Developer Diary, Part 182 - Discussion

[sinned]

The new landscape looks awesome. I look fwd to the next update.

 

While landscaping work is in progress, it wld be good to also address the strange symmetrical sequence of trees on road. They look like colonnade, planted with stalin precision.

[216th_Jordan]

Don't understand me wrong but there is (no) reason to do these maps so detailed.

Do they prepare map for tank clashes too?

 

Its like Kuban, if you can do it then do it right while you are at it.

[JG27*Kornezov]

What really does not look good are the clouds not the terrain features. Even before the update they are awesome to me. The new terrain definitely looks better, however the gameplay is changed, making spotting contacts more difficult. I am also worried if the increased spotting distance is going to make a hit on the fps. That is useful for the level bombers and navigation. But how many do that?

Edited December 9, 2017 by JG27_Kornezov

[Dakpilot]

Everyone (literally) has been requesting increased view distance since original early access...?

 

I also believe that the terrain textures have been changed to negate the camouflage of the green/brown Fw 190 skin and be better for the Russian plain green default skin

 

You heard it here first :)

 

Cheers

 

Dakpilot

[216th_Jordan]

What really does not look good are the clouds not the terrain features. Even before the update they are awesome to me. The new terrain definitely looks better, however the gameplay is changed, making spotting contacts more difficult. I am also worried if the increased spotting distance is going to make a hit on the fps. That is useful for the level bombers and navigation. But how many do that?

If anything then contacts should become easier to spot. Right now spotting is hardest on the Stalingrad map and easiest on the Kuban map that follows the new procedural approach.

[6./ZG26_Gielow]

The map looks so great now that it arises an interesting point. Are devs keeping or removing those trees along the roads on steppe environment? ?

 

 

Is it realistic or just work in progress? ?

 

Increasing the dust cloud behind vehicles on these roads would be great.

[Klaue]

I can't wait to see the Flying Circus maps.

[Yogiflight]

It is not only the trees along the roads and railroads, but also the huge amount of trees in the towns, making them look like forests with some houses between. At least half of them removed and added more houses, and this would get an awesome map, as those screenshots look really promisisng.

[ShamrockOneFive]

The map looks so great now that it arises an interesting point. Are devs keeping or removing those trees along the roads on steppe environment? ?

 

post-3-0-11554500-1512731754.jpg

 

Is it realistic or just work in progress? ?

 

Increasing the dust cloud behind vehicles on these roads would be great.

 

That raised an interesting question and I went to have a look at what the real world version of it was like on Google maps.

 

A couple of interesting things for me:

 

1) Yes, it does appear that there are large numbers of trees and shrubs along roadways in the region.

2) There are quite a lot of trees in the more built up urban areas (and not as many in some other zones).

 

So generally speaking the map is doing it right. It would be a bit better if they had been offset from the road a bit like the Kuban map but there may be a big compatibility issue with making structural changes to the map now. You'll notice that tree positions do not change at all between the new and old versions. I think they and buildings have to remain in place or there could be problems. That said, I think generally the way they did it is about right for the region.

 

They very likely plant trees along road ways to prevent excessive snow drifts during the winter.

[6./ZG26_Loke]

The map looks so great now that it arises an interesting point. Are devs keeping or removing those trees along the roads on steppe environment? ?

 

post-3-0-11554500-1512731754.jpg

 

Is it realistic or just work in progress? ?

 

Increasing the dust cloud behind vehicles on these roads would be great.

Yeah was thinking exactly the same.

[keeno]

I hadn't really thought about the current textures on the older map but seeing this improvement is just staggering, it looks incredible, seriously well done!

 

Cheers

[Denes]

A real view, helpful in navigation. Good job 

[katdog5]

totally amazeballs boys

[Yogiflight]

 

 

1) Yes, it does appear that there are large numbers of trees and shrubs along roadways in the region. 2) There are quite a lot of trees in the more built up urban areas (and not as many in some other zones).

So you are speaking of today, right? Because all pictures of that time, I found, show roads without any trees anywhere, just in some cases electric power lines along some roads.

[alejoperez2008]

I see that you have taken the simulator to high graphics and good flight characteristics of the aircrafts. That's great, but I think you should invest more efforts in the realization of a good dynamic campaign for a single player. I do not know if it would interest many people, but I prefer to fly alone in a campaign than the multiplayer, and I think there will be enough people who think the same. The graphic part I agree is important, but there are more things that are equally important or more that I think have been left a little behind.

