HBO The Mighty Eighth, the B17 and Multicrew

[=RvE=SirScorpion]

While I know that the team is under a lot of work load with massive planes over the next year. I do think there is a massive opportunity that needs to be considered and that is a True Multicrew experience with A have bomber mainly the B17 that will fit perfectly with the next scenarios of BOBp.

 

I am sure some know that Spielberg/Tom Hanks new HBO miniseries the Mighty eighth is now in production, for those who do not know this will follow the same production of Band of Brothers and the pacific, both considered to be some of the finest world war 2 series ever made. The new series will feature the daylight bomber raids by American forces over Germany with a budget of 500million USD.

 

This a huge opportunity in my opinion for the sim market, and as usual always cascades into the gaming market, the WW2 fps craze that was inspired by  and Saving private ryan and Band of brothers created a massive market for world war 2 related games, and huge influx of people into this historical setting. same happened with the pacific. my expectation is that the same cycle will be repeated again. and capitalizing on a highly publicized massive project is simply too good of an opportunity to miss.

 

 

I have to confess, I am more of a fighter pilot, if you ask me about my wishlist it will max out at something like a B25/Me410, however I think this opportunity can bring an influx of players and financial benefits that will impact the community greater for a longer time. Will it propel IL2BOX into the COD/BF size market? probably not, but it will 100% create a huge impact IF and i sate if a B17 multicrew is done just right. 

 

 

When i say just right i do mean that the work of a gunner crew, and how it works in the game will need to be upgraded, quite a bit, both in VR support, more detailed damage model to be witnessed by the crew, better effects both for flak and interior damage, and dare i say it, some "what we might consider arcade eliminates" that work as step lader into the full sim mode. other options like ability of the gunners to switch potions, better AI gunnery, Ability of multi crew to use bomb sights or even co-pilot.

 

I know this is a major task, and I know this will require a significant programming effort, heck i would say if a B17 or heavy bombers pack is done at that level it will justify is own full price and location of operation, all of which require time and effort. But once more I think the opportunity is simply too good not to at least be considered or discussed. And I think that IL2: Mighty Eighth VR experience concept can hit several markets at once. 

 

 

 

[OrLoK]

BoX's Gunner positions are great, they just need some small changes and tweaking to make them viable for regular use in game IMHO (especially with VR). Ie the ability to swap positions for multiple users to name but one "issue".

 

How hard and costly all that would be is a different issue though, although it's something many of us would hugely appreciate.

 

IMHO the easier positions are to use and access the more they'll be used.

 

But it comes down to cost and time etc.

[Voidhunger]

It would be nice but, unfortunately not possible now

[=EXPEND=Tripwire]

I like the idea, but whenever I see this series pop up, there never seems to be any solid news about its progress.

Anyone seen anything recent?

[xvii-Dietrich]

There are lots of reasons why a B-17 in BoX is out of the question. It's been discussed a lot.

 

• Complicated flight model
• Difficult to model engine coupling
• Each gunner station is a mini-cockpit in its own right
• The actual cockpit is extremely complicated.
• It is also "busy", which has an FPS hit.

 

It has been stated on numerous occasions by the Dev team, that there are no current plans to make a 4-engined aircraft. It is beyond the means of their still-small team.

 

Furthermore, it would end up being a "hanger queen". The standard mode of flight is:

• Start-up
• Sit on the runway for an hour waiting for the 15 other B-17s to get started up.
• Take off and slowly climb for an hour to the rendezvous point of 45 other B-17s.
• Continue climbing slowly up to 20000 ft
• Fly 6 hours to target. Either in a straight line or a 30-second Flak-dodge pattern

 

Then, either...

 

• Get shot down just shy of target

 

or...

 

• Make a bomb drop and turn around.
• Continue climbing to ceiling altitude, 30000 ft
• Fly 6 hours back.
• Descend and land

 

Seriously that sort of mission is simply not suited to the IL-2 game engine. Think through the game play of a B-17! I don't think there are too many people with the time and patience to fly 10-12 hour missions like that. Even the gunner stations will be dull. Each individual station would see limited action in its firing arc, and is dependent on which aircraft in the formation (if any) get attacked. It is a long, boring flight. Especially with the simplified engine management we have here. I've yet to see a single high-alt (> 6500m) bombing run being done in this sim, let alone one in formation. (If you know of any, please point me to the video!)

 

Bombing - from a game perspective - needs to either be early-war, or tactical ground attack. (If you are really interested in the long-haul flights, then check out the A2A-B17).

 

Finally, B-17s are relevant for bombing cities, and do not really feature in a combatant sense in Bodenplatte.

 

The twin-engined B-25 *might* be produced as an AI unit. And, if so, then it *might* be made flyable one day. But the Devs have said this is a "big if" and that it would take a huge amount of time and resources.

[=RvE=SirScorpion]

I like the idea, but whenever I see this series pop up, there never seems to be any solid news about its progress.

Anyone seen anything recent?

 

HBO is good at keeping it hidden. However it looks like the writers and location scouts have visited the locations and its in pre-production. not much else about it sadly. This was the same case for the pacific as well it was pretty very little information till filming was done.

