IL2 Sturmovik: Battle of Guadacanal/Midway

[TheElf]

I can tell you that I'm not itching to buy a Fulmar or a Gladiator...

 

That was joke.  But I would buy them both.

[II/JG17_HerrMurf]

Well, if I were trendspotting and had the two data points that we have today, the 3rd installment would be Battle of Poland.  But I am not jumping to any conclusions....

 

Anyway, as a researcher I can tell YOU that anything is possible.  If 777 can model WWI aircraft, they can model the Nate, Sally, and Claude.  In the end regardless of the fidelity of the model, much like IL-2 1946, there will be someone there who wasn't in the ring to point out how flawed it is.  If I've learned one thing from my time in the IL-2 world, it's that you'll never make EVERYONE happy, even less so those whose only experience comes from reading a book.

 

The reason I proposed the earlier Planesets is that a smart business man would want to target new content to be overlapping with existing content.  If this is done, a plausible wider world begins to develop where aircraft already modeled fold, at least partially, and neatly into the new installment while the new installment also brings a new theater desired by those itching to try BoS, but may be put off by the Eastern Front, as well as new aircraft.  Just think of all those Brits out there who are itching to get in their Fulmars and gladiator, I bet the have mounds of pounds literally burning a hole in their pockets.  All they need is a little 1CGS love...

 

     The alternative as you suggest, while I would absolutely have it if they offered, would be to throw out a 1942-1943 Pacific planeset that has no cross-installment relevance in aircraft and cannot be used to add additional content to the previous installments.  This is a poor tack in my humble opinion.  To THIS point, the Devs HAVE demonstrated that they intend to do so.  I hope this continues, as it implies they are building something larger than a couple episodic installments with no connection between them.

 

So something like this

 

Installment I : Battle of Stalingrad                Summer 1942 - Early Winter 1943

Installment II : Battle of Moscow                  Fall 1941 - Early Winter 1942

Installment III : Battle of Port Moresby          Winter 1942 - Summer 1943 (includes Coral Sea)

Installment IV : Battle of Malta                     Summer 1940 - Fall 1942   (Leverages a robust Carrier operations model from Inst III)

Installment V : Battle of the Channel Front    Fall 1940 - Winter 1943  

Installment XXXX  and so on....

 

In the meantime, maps and Aircraft that are more specific to the individual installments should be released as teasers or to help fill out the roster of aircraft in each theater.  I think adding new content (maps, variants, mods, Objects, SHIPS!) SEPARATE from major installment releases is an absolute must, either as premium content or free to all depending on the community landscape at the time.  This would included field mods, and variants that didn't get serviced in unlocks.

 

Unfortunately I haven't seen any word from the Devs on whether this is something they intend to do.  One can only hope....

I think two data points (BOS, BOM) hardly gives us enough information on what the Dev's plans are. They are playing this all pretty close to the vest. They would be somewhat remiss to not take the various polls into consideration which are overwhelmingly MTO next. At least on the English speaking side. Not sure what the Russian polls look like but I seem to remember MTO was doing well when similar topics were posted last year.

 

While I suspect MTO is the next theater, it wouldn't surprise me to stay in the east for another installment. I would, however, be disappointed and may not throw down the cash if they do. Staying in the east only caters to those who are already on board. The genre needs to expand and to do that we need to move to a few more known battles before coming back to roost. While being able to extend aircraft into the next theater has obvious benefits it is not an absolute necessity. The PTO planeset is large enough to survive on it's own. And if we go the the MTO many of the Commonwealth aircraft would move over nicely anyway. 

 

This whole conversation is just a Fantasy Island (Get it? Island? - I didn't do any puns on the tyre thread.) musing by us. It is simply a wish list and opinion piece. 

 

As I have argued repeatedly, doing the mostly unknown theaters with largely unknown aircraft (for the common man/casual reader/casual simmer) seems to be a recipe for disaster. If no one is interested other than a few very dedicated and vocal proponents it isn't gonna make money. If it won't make money it doesn't make any sense to pursue it from a Dev perspective. The only one which makes sense might be China/Burma, where the allies were clearly the underdogs initially and the history is well documented. These types of engagements are a luxury for developers who have made money already and can afford to take a chance on some of the lesser engagements.

Edited May 8, 2015 by HerrMurf

[=362nd_FS=Hiromachi]

 

 

This whole conversation is just a Fantasy Island (Get it? Island? - I didn't do any puns on the tyre thread.) musing by us. It is simply a wish list and opinion piece. 

Yup, one can always dream  

 

[Malfador]

+1 to this topic and please keep bringing it up, that's what the forums are for.  

 

I would love carrier and island ops in this game engine.  I follow DCS as well and was more than frustrated to see that one of their 3rd party developers chose the F-8 Bearcat as opposed to the Hellcat. They have also chosen 2 trainer aircraft recently which infuriates me.  

 

I really can't wait until WWII carrier ops are done well in a modern sim.  Corsairs off of sandy island bases and Hellcats and Avengers off of carrier decks assembling in the air!!!!  

