Dev blog #363: a look at the past, and new upcoming features

[Canzandridas]

I really hope this means that take-off but mostly landing cover also applies to the player. I really like doing campaigns in the me-262 but I have to kite the enemy away before returning and landing as fast as possible or I simply get shot down when they should have lost me when I was 20 miles away and flying low lol

[czech693]

Is 128 buttons implimented or forthcoming?

[LukeFF]

1 hour ago, czech693 said:

Is 128 buttons implimented or forthcoming?

 

Forthcoming 

[rocho]

My hotas setup (VKB STECS Standard and Gladiator K) sincerely appreciates the 128 buttons support. It has been a nightmare to bind such amount of buttons using Joytokey.

[LuftManu]

Ta 152 and 128 buttons seems to be both great adittions.

Specially the Ta. Different flight characteristics than, for example, a F190 A9 model

 

Gonna be great!

[YoYo]

What about Pre Order for Ta152? Is it possible? If it's supposed to be in 2 weeks, should something happen? It's still not in the store.

 

Quote

It will include the new Ta 152 H-1

 

If not do you have any plans for 1st day Launch discount as well? 😄

Edited June 6, 2024 by YoYo

[E69_Chipi]

On 6/4/2024 at 11:49 PM, LukeFF said:

Glad you guys are liking the news about 128-button support. 🙂 That's what I was referring to last week when I said something really nice was in development. 

 

 

It shouldn't be an issue. 

Hi Luke,

Do you know if the game will recognize more than 8 controllers?

As I pointed out, I am aware that in the key and controllers assignments menu, it is possible to assign commands to controller with a higher number than 8. I have tried until 13.

But later on, when in the cockpit, these assigned buttons or axes do not work, at least for me.

Any news on this?

Thank you.

[jollyjack]

More buttons ... i hope the installation of those will be made easier for my Elgato Streamdeck XL with IL2 as it is with DCS.

[RoteDreizehn]

22 hours ago, AEthelraedUnraed said:

IIRC, besides the I-153 there's also a Ju-87D-5 and La-7 "semi-confirmed".

 

Besides that, the Devs said that they're looking at options for additional aircraft to go with the Karelia and Odessa maps.

 

Please don't let there be any AI Ta-152 😬 Those who like their Wunderwaffe fantasies can always fly (A)QMB or scripted missions, but IMO the Career should remain historical.

Sry to say that . The TA-152 is not a Wunderwaffe. She is a normal Fw190 Plane Iteration. Nothing more. I really wonder why you are so afraid of it.
There are a lot of false facs about the Second World War in the head of Humans

Edited June 6, 2024 by RoteDreizehn

[LukeFF]

8 hours ago, E69_Chipi said:

Hi Luke,

Do you know if the game will recognize more than 8 controllers?

As I pointed out, I am aware that in the key and controllers assignments menu, it is possible to assign commands to controller with a higher number than 8. I have tried until 13.

But later on, when in the cockpit, these assigned buttons or axes do not work, at least for me.

Any news on this?

Thank you.

 

The eight-controller limit, from what I understand, will still be in place with this next update.

[PatrickAWlson]

16 minutes ago, LukeFF said:

 

The eight-controller limit, from what I understand, will still be in place with this next update.

 

It must be quite a setup if one has nine different controllers.

[LukeFF]

I'll amend my post above by saying it is under consideration. 🙂 

[the_emperor]

On 6/5/2024 at 5:23 PM, LukeFF said:

On 6/5/2024 at 10:26 AM, the_emperor said:

any new on whether older FM get reworked and/or fixed?

 

Cheers

 

Nothing new, no. 

 

 

Bummer....some love for the old birds would be very welcomed.

many Thanks✌️

[Enceladus828]

2 hours ago, RoteDreizehn said:

Sry to say that . The TA-152 is not a Wunderwaffe. She is a normal Fw190 Plane Iteration. Nothing more. I really wonder why you are so afraid of it.
There are a lot of false facs about the Second World War in the head of Humans

It's because the Ta-152 first saw action in the final weeks of the war and was produced in very small numbers (25 production planes) with only 7 victories give or take -- too late and in insignificant numbers to have played any role. While yes the Ta-152 was not a Wunderwaffe, I would consider any German plane that first saw action in 1945 to be a What if plane because they were produced in limited numbers, did only a handful of sorties, encountered the enemy a few times and many of which were only used for their intended purpose on a few missions before the war ended. Adding to what AEtheIreadUnread said, the game only goes up to March 1945 which is roughly when the Ta-152 first saw action so there would only be 1 month of being able to fly it or encountering 1 or some of the no more than them 20 that were built by then. Plus, its intended high altitude fighter role cannot be fully utilized in the game due to a lack of heavy bombers.

