Dev Blog #365: Karelia and Odessa Map Updates

[LukeFF]

Dev Blog #365 for IL-2 Sturmovik: Great Battles is now available for your reading: https://il2sturmovik.com/news/863/dev-blog-365/

 

 

[352ndOscar]

We need those Pine trees and textures in the Ardennes on the Bodenplatte map!

[Juri_JS]

 

Do I see haystacks and telephone/telegraph poles on the screenshot? I asked for these objects for years.

 

[=BLW=Pablo]

Will we have any counterpart against the Yak 3?
Like a 109G10 for example?

[sevenless]

25 minutes ago, 352ndOscar said:

We need those Pine trees and textures in the Ardennes on the Bodenplatte map!

 

Absolutely! 👍

[Enceladus828]

Visually stunning! Thank you!! 😀

 

Out of curiosity and also of a minor note, will any new ships be added for the module like the Niobe?

 

Just to clarify, there will not be separate Karelia plane set? If that's the case then bring on these boys:

  

 

And the Bf-110F-2

[GOA_AveFenix506*VR*]

I'm very bad fliying russian warbirds, but i feel happy for Red Pilots to finally get the Yak-3 .. Maybe for LW some day we can have the G-10.

 

Regards.

 

Karaya.

[sevenless]

So I take it, this series 9 is a very early version of the first 200 pieces produced with only one UBS 12,7mm ?  Powerplant is VK-105PF2 engine with a power of 1240 hp?

 

Can´t wait to take it for a spin 😀

 

 

Cite: The first two hundred Yak-3 serials were armed with a ShVAK gun and one synchronous UB machine gun, and then the second synchronous UB was installed.

Miller, Dennis W.. Series of Soviet "Yak-3" Fighters in the World War II: Weapons and Air Forces of the World (English Edition) . Kindle-Version. 

 

 

[migmadmarine]

Little surprised to hear it will be one plane set released along side both maps, hope there can still be more collectors, the Finish front I think offers enough options for its own set of 8. 

[ITAF_Rani]

How many planes are you going to develop for this theatre?

[percydanvers]

I am more hyped for this than I am for Korea!

[sevenless]

12 minutes ago, migmadmarine said:

Little surprised to hear it will be one plane set released along side both maps, hope there can still be more collectors, the Finish front I think offers enough options for its own set of 8. 

 

I think you misread that. I understand that for this Dev Diary they talk about planeset and the two maps. Not about a planed combined release of all three in one package. I guess they will clarify sooner or later.

Edited September 20, 2024 by sevenless

[JG_deserteagle540]

Great news. The maps look beautiful.

Any news about the release date?

[actionhank1786]

I know what's on my wishlist...

[Trooper117]

There is a wealth of aircraft selection for the Finns... for me, I'm only interested in the early war stuff, but highly doubt they will be able to produce them.

[sevenless]

20 minutes ago, JG_deserteagle540 said:

Great news. The maps look beautiful.

Any news about the release date?

 

Karelia in 2026. Here:

 

 

[Vishnu]

WOOOOHOOO beautiful maps!! Good work! Everybody!

[Avimimus]

3 hours ago, Enceladus828 said:

Out of curiosity and also of a minor note, will any new ships be added for the module like the Niobe?

 

I've been wondering about this two - one of the two classes of destroyers that Italy built for Romania would give us an Axis destroyer... it'd be nice to finally have destroyers for both sides!

[migmadmarine]

8 hours ago, sevenless said:

 

I think you misread that. I understand that for this Dev Diary they talk about planeset and the two maps. Not about a planed combined release of all three in one package. I guess they will clarify sooner or later.

While I'd like you to be right, "Today we would like to show you new screenshots of the new module in development. It is planned to include two maps instead of one, Odessa and Karelia, and a number of aircraft suitable for various operations."  seems pretty clear cut to me in grouping the three things together. 

[Juri_JS]

Any chance to see the overview map for Odessa? I would like to know which area we get exactly and especially which airfields will be available.

[tattywelshie]

Wow that was unexpected! Great stuff, those maps look beautiful! 

