IL-2 Sturmovik: Battle of Stalingrad News

Hello Everyone!

We continue our movement toward the release of Battle of Bodenplatte, but even near the finish line we still find opportunities to improve the entire project. This time we found a way to implement a significant optimization to part of the graphics engine that is responsible for displaying the clouds. In addition to a significant increase in FPS on existing cloud settings, this allowed us to add an additional setting for the cloud quality called "Extreme". This option is named so because it combines somewhat increased performance with a significant reduction of the “boiling” clouds effect which appears when looking sideways from the direction of movement. We have also significantly increased the clarity of cloud shapes and boundaries. Our clouds always looked nice on the high settings, but with the addition of this new option their visual quality and realism has significantly increased. However, it is better to see an example:



Work on the Tank Crew project is still in full swing, and new additions can be expected in the coming months. First, at the end of October, the project acquires its main gameplay component- two Scripted Campaigns based on historical events of the Battle of Prokhorovka. Second, our next update will include new command functionality for the tank and tank the platoon commander. Third, before the end of the year, we expect our partners from DigitalForms to complete two new armored vehicles - the Soviet self-propelled artillery SU-122 and the German medium tank Panzerkampfwagen V "Panther". The 3-dimensional model of the Panther exterior is in a high degree of readiness whereas the SU-122 has already been completed and work is underway on texturing the interior and creating its crew animations:





Note: Some of the content included in this Dev. Diary are for products not quite ready to be sold on Steam, but which are getting much closer to that day. Please remember, all of our products use the same client so updates and content additions can also benefit all our customers no matter which titles you own. i.e more AI vehicles and planes etc.

Dear Friends,

The IL-2 development team is glad to report that the new huge update 3.201 is released. It brings you not only the 3 new aircraft and 2 new maps for two projects, but also many improvements in all areas of the sim - graphics, physics, audio, controls, armament, and instruments. You can find the in depth information about some of the new features in our recent Dev. Diaries. Please note that this update is the last milestone before the release of two projects at once - Bodenplatte and Flying Circus Vol.1 - which should happen in a month or so. Moreover, this update contains many improvements for Tank Crew as well, paving the way for the release of its two scenario campaigns and tank commander interface.

We advise you to browse through the 3.201 changelist below - in addition to big additions it contains smaller changes which were requested for some time:

New aircraft and other objects

1. Tempest Mk.V Series 2 fighter is available to all Bodenplatte owners;
2. P-51D-15 fighter is available to all Bodenplatte owners;
3. Collectors Plane P-38J-25 is available to all Bodenplatte Premium Edition owners;
4. The new map Rheinland Summer 1944 (including the Low Countries) is available to all Bodenplatte owners in QMB mode;
5. The new map Arras Spring 1918 is available to all Flying Circus Vol.1 owners in QMB mode;
6. B-25D bomber added (not player controllable);
7. GMC CCKW truck added;
8. Willys MB off-road vehicle added;
9. M16 Half-track self-propelled AAA gun added;
10. Sd Kfz 7 Flakvierling 38 self-propelled AAA gun added;
11. Flakvierling 38 AAA gun added;
12. М1A1 90 mm AAA gun added;
13. US searchlights and landing lights added;
14. M5 3-inch AT gun added;
15. M1 155mm howitzer added;
16. JagdPz IV L70 tank destroyer added;
17. Infantry and AA .50 MG added;
18. New types of road and railroad bridges added;
19. New Western European town and village blocks added;
20. New industry blocks added;
21. Many new unique buildings for Rheinland and Arras added;
22. New countries that participated in WWI and WWII added to the mission logic;

Visual improvements

23. Aircraft and ships are visible much farther than before - theoretically, they can be spotted as far as 100 km away if there are fire, contrails or a ship wake;
24. New 'Distant buildings' option added;
25. Object markers can be blocked by landscape and objects, including own aircraft or vehicle;
26. Static objects rendering has been optimized to increase performance;
27. Sun glare from distant aircraft is visible better;
28. Fire can be visible inside the cockpit on single and triple engine planes;
29. It's possible to display a customizable photo in all aircraft cockpits and tank cabins;
30. Collimator sight reticle has been improved for all planes;

