Development Update and Roadmap – April 14

[Oldschool61]

Originally Posted by baffa

Read the update notes again

"3. Texture manager split into a separate core, which does wonders for performance on 4+ cores but offers no improvement on two cores."

BUt what about triple cores!!! As in phenom X3 !!!

[Heliocon]

Originally Posted by luthier

Sorry I haven't posted in a couple of days, I waited until our progress was a little more clear. We are up on here a lot, and your feedback and reports are extremely helpful. Thank you all for your support!

We are planning another patch for this coming Monday the 18th of April*, with a beta version of the patch this Friday the 15th. The beta version will be the same as before, manually extractable to your game folder, then automatically overwritten by the release version of the patch.

Before I get more into the patch, I want to discuss the sfs – mod situation a bit. First of all, the data you’re accessing was never intended to be hidden from the user, but rather accessible as part of our larger plans for SDKs and user mods and expansions. It’s just we planned to open it up ourselves eventually, once the SDK was ready, but our enterprising fans found a way to do it earlier.

Most importantly, I need to mention something about Valve anti-cheat. Valve has their standard feature running on top of multiplayer, and we have some of our own additional checks. The way it works is not an automatic immediate server ban, but rather a data-gathering and review process resulting in eventual account ban from all multiplayer for the game.

So while many of you may enjoy playing around with game content, please do so offline. We do not yet have the user interface for switching between modified and stock files, nor do we have the server GUI to allow/disallow custom content so that makes things a little more difficult for the players. We’re probably going to ignore any infractions before today, but we’ll become more aggressive in the coming days. Please be warned. There will be a wide-scale account ban once we identify a large number of culprits. Everyone will be banned simultaneously, with no prior warning or chance for redemption. If you do not wish to be made an example of, please do not use ANY modified files in any online matches.

After all, cracking the game is against the EULA and theoretically we could ban everyone who has ever tried any mod, but that of course would serve no purpose. Once again, we do not mind you fiddling with your own game on your own machine, as long as you don’t use that ability to try to give yourself an unfair advantage online.

And now, the patch.

1. Further improvements to framerate in regards to the terrain engine. The improvement promises to be the most drastic yet, but since it’s currently split in half between two different machines we won’t have a more precise idea of the FPS gain until later today or early Friday.
2. SSAO is optional, a checkbox in Video Options.
3. Texture manager split into a separate core, which does wonders for performance on 4+ cores but offers no improvement on two cores.
4. Texture quality slider added to video options.
5. New Steam Lobby feature as an alternative to existing Server search.
6. Improvements to the Quick Mission Builder feature.
7. Large number of various changes in aircraft and cockpits

Future plans and roadmap:

1. SLI / Crossfire support (had to temporarily halt development due to ongoing work on FPS and texture manager)
2. Improvements to the campaign engine, including a rank and awards system.
3. Changes to multiplayer interface to better deal with the mods
4. More FM and DM tuning
5. Finally, documentation on dedicated server and campaign interface that should allow more meaningful 3rd party content!

Great update Luthier, we are all very glad to hear what is happening there behind the scenes, this update and other news is really making me
I would like to thank you on behalf of me, the community and my ego for the update.

Also while I am at it, when you were discussing the tree hitboxes/dmg and that you would need to run it on an additional core/thread, why not implement that as an option (which means retaining the minimum specs). I mean if its working on its own thread without reducing game performance for quad core (or 8 thread) machines, I think we would all like that as an "option" for those who can run it now, and for those who will run it in the future.

[cato_larsen]

Originally Posted by JG14_Jagr

After the patch, the same "fixes" that Kegetys' MOD give you will be obtainable through the GUI so you won't need them at all to get the same performance bumps//

If so, that is a good thing, what would be a bad thing is that if someone uses these fixes now and get a ban........ Lets just hope it does not happen. I definately understand that people want to have a better working game though. With private dedicated servers you would not suffers that, but could have a mod or file check... Like ArmA servers have

[DrPepper]

Originally Posted by TheEditor

So to get back from mod stuff to stock, can you just go to steam and hit "check integrity of files" or something like that and it will put game back to stock?

I deleted the directories I created that had the mod files in it like, the nssao directory... Only delete the ones you extracted/created for the mod.

Delete the keygetys.dll file.

