Questions for Luthier

[BlackSix]

Attention!
Please ask questions for Luthier in this thread. He will try to answer them tonight.

[Feathered_IV]

The single player experience in Cliffs of Dover has been roundly criticized as being decidedly below standard. Can you tell us specifically in what ways you think it is lacking, and explain what you intend to do to improve it?

[Tree_UK]

Hi Luthier,
1. Please could you look into the netcode, its killing Multiplayer servers.

2. Could you reconsider your position on Co-ops, again this is preventing a lot of people from wanting to continue using your product now and in the future.

3. It was claimed that within recent patches a 50% performance increase was gained but as of yet I have seen no evidence to support this, in fact my performance actually dropped whilst at the same time features were taken out of the game. Could you tell me how I go about getting this performance increase or what system I should use to get the best out of CLOD, I currently have a i72600k running at 4.7Ghz, 2x GTX680 in SLI and 16GB of DDR3 at 1600mhz.

4. Could you tell us how you test your alpha/beta patches before release, many of them have broken has much as they have fixed and your customers are left scratching their heads wondering how you could of missed some of the most obvious bugs, such as the hurricane not starting. Also could you tell me what online servers you or your employees use to test the game.

[JG52Krupi]

Can the sequel be merged with COD like the original il2 series and if it can will we get to test features that will be appearing in the sequel I.e. Weather etc..

[baronWastelan]

How many people are there working on IL-2 Sturmovik series now?

[JG52Uther]

Why were the Flyable G50 and Br20 modelled for CoD, when they only played a very minimal role, and more common aircraft left out, such as a flyable Do17 and indeed even the CR42?
Was it originally intended to move to the Med theatre after the BoB?

[IvanK]

Have you addressed the bugged Mixture issues in the RAF types ?
Have you addressed the Engine Overheat issues in the RAF types ?

[Bounder!]

Have you addressed the issue of the Spitfire under performing in terms of relative top speed compared with the 109 (e.g. see graphs in 1st post in this recent thread http://forum.1cpublishing.eu/showthread.php?t=34115)? Thank you.

[David198502]

Hello Luthier!
would it be possible to hand out information on how to handle each aircraft the proper way?
after 1,5 years, there is still too much confusion about the different types of planes, and how they perform the best way,and how to get the most out of them.

for example every month there is another thread about the prop pitch management of the 109, and even among the experienced 109pilots there doesnt seem to be a consensus on whats the best way...

for example: http://forum.1cpublishing.eu/showthread.php?t=34328

there is historical information around in the net and in books, but we dont know whats implemented in game, what works best, and how it is intended to work...

[Ploughman]

Can you tell us anything about the forthcoming sequel and where you intend to take the series after that?

Do you consider that you've achieved about as much as you can, performance wise, with the game engine at the moment and that people's systems now have to be improved to improve performance?

Will the Su-26 be available soon?

SDKs have been given a low priority at the moment. Given their potential for enriching the Il 2 experience, when will they be re-prioritised?

[il_corleone]

Hello Luthier!

1. Is going to be more view distance whitouut touching much the performance? I think in the first versions the view dstance was more.

2 .Are the net code being worked? Like ghost formarions, etc aslso when filming a track the player loses the connection .

Thanks for your time luthier, i wish good luck to all the team and congratulations on all the succesfull work archieved , Salute!

[arthursmedley]

Can the sequel be merged with COD like the original il2 series and if it can will we get to test features that will be appearing in the sequel I.e. Weather etc..

This question Ilya! Please confirm that the sequel will be able to be merged with our current game as in all previous IL2 releases.
Also, please, please introduce a coop mode similar to the one we had in IL2 as you are loosing potential sales without this!

[Falstaff]

1. Why was Clod released (in the condition it was in)?

2. Have you had serious problems re-writing the various code routines?

3. Do you still have some of the original engine coders?

4. Do you have anybody responsible for 'gameplay?' - serious question.

5. Do you think releases (both game and patches) have been handled competently?

6. Do you think the strong criticisms of Clod, on a forum such as this, are fair and reasonable?

[MadBlaster]

1) will this game ever run good on windows xp using dx9? 'good' defined as 30 avg fps on black death track.

2) will you ever consider getting rid of steam and going to hyper-lobby format?

3) what pc components, drivers, supporting software...etc. do you now recommend to run the game optimally, given so much of the code has changed since original release date since the game was first spec'd out.

4) was the epilipsy filter a fraud? honestly, it was so absurd. very hard to believe in hindsight.:rolleyes:

5) surprise, did you know that B6 doesn't even like CLOD?

6) did you hire any of the Daidalos Team member to work on CLOD when you put out those help wanted advertisements a while back?

7) will the final patch include moving dogfight server and rearm, refuel and repair capability?

8 ) after the final patch, where do we go to join 128 player battles online?

9) why did oleg leave? the real reason.

10) if you could do it all over again, would you?

11) is chivas a 1c bot?

[banned]

Luthier,

Have you seen how many times the same questions are asked, and if so

Why are they not being answered unambiguously, or a way that appears deceptive?

Why is there so much emphasis placed on the sequels process when most want CoD fixed?

[csThor]

What is your view on Gameplay and its impact on the success of a release?