[=RvE=SirScorpion]

There are lots of reasons why a B-17 in BoX is out of the question. It's been discussed a lot.

 

 

Disagree, had plenty of B17 missions with Mplayer on IL2 HSFX/UP3, with large flights and escorts. 

 

IF the mission is designed well "for example bombers had air start and allocations and time window" to reduce the "slow" part of the mission. and with join on bombers a shot down bomber crew can easily man the flying ones. a flight of 12-30 bombers was not unheard off with events and large squadrons, flew in some and attacked more. we had a few missions even taking off and flying to targets as well.

 

So this is not new, it has been done before and really that novel or that complicated. Now on the small team part sure i agree with you the team is small. and with the content expansions coming up will also be overworked. but a 3rd party dev team can get this to work with needed support and with the marketing window of the HBO show and relevance of VR. This has no relevance to BOBp, aside from the plane sets them selves. basing the entire future scenarios over an operation that lasted less than a day is not a good long term investment 

Edited December 1, 2017 by SirScorpion

[6./ZG26_Gielow]

Try a He111H6 with forward and belly gunners hunting trucks, trains or ships for a truly multi crew experience

[=RvE=SirScorpion]

Try a He111H6 with forward and belly gunners hunting trucks, trains or ships for a truly multi crew experience

 

Had 2 Star citizen fans in the back of Pe2 on our team accounts, they both had VR and sticks in anticipation of SC multi crew. Glad to say their mind was blown and they all bought their own copies now 

[[APAF]VR_Spartan85]

I know it's not possible at the moment.... and that game play would be slow for most casual users...

But then... there are those of us who put the kettle on, start the engine sequence, get our thermos out and make some coffee/tea, line up with the squad, form up over base for 30 min, and then head to target.

It's enduring. Frustrating. And if all goes well, you make it back, quite rewarding. Even if out of your 100 bombs you only manage 2-3 hits on a target..

 

Then you zoom out of there, limp back, or respawn as a fighter because you got shot down, and provide escort home..

 

 

But then unfortunately for our current target rendering range for ground buildings is pretty much pointless from above 3km, that wouldn't really work out..

 

But I'm sure the ones who are willing to fly them would at no second thought.

[II/JG17_HerrMurf]

"I am sure some know that Spielberg/Tom Hanks new HBO miniseries the Mighty eighth is now in production, for those who do not know this will follow the same production of Band of Brothers and the pacific, both considered to be some of the finest world war 2 series ever made. The new series will feature the daylight bomber raids by American forces over Germany with a budget of 500million USD."

 

The Mighty Eighth is not in production. It may be in development but I have not seen anything about it for some time. There was a lot of hype in 2013 and the last significant mention it got online was in 2015. There is also a student film trailer masqurading as The Mighty Eighth which makes the rounds here every few months but it is not a studio production. IMDB does not show anything in production in this regard for Spielberg, Hanks, The Mighty Eighth or even the original title consideration Masters of the Air. I do wish they would get on it. I think it would do well. Band of Brothers is among the very best mini-series of all time.

 

Regarding the B-17 for BoX; it is simply a non-starter.

Edited December 1, 2017 by II/JG17_HerrMurf

[BRADYS555]

So no H6K or H8K for the Pacific probably then either ?

[sniperton]

No, I guess, I'll be very glad if we'll get the Betty and the Catalina.

[BRADYS555]

We can assume the B25 will be live by then, and that and the Betty will likely be the aposing bombers and yes the PBY would be great.

 

Perhaps a ki 67 later on...

 

Or a Ki 21 for China... and Burma

Edited December 2, 2017 by BRADYS555

[Tomsk]

Personally I’d really love to see at least AI four engined bombers so we can play out the high altitude strategic bombing operations that were the heart of the air war in Europe. Yes you’d probably need air start to keep it interesting, but I’d really love to get to play out those amazing scenarios from both sides!

 

I can definitely see that a multi crew four engines bomber is a huge amount of work .. but to not have them in the product at all, even as AI or “pilot only” flyables is a really hard sell IMO.

Edited December 2, 2017 by Tomsk

[Lusekofte]

The B 17 would be fun having, but small maps making it difficult, so in my opinion a B 26, B 25, Wellington, Catalina, Betty, DO 217 K, Beufighter , Mosquito, IL 4 , would do fine. 

[Finkeren]

If it ever comes to a point, where it is feasible to build a heavy 4-engined bomber in this sim, which I doubt, I hope they will make a B-24 rather than a B-17, it’s just so much cooler and saw more widespread service.

Edited December 3, 2017 by Finkeren

[56RAF_Roblex]

You should also consider the fact that Peter Jackson has been looking at re-making 'Dam Busters' for about 11 years.  I remember when they first announced he was going to make 'The Hobbit' they interviewed him at his studio and there was a full scale Lancaster behind him.  He actually has 10 full scale Lancasters and insisted recently he will be making it yet the film has not been started yet and he is now working on Tintin 2.      Hollywood can drag these things out for decades.