Aircraft improvements

31. DB-601 and DB-605 engine sounds improved for all Bf-109 and Bf-110 planes;
32. Realistic pilot's physiology model is now active, which takes into account the duration of the G-load and rate the G-load was applied;
33. After prolonged exposure to high-G load the load factor tolerance of the crew decreases and they require some time of steady flight to rest and recover;
34. Oxygen deficit affects the human tolerance to high G-load more accurately;
35. Visual and audible high-G effects made more realistic;
36. The sound of the player breathing during a significant positive G load improved, that sound is no longer played during a negative G load;
37. G-suits increase the load factor tolerance of the crew;
38. The crew can become motion sick from alternating G loads;
39. High-G loads, powerful impacts and pain shock can render the crew unconscious resulting in a loss of control;
40. New 'Simple physiology' option added to the difficulty settings disables the load factor tolerance decrease, loss of consciousness and motion sickness;
41. Damage inflicted to the crew from powerful impacts and falls have been corrected;
42. The player can't get painful shock anymore if the invulnerability difficulty option is checked;
43. The ability of the crew to bail out is now limited by the G-load (including its direction), airspeed and crew health (wounds);
44. Crew bails out differently depending on the G load direction - down if the load is positive and up if the load is negative;
45. The movements of the visible model of the flight stick and pedals in the cockpit are no longer filtered so there is less delay between the movement of real flight stick and pedals and the virtual ones. However, the flight stick movement speed is still limited at high flight speeds or if the pilot is wounded;
46. It is now possible to assign a trim axis if it was controlled by an axis on a real aircraft (control wheel or lever). The speed of the trim axis is still limited and depends on the aircraft, similar to the adjustable stabilizer. If you use joystick buttons or keyboard for controlling such trimmers, please assign these keys not only to electric trimmers but also to this trim axis;
47. All Pe-2 and Hs-129 have their electric trimmers disabled if the power is turned off. Turning them on and off can be heard and the sound of trim has been replaced with an electric motor sound;
48. The adjustable stabilizer axis is no longer inverted (its direction is changed according to DirectX standard);
49. New commands for retraction and extension of the landing gear added;
50. It's possible to repair in aircraft when it is near an object with the service parameter set to On in the mission file. Repairs start automatically when the engines shutdown procedure is complete;
51. It's possible to refuel in aircraft when it is near an object with the service parameter set to On in the mission file. The refueling process can be started and stopped using the new commands and only possible if the engines are shut down;
52. It's possible to rearm in aircraft when it is near an object with the service parameter set to On in the mission file. The rearming process can be started and stopped using the new command and only possible if the engines are shut down;
53. Spitfire stall behavior with released landing flaps has been corrected;
54. British and American voiceovers added for Bodenplatte pilots;
55. 150 Octane fuel is available for Spitfire IXe that enables +25 lbs. With it enabled, switching supercharger gears becomes manual;
56. La-5FN skins should work on an MP server now, but this change requires reassigning its skins in the missions created earlier;
57. Bodenplatte pilots got Summer uniform;
58. Windmilling effect works on U-2VS;
59. British gyro gunsight G.G.S. Mk.IId (Spitfire Mk.IXe) now accounts for gravitational bullet drop when calculating the deflection;
60. Spitfire Mk.IXe electric fuel pump won't continuously switch on and off at low throttle on the ground;
61. Some instruments and switches sounds corrected on Spitfire Mk.IXe;
62. Me 262 A behavior at beyond-stall angles of attack corrected;
63. The physical behavior of I-16 fragments has been corrected;
64. Smoke clouds after a plane crash in multiplayer disappear correctly;

AI improvements

65. AI better aims at distant steadily flying targets;
66. AI better distribute enemy targets among themselves;
67. If an AI has a speed advantage over a target it is attacking, it tries to keep this advantage;
68. Combat turns, spirals and banking maneuvers in a dogfight are performed more aggressively;
69. AI won't switch maneuvers too frequently, distorting its planned tactics;
70. Criteria for choosing maneuvers in a dogfight were updated;
71. AI keeps the formation better;

