Developer Diary, Part 74

[JtD]

Mentioned often enough, the firing delay is a game bug, one of the many reported that haven't been fixed. Maybe you can get Tatarenko to report it, it appears to make a difference.

[=38=Tatarenko]

Ha no, if everything I wanted in the game was done it would never get actually released Doesn't stop me bugging them though!

[sallee]

Oohhh. Isn't she sarky?

[CreepiJim]

Well, the Stuka had more than just a pull-out mechanic. It also had a dive-mechanik where the elevator was automatically trimmed for the dive. By just pulling the dive brake lever, you have to do all the work in BoS. The manual clearly states the pilot could keep a horizontal flight by pulling the stick. I am no flight expert, the manual also states you can trim slight nose-down to keep the dive by slightly pushing the stick. Which could be the case for non 90° dive angles?

 

Anyway, the whole mechanic of the dive brakes, indicator pins on the wing roots and pull-out system is missing which is an essential part of that plane. Otherwise it is just a bad fighter with more bombs.

 

Other than that, I am happy with the Stuka. I find it strange that using flaps automatically limits the speed, but this might be actually realistic. Again, I am not a pilot, just a complete gun nut. The cockpit for the G1 variant still has a dive brake lever which was uninstalled when the dive brakes were used, but this is a small flaw I can deal with. As far as I know there was no ammo counter for the Bk37, have to read the manual again for the G1/G2.

 

The siren should be audible for everybody, otherwise it is useless in MP modes :D

 

The cannon sound is too quiet and not powerfull enough. I heard a 35mm cannon in the real world and some other high caliber cannons going off. The Bk37 sounds like a rifle.

Edited August 10, 2014 by III./StG2_Blechbohrer

[6./ZG26_5tuka]

Agree on the canon sound. It may be difficult to hear it over an engine running at full power but should still be recognizeable enought to the pilot.

 

The pullout mechanic would be nice, without the ability to set the pullout altitude I woudn't like to use it though. I find bomb drops at 2-1km to be too unaccurate, so wihtout being able to reduce I'd either have to deal with it "the hard way" or just leave it.

 

Don't know about that trim function for sure but I remember it from Clod. Shouldn't be too hard if devs decide to go so far implementing the pullout mechanics.

 

Stating fighters do the Junker's job better at it's current state is a bit harsh tbh. The Ju87 has the ability to drop bombs as a single means you have multiple attack runs while offering better low speed characteristics than a 190 for example.

 

I rly hope the Stuka will get further attention form devs and reccieve some new feautures in future, though I can live with it's current implementation (apart from low cloud level over Stalingrad preventing me to dive with it..arrghh )

Edited August 10, 2014 by [Jg26]5tuka

[FuriousMeow]

I have never seen this auto-dive feature you claim. In all videos of Stukas, the pilots deploy dive brakes and slowly nose down - or they roll over and apply dive brakes. The dive brakes will cause the plane to slowly nose down due to their location below the wings and causing parasitic drag under the aircraft at the CoG, but I have never heard of this "trim to dive" when the dive brakes are applied.

 

Seems counter intuitive. You have to hold back the joystick once you reach the apex of the dive to maintain a consistent dive - and then when you retract the dive brakes the "dive trim" goes full tilt the other way to become "pull out" trim and the pilot is also at the same time holding the stick into his gut to maintain this vertical dive due to the aforementioned "dive trim." So now on the pull out you have both the auto-pull out system going full elevator to pull out of the dive in addition to the pilot already holding the stick all the way back to maintain the previous dive. I'm surprised the Stuka's didn't come back looking like F4U's with their wings in the folded position with all that pull out force.

 

And yes, the fighters do a better job than the Stuka. That's why they were largely replaced by the 190. It worked well in the Biltzkrieg, but was slaughtered when it encountered fighter resistance.

Edited August 10, 2014 by FuriousMeow

[6./ZG26_5tuka]

The 190 didn't excell the Stuka in their own duty though, many 190 units complained about the 190s lack of practical dive characteristics and lower accurately delivered strikes.

 

And yes the Stuka had a pullout sytsem. Have you played Clod? It's implemented there and working fairly well. The reason for this is that the pilot could suffer up to 6 Gs (today jet pilots can't sustain 7 G wihtout suit) when pulling out.

 

The automatic sytem deattached the bomb and pulled the stuka up into a climb at a set altitue, which inceased their operating effectiveness. Using trim for pullout ingame will eventually cause your pilot to black out and - while staying in there - won't let you trim back nor push the plane into a safe climb / horizontal flight.

 

There is a sense behind this mechanic, although personally I wouldn't give it the highest priority of all things to be added. I can even enjoy the Stuka without it, though Blechborer's point is valid.

Edited August 10, 2014 by [Jg26]5tuka

[FuriousMeow]

Re-read, I know about the pull-out system - and why the hell does CloD matter? It was a historical system, all you have to say is "have you read about the Stuka?" I'm talking about this "deploy dive brakes and the Stuka dives for you but you have to counter it by holding the stick back into your gut" system I've never heard of.

