Last year the team behind Rise of Flight ( 777 Studios ) announced they were working on the new IL-2. Now a bit of footage, developer diaries and presentations are starting to be released. They also opened up the pre-order program - http://il2sturmovik.com/ They already have early access slated for Autumn 2013 for the Premium Edition and Winter for the Standard Edition.
The original IL-2 was probably one of the best and most renowned flight simulators in the industry, it even has an active community to this day. Unfortunately the name has been beat to the ground and spat on with all those terrible arcade titles and the last IL-2; Cliffs of Dover, which was so broken and half-baked that it's already dead in the water - No more support.
Anyone familiar with 777 Studios know they are a quality studio, lot of attention to details and know how to make a solid game. IL-2 BoS will be based on the same engine as RoF running DirectX 9, however it will see a slew of graphical updates.
They also announced they adopted a different payment system than what they implemented in Rise of Flight, so no more buying individual planes and campaigns at DLC price - However no solid details have been given yet. ( It won't be F2P ).
Bunch of videos;
Pre-order trailer ( CG )
Bf.109 Sound test ( beautiful )
Sound occlusion test
Random flying
T-70 Tank Model
Bf.109 Online test / LaGG 3 ( May seem pointless but it's to show that planes aren't bouncing all over the place due to the netcode. A problem we've seen in multiple sims )
"Loft" Demonstrates some of the latest BoS lighting
GIFs from that last video;
Compiled list of "What we know so far";
http://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/146-what-we-know-so-far-battle-stalingrad/
And breathe. So anyone else a big fan of IL-2? I just pre-ordered the Premium edition.
TL;DR something with planes, meh.
The original IL-2 was probably one of the best and most renowned flight simulators in the industry, it even has an active community to this day. Unfortunately the name has been beat to the ground and spat on with all those terrible arcade titles and the last IL-2; Cliffs of Dover, which was so broken and half-baked that it's already dead in the water - No more support.
Anyone familiar with 777 Studios know they are a quality studio, lot of attention to details and know how to make a solid game. IL-2 BoS will be based on the same engine as RoF running DirectX 9, however it will see a slew of graphical updates.
They also announced they adopted a different payment system than what they implemented in Rise of Flight, so no more buying individual planes and campaigns at DLC price - However no solid details have been given yet. ( It won't be F2P ).
Bunch of videos;
Pre-order trailer ( CG )
Bf.109 Sound test ( beautiful )
Sound occlusion test
Random flying
T-70 Tank Model
Bf.109 Online test / LaGG 3 ( May seem pointless but it's to show that planes aren't bouncing all over the place due to the netcode. A problem we've seen in multiple sims )
"Loft" Demonstrates some of the latest BoS lighting
GIFs from that last video;
Compiled list of "What we know so far";
http://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/146-what-we-know-so-far-battle-stalingrad/
Business and Plan
- Initial client release is slated for early 2014.
- Business model will have some similar aspects with RoF, but it will not be identical.
- Business model will be a hybrid between RoF and the old IL-2 [1946].
- Free-to-play client (as with RoF) will not be available.
- Some sort of free demo is planned.
- New content added over time after initial launch (paid).
- New theaters and planes are planned for the future if everything goes to plan.
- Closed Beta planned.
- Pre-orders will open in 2013.
- Private project, no government/state is involved with financing.
Technical
- Will use Digital Nature (Rise of Flight) engine.
- Engine will be DirectX 9 based on launch.
- If this product is a success - DirectX 11 support will be considered for the future.
- Native 64-bit support is still considered.
- Windows 8 will be supported.
- Work will be done to make the engine ready for WWII aircraft.
- Engine can support different types of player vehicles from main battle tanks to giant robots.
- TrackIR will be supported.
- Oculus Rift support is a possibility.
- FreeTrack will be supported.
- Steam support is unlikely.
- System requirements not known yet.
- Multi-threading and multiple cores will be utilized.
- Multi-core support will be the same as in RoF (best with 4-core CPU).
- External physical instrument support (as IL-2 DeviceLink) will not be available at launch.
- Multi-monitor setups will be supported.
- Force-feedback will be supported (and "better than previous games").
- Stereoscopic 3D support is confirmed.
- SLI/CrossFire will be supported.
- Will not use GPGPU (not applicable and no server-side option).
- The terrain will be bump-mapped.
- Will have dynamic cockpit shadows.
- The sound will be designed for stereo (but will work fine with multi-channel output).
- Visibility range is 40km.
Mods, Skins and Editor
- Mission Editor will be similar to RoF.
- No third-party planes or API planned.
- Other types of mods will be supported (as with "mods on" in RoF).
- Official Skin Packs will be used (as in RoF).
- User skinning will be supported with provided templates.
- Map Editor as a tool will not be available (however theoretically it will be possible to create new maps without an editor).
