Developer Diary, Part XXI

[BlackSix]

21

 

How it works - (Part II)

 

When you begin the Historical campaign you'll be prompted to choose which one of operation's phases you want to start in. If it's your first time in Battle of Stalingrad only the first phase will be available. If you've previously made progress in the campaign then each of the previous phases will be available so you're not limited to just the current phase. All operational phases are unique in regards of disposition of troops, defensive lines, weather conditions, aircraft in theatre and squadrons taking part in the action. Your progress to the next phases depends on successful completion of missions in each phase.

 

When you enter a phase you'll be asked to join a regiment. The regiments available vary from phase to phase the way it happened back then during Battle of Stalingrad: some squadrons leave, some come to the front lines, join other units or get renamed. Which regiment you choose defines which side you server with - Soviet Air force or German Luftwaffe. You'll be free to change sides before every mission. Thus, all your stats gathered in the game get bound to your account while specific data is split in two separate profiles - USSR and Germany.

 

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[Dano]

Looks, sounds and reads excellent to me :D

[Pupo]

loojs amazing! just hope prop flicker its not there in the final version

[SYN_Lt_Dan]

Looking good

[72sq_Savinio]

Simply amazing!! I love you!

[HenFre]

Looks and sounds awesome 

 

@Pupo: What flickers are u seeing that are not supposed to be there?

[DB605]

Yep, looks very good

[pilotpierre]

Quote "Your progress to the next phases depends on successful completion of command's particular missions." Unquote

 

All good, except not keen on this bit.

[Juri_JS]

Your progress to the next phases depends on successful completion of command's particular missions.

As much as I like the rest of the campaign concept, but that's something I don't like. In my opinion a campaign should go on, as long as the player isn't killed or captured, no matter if a mission is a failure or not.

 

Instead my suggestion would be a selectable "dead-is-dead" option for players that want a greater challenge when playing the campaign.

Edited June 21, 2013 by Juri_JS

[Shea]

Looks and sounds brill,i have one question,will the exhaust fumes actually discolour the fuselage in reat time or will it be like CLOD using a slider?Thanks

[SYN_Ricky]

As much as I like the rest of the campaign concept, but that's something I don't like. In my opinion a campaign should go on, as long as the player isn't killed or captured, no matter if a mission is a failure or not.

 

+1

[FlatSpinMan]

Really interesting update this time!

I'm very interested in this new campaign concept.

You mentioned we can select which side to fly for before each mission. So, we start a campaign, select a regiment (for both sides), then hit play? Or we select a regiment for one side for the whole campaign, then hit play, then before the mission we can still choose which side to play for?? I'm a little confused on how that works.

 

About offline mode, you said that missions can be played offline - do you plan to allow for offline usermade campaigns, too?

The huge number of thoughtfully created free campaigns was via huge thing in IL2`s long life, as well as a great way to introduce players to new aircraft or periods of the war.

 

Finally, will the mission objectives in the historical campaign be fairly broad, or very specific:-) ? I think some people are worried that we'll have to do things like "destroy ten tanks in this mission within fifteen minutes" in order to continue. That kind of thing can be maddening, especially if your fate rests in the hands of your AI buddies. I'm confident you guys have thought through all these things already, but I'm interested to know.

 

This is so exciting.

Edited June 21, 2013 by FlatSpinMan
Trying to type on a ?

[150GCT_Veltro]

I would like to know by Loft and Vaal how has been to fly in this way...the flight feeling....the feeling to be there, with a wingman.

 

It looks really amazing guys.......

 

Sound quality seems to be great too.

[Zak]

Quote "Your progress to the next phases depends on successful completion of command's particular missions." Unquote

As much as I like the rest of the campaign concept, but that's something I don't like. In my opinion a campaign should go on, as long as the player isn't killed or captured, no matter if a mission is a failure or not.

Folks, sorry, this has been simply lost in translation. The progress sequence will be different. I'm short in details at this moment, but we are not talking exactly about a set of specific missions - that would be a linear Carrier, however what we've got is a Campaign.