Edited August 10, 2014 by FuriousMeow

[Matt]

You can easily dive from high altitudes (4-5000 meters) up to very high speed (600 km/h IAS) vertically down and then pull up with blacking out without changing your trim before, during or after the bombing run.

 

So even though the dive recovery system should get modelled eventually imho, you won't really do much better with that system. I think apart from that missing feature, the Ju-87 is pretty well modelled and i'm enjoying flying it a lot, even though it was not exactly the plane i was looking forward to the most in BoS.

[csThor]

I'm at work right now, but concerning the auto-pull out system I know for sure the D-1/D-3 manual I own states one of the characteristics (IIRC it was the automatic bomb release but I'm at work and can't verify) was no longer present in the Dora. I'll look it up tonight.

 

Generally speaking a contact altimeter (which gives a signal to drop the bombs) and a working ASK-R with the ability to individually select ETCs (as outlined in the real-world manual for the D-1/D-3) would be completing the simulation for me.

[All_Apologies]

I'm guessing the feature missing that makes this game unplayable for the Ju87 is the auto-pull out after dropping bombs.

Good guess Meow! But Its actually the missing electric cigarette lighter! Noticed it missing after my first bomb run.

[JtD]

I'm at work right now, but concerning the auto-pull out system I know for sure the D-1/D-3 manual I own states one of the characteristics (IIRC it was the automatic bomb release but I'm at work and can't verify) was no longer present in the Dora. I'll look it up tonight.

 

Generally speaking a contact altimeter (which gives a signal to drop the bombs) and a working ASK-R with the ability to individually select ETCs (as outlined in the real-world manual for the D-1/D-3) would be completing the simulation for me.

"When the sound of the contact altimeter stops, press the bomb release button. The bomb will drop and the automated pull out will start. Since the central bomb lock only works with the automated pull out enabled, it is mandatory to dive with the automated pull out."

 

No automated bomb release, but automated pull out. Looks like you remembered that correctly.

 

WRT ETC selection, I'd consider it more important if the SC50 on the 109 and 190 were dropped in the correct order, so that we don't have to control planes that are outside safe margins and create more drag than they historically did. But at any rate, regarding bombs and their use, the developers still have plenty to do.

[Felix58]

Helmut Mahlke in his autobiography "Memoirs of a Stuka Pilot" mentions the auto-pullout mechanism.

He did not like it because it made the aircraft very predictable to anti-air assets during the pullout.  Mahlke was a pre 39 pilot so he probably received more training than those that followed him.   Perhaps the auto-pullout was favoured or was necessary for those pilots who received less training due to the pressure of war.

 

This is modeled nicely in CLoD, and would be a "nice to have" in BOS, but hardly a deal breaker.

[Sim]

It was mentioned by the devs in the forums that the Stuka auto pull-out will be implemented, albeit probably after release.

[6./ZG26_5tuka]

Re-read, I know about the pull-out system - and why the hell does CloD matter?

I mentioned it because deploying the divebrake in CloD will automaticly push the Stuka into a steady dive there, ie the "autotrim" hits in (even wiht centered stick). As I said I'm not too sure how it works or what Blechborer described specificly.

 

Maybe soemone can dig up a manual and post a technical description of this mechanism in the Historical forum, unfrotunately I don't own one.

 

Yes Zak said they were going to implement it later, hopefully with a variable auto pull out alt setting .

[CreepiJim]

The dive brake was connected to the elevator trim. By pulling the dive brake lever the elevator was trimmed for "dive" and the pilot had to counter by pulling the stick to keep a horizontal flight until he wanted to go into the dive. Without countering the plane would go into a dive on its own until the recovery kicks in (altimeter). In the D1/D3 the automated recovery after the bombs have been dropped was deactivated (the B2 had that). Therefore the pilot could dive and release the bombs before the contact altimeter initiated the pull out or you could use the pull out to drop the SC1000 and SC1800 which needed the G-forces to release from the bomb rack.

[Brano]

Well,we have IL2 after which whole game is named without all functions implemented (rockets salvo,single,pairs,boms outer,inner....) and nobody ever claimed this and called it either "dealbreaker" or "very dissapointing".As it comes to me now,it was only me who mentioned it once in some other thread 

Edited August 11, 2014 by Brano

[CreepiJim]

I can feel you Brano. If I was into russian aircraft or the IL-2 specifically, I would post the same as I do now about my beloved Stuka. If people would share the same enthusiams shown for the FW190, we might have more features of these iconic ground attack aircraft.

[6./ZG26_5tuka]

Yea a rocket switch would be nice to have (I think they wanted to implement a bomb switch so why not for rockets?). NO great IL-2 fan either but I support any feauture improving it or modeling it more accurate.

Edited August 11, 2014 by [Jg26]5tuka

[II/JG17_HerrMurf]

You bomber boys might win wars but us fighter jocks dance with the pretty girls at the USO and our pictures printed on the magazines. That's why we get the attention from the Dev's too.

