Developer Diary, Part 179 - Discussion

[CanadaOne]

So now we reach the point where we start to brag about how big our snow is?

My snow is bigger than yours and I will show you my huge snowload!

 

                                       

 

 

Just citing our experience and expertise so as to validate our opinions of the new winter textures.

 

And my snow is bigger than your snow.   "Pffft!"

[216th_Lucas_From_Hell]

To me few things say winter like changing a flat tire at -20ºC in Moscow. The bolts were frozen and contracted to a point they couldn't move, so we had to apply a few healthy litres of boiling water in order to loosen the whole thing up. Fun times.

[Uufflakke]

Panzerbar, the second is beautifull. Where is it ?

 

Me thinks it is Anadir.

Beautiful image indeed.

 

https://foma.ru/anadyir-strazh-russkogo-vostoka.html

 

Edited November 12, 2017 by Uufflakke

[Mesha44]

Rather than posting a picture I will just ask you all to google winter in Florida. 

[dburne]

Rather than posting a picture I will just ask you all to google winter in Florida. 

 

 

 

I am with you there!

[ShamrockOneFive]

To me few things say winter like changing a flat tire at -20ºC in Moscow. The bolts were frozen and contracted to a point they couldn't move, so we had to apply a few healthy litres of boiling water in order to loosen the whole thing up. Fun times.

 

Oh that does sound like fun times. I went on a photography excursion (brief) in -32c the one time and I couldn't imagine doing much of anything. One interesting note is that Canon DSLR's are totally fine in extreme cold apparently. Battery and shutter continued to operate flawlessly. I couldn't feel my fingers though

[[CPT]milopugdog]

It can't decide if it's summer, fall, or winter here. One day it'll be snowing, then raining, then 70 F.

And the insects go insane! There are spider webs on everything. You can't go anywhere to get away from them.

[Rolling_Thunder]

It can't decide if it's summer, fall, or winter here. One day it'll be snowing, then raining, then 70 F.

And the insects go insane! There are spider webs on everything. You can't go anywhere to get away from them.

I did some work in Ellensburg a couple of years ago. Yeah the weather is crazy there. there was snow then a couple of weeks later 90F. Desert crazyness

[BuzzU]

Rather than posting a picture I will just ask you all to google winter in Florida. 

 

I've read it gets all the way down to 60 degrees.

[[CPT]milopugdog]

I did some work in Ellensburg a couple of years ago. Yeah the weather is crazy there. there was snow then a couple of weeks later 90F. Desert crazyness

Yeah. I'm used to slightly more stable weather of the West side. This year it snowed before Halloween, so that's new.

[CanadaOne]

I've read it gets all the way down to 60 degrees.

 

 

Used to vacation in Tampa (St-Pete's beach), and it was always funny to go swimming in the ocean on cool days first thing in the morning, when the pool boys were wearing jackets and gloves while working. They thought we were insane.    

[BuzzU]

Used to vacation in Tampa (St-Pete's beach), and it was always funny to go swimming in the ocean on cool days first thing in the morning, when the pool boys were wearing jackets and gloves while working. They thought we were insane.    

 

I love cold weather. To prove it I drive my Jeep year around with no top or doors. Tops are for girls.

[BraveSirRobin]

I've read it gets all the way down to 60 degrees.

North Florida winter is brutal. Temps may drop into the 40s sometimes.

[Gambit21]

Yeah. I'm used to slightly more stable weather of the West side. This year it snowed before Halloween, so that's new.

 

We're neighbors

[[CPT]milopugdog]

We're neighbors

We can have a meet up for all the PNW pilots!

[coconut]

I welcome the increased contrast, but please take it easy with the blue palette. Snow is white, not blue. Same thing goes with the shadows. They are often painted blue in art, probably to convey the idea of cold, but in reality I don't perceive them as blue all that often (or at all).

Still, I think it's visually pleasing, but for the overcast weather I think it would look more natural with the current colors.

[Wedgewood]

I welcome the increased contrast, but please take it easy with the blue palette. Snow is white, not blue. Same thing goes with the shadows. They are often painted blue in art, probably to convey the idea of cold, but in reality I don't perceive them as blue all that often (or at all).

Still, I think it's visually pleasing, but for the overcast weather I think it would look more natural with the current colors.

The blue in the shadows is not to convey the idea of cold,  it occurs because of the color temperature AKA kelvin temp.  Areas directly lit by the sun will appear to be more warm(yellow/orange) and shadow areas not lit directly by the sun will have a a colder(blueish) color to them.  You might notice in your house that sunlight coming in a window will appear orange while light coming in from a north facing window (always in the shade) will appear blueish.  Your eyes will eventually ignore the color casts of a scene shortly after entering which is why the color shifts may not be as noticeable.  As an example, most indoor lighting in very orange but after a few minutes we perceive it as white.  As a photographer I struggle with this endlessly.  If the snow were colored only "white" that would mean that any snow lower than the luminance value of 255(pure white with no details) would appear to be grey which would also not be how it appears in person.  It could however have a few more warm colors added to the highlights as the sun is still yellow in the winter.

 

Also note that if you didn't calibrate your monitor using special tools then you probably aren't viewing the colors as they're intended to be viewed.

[Cpt_Cool]

As a Canadian I can say:

 

Bravo! I can taste the air and feel the bite of the cold in those screen shots.