To elaborate: Many flight sims released in the last decade or so showed the tendency of the developers to curtail the amount of work they put into gameplay questions (such as training missions, single missions and campaigns for offline and online players) and focus instead on technical fidelity, details and other things related to "crude matter" ;). Operational procedures and increased technical systems modelling have increased the realism (and frustration factor since often enough the customer was left alone with inadequate documentation and without guidance to using said systems properly) which received applause from many within the simmers communities, but at the same time the key factor to the success of the classic flight sims (such as Aces over Europe, F19 Stealth Fighter, European Air War or even Strike Commander) - the offline campaign and gameplay at large - got reduced to second-rate importance (if any at all). That received applause from certain elements within the communites as well, but generally it added another hurdle to success with more casual gamers because the releases tended towards sterility of the GUI and mission environment.
IMO a decent offline campaign system, with several well researched and designed campaigns, a collection of equally well designed offline missions and an FMB which lets the average user create missions of his own are one of the major pillars of a successful flight sim. It can provide a showcase for the performance of the engine, the dedication of the developers and the amount of research that went into making these missions/campaigns. 8-)

[MadTommy]

What is included in the forthcoming patch?

What specific bugs have been fixed?
what changes to FM have been made?
etc etc

Preliminary readme?

[Ctrl E]

Can you please open the game up to third parties and modders to fix.

The game has amazing potential, but is obviously quite broken at the moment.

[Feathered_IV]

Again with reference to the single player experience, what did you learn from this thread that YOU started. How has it effected your ideas of gameplay and which elements do you intend to implement in the sequel?

http://forum.1cpublishing.eu/showthread.php?t=10993&highlight=Holy

Also, I notice you never contributed beyond the first post. Did you actually read the suggestions contained in the thread?

[Dano]

Are you ever going to fix the severe particle effects fps issues without resorting to making the effect look like it was made with lego?

[BGs_Ricky]

Hello Luthier !

- Can we expect one day to have a comprehensive manual for the FMB, including scripting ?
- The game has an incredible amount of features and systems modeled, but it's sometimes not easy to discern what is really implemented from what is buggy or not working properly. Could we expect to have one day a clear picture of that ?

Thanks for your time and keep up the work to bring us a enjoyable sim again ! :)

[JVM]

Hello Luthier!

My questions would be all about the main map itself (many others are pointing out all the other issues, no need to add anything there) but they would need elaboration and this is not the place. So I will be short:

- As a matter of principle would you be OK with one or two "communities" (actually myself and some others) working to correct the many flaws, lacks, incoherences, wrongs, missing elements etc of the MAIN map, under your control, when it is possible (even if still far away, the work itself will take probably more than one year anyway)?

- An idea when this could happen (granted as long as it is not "never" the question is rather rhetorical...I suspect the answer)?

[Feathered_IV]

What specifically is preventing clouds from being depicted in a volume and quality that is competitive with other sims currently on the market?

[naz]

Hi Luthier

Will the sequel have AI comms that work properly and have a level of detail/available commands that is closer to what we had in IL-1946 series. Offline play in even the exceptionally good Desastersoft campaigns is badly stifled by the extremely limited AI comms system we are stuck with in Cliffs.

Cheers

[Feathered_IV]

What is your assessment of the quality of current AI speech routines. What if anything do you intend to do to improve them in the future?

[ATAG_Septic]

Hi,

Will it ever be possible to add collisions to trees?

Thanks,

Septic.

[Mysticpuma]

Can we ever expect authentic looking cloud cover and weather environments that actually effect gameplay?
Also the buildings still pop up like they did in the original IL2. Has your new graphics engine fixed this awful looking problem?
Lastly has there been any progress on making the Ai work and fly like we would expect or are we stuck with either barrel rolls or no reaction at all?

Video of weather that actually works, smoke and fire that looks realistic, water effects that are immersive and buildings that don't pop up here:
http://forum.1cpublishing.eu/showthread.php?t=34239

Why not just buy that Graphics engine and plug your other stuff into it?

Waiting to see which questions get answered, I am sure there will be lots.

Cheers, MP

[JG52Krupi]

Can we expect bullet hit and flak sounds to be added in the next patch?

[Feathered_IV]

How do you expect your current business model to deliver a profit while using the traditional il-2, addon every 2-3 years approach, and do you plan to offer DLC content in the future?

[Feathered_IV]

Why are weathering layers of skins unable to be packed in such a way that they can be modified or improved by users?

[Drum_tastic]

Hello,

Firstly, I would like to say that I am really enjoying the game at the moment and think the atmosphere of channel dogfighting is very good I hope we get to realise the full potential this sim has to offer.

My questions are

• Are the team hoping to continue the series (all being well) as was mentioned earlier in the development cycle?

• Are you going to be in a position to give the planned overdue announcement regarding future development’s any time soon?

Many thanks

[jf1981]

Can we increase even more the degree of realism e.g. available & working aircraft systems ?

Just a side note, please remove the ever icing clouds, most of them are not, especially flying low, it's not that often sub zero.

[GraveyardJimmy]

Is it possible to expand on the not before seen special feature that was mentioned? Will it come for the sequel or will it not come out now?

Any news on how the vehicle control will be implemented? Will that ship with the sequel?

[Swoop]

First off great work on the last patch, at last many of my fellow pilots are back flying CoD and we're really enjoying hand made historical DFs each week with a loads of us in there.

Many of the same relevant questions have already been asked, but the biggest one for me is when is the estimated time of the next release? It has the biggest set of fixes for Cod promised and since the sucess of the last patch now eagerly awaited.