 

Also I would just love to have a well modeled B-25 gunship with 14 forward firing .50s on ship & airfield strafing missions.  I have reinsatalled IL-2 1946 twice just to get those missions back.  

 

I have to agree with the  more rational people in this post though - it will be a long time coming and will depend on financial success of this new IL2 series.  

 

To make this realistic I think we need to see a large move of players from the WarThunder series to the real sims.  

 

One other point - I know this is totally unrelated but the new Star Wars battlefront series developers are using a new technology to scan models directly into 3d game objects.  They say that is has saved considerable developement time.  Hopefully for whichever sim this technology will become readily available. 

 

Cheers All.  Have a good weekend!!!

[Lusekofte]

Would not mind some hours in a

or a 

 

I might even try

[Danziger]

I would love to fly off the deck in my Devastator on a mission over the sea to launch my torpedo into an enemy's hull. I'm not a good swimmer though. And imagine diving over a ship formation with the bursting flak and streams of tracers flowing up from the ships.

[=362nd_FS=Hiromachi]

 

 

I might even try

Meh, radial engine does not fit that one. It's true beauty was with inline :

[II/JG17_HerrMurf]

I hear the campaign mode in that last one is pretty short. Don't you have to crash It into a capital ship as soon as you have a couple of hours in it?

[TheElf]

Meh, radial engine does not fit that one. It's true beauty was with inline :

 

 

Why not both?  : )

[=362nd_FS=Hiromachi]

Kamikaze topic is rather a delicate matter. And it didnt depend on the plane, but rather the pilots.

 

For the fans of torpedo attacks there is a great read I kept in my memory and now found it - The Miraculous Torpedo Squadron :

http://www.vintagewings.ca/VintageNews/Stories/tabid/116/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/464/language/en-US/The-Miraculous-Torpedo-Squadron.aspx

[Malfador]

Nice read Horomachi!  Thanks

 

Perspective from the other side 

[WhiteYeti]

2 other nice additions would be the Aussie Boomerang and the Wirraway

[kashiide]

something around Rabaul would be really nice

for those who did nt read it,i strongly recommend "the siege of Rabaul"written by Henry Sakaida,one of the most famous pacific air war historians

lot of possibilities in this place.

i personnaly would love chasing heavy bombers enlightened by searchlights in J1N1C Kai...with BOS engine,it would be so ....DAM

[=362nd_FS=Hiromachi]

[Feathered_IV]

Nice one Kashiide. Seige of Rabaul is an outstanding book. Now that I think of it, the text in my sig comes from there.

[Cryptonomica]

Would very much like to see both Pacific theatre and the Med appear in this iteration of the IL-2 series, especially since I am not as familiar with them as I am with operations over Britain, Germany and France.  More variety of theatres, historical time periods and plane sets can only be a good thing!

[KaC_Furias]

Since dreaming is free here we go:

 

P-51;

 

P-39

 

p-47D;

 

p-38

 

corsair

 

hellcat

 

siptfire V-IX-XIV

 

Tempest V;

 

Typhoon;

 

Yak-3

 

Yak-9 U

 

la5 FN

 

La7

 

bf109 G10 / G6 AS / K4

 

fw190 A6 / A8 / D9

 

MC-205

 

fiat g 55

 

re- 2005

 

ki-84

 

ki -100

 

in short everything that developers can build for us!

[=362nd_FS=Hiromachi]

For the dreamers, a fresh airshow with plenty of US Naval aircraft, some Corsairs and of course P-51s 

 

[TheElf]

Ahhh...the good old days, Bomber night on Warbirds of Prey Servers..  All Aircraft are players, no AI here...

 

[Phantom-103]

P T O ????? 

YES Please!!!!

I think staggering releases between PTO and Eastern Front would be refreshing and help build IL2 fanbase and revenue.

Guadalcanal.....Rabaul......Iwo............WOW!!!!

[LLv24_Zami]

PTO would be sweet at some point but I hope they take care of eastern front and mediterranean before that

[Feathered_IV]

Perhaps a basic island map and a premium Wildcat and Zero would scratch the itch while the other theatres are getting fleshed out.

[=362nd_FS=Hiromachi]

Perhaps a basic island map and a premium Wildcat and Zero would scratch the itch while the other theatres are getting fleshed out.

That would be like DCS a couple of months ago - fun and many people on servers but after that people would realize there isnt much to do, no bombers, no attackers, no specific mechanics for that specific front. And after that would happen same thing as is now with DCS - mostly empty WW2 servers and few occupied with maniacs like David Red and his "9./JG27 FightingLegends" (lol, thats a pompous name for a squadron btw.) who fly in group and pick up on alone random people who jump on server and realize there is no fun and no fight. DoW server I used to fly on is almost empty even on US prime time.

 

Normal product like BoS is and BoM, with 10 or more aircraft (more in this case would rather be necessary) would be the only option. 

[TheElf]

PTO would be sweet at some point but I hope they take care of eastern front and mediterranean before that

 

Don't you want a little vacation...?  Somewhere warm, balmy, and ridden with mosquitoes and dysentery??  An all in one resort perhaps? 

[=362nd_FS=Hiromachi]

Somewhere warm, balmy, and ridden with mosquitoes and dysentery??