Tank improvements

72. Off-road shaking has been made more natural;
73. All the tanks now use the M4A2 aiming method;
74. The engine startup sequence is now animated (master switch, excess pressure valve, manual fuel pump, wobble pump, caution signal);
75. Inner visual effects are not affected by tank movements;
76. Engine exhaust effect improved;
77. Driver gauges, turret instruments, MG elements are now animated in multiplayer;
78. Direction controlability improved;
79. APHE rounds cause more damage to inner components after the armor penetration;
80. The visual effect of the turret traverse motor exhaust added to Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. G and M4A2;
81. KV-1s and Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf. M commanders can fire the signal rockets through a small hatch in the roof when the commander hatch is closed;
82. The engine startup sound on KV-1s and Т-34-76 UVZ (1943) depends on the starter type used (main electric or reserve pneumatic one);
83. KV-1s, Т-34-76 UVZ (1943) and M4A2 have functioning klaxon (LAlt+S);
84. Inner details and texturing improved on KV-1s and Pz.Kpfw.VI Ausf.H1;
85. Pz.Kpfw. III Ausf. M, Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. G and Pz.Kpfw. VI Ausf. H1 bow MGs use the M4A2 aiming method;
86. There is an alternate DT MG gunner aiming mode on KV-1s - through the periscope (in addition to the regular one through the gunsight);
87. KV-1s commander and radioman have an alternate aiming mode - through a visor;
88. M4A2 turret traverse can be powered by the motor-generator;
89. M4A2 first-person view height corrected for a driver and MG gunner in unbuttoned positions;
90. Visible (from the driver seat) rotation of the steering drive shaft has been corrected on Pz.Kpfw.IV Ausf. G;
91. Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf. M fuel or oil fire effect has been corrected;
92. A firing port in the panoramic gunsight armor added on KV-1s;
93. Air inlets of the engine compartment added on KV-1s;
94. Slits in the driver visor on KV-1s decreased in the visor open position;

Other improvements

95. The sound subsystem uses newer FMOD API - sound loss after long play sessions should be fixed;
96. Runway floodlights work now;
97. Coalition sorting functionality added to QMB mode;
98. An automatic chat message in the multiplayer reports if there is no UDP traffic coming from one of the players;
99. A workaround added for VR HMDs without hardware IPD adjustment - LShift-NumPad+ and LShift-NumpadEnter directly move the images on the VR screen farther or closer.
100. Radio chatter volume is affected if the player is concussed, lost consciousness or wounded.

P.S.
To add a custom photo to your airplane or tank cockpit you should replace existing default DDS image by another one in:
\data\graphics\planes\\textures\custom_photo.dds
or
\data\graphics\vehicles\\textures\custom_photo.dds
DDS image should be 1024x1024 in DXT5 ARGB 8bpp with mip-maps

Note: Some of the content included in this update are for products not quite ready to be sold on Steam, but which are getting much closer to that day. Please remember, many of the included fixes, changes and enhancements also benefit Sturmovik products already available on Steam including BOS, BOM, BOK, Collector Planes and Campaigns. All of our products use the same client so an update as large as this one benefits all our customers no matter which titles you own.

Developer Diary #232

Hello everybody,

The next update 3.201 will be released really soon. In the previous Dev Diaries, we told what it will bring for Bodenplatte, but it will also contain many improvements for other projects as well. Let's start with Tank Crew.

The first important feature (not only for tanks, but it is especially important for them) is the new occlusion system for object markers. Now ground and aerial object markers will be occluded by other moving objects, cockpit elements, hills, trees buildings, etc. It should really pump up the tension of battle even in the 'markers on' mode.

Second, we have changed the way a turret (or closed sights MGs like bow MG-34) is steered on all tanks, now it moves like on M4A2 before and there is a special overlay indicator showing the set turret direction.