 

The Ta-152 and He-162 may be cool looking planes but they played no significant role overall in the war.

[Noisemaker]

43 minutes ago, Enceladus828 said:

The Ta-152 and He-162 may be cool looking planes but they played no significant role overall in the war.

Just like my Stalingrad Hurricane with the cannons...  Or my Spitfire V in Kuban.  Shortest (In plane) careers ever.

[Avimimus]

1 hour ago, Enceladus828 said:

The Ta-152 and He-162 may be cool looking planes but they played no significant role overall in the war.

 

I'll grant that... it is interesting from the perspective of being a test-pilot though!

 

The He-162 could have been much more prominent if the issues with its BMW engine were sorted out earlier. One can even imagine a situation where the Jumo has more issues and the BMW has less, so that we remember the He-162 as a major jet fighter and the Me-262 as a more ambitious but somewhat less successfully introduced cousin. Of course, that requires a counter-factual scenario - so I prefer my first argument: It is interesting to experience being a test pilot.

 

I wasn't a fan of the Ta-152H being added to the sim, but I am now...

 

P.S. In terms of scale of impact, there are a lot of others. The Roland VI, Roland D.II, Fokker D.II/D.III, Fokker E.IV, Airco D.H.2, Nieuport N.27 all had longer service lives at the front in larger numbers (in a war which had fewer aircraft overall). Of course, if we cared mainly about numbers - we'd go with WWI two seaters, and variants of existing WWII aircraft. Interestingly, the Arado Ar-234 can actually be argued as very significant - as the ability to do daylight photo-recon behind the lines is potentially hugely significant, and with other recon aircraft intercepted, even a handful of Arados could have an outsized impact in 1944/1945. So, the historical significance argument actually works in favour of the 234.

[LukeFF]

1 hour ago, Enceladus828 said:

It's because the Ta-152 first saw action in the final weeks of the war and was produced in very small numbers (25 production planes) with only 7 victories give or take -- too late and in insignificant numbers to have played any role. While yes the Ta-152 was not a Wunderwaffe, I would consider any German plane that first saw action in 1945 to be a What if plane because they were produced in limited numbers, did only a handful of sorties, encountered the enemy a few times and many of which were only used for their intended purpose on a few missions before the war ended. Adding to what AEtheIreadUnread said, the game only goes up to March 1945 which is roughly when the Ta-152 first saw action so there would only be 1 month of being able to fly it or encountering 1 or some of the no more than them 20 that were built by then. Plus, its intended high altitude fighter role cannot be fully utilized in the game due to a lack of heavy bombers.

 

The Ta-152 and He-162 may be cool looking planes but they played no significant role overall in the war.

 

The one problem with this argument is that everything was relatively rare in the Luftwaffe by 1945. 🙂 If playing a significant role was the criteria, then you might as well remove the Spitfire XIVe, Me 262, and Ar 234 as well. On the contrary, these planes all existed and flew combat missions and - just as important, if not more - people are buying them. 

[danielprates]

By then the war was so lost for Ze Germans, that any new module requires a "suspension of disbelief needed" specs note.

[ZachariasX]

As for the latest news, the new update 5.204 will be released soon, in two weeks;

 

In two weeks? Be sure?

[ScotsmanFlyingscotsman]

Thanks for the excellent pictures of the Hurricane, one of my favourite aircraft. With the cannons it really is a winner. Pushed aside as outdated, it did take part until the end of the war. Thank you

[Avimimus]

2 hours ago, LukeFF said:

The one problem with this argument is that everything was relatively rare in the Luftwaffe by 1945.

 

Good point! Extends to the Bf-109 and Fw-190 as well (at least if fuel is factored in, along with overall sortie ratios)!

