Developer Diary, Part 67

[clayman]

Excellent ... Thank You!

[naiboo]

the performance increase is great. i can now play dogfights much better, fps are much more stable for me now! good work!

[71st_AH_Mastiff]

awesome work on the flaps now ground effect is felt when landing. all though it seem odd I hit f for flaps leave it alone and they automatically extend down as I slow down.

[=LD=dhyran]

Great work!

 

[Nage]

@BlackSix or ZaK..when you say performance improvements...but whats with the visuals? Will you fix the "blurred plane shapes in clouds" before release? Whats about custom graphic options (SSAO etc)? Will that be before release? Im asking all of this because you said the sim is almost done.

Edited June 12, 2014 by tikvic

[JG4_Sputnik]

Thanks! Cant wait for that 190 to come

[senseispcc]

Thank you for the update.

 

For me there are new terrain features;

 

Train stations complete with locomotives water refill towers.

 

On a airfield South of Stalingrad big hangers for planes (I hope this are usable).

 

And last but not least the FM of the La-5 is much better than before, it climb better and accelerate like it should not like some clog like it did before.

 

The only black point I did notice is that when my  plane lost is left aileron and trim tab I could still trim the aileron and I think this should not be possible?!

 

Otherwise great job and great team!

 

 

[Taxman_Tom]

Keep up the great work guys

[Livai]

We keep on optimizing the game because we believe that good graphics is not really pleasant if you don’t get decent performance

Is this good or a bad omen?

 

Did this mean now comes the time where the graphic & game engine gets lowerd because all go this cheapest way to raise the performance and development proress?

 

We want the "the best graphics" with a great performance with the same Hardware that RoF used for Ultra - Settings if a little more its is still ok for us.

 

Its possible if

• Keep it simple

• A single Shader for everything
• To use Imposters for everything
• Render from sprites
• Bake lightning into pre-vertex color directly --> only diffuse looking
• Bake lightning into imposters
• Group similar objects into a imposter group --> for a single draw call to render everything

 

You can raise the bar with the same Hardware that RoF used without cut the game assets.

Edited June 12, 2014 by Superghostboy

[Pringliano]

Oh My!!!! And me so away from my game PC :-(

 

I will probably be able to test all of these goodies next Sunday!

[Feathered_IV]

Has the smoke over Stalingrad changed colour?  From the picture above it doesn't look like the dark navy-blue that it was before.

[senseispcc]

The color of the smoke in Stalingrad has is normal color on my screen with my PC!

[83_Gen_Jeroen]

I did not notice my game updating.

 

Nonetheless i can do everything with the game.

 

Is this update so small you hardly notice the updating?

[83_Gen_Jeroen]

If i can start the game and can join servers I may assume that updating has been done I guess.

[Livai]

I downloaded the update and did some testing.

 

First the performance improvement that I notice is very great.  But I notice that the gloss quality and effect looks different and reduced?

[Voidhunger]

No fps improvements for me and heavy stutters are still there. Maybe my GPU is too old for this game.

[Livai]

No fps improvements for me and heavy stutters are still there. Maybe my GPU is too old for this game.

 

Are you really sure? My GPU is not the best one inside my Htpc. Its a AMD HD 6550D with 400 Shader-CPUs @ 600 Mhz with 2 GB @ 1866 Mhz Ram running Ultra-Settings and its now more better with that update.

[VR-DriftaholiC]

awesome work on the flaps now ground effect is felt when landing. all though it seem odd I hit f for flaps leave it alone and they automatically extend down as I slow down.

I actually recall a documentary on a similar plane I think it was the F4 in which the flaps weren't strong enough to hold themselves down at speed so some pilots would leave them in the extended position and use them sorta like the slats on a 109.

[Voidhunger]

Are you really sure? My GPU is not the best one inside my Htpc. Its a AMD HD 6550D with 400 Shader-CPUs @ 600 Mhz with 2 GB @ 1866 Mhz Ram running Ultra-Settings and its now more better with that update.

 

 

I had constant 60 fps in 4x4 dogfight at balanced settings. and after previous 2 or 3 updates fps drops to 42-50 and big stutters appeared.

With this update I dont see any improvements in performance

[6./ZG26_5tuka]

I actually recall a documentary on a similar plane I think it was the F4 in which the flaps weren't strong enough to hold themselves down at speed so some pilots would leave them in the extended position and use them sorta like the slats on a 109.

More likely the pilot wasn't strong enought. Bf109s had a manual hand cranked flap system (automatic electric/pneumatic systems were highly insufficient by that time) which was more reliable, though the pilot had to use his muscle at higher speeds to use them.

 

There is a reason after all why pilots extend flaps before applying throttle during takeoff.

 

I wonder if those changes to automatic flaps also effect Peshka and the Stuka, will give it a try tonight.

