Developer blog# 346: Li-2 Paratroopers, Flying Circus Update, Normandy Screenshot Contest

[LukeFF]

Dev blog #346 has been posted here: https://il2sturmovik.com/news/807/dev-blog-346/

[Jaws2002]

Nieup 11.?

 

Instabuy.

[BMA_FlyingShark]

Looks good.

 

That paratrooper looks like a guy not to mess with.

 

Have a nice day.

 

Edited July 14, 2023 by FlyingShark

[JG4_Moltke1871]

I assume the next update will include 3 planes… ?.  good prospects ?

[tattywelshie]

That looks fab! And another DD, amazing! The Li2 is definitely an interesting aircraft. 

[Voyager]

So we know when we can put FC3 on preorder? 

[Enceladus828]

Can't wait to fly the Li-2!

 

Just one question, will the waist gunner position be mannable?

[FoxbatRU]

There is a typo in the thread number.

[LukeFF]

32 minutes ago, FoxbatRU said:

There is a typo in the thread number.

 

Fixed, thanks! I posted the topic before I'd fully woken up this morning. ?

 

1 hour ago, Voyager said:

So we know when we can put FC3 on preorder? 

 

Not yet - that's still being determined. 

 

1 hour ago, Enceladus said:

Can't wait to fly the Li-2!

 

Just one question, will the waist gunner position be mannable?

 

Most likely, yes.

[AEthelraedUnraed]

Will the Soviet paratroopers be retrofitted to the C-47 as well?

[migmadmarine]

Also, will any Soviet Transport units use c-47s as well in career?

[Blitzen]

Snow Skis?

[LukeFF]

32 minutes ago, migmadmarine said:

Also, will any Soviet Transport units use c-47s as well in career?

 

I'll ask.

 

3 minutes ago, Blitzen said:

Snow Skis?

 

No plans for that that I've yet seen.

 

32 minutes ago, migmadmarine said:

Also, will any Soviet Transport units use c-47s as well in career?

 

Also will ask about this. ? 

[migmadmarine]

Can probably get away with asking about it the once. ?

[LukeFF]

2 hours ago, migmadmarine said:

Also, will any Soviet Transport units use c-47s as well in career?

 

Okay, so the answer to that is no, for several reasons:

• Most C-47s in Soviet service were in rear-area formations
• Most of them only started to appear in operation in 1943
• In the frontline units where they appeared, it was usually only 1 or 2 planes in a regiment. Since it cannot be set in the config files how many planes a particular unit has, this would end up causing issues with them being over-represented.

 

1 hour ago, migmadmarine said:

Can probably get away with asking about it the once. ?

 

Yep, I meant to quote @AEthelraedUnraed's question. Whoops! ?

[BladeMeister]

4 hours ago, Voyager said:

Fixed this for you!

So do we know when we can put FC3 on preorder? 

Ditto???

Edit: I saw Luke's reply above.

My response, well hurry the heck up with the FC III early access order info. That money is burning a whole in my pocket!!!

 

S!Blade<><

Edited July 14, 2023 by BladeMeister

[Regingrave-]

4 часа назад, Enceladus сказал:

Just one question, will the waist gunner position be mannable?

Yes, both fuselage guns and the turret are mannable.

[kestrel79]

I'm sure someone will make a customer mission pack for the Li-2. Can't wait looks awesome!

[ACG_Lancaster]

Sorry if I have missed, have the developers announced any kind of roadmap for BoX or new maps they are developing? Game development feels like it is stagnating a bit other than for minor content

[LukeFF]

22 minutes ago, ACG_Lancaster said:

Sorry if I have missed, have the developers announced any kind of roadmap for BoX or new maps they are developing? Game development feels like it is stagnating a bit other than for minor content

 

[Juri_JS]

12 hours ago, kestrel79 said:

I'm sure someone will make a customer mission pack for the Li-2. Can't wait looks awesome!

In my opionen every collector plane should come with two or more scripted missions that demonstrate its capabilities, but apparently the team doesn't have the capacities to do it.

[BMA_FlyingShark]

1 hour ago, Juri_JS said:

In my opionen every collector plane should come with two or more scripted missions that demonstrate its capabilities, but apparently the team doesn't have the capacities to do it.

I think they may simply not have the time to do so instead of not being capable off.

 

Have a nice day.

 

[ACG_Lancaster]

1 hour ago, LukeFF said:

 

Thanks Luke, kind of proves my point. I know a lot of work goes into building these planes but there is not much from a ww2 perspective to get anticipation building hey. Would be good to know more about longer term bigger vision. Theatres/maps etc

[Juri_JS]

23 minutes ago, FlyingShark said:

I think they may simply not have the time to do so instead of not being capable off.

 

Have a nice day.