General
- Not a CloD clone sequel, a brand new game.
- Not an arcade game, a simulator.
- Only the critical systems will be modeled: propeller pitch, boost, altitude control, different mechanization, weapons etc.
- Not a study/training sim (think FSX, DCS), but a combat simulator.
- Would like to return to the original IL-2 [1946] idea.
- Will include both multi-player and single-player gameplay options.
- For SP: QMB, Single Missions and a Career/Campaign system.
- No clickable cockpits planned.
- Cockpit switches and toggles will be animated (to what extent unknown yet).
- Cockpit details will not be modeled to CloD level.
- Engines will operate in a realistic manner as they do in RoF.
- AI will be updated for the WW2 combat.
- AI will fly with the same flight model as the player (no simplifications).
- AI will be able to make decisions when to return to base (due to damage/fuel/ammo/etc).
- Multiple AI difficulty levels (novice, ace, etc).
- Parachute jump and bail out will be implemented (how detailed unknown yet).
- No pilot body in cockpit view (possible feature for the future/after release).
- Will have an achievement/award system.
- Track recording will be available (as in RoF).
- Aircraft "weathering" option/slider (as in CloD) will not be available.
- Realistic sound travel time (sound waves will be simulated).
- Will be able to open the canopy (with impact on aerodynamics)
- Rainfall will be modeled on the cockpit glass.
- Machine gun synchronizers will be accurately modeled (as in RoF).
- High altitude contrails will be modeled.
- Wake turbulence will be modeled.
- Compressibility of air will be modelled.
- Aircraft will have field modifications.
Damage Model
- Damage model has (already) been improved (from RoF point of view).
- Will have a cockpit damage model.
- Exploding wing ammunition magazines are part of the damage model.
- Will be able to damage other aircraft with your propeller alone.
- Falling parts (from other aircraft) can damage your aircraft.
- Bomb blasts can damage nearby aircraft.
Radio, Communication and Navigation
- You will be able to issue radio commands to AI (by hearing your own duplicated radio command voice and AI response).
- Ground forces will communicate with you over the radio.
- Airfield services also become more sociable (compared to IL-2 [1946]).
- Different radio frequencies (will be able to listed to enemy radio under certain conditions).
- Airfield maintenance and supply service and ground units will use flares.
- Radio navigation (beacons/AM stations) not planned for initial release.
- No built-in VOIP (voice chat).
- Navigational lights will be modeled.
Aircraft
- At least ten aircraft planned for launch (fighters, attack planes and bombers).
- Flight model will be much more accurate and harder (compared to CloD).
- 3D models will be more accurate than RoF or CloD (poly count wise).
- Aircraft will not be balanced (for "game" reasons) and built/modeled as they were.
- Confirmed aircraft:
LaGG-3
Yak-1
Bf 109 F-4
Bf 109 G-2
IL-2 (1942 year model, single-seat)
Ju 87 D-3
He 111
Pe-2
Ground Interaction
- Infantry (on the ground) will not be modeled.
- Will not be able to leave the plane and control the pilot.
- Ground search lights and aircraft landing lights will be implemented.
- Refuel, repair and ammo replenishment at airfields will not be available at launch (planned for the future).
- More than 30 ground vehicles.
- More than 500 static objects.
Confirmed ground units/vehicles:
T-34 STZ
T-70
PzKpfw III Ausf. L
Map and Campaign
- Covering the time period of the Battle of Stalingrad.
- The map will be geographically accurate.
- The snowy battlefield around Stalingrad will be believable.
- Will start with "Operation Uranus" (Soviet counterattack) and will finish with liberation of Stalingrad.
- Some terrain detail/visual improvements planned (from RoF point of view).
- Map length from west to east is 360 km.
- Map height from north to south is 230 km .
- Projected map area.
- Other small online maps are planned for release (as with lake map in RoF).
- Dynamic day/night cycle.
- All major historical airfields will be present.
Multiplayer
- Will have dedicated server support (Windows only).
- No official servers (only player/third-party hosted).
- Not a MMO, don't expect hundreds of players per server. ( Sethos: One of their MP slides said 100 players per server ).
- Multi-crew aircraft with full multiplayer support.
- Capture-the-flag (CTF, as in RoF) online game mode will not be available in BoS.
- Realism settings will be server-side and forced on players by the host.
Other
- BoS content will not merge with (or install over) Cliffs of Dover as stated before by former Maddox team.
- Some of the models and textures might be re-used from CloD.
- RoF (engine) might benefit from the work done on Battle of Stalingrad.
- The new Channel Map for RoF will not be available in BoS.
- The team inherited from 1C all materials, documents and studies for the Battle of Stalingrad and the Eastern Front.
And breathe. So anyone else a big fan of IL-2? I just pre-ordered the Premium edition.
TL;DR something with planes, meh.