 

The nose flip over bug when emergency landing was pretty strange, I'm glad it has been dealt with.

Edited June 12, 2014 by [Jg26]5tuk4

[senseispcc]

One other thing in the La-5 the compass is correct now, is it in other planes?

Edited June 12, 2014 by senseispcc

[LukeFF]

One other thing in the La-5 the compass is correct now, is it in other planes?

 

Why don't you look and see for yourself?

[VBF-12_Snake9]

No fps improvements for me and heavy stutters are still there. Maybe my GPU is too old for this game.

There is a problem with some ati cards (yours and mine) at the moment.  You can look at this thread.  http://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/7018-weird-problem-bos-and-tir-shuttering-good-fps/

[Nankeen]

Thank you for the update team. What your all doing is fantastic!

[senseispcc]

Why don't you look and see for yourself?

 

Because I do specialize in one plane so I hope to fly it correctly!

 

And maybe so other can be polite and join in the forum discussion.

 

Edited June 13, 2014 by senseispcc

[LukeFF]

Wouldn't it have been far quicker just to jump in any other plane in QMB and check, rather than type your question here and wait for the reply?

 

My thoughts exactly. It takes about a minute to generate a quick mission and see if a compass is working correctly or not in a particular plane.

I just checked out the new flap behavior, and I like what I see. In the Yak, if you try to extend flaps at too high of a speed, the cockpit lever will "stick" in the extended (forward) position and will only return to center if the airspeed lowers sufficiently or the player manually retracts the flaps. 

[senseispcc]

My thoughts exactly. It takes about a minute to generate a quick mission and see if a compass is working correctly or not in a particular plane.

I just checked out the new flap behavior, and I like what I see. In the Yak, if you try to extend flaps at too high of a speed, the cockpit lever will "stick" in the extended (forward) position and will only return to center if the airspeed lowers sufficiently or the player manually retracts the flaps. 

Maybe you like five minutes missions I do not.

 

Every mission I play I try to take of fly at least 15 or 30 minutes and land.

 

Most of them I try to fly high and low in part of it.

 

Do acrobatics, Immelmann, loops, barrel rolls and last but not least some spins.

 

So I seldom do dogfight missions because there is no realism in them at least now! Maybe later.

 

And if you do not like that people ask something maybe you should live on a little island on your own.

 

Do not criticize other if you do not accept to be criticized!

 

 

 

To answer you "flaps" are to add lift to the wings at the difficult stage of takeoff and landing the actuators are fragile and at high speed they break or stop to work so  to possible effects; 1. They do not work and good chance to land or 2. The flaps work sort of randomly and your airplane is uncontrollable. 3. Solution the flaps are blocked in the open position and your speed is limited at the maximum flaps deployed speed (approximatively: 250km/h).

 

[Dakpilot]

 "flaps" are to add lift to the wings at the difficult stage of takeoff and landing the actuators are fragile and at high speed they break or stop to work so  to possible effects; 1. They do not work and good chance to land or 2. The flaps work sort of randomly and your airplane is uncontrollable. 3. Solution the flaps are blocked in the open position and your speed is limited at the maximum flaps deployed speed (approximatively: 250km/h).

 

 

Have to agree with that, if you have ever experienced an asymmetric flap deployment IRL you will have a lot more respect for proper flap deployment speeds, there is a reason for Vf and VFe in A/C manuals, it would be great if some the damage possible with the various systems was modelled  maybe to come?

 

Cheers Dakpilot

[fjacobsen]

The flaps thing introduced on the IL-2 and Yak with update 67 is not about breaking anything, it´s about the pneumatic actuators not able to deploy the flaps at high speed.

 

Take the IL-2 up in the air and fly fast. Now lower the flap handle. Look outside and You will see that the flaps are still up. Now lower the speed, still with the flap handle in down position. As speed bleeds off the flaps will gradually lower as the force on them decreases until they are fully deployed.

 

What is simulated is the fact that while hydraulics can´t be compressed, pneumatics can. If You pump a certain amount of hydraulic fluid into an actuator, then it has to move, regardless of the force. Is only a matter of having a pump powerfull enough to move the fluid.

Using pneumatics means that even if You pump a certain amount of air into the actuator, the compressibility of the air means that the actuator doesn´t need to move - it all depends on the pressure and the force acting on ther actuator.

 

Tactically the pneumatic flaps can be lowered at high speed ans still remain up. As You turn, maybe cause Your in pursuit of an enemy, You can turn tighter and postpone stallspeed without doing anything, but offcourse at the expense of higher drag as the flaps start to lower, when speed decays.

 

 

FinnJ

Edited June 13, 2014 by fjacobsen

[Major_Hero]

BRAVO!