That's not best advertisement

Promote it more like holiday travelling: "Sun, water, sand and fun"   

 

 

But on a serious note, Pacific, and especially New Guinea / Solomon Islands are very unique in the climate, fauna and flora. And the views can be really amazing :

Edited May 10, 2015 by =LD=Hiromachi

[LLv24_Zami]

Don't you want a little vacation...?  Somewhere warm, balmy, and ridden with mosquitoes and dysentery??  An all in one resort perhaps? 

 

Sounds very tempting!

[chris455]

Ki-43 can also be cool, and P-40 E-1 ... there is one coming in BoM, right ?

 

 

 

Not exactly, initially it was a main operation area for Japanese Navy. Starting from March 1942 and until December 1942 it was only and exclusively area of Japanese Navy Air Service - its NG where Saburo Sakai, Jun'ichi Sasai or Hiroyoshi Nishizawa got their greatest achievements.  But later due to commitment in Solomon Islands they couldn't keep up the numbers to fight both Guadalcanal and New Guinea. So on November an Army–navy central agreement on operations in the South Pacific Area was signed, and the 6th Air Division was committed to the New Guinea front. In accordance with the agreement, 60 Nakajima Type 1 “Oscar” fighters of the 11th Sentai reached Rabaul via Truk on 18 December, and almost immediately became involved in air defense operations.

P-40E-1 was an export approved version for the British. 4 .50 calibers and British instruments, IIRC. Different version of the Allison engine I believe as well. Not the P-40E the USAAF used in SWP.

[=362nd_FS=Hiromachi]

USAAF was not the only user of P-40 in SWPA, RAAF also used them. And it was mix of P-40E and E-1. It is very well documented by Mr. Gordon R. Birkett with all the serial numbers of the machines used in the theater. 

Check the file please : 

Part2-P40.pdf

[Y-29.Silky]

IL-2 series already covered the Pacific theater.

 

IL-2: Europe

 

Bam. I can't imagine this game creating a B-17, what a dream it would be..

[=362nd_FS=Hiromachi]

Considering the effectiveness of the gunners it could also be a nightmare 

[Y-29.Silky]

Considering the effectiveness of the gunners it could also be a nightmare

My rear gunners have yet to save me lol, especially the human ones.

[=362nd_FS=Hiromachi]

Cant complain on boys in my Peshka. Vasily and Sasha are doing usually a great job. Of course if enemy gives them the opportunity.  

[Rolling_Thunder]

Since dreaming is free here we go:

 

 

p-47D; YES

 

p-38 YES

 

corsair YES

 

hellcat YES

 

siptfire V-IX-XIV YES

 

Tempest V; YES

 

Typhoon; YES

 

 

A-26 Invader

B-25

Oh God YES

[LLv44_Mprhead]

After BoM comes, there will be good set of axis planes for med already and also one plane for allied plane set. And choosing rest of the allied planes smartly would give new planes to eastern front, as lend-lease planes, AND planes for future pacific expansion. I agree that after BoM it would be good to get out from the eastern front, at least for one expansion. As have already been pointed out in this thread, those who like eastern front are on board already, so it would be good to get also those who don't like it in.

[Feathered_IV]

Imagine the storm of whining from the lufties though if they had to buy an MTO expansion that only contained previously released LW aircraft. Lots of "I fly axis exclusively, so why pay full price for map and allied planes I never use WTF!" posts all over the place.

[6./ZG26_Emil]

Imagine the storm of whining from the lufties though if they had to buy an MTO expansion that only contained previously released LW aircraft. Lots of "I fly axis exclusively, so why pay full price for map and allied planes I never use WTF!" posts all over the place.

 

I don't agree even if that is in tongue and cheek. We had that for years in IL2 only getting more variants of the 109 and 190. We bought everything and yet only ever flew two aircraft.

[LLv44_Mprhead]

Imagine the storm of whining from the lufties though if they had to buy an MTO expansion that only contained previously released LW aircraft. Lots of "I fly axis exclusively, so why pay full price for map and allied planes I never use WTF!" posts all over the place.

 

There most likely would be some of that... Plane set would need to be something that would work as stand alone also. Still, lot's of benefits to be had. Like now when BoM is released, there will be proper planes for whole of fall blau.

[Feathered_IV]

Yeah it's a tricky situation in as much that after BoM the German midwar planeset will be pretty much complete for the two flavours of aircraft (fighter and bomber) that developers cannot see beyond. As much as I would dearly love to pay to wrestle an Me-323 across the Med, hunt truck convoys with a Hs-123 or fly any one of half a dozen different mission objectives in a Storch, it's never going to happen. Fresh ideas are few and far between in this genre.

[Goanna1]

I personally would like a Mosquito, Beaufighter and a Lancaster to really drop a good load of ordinance on targets

The Mosquito carried nearly the amount of bombs as a B17 and was more versatile,

Edited May 11, 2015 by Goanna1

[=362nd_FS=Hiromachi]

Well, I would like to see, if that would be MTO chosen, a P-38, some Italian aircraft (including Sparviero) and we would also need tropical Spitfire.