Developer blog #348: Li-2 and Flying Circus updates, new career missions, calendars, and updates to scripted campaigns

[US103_Baer]

Great to see the FC3 planes coming along at a good rate. 

 

Still request that all 3 recon mechanics and UI be made usable in Multiplayer for both sides. 

It feels a waste and pretty gamey doing the workarounds when great UI have been developed for the specific purpose. 

Thanks

[RossMarBow]

Any chance this gets looked at? Would be huge for multiplayer.
 

 

[LukeFF]

1 hour ago, RossMarBow said:

Any chance this gets looked at? Would be huge for multiplayer.
 

 

 

I'll ask about it. 

[Raptorattacker]

10 hours ago, LukeFF said:

Unfortunately this is a case where a plane was put up for pre-orders way too soon. But yes, it is coming. ?

Now THAT'S a clear answer. No flannel, no crypticism (?).

That's kinda what I thought, cheers Luke.

Edited September 10, 2023 by Raptorattacker

[1PL-Husar-1Esk]

7 hours ago, US103_Baer said:

Great to see the FC3 planes coming along at a good rate. 

 

Still request that all 3 recon mechanics and UI be made usable in Multiplayer for both sides. 

It feels a waste and pretty gamey doing the workarounds when great UI have been developed for the specific purpose. 

Thanks

Yes , those mechanic are broken for multiplayer. The same thing was in ROF. I was hoping when they decide to pull those mechanic from ROF to Il2 GB they gonna make it better to benefit not only single player experience. Sadly they didn't. There were apportuites to make ported mechanic better along the road but they took less resistance path. Now is too late I believe.

 

 

Edited September 10, 2023 by 1PL-Husar-1Esk

[senseispcc]

End of the year four months but no yer was written? It is a joke, I hope. 

[LukeFF]

5 minutes ago, senseispcc said:

End of the year four months but no yer was written? It is a joke, I hope. 

 

https://il2sturmovik.com/news/797/5103-patch-roadmap-and-special-event-announcement/ ?

[IckyATLAS]

Thanks for the update.

Please think about mission developers. There are so many planes missing in static block form.

Let's have the Li-2 but maybe also not just the plane, but also one or two variants like an open engine for repair or maintenance etc.

We also miss multiple planes since years in static blocks.

 

Considering that now it is being recognized by the devs that we have more powerful PC's can you please stop limiting the bombing craters to just four. This is a ridiculous number by now. Thanks for listening.

[Zooropa_Fly]

I struggle to understand why a static plane version isn't created to be released along with the player plane, as a matter of course ? 

[Russkly]

On 9/9/2023 at 2:34 AM, migmadmarine said:

The briefings of the missions should give you enough instructions to get them done. 

 

Well, perhaps I lack the requisite intelligence, but I've just tried my first recon mission in a Bristol Fighter career (I only got one finally, because I ended up as sqn. commander and assigned myself to it having never been given one in the previous three months on duty), and I haven't got a clue how to do it!

 

• So, I fly to the ringed recon area marked on the map and follow the waypoints across the area to pass over the target airfield - tick.
• Message comes up to press Lwin+1 (which I mapped to a VoiceAttack command, as I'm in VR and can't easily do Lwin+1 on the keyboard) - tick.
• In the observer's position there is now a camera icon in the bottom right-hand corner, and a message instructing me to click to take a photo - tick.
• All good so far, right?
• Thing is, I can't see where the airfield I'm supposed to be photographing is! I can't get to external view, and bombsight view isn't available, so how on earth am I supposed to know when the aircraft and camera are in the right position to take a picture of the airfield?!! I can't lean out far enough to see directly beneath the aircraft.
• Is there supposed to be a camera view or something equally obvious?

 

Somewhat bewildered...

[migmadmarine]

If you're seeing the camera icon come up, you're in position good enough for the game. You click several times till the icon greys out, you don't actually have to worry about having the airfield "in frame".

[JG4_Moltke1871]

12 hours ago, Russkly said:

bombsight view isn't available

Really? So far I used it on my missions ?

[1PL-Husar-1Esk]

@Russkly od you are above recon point, icon appear, that means you are on the point, just press button and make  photos. You do not need more information.

[Russkly]

4 hours ago, migmadmarine said:

If you're seeing the camera icon come up, you're in position good enough for the game. You click several times till the icon greys out, you don't actually have to worry about having the airfield "in frame".

 

Interesting.

 

I did try randomly clicking the camera to take a photo, even though I couldn't see where I was in relation to the target, but I got a message saying that I was too far away from the target and to try again...after the camera had been reloaded (about 15-20 seconds).

 

4 hours ago, JG4_Moltke1871 said:

Really? So far I used it on my missions ?