Welcome back btw, B6 has been doing a fine job in the trenches :)

[1337Avi80R]

1. Is it save to say that the the sequel will, besides adding new content, fix all major gameplay, graphic ,multiplayer issues we currently have?

2. Will there be a solid documentation for engine management, level bombing etc.?

3. Can we expect the sequel to be out this year or is that unrealistic?

4. What happend to the offical announcement for the sequel?

5. Is someone still working on improving and/or adding new/better sounds?

6. What priority have drivable vehicles? What amount of work is put into that?

[kendo65]

Luthier, thanks for the earlier update and the honest answers.

2 questions concerning the COD map.

1. You said earlier:

'we really want to release at least the map-making SDK to the public “as is”, which is why they’re not covered by the next patch v. sequels discussion.'

If this is released will it be possible for an organised community effort to improve certain elements of the main COD map or will the sdk be only for creating new small maps?

As you probably know quite a few people are disappointed with the current map and feel it could be made better by making changes to tree coverage/ hedgerows/etc. These would not be difficult changes technically, but would be time consuming and labour intensive - and therefore ideal for talented community members to undertake whilst the developers focus on the sequel (almost like a Team Daidolos for COD).

If the choice is between NO further work on the map OR allowing an (organised) community effort to make improvements (with your final approval regarding quality) would you be agreeable to this happening?

2. Videos from the Igromir pre-release version of COD seem to show a better implementation of the map. Were changes made after Igromir for performance reasons, and if so can those changes be easily reversed?

[Varrattu]

May I expect a sequel including a comprehensive manual for the DM, FM, FMB, including scripting?

Regards Varrattu

[kendo65]

...
as you might have guessed, the brunt of the team’s efforts has gradually shifted to the sequels.

I note the plural 'sequels' in your earlier post :)

There has been much speculation and uncertainty :) :confused: about the sequel(s) - ie Moscow?, Stalingrad?, MMO only?, etc, etc.

Can you comment at this time on whether the next sequel will be Moscow as previously stated, whether Stalingrad will be a separate sequel to follow, or how the MMO option will fit into the series?

Please be aware that the continued delays in clarifying details like this (originally scheduled for June I believe) increase uncertainty and speculation and contribute to community uneasiness.

[Gourmand]

hi, can we shoot su-26 and making weapon dommage ? :twisted:
and how about flak control ? it's for the sequel?

[lonewulf]

I'd be interested to know if you've addressed the aircraft visibility (or invisibility) issue? IMO, the problem has all but killed the game. Whatever the reason for it, it doesn't really work in a simulation. You simply can't shoot what you can't see.

[Feathered_IV]

Precisely how many separate projects does Maddox Games intend to work on at one time? Is the rumoured MMO to be developed by MG also?

[bongodriver]

Luthier, will you continue to support CLOD independently with updates 'AFTER' the release of a sequel?

[kristorf]

Why are there no plans to sort the problem of not being able to use the main componant of this game (the Channel Map) for coops?

Will the terrible weathering on Allied aircraft be fixed?

[oddeball]

Hello Luthier, my question is simple, shall have we the correction of the bug of rear-view mirrors on the English planes for the next patch.

[hc_wolf]

Hello Luthier,

Will dev fix the pop up trees and buildings or provide greater view distance for people with high end cards?

Why do you have pop up buildings and not fade in.

People in bombers can't fly higher than 3'000m because targets pop up seconds before they must drop bombs.

[ATAG_Doc]

What is being done to fix the netcode? You really cannot come close to any historical mission only using a few aircraft whether they are human or AI in myltiplayer.

[ATAG_Doc]

When will you fix the service ceilings in aircraft? The 109 is not able to reach 10000 meters. The real ones do.

[planespotter]

You say you are 'not proud' of Cliffs of Dover' and fair enough you should not be.

Will you be offering a discount on the sequel, to people who bought Cliffs of Dover, as an apology?

[zapatista]

Luthier,

we understand you have been extremely busy fixing the grafix engine and making sure the SoW franchise survives and can continue to make sequels, thank you for that !

but....

what makes simulating the BoB era an interesting FLIGHT SIMULATOR event is that it would allow us to replicate the engagements between spitfire/hurricanes and 109's, where each plane had its strength and weakness and its own peculiar flight characteristics that allowed certain offensive/defensive tactics and maneuvers. secondary to that is the interaction between fighters and the various bombers and their DM's. sadly CoD FM and DM's are not accurate enough to do this right now, can you please try and understand the importance we (the long term il2 fans) see in this, and can you please make this a priority to be resolved ?