 

I meant that the team doesn't have the capacities (time and people to work on it), not that they aren't capable.

Edited July 15, 2023 by Juri_JS

[AEthelraedUnraed]

1 hour ago, LukeFF said:

 

I think it's also good to point out that this is the roadmap for 2023 only; in 2024 there's some more stuff coming:

• German interceptor Focke-Wulf Ta 152
• Soviet legendary biplane Polikarpov I-153 «Chaika»
• British fighter Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXc armed with 7.69 mm machine guns and a different tail.
• Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter
• Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter B
• Sopwith Pup
• Airco DH.2
• Albatros D.III
• Roland C.IIa
• Fokker E.III

16 minutes ago, ACG_Lancaster said:

Thanks Luke, kind of proves my point. I know a lot of work goes into building these planes but there is not much from a ww2 perspective to get anticipation building hey. Would be good to know more about longer term bigger vision. Theatres/maps etc

It's public knowledge that they're working on a new "project" but apparently they're not ready to share much about that yet. The amount of content already announced for 2024 tells me that we shouldn't expect it before 2025 at the earliest. Apart from that, there's very little to go on. At this point in time, it's not even known whether the new "project" is still in the IL2 series, or if it even remains compatible with what's already there. From the very few things they did announce, we know that whatever they're developing brings at least massive graphics improvements, a new UI system and new game/mission modes.

[Trooper117]

New project, hmm, I guess it would be something like we have had in the past, props and jets... 

[ACG_Lancaster]

2 hours ago, AEthelraedUnraed said:

I think it's also good to point out that this is the roadmap for 2023 only; in 2024 there's some more stuff coming:

• German interceptor Focke-Wulf Ta 152
• Soviet legendary biplane Polikarpov I-153 «Chaika»
• British fighter Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXc armed with 7.69 mm machine guns and a different tail.
• Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter
• Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter B
• Sopwith Pup
• Airco DH.2
• Albatros D.III
• Roland C.IIa
• Fokker E.III

It's public knowledge that they're working on a new "project" but apparently they're not ready to share much about that yet. The amount of content already announced for 2024 tells me that we shouldn't expect it before 2025 at the earliest. Apart from that, there's very little to go on. At this point in time, it's not even known whether the new "project" is still in the IL2 series, or if it even remains compatible with what's already there. From the very few things they did announce, we know that whatever they're developing brings at least massive graphics improvements, a new UI system and new game/mission modes.

Thanks. New project sounds potentially interesting, or it would if we had a bit more to go on. Thanks for the info though

[Avimimus]

People tend to gravitate towards the end of these wars (I did when I was young too - always the Fokker D.VIII or the Go-229 etc.), but the earlier periods often have some of the most interesting match-ups for aerial combat. Honestly, I expect FC.III to be the most interesting volume!

 

 

  

5 hours ago, ACG_Lancaster said:

Sorry if I have missed, have the developers announced any kind of roadmap for BoX or new maps they are developing? Game development feels like it is stagnating a bit other than for minor content

 

Yes, it would be good if there was a way to make this more prominent. Maybe putting the roadmap in a permanent pinned thread?

[Trooper117]

On 7/14/2023 at 3:32 PM, Voyager said:

So we know when we can put FC3 on preorder? 

 

Supposed to be coming in this summer period, so, six weeks of summer left... it could turn up anytime!

[BMA_FlyingShark]

4 hours ago, Juri_JS said:

I meant that the team doesn't have the capacities (time and people to work on it), not that they aren't capable.

Ah yes, I see.

 

Have a nice day.

 

[Enceladus828]

Quote

After the completion of FC-III, there are plans for 2024 to develop an additional set together with Yugra Media that will reproduce the remaining land-based aircraft in Rise of Flight.

It is currently planned to include:

• British Sopwith Pup fighter.
• British rear-engine fighter Airco DH.2.
• British two-seat reconnaissance Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter.
• German fighter Albatros D.III.
• German Fokker E.III monoplane fighter.
• German two-seat reconnaissance Roland C.IIa.

We plan to further improve the maps of Flying Circus projects, supplement their development and add the airfields that are located further from the front line. Please note that the Western Front map is available to all players who have purchased at least one of the Flying Circus projects. This map will be further improved and supplemented.

This just came to me recently, why not just call this FC Vol. IV? Yes, it would be set before the JG.1 " The Flying Circus" squadron operated but the Ilyushin IL-2 never operated on the early and late war Western Front, MTO, PTO (I don't believe it saw action at Manchuria), and in WW1, but we still refer to CloD, FC, BoN and BoBP as being part of the IL-2 Sturmovik series even though they lack the Ilyushin IL-2. As FC is a series, they should be able to refer to this as FC Vol. IV.

