Lightning Storm, Weather Effects

[01Wingchaps]

Call me a newb, but I've come to this project from Rise of Flight, before playing that I'd never played any of the IL-2 series.

 

Getting excited about BOS, though, I decided to install IL-2/FB/AEP/PF.

 

Now, in ROF I like the rain effects, and how the drips of water run off your goggles as you fly. Very immersive.

 

But tonight I was flying an IL-2/FB/AEP/PF Me-109, and the mission began with a lightning storm over my airfield, and throughout the mission. I was amazed at the effects, given the age of the mission. Dark, hanging clouds, blowing rain, lightning bolts and flashes of light in the clouds! Amazing! I mean, I made allowance for the age of the rendering engine compared to ROF, but I don't remember flashes of light in the clouds in ROF, nor lightning bolts. It was all pretty cool.

 

I don't know that we'll get the chance to see any of that in BOS, given the wintry setting, but in ROF I've always been underwhelmed by the snow effects. Really, just a few flakes floating around, nothing corresponding to the quality of the rain effects in the game.

 

So, I'm hoping for some weather effects worthy of the plane models, cockpit models, lighting effects and the rest I've seen in the game...

 

Having said all of the above, one thing I DIDN'T like was that in my 109 I drifted right off the runway! I tried to taxi around, but that was uncontrollable, so I ended up just throttling up and taking off in a random direction. That was a bit silly...

Edited August 11, 2013 by Wingchaps

[airmalik]

I'm hoping for good weather effects as well. Given the quality of everything else that the BoS team has demo'd so far, I'm sure they'll do a great job ... if they can fit it into the release schedule.

[Mysticpuma]

Already asked the question regarding weather. No replies as-yet from the team and the clear skies of Russia make me wonder how it ever snowed?

 

Previous post:

 

http://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/891-my-i-request-one-friday-updates-some-weather-pictures-or-inf/?hl=weather

 

Cheers, MP

[Sim]

In one of the developer diaries LOFT wrote:

 

In terms of graphics rain falls not on the pilot's goggles, as in an open cockpit, but on the glass of the cockpit. We want to make this element true and interesting.

 

Also:

 

7) Will there also be something like (dynamic) snow storms over the fields?

 

Yes, that would be cool. While I can not promise, we'll make these features near the end of development. Maybe we'll implement something like that.

 

If they can truly model rainfall on the cockpit glass.. that would add so much for immersion.

Also, I think in RoF they could have got away without lightning and other extreme weather conditions simply because the WW1 aircraft was much more restrictive. No one even thought about flying a sortie when it was raining.

Edited August 11, 2013 by Sim

[Rigel]

Lightning Storm in winter? Hm, sounds weird.

Let me say you about 'variants of weather' in russian winter: clear and cold(the most common type of weather in december), overcast skies, light snow, hard snow(typical for early november), snowstorm, hard snowstorm with strong wind(вьюга 'viuga' in russian). Never rain and never lightstorm.

Even in russian folklore lightstorm - harbinger of spring "The first thunder in the spring - a sign of the coming heat", "I like the storm in early May".

Edited August 11, 2013 by Rigel

[Feuerfalke]

Lightning Storm in winter? Hm, sounds weird.

Let me say you about 'variants of weather' in russian winter: clear and cold(the most common type of weather in december), overcast skies, light snow, hard snow(typical for early november), snowstorm, hard snowstorm with strong wind(вьюга 'viuga' in russian). Never rain and never lightstorm.

 

Very good point.

[TetraD]

Lightning Storm in winter? Hm, sounds weird.

Let me say you about 'variants of weather' in russian winter: clear and cold(the most common type of weather in december), overcast skies, light snow, hard snow(typical for early november), snowstorm, hard snowstorm with strong wind(вьюга 'viuga' in russian). Never rain and never lightstorm.

Even in russian folklore lightstorm - harbinger of spring "The first thunder in the spring - a sign of the coming heat", "I like the storm in early May".

Can you tell if there are cumulus clouds at winter in stalingrad area? I see cumulus in BoS youtube videos. Because here in Finland there can't be cumulus clouds at winter. This was also a problem with original IL-2. 