[easyTarget]

Sounds and looks amazing!i also agree with 

pilotpierre and Juri_JS

 

thx

[=69.GIAP=YSTREB]

So that I can fly two personal career at the same time right german and soviet? one day german one day soviet and both progresses till the end that's what I understand. 

[FlatSpinMan]

Ah, looks like my post editing crossed your update, Zak, but I can't face the thought if more editing on this damned thing.

 

Of

[rOEN911]

Well my first post here but i have to say looks and sounds amazing,good work team !If you need any Beta testers i will be around

[Juri_JS]

About offline mode, you said that missions can be played offline - do you plan to allow for offline usermade campaigns, too?

The huge number of thoughtfully created free campaigns was via huge thing in IL2`s long life, as well as a great way to introduce players to new aircraft or periods of the war.

That's a good question. The only thing I don't like in ROF is that users can't create their own campaign like in Il-2 1946.

[4S_Nero]

Bravi.

[Zak]

]Really interesting update this time!

I'm very interested in this new campaign concept.

You mentioned we can select which side to fly for before each mission. So, we start a campaign, select a regiment (for both sides), then hit play? Or we select a regiment for one side for the whole campaign, then hit play, then before the mission we can still choose which side to play for?? I'm a little confused on how that works.

 

About offline mode, you said that missions can be played offline - do you plan to allow for offline usermade campaigns, too?

The huge number of thoughtfully created free campaigns was via huge thing in IL2`s long life, as well as a great way to introduce players to new aircraft or periods of the war.

 

Finally, will the mission objectives in the historical campaign be fairly broad, or very specific:-) ? I think some people are worried that we'll have to do things like "destroy ten tanks in this mission within fifteen minutes" in order to continue. That kind of thing can be maddening, especially if your fate rests in the hands of your AI buddies. I'm confident you guys have thought through all these things already, but I'm interested to know.

You can be loyal to some regiment all the time, but even it can change. At some point it may start using plane B instead of A (just as it was back then in 1942). And you'll need to be sure you've obtained plane B, otherwise you may be transferred to another regiment that still flies A. That's how it can work

 

Usermade mission can be played offline - we'll tell about them in one of the upcoming diaries.

So that I can fly two personal career at the same time right german and soviet? one day german one day soviet and both progresses till the end that's what I understand. 

Yup, and you'll be progressing in two separate lines of aircraft.

[Uufflakke]

Looks and sounds awesome 

 

@Pupo: What flickers are u seeing that are not supposed to be there?

 

He refers to the stroboscopic effect of props.

Someting you don't see in real life only in motion pictures.

[SvAF/F19_Klunk]

exciting to say the least!

 

I have always been a multiplayer only, mostly due to i prefer to fly with my squad and against real pilots - not AI.
If the AI holds up as realistic opponents (and squad members), the new Single player Campaign could really be a good alternative to multiplayer.

 

Questions: Is there per chance a way to play the Historical Campaign with friends..almost as the old coop in IL2 1946?.. That would be awesome!!

[rolikiraly]

Amazing video, congratulations guys!  

Edited June 21, 2013 by rolikiraly

[No105_Swoose]

Thank you for another great Friday update.

 

I agree with other forum members that advancement in the new online career mode should only be limited if the player is killed or captured.  

 

I realize a lot of work remains to be done, but I'd like to know at some point about the developers' plans for scaling difficulty choices, such as ENEMY AI: HISTORICAL, ROOKIE, VETERAN, ACE.  Elements like that would have an impact on the player's ability to complete an assigned mission.

[150GCT_Veltro]

 

Questions: Is there per chance a way to play the Historical Campaign with friends..almost as the old coop in IL2 1946?.. That would be awesome!!

 

Good question here.

[HenFre]

He refers to the stroboscopic effect of props.

Someting you don't see in real life only in motion pictures.

 

Oh.. Did not know that. So in real life this effect would be fluent instead?

[BlackSix]

Questions: Is there per chance a way to play the Historical Campaign with friends..almost as the old coop in IL2 1946?.. That would be awesome!!