Get rid of the:

<setting name="nativeDLL" serializeAs="String">
      <value>kegetys.dll</value>
    </setting>

from the Launcher.exe.config file or restore that file from a backup you may have created.

Next go to your shortcut for IL2 cod and remove the stuff you added (-mods=... ,etc).

Now go into steam, then to your games list and right click on il2 cod. Go to properties, then the local files tab and click "Verify integrity of game cache". it should check out ok! Mine did and I was using the mods.

If it doesn't then you may have to redownload from steam.

[sorak]

Originally Posted by jamesdietz

I have a MSFFB stick too & like it....I don't get the sim for 2 more weeks (her in USof A)but am upgrading to Windows 7 & 64 bit ...are you saying I'm SOL with FF or does it work just not very well...What does???
Worried....

Not working at all right now.... but im sure as time goes by FFB will be added. Once you go FFB you never go back.. hehee

[sorak]

Originally Posted by ubermachtig

Dear Oleg & Luthier,

Thanks for keeping us up to date about the games progress. It is quite rare that developers really speak to their community, but it is highly appreciated.

Recently, Oleg posted a video on his channel regarding the Wellington bomber. The main thing I noticed is that the colors are a little bit more grey-ish (or less saturated, however you want to call it). Personally I think this greatly reflects not only world war 2, but also the overall weather conditions around the channel.

I hope a switch can be added ingame to recreate the same effect, which will get rid of the (in my opinion) oversaturated appearance. War should look dark, scary and that kind of stuff, not like the teletubbies landscape.

Thanks

http://www.youtube.com/user/OlegMaddox

This is a simulation.. So why would you make the envriment intentually dark just because its a 'war simulation' Make everything exactly how they should be the best you can.

[sorak]

Originally Posted by mattag08

That's a lot of blowin' smoke.

I was a force feedback user for 13 years. I recently switched to the Thrustmaster Warthog and couldn't be happier. I don't miss the force feedback at all.

To say that it somehow replicates the real forces on the airplane in any meaningful way is also inaccurate.

Chill with the FFB requests. It'll get done.

Thats funny.. So what was the whole point in creating FFB? The type of planes in this game is IDEAL for force feedback because in these real planes there was real force feedback. Now in newer planes this doesnt happen.

And you do realise force feedback was basically created from NASA to implement more realism in virtual worlds.

[mazex]

Originally Posted by MD_Titus

cheers for the update luthier

as for force feedback, damn - that should be low down the list of priorities.

I have no problem at all with the FF implementation being low on the list as long as it's IN the list That's the only thing I would like an answer to... And I guess the rest of the FF bunch here too?

[kimosabi]

Originally Posted by bw_wolverine

Agreed with this and other words about FFB giving much needed info.

Without FFB, you can usually tell if you're about to stall by the way the aircraft is starting to react to your inputs, but with FFB you can hang on that much longer (as you learn when the stall actually occurs relative to the ammount of 'shake' you're getting) and maybe it's that extra second or two that gives you the edge.

Plus, I don't know about you, but I love the white knuckle feeling of the stick shaking when I'm firing the guns, trying to stay on target. Makes every flight more intense.

There's a lot to be said for something that 'feels' real even if it's not. That's why we get weird colour filters on WWII movies, or tracer fire that is not strictly accurate one way or the other.

I look forward to FFB being added. I'm not going to demand it be added right away, I'll just be anxiously anticipating it.

For a regular BnZ type of pilot, you might not see a big difference, they all go too fast to get much shakes from high AoA's anyway, but you are spot on when it comes to slow turn fights. It's ok to say that "you should always be fast..." but truth is, you never know where a dogfight ends up so having an edge in discontinous flight always gets you out of trouble if need be. Besides, it always feels bloody good to see your opponent stall out and become a target, or seeing that you're gaining in a slow turn.

Besides, floating around in a clean 109 at 120kph and balancing the aircraft with your pedals is just marvelous IMO. Can't do that without FFB. Atleast I can't.

The shooting I also agree with you 100%.

[Wandalen]

Good stuff Lutter !

Hope for a quick solution for the annoying Launcher.exe crash.. Spent more time last night restarting the game then i did flying online.
Think the biggest issue for me is the Launcher.exe crash witch happends moast in online session.

Thanks for the great suport !

~S~
Wandalen