[Aapje]

Interesting choice to put two maps in one module. It makes a lot of sense, to reduce the workload on 1CGS and to make full price for the module more reasonable (since lots of the work is done by volunteers).

 

However, two maps greatly increases the chance that one map is going to be finished quite some time before the other. Is the module going to be released in early access once one of the maps is done or such, where we get both completed maps in due time?

 

 

[Rudini]

@all - according to your experience in the last decade with il-2, how long does it take until the release of this module?

 

do you feel it might be released this year/christmas?

or does it generally takes another full 1-2 years?

 

thanks

[Chief_Mouser]

24 minutes ago, Aapje said:

Interesting choice to put two maps in one module. It makes a lot of sense, to reduce the workload on 1CGS and to make full price for the module more reasonable (since lots of the work is done by volunteers).

 

However, two maps greatly increases the chance that one map is going to be finished quite some time before the other. Is the module going to be released in early access once one of the maps is done or such, where we get both completed maps in due time?

 

 

 

I thought I read that the Finland map will be free?

 

[kraut1]

What a about the sequence of the pilot careers?

Odessa ca. early March44 ... end of May44?

Karelia ca. early June44 ...19.09.44?

[Alan_Grey]

19 hours ago, 352ndOscar said:

We need those Pine trees and textures in the Ardennes on the Bodenplatte map!

Absolute yes !

[JLean]

These are excellent news!

Karelia map looks just great with all details 

 

I have just one question..when?

 

and one request...please give us more early war planes.

 

 JLean

[Jaegermeister]

On 9/21/2024 at 5:36 AM, Aapje said:

 

However, two maps greatly increases the chance that one map is going to be finished quite some time before the other. Is the module going to be released in early access once one of the maps is done or such, where we get both completed maps in due time?

 

 

The new process seems to be releasing a finished module with all maps, planes and missions included. No pre-order, and when you purchase you download a finished product. I may be misinterpreting the release process for FC IV, but right now I think that is what you can expect. This way there will be no more concerns about when it will be released after it has been purchased and when it will be finished or updated. They will most likely say... It's done, here ya' go.

 

Edited September 22, 2024 by Jaegermeister
Clarification of intended message

[Aapje]

@Jaegermeister

 

I get the impression that 1CGS is helping with the Odessa map, but that the Karelia map depends fully on the Finnish team and has quite a bit work to do. What happens if Karelia takes longer than the planes and the other map?

 

I think that it would be a bad idea to then hold the entire module back. Although 1CGS could of course also decide to help with the Karelia map.

 

Quote

It's done, here ya' go.

 

No, the maps and the planes are not done.

Edited September 21, 2024 by Aapje

[Avimimus]

9 hours ago, Rudini said:

@all - according to your experience in the last decade with il-2, how long does it take until the release of this module?

 

do you feel it might be released this year/christmas?

or does it generally takes another full 1-2 years?

 

thanks

 

Usually released took about one and a half years for development. However, in this release, at least one of the aircraft and maps are being developed by third parties - and they usually work at slower pace (because many of them are also working other jobs) - so one can't use past release patterns to predict this one.

 

My own guess is that it'll come out sometime before Korea (at least three to six months) and there might be an early access period sooner than that (with aircraft released more gradually over time, and possibly the Karelia map coming a bit later)... but that is all guess work on my part.

[Jaegermeister]

24 minutes ago, Aapje said:

 

No, the maps and the planes are not done.

 

Apparently you misunderstood what I was saying. I believe that when it is done, they will say "Here it is. It's finished. Have fun" and then it will go on sale. Perhaps you should not take that line out of context just because there was a blank line before it. I'm just speculating anyway so we will see.

 

Avimimus is also correct. You cannot take past release patterns to predict this one. 

 

Edited September 21, 2024 by Jaegermeister

[Aapje]

2 hours ago, Jaegermeister said:

Apparently you misunderstood what I was saying. I believe that when it is done, they will say "Here it is. It's finished. Have fun" and then it will go on sale.