right now we have the problem that:
- large engagement online are near impossible because of netcode issues (close flying multi engine plane formations cause major frame drops, strange ghost dots, less stable netcode for high player numbers etc..)
- offline single player campaign is near non-existent in content, and poor AI has some major issues (aircraft AI is much worse then the old il2 ever was).
- COOP mode is deliberately not provided by you, or its importance is not understood. (i suspect you deliberately dont include it to push the later MMO mode)
- main fighter adversaries (single engine fighters) have significant FM & DM issues which dont allow us to replicate their specific offensive/defensive combat maneuvers
- distant LoD models have VERY bad visibility, making us like half blind myopic pilots flying around in a mini situational awareness bubble, this is a MAJOR issue because if you cant see the friend/enemy objects/planes at the correct distances, you cant simulate anything regarding what a real pilot experienced in ww2
- almost 18 months after initial release there are many "simple" issues that have not been resolved, but which would have taken very little effort on your programers parts to address (some reversed controls, incorrect controller function, and faulty gauges etc)

so what is left for us to use right now ? not much really :(
- there is some minimal online play (go look any day of the week at how many servers are online, almost none),
- there is no real offline content, and buggy AI makes it almost unplayable. i believe there are almost no ofline players (other then some who bought the desastersoft addons, and they are having to tolerate major issues with AI etc..)
- fans are not given an SDK to add content, objects, maps etc, so there is no way to have user created content enrich the very anemic CoD for ex
- flying in smaller engagements with allied combat aircraft is so buggy and unrealistic only a masochist will persevere, and almost none do

i dont mind the longer wait time or "wasted money" in having bought CoD, thats not the point and you wont hear me or most real il2 fans complain about this, neither is it an issue that you need a high end pc to run it well and get the better visual eye candy to be activated, and most of the old fans will still be happy to buy BoM no matter what, BUT ffs have a look at how little "real" content there is right now, and deal with the priority elements and bugs that need to be fixed (or are missing) for this sim to actually be some sort of complete product that can be used by us (and then again attract new people as a result)

this sim has HUGE potential, it can be, will be, exactly like we all dreamed it could/would be :) , and 1C/MG is the only one in the running to create such a marvel, it would be the most awful waste to not have those missing/faulty elements addressed, and only YOU can do this or set those priorities. good the grafix engine main problems have been addressed, that has been the main reason for CoD to not perform, but now give us some real content (or allow us to create content), and please fix those main missing elements so we can actually use the sim as it was intended.

[6BL Bird-Dog]

1 Will the lack of a decent Co-op mode be put right in the patch or the Sequel.
2 Will the Channel map be available for Co-op in the online mode.
3 Not a question so much more mof an indicator;The first X-Fire patch worked realy well for my 5870`S but the small patch bought out within hours because of Graphics anomolies for Nvidia card users put it back to where it was before the patch.Somwhere there it gave the indication that the problem was Nvidia /SLi related and Xifire and AMD was at least close to a solution,maybee there is a clue in there for a soulution.
Thanks for the posting .

[rslot]

Hi Luthier/B6
Thank you for todays update. It has been very helpful.
My questions will mirror many on the forum:-

- Will the Communications with tower and AI work properly?
- Will the Spitfire/Hurricane flight model performance and mixture/temperature issues be resolved?
- Any fix for tree textures and collisions?
- Will the net code be fixed?
- Will there be a better manual for offline mission building?
- Will we get a full SDK release that will help others like Desastersoft develop better campaigns?
- Can we have some guide to the sequel milestone timescales?

I look forward to the detailed Readme with the final CLOD patch.
Many thanks

[Majo]

When the "our final Cliffs of Dover Patch" with its "complete readme" will be released?

When the sequel, as a well structured and planned project, is expected to be released?

Thanking you, in advance, for the information.

Salutes.

[chantaje]

1. are you working on the netcode? , it have some problems

2. are you working on the bombers bombsigths ? the german one dont work completely , (the triangle that shows when the bomb drop occur isnt working)

3. do you plan to change the building and objects popup-rendering? (if you fly high you dont se the target you are supposed to bomb, its very difficult to aim to something you dont see. Other times you see ships from the airbase you are taking off trougth the terrain)

[pupaxx]

Hi BS,
please can u ask Luthier how much confident it is in convincing a disappointed community to spend another 50 bucks for a new 1C product?Thanks
My last hope is that the sequel should be really well polished to turn CloD in a 'bad memory' in all of us and to grab our money again.
Good luck for your businness. :(:(:(
Cheers

[SiThSpAwN]

I know you stated the next CloD patch will be the last, so that means any fixes, advances and such into the game engine that come from the sequel will not be translated at some time or another back into CloD? Will Clod be completely abandoned in whatever state the final patch leaves it with no hope small updates, etc?

[Skoshi Tiger]

Question for Luthier - WIll devicelink or a similar method of obtaining data from the aircraft systems be modelled in either cod or future sequels in the series?

Cheers!

[SiThSpAwN]

Sorry, I just want to hear that it is truly the case that updates to the sequel will in fact apply to CloD, I didnt really get that from the current statements, but perhaps I misread somewhere. SO basically the sequel would be a module, or update to CloD if that is the case.

[SG1_Lud]

Good afternoon Mr. Schevchenko, and thank you for your efforts into bringing Cliffs of Dover to the state we all wish.

Here is my question for you:

Not too long ago you asked our help for lending a helping hand by identifying and documenting the sim bugs and features most wanted. IL2 Bugtracker was then born.

With your recent statement, it is clear that you will try to fix the most bugs and include the most features possible in a limited time frame. Given that, I find that is legitimate to ask an honest and sincere answer about this.

Here you are two filtered lists, one with the "top ten bugs" (those with most votes) and a similar one for the features most wanted.

Could you give us your plan? Can you point at which will be fixed in the upcoming final patch of Cliffs of Dover, and which will be certainly not and we have to wait at least until the sequel is released?