 

I have owned and flown Red Baron, Janes combat fighters, European air war, B17, Microsoft combat flight simulator, Il2 (every single one of these on the day of release), Rise of flight (purchased on day of release), and Cliffs of Dover. So I have been flying for some time, and at some stage will enjoy DCS, et al

 

I just have to say.....BRAVO!

 

Easily the best flying experience in this sim so far. A brilliant feel and handling of each aircraft with comfortable multi plane dogfights above a burning and heavily bombed Stalingrad. Each week has brought something new to this game, and each week, I become more satisfied with my involvement in this project. The clouds are beyond compare. The dawn and dusk sunsets are breathtaking and the whole experience in some of the missions feels like almost a life and death situation. I find myself leaning out the window at each pass of the airfield eager to be landed and "Home". The only thing missing is the smell of the pit.

 

I am going to enjoy the FW190 I am sure, but somehow, I find myself wanting to jump in that HE111. The PE 2, especially, and Sturmovik already feel like large heavy aircraft in this game, and the HE111 will just have to be something to look forward to if it mimics the feel of these other two birds.

 

Yes....There has been some discussion about buttons and graphics and "I wants", and I agree with some of these, but for what has been delivered, I am extremely pleased, and we are ONLY half way there in percentage terms. The ghosting of aircraft in the clouds IS a big issue, but again, each week, we get further and further toward what has to arguably be one of the best combat sim's in development. Please keep up the excellent work team. Whilst we can sometimes hear the negatives which we can sometimes learn from, there is a silent community for which this sim may indeed surpass many expectations.

 

Keep going..... I wish the team great success to propel this project to its immediate objective, and with much hope, beyond that distant horizon.

 

CUDOS!!!

[SOLIDKREATE]

Can we see pictures of the pretty girls?

 

lol j/k

 

 

+1 I like Eastern European women!

[LAL_Wolf]

Hello, I like to post here to tell developers that the graphics performance compromise since the last update is not acceptable in the current state. The decline of the graphic quality is not worthy of a simulator of this generation.

The cockpits all became dull and featureless, where are the beautiful metallic reflections, the amazing definition of the cockpit and ground textures contrast?

The game is flat and the snow became gray like in IL2 1946.

Until now we had no FPS problem.

Our game settings are in full and startup.cfg multisampling = 3. We do not use the FlightFX.

Is it you please do not take this post as a criticism but as an observation we are many to think like this.

Excuse me for my bad English.

 

 

config PC :

MS Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bitSP1

Intel Core i7 CPu 2.67GHz

10,0GB RAM

Nvidia Geforce GTX 670

[SYN_Mike77]

LaL_Wolf;

 

What's with all them negative waves?

[SCG_Neun]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuStsFW4EmQ

 

"Have a little faith baby...have a little faith...." 

[LAL_Wolf]

[9./JG54_GERMANWOLF]

OK MAN !! LETS GO !!GOOD WORK

[LukeFF]

Maybe you like five minutes missions I do not.

 

Every mission I play I try to take of fly at least 15 or 30 minutes and land.

 

Most of them I try to fly high and low in part of it.

 

Do acrobatics, Immelmann, loops, barrel rolls and last but not least some spins.

 

So I seldom do dogfight missions because there is no realism in them at least now! Maybe later.

 

And if you do not like that people ask something maybe you should live on a little island on your own.

 

Do not criticize other if you do not accept to be criticized!

 

Whatever, dude. You have the same capability to check whether or not a certain instrument works, so it really looks out of place coming here asking us to check it for you. Geez, you don't even need to take off to check whether or not the compass is working! 

Edited June 13, 2014 by LukeFF

[JimTM]

I didn't see his post as a request to go off and find out if the compass works. I think he just wanted to know if someone had seen the fix in other planes. That's what this forum is all about: saving time by sharing knowledge in a FRIENDLY way.

 

Cheers!

[LY_LCT_unknwn]

FPS improved while on the runaway (must be the view range).

But the performance while fighting in most situations is still horrible (maybe even worse, at least while i was playing this evening in the expert server).

There are huge fps drops and  stutters while planes get shot/explode/crash and etc.

Maybe particles falling from the planes cause server to slow down?

Edited June 13, 2014 by LY_LCT_unknwn

[FuriousMeow]

Hello, I like to post here to tell developers that the graphics performance compromise since the last update is not acceptable in the current state. The decline of the graphic quality is not worthy of a simulator of this generation.

 

The power of words and suggestion is quite amazing, especially since it appears something was mistranslated. There wasn't a compromise, the only statement was that graphics don't matter if they don't run well, and so they are optimizing further for performance. That's not a compromise, and it didn't remove graphical features. Everything still looks the same.

 

Screenshots taken a month apart.

Edited June 14, 2014 by FuriousMeow