 

The art is clearly something only a Russian, Scandinavian or Canadian could get right - and we appreciate it! An American studio couldn't pull this off.

 

A Minnesotan or Alaskan Studio could do it. Heck I had to go south to visit Toronto.

[Urra]

A Minnesotan or Alaskan Studio could do it. Heck I had to go south to visit Toronto.

Most people in the Midwest don't believe anything exists above Toronto....! How could it? I mean come on.. What will we hear next?

[CanadaOne]

Most people in the Midwest don't believe anything exists above Toronto....! How could it? I mean come on.. What will we hear next?

 

Once you hit Barrie, it's just tundra and polar bears till you crest the top and come down on Moscow.

[IckyATLAS]

Thanks for all this excellent work and top visual improvements. To really make optimal use of all these improvements in graphics quality, and depth of view, I am planning a big investment in a 40" 4K monitor  driven by the future top Volta chip from Nvidia, somewhere in March when both should be available.

 

A question here: will all these visual, graphical improvements also be applicable to Stalingrad and Moscow winter maps?

[LukeFF]

 

 

A question here: will all these visual, graphical improvements also be applicable to Stalingrad and Moscow winter maps?

 

Yes, of course they will. 

[IckyATLAS]

Yes, of course they will. 

Excellent. 

[Tiestilha]

That looks really nice, much clearer and with great color contrast, can't wait!

[wonders9]

More about the blue shadows:

https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/32224-blue-shadows-snow/

[616Sqn_Johnny-Red]

A belated bravo!

 

The winter graphics are looking stunning; crisp and clear, and I know more than a few who will be thrilled by news of the A-20's flight characteristics, performance, loading and armaments. The remaining ships of the Allied planeset are much anticipated.

 

By no means a complaint, but just in case I'm the first to notice: I stopped receiving DD updates notification by email some time ago, despite being subscribed through the main site. Also, DD 179 is not appearing on the English or Russian language il-2 news page of the official site.

 

JR

Edited November 15, 2017 by Johnny-Red

[Frequent_Flyer]

To me few things say winter like changing a flat tire at -20ºC in Moscow. The bolts were frozen and contracted to a point they couldn't move, so we had to apply a few healthy litres of boiling water in order to loosen the whole thing up. Fun times.

Couldn't call roadside assistance ?

[Raptorattacker]

GrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrEAT!!

[II/JG17_HerrMurf]

Couldn't call roadside assistance ?

In Russia roadside assistance call you.

[1/JSpan_Wind75]

Great job. I want to try those beautiful landscapes so clear and bright. The A20 very nice but I hope you give us the MK-108 cannon to make it more beautiful... 

 

[-=PHX=-SuperEtendard]

The A20 very nice but I hope you give us the MK-108 cannon to make it more beautiful... 

 

That if you can catch it ;P

[Field-Ops]

That if you can catch it ;P

The Mk108 bullets might not even be able to do that 

[Yakdriver]

BODENPLATTEEEEEE!!!!

Shut the front Door!
Tempest!!
Spit9!
And a (J?) Mitchell

Ohyea.

Oh YES.

Fakk

Ohhhyes.

very very large grin here.
Almost like the AEP of Il-2, a decade ago.

Take my money!
Firetruck where is my credit card.

[Bucket109]

When the career mode comes out can we use our custom skins in it?

[Danziger]

Great job. I want to try those beautiful landscapes so clear and bright. The A20 very nice but I hope you give us the MK-108 cannon to make it more beautiful...

 

Wow. That looks very similar to a Mk19 40mm grenade launcher.

 

The cartridges for this 30mm looks horrible. Gigantic projectile packed into a tiny casing? Add in the short barrel and it's going to be like shooting basketballs from half court at a moving hoop.

[Asgar]

it's enough for B17. big payload for a slow moving target. and it's small enough to fit in the 109 whch is a rather small aircraft when compared to some American aircraft 

[Danziger]

I'm just saying you can tell by looking at the weapon and ammunition that it's going to be more like lobbing potatoes than shooting machine guns. You guys will have to get really close to be effective. No doubt the explosive projectile packs a big punch but getting them on target will get more difficult the further you are from the enemy.

[I./JG1_Baron]

Short burst from Mk-103 killed B-17 instantly.

Edited November 17, 2017 by I./JG1_Baron

[Danziger]

Short burst from Mk-103 killed B-17 instantly.

Ok but from how far away? Obviously if it hits it will make massive damage. I think you guys miss my point.

 

It's like the difference between a .45LC pistol and a .45-70 rifle. Same caliber bullets but different size powder casing and barrel length. Yes from close range they will both kill you easily. However from a long distance the rifle can be aimed to hit a target while the pistol would need quite a lot more skill and luck to make a hit.

 

It's like the 25mm shells fired by the M2 Bradley vs the 25mm fired from the Barrett rifle. The barrel length and amount of propellant makes a difference in getting those rounds on target. The more powder you have launching the projectile gives it more speed and longer range. The longer barrel gives more steady flight over long distance. The small shells with short barrel will have a lot more rainbow arc in the flight path as well as slower flight time to target. This means a lot more difficult to hit the target as you get further from it. So I say to be most effective get very close before firing.

[Dave]

To say the skybox and contrast changes are an improvement would be a criminal understatement. My bloodshot eyes are desperately looking forward to 3.001.