Thank you in advance.
S!

http://i1238.photobucket.com/albums/ff499/Nonpollolike/Cliffs%20of%20Dover/14-09-201216-05-00.jpg

http://i1238.photobucket.com/albums/ff499/Nonpollolike/Cliffs%20of%20Dover/14-09-201216-06-59.jpg

(*) Some of them, like Stuka Jericho horns and 100 octane Merlins are already WIP.

[ATAG_Colander]

Hi Luthier,

Will VAC be enabled after the official patch?
If so:
Will it be a server setting?
Will it affect custom maps or modding in general?


Thanks in advance.

[RedToo]

Hi Luthier,

Any chance of stopping the trees and their attendant shadows looking like they're having an epileptic fit?

RedToo.

[von Brühl]

Luthier,

If your team cannot fix this first game, and give us what was originally promised/expected, what is there to show us that the new game will be any better, and worth our support, dedication, and more importantly, our money?
__________________

[adonys]

Hello Luthier,

Welcome back and duck the machine gun fire!

Here's my ammo worth..
1) what exactly is the awesome feature never done in a flight sim before you told us about at some point?
2) what is, or when can we expect to hear the June/July announcement?
3) as you mentioned the milestones, can you tell us when is the deadline you have agreed for releasing the sequel (BoM) in the contract you already have with 1C, please? I'm sure you mus know the date.. :)
4) when can we expect the final CoD patch, please?

5) will the radio comms be fully completed and working in the CoD patch? or at the sequel's launch?
6) will the most urgent AI bugs:
- AI not following your radio comm commands
- AI not following you as a flight leader
- AI not considering you a part of their flight
- AI flying straight into terrain
- AI landing procedures
- AI waiting for player warm up (even if they don't have player's CEM, they can be forced to wait for a few mins before starting up)
bugs be fixed for the CoD patch or sequel (which bugs in which patch/release)?

7) was sighting ghosts bug fixed and will the fix be included into the CoD patch/BoM sequel?
8.) was the netcode looked for, and bugs like flying ships or warping planes fixed for the CoD patch?
9) when can we expect to receive a dedicated server?
10) when can we get a MP addon example, to show us the proper way to do it)?

11) will we get own airframe hit visual and sound effects added/bug fixed for the CoD patch/BoM sequel (and in which)?
12) will model LOD/dots transition be fixed for the CoD patch/BoM sequel (and in which)?
13) will model LODS range (like terrain targets not visible even if in a proper distance, and warping out from dot to a big model - ships, buildings and facilities - things which are practically destroying bombing and recon missions) be fixed for the CoD patch/BoM sequel (and in which)?
14) will the aircraft loads GUI be fixed for the CoD patch/BoM sequel (and in which)?

15) will working clouds/rain (at least a basic, static, decent weather system) be available back for the CoD patch/BoM sequel (and in which)?
16) will buildings loading popups/small buildings rendering range even on max settings be fixed for the CoD patch/BoM sequel (and in which)?
17) will flickering shadows be fixed for for the CoD patch/BoM sequel (and in which)?
18.) why can not the trees be made darker, as they should, by a simple texture modification?
19) what features were removed from the current engine (due to optimization reasons)? will they be added back into it, and when, please?

and the best for the end..

20) as the most of IL2CoD customers are single players, and they are still the ones not able to really play this at all, can we receive and AI SDK, so that we can work on fixing/improving/adding AI routines/behavior by ourselves (and thus freeing you to concentrate on other development areas), please? just look at the great job budeye did for VoW BoB2 and please consider it..

thank you,
dan antonescu

[Slipstream2012]

Hi Luthier,
Thanks for the update, Q&A.

The vast array of Net-code issues would be better understood if experienced online.

I would therefore like to request, that you take some time with your community, maybe over the weekend if you have an hour to spare and join us on the ATAG server where there are usually 30 to 40 players on the English Channel map with AI objects, and experience issues such as, slideshow near enemy aircraft, ghost aircraft, flying ships etc... firsthand.

I'd also like to verify that COD is not abandoned and will be merged with its sequels, and improved equally with them.

And if so,
Will there be anymore flyable aircraft added to COD in the future?

Regards,

[E.V.E]

Hello Luthier,

The netcode is very important for servers and for many Virtual Squadron.
It's been barely server is at disposal and in our squadron it really begins slowly to fly Cliffs of Dover. Unfortunately hinders many to switch to Cliffs of Dover still this netcode because we are unable to fly in formation with 30 to 40 large bombers, fighters and fighter-bombers or make an Squadron evening or Events

We hope the netcode will fixed in the Last Patch.


LG E.V.E

[Mattius]

Luthier, you stated that there would be one final patch before BoM. Should we see this in:-

A) Days
B) Weeks
C) Months
D) Before Christmas
E) 2013
F) 2014

:confused:

[E.V.E]

I Have forgott one question.

German:

Wird die Video aufnahme gefixt das man auch die Außensicht aufnimmt bei einem Server bei dem es Abgschalten ist. Denn soweit ich mich remeber kann das dies leider nicht ging und somit Online Schlachten und Events bei Full Realitic keine Filmen oder andere Videos gemacht werden können.

English(with google translation my English is not so good):

Is the video recording to record the fixed and the outside view in a server with which it is deaktivatet. Because as far as I can remeber me this unfortunately did not work, and so online battles and events on Full Realitic can't be made movies or other video .