They disappear in october/november and appear again in march when sun heats the ground enough. In winter it's usually clear or overcast. Snowstorms are rare but some lightning can occur with them, rarely. I think weather in northwest russia must be quite similar, but stalingrad is more south.

Edited August 11, 2013 by TetraD

[FlatSpinMan]

The lightning is cool, though just rain would be fine mostly. It'd also be nice to have some clouds other than little fluffy cumulus (I'm looking at YOU, Il2).

And Wingchaps, your takeoff experience sounds very similar to my early attempts. Did you try adding throttle gradually and correcting the movement with opposite rudder?

[TheBlackPenguin]

Lightning Storm in winter? Hm, sounds weird.

Let me say you about 'variants of weather' in russian winter: clear and cold(the most common type of weather in december), overcast skies, light snow, hard snow(typical for early november), snowstorm, hard snowstorm with strong wind(вьюга 'viuga' in russian). Never rain and never lightstorm.

Even in russian folklore lightstorm - harbinger of spring "The first thunder in the spring - a sign of the coming heat", "I like the storm in early May".

 

Thank you, it needs to be realistic. I doubt there would be much flying during "вьюга 'viuga'" when that hits. Perhaps during the campaign we could have missions scrubbed until it passes?

[ShamrockOneFive]

I'm hoping for some decent weather... I don't necessarily need moving frontal systems to make me happy. Just good simulation of cold and clear, overcast, light snow, heavy snow, etc.

 

Where I live in Canada there are virtually no cumulus clouds during the winter months. Low flat overcast clouds, some puffy but very low snow streamers, the upper level wisps... that sort of thing but no big fluffy clouds. That's for the summer

 

Also... only ever experienced snow thunder once or twice. You hardly see any flashes because the snow and clouds are so dense. Just a muffled rumble of thunder... very odd I must say!

Edited August 11, 2013 by IceFire

[Rigel]

early november/end of october.

judging by the position of the sun it's the end of March but that clouds typical for winter.

it is february and i think clouds looks like cumulus  (warm day).

(frosty day in January and typical skies for -25/-40 C - blurry clouds and mist of freezed water in the air)

 

Sorry for quality. All photos taken with a phone.

Can you tell if there are cumulus clouds at winter in stalingrad area? I see cumulus in BoS youtube videos. Because here in Finland there can't be cumulus clouds at winter. This was also a problem with original IL-2. 

They disappear in october/november and appear again in march when sun heats the ground enough. In winter it's usually clear or overcast. Snowstorms are rare but some lightning can occur with them, rarely. I think weather in northwest russia must be quite similar, but stalingrad is more south.

Edited August 11, 2013 by Rigel

[01Wingchaps]

And Wingchaps, your takeoff experience sounds very similar to my early attempts. Did you try adding throttle gradually and correcting the movement with opposite rudder?

 

I didn't get the chance, I was idling behind the flight leader, he had not powered up, and I drifted right off the runway. Brakes did not help.

 

Rigel, yours are great posts, thank you!

[leitmotiv]

chocks in key helps to keep you in one place if wind is strong untill you get on full power, then after you power up you can use rudder and slowly apply front brakes to keep you in line

 

good pictures Rigel

Edited August 11, 2013 by Yaklover

[Finkeren]

One thing I'd like to see: Ice forming on the aircraft and affecting flight characteristics, but here I'm just dreaming.

[BlitzPig_EL]

The IL2 beta P39 mission had rain drops on the cockpit glass.

 

Why it didn't get to the gold release I don't know.

 

I've always found the drops of rain, or oil on the goggles in RoF to be an overdone cheap cinematic trick.  Especially the rain.

In almost every aircraft you are behind a windscreen of some sort, at the speeds even WW1 crates fly at, the airflow would blow the rain over the pilot owing to the deflection of the airflow from the screen.

[Mysticpuma]

One thing I'd like to see: Ice forming on the aircraft and affecting flight characteristics, but here I'm just dreaming.