In addition, all the Tank Crew player controllable tanks now have improved engine startup procedures, both visually and audibly. Pz. IV and M4 have autonomous turret traverse mode working with effects and animations. The tanks handling has been improved. Many of them have their interiors and some exterior details updated.

Two historical campaigns set near Prokhorovka designed by Alexander Timoshokov and Victor Sechnoy are finished and their beta testing should start next week along with the commander interface for controlling the crew and an entire platoon. To create correct mission scenarios, a lot of effort has been put into research - just their briefings have enough text to fill up 40 book pages. Ground AI improvements required a lot of time as well. We plan to release these campaigns to all Tank Crew owners in October.





Now onto Flying Circus. The coming update will include the Arras area map (1918). The cities, towns, and airfields recreate the atmosphere of the era believably. The designers paid special attention to smaller details in the airfield buildings. The towns have trade squares, suburban blocks and more detailed factory areas. There are barbed wire and dugouts on no-mans-land. Together with the latest technologies available in IL-2 engine, the new Arras map will give the aviators of the Great War the next level of immersive flight and dogfights above the Western Front positions.







Returning to Bodenplatte, we're glad to report that we have found the means of increasing visual quality of Tempest Mk.V even more. Since the end of Summer, our artists worked on the texturing and materials and you can see the result on these screenshots.



The aircraft released in the previous TOWs also gets attention - Battle of Stalingrad owners will see IL-2 mod. 1942 and Bf 109 G-2 skins updated to 4K quality thanks to Martin =ICDP= Catney and Francisco =BlackHellHound1= Bindraban. But not only visuals are being upgraded for our previous projects - we're also working on some sound improvements. For instance, DB-601 and BD-605 engine sounds installed on Bf-109s and Bf-110s will become more realistic in 3.201.



Sturmovik Steam users do not despair! All of this will be included when be bring Battle of Bodenplatte, Flying Circus and Tank Crew to Steam. That will happen in the not too distant future. However, if you already own Battle of Stalingrad you can purchase BOBP, FC and TC from our website today and link your Steam account which will allow you to enjoy these improvements before we start selling these titles on Steam. If you don't want to link, you can simply wait until we release them on Steam a little later this year.

Regardless, we will continue to post our Developer Diaries on Steam so you are kept up to date on all things that are happening in the IL-2 Sturmovik: Great Battles universe!

The IL-2 Sturmovik Team

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Hello everybody,

We're in the second half of September and this means that the next update 3.201 isn't far away. This one will be massive and will bring a lot of new content as well. Three player controllable aircraft, AI bomber, new AI ground vehicles and of course, the new map - Rheinland. This map tops the records once again: 130 000 square kilometers of reachable terrain (401 x 324 km), 176 000 square kilometers total size (461 x 384 km), 225 cities and towns - a record number of big cities, 70 airfields - 67 of them have historically correct layout recreated using archive documents. For increased detail and historical accuracy, for the first time, we have used 4 airfield types on the same map - with concrete, metal, and unpaved runways and airstrips without runways.
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You can see full text and visual materials on our forum

Dear Pilots,

Summer is drawing to a close once again and our offices in Moscow and Las Vegas are finally transitioning to cooler weather. The Fall season brings warm sweaters and more indoor time with the family and more time playing your favorite combat flight-simulation – IL-2 Sturmovik!! The team is very busy preparing the next update due later this month which will be a big one, but not quite the final one before Battle of Bodenplatte and Flying Circus are considered ready for release. We also continue our work on Tank Crew which has some new features and improvements coming as well.

FALL INTO SAVINGS SALE HAS STARTED!

All Collector Planes = 50% Off (Including the U-2VS)
Battle of Moscow at 66% OFF and All Scripted Campaigns at 50% Off (Website only, there is a limitation on how frequently we can offer a product on sale on Steam)

In light of our crammed schedule, we simply leave you with some new images of our P-38J-25 and P-51D-15 and a shot of our A.I. B-25 from Battle of Bodenplatte!

Enjoy!