[il_corleone]

luthier, you atated that there would be one final patch before bom. Should we see this in:-

a) days
b) weeks
c) months
d) before christmas
e) 2013
f) 2014

:confused:

+99999999999999999999999999

[Nezu]

Hi.
When the bug with flight of bombs underground, found at the time of a patch v1.05.15950 , and described here http://forum.1cpublishing.eu/showpost.php?p=388834&postcount=294 will be corrected? Do you know about that bug? The bug still is present аt BETA PATCH v.1.08.18956 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDyopTlRM7o

[Tree_UK]

Luthier, you spent considerable time making some vehicles drivable, I guess it dawned on someone at some point that due to the fact there is no collision model on the tree's any kind of ground vehichle usage is pretty much defunct, do you think you could of spent all that time better by trying to fix the flying part of the game?

[FS~Phat]

Hi Ilya,

Thanks for dropping by, I know there are going to be a lot of questions, but I have just a couple that I think cut to the core of the issue with CLOD. (and the success of the sequel)

Apart from the obvious initial CLOD performance issues and bugs, even now its playing pretty much and looking almost as good as it its going to get.... but somehow something about it just doesnt feel right.

I want to ask that you don't loose sight of the fact this is a game and the importance of "Game Play" isnt lost in the effort to "fix" CLOD and release new content for the sequel. More content in a new theatre with slightly better graphics and dynamic weather and "better simulation" or what ever other features you introduce wont make up for bad game play and game dynamics... I think you know what I mean by this. The game, bottom line, also needs to be fun.

I have been playing Battlestations: Pacific for the last few days for something different. Played it years ago and its prequel and forgot how much fun it was. Sure the flight dynamics are far from simulation (just like a certain title based on wings of prey) but the gameplay is fun and involving, especially the ship to ship, ship to air and submarine gameplay. CLOD even when its working, still feel a little hollow... and im not quite sure what its missing because the basic elements are there..... perhaps its too much simulation and not enough substance?

In anycase, my question is, do you think you can do better with "gameplay" in the sequel? Whether that be, "MMO" or a new "co-op" mode or team "death match", "capture the flag" these kinds of things from a flightsim perspective for the online world would bring a bit of variety. The other obvious thing missing from CLOD was a campaign...

Will a sequel contain the ability or content for a dynamic campaign? or even better, a rolling dynamic online war, where choices your team makes determine the outcome of a battle over a number of days or weeks?

So.... is "gameplay" a big priority for the sequel/s now most of the graphics engine is ironed out, because it would seem to me that is the only thing that can propel this series to greatness in the face of the new world of online gaming.

No one really wants to fly around in a bunch of A2A or FSX type WWII modelled planes if there's no soul and "game" to be had. At least not for more than a few hours anyway! (if you want proof of this, look at what MS did with FLIGHT after a year, they shut it down) (anyone ever play FSX multiplayer?) Which I think is where most people struggle with CLOD, especially with the large map and low number of online players!

Food for thought anyway! ;)
Cheers and Salute! Phat.

[Force10]

Are fixing radio commands to work as they were intended going to be in the patch or will I have to purchase the sequel to have them working? (assuming they are even being worked on for the sequel)

[priller26]

Question, is the Dev team aware of the "new" flicker issue in the zoom mode when dogfighting? Several members, including myself, are experiencing this bug for the first time. Other than with that, happy with the progress, and hoping the final patch and sequel are a hit.

[Tree_UK]

Hi Ilya,

Thanks for dropping by, I know there are going to be a lot of questions, but I have just a couple that I think cut to the core of the issue with CLOD. (and the success of the sequel)

Apart from the obvious initial CLOD performance issues and bugs, even now its playing pretty much and looking almost as good as it its going to get.... but somehow something about it just doesnt feel right.

I want to ask that you don't loose sight of the fact this is a game and the importance of "Game Play" isnt lost in the effort to "fix" CLOD and release new content for the sequel. More content in a new theatre with slightly better graphics and dynamic weather and "better simulation" or what ever other features you introduce wont make up for bad game play and game dynamics... I think you know what I mean by this. The game, bottom line, also needs to be fun.

I have been playing Battlestations: Pacific for the last few days for something different. Played it years ago and its prequel and forgot how much fun it was. Sure the flight dynamics are far from simulation (just like a certain title based on wings of prey) but the gameplay is fun and involving, especially the ship to ship, ship to air and submarine gameplay. CLOD even when its working, still feel a little hollow... and im not quite sure what its missing because the basic elements are there..... perhaps its too much simulation and not enough substance?

In anycase, my question is, do you think you can do better with "gameplay" in the sequel? Whether that be, "MMO" or a new "co-op" mode or team "death match", "capture the flag" these kinds of things from a flightsim perspective for the online world would bring a bit of variety. The other obvious missing thing from CLOD was a campaign...

Will a sequel contain the ability or content for a dynamic campaign? or even better, a rolling dynamic online war, where choices your team makes determine the outcome of a battle over a number of days or weeks?

So.... is "gameplay" a big priority for the sequel/s now most of the graphics engine is ironed out, because it would seem to me that is the only thing that can propel this series to greatness in the face of the new world of online gaming.

No one really wants to fly around in a bunch of A2A or FSX type WWII modelled planes if there's no soul and "game" to be had. At least not for more than a few hours anyway! (anyone ever play FSX multiplayer?) Which I think is where most people struggle with CLOD, especially with the large map and low number of online players!

Food for thought anyway! ;)
Cheers and Salute! Phat.