[ShamrockOneFive]

So you are speaking of today, right? Because all pictures of that time, I found, show roads without any trees anywhere, just in some cases electric power lines along some roads.

 

I am, though I am surprised that it would be dramatically different in terms of basic practices like that. Any good sources for photos of the region?

I see that you have taken the simulator to high graphics and good flight characteristics of the aircrafts. That's great, but I think you should invest more efforts in the realization of a good dynamic campaign for a single player. I do not know if it would interest many people, but I prefer to fly alone in a campaign than the multiplayer, and I think there will be enough people who think the same. The graphic part I agree is important, but there are more things that are equally important or more that I think have been left a little behind.

 

Though its not dynamic in the Falcon 4.0 sense... the new Career system is something I'm very excited about as a single player pilot.

 

Jason just showed us a little bit more on what it looks like and talked about it recently: https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/32758-final-release-battle-kuban-delayed-little-bit/

[Jade_Monkey]

I see that you have taken the simulator to high graphics and good flight characteristics of the aircrafts. That's great, but I think you should invest more efforts in the realization of a good dynamic campaign for a single player. I do not know if it would interest many people, but I prefer to fly alone in a campaign than the multiplayer, and I think there will be enough people who think the same. The graphic part I agree is important, but there are more things that are equally important or more that I think have been left a little behind.

 

Alejo read the Dev Diaries and announcements. The new campaign is coming in the next patch.

[Venturi]

Looking good.

 

For CAS flyers, it would also be nice to see a pic of the new map with lots of roads on it. That way we can see if the new map version still has tree fairies to magically plant annoying rows of trees just along every road in the steppe.

[CanadaOne]

Don't understand me wrong but there is (no) reason to do these maps so detailed.

Do they prepare map for tank clashes too?

 

 

Excellent terrain helps make for an excellent flightsim.

 

Though blowing **** up is fun, it's secondary to the fun of flying itself. That sweet, sweet terrain makes it all so much better. It's good fun to just fly around and enjoy the plane and the scenery. And the new eye candy enhancements in BOX are bringing this sim right into top shelf FSX payware quality.

 

This is tuning out to be the combat flightsim people have been dreaming of for years.

[Zappatime]

Wow, worth the effort; just how many rabbits can you pull out of this programmer's hat?!!!

[ilmavoimat]

Absolutely stunning! Can't wait to fly an Li-2 over it. Hint, hint!!!

Edited December 10, 2017 by ilmavoimat

[PicksKing]

Will the moscow map get such an update too?

... one day.

Edited December 10, 2017 by PicksKing

[Raptorattacker]

Wow, worth the effort; just how many rabbits can you pull out of this programmer's hat?!!!

Hey, THAT'S a good idea. Can we have AI Rabbits on that beautiful scenery please? 

[1PL-Husar-1Esk]

It is not only the trees along the roads and railroads, but also the huge amount of trees in the towns, making them look like forests with some houses between. At least half of them removed and added more houses, and this would get an awesome map, as those screenshots look really promisisng.

Exactly ! Plus trees in towns are only visible at close range ,from distance they do not have any visible green color. Towns are easy to spot from distance not from close range because they look almost like regular forest and buildings in that forest have low height compared to trees. Hope some work will be done regard roads and towns too.

[7./SchG2_v*Athlon]

great very nice surprise.

 

a question:

 

can you please the grass shorter on all Maps please.

In the tank driver's seat you have no view only grass.

[StG77_Kondor]

THANK YOU SO MUCH

 

This is the #1 thing I've wanted for so loooong!!

[NoMoreSteam]

I just saw this before and after video on the Russian forum.

 

https://youtu.be/L8hywUPNeJg

note most roads just disappear in the new look

i hope it will be corrected in some way in the final version

[Blitzen]

Does anyone know if ( eventually) there will be corresponding changes in the Winter maps topography?

[ShamrockOneFive]

Does anyone know if ( eventually) there will be corresponding changes in the Winter maps topography?

 

That's a good question.

 

Been wondering that myself... I assume the answer is probably yes but not in time for 3.001. The topography hasn't changed actually... just the textures and how they are applied to the terrain.