 

[CreepiJim]

While you fighter jocks are dancing with the pretty girls that only look for the biggest "ace" of the day, we go home to our families and know the world owes us for keeping the neighbourhood at ground level. :D

 

That reminds me of this litte song

 

[LukeFF]

Yea a rocket switch would be nice to have (I think they wanted to implement a bomb switch so why not for rockets?). NO great IL-2 fan either but I support any feauture improving it or modeling it more accurate.

 

The rocket switch is there but isn't functional right now.

[Brano]

I can feel you Brano. If I was into russian aircraft or the IL-2 specifically, I would post the same as I do now about my beloved Stuka. If people would share the same enthusiams shown for the FW190, we might have more features of these iconic ground attack aircraft.

 

Maybe you didn't get my post completly.What I wrote is that even those things are not modelled (yet) it is NO dealbreaker or utter disappointment for me.It can be implemented later.Even without those features I can fly my sturmovik and spread death as intended

[II/JG17KaC_Wolfe]

Nonsense. I'm paying for my game and I love it. I'm paying for the best IL-2 model (incl physical model, flight model etc) that there has ever been. Then I'm paying for the amazing environment. I've walked through Stalingrad and can recognise a huge stack of places from the map. Plus other areas - for example the way the Don slopes are on the western banks at Kalach. I like the way the clouds work too.

 

I'll give you an example how good Stalingrad is. When the map was first released, I said to the Devs, that open ground between Tsentralniy and Voroshilovskiy Raions is actually a wide valley. Here is a photo of it. Next week it was a valley in the game. I had one other issue on the map. Next week it was fixed too (I'm sure it was already on the list and just needed the 3D object).

 

By the time it is released I will have got what I paid for. Will it be perfect and 100% to my tastes? No. Because we all have different tastes.

 

But I'm very confident it will be the best environment for flying an IL-2 you could have. And actually for all the other planes too, whatever your tastes. I certainly didn't pay for anyone else's game, I'm happy with this one.

 

 

 

have to say I'm with you on that buddy - it's a great game !

[VikingFjord]

where did the Dev Diary 75 go?

[Gambit21]

There was one?

I thought it would be there when the update came out, which hasn't happened yet.

[LLv34_Flanker]

S!

 

 They had no Dev Update last friday, will come this week with the speculated FM tweaks etc.

[Nankeen]

 

Nonsense. I'm paying for my game and I love it. I'm paying for the best IL-2 model (incl physical model, flight model etc) that there has ever been. Then I'm paying for the amazing environment. I've walked through Stalingrad and can recognise a huge stack of places from the map. Plus other areas - for example the way the Don slopes are on the western banks at Kalach. I like the way the clouds work too.

 

I'll give you an example how good Stalingrad is. When the map was first released, I said to the Devs, that open ground between Tsentralniy and Voroshilovskiy Raions is actually a wide valley. Here is a photo of it. Next week it was a valley in the game. I had one other issue on the map. Next week it was fixed too (I'm sure it was already on the list and just needed the 3D object).

 

By the time it is released I will have got what I paid for. Will it be perfect and 100% to my tastes? No. Because we all have different tastes.

 

But I'm very confident it will be the best environment for flying an IL-2 you could have. And actually for all the other planes too, whatever your tastes. I certainly didn't pay for anyone else's game, I'm happy with this one.

 

 

 

have to say I'm with you on that buddy - it's a great game !

 

 

Me Three!

 

 

[BlackSix]

Patch Notes:

- Added a registration link on the login screen
- Minor changes 3-D models
- Added rocket launchers "Katyusha"

[Veteran66]

thx

[216th_Jordan]

so was it just my feeling or is the rudder more 'stiff' in handling (i'd really like that ) ?

[303_Kwiatek]

No FM changes yet?

[Zak]

No FM changes yet?

Not today. We need a bit more extra testing + preparing it for the Steam version which is also coming very soon.

[Sakkay]

Friday is expected or possibly sooner?

[Zak]

Thursday or Friday have pretty good chance.

[IIN8II]

Awesome news!

 

I think the steam release will be very good for this sim.

Edited August 12, 2014 by IIN8II

[SYN_Mike77]

Getting greedy their Sakkay? Me too!

[303_Kwiatek]

Ok thx,

 

We could expect Fw 190 climb rate recheck?

 

Actually Fw 190 A-3 in BOS got climb time little worse then German specification for ISA condition (International Standard Atmosphere )

) where  all other BOS fighters ( 109 and Russian ) got better climb rate results then official data ( ISA) which is correct for winter condition.

 

Fw 190 climb performacne is cut here and should be better then german data for ISA like other fighters in BOS got.

 

Also Fw 190 should have better climb time up to 5 km then Lagg3.   Fw 190 A-3  to 5 km - 6 min ,  LAgg 3  to 5 km - 6.4 min (according to Squadron Signal Publication - 2563 ft/min - 769 m/min ) or initial 800 m/min

 

For comparsion RL data for La5 (1942) -  6.0 min to 5 km.

Edited August 12, 2014 by Kwiatek

[6./ZG26_Gielow]

What about registration ??? Can we change our in game name ???

[LuftManu]

Thanks!