Good post Phat, I think the word that we are looking for is 'Immersion' , Il2 fb had that and CLOD doesn't, if you look back Luthier you will see a post you made about what do we want to see in CLOD, look through that post and you will see numerous fantastic posts that could of easily been implemented in CLOD or BOM, unfortunatley you failed to put any of those ideas into CLOD and like many other annoucements you have made you forgot about it, but its not too late for BOM, BOM should be a large lesson learnt, fix coop's give us a gun camera and fix the NETCODE.

[Kwiatek]

I think still CLOD have a chance to be popular at last in online gameply until sequel will be relased but firstly it is need to be fixed such most important things:

1. net code - gameplay is not smooth - there are still too many stutters and strange short huge fps drop expecially in max zoom

2. flight model and performacne of planes expecially:
- wrong Merlin engines ( MErlin III and Merlin XII) power settings not accurate with manuals ( for 87 octan version and 100 Octan) - including wrong RPMs settings, wrong mixture operation, too fast overheting and engine damage
- all planes are too slow expecially at the deck - British fighters are too slow ab. 30 mph and German 109s are too slow ab. 20-30 kph
- all planes have too low service celling
- 109 still have wrong slats working ( they open too late according to british test) and bad stall charactersitic

3. Planes visibility - DOT will disapered with FOV changing

I wonder if 1C are aware about these bugs and issuses and plan to fix it in incoming patch?

[FS~Phat]

Good post Phat, I think the word that we are looking for is 'Immersion' , Il2 fb had that and CLOD doesn't, if you look back Luthier you will see a post you made about what do we want to see in CLOD, look through that post and you will see numerous fantastic posts that could of easily been implemented in CLOD or BOM, unfortunatley you failed to put any of those ideas into CLOD and like many other annoucements you have made you forgot about it, but its not too late for BOM, BOM should be a large lesson learnt, fix coop's give us a gun camera and fix the NETCODE.

Even if they made the sequel a complete copy of IL2 FB/1946 with 2012 graphics, I dont think it would be a success and we would still be disappointed. I think they need to look to something new. Times have changed and we have "gotten used to 46" gameplay and need something different to stay interested. There's still hundreds of offline missions and campaigns I havent played on 46 and there's still plenty of online players too, but 46 just doesnt hold my interest anymore and I dont think Im alone here... and its not the dated graphics/FM/DM either... its the gameplay.. we are too used to it. Thats one of the reasons that CLOD felt like a bit of a let down... anyway I hope Luthier gets my point and hope he has some comments about gameplay, even if he cant give details, at least knowing they are going to give us something different would be great news! :)

[Tree_UK]

Even if they made the sequel a complete copy of IL2 FB/1946 with 2012 graphics, I dont think it would be a success and we would still be disappointed. I think they need to look to something new. Times have changed and we have "gotten used to 46" gameplay and need something different to stay interested. There's still hundreds of offline missions and campaigns I havent played on 46 and there's still plenty of online players too, but 46 just doesnt hold my interest anymore and I dont think Im alone here... and its not the dated graphics/FM/DM either... its the gameplay.. we are too used to it. Thats one of the reasons that CLOD felt like a bit of a let down... anyway I hope Luthier gets my point and hope he has some comments about gameplay, even if he cant give details, at least knowing they are going to give us something different would be great news! :)

I agree 100% Phat, but i'm not suggesting they copy IL2FB either.

[Bloblast]

Will AI get the attention it deserves. Offline players are not happy with this at the moment.

[David Hayward]

at least knowing they are going to give us something different would be great news! :)

I think that is why they were/are working on letting people drive vehicles and fire AAA guns.

[JG52Uther]

Please note the first post, this thread is for questions.
Attention!
Please ask questions for Luthier in this thread. He will try to answer them tonight.

[salmo]

Luthier, Is there any prospect of opening up COD for the community modders to improve content/gameplay & fix bugs? Perhaps with some sort of mechanism to allow 1C/dev's to "approve" altered content. I've always believed that there are community skills that could be utilised "for free" to improve COD which would relieve some of the load on the development team.

[bongodriver]

Luthier, Is there any prospect of opening up COD for the community modders to improve content/gameplay & fix bugs? Perhaps with some sort of mechanism to allow 1C/dev's to "approve" altered content. I've always believed that there are community skills that could be utilised "for free" to improve COD which would relieve some of the load on the development team.

That would be the SDK which has already been confirmed as low priority.

[salmo]

That would be the SDK which has already been confirmed as low priority.

No Bongo. I'm asking about access for modders to improve the gameplay, not about the SDK perse.

[Jugdriver]

Good post Phat, I think the word that we are looking for is 'Immersion' , Il2 fb had that and CLOD doesn't,

I don’t agree with you here, I think what is missing is Depth. IMO COD has good immersion, but it does not have the depth to make repeated play interesting over a long period.

Luthier, would a future SDK have the ability to produce human controlled planes and/or objects, or just maps?

JD
AKA_MattE

[Pudfark]

Dear fans,

It’s hard to believe it’s been almost a year. For myself and for the team the past two years are a blur. Things have been hectic long since CoD pre-release days and there’s no sign of letting down. We work in a constant state of emergency.