 

We can't say now but we want to make this in the future.

[FlatSpinMan]

Thanks a lot for the info Zak. It's really nice having someone who knows what is going on behind the scenes.

I hate to ask another question when you've already answered one  , but this:

 

"And you'll need to be sure you've obtained plane B, otherwise you may be transferred to another regiment that still flies A. That's how it can work

 

suggests two things to me.

1) We can buy planes, as in RoF - no probs for me there - I'm happy with that model as it keeps the devs making goodies

2) When you start a campaign you lock yourself into either a regiment or a particular plane type.

 

Good news too, about the usermade campaigns. I'm biased as I used to make them but before I started I got so much enjoyment out of the amazing things players created.

 

 Here's looking at you: Extreme_One, bird_brain, Cobra, Gaston, Obelix, Chris_Blair, Dubbo, et al. , and to the new generation (we all hope!).

[falstaff]

Another good, clear update.

 

That has allayed most of my concerns about how campaigns will work, and the online/offline differences.

 

Ben

[Felix58]

Super video! Great sound and the plane movement looks so, um, correct!

[pilotpierre]

Folks, sorry, this has been simply lost in translation. The progress sequence will be different. I'm short in details at this moment, but we are not talking exactly about a set of specific missions - that would be a linear Carrier, however what we've got is a Campaign.

I'm a trifle confused now. Will we be able to progress without having to e.g. complete something specific in a mission before progression is made, or will completing a mission without scoring any sort of victory and not being killed or captured suffice to progress to the next mission? The latter being more true to life and hopefully the one to be incorporated into the campaign.

Edited June 21, 2013 by pilotpierre

[Roast]

Great sound and an impressive sight to see these Bf-109's in flight

 

Hopefully soon you can show us some Soviet planes in similar circumstances?

[FlatSpinMan]

Nice pic, pilotpierre

I have a ton of cousins in Adelaide - must get there some time.

 

I hear you, but it sounds like the answer will come later as Zak mentioned he is short of details at the mo'.

[SR-F_Winger]

I really cannot wait to get into this game. Hopefully the devs recceive their Oculus Devkits soon an can implement support. Shouldnt be too hard i hope.
I already can imagina what kind of an experience it will be to actually sit in that 109 instead of just looking into it through my "monitorwindow".

 

Winger

[Bearcat]

Great update as usual.

[=69.GIAP=RADKO]

The amount of detail alone in the sound amazes me, sounds awesome.

[Zak]

1) We can buy planes, as in RoF - no probs for me there - I'm happy with that model as it keeps the devs making goodies

2) When you start a campaign you lock yourself into either a regiment or a particular plane type.

1) As it was said before (sorry, I can't find a proof link atm) the business model will be different than in RoF.

2) In the scale of one Phase (and there's gonna be 6 of them) - much likely. But if you jump to a bomber you may find yourself in another regiment - and it makes perfect sence.

 

I'm a trifle confused now. Will we be able to progress without having to e.g. complete something specific in a mission before progression is made, or will completing a mission without scoring any sort of victory and not being killed or captured suffice to progress to the next mission? The latter being more true to life and hopefully the one to be incorporated into the campaign.

Sorry for confusion, but this is all that I have for you, gentlemen, right now. I know that designers are working on a system that would satisfire both camps, and it's to be clarified in future. So I don't wan't to speculate on my own assumptions

 

Hopefully soon you can show us some Soviet planes in similar circumstances?

Well, there's gonna be something like it

[Rjel]

I really like the idea that there will be some randomness to each flight. At least I think that's what was being said. It has been sorely lacking in flight sims for as long as I've been flying them. As to the prop effect, I think it's perfect. It might not be 100% accurate but it does give me a better sense of movement. Excellent video, wish it was a little longer.

[SvAF/F19_Klunk]

We can't say now but we want to make this in the future.

 

Good enough mate.. happy to see your ambitions coincide with our wishes... but keeping the scope tight in order for a well balanced game.. in time and within budget.