combat this situation, it has become clear that we need to program a new code into the game, that will turn Heavy SAMs into basically land-based SM-2 Standard Missiles fired by Aegis Combat System for simultaneously dealing with multiple air threats at once.

Using the new IADS programming code, every Heavy SAM launcher in your entire team (even if it is owned by another player or a bot) gets networked into what we call an "IADS domain." Inside your team's IADS domain, the program code identifies enemy targets and feeds targeting information to every Heavy SAM launcher in your team, giving them different targets to engage incoming air threats.

Our new Team IADS code can:

• Simultaneously track up to 9 air targets at once.
• Manage up to 100 Surface-to-Air missiles across the entire team from 8 different players at once.
• Provide radar illumination and aiming calculation for 2 different air targets simultaneously at once.

These improvements allow the Heavy SAM's to engage multiple incoming targets at once, where as in the past, 5 Heavy SAM units all emptied their ammo on a single chopper, only to get fooled by a decoy.

You can see the devastating effects of IADS multiple simultaneous engagement process here:

New Patriot SAM

We were pleased to find out that a number of MW Mod players that frequently visit us on Facebook have had experience operating Patriot SAM complexes in real-life. To bring more excitement for these fine folks, we've decided that our current existing Patriot presentation in game is far too unrealistic and does not serve justice.

We started remodeling the entire Patriot SAM complex and also writing new missile guidance and IADS control program scripts for MIM-104E PAC-2 GEM missiles. PAC-3 missiles will also be worked on soon, but we have not started our work on that yet.

You can see the videos of PAC-2 missiles in action here:

Also, the MPQ-53/65 radar set for Patriot system uses a new control script that classifies air threats based on their behavioral flight patterns. The radar can classify targets and identify whether they are supersonic cruise missiles, subsonic/slow cruise missiles or nap-of-the-earth aircraft/helicopter, or ballistic missile.

The radar also keeps track of last 3 known vector positional coordinates of air targets (called 'building radar track') and compares them. If the vector track is not linear and the last 3 coordinates are all over the place or form up a curvature, then the radar classifies the target as "maneuvering air player" and switches the missile guidance to compensate for air player's unpredictable maneuver.

Last but not least, AI bots (support bots in particular) will now use cruise missiles to attack players, so watch out!

Patriot game play test video is here:

That's it for November. We'll bring you with more updates soon, including updates on Stryker MGS/TOW series variants and PAC-3 missile addition.