We know that even a year after the initial release many of you are still unhappy with many aspects of the game. We are painfully aware of your unhappiness. For me personally, it’s a constant feeling in the back of my head. It drives me and motivates me, and I in turn use it to drive and motivate the team. It is at the same time very humbling. I personally want to apologize to the community once again for the state of the game at release, and I want to thank you for sticking around this long and continuing to give us a chance to redeem ourselves.

I realize that the pace at which we release patches and updates has slowed considerably. The latest patch that has been “almost ready” for months, and it’s even more almost ready today. The graphics rework is basically done. The average framerate has shot up almost twice. Only one relatively minor issue remains that prevents the gunsight, tracers, and bullet decals from being drawn. Of course, this minor technical issue has a huge impact on gameplay, and that is why we cannot release it to the public in its current state.
Secondly, reworking and becoming confident in the graphics engine itself allowed us to spread the net and start identifying additional issues that were causing hick-ups and slowdowns in the game. That is the hardest thing to locate since they are unpredictable and very difficult to replicate. Rewriting the graphics engine fixed many of those issues, and made the others very easy to identify by narrowing down the usual suspects. We have identified some very obscure issues with visual effects, the landscape engine, the texture manager, and with the weather system that were causing the occasional stuttering that by itself arguably had a bigger impact on gameplay than low average FPS.

On our end, we are much more confident in our product today than we were a year ago, and we are also much more excited about the future. The team continues to grow. We are just now beginning to look for a huge number of new applicants that will grow the team by almost 25%. We have a lot of very exciting new things on our plate that we cannot wait to reveal. The general mood of the team is one of excitement. We cannot wait to prove our detractors wrong, crush the competition, and give our fans what they are looking for with our next major release!

Thank you again for your support!


Ilya Shevchenko
Lead Development Producer

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I realize, that was then and this is now. What happened?
Communication the last 18 months has been abysmal, will it
remain the same?

[JG52Krupi]

I realize, that was then and this is now. What happened?
Communication the last 18 months has been abysmal, will it
remain the same?

+1, please keep us informed.

[Storm of When]

I don`t chip in on the forums very often and I do actually enjoy playing the game every now and then on the ATAG server mainly but...

When you state that no other developer would have supported this release as much as you people have really gets me annoyed, Mr Shevchenko could you tell me in what other form of business could such a complete mess have been released as a working product without a recall and demands for a refund??. I think you should be grateful that 1C are still employing you and the team given the failure in an 18 month time period to fix this product to a satisfactory level??.

On ATAG it`s very easy to lose sight of targets or chase ones that simply aren`t there,
can that be fixed please?

Any combat online involving more than about 5 aircraft turns into a slideshow any chance the community that supports the game by playing online could have that sorted please.

Any chance that the community relations chap could be a little more enlightened when answering the questions,,, I don`t know wait and see is wearing a bit thin.

[planespotter]

In anycase, my question is, do you think you can do better with "gameplay" in the sequel? Whether that be, "MMO" or a new "co-op" mode or team "death match", "capture the flag" these kinds of things from a flightsim perspective for the online world would bring a bit of variety. The other obvious thing missing from CLOD was a campaign...

Agree and support and would like to add to this question...will the sequel include a dynamic campaign?

The community can build missions and static campaigns and for 1946 the best campaigns were comunity made. Desastersoft does great static campaigns. Heinkill does fantastic historic and alt history missions.

But only 1C team can give the series an integrated dynamic campaign engine.

Any chance?

[JG52Krupi]

I know you have said that there will only be one more patch before the sequel but is there any possibility that features that were going to be in COD and are being made in the sequel could be tested in COD?

[Stealth_Eagle]

Is there a way that you can make the sequel(s) independent of Steam please? I'm wanting to be able to buy a CD and install it and be able to play it in the distant future (I'm saying when I'm 36 in 20 years about) without having to worry about Steam. That is just hope that I have since I hope to continue flying this for as long as I can (devolpment of the original IL-2 started before I was born and it's my favorite game that I own).

Thanks for your time and commitment,
Eagle

[BlackSix]

I stopped collecting the questions. Thanks!
Please, waiting.

[klem]

I only just got to my PC tonight. I was typing my question when you closed the thread as I tried to post it. Please include it.

Luthier,

you say that many core problems will be fixed by the sequel but there will only be one more CoD patch.


The fact that the sequel can be loaded over CoD means that CoD will benefit from all of those improvements. These may be net code, LODs etc which we may have to wait for.

BUT!
Unique CoD issues have only one more chance. This essentially means the map and the aircraft. Everything else would seem to be 'core' although I may have missed something.

The BoB was to have been the flagship of the SoW series (as it was originally called) and for a very good reason. It was the iconic air battle of the war and particularly spotlighted air combat between the fighters. CoD cannot even come close if the FMs for the aircraft are incorrect. Anything else is just noise or are core issues that will be fixed anyway.

We still want to fight the BoB on a realistic basis as far as the aircraft are concerned, particularly the fighters.

Will you please confirm that if the FMs are still not close to historical data when we beta test them in the next patch (as regards basic performance like speed, climb and turn) you will put maximum effort onto this important CoD aspect and get them right or promise a final patch that fixes this single important aspect?

We can live with all the other 'core' issues if we know they will be fixed in the sequel but we cannot live with a simulation that 1C walks away from essential unique CoD/BoB issues. We can't look forward to you re-modelling the early Spitfires and 109s for any sequels as they would not be relevant. We would be left without a reasonable representation of the BoB.