 

Yeah that was one of the most hated things in CloD....good luck with that request

[Finkeren]

Yeah that was one of the most hated things in CloD....good luck with that request

There was over-icing in ClOD? Nobody told me?!? That's pretty cool, I never experienced that. How did it work, and why on Earth did people hate it?

[kestrel79]

Any time you would fly through a cloud in CloD, your canopy would completely ice up and your engine would die.

[RAF74_Winger]

There was over-icing in ClOD? Nobody told me?!? That's pretty cool, I never experienced that. How did it work, and why on Earth did people hate it?

 

People hated it because it wasn't done correctly. Flying through a cloud would result in canopy icing regardless of the airframe temperature.

 

W.

[01Wingchaps]

You know, actually I'd like to have Loft and the rest interview their WWII veteran pilots on the issue of weather they flew in, both in general and in the area and time of BOS.

 

I'm reading Stuka Pilot by Hans Rudel, and occasionally he few in some dicey stuff.

 

On the one hand, it might be a high-pain low-gain matter for programmers, especially since I doubt pilots rushed to get their planes in the air in bad weather, especially with inexperienced pilots.

 

On the other hand, it's a heck of a cool thing to every now and then encounter well done extreme weather effects in a game.

 

Today I flew the thunderstorm mission in IL2 (since, right at the end of that mission last night, I had a fatal encounter with the ground   , right before I had to turn in...). I still say... wow... lightening bolts, the cockpit lit up a time or two, no rain on the windscreen alas... But the clouds, mist, lightning effects, turbulence... Awesome.

 

I think it's key to loving a game over a long time, you have to have diversity. A variety of planes, and types of planes, is great. I can easily see myself flying all the included aircraft in careers, hopping from one to another (when I played MMRPGs I was an alt-o-holic). But diverse, well done weather helps as well.

 

Still, on BOS, point taken that one isn't going to go up in a blizzard. I guess I'm just asking for your basic well-done moderately heavy snowfall from time to time. Then, port that over to ROF...   

[pilotpierre]

[quote name="ElAurens" post="19308"

I've always found the drops of rain, or oil on the goggles in RoF to be an overdone cheap cinematic trick. Especially the rain.

In almost every aircraft you are behind a windscreen of some sort, at the speeds even WW1 crates fly at, the airflow would blow the rain over the pilot owing to the deflection of the airflow from the screen.

 

 

I think the rain drops in RoF is on the goggles, so if you are behind a windscreen it will not blow off.

Edited August 12, 2013 by pilotpierre

[TheBlackPenguin]

You know, actually I'd like to have Loft and the rest interview their WWII veteran pilots on the issue of weather they flew in, both in general and in the area and time of BOS.

 

I'm reading Stuka Pilot by Hans Rudel, and occasionally he few in some dicey stuff.

 

On the one hand, it might be a high-pain low-gain matter for programmers, especially since I doubt pilots rushed to get their planes in the air in bad weather, especially with inexperienced pilots.

 

On the other hand, it's a heck of a cool thing to every now and then encounter well done extreme weather effects in a game.

 

Today I flew the thunderstorm mission in IL2 (since, right at the end of that mission last night, I had a fatal encounter with the ground   , right before I had to turn in...). I still say... wow... lightening bolts, the cockpit lit up a time or two, no rain on the windscreen alas... But the clouds, mist, lightning effects, turbulence... Awesome.

 

I think it's key to loving a game over a long time, you have to have diversity. A variety of planes, and types of planes, is great. I can easily see myself flying all the included aircraft in careers, hopping from one to another (when I played MMRPGs I was an alt-o-holic). But diverse, well done weather helps as well.

 

Still, on BOS, point taken that one isn't going to go up in a blizzard. I guess I'm just asking for your basic well-done moderately heavy snowfall from time to time. Then, port that over to ROF...   

 

I hope so too, but in ROF it would be nice to see a red flare go up (assuming a red flare means no go) with the mission being scrapped due to inclement weather, hopefully with the pilot wondering, "how can we fly in this?".

[Finkeren]

Any time you would fly through a cloud in CloD, your canopy would completely ice up and your engine would die.