[dirka68]

With so much great flight sim hardware available these days it is easy to go over the 8 controller limit, at the moment I can't fly il2 because of all the controllers that it decides to not recognise it chooses my joystick very frustrating 

[ST_Catchov]

14 hours ago, E69_Chipi said:

Do you know if the game will recognize more than 8 controllers?

 

Lol, man that's hardcore! I use two, stick and pedals (and head tracking if that's considered a controller?) but was/am considering a throttle thing for more button power .... maybe ..... but more than 8 controllers! What are they for? Where do you put them all? Is this your gaming desk? 

 

 

 

Mind you I only fly WW1 which are simpler to manage in this game than WWII .... but any button limitations I may have (I have 8 on the stick .... but with FFB 😀) are overcome with the unique profile you can set up for each plane. Mostly.

 

 

[Panzerlang]

All I'm gagging for are the DH2 and E1. If more two-seaters were planned I'd be gagging for them too but they're not, so no gags given in that regard.

[AEthelraedUnraed]

8 hours ago, RoteDreizehn said:

Sry to say that . The TA-152 is not a Wunderwaffe. She is a normal Fw190 Plane Iteration. Nothing more. I really wonder why you are so afraid of it.
There are a lot of false facs about the Second World War in the head of Humans

The term "Wunderwaffe" is a catch-all phrase for German designs from the end of WW2 that were marketed by propaganda as revolutionary weapons that were able to turn the tides, while in reality they were too little, too late and frankly not good enough to remotely come close. Whether or not a type saw (sometimes very extensive) active service and whether or not it actually was a revolutionary design is irrelevant for applying the term.

 

In fact, the Wikipedia page for "Wunderwaffe" lists the Ta-152 right up there with the rest of the bunch. While I wouldn't call Wikipedia a great source, it at the very least shows that I'm far from the only one counting the Ta-152 as one.

 

3 hours ago, LukeFF said:

The one problem with this argument is that everything was relatively rare in the Luftwaffe by 1945. 🙂 If playing a significant role was the criteria, then you might as well remove the Spitfire XIVe, Me 262, and Ar 234 as well. On the contrary, these planes all existed and flew combat missions and - just as important, if not more - people are buying them. 

Only that all those types actually flew on the Rheinland map. In case of the Ta-152 - IIRC there were a few near Berlin and some near the Danish border. I don't think a single one of them ever flew a mile within the borders of the Rheinland map, let alone operated from any of the airfields there.

 

As I said, I'm perfectly OK with there being a player squadron flying the type so that those who bought it have got something to play. But for the rest of us, let's keep it historical and not get into any "What if" scenarios. Those who want that sort of thing can play AQMB or custom missions, but please not as AI in the main campaign.

[LukeFF]

1 hour ago, Avimimus said:

Good point! Extends to the Bf-109 and Fw-190 as well (at least if fuel is factored in, along with overall sortie ratios)!

 

It definitely does. When reading through the RAF mission logs from the fall of 1944, a few of them make the comment of, does the Luftwaffe still exist?

 

13 minutes ago, AEthelraedUnraed said:

Only that all those types actually flew on the Rheinland map. In case of the Ta-152 - IIRC there were a few near Berlin and some near the Danish border. I don't think a single one of them ever flew a mile within the borders of the Rheinland map, let alone operated from any of the airfields there.

 

As I said, I'm perfectly OK with there being a player squadron flying the type so that those who bought it have got something to play. But for the rest of us, let's keep it historical and not get into any "What if" scenarios. Those who want that sort of thing can play AQMB or custom missions, but please not as AI in the main campaign.

 

Yes, true, but their opponents in the West were/are planes already in the game. 

 

The squadron to which they will be assigned will likely be like with the 190s on the Stalingrad map - only seen when the player flies the type.

[sevenless]

8 minutes ago, LukeFF said:

The squadron to which they will be assigned will likely be like with the 190s on the Stalingrad map - only seen when the player flies the type.

 

Makes a lot of sense. 

 

On another point. Any plans to get anti-radar raids into pre D-Day career mode? Tiffies were quite busy doing that back then.