 

I intentionally 'misunderstood' it to make a point. They have presented us with a plan. Common sense says that it is unlikely for the two volunteer teams to be done at the same time. This risk exists because things are not yet done.

 

I was trying to figure out if 1CGS has a plan how to deal with this.

[Jaegermeister]

3 hours ago, Aapje said:

 

I intentionally 'misunderstood' it to make a point.

 

 

Well I guess I missed the point of you twisting what I wrote into something it wasn't. Obviously it's not done yet.

[ITAF_Rani]

Ok I' v found probably the answer...there will be  8 planes for this module...

Two are known:

 

I- 153

Yak -3

 

The other 6? 🤔

 

 

 

So

[ITAF_Rani]

I found this story also quite incredible..

 

https://www.finlandatwar.com/heroes-of-finland-diego-manzocchi-a-strange-and-tragic-tale/

[LLv44_Kanttori]

On 9/21/2024 at 1:01 PM, Chief_Mouser said:

 

I thought I read that the Finland map will be free?

 

A free map was originally our intention, and because of that we made a crowdfunding campaign on the Patreon site already last December 2023. However, it was disappointing and the amount of money coming through Patreon barely covered our expenses, so the free map idea was abandoned.

What surprised me the most was that even Finnish players and familiar Virtual Pilots don't Donate anything but hang around on our site as free passengers. All Finnish enthusiasts also want the Karelia map in the game, but they don't agree to pay anything... they probably think that maps grow on trees! 

It's a strange hustle, because the issue is the volunteer work of twenty people that has lasted for years. Apparently, the basic player has no idea what a huge process and job making the game map, i.e. the terrain, really is. If we had known the amount of work in advance, we would certainly have thought twice about doing this at all. But we crazy Finns started making this map and now fortunately we are already at the end... 🥵😬😉

You can still support our work by donating money to cover our expenses. Click on the picture below! 

[LLv44_Kanttori]

17 hours ago, Aapje said:

@Jaegermeister

 

I get the impression that 1CGS is helping with the Odessa map, but that the Karelia map depends fully on the Finnish team and has quite a bit work to do. What happens if Karelia takes longer than the planes and the other map?

 

I think that it would be a bad idea to then hold the entire module back. Although 1CGS could of course also decide to help with the Karelia map.

 

 

No, the maps and the planes are not done.

1CGS Map Team will start in January 2025 to help us by populating the entire Leningrad Oblast and also making the Leningrad Metropolis together with us Finns. Most of the "boring" basic map work has already been done and now we can get to the most fun phase, i.e. building and improving cities and the landscape. Both maps will be completed roughly at the same time in the summer of 2025. So don't panic! 😃

[Aapje]

@LLv44_Kanttori

 

Thanks for the clarification. If 1CGS helps with both maps, it is indeed much more likely that they can finish at the same time, as 1CGS can move more resources to the map that needs more work to finish.

[Chief_Mouser]

55 minutes ago, LLv44_Kanttori said:

A free map was originally our intention, and because of that we made a crowdfunding campaign on the Patreon site already last December 2023. However, it was disappointing and the amount of money coming through Patreon barely covered our expenses, so the free map idea was abandoned.

 

 

Well it might have been nice if you'd let those of us who were contributing know about this. 🙄

For whatever reason of my own I wasn't going to, and probably won't, buy the map as a module from 1CGS, but I was quite happy to help a group of independent mapmakers achieve their dream. So now I've cancelled my subscription; I've probably contributed enough to buy the map already but that money was for you, to help you get it done, and I don't mind that.

It's a great map, keep up the good work, but it won't be one for me now I'm afraid.

🍻

[SqueakyS]

 

Ju 87 D-5 is also confirmed. They have said there will be 4 early. one mid and three late war planes. So far they look like this.

 

(Shamelessly stolen from discord):

Early war: I-153, ?, ?, ?

Mid war: Ju 87 D-5

Late war: Yak-3, La-7, ?

 

 

Edited September 22, 2024 by SqueakyS
I don't know how to quote properly.