Ah ok, that old effect. That's not what I was talking about. I was thinking an actual layer of ice forming on the surfaces, creating drag and ruining airflow.

[Bearcat]

I would like for the weather to reflect the region..  I am confident that whatever weather BoS has it will reflect reality to Russian weather.. I don't see why Russian simmers wold be any different from other simmers so if the weather was modeled wrong you can bet someone would scream about it.. When the get to the tropics, if the sim gets the support it needs to stay viable.. which I think is likely, I think that every theater will be modeled correctly. Considering that WoP had rain drops .. and it looked pretty good too.. I don't see that being hard for this team to accomplish where applicable.

[Wind]

Lightning Storm in winter? Hm, sounds weird.

Let me say you about 'variants of weather' in russian winter: clear and cold(the most common type of weather in december), overcast skies, light snow, hard snow(typical for early november), snowstorm, hard snowstorm with strong wind(вьюга 'viuga' in russian). Never rain and never lightstorm.

Even in russian folklore lightstorm - harbinger of spring "The first thunder in the spring - a sign of the coming heat", "I like the storm in early May".

 

 

Rare, but possible.

 

Have experienced it couple of time in the alps and scandinavian mountains, in the winter.

It has never been a classic summer thunderstorm with clear front or large amount of lighting, but

rather build up of static electricity and low number of strikes.

Very un-nerving to find all the metal objects starting to humm and having a tingle in your mouth...

 

You can meet them even during "normal" snow storms in scandinavia, in relatively flat areas without mountains.

Even last winter we had one with 4-5 strikes (faint flashes+sound).

But as said, a very rare phenomena.

[Rigel]

Rare, but possible.

 

Have experienced it couple of time in the alps and scandinavian mountains, in the winter.

It has never been a classic summer thunderstorm with clear front or large amount of lighting, but

rather build up of static electricity and low number of strikes.

Very un-nerving to find all the metal objects starting to humm and having a tingle in your mouth...

 

You can meet them even during "normal" snow storms in scandinavia, in relatively flat areas without mountains.

Even last winter we had one with 4-5 strikes (faint flashes+sound).

But as said, a very rare phenomena.

I'm 32 but i never see lightnings in period 15 october - 15 april. For accuracy I have to say that one time in february i saw rain. That was 2 years ago and first time in my live. Even my Dad saw its first time.

(I'm talking only about the Russian climate, not claim for the whole world)

Edited August 13, 2013 by Rigel

[BlitzPig_EL]

We call it Thundersnow here in the middle of America.

 

It happens every couple of years or so, thunder and lightening in a snow storm.

[Jaws2002]

I think the best way to go about it, since is a new sim, is to try to model some solid global weather engine that can recreate the local weather based on some specific parameters. The idea is not to make the whole game look like the local specific conditions in one area, but make the local look based on the local conditions, inserted into the global engine.

 

This was one of the most controversial aspects of CLOD. It had an amazingly advanced lighting engine, but the weather engine was not ready at the release. So a bunch of people started whining that the game doesn't look like the chitty British weather.

 

Well, you can't get that British look until the weather engine works and you actually use atmospheric conditions similar to the area. A lot of people would fly always with clear skies and complain that it's too bright and "where's the English Pea Supper?".

   The weather engine, as broken as it was, could create decent clouds, but nobody wanted them, as they hit performance.

But all this people complained to the point that the developers modified (messed up) the global lighting engine, to match local weather conditions.

 

I hope we never have to get to this kind of mess again.

[79_vRAF_Friendly_flyer]

Lightning Storm in winter? Hm, sounds weird.

 

Indeed. I come from a country with comparable climate, and can tell anyone here that thunderstorms do not occur in wintertime. The air is too cold to build up the movement friction necessary to set of a lighting, and the snow is also dissipates the electrical charge building up on the ground. In all my 45 winters, I have only once seen a lighting, and that was in late winter/early spring with a warm weather front coming in and the snow melting so fast you could see it.

[FlatSpinMan]

Hey Wingchaps

Another idea I had was to lock your tailwheel immediately upon spawning. In bad weather, the game will sometimes overdo the wind effect when you are waiting to take off.