 

 

[LukeFF]

1 hour ago, sevenless said:

On another point. Any plans to get anti-radar raids into pre D-Day career mode? Tiffies were quite busy doing that back then.

 

It's in the to-do list. 

[Avimimus]

8 hours ago, AEthelraedUnraed said:

Only that all those types actually flew on the Rheinland map.

 

Arados were present on the Normandy map.

[JG4_Moltke1871]

16 hours ago, ST_Catchov said:

Lol, man that's hardcore! I use two, stick and pedals (and head tracking if that's considered a controller?) but was/am considering a throttle thing for more button power .... maybe ..... but more than 8 controllers! What are they for? Where do you put them all? Is this your gaming desk? 

 

 

 

Mind you I only fly WW1 which are simpler to manage in this game than WWII .... but any button limitations I may have (I have 8 on the stick .... but with FFB 😀) are overcome with the unique profile you can set up for each plane. Mostly.

 

 

Eight joysticks do not require an oversized table for disabled people.
 

But the ability to set unlimited profiles the game offers a lot of options set planes or group of planes individually.

 

I am also an flying circus enthusiast but even for the WW1 planes I have a lot of different different profiles… A throttle on the right like the Bristol, reversed throttle like in the RE8 or Spad, cooling lever on the left or right cockpit side, a lot of levers to the right and left in the Handley Page, etc, etc….

 

Especially in VR the effect is amazing 😎

 

Maybe you can imagine what I do and set in WW2 planes 😅…

 

 

It’s a lot of work to set all these things but I stick to the motto: “the journey is the destination.”

 

And finally it’s about: Do I fly in a Simulation or I just play a game ?😉

[E69_Chipi]

 

For Il-2 I do not use the MFDs 10-11, but I play with VR and I use everything else.

Joystick is a special case, because the virpil base is number 5, but then I use a Real Simulator F-16 or F-18 (6+7) using Bluetooth connection to send the buttons because it is not fully compatible with the base. And that RealSimulator joystick is composed of two independent controlers, with 64 buttons each.

And I do not want to be physically connecting and disconnecting controllers every time I switch from Il-2 to DCS. There shouldn't be the need for that.

And when I can allocate the budget, the two saitek PC Dash2 (numbers 1 and 9) Will be replaced by some more virpil panels.

Edited June 7, 2024 by E69_Chipi

[ST_Catchov]

 

@JG4_Moltke1871 @E69_Chipi Thanks for the feedback. I don't know what half those things are/do?  I'll start with the stopwatch first and go from there 😅

 

 

2 hours ago, JG4_Moltke1871 said:

But the ability to set unlimited profiles the game offers a lot of options set planes or group of planes individually.

 

Yeah, one of the best things they introduced especially for the button-challenged 😃

[AEthelraedUnraed]

11 hours ago, LukeFF said:

The squadron to which they will be assigned will likely be like with the 190s on the Stalingrad map - only seen when the player flies the type.

I have no objections against that. The only issue I have is with AI squadrons that you might encounter when flying a different plane, since IRL there were no Ta-152s ever flying on any of the in-game maps. But again, I'm all for a playable squadron to give those who bought the plane something to do.

 

2 hours ago, Avimimus said:

Arados were present on the Normandy map.

Well yes, albeit not the subtype we have in the game. But the Normandy map is besides the point. Luke was arguing that there should be no objections against having the Ta-152 on the Rheinland map since other rare aircraft are already in game as well. To which my counterargument is that the difference is that all of those other rare aircraft did in fact fly on the Rheinland map whereas the Ta-152 never did, and therefore encountering those other types is historical whereas encountering the Ta-152 is not.

 

@JG4_Moltke1871 @E69_Chipi - I can't be unimpressed with those setups - they look absolutely wonderful 🤩

Small question - when flying VR, do you find it manageable to find all those buttons? I find it hard enough to locate the buttons on my keyboard and joystick base...

[JG4_Moltke1871]

24 minutes ago, AEthelraedUnraed said:

I can't be unimpressed with those setups - they look absolutely wonderful 🤩

Small question - when flying VR, do you find it manageable to find all those buttons? I find it hard enough to locate the buttons on my keyboard and joystick base...