 

Sorry if I wasn't clear - when in the recon zone and with the camera icon called up (Lwin+1) I am confined to the observer's cockpit.

 

I can't look at the ground using the bombsight, and I can't use external view.

1 hour ago, 1PL-Husar-1Esk said:

@Russkly od you are above recon point, icon appear, that means you are on the point, just press button and make  photos. You do not need more information.

 

As per above, I did try...

[1PL-Husar-1Esk]

@Russkly  switch to the pliot position by shift -C if I remember correctly. 

You do need more information, I ment you do not have to look at the recon target, you can make photos blandly. This is single player mode yes?

[Russkly]

48 minutes ago, 1PL-Husar-1Esk said:

@Russkly  switch to the pliot position by shift -C if I remember correctly. 

You do need more information, I ment you do not have to look at the recon target, you can make photos blandly. This is single player mode yes?

 

Yes, SP.

 

I can't change position from observer to pilot while the camera icon is showing: I am confined to the observer's position without external view.

 

In essence, I know I'm in the recon area, but I can't see the target, and if I try just to take random photos, I get told that I'm too far from the target and to try again once the camera's reloaded.

 

I was hoping for some kind of camera viewfinder view, similar to the bombsight, but it seems I was over-optimistic.

 

It would be good even just to be able to use the bombsight to take photos, but, as I said, I can't access that view either when the camera icon is showing.

 

It's all a little frustrating and disappointing really - I was really looking forward to incorporating recon and arty spotting into my pilot careers, as a lot of the WW1 air war was based around those two roles (and preventing them), but the implementation in FC is a tad underwhelming, I have to say.

 

I hope I'm just doing something wrong...

[1PL-Husar-1Esk]

You can use map and activate gps in realism option.

[Russkly]

3 hours ago, 1PL-Husar-1Esk said:

You can use map and activate gps in realism option.

 

Thanks for that.

 

I did try that but found switching between map and cockpit and adjusting my flight path to ensure I overflew the target and try to take the photo at the right time was a bit of a PITA.

 

I hope was hoping for a more refined mechanism, but I suppose at least we get to do recon missions...kind of.

[JG4_Moltke1871]

5 hours ago, Russkly said:

Sorry if I wasn't clear - when in the recon zone and with the camera icon called up (Lwin+1) I am confined to the observer's cockpit.

 

I can't look at the ground using the bombsight, and I can't use external view.

Ah, yes, now I remember, can’t use LWin+1 inside the bomb sight…. I used the bomb sight to take care I am on the right way, then switched out of it to enter LWin+1. Sounds complicated but it works fine! (Works a bit better in German planes because can move the sight). More precise you are over the target less pictures are necessary. I fly in realistic mode without any helps with markers or icons on map. So trust me, it’s possible to manage the task, it’s just a matter of time you find out ?

[Jade_Monkey]

On 9/14/2023 at 11:40 AM, Russkly said:

 

Well, perhaps I lack the requisite intelligence, but I've just tried my first recon mission in a Bristol Fighter career (I only got one finally, because I ended up as sqn. commander and assigned myself to it having never been given one in the previous three months on duty), and I haven't got a clue how to do it!

 

• So, I fly to the ringed recon area marked on the map and follow the waypoints across the area to pass over the target airfield - tick.
• Message comes up to press Lwin+1 (which I mapped to a VoiceAttack command, as I'm in VR and can't easily do Lwin+1 on the keyboard) - tick.
• In the observer's position there is now a camera icon in the bottom right-hand corner, and a message instructing me to click to take a photo - tick.
• All good so far, right?
• Thing is, I can't see where the airfield I'm supposed to be photographing is! I can't get to external view, and bombsight view isn't available, so how on earth am I supposed to know when the aircraft and camera are in the right position to take a picture of the airfield?!! I can't lean out far enough to see directly beneath the aircraft.
• Is there supposed to be a camera view or something equally obvious?

 

Somewhat bewildered...

 

 

I agree ? is really clunky.

 

I'm sure they are doing the best they can within the limitations of the engine/tools. Hopefully the next big project UI engine revamp allows for more intuitive interactions.

 

I hope that they can make the next project include some Lua type scripting to give more creative freedom to mission makers and achieve things that cannot be done currently.

[Avimimus]

On 9/9/2023 at 10:35 PM, LukeFF said:

The IAR 80/81 is still scheduled for the end of the year, per the roadmap published in the spring. Unfortunately this is a case where a plane was put up for pre-orders way too soon. But yes, it is coming. ?

 

I don't believe you. I don't belive that an IAR-80 or 81 could ever be announced too early! :?

[JimC]

Thanks for the update, was just curious.