[Field-Ops]

note most roads just disappear in the new look

i hope it will be corrected in some way in the final version

I actually think its quite the opposite. The roads seem easier to point out now that the borders between farms are gone from the clutter. Maybe what you thought were roads were borders between farms?

[6./ZG26_5tuka]

Does anyone know if ( eventually) there will be corresponding changes in the Winter maps topography?

https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/168-developer-diary/page-5?do=findComment&comment=530528

[ShamrockOneFive]

https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/168-developer-diary/page-5?do=findComment&comment=530528

 

That's actually not the answer. The new lighting/shadow setup for winter maps (Moscow too no doubt) is awesome but its not the same thing as the upgraded Summer and Autumn Stalingrad map.

 

What would be different is mostly the textures for agriculture being in place on the winter map and not on the summer and autumn map. Also some of the relief that you can see even with the snow... I'm sure they intend to make sure they are all consistent but it will be longer than the 3.001 release.

 

My semi-educated guess

[Gambit21]

I actually think its quite the opposite. The roads seem easier to point out now that the borders between farms are gone from the clutter. Maybe what you thought were roads were borders between farms?

 

Most definitely.

He thinks he's talking about roads, but really the generic dirt roads between farm fields...of which there are thousands, and they're not really roads.

That's all I can figure anyway, as the actual roads stand out more now as you say - less tiled clutter.

[Danziger]

From what I can work out on the Russian forum, I think Han says it's only going to be Stalingrad summer and autumn maps.

[NoMoreSteam]

Maybe what you thought were roads were borders between farms?

 

yes, indeed these look like minor roads and are omitted completely in the new terrain technology

 

also these farms/fields disappeared almost totally

The new look is great, but appealing also because it is new and different to what we are accustomed to. In my opinion it has some disadvantages, the old one has somewhat better integration of trees with the background, now the trees are more like "foreign objects", not the part of the landscape 

[unreasonable]

yes, indeed these look like minor roads and are omitted completely in the new terrain technology

 

also these farms/fields disappeared almost totally

The new look is great, but appealing also because it is new and different to what we are accustomed to. In my opinion it has some disadvantages, the old one has somewhat better integration of trees with the background, now the trees are more like "foreign objects", not the part of the landscape 

 

It is great, but not because of novelty, but because it now much more closely corresponds to the photos and witness accounts of what the area was actually like. ie Steppe.   We are also rid of the very obvious field tiling repetition on the old map which really stood out horribly. 

 

I also like the fact that the trees are more distinct - to me the older maps had a sort of water-colour painting look.   Whether the amount of fields left in around the towns is right or not, I obviously cannot say, but the new look just seems broadly realistic; the old one was obviously not.

[6./ZG26_5tuka]

That's actually not the answer. The new lighting/shadow setup for winter maps (Moscow too no doubt) is awesome but its not the same thing as the upgraded Summer and Autumn Stalingrad map.

 

What would be different is mostly the textures for agriculture being in place on the winter map and not on the summer and autumn map. Also some of the relief that you can see even with the snow... I'm sure they intend to make sure they are all consistent but it will be longer than the 3.001 release.

 

My semi-educated guess

Well most of the winter map is covered in snow so I get why they're saving time on recreating a complete new texture set for the map only few people would really notice. That is not to say I wouldn't enjoy it but I repect their decision.

 

For now the summer and autum map were in greater need and they undoubtably did it justice.

[Freycinet]

Eh, 5tuka, hate to break it to you, but the snow you see in the winter map IS the texture :-) You shouldn't think there is a summer texture map hiding underneath all that snow...

[Ghost666]

Eh, 5tuka, hate to break it to you, but the snow you see in the winter map IS the texture :-) You shouldn't think there is a summer texture map hiding underneath all that snow...

 

NO that can't be. Just a covering of snow and ice! So if I land to hard (crash, happens all the time for me) will I break through and fall for ever into the darkness?  

[ShamrockOneFive]

Well most of the winter map is covered in snow so I get why they're saving time on recreating a complete new texture set for the map only few people would really notice. That is not to say I wouldn't enjoy it but I repect their decision.

 

For now the summer and autum map were in greater need and they undoubtably did it justice.

Oh for sure. Summer and autumn definitely had a greater need... I do hope they get a chance to make sure winter textures match up at some point though I'm guessing that the winter textures don't look as bad with the draw distance as the summer ones. Either way the upgrade is a really nice thing for them to do.