Trust your sense of touch and your tactile memory  😉

 

But the keyboard of course is a challenge, some important keys I find but to type messages of course I have to remove the googles.

Edited June 7, 2024 by JG4_Moltke1871

[E69_Chipi]

3 minutes ago, JG4_Moltke1871 said:

Trust your sense of touch and your tactile memory 😉

training is the key. just as in RL 😜

[Dagwoodyt]

I'd really like to be able to use button modifiers as in DCS.

[CountZero]

6 hours ago, E69_Chipi said:

 

For Il-2 I do not use the MFDs 10-11, but I play with VR and I use everything else.

Joystick is a special case, because the virpil base is number 5, but then I use a Real Simulator F-16 or F-18 (6+7) using Bluetooth connection to send the buttons because it is not fully compatible with the base. And that RealSimulator joystick is composed of two independent controlers, with 64 buttons each.

And I do not want to be physically connecting and disconnecting controllers every time I switch from Il-2 to DCS. There shouldn't be the need for that.

And when I can allocate the budget, the two saitek PC Dash2 (numbers 1 and 9) Will be replaced by some more virpil panels.

lol and then there is me using 10-11 buttons on gamepad thinking why would anyone need more ( no problems playing n DCS with it also)

 

[Jaegermeister]

2 hours ago, AEthelraedUnraed said:

Small question - when flying VR, do you find it manageable to find all those buttons? I find it hard enough to locate the buttons on my keyboard and joystick base...

 

I have no problem using this in VR. It's a 20 button keystroke emulator keypad, a 20 switch box and the Warthog throttle. 55 buttons plus the HOTAS controllers. I have memorized the position of all of them with my left hand indexing from the lower right raised corner of the 20 button keypad. Obviously the labels are there if I forget and have to lift the goggles to refresh my aging memory. I used to have a mini keyboard on the stand to the left as well, but I never used it so I moved it back to the normal spot in front for typing.

 

 

27 minutes ago, Dagwoodyt said:

I'd really like to be able to use button modifiers as in DCS.

 

You can, just get one of the Max Falcon programmable keypads and you can program in Macros, F Keys or whatever you need.

 

https://maxkeyboard.com/max-falcon-20-rgb-custom-programmable-mini-macropad-mechanical-keyboard-assembled.html

 

 

[AEthelraedUnraed]

53 minutes ago, CountZero said:

  Reveal hidden contents

Lol that pic reminds me of a gaming event I used to visit. Nothing quite like installing all your expensive gaming equipment in a small leaky tent along with 2000 other nerds, then finding out after a week that you didn't really need to bring it after all since you've been drinking beer all the time instead of gaming

Sadly the event (CampZone) didn't survive Covid...

 

2 hours ago, JG4_Moltke1871 said:

Trust your sense of touch and your tactile memory  😉

2 hours ago, E69_Chipi said:

training is the key. just as in RL 😜

26 minutes ago, Jaegermeister said:

I have no problem using this in VR. It's a 20 button keystroke emulator keypad, a 20 switch box and the Warthog throttle. 55 buttons plus the HOTAS controllers. I have memorized the position of all of them with my left hand indexing from the lower right raised corner of the 20 button keypad.

Lol I guess you guys have better memory than I, even though I'm only in my early 30s 😅

Then again, I'm lucky if I can get one evening of flight time a week (usually 2-3 hours); not really enough to memorise keys you barely use.

Of course, I've mapped all keys I frequently use to my throttle and I can find those. But my keyboard and joystick base, I keep forgetting the key bindings 😅

[LukeFF]

4 hours ago, AEthelraedUnraed said:

Luke was arguing that there should be no objections against having the Ta-152 on the Rheinland map since other rare aircraft are already in game as well. To which my counterargument is that the difference is that all of those other rare aircraft did in fact fly on the Rheinland map whereas the Ta-152 never did, and therefore encountering those other types is historical whereas encountering the Ta-152 is not.

 

Not quite. 🙂 My contention was that there should be no objection to having the 152 in the game, since pretty much everything Luftwaffe 1945 was rare, we already have other late 1944-45 planes in the game, and these are good sellers.

On the controller front, increasing the number from 8 unfortunately isn't likely to make it - there are issues with the GUI backend, so for now this is being put on hold.