 

Another question I ask is what about the Channel Map from RoF? I loved flying over that map. I especially loved flying the Felixstowe, attacking ships and submarines. The Channel Map can be a Collector map with the Felixstowe, Hanriot HD.2, and Hansa-Brandenburg W.12. Even though I stated that I'll only get a FC installment if it has a plane I cannot fly in RoF or WoFF, the Channel Map would be the exception.

 

Same goes with the Tarnopol Map from RoF. The Eastern Front of WW1 is not really talked about as much and it's a shame that 1CGS' efforts of bringing us this in RoF stopped short of full completion -- no Pilot Career for that area but I do thank them for adding the Ilya Muromets campaign. Hopefully the Tarnopol Map can be added to IL-2 GBs as FC Vol. V and further flesh out the Eastern Front of WW1.

 

Thank you

[Avimimus]

25 minutes ago, Enceladus said:

This just came to me recently, why not just call this FC Vol. IV?

 

I suppose the price is slightly higher on release for Collector Planes (although once they have sales the price tends to come down) - which might help compensate for there being a smaller market. Also, they'd have needed to create a couple of new aircraft to get enough for a new module.

 

On the other hand we desperately need a pair of slower two-seaters (for the 1916 fighters to stand a chance of catching them) and FC.IV would have also given them a chance to release an updated version of the Channel Map (which we may not see if we just get these aircraft as Collector Planes). I'll miss the W.12 and the Felixstowe!

 

  

15 minutes ago, Enceladus said:

Another question I ask is what about the Channel Map from RoF? I loved flying over that map. I especially loved flying the Felixstowe, attacking ships and submarines. The Channel Map can be a Collector map with the Felixstowe, Hanriot HD.2, and Hansa-Brandenburg W.12. Even though I stated that I'll only get a FC installment if it has a plane I cannot fly in RoF or WoFF, the Channel Map would be the exception.

 

I agree with you - the Channel Map was excellent. I think the only one that would be better would be one which covered Venice/Trieste and the Isonzo front in the Alps (yes, they all fit on one map!).

 

I also agree with the general sentiment that Flying Circus should at least something new. It could be:

- a couple of new field mods

- or engine variants

- or collector planes

...at last one or two things which aren't already in Rise of Flight.

 

It'd significantly increase the sense of the product progressing and increase the sense that there is a point to upgrading...

[BMA_FlyingShark]

13 minutes ago, Avimimus said:

or engine variants

I think many of us have been waiting since the RoF days for a certain variant of engine on certain German planes.

 

Have a nice day.

 

[Enceladus828]

22 minutes ago, Avimimus said:

I think the only one that would be better would be one which covered Venice/Trieste and the Isonzo front in the Alps (yes, they all fit on one map!).

Candy-eye right there!
Though I feel the devs would be better off making that map as it wasn’t in RoF and no disrespect to Ugra, it’s just in comparison to the devs they’ve only recently learned how to make maps in this engine and them doing essentially a copy and paste from RoF is more difficult than we may tend to believe so them making an Italian Front map would take much longer.

[76IAP-Black]

The ugra media maps in DCS are looking great, no comparison to the il2 engine limitations and result

[LukeFF]

Guys, back on topic, please. ?

[Avimimus]

1 hour ago, FlyingShark said:

I think many of us have been waiting since the RoF days for a certain variant of engine on certain German planes.

 

Also for certain Entente aircraft... it is a bit interesting how variations in engines had significant impacts on performance for some aircraft (e.g. Sopwith Camel)... so in a few cases they could be at an advantage or disadvantage depending on what engine was equipped... no matter what side you fly for, that can increase variability in combat (and improve 'balance' as well). I do wonder if some engine variant collector planes might be possible?

 

It'd likely make the most sense for Ugra media to do it, rather than another 3rd party, as they've already reworked the 3d models, and might be 'low hanging fruit' (i.e. cheap enough to develop that it is easier to turn a good profit compared to a full collector plane). Probably won't happen - but it is nice to imagine the possibility.

 

In any case, even if there are no new field mods/engines/collector planes - Vol.III of Flying Circus will be really impressive... with very distinctive aircraft.

[Blitzen]

So...um....about those optional  skis?

[LukeFF]

1 hour ago, Blitzen said:

So...um....about those optional  skis?

 

 

[FuriousMeow]

3 hours ago, Avimimus said:

 

Also for certain Entente aircraft... it is a bit interesting how variations in engines had significant impacts on performance for some aircraft (e.g. Sopwith Camel)...

 

Sopwith Pup with a 100HP Gnome Monosoupape or Nieuport 17 (bis technically) with 130 HP Clerget. A Sopwith Camel with 150HP Bentley would be nice too.

 

The last RoF patch gave the Albies some very generous flight characteristics which I'm pretty sure were retained in the FM brought over for FC, not sure they really need the uprated Mercedes considering.